San Antonio Speedway Set To Open October 18th With High-Speed Short Track Racing!

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Rumors that the old San Antonio Speedway was going to be resurrected have been whirling around the local performance and racing industry for several months now, and Guy Algar and I have been paying close attention. Now, it appears that plans are indeed underway. The speedway's new owners have updated us with news that a date has been selected as the official start to their racing season! This is a date that many enthusiasts have been waiting for!

Speedway
Before
Restoration

For those not familiar with what short track racing is, think of a much smaller version of NASCAR where even street cars and trucks can compete! Short tracks are oval race tracks of less than one mile in length. Drivers do multiple laps, usually on dirt or asphalt. Short tracks are where official stock car racing got its start, and the smaller tracks, like San Antonio Speedway's 1/2 mile paved track have been instrumental in developing top racers. It is reported in Wikipedia that, "Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney, Scott Wimmer and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. all own short tracks, most of them being dirt."

San Antonio Speedway claims to be "Texas Only High Banked 1/2 Mile Paved Racing Oval", and has a great racing history. San Antonio Raceway originally opened in 1977 and successfully ran until 2007 when it was closed, many speculate due to the effects of the poor economy. Racers loved the fast track, and it drew several famous drivers to compete on it's high bank oval, including well-known driver Terry Labonte.

It has been reported that in the five years that it sat unused, the speedway fell into disrepair, with the track's asphalt surface, grandstands, and pits suffering abuse from mother nature in the form of weeds and shrubs sprouting through cracks and crevices caused by neglect. It has also suffered at the hands of vandals and thieves that have tagged buildings and damaged property. But all this is being restored by the new owners, Unique Track Solutions, who have taken on the task of saving the San Antonio Speedway from demolition with the help of many community volunteers and racing enthusiasts. Their plan is to return it to use for the enjoyment of enthusiasts from all over San Antonio and Texas. We applaud their enthusiasm and the giant undertaking they seem to be succeeding at!

Modifieds, Pro Late Models, Trucks, Street Stocks, Chargers, Grand Stocks are the classes for the 3-Day event they're dubbing Octoberfast. Event entry will start on August 20, 2012. SAS has 51 pit spots which will be sold to sponsors and 1000 Clubbers first, with the remaining stalls available on a first-register/ first-reserve basis until sold out. The event days are October 18, 19 and 20, 2012.

The official launching of San Antonio Speedway's first races begins with the pit gates opening for racers at noon on October 18. This is when racers will be subject to the technical inspection process to make sure that their entry conforms to the track's official rules and regulations. Practice sessions start at 3:00 PM and go through.  The schedule is tentative at this time, and subject to change as they move along with premiere event plans. We will bring you news as it unfolds.

Octoberfast Races will be in the following lap lengths:

100 LAPS  -  Late Models        
  75 LAPS  -  Modifieds              
  75 LAPS  -  Trucks
  50 LAPS  -  Street Stocks         
  35 LAPS  -  Chargers               
  25 LAPS  -  Grand Stocks

The San Antonio Speedway is located 2 miles South of Loop 410 on Highway 16.

REFERENCES:
Current Condition of San Antonio Speedway (Photo Gallery)
Wikipedia: Short Track Motor Racing
San Antonio Speedway Website
Motorsports by Mike Haag, for mySA.com & the San Antonio Express-News

RESOURCES: (Author Note: Watch for our complete Race Track List in upcoming article)
Corpus Christi Speedway - 1/4 mi asphalt track - Corpus Christi, TX
Houston Raceway Park - known as the Royal Purple Raceway - Houston, TX
105 Speedway - 3/8 mi clay oval - Cleveland, TX
South Texas Speedway - 1/4 mi banked dirt oval - Corpus Christi, TX
Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track - asphalt & dirt events - Fort Worth, TX
Thunderhill Raceway - 3/8 mi asphalt "D" oval track - Kyle, TX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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Why Working With Specialty Classic Car Lenders Will Make Your Purchase So Much Easier

Have you decided to buy a classic car or collector car? If so, you are probably looking for information on how to finance that purchase. This article will explain how to make the process easier to eliminate the problems many borrowers can face when financing a classic car or collector car purchase.

