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hellomynameisbisexual · 3 years

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As I spoke with other self-idenitified bisexuals throughout my college career, I realized that many, including myself, felt a dose of imposter syndrome in both gay and straight spaces. Whether it be comments from fellow queer folk invalidating our sexuality or the general queerphobia prevalent in the larger society, many bisexuals resent the heteronormative stereotypes imposed on them from both the gay and straight communities. Further research into the erasure of the bisexual community indicated that its impact on the mental and physical health of bisexual individuals is tangible.

The term “bisexuality” encompasses many sexual identities including queer and pansexual. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), “Studies suggest that bisexuals comprise nearly half of all people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, making the bisexual population the single largest group within the LGBT community.” As the largest subset of the gay community, it is interesting to note that bisexuals are routinely discriminated against in the LGBT community as well as in the straight community. Despite being the largest population behind heterosexuals, studies suggest biphobia in all facets of society has facilitated the erasure of the bisexual community to the extent that bisexuals can expect to be systematically disadvantaged regarding their physical and mental health,

The prevalent stereotypes about bisexuality that keep bisexuals from coming out are noted in the essay “Bisexuality and Mental Health: Future Research Directions,” published in The Journal of Bisexuality in 2015: “It has been argued that bisexuality has been delegitimized by negative stereotypes, such as ‘bisexuality doesn’t exist as a sexual orientation,’ ‘bisexuals are sexually promiscuous,’ and ‘bisexuals are confused.’ Several studies have found that heterosexual, gay and lesbian individuals may all have negative attitudes toward bisexuality, indicating that bisexual individuals face double discrimination.” The authors, Persson & Pfaus, assert that bisexuals are hesitant to identify themselves for fear of backlash from all facets of society, a statement I can firmly attest to having been personally asked “Can’t you just pick one or the other?” by both gay and straight people. In a press release regarding a study focused on HIV/AIDS in the bisexual community, published in the American Journal for Preventative Medicine by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, researcher William Jeffries⁠ stated, “Societal biphobia is more prevalent than antigay sentiment.”

Biphobia is prevalent enough to keep bisexuals from coming out to their homosexual counterparts. Historically, homosexuality has been considered taboo and punished with imprisonment and even death; pro-gay movements all over the world trumpet the importance of acceptance and inclusivity, yet gay communities globally refuse to acknowledge bisexuality as a legitimate orientation and discriminate against bisexuals based on this belief. In her article “Inside, Outside, Nowhere: Bisexual Men and Women in the Gay and Lesbian Community,” Kirsten Mclean examined the impact of bisexual attitudes on a group of 60 Australian bisexual men and women, “in terms of their perceptions of, and participation in, the gay and lesbian community.” Analyzing the range of biphobic attitudes within that homosexual community, Mclean’s study attempted to expose how these attitudes effect bisexual participation in said community. She found that, “though some participants were active within the Australian gay and lesbian community, many were not, due to the belief that they would be rejected or discriminated against as bisexual. Furthermore, those who did participate in the gay and lesbian community tended to keep their bisexuality hidden, for fear of being made unwelcome.” I related so much to that sentiment, having been called a “tourist” at a local gay bar when I mustered up the nerve to go with my fiance, a cis bisexual man. We left shortly after, feeling exiled to a life of languishing among the straights at tacky sports bars.

Ostracization from the gay community encourages bisexuals to pursue opposite-sex partners and fade into heteronormative society. A Pew Research Survey conducted in 2013 revealed that 84% of bisexuals end up in hetero relationships. Award-winning bisexual writer Kristina Marusic discussed this statistic, asserting that hetero relationships among bisexuals does not delegitimize their preferences and that the odds of a bisexual having an opposite-sex partner “fall enormously in their favor… the [percentage of the population that is LGBTQ] is actually closer to a scant 3.8 percent. So not only is it statistically more likely that a bisexual person will wind up with a partner of the opposite sex; it’s equally likely that they’ll wind up with someone from the over 96 percent of the population who identifies as straight.” In an interview with the HRC, an anonymous bisexual said “I wish that more people inside the gay community itself would support my decision to call myself bisexual. I am not being selfish. I am not a liar. I am not gay. I am not straight. I am bisexual.” Additionally, according to Mclean, “a large number of gay men and lesbians still flat-out refuse to date bisexuals.” Thus, many bisexuals couple with opposite-sex partners and identify as straight despite their true orientation, as is reflected by Marusic’s statistics.

The idea that there are two exclusive sexualities, gay and straight, has effectively gagged bisexuals, preventing their self-identification in the heterosexual and homosexual communities and ensuring their assimilation into heteronormative society. In her study “Living Life in the Double Closet: Bisexual Youth Speak Out,” Mclean states, “Dominant public discourses endorse heterosexuality and homosexuality as legitimate sexual identities, but do not recognize that some people are neither exclusively heterosexual nor exclusively homosexual.” Mclean interviewed 22 young bisexual people living in Melbourne, Florida. A bisexual woman herself, Mclean employed an interpersonal, interview approach to this research because she was “examining a group that had thus far been both silenced in traditional research on sexuality, but had also, for the most part, silenced themselves.”

