Top-5 V-6 engines according to . . . . (Re: Hagerty's enews)

[option B9]

  Hi Edouard, I read the article and it does have it's interesting points. But living here in the Rust Belt water is our enemy.   So pouring buckets full of water on my Vintage Tin is not exactly what I would want to do. The water then sits inside the doors and where ever else for days until it dries in our humid climate. So as crazy as it sounds I rarely wash my Buick's with a hose. I use a terry towel and get it wet then ring it out and gently wipe the area down then rinse the towel out and repeat.. And I keep changing the water in the pail so I'm not putting the dirt back on the paint. Then I give it a coat of wax for protection. If I'm out for a drive or at a show and it does rain
"Oh well" that's out of my control and when I return to the garage I don't put the car cover on so the air can circulate and the car can dry out. Then I will return several days later and wipe it dawn and put the cover on..   

                           Tony

[elagache]

Dear Tony and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

  Hi Edouard, I read the article and it does have it's interesting points. But living here in the Rust Belt water is our enemy.  
. . . .

Yes, I can see your problem.  Around here humidities have always been relatively low and the directions for climate change have made that even more so.  I'm having something of your problem today.  This is the first chance I've had to wash our 2000 Buick Century for the winter and now it is so cold and humid that I'm having trouble getting the car to dry.  This is something I'm definitely not used to!

Cheers, Edouard 

[option B9]

Edouard Just take the Century for a run down the freeway or country road, the air moving around the vehicle should dry it off. That's how I dry off the top of my GMC Envoy after I wash and rinse with the hose  (not garage kept) I take it for a ride 2 exits on the interstate and back, all I do then is wipe the door jams and i'm done   

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick owners with a curiosity of how things actually work,

Hagerty's found a very involved but interesting video that is basically a lecture on the physics of engine performance.  Here is the Hagerty's article:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2020/01/08/how-bore-vs-stroke-can-affect-horsepower

Here is a direct link to the video itself.

https://youtu.be/UV3RwBPqznU

Be prepared to see some equations and see some thermodynamics tossed about.  Even with my very rusty B.A. in Physics, it went over my head on the first viewing - I'll have to see it again!  Still, the fellow presents the issues in a clear and pleasant way.  Some of this will be familiar to most of you, but I'm sure there is something new for everybody on this forum.

So take a deep breath, put on your thinking cap, and give this video a look!

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

Thermodynamics is only part of it; what about stoichiometric efficiency?  Bill

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNSS8uxVIat_jAEr9m-5JJ2nOW-gNA%3A1578686727218&source=hp&ei=B9kYXuLOCpT5tAb21IPICg&q=stoichiometric+combustion&oq=stoichometric&gs_l=psy-ab.1.9.0i10l10.1864.1864..12423...1.0..0.101.101.0j1......0....2j1..gws-wiz.BREz5AkiyGY

[elagache]

Dear Bill and 65GS.com efficiency experts,

Thermodynamics is only part of it; what about stoichiometric efficiency?

Yes, you are correct.  An internal combustion engine has an additional complication that combustion occurs inside the mechanism that is producing the heat cycle.  So the efficiency of the chemical reaction is important.  Here is Wikipedia's treatment of Stoichiometry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoichiometry

My introduction to heat cycles was mostly in the context of steam cycles were the chemistry was kind of in "another department."

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick owners with d'em wintertime blues,

Bill's pictures of the snow around his neighborhood are definitely beautiful, but they aren't exactly the sort of thing to cure those wintertime blues.

Fortunately, the staff at Hagerty are trying perk up your mood and found some really unusual vehicles at the 2020 Rétromobile car show in Paris.  Here is the link to the article:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2020/02/07/cool-beach-cars-to-soothe-your-winter-blues

Just looking at the pictures should be enough to have you daydreaming about a summertime visit to the beach!  Enjoy!