If there is only one thing you get out of this article, it is that you understand to compare specialty classic car and collector car lenders. Purchasing a classic car is not the same as purchasing your new daily commuter vehicle, and financing through your bank. A typical new car value can easily be determined by looking it up in a price guide, and easily calculated with depreciation due to miles and age. A classic car or collector car is quite different, and the value can be determined by many factors including how rare it is, the options on the vehicle, has it been restored or is it all original parts, etc. A typical lender may not know how to go about properly evaluating the true value, causing problems in the loan process, or making you pay higher interest rates since they don't understand the true value of the car being purchased.

As is with any loan, it is dependent on your credit score. A score below 600 and you will probably be turned down by any lender. 600 to 700 may be good enough for a loan, but be prepared for higher interest rates. A score above 700 and you will sail through the loan process and receive the best interest rates. Most lenders will require 20% down on the car, so be prepared for this. If the cars value is hard to determine, such as most hot rods and other one of a kind models, 30% down may be required. Knowing this beforehand is important. The last thing you want to do is go through the loan process and fall in love with the car you are ready to buy, only to find that you do not have the initial down payment.

Classic car lenders will not expect you to have the car you want to buy found when you start the loan process. They understand that customers may be looking for a truly rare model or a specific car, option, color, etc. You will not be going to your local car lot to test drive whatever is there. Keeping this in mind, you will probably only have 30 to 60 days after being approved for a loan before you will have to reapply. The length of the loan through a specialty lender can be extended as well. Whereas a typical auto loan will be from 3 to 6 years, a specialty car lender may extend it from 12 to 15 years, depending on the loan amount. Be prepared for higher interest rates the longer the loan is.

You may choose to have your car inspected by a certified collector car inspector before purchasing it. More than likely the lender will also require an inspection before purchase, and they usually require you to choose one of their certified inspectors. Make sure you find what inspectors they suggest before going out on your own finding one, so you do not have to have two inspections. Inspections can be a bit pricey, depending on where the car is and what is being inspected.

When determining the loan amount, do not forget about extra money you may need. If you find the car you want out of state, you will probably want to see the car before purchasing it. There will be travel costs involved with that. If the car is far enough away, or is not in drivable condition, you will need to pay for transportation costs of the vehicle back. Sometimes insurance companies will not let you drive the car too far, even to get it home after the purchase. All this could add up to thousands of dollars, and can usually be rolled into the loan. Check with the lending officer for more details on this if required.

Financing your classic car purchase should not be a painful experience if you shop around with specialty lenders. I am not affiliated with any lender so I will not name any names of lenders to contact, but a simple search online brings up many reputable companies. Visit some classic car forums and ask some questions regarding certain lenders. More than likely someone has dealt with them, and forum members are more than willing to lend a hand to a new classic car owner. A smooth loan process will make the enjoyment of driving around town in your new classic car so much more enjoyable.

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A Meat Chicken Wrap Up

Over the weekend we killed the last 5 of our meat chickens so now that we have finished I thought it would be a good time to share our experience in a bit more detail (don't worry no gory photos).
Just to refresh here are the facts.
We started off with 14, week old, commercial meat chicks ($30) and a 20kg bag of chick starter ($18).

They grew very quickly and right from the start there were some that were much bigger that others. Sadly 2 chicks died early on, we are pretty sure they got too cold which is always a potential issue with chicks.

All they did was eat and poop and they did a lot of both.  They grew very quickly and were fully feathered in 2 weeks. It was becoming obvious why they were used by commercial growers.  We purchased a second bag of chick starter when the chicks were 4 weeks old.   The chicks end up pooping into their food so you loose a bit just trying to keep their food clean.

Check out the size difference.

