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Power Struggle at the 2005 Engine Masters Challange
The 2005 Engine Masters Challange crowns a new king -- and queen
With the wrap-up of the 2005 Engine Masters Challenge, we mark the fourth season of our engine building compe-tition with a new champion team: Lennart and Birgitta Bergquist of Autoshop Racing Engines. The handshakes have been made, the checks presented to the three money finishers, and, before we pack our bags, editor Hunkins has the photo-graphy sorted. We organize our notes, tapes, and spec sheets while the last of the competitor's engines are boxed up for the return ride home. It seems kind of lonely at World Products Headquarters late Saturday afternoon, as a light rain begins to fall and Jon Kaase loads his mighty Pontiac entry into the back of his Ford pickup for the long drive back to Georgia. Kaase is the last competitor to leave. The former champ finished Fourth in this year's event, after having taken the top spot in the last two of the previous three years of competition. This man's engine-building talent brought with it a pervasive fear of a virtual hammerlock on the number-one position. Right to the end, it was a wild and exciting week of racing engines.
On opening day, it was anyone's game. The Engine Masters Challenge is run over the course of a week, taking advantage of the three DTS dyno cells built into the back of Bill Mitchell's World Products engine facility in the heart of Long Island. The receiving area of World Products was alive with activity as the engines were uncrated and prepped for their round in the preliminary qualifying runs. Long before the competitors arrived, World had prepped the facility for the onslaught. Inside, assigned DTS dyno-docking carts awaited in rows, and Mitchell's normally busy engine-building stalls were cleared. The crew from DTS also arrived in advance, and each of the three dynos were calibrated and confirmed by running a test engine in each cell. To aid in acquiring tuning data, the latest Lambda air/fuel ratio acquisition instrumentation from Exhaust Gas Technologies was added to the battery of data-gathering equipment feeding the DTS dyno computer. On Monday morning, the place was prepped and ready for a rumble--and so were the competitors.
The Stage is SetUnder the rules for the 2005 Challenge, the engines were carbureted big-blocks running on 91 octane Shell V-Power pump gas, with a displacement limit of 509 ci--the fattest displacement ever for Engine Masters. There was no doubt this year's event would shatter the power levels seen before; the big question remaining was who would finish on top. The qualifying sessions would provide some insight as the engines showed their numbers. The top two competitors in qualifying from each dyno cell would earn a place in the finals, and these six finalists would duke it out for a piece of the healthy $160,000 purse and the prestige of a podium position.
This year's Engine Masters is scored by a combination of the average horsepower and average torque over a set rpm range, 2,500-6,500 rpm. After the engine is fired up, it is run to reach an operating temperature of 160-degree coolant and oil temp, or for a maximum of five minutes if those temperature levels are not met. The dyno pulls immediately follow. First comes a series of three warm-up pulls run back-to-back over the entire 2,500-6,500-rpm range. Sound simple? Consider it from a builder's perspective. There is no tuning allowed through the three back-to-back warm-up pulls, giving no real opportunities to "test the waters," so to speak, on how the engine will respond at wide-open throttle under the local conditions. An error in judgment on the initial settings of fuel mixture and timing can prove disastrous.
Death Rattle... Detonation is always the limiting factor in this pump-gas war. Cylinder pressure is torque, and torque production equates to power output, so it is no surprise that pushing cylinder pressure to the limits is part of any serious competitor's program. With 91-octane fuel, the limit of cylinder pressure is constrained by the level at which detonation has the engine feeding upon itself rather than making power. It's a fuzzy, ill-defined limit that can vary greatly with atmospheric conditions of barometric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure. The high barometric pressure and October air served to accentuate cylinder pressure and aggravate the potential for devastating detonation. This would prove to have quite a bearing on the competition's final results.
In the qualifying rounds, many competitors found themselves with a lump in their throats listening to unexpected and brutal detonation on the first warm-up pull. Unfortunately, by then the point of no return has been crossed. Under the rules, the builder has no recourse but to let things ride and suffer through two more pulls in rapid succession, or withdraw from competition. With the heat added by each subsequent pull, the tendency toward detonation is amplified. By the third pull, the detonation can become disastrous. Too aggressive a tune-up out of the chute stung more than one competitor in qualifying. Needless to say, the dyno procedure is no walk in the park, with the low 2,500-rpm starting point and back-to-back protocol conspiring to exact a brutal toll on these edgy pump-gas mills.
The testing is brutal, but it's a fitting punctuation to what it takes just to make the show. These are the private stories of the builders that don't get told or captured by the camera, the months of planning, building, hands-on wrenching, and testing that goes into an Engine Masters effort. Every builder who made it to the event survived the trials of building and the inevitable setbacks. For some of our competitors, component failures in testing prior to the event meant `round-the-clock repairs eating into precious testing time. In other instances, holdups in parts availability had the entire engine programs changed and rethought at the 11th hour. All our builders had lived the competition for months prior to the final showdown at World.
Qualifying--Day 1By the first day, pre-event attrition had brought our field down to 19 competitors for the qualifying rounds. The anticipation was high for the first day of competition, with two engines scheduled for qualifying attempts. The opener was Donald Williams, son of two-time Second Place finisher Charles Williams of Newport News, Virginia. Donald's engine, fielded under the Pump Gas Performance banner was actually the very same mill run by his father in the `03 Engine Masters Challenge, reconfigured to fit within this year's 509ci limit. There was no doubt this was a well-developed powerplant, as proven by its performance two years ago. However, the first up for qualifying was also the first to succumb to savage detonation and the unforgiving testing regime. Donald's engine finished the qualifying session, but the damaging detonation compromised its potential. It was a scenario we would see repeated throughout the competition. For the second and final competitor of the day, Gary Blair of Blair Racing, the event ended in a much more decisive fashion, with an unlikely failure involving a seized distributor shaft stripping the distributor drive gear. This dashed Blair's hopes of success with his big-block Ford in the most disappointing way--ending its bid before the engine could even flex its muscle.