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick owners with an interest in automotive technology,

Okay this is extremely far afield from mid-60s Buick A-bodies, but Hagerty's has an interesting tale for the curious.  It concerns the technical details of the GMC motorhome of the 1970s.  Here is a link to the article:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2020/02/21/gmc-motorhome-was-brilliant-rv-with-bad-timing

The masterstroke that made this vehicle a real game changer was the front wheel drive power train first used in the 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado.  Having all the drivetrain up front allowed GMC to lower the floor which made the interior more roomy.  As a result, it handled better than a typical RV, got better gas mileage, and was more comfortable.

The article then explains why this master stroke was so abruptly abandoned.  The power train division stopped making the 455 front wheel drive engine and transmission that the motorhome depended upon.  In another sad example of GM not telling the left hand what the right hand was doing, the assembly like making the RVs simply ran out of engines with the production line still going.  As a result, GM literally sold some of the unfinished vehicles.

There is a second link to an older Hagerty article assessing the GMC motorhome as a potental investment with some photos including the interior:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/02/15/gmc-motorhome-is-fwd-wonder

I've always thought these vehicles were really slick, so I enjoy looking at them even if their demise is ultimately quite sad.  If you are like me, at least the daydreaming is always free! . . . .

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick caregivers,

Hagerty's has a story about the owner of a 1948 Buick who was able to find out a lot about the original owner.  Here is the link:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2020/03/19/dig-online-into-history-of-your-car-you-might-strike-gold

There are some tips on how to research your car's previous lives that might be interesting so some folks on this forum.  The article is at least a pleasant distraction while many of us are being forced to stay indoors.

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick caregivers,

With the COVID-19 making it way everywhere it seems, our transportation vehicles can also get contaminated.  Hagerty's posted an article that includes a link to a YouTube video on how to sanitize your interior without damaging it.  Here is the article itself:

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2020/03/24/how-to-disinfect-car-without-destroying-interior

Here is a direct link to the video itself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=0&v=NFuVNoYeo7Q&feature=emb_logo

Hopefully, we won't have to apply this procedure to our classics but there lots of useful information on how to clean up your daily driver and how to avoid getting it contaminated while using our vehicles.

Cheers, Edouard 

[option B9]

  Thanks Edouard. I watched the video and I did learn a few things. Since where I live we have 1/3 of the Virus cases in the country, And 13 people died just last night. To say we are on lock down is putting it mildly, I was outside early this morning cleaning the inside of my GMC truck with Clorox wipes then went to Karen's Chevy Cruse and did the same. The wipes did not discolor any thing, but I did try it on a small area first. And I did wipe down the key fobs with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.  And I'm constantly telling everyone to clean there Cellphone/Headphones/Earbuds & Laptops.. Considering what is happening here, stay inside as much as possible, don't share your vehicle with anyone. Wash your hands often, Be careful at the food stores. And if it's a nice day open up all the windows in the house and get some fresh air as we did today.
  My family is fine so far,  Stay Safe everyone.
                                                                       
                                                                             Tony, Queens NYC  ( at virus ground zero)

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick caregivers who's cars take long winter's sleep,

Hagerty's has an interesting piece on the pluses and minuses of fuel stabilizers:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/is-your-fuel-stabilizer-actually-hurting-your-car/

It is based on a YouTube video that you can view directly here:

https://youtu.be/chsGBhB5g7o

There is nothing all that new in this piece, but it does remind us about the difficulties of trying to keep fuel from going bad over extended periods of time.  It isn't that easy a suggestion, but trying to fill up your car with gasoline without any alcohol-based additives is the best starting place to keep your fuel in decent shape over winter.  There used to be stations that carried "good ol' fashioned" gasoline.  However, I don't know if any are left these days.

Still for those that haven't yet stored their cars for the winter, there is some food for thought in this piece.