At 5 weeks they looked weird, with over sized breasts and short legs.  They also did not really behave like chickens.  I was now very clear why these birds were used by commercial farms.  They were huge!!
Although we planned to keep ours a few weeks longer than the standard 7 weeks that commercial farms farms finish at, they really were ready to go.

As they got older they started to act and look more like chickens, albeit very chunky chickens.  They had access to grass and clucker tucker at all times and they loved to just lie in the sun and eat.  

We then purchased a bag of broiler finisher ($19) to get the chickens to the butchering stage.  I investigated a number of different food options because I was really not sure what was different about the broiler finisher compared to the grain or layers mask we buy for our laying hens.  I discovered that the broiler finisher ($19) was 22% protein compared to15% for layers mash ($14) and 11% for mixed grain ($11).  As it got towards the end we decided not to spend the extra money on a second bag of finisher so instead we did a 50/50 mix of grain and finisher for the last week and a half.  The back of the bag advised the broiler finisher should not be fed to laying hens and I was a bit puzzled at the time but now I have a theory.

You see when we butchered the first chicken it was 7 weeks old an weighed in at 1.3 kg and the meat did not have any more fat that a store brought bird.  The next 6 that we butchered a week later were definitely bigger and weighed in at an average of 1.7kg.  They also had a fat deposits on different parts of their bodies (across the breast and back) and a bit of fat under the skin around their rear end/cloaca.  The last 5 that we killed 2 weeks after the first were heavy weights.  They averaged 1.95kg and the 2 heaviest weighed in at 2.2 kg and 2.3 kg dressed weight (plucked, gutted and ready to cook).  Not only were they that much heavier but they were fat.  They had fat in all the same places at the 6 the week before but there was more of it and it was surrounding their organs and thick around their rear ends.  This is why I think there is a warning not too feed the broiler food to layers.  I know that if laying hens get too fat they have trouble laying so the higher protein food could really cause issues.

The heavy weights from the last batch

 All of the chicken has now been portioned out and packed away and we are looking forward to home grown meals ahead.

The conclusion that we have come to is that we will no be purchasing some Light Sussex eggs and repeating the process so that we have a even playing field to compare the two methods.  Using the Light Sussex will take longer but we will not have to buy the chicks or be stuck to a very tight time schedule for when we have to kill the chickens like you have to with the commercial breeds.
But that is another story and for another day.

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Are Auctions Influencing The Values Of Classic Cars?

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Following my July 9th article entitled Buying Classic Cars As Investments - What Are Your Chances of Making Money?, I realized that I had created a bit of controversy. Some readers took it to mean that I thought that classic cars are not a good investment, others took it to mean that if your timing was right, you could still make money on your investment. Both can be true. There simply are no hard-and-fast rules. Certainly you're not limited to the cars mentioned in the list that was compiled by Hemmings Daily. Trends can change in an instant when a new fad is introduced, rendering predictions totally invalid. But, we can take a look at history and see that some trends are repeating themselves. What does this mean to us now, as the country is struggling to recover from years of economic turmoil?

There's no doubt that the financial world has taken a huge tumbling over the past few years. Depending upon the area of the country you live in, the effects ranged from drastically impacting you, to causing minor inconveniences, but overall, it's pretty safe to say that the bad economy has affected everyone in some shape or form. Wall Street has become a very volatile place, with extremely wild swings. True investors have been looking at alternative investments to diversify their portfolios. Some have turned to classic cars! Are auctions influencing the values of classic cars and trucks for enthusiasts?

Barrett-Jackson has reported increased interest in classic cars at their auctions, and the fact that values over the past decade have increased in some cases by 10% or more could be the reason. Compared to the stock market's dismal growth rate of under 4.5%, this is a much better investment opportunity.

The cars that Barrett-Jackson auction are high-end, show quality, or rare automobiles that demand high dollars. They are usually a bit above the average enthusiast's spending threshold, but for wealthy investors, they look at classic cars as a potentially better way of fighting the extremely low interest rates that bog down their other investment earnings. Many of the "newbies" to classic car auctions don't really know much about cars, and for these investors, they may be entering a dangerous world.

