European Proving Grounds Millbrook is a 700 acre facility about 40 miles north of London with test tracks and testing facilities for aerospace, military, vehicle production, driver training (Aston Martin), and real-time online vehicle tracking. Here is link to the Millbrook website. Construction began in 1968 for a smaller version …
Automotive Body Terms Every automotive professional has been challenged by their lack of knowledge regarding this particular terminology. Complications arise when the same parts and sub-assemblies are referred to with different names even if everyone speaks English. Furthermore, every automotive technical professional has been frustrated by their lack of knowledge …
LSV Low Speed Vehicles and NEV Neighborhood Electric Vehicles represent a classification for a Federally approved street-legal vehicle that is speed limited to 25 mph. This United States Department of Transportation [USDOT] legislation was put into effect by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard [FMVSS] 500 in 1998. Simply put, NEV’s represent a …
Cruze, Focus & Elantra, The 2012 Models King Kong vs Godzilla vs Smog Monster — An epic battle is in the works for 2011 and it is definitely not some of my favorite from the classic 1950-1960’s sci-fi mega-characters. Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra are the three 2012 models that are on the …
Bob McElroy and Dejan Dramicanin
Yugo production at Zastava
With a license from Fiat and based on the Fiat 128 the first Yugo was built in 1978 by Zastava which is located about 115 miles from Belgrade, Serbia. In performing research for this article it appears that Zastava is looking for partners interested in buying or investing in our factory. The link is the first one to come up if you google Zastava Yugo. In the event you do not want to buy the company, it is definitely interesting to follow this story as it unfolds for your Automotive Tribune Editor. The last Yugo was built November 20 2008.
Zastava badging on a Yugo in Belgrade
In November 2008 I took a business trip to Belgrade, Serbia to meet with an engineering company concerning functional and test parameters for an advanced EDR. It did not take me long to recognize that there were a lot of Yugo cars on the road as I travelled the streets of Belgrade with Mr. Dejan Dramicanin, CEO of Bitgear Design Services. In fact there were lots of models and I was continually looking for major and minor differences with the various models. Dejan, knew his Yugo’s and I did ask some challenging, or was that dumb, questions. … Continue Reading
DVD Cover
This movie details the life cycle of the EV1 built by General Motors. It is an activist film. I almost expected to see Michael Moore doing a follow-up interview at the GM building in Detroit. To the automotive enthusiast, this film is absolutely alarming because there is a viable in-production at 4 units per day vehicle that was killed on multiple fronts at the same time. In 1996 the EV1 went into production. About 1,000 were built. I never had an opportunity to ride in or drive the EV1. However, I did have the opportunity to speak with a lady that had one in a Florida lease. She absolutely loved the car and I did have the opportunity to see her driving it on city streets and the interstate. EV1’s had an aluminum frame that was sophisticated and optimized for a sleek two passenger car. I remember seeing just an aluminum EV1 frame hanging up somewhere … unfortunately I just cannot remember where at the time this review is being written. As someone who has particular appreciation for drivable space frame technologies, this frame clearly incorporated suspension loading, occupant ergonomics, and collision dynamics. Yes, the EV1 was killed off and most of the cars were crushed and then shredded. There are a few non-drivable cars left including those at the National Museum of American History, a part of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. … Continue Reading
There are some important items in the world of automotive news that will be of interest to Tribune readers.
Dodge Ram truck sales are up significantly
was reported in the March 16th edition of Automotive News . Ram 1500’s share of the full-sized pickup segment rose to 13.5 percent in February from 10.7 percent in January and 8.2 percent in December. This momentum, general excitement, and life signs were observed and expressed in the Tribune’s recent acticle on the Dodge Ram.
Tata Nano to start production
was an article in today’s Wall Street Journal . It is reported that the 10.2′ foot long car will cost dealers just under $2,000. This car has been in limited availability in India because the new almost-completed production facility had to be relocated because of violent problems with a political party and local residents over disputed land. During a business trip to Paris in late 2008 I discussed the Nano with an executive from India. You will find the Tata Nano official website of interest as it countsdown till Monday’s official launch. There are absolutely no plans for the Nano to come to North America! This car represents a focused effort to provide a very low cost global entry vehicle for developing nations.
2010 Camaro went into produciton on March 16th.
You will be able to see the arrival of the Camaro at your local Chevrolet dealer in April. Currently, GM reports that they have 14,000 vehicles on order. Here is the link to the All New Camaro web site. A base car in LS trim with IRS and a 304 HP V6 has a starting price of $22,995. However, after spending some time with the Build Your Own feature, the Tribune is of the opinion that the full featured 2LT which comes in around $30k with the RS package will be the sales leader. A fully optioned 2SS with either of the big ticket tire & wheel packages ($4,680 or $4,865) brings the total to just short of $42k for the 426 HP V8.
On The One Mile Track – Click For Full Size
If you want to be a good driver then you should take a high performance driver training class. A Google search turned up 683,000 listings for “high performance driving school” with some focused results such as The Ultimate High-Performance Driving School Buyer’s Guide which lists more than 60 high performance driving schools in 180 locations. One of the longest running and most respected programs is the Bondurant school, and I’ll come back to them later in the article.