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear patriotic mid-60s Buick caregivers,

In honor of Veteran's day, Hagerty's has a piece on the humble jerrycan:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/jerrycan-design-80-years-no-signs-retirement/

For such a modest piece of technology, it is surprising how complex its adoption by the United States turned out to be. Aside from its importance on both sides of World War II, it is wonderful example of minimalist, but extremely effective, industrial design.  In our world cluttered with complex and often disconnected technology, it is a breath of fresh air to remember that things truly can be designed with KISS in mind!

Cheers, Edouard 

[WkillGS]

I love my Jerry cans! I got busted at a gas station by an over zealous attendant who didn't like my plastic Summit gas jugs...... "Sir, sir, those aren't approved gas containers....if you fill the white one I'm going to turn off the pump!".
I researched and bought some real nice VALPRO jerrycans from Atlantic British at https://www.roverparts.com/search/Jerry-can/
They have specials at times, I believe I went for a 4-for-$200 special. They have them on eBay for $230/4.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-of-4-VALPRO-20-Liter-5-Gallon-NATO-Style-Jerry-Cans-Military-Spec/400924140518?hash=item5d58f0e3e6:g:SOoAAOSwjGxfrVy-:sc:ShippingMethodStandard!18923!US!-1
They're not US-approved for fuel use since they don't meet all the spill-proofing requirements.... just peel off the 'for water only' stickers and they're good to go. Almost.....aforementioned overzealous gas station attendant then gave me a hassle because they were green and not red. I told her they were friggin approved by NATO! (she didn't like that). So I painted two of them red and left two green for diesel use.
These are far better than the plastic jugs since they don't leak, and maintain a tight seal during storage or transport.
I picked up a 2.5 gal one for trunk use when I need a reserve fuel supply while cruising.

[elagache]

Dear Walt and mid-60s Buick owners who stroll down memory lane,

I love my Jerry cans! I got busted at a gas station by an over zealous attendant who didn't like my plastic Summit gas jugs...... "Sir, sir, those aren't approved gas containers....if you fill the white one I'm going to turn off the pump!".

Sorry for your unfortunate run-in with the service station attendant.  In California we pump our own gas so attendants are rarely to be seen!  I have a 2.5 gallon red plastic gas tank for the lawn mower and now the portable generator.  Certainly not the best built tank I've seen, but I can't complain.  If I recall correctly, it was purchased at about the same time as we moved to our present house.  That would make the tank 40 year's old!  Goes to show you that items that hardly appear durable can last with a little TLC . . .

I researched and bought some real nice VALPRO jerrycans from Atlantic British at https://www.roverparts.com/search/Jerry-can/
They have specials at times, I believe I went for a 4-for-$200 special. They have them on eBay for $230/4.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-of-4-VALPRO-20-Liter-5-Gallon-NATO-Style-Jerry-Cans-Military-Spec/400924140518?hash=item5d58f0e3e6:g:SOoAAOSwjGxfrVy-:sc:ShippingMethodStandard!18923!US!-1
They're not US-approved for fuel use since they don't meet all the spill-proofing requirements.... just peel off the 'for water only' stickers and they're good to go. Almost.....aforementioned overzealous gas station attendant then gave me a hassle because they were green and not red. I told her they were friggin approved by NATO! (she didn't like that). So I painted two of them red and left two green for diesel use.
These are far better than the plastic jugs since they don't leak, and maintain a tight seal during storage or transport.
I picked up a 2.5 gal one for trunk use when I need a reserve fuel supply while cruising.

Certainly painting them red should keep the station attendants from bugging you.  Did you buy this 2.5 gallon tank from Atlantic British?

https://www.roverparts.com/off-road-accessories/jerry-cans/JC3013/

This one is even legal in fussy California and looks well constructed to boot.  However, they aren't for sale on the Atlantic British eBay site.   They even claim to have a 5 gallon CARB compliant jerrycan. 

https://www.roverparts.com/off-road-accessories/jerry-cans/JC3009/

However, they are out of stock!  Oh well,  such are the conditions (as Tony would put it) on da' left coast! . . . . 

Cheers, Edouard