Qualifying--Day 2It was clear from the experiences of the first day's competition that the test conditions would undoubtedly take a toll. The lineup for day two included six hopeful entrants, beginning with the Chevrolet of Lennart and Birgitta Bergquist of Autoshop Racing Engines. Veterans of last year's events, the Swedish duo seemingly sought a detuned effort, with their 11.5:1 compression big-block. While the quietly confident, reserved, and methodical Bergquist went steadily about the business of preparing the mild-appearing engine on the dyno, there was little to give away the display of power to come. Lennart, aware of the critical nature of detonation tolerance, defied convention by performing his pre-event testing on 89-octane fuel. Even so, in view of the experiences of the previous day's competitors, Lennart conservatively backed timing out of the engine prior to qualifying. The big-block laid down a staggering 844 hp and 740 lb-ft of torque, and a qualifying number of 1285.33--a number that would stand at the number-one spot until the last day of qualifying.
Next up was the Cadillac entry of Donovan Harrison and John Wallace of Torque Inc. The team made a valiant effort to make the show, burning the midnight oil to repair damage incurred in prior testing. Pre-event dyno testing had shown this big production-based Caddy entry made the power for a strong showing. Despite the hard work, the engine experienced bearing problems and possibly a down cylinder in qualifying, leaving the team with the tough decision of withdrawing after the second scored pull, or risk total destruction of the engine. Reluctantly, they left with a DNF. Automotive Machine and Performance's Buick fared better. The Buick, essentially a street engine destined for a customer's car, was built to showcase the Buick's potential in true street trim. The big Buick was obviously fully prepared and ran flawlessly through the regime. Mike Phillips and Dave Wink handled the tuning chores with precision, tuning to an 1138 score, while delivering as much as 713 hp.
Tony Bischoff's entry was next, and Bischoff is always one to be taken seriously. This engine was clearly a powerhouse, and Bischoff was determined to get the most from his combination. With the assistance of Richard Kolb, Tony beat on the Chevrolet relentlessly during the tune-up phase of the competition in an effort to find the optimal carb and timing settings. The downside of this strategy is that the engine will retain heat, which would be sure to hamper the output during the scored qualifying runs. Nevertheless, with the engine producing as much as 834 hp and a final qualifying score of 1265.67, Bischoff was no doubt confident the entry would make the finals, so inevitably, it was time well spent in exploring the limits of his healthy Chevy. The extensive experimentation during qualifying would give Bischoff an edge in knowing how the engine would respond to tuning changes going into the finals.
Dove Performance, followed by Cadillac Performance Parts, would finish out the day. Dove, well known in FE Ford circles, had encountered parts-delivery problems, which curbed its development program on an all-new engine. This forced the team to field a well-seasoned and somewhat undersized 488-cube FE, originally built back in 1991. With tuning, Jim and David Dove scored a 1029 from their second-string mill. The Cadillac entry of Richard Potter was next and possessed the purposeful look of a real contender. Its debut was much anticipated, creating a buzz at the World shop as Potter prepared to run. Potter is intensely competitive and a true gentleman. By the number of custom mods readily apparent in this entry, Potter had seriously raised the bar on Cadillac engine development for this competition, no doubt an effort entailing endless late nights at the workshop. Apparent disaster struck when the harmonic balancer split the hub and launched from the crank snout on the second warm-up pull. As allowed by this year's rules, repairs can be made during the tuning period, and Potter was able to source a replacement damper from withdrawn competitors Torque Inc. A frenzied effort had the balancer replaced in the allotted time. Nevertheless, in the process, all of the available tuning time had been devoured. Potter had no choice but to run the engine in its baseline tune agonizingly lean of the required mixture. Hampered by a lack of fuel, the engine posted an 1130.33, well short of Potter's expectations and the performance the engine had proven capable of in pre-event testing.
Qualifying--Day 3
Following the Mopar was the strongest Ford showing: The 385-series big-block from Livernois Motorsports of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. John Lohone and crew calmly and methodically undertook to tune the serious Ford via air bleeds and timing, and found the powerplant capable of 817 hp and 733 lb-ft, delivering a composite average score of 1251. The Livernois engine was one of the few that showed power progressively gaining with each of the subsequent qualifying pulls, indicating this engine setup was far from the ragged edge. A sharp tuning aid employed by Livernois was the use of a knock sensor to indicate detonation. The total score put the Livernois team deep in the running for the finals.
Another Ford, and the second FE big-block in the field, was Barry Rabotnick's West Bloomfield, Michigan, entry. Rabotnick, a long-time Ford man and a well-known aftermarket industry insider, entered the competition as a privateer. The initial plans were for a much more radical FE, but as with the Dove FE Ford effort, parts delivery was to prove elusive before the required deadline. With resolve, Rabotnick realigned his program to a more conservative effort, rounding up the required FE parts to affect a build in time for the competition. The 505-cube engine, topped with Blue Thunder heads, delivered 752 hp, which was more than Barry had expected based on preliminary testing and a strong showing from a very practical Ford powerplant.
As the Rabotnick Ford was dismounted from the dyno cell, yet another Ford, the 385-series engine from Englewood, Colorado's MPG Heads was fired up in the next dyno cell. Scott Main and Bob Moore had determined ahead of time that the air conditions in their native Colorado differed significantly enough from those at World, and that relevant testing would have to be done away from their local facility. The engine was tested in Iowa just prior to the event and was seriously damaged in the process. Leak-down testing showed compromised cylinder sealing, and the engine was triaged upon delivery at World. The most apparent problem was a destroyed valve-seat insert. Scott and Bob actually machined and replaced the insert at World prior to the preliminaries and managed to make it to qualifying. However, the damage to the engine proved more extensive, as the power was down and declining, while a metallic knock signaled the need to withdraw for a DNF.
Mile High Performance's big-bore big-block Chevy was to be the last engine tested on day three. The entry, built in conjunction with Pro-Built engines, looked to be a well-developed piece, and the crew of Jay Kidwell, Wayne Gill, and Fred Morgan worked with amazing coordination and competence in the cell. Their abilities were really put to the test when catastrophic sounds of destruction rang from the dyno cell on one of the warm-up pulls at the top of the rpm range. A check of the damage revealed that the flywheel ring gear had been thrown and lodged between the block and flywheel. It would have appeared that their day was done, but with unreal determination, the trio set upon the engine to make a repair using the tune-up period. Remarkably, the Mile High team had the Chevy disconnected from the dyno, rolled back, the flywheel removed, the offending ring gear dislodged, and the engine planted back onto the DTS in the time allotted. Back in the hunt, but with every scrap of tune-up time consumed, the engine ran for a score of 1196.67, which would prove to be enough to make the finals.