There is nothing quite like silencing oneself, no greater discomfort than suppressing an inherent part of who you are. When I was twelve, I was at a large sleepover at a close friend’s house. Her older sister was “watching” our group of a dozen or so girls. At some point, a large bag of assorted liquors was procured. I have always been impulsive: always picking “Dare,” never scared to sneak out and certain in every situation that I was indestructible. As a seventh grader intent on proving my invincibility, I drank eagerly and abundantly. After taking several shots that blazed through my undeveloped chest and sent unfamiliar chills up my spine, I opened my eyes to the stars spinning above me where I lay in the lawn, both exhilarated and terrified at the realization that I was “completely smashed.” My next decipherable memory depicts me sitting semi-upright in the RV parked near the side of the house, the drunken faces of a few of the other girls swimming in front of me as I swayed.

Truth or Dare. I remember thinking, “This should be good.”

I was dared to kiss the girl next to me, a close friend who was as wasted as I was. I recall the nervous flip of my stomach as my lips neared hers. The Dare and I smushed our faces together clumsily. I could taste the vodka and orange juice on her mouth. I found myself falling into the kiss and she seemed receptive. We made out passionately as the other girls leered at us in an inebriated stupor. Eventually, they left us alone in the RV. I woke up the next morning in a crumpled heap on the floor of the RV; my eyelids crunched as I opened them and my lips were so dry they cracked when I sat up and coughed. The Dare was still asleep on the RV couch; last night’s events played through my head as I gazed at her sleeping face. I felt lighter than I ever had, despite having the worst hangover of my existence. I stumbled out of the camper and entered the house; girls were draped all over the furniture, looking at pictures from the previous night and nursing headaches. The room quieted when I entered; they stared at me, their faces inscrutable. I scrubbed my face with my hands to dislodge the various body fluids dried there. Under heavy surveillance, I procured some water and sprawled on the living room floor, head pounding and hands clammy.

“Z, do you remember anything about last night?” Someone asked. I sat up and put a palm to my throbbing temple. “Not really, did anyone get hurt?” I asked, doing a headcount of the girls in the room to see who was missing. Only The Dare was absent. “No..” Another girl piped up, “But you and The Dare like, hooked up.” She giggled anxiously. I flinched at the thinly veiled disgust in her voice, shrinking further and further into myself as I saw it reflected in the eyes of many of the other girls. Instantly, I realized my mistake.

It was a harmless thing to kiss a girl as a dare. It was another, far more heinous thing to enjoy it.

Panic engulfed me as my pubescent brain scrambled to find a way to maintain my position in the social hierarchy of my seventh grade class. Stalling, I sipped my water. I imagined being one of the “dykes” at school, of losing every inch of social capital I’d managed to attain. Frigid tendrils wrapped around my heart and, for the first time in my life, I consciously gave in to cowardice.

I feigned surprise as best I could: “What the fuck are you talking about?” I said, doing a small spit take to really sell it. A titter travelled through the room and girls started talking at once. “During truth or dare!” “You got dared to kiss her and you did!” “You were literally all over each other!” “She touched your boobs!” Their exclamations overlapped, the cacophony splitting my skull open. I silenced them with a shout of my own⁠— “Oh em GEEEE!” I yelled, burying my face in my hands so they couldn’t see the humiliation there. “I was completely wasted, I don’t remember anything. Did she have as much to drink as me?” I said. I knew that she’d been as drunk as I was⁠ but⁠— as I’d known (and maybe even hoped) it could⁠— the question changed the tide of the conversation. “You’re right,” a girl said from the couch, “she like.. Took advantage of you.”

That was not what I’d said but I let her comment fester as the other girls eyed me sympathetically. They no longer saw a lesbian; they saw the victim of one. My insides clenched uncomfortably and I ran to the bathroom, where I emptied my stomach into the toilet bowl.

I felt close to death as I leaned against the bathroom sink, staring at myself in the mirror. I remember my face so vividly: the self-loathing, the repulsion, the guilt and loneliness so clear on my young features as I silently tried to justify what I’d just done. My cheeks were sallow and slick with shameful tears and perspiration as I sweated liquor from my pores.

Not invincible, after all.

The Dare and I’s friendship was never the same. When our classmates made cruel remarks about what happened, I didn’t defend her. I apologized profusely to her after I came out in high school, but I know that wasn’t enough for the trouble I caused her. Though we were just kids experimenting, the reactions of the other girls solidified my denial of my bisexual identity for years to come. I tentatively called myself Bi-curious to a few close friends, but I’d temper it with comments like, “I think girls are pretty but I would never date one.” and “I don’t know how lesbians do it, vaginas are so weird!” My internalized homophobia manifested as a total denial of my bisexual identity when that identity threatened to make me even more of an outsider at my predominately white, conservative middle school. I had boyfriends and a social circle, but suicidal thoughts became a daily occurrence as the hatred I felt for myself deepened.

My experience is more common than I could’ve ever imagined then. After polling and interviewing hundreds of adolescents, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) concluded that “bisexual youth were much less likely to be out to their families, friends, peers, and communities” than exclusively gay youth. Only 33 percent of UK bisexuals surveyed by the Scotland-based Equality Network felt comfortable telling their general practitioner about their sexual orientation, and nearly half had experienced biphobia when accessing health services. Though there are many variables that contribute to a person’s ability to come out⁠— including but not limited to social and political climate, familial relations, and personal values⁠— the UK’s statistics raise alarms about global attitudes regarding bisexuality and health concerns for bisexuals.