On a positive note, their involvement with classic cars could have the benefit of driving up prices of cars and trucks that don't make the "elite" list of high-end action cars - the ones you and I own or dream of owning. The downside is that this may be an artificial inflation of a car's worth, and when the bubble bursts, things could get ugly. After all, it's not so easy to liquidate and sell off quickly if the classic car market turns downward. Losses can be dramatic when this happens. For the average classic car buyer/owner, its my opinion that the big national auctions on high-end collectible classic cars does not affect the value of the low to mid-range classics. This is probably because it is you and I - the buyer - who dictate prices. If the buyer is asking too much we simply do not buy. The market seems to regulate itself pretty well, however, once again, when the bubble bursts, it still hurts to lose money if you must sell at a loss.

For now, the professional investor interest in classic cars keeps them a pretty attractive investment for all. However, I stand by my previous statement that, "The fun of owning a classic car or truck is NOT in the financial gain you might get from owning one. This can be a big mistake by buyers. It is purely in the joy that driving one can bring...even if the restoration costs more than the value will ever attain." Guy Algar states, "Owning a classic car, muscle car, or old truck - whatever it is that you like - should be for the nostalgia or the pure enjoyment you get from owning it, no matter what it's condition. There's no better feeling in the world than to own something that you've been dreaming about for years and years."

Andrea offers a possible rule of thumb to follow if you're at all squeamish or hesitant about spending money on a project car: "Don't invest more in the restoration of your car than you are willing to lose on it in a quick-sell situation!" Our bottom line: passion first...investment (if it even has to enter your thoughts) always last.

AUCTION RESOURCES:
List of Auction Companies that handle American Classic Cars
Auctions America by RM
Auctions America Raleigh Classic
Barrett-Jackson
Bonhams
Carlisle Events hosts Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction
Classic Motorcar Auctions
Crown Collector Cars
Koko Classic Car Auctions
Leake Auction Company
McCormick's Classic Car Auctions
Mecum Auctions
MidAmerica Auctions
Palm Beach Car Auction
Russo and Steele
Silver Auctions
Smith's Auction Company
Vicari Auctions
Zephyrhills Auctions

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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Invention Improves Efficiency With Less Engine Wear

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

This article first appeared in our old blog Hot Roddin' Texas Style at a time we were transitioning to this electronic newsletter...in our new improved design. I felt it was worth reprinting in Classic Car News, because it does have real possibilities for improving fuel efficiency for your classic car or truck, and even your muscle car! I keep abreast of the latest advances in technology and performance because of my work as a owner of a classic car repair shop. I hope you enjoy reading about Mr. Wills and his invention as much as Guy and I enjoyed our talks with the inventor.

Better Fuel Efficiency for Classic Cars?
A New Invention Shows Promise

I was honored to interview inventor Frank Will to discuss his Over7^TM design, which recently caught the eye of the editors at Popular Science in their search for top inventions for their 6th Annual 2012 Awards. Mr. Will's innovative design uses waste heat to reduce car engine friction by warming the engine oil to its optimal operating temperature, resulting in higher efficiency, lower emissions, and fuel consumption savings!

After reading an article in the June 2012 issue of Popular Science magazine, I must admit, something hit a cord. Since I work and live side-by-side with a mechanical engineer, I guess some of the intrigue in what they do has rubbed off on me, and I was immediately curious. The article aptly described Mr. Will's life as having always "been consumed with improving engine performance."  In fact, he began racing motorcycles in Europe when he was a teenager. He won a world championship race in 1991 before becoming an automotive engineer with Ford in Germany and later also Australia. Leaving his job in 2008, he began working on what later was dubbed "Over7".