Qualifying--Day 4Day four would mark the final day of qualifying, and the drama was only accelerating. With the qualifying ladder loosely based on reverse of the competitor rankings in previous competitions, some of the heaviest hitters were going to make their bids to qualify on the final day. Randy Malik, running a 385-series Ford under the RM Competition banner, would start the day's events. Malik is a cool and competent builder, an expert with the large Ford, and experienced in the Engine Masters event. In other words, he's as dangerous as a Cobra to the competition. With the help of fellow Ford competitor Gary Blair, Malik was ready to do battle. Soon after starting the engine, however, a cooling problem became apparent. Under the rules, there is a strict time limit allowed to fire the engine for competition. The erratic readings of the temperature probe suggested an air lock in the engine curbing the precious flow of cooling water. Malik immediately went to work to determine the cause of the problem, but it remained unresolved. The dyno crew set upon the cooling system, only to confirm water present at the engine's junctions. With the exact reason for the problem undetermined, time was called and Malik was in the unenviable position of having to run his engine with the cooling systems function unconfirmed. Under the load of the dyno the coolant temperature became critical, forcing Malik to withdraw.
Hubbard, Ohio's Clayton's Performance has been a competitor in every Engine Masters Challenge since the inception, and its hopes were high for a strong showing with the company's small-bore, long-stroke, short-rod, big-block Chevy. Neil Clayton and Ron Mathews used the limited tuning time attempting to wring out the best jetting and timing setting to extract the most from their engine. The team had little development time before the event, and was disappointed to be short on their power goals, scoring a 1099 in qualifying. Neil related, "We were just way too short on development time on testing the combination for this year's event. This was the first time I had put together a long-stroke combination, and I'd never do it again. I didn't like it and it didn't like me." Always the competitors, we expect these guys to be back.
Next into the fray was Traco Engineering's big-block Chevy from Los Angeles. The engine looked like a showpiece, exquisitely detailed in every way. Larry Salisbury was alone to tend to the engine's needs, and the man went about the duties with deliberateness and precision that defined an intensely cool and unwavering professionalism. The engine was not purposely built as a dyno competitor, but more representative of an endurance road-race-style engine. On pump gas, detonation proved to be a plague, undoubtedly costing power. With a score of 980.47, the engine fell short of qualifying for the finals.
Another Southern California entry followed, again a big-block Chevy, this one fielded by the well-known Sprint Car engine specialist Ron Shaver of Shaver Specialty Co. Shaver brought a serious piece with sights set on a top finish. The modestly over-square engine at 12:1 was an edgy piece and tuned just outside the bounds of dangerous detonation. Shaver's engine was clearly ready for the games, as the veteran competitor had his engine up and running with no undue hang-ups. After the warm-up period, the duo of Shaver and Tom Masik took advantage of the tune-up period to make some fine adjustments to the mixture and timing, and the engine was let loose to throw down a score of 1233.33, making as much as 822 hp in the process. With that performance, Shaver had locked a place for himself in the finals.
Earning the second-to-the-last qualifying spot based upon two consecutive Second-Place finishes in the last two events, Charles Williams was also fielding a big-block Chevy entry, based upon an under-square smaller bore combination. Competing in cell two for one of the two qualifying spots, Williams was under the gun to deliver big numbers. An odds-on favorite, the Senior William's 12.5:1 compression effort fell to the ravages of detonation. Although the engine delivered as much as 827 hp and a 1239 score with the first qualifying pull, the engine was clearly suffering the effects of detonation-induced damage and losing power, leaving Williams to make the only available decision and withdraw.
As the time came for the final competitor in qualifying to make the show, the crush of the crowd filled the floor in front of the dyno with standing room only. As Jon Kaase made his way into the ring, the collective thought of the crowd had to be whether this master of engine building could do the unthinkable and sweep the competition for the third year in a row. Kaase and his well-respected Winder, Georgia, enterprise Jon Kaase Racing Engines selected a Pontiac engine for this year's event, but what a piece it was. The 508-cube powerplant was built on an Indian Adventure's block from All Pontiac, which Kaase considers bulletproof. Kaase explains, "They're built by Roush, so that says it all. I think they're awesome. Four-bolt cap, Siamese bore, the machine work is impeccable, the cast-iron quality is really nice." Capping the block are no ordinary Pontiac heads; the All Pontiac castings feature large raised runners and were extensively massaged by Kaase. Expectations were high as the Pontiac was lit in the dyno cell.
After the three warm-up pulls, Kaase and IHRA Pro Stock champ John Nobile moved into the cell to give the engine its competition-ready tune. All of the plugs were inspected and timing adjustments were dialed in. With that, confident in his engine's abilities, Kaase was ready to let it fly for the qualifying round. With the first pull, the engine delivered a 1291 score with peaks at 811 hp and 764 lb-ft of torque. The two subsequent pulls yielded 1285 and 1282 scores, respectively, for an average composite score of 1286, just a fraction of a point higher than the qualifying score posted by the Bergquist team of Autoshop Racing Engines. It was interesting to note that Kaase's first pull was the best, and the score dropped nine points by the third pull. In contrast, the Swedes' Chevrolet started with a 1284 and improved to a 1286 in the second and third pulls. Kaase's powerplant could throw down a serious number out of the gate, but its staying power seemed to trail that of team Autoshop. The event was shaping up to be a real showdown.
The Final CountdownThe field for the finals was heavy with experience and proven talent, with Mile High/Pro Built, Shaver, Livernois, Bischoff, Autoshop, and Kaase making up the field. The finals are run in the reverse order of qualifying scores, so the most powerful engines in qualifying would earn the honor of running last. The advantage here is knowing just where the competition had scored, and how much to roll the dice in setting up the engine for the big numbers. Push it too far, and disaster is always there to greet you. First up was the team of Mile High/Pro Built, whose tuning time in the qualifying eliminations was lost to the flywheel failure. This raised the question of whether there was significantly more left in the big-block Chevy entry. The double-edged sword here is that Jay Kidwell and his team would go into the finals without having thoroughly explored the effects of tuning changes in a prior session. With a lot of unknowns, the crew spent the entire tuning period working to dial-in the combo. The Mile High/Pro Built team tweaked the mixture and added timing advance, coming out with a final score of 1197.67.
