Spyderco Forums

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports ... ikes-peak/

Just popped up in my social media feed. I remember watching Loeb's lap a few years ago. It still terrifies me... :D

I made a huge mistake....actually many huge mistakes in my youth lol.....my dad got me a '75 Corvette Stingray when I was 16. (Actually, he got a loan for it, and I made the payments- thru buying and selling used cars) at any rate, I sold it when I was 25. Huge mistake. Not to say that it anything special at all, its just more than anything he helped me get it plus I would love to have it back.....
Oh well, ya live and learn...

Was looking through some Photobucket pics for something else and got sidetracked by a few pictures I'd forgotten about.





Also...in hindsight I do sometimes regret selling my first truck. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I do wish I knew more about vehicles when I sold it...I might not have if I did. I do miss the truck still.

What are your personal experiences and opinions with hubcap decorations and additions, and also add-ons such as snow tires and such? Do you think that one should leave their tires and hubcaps factory spec, or, it's okay to soup em up and decorate them and even put add ons like spikes?

The spiked hubcap issue has heated up:

http://khon2.com/2015/03/02/lawmakers-c ... us-wheels/

Some are calling for bans on having steel spikes sticking out of your hubcaps. I have seen these. I don't know if they are there for decoration or, to use in an emergency "car fight", or both.

Can you imagine the "road rage" if a guy with 12 inch tempered carbon steel spikes sticking outta his hubs were to ram into someone else who he felt was cutting him off on the road?

Snow tires make a big difference, especially the studded variety. On hard packed snow or ice (As found on winter roads) the added siping gives the tires a lot more biting edges to grip the road, and they do make a very noticeable difference. Mud tires are terrible in such conditions, but when aired down provide good performance in deeply drifted snow, like you'd find in a field. I tend to run an all terrain tire on my pickup trucks year round, but I do gravitate towards tires with a softer rubber compound (They wear faster but provide better grip in the cold), but I'm a very proactive driver and I mostly drive rural roads so it's never been an issue for me, but I've driven vehicles with proper winter tires (I tend to be the vehicular advisor for close family) and if I drove something that was 2 wheel drive or did a lot of city driving I'd probably run winters in the winter because they do help. The all terrains I run now are actually studdable if I wanted to go really winter crazy with them, but I run them year round so I haven't gone that route.

As to the article you linked...I'm unsure as to whether or not you're referring to decorative lug nut covers, wheel covers, or hub caps. The picture that came up when I clicked on your link are spiked lug nut covers for a semi truck, and they rust very quickly and need to be replaced frequently because they're made of such thin steel. The unspiked ones we run are lucky to last a couple of years before they're rusty and fall off. They're decorative only and would simply dent and fold in on themselves if they came in contact with another vehicle. A wheel cover is a plastic cover that fits over a steel wheel and is purely decorative, and tends to be designed to mimick (Poorly) an actual alloy wheel. A hub cap is a cover that only covers the hub of the wheel in question, and not the entire radius of the wheel itself. I've never heard of someone (Nor could I imagine) someone pulling a decorative part off of a wheel in a road rage fight in place of something like a tire iron or baseball bat (Would take longer and be much less effective)...

I can't/won't comment on the spiked hub caps but am a huge believer in snow tires.

The design and science behind them are amazing. Modern brands like Bridgestone's various Blizzak's stay soft in extreme cold temperatures and have hundreds of tiny claw sipes and very open tread blocks. Technology in the last 30'ish years for tires has made massive jumps. Before that studs were pretty much a requirement.

IMHO, unless you live in a very ice-heavy place studs do more to ruin the roads than help the driver. Plus in anything but snow/ice they are quite dangerous. Steel on cement is very little traction...I grew up driving an old Fox body Mustang 5.0 with old studded snow tires. :eek:

All in all, I'll take a 4x4 truck with fairly thin aggressive tread (MT's or AT's) or an AWD car like a Subaru with modern studless snow tires any day. If you don't need the ground clearance or sturdy drivetrain (ie hitting rocks and curbs) the Subaru or similar car will be a ballet dancer in comparison. I'll even take a FWD car with Blizzak's to an AWD one with all-seasons. They are really that good and cheaper than most collision deductibles; $100-130 each in 15-16' sizes.