In the United States, lack of preventative care for queer folk begins in grade school, as proper sex education for students attracted to the same sex is sorely lacking. According to a 2017 report by Guttmacher Institute, of the 22 states that mandate sex-ed, only 12 are required to acknowledge sexual orientations. Of those 12 states, 9 mandate inclusive discussion of the different sexual orientations, and 3 “require only negative information on sexual orientation.” Poorly educated bisexuals are less likely to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases into adulthood. When The Dare and I were exploring each other, I had absolutely no frame of reference for what we were doing and how to do it safely aside from mainstream pornography tailored for hetero, cis male consumption. No lessons on safe queer sex were taught at my middle or high school; it angers me to know that is the norm.

Erasure impacts mental health as well as physical health for bisexual folk: according to the HRC, “Bisexual adults were also more likely to engage in self-harming behaviors, attempt suicide or think about suicide than heterosexuals, lesbians or gay men.” Bisexuals, especially adolescents, were also more likely to engage in risk taking behavior like alcohol and drug abuse, which negatively impacts both mental and physical health. HRC’s 2012 survey of LGTBQ youth found “only 5 percent of bisexual youth reported being very happy, compared to 8 percent of lesbian and gay youth and 21 percent of non-LGBT youth.” The HRC asserted that poor emotional well-being during adolescence translates into bisexual youth being “twice as likely” to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Furthermore, during research regarding the disparity between bisexual health and that of individuals in the exclusively gay and straight communities, the HRC found that “more than 40 percent of LGBT people of color identify as bisexual, and about half of transgender people describe their sexual orientation as bisexual or queer – making these groups vulnerable to further disparities that occur at the intersections of biphobia, racism and transphobia.”

The well-known yet oft-forgotten “Mother of Pride,” Brenda Howard, spent her life advocating against bi-erasure. She said, “The next time someone asks you why LGBT Pride marches exist or why Gay Pride Month is June tell them ‘A bisexual woman named Brenda Howard thought it should be.’” Until general attitudes in both the gay and straight communities change, bisexuals will continue to repress themselves and feel excluded from both groups. Bisexuals: never let the ignorance of others repress you. You aren’t confused, you aren’t inherently hypersexual and your queer identity is valid. Don’t let anyone, gay or straight, take away your seat at the Pride table.

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travelingtheusa · 4 years

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KENTUCKY

2020 Jun 6 (Sat) – This is such a lovely campground! We walked around with Bonnie this morning. In the back of the area, there is a beautiful pavilion that can be rented for special occasions. There are many cabins of all different sizes around the pavilion that overlooks a lake. Very picturesque.

We drove to Louisville to get pet food. We also stopped at Kroger for a few groceries then bought fuel in anticipation of tomorrow’s trip.

The little dog is still wandering around the campground barking at some phantom. I think it’s calling to whoever abandoned it. I feel so sorry for the little girl.

2020 Jun 5 (Fri) – We left Fort Campbell at 8:30 a.m. Our drive turned out to follow back country roads and at times, it got a little hairy with our big rig. But we arrived at Fort Knox Camp Carlson without incident. It was 3-1/2 hours and not one stop.

The office door at the campground was closed and locked with signs warning about the coronavirus. A woman opened the door and asked us what we wanted. When I said we had a reservation, she seemed surprised at first then remembered us. She left us standing outside with our face masks on to get the paperwork. She came back out, had me sign registration papers, sold us a bundle of wood, and went back into her cocoon. She told us that the campground is closed and you can only get in with a reservation. Doesn’t mean they are open?

The campground is very nice with lots of grass and trees dotting the area. There are only six other campers in the facility and they are all spread out. Our campsite is pull-through with gravel surface. We have full hook ups and plenty of room around our site. Unfortunately, signal strength is very poor. We can’t get TV over the air very well only two of three satellites for the DISH. I can’t get my cell phone to work either.

There is a little dog in the campground that is unclaimed. It stands in the middle of the area and barks as though calling for someone. Then it paces around the campground. I went out to try to get hold of it but it wouldn’t come close enough. While I was giving her food and water, another camper came over and told me the dog’s story. It’s been here for several months. The two camp hosts feed the dog and try to get hold of it but it is very suspicious of touch. It will not come close enough for anyone to grab it. Animal control has tried to catch it, too, but she’s too wily for them. I hope someone can catch her before the campground reopens and people start complaining about her.

2020 Jun 4 (Thu) – It was a long day today. We started by bringing the tire to The Wheel Shop where they specialize in tires and rims. They had to send the tire off property to have the rim repaired. We said we’d be back about 3 p.m.

Having to kill time, we drove to Fort Defiance and Interpretative Center. The fort was originally named Fort Sevier. When union forces captured it in the 1862, it was renamed Fort Bruce. After the civil war, the name was changed to Fort Defiance. We walked around the small museum and watched a film about the war’s effect on Clarksville. It was small but very informative.

After walking the trail around the breastworks, we drove to Fort Donelson National Battlefield on the other side of town, down by the Cumberland River. Two battlesites were divided by the main highway. The visitor center was closed so no map of the battlefield was available. We drove along the roadway through the park, stopping to read storyboards and admire the canons nestled among the breastworks. Across the street were more of the battlefield, canons, and breastworks. We then drove down the road to the Fort Donelson National Cemetery. It is a small cemetery but very well kept, as are all the national cemeteries. There were over 600 interments from the Civil War; more than 100 soldiers were unknown. They just put up a square plug with a number on it when they don’t know the man’s name.