Shaver's entry put down a strong showing in qualifying, and the experienced builder knew there was some catching up to do for the finals. After the warm-up pulls, Shaver and Tom Masik studied the data from the dyno intently, planning their moves. During the tune-up period, Shaver added timing and jet, and adjusted the air bleed size in the carb, looking to extract more from the powerful Chevrolet, making several trial pulls to gauge the progress. Shaver was finding power throughout the curve, and at the end of the tuning session, all eyes were on the display screen for the results in the final pulls. The engine seemed comfortable with Shaver's tune, pulling cleanly through the rpm range with very little detonation, scoring a 1246 with the first pull. Subsequent back-to-back pulls, however, saw the score decline mildly, as heat effects and detonation down low robbed valuable points, giving Shaver a final average score of 1239.67. Shaver was pleased with the performance of his engine.
While big Chevrolets made up the field early in the day, the purposeful Ford of Livernois was next to take the stage. During the warm-up, light detonating was apparent, but John Lahone and Chris Goeble knew it would take an aggressive tune to place in this field. Tuning with even more timing and a larger air bleed showed impressive gains in the trial tune-up pulls. The team decided to simply shut the engine down and wait out the remaining time of the tune-up period. The strategy was to let the engine rest. Upon firing up for the scored runs, power was down on what had been seen in the trial pulls. Allowing the engine to sit may have unintentionally created a heat-soak situation, costing valuable points. Detonation was definitely present and easily verified by the knock sensor display employed by the Livernois team. Despite detonating, the sturdy Ford seemed to survive unscathed. The final score was a solid 1258, placing Livernois in the lead.
Bischoff's Chevy was mounted to the dyno after the strong Ford. Tony confided that his strategy was not to do a whole lot, hoping the extra humidity would help on the score. With the extensive flogging accomplished during the qualifying tune-up period, Bischoff was fairly certain the engine was dialed-in for maximum power. The plan was to run the same tune-up as in qualifying. After the warm-up pulls, Bischoff surveyed the data, and stunned the crowed by electing to forgo the tune-up period altogether and move straight into the final scored pulls. The strategy was to take advantage of the temperature drop in the intake manifold from the previous run. Tony explained, "I was trying to keep the manifold chilled. There's a lot of temperature in the room and it was starting to draw back into the motor; oddly the chilled manifold hurt the low-rpm numbers, but picked up at the top." Bischoff posted a new leading score of 1265.67, and with just two competitors left, was assured a podium finish.As runners-up by just a fraction of a point in qualifying, Lennart and Birgitta were certainly feeling the pressure as the Autoshop entry was readied on the dyno. The stakes were high, but you'd never know it from the stoic Swede. The pair's demeanor was as calm and measured as the pressure was high. Following the three warm-up pulls, the team briefly surveyed the numbers and then moved into the cell for their tune-up. At this stage, a nervous competitor may have gambled heavily with an aggressive tune-up in the form of more timing and a leaner mixture. Lennart went straight for the valve covers. It was clear that the team from Florida had contemplated their move with a long and thoughtful process well before the final round. Rather than risk a crushing fall to detonation with a ragged top-end tune, Lennart chose to loosen the intake lash in a bid for more bottom-end grunt.
With resetting the lash, the engine was allowed to cool for the entire tune-up period prior to the final-scored pulls. Inside World, the crowd's attention was riveted to the action at the dyno as the engine was fired for the scored pulls. Once at operating temperature, the signal was given to begin the final scored runs. As in qualifying, Autoshop's Chevy pulled up the rpm range cleanly, with nary a trace of detonation, turning the torque meter with tremendous force. The first pull netted a 1289, an improvement of 3 2/3 points. Lennart and Birgitta looked on with quiet focus as the engine was loaded against the DTS dyno's absorber for the second pull. A 1287. With the next pull, the engine repeated within a tight range, scoring a 1288.
Although the Autoshop team had seen the raw numbers and score tallied on the dyno sheets, the crowd waited anxiously for the composite score numbers to flash on the scoreboard. Applause broke out when a 1288 appeared on the screen, the highest score in the competition so far. However, it was not enough to ease the tension the husband and wife team was experiencing, as Lennart was clearly hoping for more from the lash change. With a 1288 score and the lead, it all came down to what Kaase's engine would do.
The Moment of TruthKaase was in control of the situation as the Pontiac was wheeled into the dyno cell. With all the scores in front of him, there was no ambiguity about what needed to be extracted from this potent mill. As with any true competitor, Kaase had played out every possible scenario in his head, and the score put down by Autoshop was formi-dable. Kasse's tuning partner, John Nobile, was absent on the day of the finals, with a racing commitment taking precedence. Fellow competitor and friend Ron Shaver stepped in to offer assistance to the two-time champion. Everything was riding on the events to unfold, and the crowd filling the floor was braced for a real showdown as Kaase's engine was fired for warm-up. The Pontiac was run through its required three warm-up pulls; Kaase and Shaver reviewed the numbers as the sheets came off the dyno's printer. The veteran engine men could see it was going to be close, with the initial pull being enough to cover the competition, but the score declining with the two subsequent warm-ups, as temperature effects took hold of the Pontiac.
After studied contemplation of the dyno data from the warm-up pulls, Kaase and Shaver moved into the cell to set the tune. The timing was bumped forward, while the carb's air bleeds were opened up. Apparently, Kaase was playing for the win. With the Pontiac's characteristic dropping of score through subsequent pulls, the engine needed to come out strong to make a sufficient average to take the win. Following the tuning change with a test pull, it seemed Kaase had found what he was after. Although the engine detonated going in, as seen only by Kaase, Shaver, and the officials working the dyno, the aggressive tune had added healthily to the score, surpassing the 1,300-point level. Still, there was worry in Kaase's face. He knew the detonation seen at the roll-in could prove costly in the back-to-back final pulls. We overheard as Kaase and Shaver conferred over whether to pull back some on the timing. In the end, the decision was made to let it ride. With over 1,300 showing in the test pull, it was just a question of how well the engine would hold on as heat and detonation effects whittled away at the output.
Kaase chose to allow the engine to sit for the remainder of the tune-up period, while the tension in the air continued to rise in anticipation of the final pulls. As the clock on the tune-up period expired, the officials called time, and the Pontiac was fired. After the mandated warm-up, DTS dyno operator Matt Boyer opened the throttle, loading the Pontiac at 2,500 rpm to begin a pull. Moderate detonation could be heard as the engine worked up the rpm range. Kaase received the sheet from the printout--a 1,290 score on the first pull, over 10 points down from what had been seen only minutes before during the non-scored tune-up pull. Heat soak while sitting idle cost points on the first money run. Going into the second pull, the Pontiac had gained even more heat, detonation was more evident, and the score reflected the situation, dropping to 1,256. By the final pull, the Pontiac was succumbing to the effect of detonation and retained heat, factors which feed one upon the other, causing the score to spiral downward to a heartbreaking 1,221. There would be no repeat for the returning champion this year.