I admit, I wanted more information. The concept sure seemed sound. It just made a lot of sense, and a sentence near the end of the article caught my eye. "He also plans to furnish a $200 to $400 conversion kit that mechanics could use to install the system in older cars." Well, I thought...the wheels turning in my head...I wonder how well the system would work on a classic car?  It would seem a simple add-on would not detract much from keeping an engine original, as it works by collecting hot motor oil before it returns to the oil pan, instead redirecting it to a heat exchanger that transfers heat from the engine's exhaust gas, heating it even more. This makes it less viscous, at the same time keeping it from burning up the engine due to the thermostat control, which does not allow the temperature to exceed 300 degrees. Amazingly, the actual engine block stays at a relatively cool 200 degrees, making it easier to turn the crankshaft and run the oil pump, thereby requiring less fuel from the engine.

While this system may not work well in a performance engine that our customers use for their street/strip muscle cars and classics, I'm thinking this could be a good thing for our classic car customers that have daily drivers, or regularly use their cars for cruises, etc., where gas mileage can be an important consideration! By this time, my mind is racing ahead of itself. How easily would this conversion kit be to install? Would a "one size fits all" system work, or would there need to be modifications for different size engines, etc. The questions began flying, and before you know it, I was contacting the inventor, Mr. Frank Will, at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia, where he has led research and testing at the School of Engineering during his Ph.D. project!



PHOTO:  Frank Will

with Formula SAE racing car

developed and built at

Deakin University

(photo: Donna Edwards)

I was astonished and pleased to receive a quick, personal reply from Mr. Will. He not only answered my questions, but engaged in a back and forth dialogue where I found out that, yes, Frank IS an American Classic Car enthusiast! While a friend has "an old Mustang", his dream car would be "the yellow hot rod from American Graffiti". Well, Frank, you are in good company! A NICE pick!  I know our friends and customers at Motorheads Performance are nodding their heads in approval.

Earlier, I alluded to the efficiency of Over7. In fact, tests have indicated that its use can cut gas consumption by 7 percent, and emissions by up to 30 percent, which is a big savings. Research has found that a typical car engine wastes about 80 percent of its fuel, with only 20 percent of the fuel's energy being used to actually drive the car forward! The rest is lost as heat. Mr. Will's Over7 appears to address this waste. Mr. Will explained, "One of its most important features is that it doesn't have to heat all the oil in the sump. Instead, it heats only the active oil in the engine lubrication system. This makes the overall heat transfer process much more efficient. Other benefits include the potential to reduce engine wear and improve performance."

My immediate questions about how the invention worked were answered, but I still had questions that I thought others might also find of interest.  Here, in interview format, are some I thought our readers would enjoy:

Motorheads:  What caused you to look at engine oil as a possible way to improve efficiency?

Mr. Will:  Around ten years ago some articles were published about exhaust gas heat exchangers to warm up the coolant faster. I thought that's a great idea and that it also should improve fuel economy, but it didn't. So I asked myself why and did some analysis and concluded that most of the heat transferred from the exhaust to the coolant doesn't really make it into the oil as it is lost to the ambient air. So I thought why not heat up the oil directly and performed some tests that showed some encouraging results. However, some of the results didn't make sense to me so I looked further into it and came up with the new systems specification.

Motorheads:  Being a performance shop, we love the idea of lowering the heat in an engine block. Will the Over7 work on classic cars and trucks as well as modern day vehicles?

Mr. Will:  Yes, it will but mostly during day to day driving where the oil doesn't really get warm enough. On the race track of course it's a different scenario where you want to keep the oil temp below a certain limit, similar when you tow a trailer up the mountains in summer.

Over7 Components in testing
(photo credit: Donna Edwards)

Motorheads:  Will conversion kits be available at any time in the near future for shops like ours to install for customers?

Mr. Will:  I hope so and I'm looking into it. At the moment I'm running some further tests with different configurations to determine the detailed business case. And I'm looking for a large partner with the relevant market access.