We stopped at John’s Taco for lunch and actually ate inside! All the tables had little signs on them saying they had been cleaned and sanitized. The food was OK but nothing special.

Then we drove back to the Wheel Shop to check on the status of the rim repair. Although everyone behind the counter appeared to be very busy, it looked like a lot of wasted energy. In addition, they were slow as molasses in the winter in getting anything done. We sat in the waiting room for over an hour. I started to get a headache from wearing the mask that long so I went outside to get some fresh air. Paul followed about half an hour later. We sat until 5:30 at which time I went in to ask about the status of the repair. The tech told me the tire had to go out for repair yet (they still hadn’t done it!!!) and it would be at least another hour or so. Although they close at 5 p.m., he said they’d be there for hours because they had a lot of work to do.

We returned to the campground, fed the animals, and walked Bonnie. Fortunately, Bonnie had been able to hold her bladder and there was no mess in the RV. After the animals were tended to, we drove back to the Wheel Shop, stopping at Church’s Chicken to get dinner. We got it at the take out window and ate it in the parking lot. When we got to the shop, the tire was done. Paul had asked him to put 90 pounds in and the tech said he did. When Paul got the tire outside and checked it, there was only 70 pounds in the tire. He took it back in and had them put more air in it. It was a frustrating day working with those folks.

2020 Jun 3 (Wed) – We left Tishomingo, MS at 9:40 and drove to Fort Campbell, KY. It was a long drive; 4-1/2 hours. The campground, although part of the Fort Campbell base, is outside the gate and actually in Clarksville, TN. It sits right on the border so I’m calling it Kentucky.

The campground has two parts. The first part – Eagle’s Nest – is older and the sites are small. They are tucked in to the trees and all the spaces are back-in. We couldn’t fit in there so we came to the second part – Fletcher’s Fork. All the sites here are pull-through and larger. We fit into our site just fine. We have full hook ups and there is a laundry room if we need it (which we don’t).

After we paid at the office (which I had to enter with a mask on), we drove into town to drop our tire off for repair. It went from 102 pounds to 75 by the time we arrived. The slow leak is no longer slow and it was not the valve. Turned out to be a cracked wheel hub. We’ll have to go seeking one somewhere tomorrow. Ugh. I’m not so sure that’s going to be very easy.

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itsworn · 7 years

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Ask Anything: Your Tech Questions Answered

Joe Stinson; via email: I’m one of the rare few with a big block Corvette that actually races the thing. My ’72 coupe has a nearly stock Chevrolet Performance 502/502 crate engine that’s backed by an M21 Muncie. The stock independent rear suspension is still in place with 4.11 gears. So far in over two seasons of occasional bracket racing I haven’t had any trouble other than bad wheel hop if I don’t slip the clutch just a little off the line. My best e.t. is an 11.52 at 116.

I know lots of folks say the Corvette IRS isn’t ideal for drag racing and I’m getting anxious to add enough power to break into the tens. What am I up against with the rear suspension and differential?

Steve Magnante: Hey Joe, though I’m tempted to toss in a lame Jimmy Hendrix pun asking where you’re goin’ with that gun in your hand, I’ll refrain….this time. The fact you thrash a stick shifted Corvette – and a big block no less – is cool in these days of over restored show poodles. You don’t say whether your Stingray is a factory-built big block or a small blocker with a heart transplant.

Though pre-’72 Corvettes (and all other Chevrolet passenger cars) lacked an engine-specific identification code in the VIN, GM added it for 1972. In fact, all GM passenger vehicles got an engine code (finally!) in 1972, bringing cheer to Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac muscle car hunters as well. Scope out the fifth spot, if you see the letter W, your Stingray was originally built with the 270 horsepower LS5 454 rat motor, one of 3,913 big blocks from the total run of 27,004 Corvettes built in 1972.

Other possible codes are K, for the base 200 horse 350 and L for the rare solid lifter LT1 350 with 255 (net) horsepower. Right here lets’ stop and consider the frustrating fact that Chevrolet kinda dropped the ball on Corvette differentials in the big block era. While SS396 Chevelles, 427 Impalas, L79 Chevy II’s and other bowtie factory muscle cars were fitted with the big 12 bolt rear end with its larger guts, stronger Posi unit, 8.8 inch ring gear and thicker axle shafts, when the 396 and 427 big blocks arrived in 1965 and ’66 (respectively), they used the basic 10 bolt differential and guts fitted to small block Vettes – and low-po Chevelles. At 8.2 inches, the 10 bolt’s ring gear isn’t huge and isn’t all that durable under extreme conditions.

Though Chevrolet made token efforts to bolster the Corvette’s 10 bolt in big block applications (forged steel U-joint caps, larger diameter half shafts, etc.) none of it was comparable to the 12 bolt upgrade given to less costly performance cars. Folks have scratched their heads over this fact ever since. Oh, another head scratcher for newbies is the 1963 – 81’ Corvette’s inspection cover. It only has eight bolts. But rest assured, there’s a 10 bolt differential inside (as in: the number of bolts securing the ring gear to the diff. carrier). And remember too, the bolt-on inspection cover also serves as the center anchor point for the transverse leaf spring. A simple, thin stamped tin cover it is not.