While Kaase and those in the cordoned-off dyno area had seen the numbers, the crowd of spectators and competitors had to await the posting of the results on the official scoreboard for the tally. Within minutes, the final score flashed, a 1,255.67, putting Kaase in Fourth Place. The ecstatic Livernois team reacted with excitement, as the unexpected problems with the Pontiac entry had allowed them to finish in the money with Third. Emotion also ran high with the Bischoff crew, as Tony's cool-handed play of just laying down a safe number in the finals paid off with a Second Place finish. For Autoshop's Lennart and Birgitta, there was relief and jubilation as the couple embraced to celebrate the success of nearly a year's effort at putting together their mighty Engine Masters Chevy. The tall Swede from Florida has proven to the world that his engine-building talents rank among the very best as a new Champion reigns in the Engine Masters Challange.
The Power To WinLeading off our second day of qualifying, the husband and wife team of Lennart and Birgitta Bergquist of Autoshop Racing Engines rolled their big-block Chevy entry into dyno cell one. The native Swedes are based in Orlando, Florida, and if anything was notable about their entry, it was the clean but conventional look of their innocuous-appearing Chevrolet. This big-block certainly did not carry with it a threatening aura, with a 4150-series 850 Holley in a field of Dominators, and none of the custom one-off external plumbing distinguishing some of its competitors. In fact, externally it had the appearance of a typical big-block Chevrolet, the kind that looks at home sitting in the engine bay of a street-bound Chevelle. Even though it was only the third engine to run in qualifying, it was clear to anyone who really understood the numbers that the 1,285 composite score put down by the quiet Swede would be hard to beat. The engine literally came down like Thor's hammer, thumping the dyno with 844 hp and 740 lb-ft of torque in qualifying. (You can expect a complete feature story on this mighty Chevy in our March `06 issue.)
Following the theory of a relatively small-bore/large-stroke combination, the Autoshop entry achieved its 509 ci with a bore size of 4.250 inches and a stroke of 4.480 inches. Lennart unassumingly cited the successful under-square combinations in previous Engine Masters events in selecting this configuration. A 6.350-inch rod length was used, primarily because Lennart wanted to drop the ring pack down on the custom CP pistons, and have pistons built with thick crowns for strength. As Lennart put it, "That was the longest rod that I could put in it with the other parts." We inquired about the compression ratio and Lennart informed us that the ratio was set at an unusually conservative 11.5:1. Relating his experience in last year's event, Lennart explained, "Last year I had 12.5:1, and I got here with a 30.3 barometer, and the motor just detonated itself to death. That scared me quite a bit, so this year I was not going to do that again, so I limited it to 11.5." Lennart continued, "I may be backed-off a little too much for the weather we have now, but I did not know that when I designed the motor. I just had to figure that we would have similar conditions to what we had last year."
Things were a little trickier inside, with a billet Sonny Bryant crank featuring undersized 1.88-inch rod journals and small-block-sized 9.270-inch piston pins. The idea here is to lighten the assembly and give the engine less weight to accelerate, with a bobweight of only 1,640 grams. Lennart elaborated on the crankshaft: "I had Bryant cut the counterweights down really small, so small he almost didn't want to do it, and then I put heavy metal in there to balance it." Lennart didn't really admit much else in terms of windage control, "I didn't do anything other than bolt on that (Steffs) oil pan, and it has that screen in it." Besides the light internal weight, Lennart was able to build the engine with dramatically reduced rotational friction. Part of the credit goes to the ring pack, consisting of SpeedPro 0.043-inch rings, aided in sealing by gas ports in the piston tops. Lennart disclosed that the complete assembled engine, with just the plugs removed, required only 24 lb-ft to rotate, complete with valvetrain, while the short-block required only 12 lb-ft--that's slick!As with may of the entrants, Lennart's engine took advantage of modern coating technology for an edge in friction reduction and thermal management. The rod and main bearings are coated with a friction coating, while the pistons received a friction coating on the skirts and the crowns received a thermal barrier. Up top, the combustion chambers, exhaust ports, the face of the intake valves, and the face and back of the exhaust valves all were treated to thermal-barrier coatings. The Brodix oval-port manifold received a thermal dispersant.
Some of the key components to putting down healthy power numbers are the choices in heads and the cam. From the results, it was clear that Lennart was right on target with his component selection. For cylinder heads, Lennart selected Brodix raised oval-port castings, which were fully ported by Mike Horney, who also ported the intake manifold. The intake valves measure 2.300 inches, while the exhaust valves spec out to 1.880 inch. The resultant flow as measured by Lennart was 380 cfm on the intake ports and 280-plus cfm on the exhaust side. The cam, a roller follower grind which rides in needle-roller cam bearings, was speced by Lennart and ground by Competition Cams. The cam features 258/260-degree duration at 0.050-inch tappet rise, and was ground on a 108-degree lobe separation angle, installed at a 106-degree intake centerline. Lobe lift is 0.460 inch on both the intake and exhaust; however, the intake rockers are 1.8:1, while 1.7:1 is used on the exhaust. Figuring the rocker ratio, the valve lift works out to a theoretical 0.828 inch on the intake and 0.782-inch on the exhaust--serious numbers in the pursuit of serious power. Exhaust flow was enhanced by the use of Stahl 2 to 2 1/8-inch stepped headers.The Autoshop team's hard work and expertise certainly paid off with an impressive win in this year's Engine Masters Challenge. While some of the key components that made this impressive engine perform have been highlighted here, as might be expected the details go much deeper. We'll be revisiting this engine in greater detail to reveal just what it took to build this champion.
Autoshop Racing Engines
Orlando, FL
(407) 678-7705
ENGINE SPOTLIGHTPHR's 2006 Feature EnginesWe went away from this year's Engine Masters Challenge determined to bring the innovative technology in these powerplants home to the readers. The simple specs belie the true level of execution and know-how that goes into these monsters of power. How did the builders do it? It's the details and execution that make the difference, and these builders didn't get to the top of their field by just opening boxes and bolting parts together. The thought process involves visualizing how each part interacts in the system that makes up the finished engine and taking steps to optimize the package along the way. You might not want to follow each of their moves to the full extent, but understanding what was done and why goes a long way to improving anyone's power-making game.