I have always felt that if you really wanted to get good at something then you should teach it. If you are going to hold yourself out as an instructor then you need to be good and in the process of going to the higher level of proficiency then you will have acquired a life long skill that is truly unique.
Dan Daneff in action. A set of tires would not last a week.
In the summer of 1977 I was a graduate student at Texas A&M University. Having completed all required course work I had only to finish my doctoral dissertation to complete the Ph.D. degree. Completion of the dissertation took two more years but that is another story in and of itself. A friend, fellow graduate student, and newly minted Ph.D., Dr. Mark Edwards was aware that I was a very successful driver with the Texas A&M Sports Car Club since my arrival at the University in the fall of 1974. That success was based on 8years autocrossing experience including the Penn State Sports Car Club, Sports Car Club of America, National Council of Corvette Clubs, Southeastern Confederacy of Corvette Clubs, and some time spent with the 1970 Formula Vee World Champion Bill Scott at Summit Point Raceway, WV working toward an IMSA license.
Along with fellow colleague Quinn Brackett, Ph.D., Mark had been responsible for getting the High Performance Driver Training Program or HPD up and running with Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), a division of the Texas A&M University System. Both Mark and Quinn had finished their degrees and it was time for them to move on from the HPD program and for the change of instructors. Along with James Locke and Edgar Blackledge, I was recruited for the program.
Instructor Staff – left to right: James Locke, Bob McElroy, Ivan Solari, Edgar Blackledge
HPD was intended to provide Texas law enforcement officers the necessary training to return to their respective departments and train other officers. The curriculum incorporated elements of Bondurant, LAPD, in addition to selected maneuvers that were determined to be relevant to our specific student population. This was a 32 hour class that started at noon on Monday and ran through noon Friday.
A once in a lifetime job would be the way to refer to the program. It was high adrenaline and high risk. HPD facilities were at the Annex, which was a de-commisioned world war II airbase that had been turned over to the University for research activities. Many TTI highway transportation projects continue today at the Annex.
My 304 CI V8 CJ5 with side exhaust, at the High Performance Driver Training facility
Key training activities include low speed road position, offset alley hazard avoidance, close quarter maneuvering, off road recovery, skid pad, and the one mile track. Each instructor worked with three students and a set of tires might last a week. A typical student that came in already had all the answers; they were the law and they knew how to drive. To acquaint the students on Monday afternoon, after the classroom time, we took them on the 10 cent tour. After taking the students through the various activities and heading back to our facility at about 60 mph the instructor would illustrate how to perform a set of controlled back-to-back 180 degree turns of the car. After experiencing a set of driving maneuvers that they had never been through the students would conclude that the fellow behind the wheel knew something that they did not. This was an essential part of the 10 cent tour.
These are old photos are from 1977. Each captures something significant, such as the old Ford skid car with mechanical controls for the instructor to disable front or rear brakes or all – which was typically not a good idea! The Gran Fury black and white had a 440 under the hood and a close look at the top photo illustrates the challenge of going fast with a big heavy car and the factory police package heavy duty suspension.
Every week something would happen like snapping an axle flange while the car was going sideways at 60; or watching the sheet metal buckle under your feet while the student driver loses control and impacts an embankment; or a ball of fire erupts under a car because someone put gasoline in a brake fluid can then the brake cylinder seals go away and gasoline sprays onto super hot brake rotors … you get the picture … did I mention that this Hollywood pyrotechnic car was headed straight toward me at major speed when the driver hammered the brakes to slow down producing an instantaneous gasoline explosion and fireball completely visible side-to-side all the way across under the front of the car. Pretty neat if I say so. We did implement some changes after this event, like no gasoline in the brake fluid can in our maintenance area.
Successul completion of the course entitles you to receive this important certificate.
On that axle flange separating, that was on a Ford Torino police package training car. The car was sideways in a curve at 60. I immediately felt the separation and tire rolling back through the sheet metal of the fender then the back of the car went violently up as the still vertical tire went under the rear bumper. I calmly told the student to apply controlled braking. I did not tell him that the exposed fuel tank (remember this was 1977 and exposed fuel tanks were under the trunk) was now skittering along at 60 mph in very close proximity to the concrete. After another failure we implemented a preventative maintenance axle change out policy which eliminated these dangerous failures.
We all lived through this once-in-a-lifetime experience. For everyone involved with the program it was special and unique. It was geat fun, educational, and memorable. If you really want to get good at something then teach it!
2009 Dodge Ram 1500 -- Click Photo For Full Size
Today, I did one of those things that really is a car guy thing, by going to the car dealership and looking around. Stopping in at Daytona Dodge Chrysler and being shown around by Mr. Straiten.
For hard core Chrysler Product fans the term Mopar is about as close to the core as you get because of Motor Parts Corporation or Dodge/Chrysler parts division. All future references to Mopar in the Automotive Tribune will be addressed with the full respect and homage associated with the rights, honors, and privileges thereto appertaining.
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