Like Branden I go for specifics just like how I buy knives. Summer extreme performance most the year; with enough tread depth most are even better in the rain than all-seasons. In the snow you just can't beat proper tires. All-Season's are often called "no seasons" by enthusiasts.

Here's an article where they ran a turbo Ford Focus with snow tires on a dry track to see difference in lap times and tread wear. They held up very well to the point that if forced to you could run them year-round. If you don't mind them being less efficient and howling like werewolves every day :p

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/vi ... ck-tested/

As a side-note most places that require "traction tires" (ie snowy passes) will take the following:

* A real 4WD/AWD SUV/Truck with good tires
* An AWD car with snow tires (studded or non, Snowflake marked)
* 2WD cars/trucks with chains on all four

Personally...I would rather just never go outside if chains are the alternative.

When it comes to driving while eating and drinking and other non-driving activities what are your thoughts regarding when such a thing becomes potentially dangerous or not? One reason I ask is because of the major focus on texting and driving and how this has been banned in many places.

I read that now some lawmakers, after receiving pressure from drivers of cars and other vehicles, have also been considering tickets given out to pedestrians who are "texting while crossing streets" because that has caused car-pedestrian collisions. Is that legitimate?

One who has driven on the famous Autobahn in Germany told me you are not allowed to consume any drinks or food, not even a bottle of water, while driving on it, because of the potential to be distracted while driving.

Is it dangerous to eat food, say a sandwich, while driving, or not, as long as one has a good ability to focus on the road ahead?

To many what-ifs to answer the question.
In some areas you cant guarantee someone won't pull out of a driveway in front of you on a bike or car, in this case the mess distractions the better.
Out in the country it's safer in this regard but you are probably traveling much faster so if you creep from the centre of the lane the consequences might be more severe with less warning.

I drink coffee, water and eat sausage rolls or pies but try and keep it safe.
I don't use my phone but my stereo is touchscreen which is harder than the older style with buttons you tend to memorise

My 84 e30 bmw didn't have cup holders, it was against company policy back then before the USA became an important market who demanded cup holders.

It all just depends. If you are a skilled and aware/active driver you should be able to accomplish a number of tasks while driving effectively. That said, with other people on the road testing your reactions I wouldn't advise even the best drivers to do these things. Plus even the best person might have to dodge a random animal crossing or correct for mechanical failure...my hands are always on 9 and 3 :).

IMHO, if you love driving you should set aside life and focus on the activity. Your likely burning gas and time, enjoy the journey.

Great free show online or via Crackle's free app for those with web TV.

http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/

This week is John Oliver in a Triumph. :D

Auto safety question: What are your views on these "mini" cars, often called "Smart Cars", that are like tiny boxes on wheels? Is it true that in a head-collision they will most likely end up bad, or not necessarily? Aside from a smaller space inside and better gas mileage and possibly easier parking, what are some disadvantages and advantages of them?

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/world ... 09993.html

Graphene has now made its way into the auto world. Check this out, Blerv and everyone.

From the article:

" Briggs Automotive Company has recently developed a car featuring graphene panels in the form of the BAC Mono you can admire in the accompanying photo gallery. The graphene panels in question were developed with the help of Haydale Composite Solutions. If you look closely at the rear wheel arches, you’ll spot that there’s a small difference in weave pattern between the graphene and the carbon fiber used for the rest of the body shell.

Made from sheets of carbon one atom thick, the graphene rear wheel arches are lighter and stronger than similar panels made from carbon fiber. BAC highlights a weight reduction of around 20 percent for the material, which is said to be 200 times stronger than run-of-the-mill steel. And yes, less curb weight and more torsional rigidity equal better handling characteristics.