To really dig into the nuts and bolts, we were far busier at this year's Challenge than just running the show. Ace lensman Hunkins busted hump for the duration of the week, capturing images detailing these stout powerplants, both before the competition and during teardown. While traditionally only the three winning engines are torn down in the normal course of the post-competition tech inspection, this year we requested that some of the other competitors subject their engines to teardowns, just so we could have a look and record what we found inside. Fortunately, the builders were willing to comply, giving us an unprecedented level of detail in documenting these mills. Here's a brief on the Second-Place BES and Third-Place Livernois entries, as well as a rundown onfour other engines we will be featuring in upcoming issues of PHR.
AUTOMOTIVE MACHINE AND PERFORMANCEBig-Block BuickPhilpot, KY * (270) 729-5556www.automachperf.com
Mike Phillips' Buick was another engine built for a street customer, rather than as a specific dyno-race star, to show the credibility of the Buick design. The production-based entry features a square 4.325x4.325-inch bore and stroke, with the stroke provided by a Moldex crank, and the bores filled with JE pistons and rings. The displacement calculates to 508 ci, making this engine perfect for the Challenge format. Power parts are the T/A Stage 2 castings, well-known in the Buick world, and T/A also cast the SD-2 intake manifold. In contrast to virtually all the other competitors, Mike did not take advantage of the allowable roller cam, but ran a Lazer flat-tappet solid. With the flat-tappet and a relatively conservative 11.4:1 compression ratio, the 713hp Buick is ready to ship to its new owner, Steve Bachorski of Chicago.
Bes RacingBig-Block ChevroletWest Harrison, IN * (812) firstname.lastname@example.com
Tony Bischoff showed the cool hand of experience and racing savvy in taking home Second Place with his big-block Chevrolet entry. The engine showed as much as 838 hp at 6,200 rpm, a truly remarkable power level for a powerplant swilling ordinary pump gas. The 508ci combination went against the small-bore convention in this competition with an over-square combination of a 4.421-inch bore and a 4.140-inch stroke. Bottom-end hard parts highlights include Ross pistons giving a 12.5:1 compression ratio, a 256/268-duration at 0.050-inch Competition Cam's camshaft, and an Eagle crank and rods. Up top, reworked Brodix-4 Extra heads and an Edelbrock manifold direct the airflow, while a Pro Systems Holley Dominator suppliesthe mix.
Livernois Motorsports385-Series FordDearborn Heights, MI(313) 561-5500
John Lohone and his Dearborn crew brought the strongest Ford entry to this year's event and walked away in the money with a Third Place finish. Producing as much as 817 hp right at 6,500 rpm, the Livernois entry showed serious force. The slightly under-square combination of a 4.300-inch bore and 0.375-inch-stroke Moldex crank proved again the power of the 385-series Ford big-block. Filled with Leutz Rods, Total Seal rings, and BMR pistons, the 12.9:1 compression big-block survived with the highest compression ratio of the top three finishers. A COMP cam with 253/263-degree duration at 0.050-inch lift moved the valves in a hurry, achieving a 0.775-inch lift. Feeding the beast was a pair of Ford Super Cobra Jet heads and an Edelbrock Victor manifold, drawing from a 1250 Holley Dominator.
John Kaase RacingPontiacWinder, GA * (770)307-0241www.jonkaaseracingengines.com
Kaase may not have repeated to take the win this year, but right until the final moments, this Pontiac was within striking distance to take it all. What does it take to get this kind of output from a Pontiac mill? Kaase knows, and you will too, because Jon has agreed to tell all. The basics include the awesome new block and head castings from All Pontiac, which allows serious cubic inches to be built into the Pontiac's architecture. To reach the 508 cubes for this year's competition, Kaase opened the bores to 4.310 inch to give the inline valves some room to breath, and packed in the cubes with a longish 4.360-inch stroke. A COMP 261/268-degree at 0.050-inch cam ground on 107-degree centers provides a Herculean 0.886-inch lift. Jon related that this engine saw a huge number of dyno pulls in development before the competition, so he went with premium components inside, including a Bryant crank, CP pistons, and Carrillo rods. An Edelbrock intake directs the mix provided by a 1,100-cfm King Demon carb. Jon doesn't hold back with the subtle and custom mods, and there is plenty to see when we dig deep into this incredibly torquey 811hp Poncho.
Mopar WedgeMonroe, WI * (608) 329-6800
Barry RabotnickFE FordWest Bloomfield, MI * (248) 931-0358www.survivalmotorsports.com
Rabotnick loves the big FE Ford and has been building these engines as a hobby for years. While a super Engine Masters Special was planned for the event, Rabotnick had to shift gears when some of the key parts didn't arrive in time. Instead, Barry just put together a combination based on regularly available parts, many of which he just pulled from stock from the leftover FE parts in his garage. With a 4.350-inch bore and a 4.25-inch-stroke Scat crank, the FE displaced a cool 505 cubes. The Speed-Pro pistons and rings are shelf parts,as are the Scat rods. A pair of Blue Thunder Heads prepped by ET Performance ensured the power, as did a COMP roller with 257-degree duration at 0.050-inch and 0.747-inch lift. Rabotnick's 11.8:1 engine ran just beautifully through all of its dyno pulls, making the most output on the last pull of qualifying at a mighty 752 hp. Here's an engine that a Ford FE fan can take notes on.
Cadillac Performance PartsLate-Cadillac Big-BlockSoddy Daisy, TN * (423) 332-7636www.cadillacperformanceparts.com
Richard Potter came as a serious competitor into the Engine Masters Challenge, and the wild Caddy he was packing looked set to kill. It was obvious Potter had pushed the envelope in development, with many one-off parts and systems of his own creation. Reportedly capable of over 800 hp in pre-event testing, the entire audience at World was at attention to see what this unconventional engine combination would do. This was Potter's intent, to draw attention to the power capabilities of this neglected marque, and help spotlight his business specializing in these engines. Unfortunately, a failed damper preventedtuning the engine on the dyno. The engine featured a 4.250-inch bore fitted with Mahle pistons and Speed-Pro rings, while a Moldex crank, extensively reworked by Potter, provided the 4.470-inch stroke. A 53mm custom roller worked the valves, built on a core Potter machined from billet, and given to COMP to grind the lobes. Potter also extensively reworked the Bulldog head castings, and essentially molded his own runners into a Boogie Man intake. There are endless things to see when this one is featured.