My main focus at the moment are engineering projects with car manufacturers as they are under a huge pressure to reduce the CO2 emissions of their future cars that they are currently developing, cause by new CO2 emission regulations that are currently being introduced in most parts of the world. The system has the potential to be retrofitted to existing engines and we don't think it will require big changes. It should be much cheaper to fit than an LPG conversion for example. Built into a new car, it should pay for itself within a month or two.

Motorheads:  How can Motorheads Performance participate in the testing and installation of these systems?

Mr. Will:  Interesting question, it might be a bit difficult due to the distance. But I had a look at the parts that you distribute and I found a couple of brands that make some parts that could be used in a conversion kit with some modifications/adaptation. These companies may be interested in the collaborative development of such aftermarket conversion kits which would speed up things a lot.

Motorheads Performance hopes to introduce some specific American manufacturers to Mr. Will's Over7 design. We'd love to see if they are interested in working with him on a conversion kit which could be used here in the United States. Meanwhile, Mr. Will is currently testing Over7 at emissions labs, and getting his invention ready for others to use.  "We were very pleased with the results of tests on our prototype system. Now we are working on further testing with car manufacturers and their suppliers, in order to optimize the technology to best suit their needs." He hopes that Over7 could be in use within six years.

Frank Will has also been recognized for his work on Over7 with a Gold Award by the Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia (SAE-A), and was one of sixteen Fresh Science winners in 2011, a national program for early-career scientists sponsored by the Australian Government in order to present their research to the public. We'll be excited to see how this project develops! 

 

Photos in this article first appeared on freshscience.org. All photos in this article have been reprinted with permission from Mr. Frank Will.

REFERENCES:

Popular Science, June 2012 Issue - 2012 Invention Awards: A Higher-Efficiency, Lower-Emission Engine System

Fresh Science - About Fresh Science organization in Australia

Deakin University - About Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

Gold Award - Gold Award issued to Frank Wills for Invention

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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Italdesign Aztec on Ebay!

I remember seeing the Aztec at the Turin Motor Show back in 1988. Admittedly I've never been a big fan of its shapes but I've always seen it as a statement more than a work of art. 

Designed to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Giugiaro house (then Italdesign), the design is a modular base for three different coach styles being Asgard, Aspid and Aztec, respectively a people carrier, a sort of shooting brake and an innovative barchetta.

Sketches demonstrate that the designer has been fantasising about a dual cockpit barchetta since the late fifties but only managed to finally materialise his view in this daring vehicle. Two streamlined open canopies wrap around driver and passenger that can communicate via a headset and microphone. This is only one of the gizmos that were included in the design, most notably some futuristic control panels on the flares that should have controlled various services via three digit codes. For the power unit they opted for the rally and pikes peak champion Audi 5 cylinder spiced up by a turbo, connected to the notorious Lancia Delta Integrale 4WD distribution. The car was supposed to be only a stepstone but Japanese firm Compakt decided to start a production line for 250 cars. It is unclear how many were actually produced, some say 50, some 25 and some others only 18. All the gizmos were dropped with the exception of the inboard communication system but very few details were changed from the original prototypes, most notably the tail lights.

The first production car performed some demonstrative laps at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix and featured in an Industrial design exhibition at the Musée Georges Pompidou in Paris.

I have to admit it did hurt to find one in such bad state for sale on Ebay. This car was allegedly found in very poor state in a barn with the engine seized. I don't understand the choice of upgrading the engine from the 2.2 Turbo to a newer 3.7 for this will seriously affect the originality of the vehicle and sure I hope the new owner will return the paint to the original silver. On the bright side the sale includes the  original moulds for the fiberglass body panels, supporting the thesis that this chassis numbered 18 is actually the last ever made.  

The price tag when new was a whopping £750.000 and apparently a good example traded hands in the past years for £250.000. Coy's estimate for an almost complete un-numbered and incomplete black Aztec in 2010 was €45000 - €55000. The auction starts at £15.000 and I hope to see some bidding auction to discover where the reserve has been placed. 