BAC co-founder Neill Briggs is very proud of this world first: “This development work is further proof of our ability to work with the very latest materials and innovators. At BAC we don’t wait for new technology to come to us, we actively seek it out and work with the very best in the industry to stay at the forefront of the automotive and motorsport industries.”


Read more: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/world ... z4G5vxqsvF
"

New technologies get incorporated as they become economically viable to produce on a large scale, but I'm not expecting to see Graphene on most cars in the immediate future. As cool as it is, it's just not economically viable for all but the most exclusive (And expensive) supercars. Supercars are great, but I think most gearheads appreciate cars that are more attainable for the average person. Musclecars for example, or some of the cheaper JDM sports cars like the Nissan 180/240 SX for example.

I'd like to ask you a question SEF, since you must like cars as you're posting in this thread a fair bit. What do you personally drive, and what do you like and dislike about it?

On Monday my 70 year old Dad bought another Fox body Mustang, a 1988 LX coupe with no AC and roll-up windows it has 17,000 original miles (give or take). Back in the mid 90's he/we bought a red 1988 LX Coupe that was basically a twin to this one and put about $20,000. He's regretted selling that car for many years so this is a nice throw-back :D.

This car is less wild than the last one at the end of it's life. Both were "time capsuled" cars. Owned by older gentlemen who passed-on and the widows sold them to the local Mustang enthusiast shop.

The red car ended up with a full cage, 12psi Procharger, and the all bolt-ons short of a rebuilt smallblock. It had a four-wheel Baer Brake conversion with 13" front discs and was on 5-lug 17" Cobra R wheels. Full suspension, Tremec 3550 5-speed, etc.

This one has a non-intercooled Paxton (self-lubricated) that pushes about 6psi. It's much more quiet and doesn't have any weird blower whistling/whining at idle. Four wheel discs are smaller and 4-lug and it also has a Tremec 5-speed; no roll cage but the suspension has been tweaked. We have receipts over the years from the original owner for over $14,000 in parts and labor. He did some thing better than we did and made other choices that were kind-of weird. It's certainly less extreme but that's not always a bad thing, even if the internet will argue the contrary. He kept his receipts and notes in a huge fishing tackle box.

At this point the car runs great but really stinks of raw fuel. We are going to have a speed shop that knows Mustang's really look it over. We know it either needs to have the headers tightened or replaced as there is a small leak. The tires are wretched so we will probably go to a set of 225/50/16 Dunlop Star Specs or similar "weekend warrior" extreme summer tire. Even with just the bolt-on parts an EFI Windsor of this era pushes about 260-280whp depending on the details. The Paxton won't reach the same 430whp of the old car but it certainly adds something to the mix. Running the 10+ year rubber is terrifying in the rain so the Star Spec's should be a livable compromise. It won't need the 275's and Kumho Victoracers that the red one had, I think.

After many years of not driving a Fox body this has been a real treat. They are pure in every sense of the word and unapologetic of their flaws. :p Much like dragons of the GOT franchise most people these days have forgotten or were never told about them. The yuppies are not ready for the noise that will surely follow.

That's a very clean example.

3rdGenRigger wrote:That's a very clean example.

Thanks :)

That is one beast you used to have! You still drive truck or have gone on to other things?

Still drive that very truck. It's a 2007, but we also have a 2012 Western Star that also has a Palfinger knuckle boom picker...looks very similar to the 2007. I prefer the 2007 to drive personally (I like the Detroit better than the Cummins). These pictures are much more recent (And both of the 2007 Western Star).

3rdGenRigger wrote:Still drive that very truck. It's a 2007, but we also have a 2012 Western Star that also has a Palfinger knuckle boom picker...looks very similar to the 2007. I prefer the 2007 to drive personally (I like the Detroit better than the Cummins). These pictures are much more recent (And both of the 2007 Western Star.

Ah very cool :). Driving those things must be an art. I get a little freaked behind the wheel of a 1-ton duelly :p.

So the one you miss is the white GMC? Gotcha.