text:
This is a product review. I received two sets of ChalkOla Premium Wet Wipe Markers for free: one set of 10 Party Colors Bullet Tip (6 MM), and one set of 8 Jumbo Tip (15 MM) Platinum Series. While I received these markers for free, this is an honest review of the product, which my children and I truly enjoyed. This post contains product links and discount codes.
I spotted ChalkOla Chalk Markers back in December on Amazon while searching art supplies for my 3 year old. They looked cool, but not what I wanted at the time. I added them to my wish list, hoping someone else would pick them up for her for Christmas. Lucky me, I was recently contacted by a representative that asked if I wanted to try them in exchange for a review if I liked them. Who am I to pass up trying new things?
We were so excited when the package arrived. My daughter wanted to try them out right away but I had to have time to prime them first. This is the one downside with this sort of marker is the prep work before hand. Each jumbo-tipped (15 MM) Chalk Marker takes about 2 minutes to prime before the ink begins to flow. I found that it helped to do it at the table, one in each hand. Once the chalk pens were primed, we needed to decide which surface we were going to play with first. According to the packaging they are best used on:
- Whiteboards
- Windows
- Mirrors
- Plastics
- Chalkboards
- LED Boards
- All Hard Non Porous Surfaces
I've always wanted window markers and ChalkOla glide easily and the colors are vibrant. The jumbo-tipped wet wipe markers are perfect for large surfaces. These would be great for preschool windows as well as business. They are quick-dry and long lasting, which is great if you plan to use seasonally.
My 3 year old has to turn every art project into a full body experiment. Luckily for me, ChalkOla chalk pens are child safe, non-toxic, low odor, and water based.
We had no problem washing the chalk ink off her hands and (subsequently) her clothes (in the wash). And speaking of washing, the windows came clean easily as well. My kids covered the windows in doodles and Chalk Marker (I mean a lot, like a rainbow threw-up on our windows), and in the end, all I needed was a wet cloth and a bit of Windex. I imagine the average person would need a bit less, probably just Windex and some paper towels.
After I cleaned up their *ahem* art, I decorated for spring.
|"I'm making a giraffe"
Next we played with the ChalkOla Bullet Tip (6 MM) wet wipe markers which, of course, have a smaller head. These are perfect for:
- Whiteboards
- Chalkboards
- Ceramics
- Plastics
- Glass
- Mirrors
- All Hard Non Porous Surfaces
While we played with these at our easel, which has both a chalkboard and whiteboard, these vibrant, neon markers would be perfect for crafting and labeling. In fact, ChalkOla has these really cool Chalkboard Labels which can be used on mason jars, cabinets, or for various craft projects per your imagination. The nice people at ChalkOla sent me a set but I'm waiting for inspiration to hit before I use them. I'm terribly disorganized and not much of a labeler so they will probably be used in some sort of craft project.
Ok, so we had a lot of fun with the ChalkOla Chalk Markers. It's something I can give my daughter to keep her busy while I cook, either at her easel or on our windows and the mess is minimal compared to paint. It's possible the Leprechauns will decorate the kids' mirrored closets for St. Patrick's Day. In a preschool setting, teachers could use these for labeling or decorating windows for holidays or seasons. Moms, these are perfect for crafting and labeling. I have a few other ideas, but that's for another day, another post :)
If you'd like to purchase ChalkOla Chalk Markers you can receive 20% off from this post with the code below. UK we have you covered too!
6mm Pens -
USA - http://www.amazon.com/
Chalkola-Chalk-Markers- Chalkboard-Whiteboard/dp/ B00PM473TK
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/
Chalk-Pens-markers-Whiteboard- Chalkboard/dp/B00VVOWCSC
20% Off on Amazon - Coupon Code -> CHALK20A
15mm Markers- http://www.amazon.
com/Window-Markers-Businesses- Chalkboard-Whiteboard/dp/ B0112OP7BY
20% Off on Amazon - Coupon Code -> CHK20OFF
Please check out ChalkOla on these Social Media Platforms:
If you'd like to purchase ChalkOla Chalk Markers you can receive 20% off from this post with the code below. UK we have you covered too!
6mm Pens -
USA - http://www.amazon.com/
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/
20% Off on Amazon - Coupon Code -> CHALK20A
15mm Markers- http://www.amazon.
20% Off on Amazon - Coupon Code -> CHK20OFF
Please check out ChalkOla on these Social Media Platforms:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chalkolachalkmarkers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chalkola
- Website: http://www.chalkola.com
Have you tried ChalkOla wet wipe markers? Leave me a comment below and tell me what you think!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Developers of the popular Exim email server software released an emergency update on Friday to address a critical vulnerability that could allow attackers to execute malicious code on the underlying operating system.
The vulnerability was located in the code responsible for performing DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) verifications, a feature enabled by default in Exim installations.
DKIM allows associating domain names with email messages through the use of digital signatures that can be verified by the recipient email server. Its goal is to prevent email address spoofing.
The patched vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow and can be exploited by anyone who can send email from a domain name for which they control the DNS (Domain Name System) records, Exim developer Phil Pennock said Friday in an email announcing the release of Exim 4.80.1.
"This is a SECURITY release, addressing a CRITICAL remote code execution flaw in versions of Exim between 4.70 and 4.80 inclusive, when built with DKIM support," Pennock said.
The vulnerability is rated as critical and was identified during an internal review of the DKIM-related code in Exim.
The code review was prompted by two DKIM implementation issues that were disclosed last week and affected multiple email providers including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.
"I apologize for the impact of releasing this on a Friday," Pennock said. "I do not consider there to be an acceptable alternative."
"I expect that this area of code in various MTAs [mail transfer agents] will be studied by many security conscious people around about now, so there is a significant risk that someone unfriendly has also discovered this, concurrently to our finding it," Pennock said.
Exim is one of the most popular mail transfer agents. It is installed by default in Debian Linux and other Debian-based Linux distributions like Ubuntu. It is also commonly used together with the popular Mailman mailing list software and the cPanel Web hosting server administration platform.
Most Linux vendors have already released updated Exim packages through their respective repositories, so users are encouraged to install them.