As it so often does, the hot rod aftermarket rose to the occasion, especially after a January 1974 edict from the NHRA allowing Stock and Super Stock Corvette racers to make internal modifications to the stock differential housing. The outside had to remain stock appearing and the jumpy IRS had to remain, but it was a step in the right direction.

The NHRA easement opened the door to a neat trick that involved swapping 12 bolt gears into the Corvette case. But it wasn’t easy. The inner surfaces of the case had to be deeply ground away to make room for the physically larger ring gear diameter. But that wasn’t enough. The ring gear itself had to be machined to reduce its outside diameter to 8.675 inches to clear the hogged out case. The trick also helped street enthusiasts and lots of machine shops performed this work.

But it didn’t eliminate the tendency of the half-shafts to blast off and a look under any 1965-’74 big block Stingray with competition history will reveal deep scars and repair patches near the burst trajectory of these items. By the 1990’s, the NHRA rulebook went a step further and allowed the complete elimination of the IRS setup altogether for added safety. But as always with stuff like this, there was a catch. Though the re-think allowed racers to scrap the troublesome outboard half shafts, the Corvette’s novel transverse leaf spring had to remain. Wally’s men said “no can do” to racer requests seeking permission to mount the one-piece live axle assembly via more conventional coil springs or parallel leafs. Well, at least requests to scrap the hefty rear disc brakes for drums were approved.

This opened the door to use of traditional 12 bolt, Dana 60 and Ford 9-inch rear axles, drum-to-drum. And this might be where your future lies. If it was my decision, I’d remove your stock IRS and replace it with a suitably narrowed live axle of the 12 bolt variety. Competition Engineering and others make live axle C3 Corvette conversion kits that employ beefy fabricated adapters that attach to the outboard end of each axle tube. When mounted, the forward ends accept the stock shock absorbers and the rearward ends grab ahold of the outer ends of the transverse leaf spring. A Panhard link above the axle resists lateral movement.

In all, it’s a slick, lightweight solution that adds strength and serviceability to any drag-oriented C3 Stingray. This problem-solver also spotlights how far the aftermarket has come since the sixties. Back then, even GM balked at the cost of creating a special extra heavy duty differential for big block Corvettes. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be writing these words. But in today’s ponycar marketplace where IRS is a fact of life under every new Mustang, Camaro and Challenger, numerous aftermarket driveline suppliers have taken the financial plunge with re-imagined Dana 60, Ford 9-inch and GM 12 bolt center sections to replace the factory weak links in an afternoon. We’ve never had it so good!

This 1970 Stingray is an active NHRA H/SA contender. The Competition Engineering live axle adapter kit solves breakage problems and prevents the C3’s notorious acceleration squat for full tire contact. Dig the lightweight aluminum G-body drum brakes that shave nearly 30 pounds of dead weight over the stock Delco Moraine discs. Slicks are Hoosier 30.0/9.0R-15.

MORE INFO Competition Engineering (203) 453-6571 competitionengineering.com

MAKING HINDSIGHT 20/20

Steve Magnante: This nugget is a little unconventional in that nobody wrote in to CarCraft to request it. Rather, I spotted this trick aboard Greg Davies 9 second BFNY Performance Dodge Magnum Hemi Wagon and knew it needed to be shared as widely as possible. As any bracket racer knows, races are often won or lost at the finish line. Tired of bending his neck for a 140-plus mph look-see at where his opponent was, Davies rigged a pair of RV / Camper back-up cameras instead.

Now, all he has to do is glance quickly at the appropriate LCD monitor to learn how close the opponent is and whether it’s time to tap the binders…or keep his right foot buried. Davies says: The right hand camera/monitor is used when I’m in the left lane and visa-versa for the left hand camera/monitor”. And since the naturally aspirated 468 cube Gen III Hemi is covering more than 20 feet per second by the 1000 foot mark, taking eyes off the track is something to be avoided, let alone trying to catch a glimpse of the opponent through the narrow slit of a full-face helmet. Here’s to Greg Davies’ ingenuity!

Mounted to the A-pillar, the wide angle camera (left) delivers a crisp, high resolution image that’s quickly visible without driver’s head movement.

Hemi Wagon driver Greg Davies shows off the passenger side setup. Davies’ Magnum weighs well under 2,800 pounds thanks to his relentless crusade to “add lightness”. The digital rear view system is several pounds lighter than the stock power mirrors and its’ more aerodynamic to boot.

ANCHORS AWAY?

Scott McKendry via email: Hi, great magazine! I have a couple of questions about a BBC block I bought on eBay before I send it out for rebuilding. First, I don’t want to spend more money on it if the cylinders are too thin. Looks like they are in great shape and have never been bored but when I took the freeze plugs out, after I had it hot tanked, the coolant passages were packed with rust. I cleaned them out as best I could and got a pile of rust on the garage floor. But there were still some pretty thick rusty chunks of metal I was still able to scrape off the coolant side of the cylinders, maybe 0.030 inch thick. I was told this engine was in a power boat. Should I be concerned about the cylinder wall thickness? Should I have it sonic tested? I’m planning on rebuilding it to basic LS6 specs, naturally aspirated but with less compression, like 10.5:1. I’m also considering a stroker kit. I don’t want to bore it any more than needed. My second question is about the numbers I see on the block. There’s a raised 3963512 at the rear of the block and the stamped code on the passenger side deck reads TO9142DQK. What have I got here and is there any way to preserve the deck stamping during the machine shop phase?