Click HERE to follow the Auction.

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Texting While Driving Nearly Kills 21 Year Old Texan

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

I normally don't get the chance to post anything on a Saturday because it's such a busy day in the shop. But, I came across some compelling information when doing research for another article I'm working on, and I just felt I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get the word out about the serious risk drivers put themselves in when they choose to text while driving.

According to some reports, texting while driving may even surpass driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI or DWI depending on where you live) in terms of the risk potential to both the driver and other drivers on the road.

One example is a 21 year old college student from Houston, Texas who, according to an autoblog article by Steven J. Ewing, "drove his pickup truck off a bridge, over a cliff and down into a deep ravine." What he wrote as his last text was termed "prophetic", but I think it's chillingly real. Read the whole story, watch video, and learn all about the driver's six months of rehab following a broken neck, crushed face, fractured skull and traumatic brain injuries.

I must admit, I know a few people who insist on texting while they drive. They just don't want to hear about the problem with this. I guess they feel they're superior drivers, and because they may be able to effectively multi-task at work, perhaps they can drive effectively while sending and receiving texts. But statistics don't seem to back up this thought process. These people seem to be real chatty types who probably aren't too comfortable sitting with their own thoughts, which may be why they feel the need to constantly be glued to the keyboard of their cell phones! Whatever the reason, they need to know that they are putting their own safety, and that of other drivers on the road, at real risk. Men's Health magazine reports that texting is the single most dangerous thing a driver can do. With today's high speeds, as we reported in our article Speed Limits & Safety for Classic Cars & Vintage Trucks, the accidents they can cause won't be pretty.

The Dangers



Car & Driver
Magazine



A study by Car and Driver Magazine found that texting does delay a driver's reaction time. They found people who texted while driving took nearly one whole second longer in reacting to another car’s brake lights. In comparison, they found that .08 blood alcohol impaired drivers actually responded twice as fast in the same situation!

IcyRoadSafety.com reported the seriousness with 2009 driving statistics:

• 458 people had fatal accidents from icy road conditions
• 448,000 & 5,400 fatal crashes from"distracted driving" 

And just what does this have to do with classic cars? Well, it does make me think that because most of the old cars are not equipped with hands-free GPS style units like more and more of our new cars are, drivers may be tempted to text with their phones in hand. That combined with cars that may not have the most up-to-date or best maintained brakes, steering, suspension and other safety equipment, it could be a disaster just waiting to happen, and the odds of a serious accident would be much greater than if you were driving a new vehicle equipped with a half dozen or more airbags!  Just take a moment to think about this.

Guy Algar, who is Shop Manager, remembers back to when he grew up working on classic cars and muscle cars in the 70's. "We didn't have any interest in the phone except to call to arrange whose house we were all going to meet at to work on one of our cars. Now, it seems that people can't go down the street without getting on their cell phone or texting someone." It's especially true for the youth, who have known nothing but cell phones. We hope we can get the word out to this especially vulnerable group.

Even if you're fully aware of the risks and would never contemplate texting while YOU drive, consider having a talk with your kids, your nephews and nieces, or family members, friends and loved ones about the risks of texting while driving. Pass on this article and let them see what happened to someone they can relate to. Unfortunately, this problem is going to have to get a lot worse before it gets better.

REFERENCES:
Story Source:  autoblog.com
News Sources: WTVR, WHOU-TV, IcyRoadSafety.com, Car & Driver, Men's Health

RESOURCES:
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - Laws by State
Stop The Texts. Stop The Wrecks
Teen Driver Source
Distraction - Official US Gov't Site for Distracted Driving
Distracted Driving - Info from AAA
Texting While Driving - From the FCC
Texting While Driving - Car & Driver
Dangers of Text Messaging & Driving - By AT&T
Distracted Driving Help
Can You Be Addicted To Texting? - Men'sHealth
2010 Distracted Driving Summit by Consumer Reports

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

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