Album Covers

So, Jalopnik recently did a gallery of 80 Auto-themed album covers and had some glaring omissions.  And like any obsessive record nerd my first reaction was to look at my wall of album covers to see what they had missed.  So here's my quick additions
El Trio Colombia "Invita a viajar" - really who doesn't think of this album when they're working on their car.
Hurst takes you to the '64 Nationals - A classic, so much better than the '63 or '65 Nationals and don't get me started about the '66 Nationals.  AND it's got a dedication to a dedicated man on the back, the ""grand-daddy of drag racing"" (that's double quoted because they quoted it from someone) Dan "Big Daddy" Garlits.
SCRAMBLE, The Sounds of Motorcycles at Speed -   Like everyone when I think dirtbikes I think New York and this album was recorded at the cross country motorcycle races at Andre's Farm in East Fishkill, New York.  With tracks like "Honda 125" and "Zundapp 250" I don't know how Jalopnik missed this one.  Unless there was some sort of 4 wheel bias.
Finally, one of my favorite albums of all times

Griff Borgeson Presents Hot Rod Heaven BAKERSFIELD SMOKERS -  With tracks like side one's "4) A Chrysler stock has trouble with shifts, then a Chevvy (sic) dragster makes a good run.  A badly behaved Buick with Dynaflow makes its run rather awkwardly." how could this one have been forgotten.  Plus the absolutely brilliant drawing by Ed Robbins on the cover.  I've loved this album enough to make a piece about it.

the car's back - Minor Threat

I got the car back yesterday and can't say I'm thrilled to see it.  

This morning, I needed some motivation.  So I put on Minor Threat's complete discography cd to get me moving (actually, I played it on my ipod, but that's a different post).  It did.  This was the first CD I ever purchased way back in 1991(?).  I was a teeny bit of a hold out when it comes to CDs and I can't say I will miss them.  At the time, the complete discography made the conversion worth it, I had all the lps/eps but I was in grad school and as I've learned over and over again, playing vinyl while working in my studio is a horrible idea.  

So, the team is still recovering from our collapse.  People are coming together and sort of enthused but also need a little of a time out.   I think some of us are going to tear apart this engine and look at it.  There's an extremely slight chance we can get it running.  Then again taking it apart is free.

party with me punker,

Surly Captain

London Calling - the week in working on the car

The Happiest Belt - In order to remove the smog pump I needed to replace the belt it used with a lawn mower belt.  To do this usually requires a lot of wedging, shoving and pinching.  Unless you're me this week.  Then you drape the belt over the pulleys and forget about it.  Later you work on the starter and the pulley catches the belt and you're done!
Custom Ignition - We have two electrical engineers on our team (this means you Paul and Eric).  So, who wires up the ignition....me. Who can complain about getting shocked....no one.
Custom Block off Plates - So to remove the smog stuff I made some snazzy aluminum block of plates and used extra washers to hold them on.

Green Disclaimer - I've been removing all the smog equipment and was feeling a bit guilty. Until I realized what the 1979 equipment did.  It basically added air to the exhaust so it would come out cleaner.  Well, not really "cleaner", it has the same amount of pollutants,  just with a higher air to exhaust ratio.  Now I don't feel so bad.
Vacuum Hose Clean Up - It may not look like it but nine tenths of the vacuum tubes have been removed.  I owe a huge thanks to a site that gave a how two on this operation, but they're not getting it until this thing starts.

London Calling has wound up on the ipod more than I thought possible.  I can't quite explain it but it's definitely music for working on cars.

Dusty in Memphis

With the fires and everything I spent Saturday working on the car all by myself.  I decided to focus on putting the carburator back together.  The problem is, that in our fit to yank the engine out we didn't really pay attention to what went where.  And I hate carburators.  Luckily I put on Dusty in Memphis.
The advantage of working alone is you can listen to whatever you want.  And sure I could feel sad a discouraged by the carburator but I really couldn't feel as sad as Dusty.  Plus the album is slow and soothing enough that you really don't feel bad taking things apart and putting them back together three or four times.
Punker Solution - I couldn't find that teeny cotter pin, luckily I did find that rusty safety pin.
Another advantage of working alone....you can work wherever you want.