Steve Magnante: You bring up a significant point on the risks associated with boat / marine engines. As you’ve witnessed, the piston side of the bores can be in excellent condition but if corrosion from the inside out is present, metal loss can be so severe as to render a good unit scrap. It stems from the fact most marine engines use the lake / ocean as the radiator. Instead of a closed system with a radiator and dedicated coolant as in a road going vehicle, openings in the hull access cool water and direct it into the engine where it carries heat away. Once its’ passed through the engine, it’s released back into the body of water to be replaced by another fresh load of liquid in a continuous cycle.

On paper, this seems great since boaters can do away with the weight and complexity of a self-contained cooling system. But in practice, trouble arises from the fact naturally sourced water has no rust inhibitors and is jam packed with minerals. These help to set up electrical charges between dis-similar metals that slowly carry molecules away and can eventually cause holes. Worse yet is an ocean-going boat that uses salt water for coolant. We all know what sodium (salt) does to steel car bodies in the winter time. Yep, the same threat happens inside an engine block where even the thickest iron castings can be reduced to a useless boat anchor over time.

Your instincts are correct. Don’t trust the healthy surface appearance. Have every bore sonic tested from top to bottom, all the way around. Isolated thin patches caused by the peculiar nature of oxidation can create coin-sized hot spots on the “ugly side” of the shiny cylinder bores. These can degrade oil performance and reduce piston ring and skirt life. Overheating is also a possibility. There’s also the strength factor. If enough material is lost, your cylinder walls won’t be of consistent thickness. This could lead to poor ring seal in those spots and resulting blow by.

But remember, anything can be repaired and it’s a simple matter to install sleeves in afflicted bores. When installed by a solid shop with know-how and the right equipment, don’t be afraid and know that a V8 block with eight sleeves can be stronger than a pristine factory casting. The only wild card is price. If those eight sleeves end up costing more than a good replacement block, where’s the economy in that? Extreme sleeving like that is most fruitful in cost-no-object situations like saving the original block to a 1965 Chevelle Z16, Corvette L88 or a similar rarity.

As for the markings seen on your block, the raised characters at the back is the factory casting number (3963512) which identifies it as a 1969 – 1971 427 and 454 unit. This block is very beefy and can take a 0.125 inch overbore (assuming the inner faces aren’t corroded as discussed above). These blocks contain enough material to accept 2 bolt or 4 bolt main caps and both types are possible with this casting. The more important number is the stamping on the passenger side of the deck. Called the “suffix code” this one further identifies the block’s vehicular origin and is the one that’s all-too-often removed accidentally during deck work.

Yours is stamped with TO9142DQK and the characters restorers and collectors focus on are the final two, which is QK in your case. The first two (TO) identify the assembly plant as being GM’s Tonawanda, NY facility. The birthplace of all big blocks during the muscle era, GM shipped completed engines to its various vehicle assembly plants for final installation.

I did a fairly thorough Internet search for your suffix code and came up empty handed. Searching for DQK and QK delivered no matches for known Chevrolet vehicles. This supports the possibility yours was supplied new to a marine supplier for use on the water. Lacking more time on this end, you might want to explore the world of Industrial and Marine engine customers (think Mercury Marine, Gray Marine, etc.) which may have used a specific suffix code for identification.

As for preserving the stamped suffix code, it’s a simple matter of asking the machinist to baby sit the process and stop the cutter when it approaches the sacred digits. And I do mean sacred. For example, a 1969 Camaro Z/28 with its original DZ suffix code 302 block can be nearly twice as valuable as the same car with a non-matching block. I’ve also witnessed tragic situations where original, numbers-matching engine blocks were transformed into anonymous blobs by distracted or unconcerned machinists. It only takes a few extra minutes to baby sit the cutter.

Can anyone identify this stamped big block Chevy suffix code? It seems to read TO9142DQK though paint stripper might reveal otherwise…

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rondah661334865-blog · 7 years

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My Preferred Time Of A Time.

Whether you have a mega-bus RV, a camper, tent, or even trailer , outdoor camping is a splendid technique to obtain off of it all and also delight in the outdoors as a family members all together. So our company are deciding on that up, but like, I would mention this by means of all consumer soft atmospheres and also buyer commonly surrenders the initial aspect of the time, the week often supper. Within this situation, if the market value from the supper is actually $40, $110 is actually a tax insurance deductible contribution. I am obviously to the point from rips, I had actually wished this to be the best Thanksgiving supper. Service dinner decorum ought to match your qualified abilities, and that consists of having dining table good manners. You will wish to begin the night with something good, point out a candlelit dinner in your home that you've prepped (or even had an individual assistance if you're certainly not the most effective cook). You may be surprised how many of those joining you for supper would enjoy to share and also present off their favorite thanksgiving recipes. Stooping down at the candle illumination dinner and admitting the passion is saying, yet that is actually traditional. That's exactly how I recognize how you can create this. This dinner features Kibbee" which is actually Lebanese meatloaf, a mixed greens phoned Tabulee" and also a yogurt based dressing perfect for the meatloaf as well as for the mixed greens. I still purchase a frozen entree every so often, but was extremely dissatisfied along with Swanson's casserole. Obviously, this implies you are going to skip the air nonetheless that implies you may get a decent supper without choosing one thing that you enjoyed in your academic year. Since you can't move for ages, that's the variety from supper that kinda paralyses you after you've eaten this! This has actually come to be just one of the greatest Thanksgiving holiday dinner concepts I exert to my family. Having dinner together as a family supplies time to communicate along with each, learn what kids carried out that time in university, and also go over family concerns important to everyone. For intellectuals like me-- a journalist from abroad-- the supper is actually connected to an association that allows those of us on the outside to get a glance of what that media connection is like and utilize this to notify our jobs.

This sounded rather various coming from the squished potatoes my kids were seeking and I determined to make right stuff to go with supper. Incentive attributes include The Male Who Involved Dinner: Inside a Classic Comedy, the Joe McDoakes comedy quick So You Assume You Need Glasses, the musical short 6 Favorites and a Miss, and also the original theatrical trailer. I usually receive residence around 5:30 and also start cooking dinner the instant I receive home, so I may get Daddy fed and get click through the up coming website page kitchen tidied up over time to take a seat and also unwind a bit. This implies that the bride-to-be as well as her family need to certainly not incorporate folks outside of this group to this exclusive supper without first seeking advice from the bridegroom's household. You will definitely discover whatever off Kraft supper discounts to Kraft Cheese Single promo codes. Look for cookbooks that provide healthy and balanced and also simple dishes for supper You will not believe just how all-natural ingredients can blend with each other therefore properly.

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buildercar · 7 years

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New Post has been published on http://www.buildercar.com/our-aluminum-four-seasons-2017-jaguar-f-pace-s-tows-an-aluminum-airstream/

Our Aluminum Four Seasons 2017 Jaguar F-Pace S tows an Aluminum Airstream

Science isn’t really my thing, but how about we do a little science-ing anyway. Our four seasons 2017 Jaguar F-Pace S is comprised of roughly 75 percent aluminum, with most of the body panels and its monocoque constructed from the stuff. Airstream trailers are the most recognizable aluminum soda cans on wheels (although it does have a steel frame). Aluminum towing aluminum? Sounds like a reasonable experiment to me.

Now let’s add some more variables into the Petri dish, namely my retired parents, who I decided to take camping with me in this setup after a 36-year outdoor family adventure hiatus. Snow in the forecast? Uh, maybe this is getting a bit too insane. But I was dying to see how well this 4,481 pound luxury SUV with a towing capacity of 5,290 pounds could pull the aerodynamic and graceful Airstream that weighed in at around 4,600 pounds with all our gear. Let the research begin!

Short of hauling a payload from Bloomingdale’s, actually towing anything of substance probably isn’t high on the priority list of most F-Pace owners. But somewhat surprisingly, Jaguar tells us that around 14 percent of customers opt for the tow package. For around $1,600 excluding labor, the local Jaguar Land Rover dealer can hook them up if they so desire like they did for us (the hitch is also available as a factory option depending on F-Pace spec). There was one small hiccup when we got to the Airstream dealer, however, the Curt Class III trailer hitch needed a more robust 2.5-inch ball mount. Airstream got us properly set up though and then walked my parents and I through the relatively simple hitching and unhitching process.

With Airstream’s 22 foot, single axle Sport edition having successfully joined our party, we were ready to roll. Right after the Airstream got hitched I took a step back, looked at the riveted fuselage hooked up to the Italian Racing Red F-Pace and was blown away at how damn handsome the whole package was. If we didn’t make it the approximately 300 miles each way from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes and back in one piece, at least we’d look good on the side of the road somewhere.

Initial feedback on the F-Pace’s interior from Mom and Dad was positive. Both reported they were comfortable. Mom had plenty of legroom situated behind me. Dad didn’t find the 14 different seat adjustment options in his passenger side sport inspired bucket until we were 20 minutes from home on the way back, but I wasn’t about to make this trip twice solely so he could improve the comfort level of his backside. After a couple of hours of driving, my back started to feel a bit stiff. Perhaps the F-Pace is more conducive for shorter jaunts, or maybe it was because I was a little stressed given it was my first time hauling a big trailer.

The nav system was helpful enough, though inputting our final destination wasn’t as simple as I’d hoped. Eventually we it got figured out, but not without a requisite father/daughter scuffle over where to type in a popular destination instead of a specific address. You know I’d be lying if I didn’t cop to at least one such familial incident.

There are two beefs I have with the interior. First is the dial gear shifter. Aside from the fact that I was constantly worried I’d turn it the wrong way and throw it into reverse when I meant park, it’s a terrible waste of space on the center stack. I wouldn’t be disappointed if I never saw this used in any other car ever. Second, the window controls, which are placed on the top of the door panel where the controls for the rear-view mirror usually are. For someone like me with T-Rex arms, they were a bit of a stretch. They should be closer.

Not halfway through the five-plus hour drive and I forgot I was pulling anything.

The F-Pace’s 380 hp supercharged V-6 is a lot of animal. It produces plenty of torque as well at 332 lb-ft. The combo was more than enough to haul the lighting rod of a camper we were pulling toward the rapidly darkening skies circling over the mountains. The Driver’s Assistance Package ($3,200), that includes a 360-degree camera setup, adaptive cruise control, and a heads up display, was my best friend. Seeing behind the Airstream was near impossible, so I was thrilled to have driver-assisted anything.

The crucial part of our experiment would be the final hike from Bishop to Mammoth – an ascent of about 4,300 feet in only 45 miles. Quite quickly the looming storm turned into a full-fledged one when just outside of Bishop it started to rain. Okay, no problem. Firstly, because of the automatic wiper feature, and more importantly, because the F-Pace’s 113.1 inch wheelbase and 20-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 tires kept us feeling pretty stable. The double-wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension setup is tuned to allow those Eagles to maintain as much contact with the road as possible throughout the ute’s full range of suspension travel, which was especially helpful when the trailer tried to knock us around on the bumps.

Somewhere around 5,000 feet it started to snow. “Just whatever you do, don’t tow anything in the snow,” was the one warning I got from a friend who knows. But there was no turning back now, because we needed to get to the campground and unhitch before sunset. Fuel efficiency during this final climb of the trip wasn’t pretty. We averaged as little as 6 mpg during the ascent, but I didn’t care as long as we got there in one piece. Which we did. Unhitching a trailer in below freezing temps isn’t something I endorse, but the nice folks at McGee Creek RV Park were amazing and helped get us set up before the Woodwards turned into the Donner party.

An Airstream doesn’t take long to figure out. Once you get it detached from your tow vehicle and cranked into place (the Sport model doesn’t have an automatic hitch jack, and hand cranking can be a bit of a workout, but it was cold and I didn’t mind) it’s simply a matter of plugging the right hoses into the right hookups and flipping on important things like the water pump and the heater, and you’re good to go. This wasn’t rocket science. Giving my parents the trailer in which to luxuriate for the week was the plan. I’d come prepared with a tent, but the weather became a control variable I hadn’t properly accounted for.

There was no way I was going to pitch a tent in the snow, so I opted to sleep in the F-Pace. (Note: Do not sleep in an F-Pace in subzero weather.) My 5-foot 5-inches fit okay in the 63.5 cu-ft of cargo room with the rear seats folded. However, they don’t fold completely flush so I was sleeping at a tilted angle. Despite having a memory foam mattress topper, a sleeping bag, a down comforter, and a hot water bottle at my feet, it was still about 25 degrees inside the car by sunrise.

By 9 a.m. I’d marched my parents across the street and got them set up in a lodge, and I took my rightful place in the Airstream. That’s more like it! (While Airstream claims the 22 foot Sport can sleep four adults, I’d say it was more suited for two adults and two half-sized children who don’t notice that the convertible dinette feels more like quartz countertop than a mattress.) In every other way it’s like the glamping pics you envy on Pinterest. It comes equipped with a gas stove top and convection oven, a full bathroom with a stand-alone shower, and plenty of windows to take in the vistas of wherever you’re pulling this metallic palace.

With the Jag unleashed from its yoke, we were eager to see how it ran on the windy roads of the Eastern Sierras. The AWD system made mountain twisties a blast even with me going a bit slower given that Mom was strapped down in the back seat. Steering felt balanced and responsive, quick, and well connected. The Jag’s Adaptive Dynamic Surface Response system monitors the body movement of the car and makes proportionate adjustments to the engine, transmission, steering and suspension, all of which helped make the Jaguar feel like a mountain lion. On fire roads or lose gravel it was prone to oversteer, but overall the F-Pace proved to be a hearty trooper. And an oh-so-stylish one at that, as it scores major style points in all the ways a crossover in this exploding luxury category should. While there are some out there who still may not fully embrace the notion of a Jaguar SUV, thanks to its elegant but aggressive bodylines and strong, cat-like haunches, it has more than enough Jaguar DNA to make it work for me.

During our two-day getaway, we marveled at wide valley vistas and caught two Rainbows, a Cutthroat, and a Scottish Brown trout during an outing on Lake Crowley. We ate pizza (as you do when it’s too windy to build a campfire and make S’mores) and tried to get to Lake Mary, but the road was still closed from Southern California’s biggest winter since 2010. Moreover, my family and I were reminded of the last time we’d come up to the area in the early ’80s, our gear packed into the trunk of a ’79 Mercury Marquis Brougham. Clearly, we’ve never been much of an outdoorsy family, but on this trip, as on the last, our one scientific constant was this already well-bonded family crushes luxury car camping.

Hitching up for the trip home was a breeze. On the trek back, I played with the F-Pace’s different drive modes while my parents slept like two spent kids after a long day at Disneyland. Eco mode was a bust. In addition to pulling the trailer it felt like ten refrigerators were added to our load. Dynamic mode definitely offered up more power, but I could watch the fuel gauge hurtle in real time toward empty faster than I’d like. Normal mode seemed just right as we cruised home. We averaged about 14 mpg over the entire trip, which is about the same gas mileage as a Buick Enclave does just driving itself. Color me impressed. Base price on the F-Pace is $58,695, as tested ours comes in at $71,360. The Airstream Sport’s starting price is $52,900.

My extremely scientific conclusion? Aluminum towing aluminum in the snow with retired parents turned out to be one fine experiment that bears duplication again and again.

Our 2017 Jaguar F-Pace S

MILES TO DATE 8,565 PRICE $71,360 ENGINE 3.0L supercharged DOHC 24-valve V-6/380 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 332 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 20/26 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 186.3 x 76.2 x 65.6 in WHEELBASE 113.1 in WEIGHT 4,015 lb 0-60 MPH 5.1 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

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