text: This model investigates the flow dynamics between three liquid tanks connected by two pipes (the first pipe connecting Tank 1 and 2, and the second pipe connecting Tank 2 and 3). The liquid level in each tank oscillates due to the flow inertia in each pipe. Flow inertia is damped by pipe friction, and eventually the liquid height in each tank reaches equilibrium.A Maple worksheet that models the system from a first-principle momentum balance is also attached (see Project > Attachments > Documents > OscillatingTanks.mw). In the Maple worksheet, differential equations that describe a momentum balance and the dynamic change in liquid height in each tank are solved numerically.


text:
The debt-ceiling gridlock on the Potomac is making at least one group of investors giddy: people who own gold.
Since the beginning of the year, the price of the precious metal is up 13.58 percent, closing at $1,614.40 an ounce on Monday. This includes an increase of $12.90 on Monday alone. By way of contrast, the stock market – as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average – is up about 8 percent for the year and down some 88 points on Monday.
Behind the rise in the gold price are fears that the US government might default on its payments on Aug. 2, the day the US Treasury says the government runs out of money. Although no one knows exactly what will happen if Uncle Sam can't raise his credit limit, most investment advisers don't think the stock market will take an actual default very well.
With all the uncertainty, investors are turning to gold.
"Some gold makes sense, even though the metal is at record-high prices," says Fred Dickson, chief investment strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Ore. "But you have to bear in mind that gold can be a volatile commodity."
Indeed, professional gold investors are issuing storm warnings over short-term investing at such high levels. One of those is Thomas Winmill, portfolio manager of the Midas Fund, which invests a portion of its assets in the stocks of gold-mining companies.
"We think it is highly likely the debt ceiling will be raised and the gold price will come down over the short term," he says. "But over the longer term, we think the price will be driven up because Washington lacks fiscal discipline."
Even though President Obama and the Republicans appear to be far from an agreement, that could change quickly, Mr. Dickson points out.
"Remember back in December when they were at odds over renewing the Bush tax cuts, all of a sudden they found a way to do it," recalls Dickson. "Congress has a lot of ability when their back is pushed against a wall to get something done."
Historically, governments have dealt with huge deficits by increasing inflation, making political promises that can't be fulfilled, or increasing taxes, Mr. Winmill says. Since the US debt load is so high, he says, it's impossible for the nation to tax its way out of the problem. "It has to be inflation," he says.
Inflation decreases the real value of money, which makes repayment of debts easier. In the past, hard assets such as gold have risen in value during times of high inflation.
If Congress raises the debt ceiling but does not do a credible job of reducing the deficit, the government faces the possibility of a debt downgrade from AAA, the highest rating. "It's hard to tell the fallout," Dickson says.
If Standard & Poor's and other bond rating agencies do downgrade the US government's debt, gold may do well, says Axel Merk, president of Merk Investments, a firm in Palo Alto, Calif., that invests in gold and currencies such as Swiss francs and Japanese yen.
A lower debt rating for Treasury securities will give them a lesser value in bank portfolios, Mr. Merk reasons. Since banks carry the securities as assets, the banks will have less money to loan in the future. This will reduce economic activity, he reasons.
If the US economy falters, this may boost the price of gold.
However, gold will suffer if the economy starts to grow, businesses begin to hire more workers, and productivity improves, Winmill says. "The risk to gold is real economic growth," he says. "It's happened many times."


text:
Dentist in Bellevue, WA
Bellevue, WA Dentist
Fine Dental Arts
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 558-0909
(425) 895-0150 fax
Call for special pricing
From the first contact at Fine Dental Arts of Bellevue, our Bellevue dentists are committed to your individual attention and strive to provide personalized oral health care tailored for your unique dental needs and goals. We work hard to create the ultimate stress-free and comfortable dental experience. Your health and comfort are our top priorities, and we do what it takes to help every patient understand their symptoms and treatment options in a relaxed office setting.
It is our mission to educate and provide our patients with the best dental care in Bellevue. For that reason, we've designed this website to provide you with all of the important information you need to make healthy decisions about your teeth and gums. We encourage you to browse our office page, service details, and patient education library whenever you have a question about our practice or your oral health.
Achieving quality dental care shouldn't be difficult, so at Fine Dental Arts of Bellevue, we make it simple to achieve your healthiest, most beautiful smile. Whether you are looking for information on cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening, crowns and bridges, dental implants, root canal therapy, Invisalign, Fastbraces®, porcelain veneers or laser therapy, you can learn more about all of your options from our services page. For your convenience, we accept Premera Microsoft Insurance and you can also request an appointment online with our Bellevue dentist and download patient forms directly from our website.
Feel free to contact our Bellevue office with any questions. We look forward to making each visit to our office a positive experience.
Our building is right behind building 27 Microsoft campus by Bel-red Rd
Patient Reviews
Fine Dental Arts Staff


text:
Man told 'Dr. Phil' he didn't murder Texas woman
HOUSTON (AP) -- A man who taped an interview for the "Dr. Phil" show days before police say he confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend in Houston and then dumping her body hundreds of miles away in a West Texas oil field told the TV personality he didn't murder the woman.
Mark Augustin Castellano has been charged with murder in last month's slaying of 31-year-old Michelle Warner.
Police say Castellano confessed on Sunday, two days after taping an interview with "Dr. Phil" host Phil McGraw.
In a clip released by the show Tuesday, McGraw asks "Did you kill her?"
Castellano replies, "No sir."
Castellano also denied hiding Warner's body. The interview will air Thursday.
Police say Castellano drove Warner's body from Houston to West Texas before burying it in a ditch near Midland.


text:
Indicative Rate * AU$107 to AU$200
Your comfort is guaranteed staying in one of Rubyvale Gem Gallery's spacious self-contained holiday apartments. Private patios and verandas surrounded by attractive gardens, ensure you will relax and unwind after an exciting day of sapphire fossicking.
Located in the centre of Rubyvale means you can walk across the street to the pub, a grocery store, the Post Office, laundromat, fossicking park, and you are right next door to the Rubyvale Cafe serving delicious meals and coffees. Also next door is the Australian Tourism award winning Rubyvale Gem Gallery where you will discover sapphires as you have never seen before, in an unbelievable array of colours and shapes, and set in the most exquisitely designed jewellery that will make you feel like royalty.
Whisper quiet air-conditioning in all the apartments will keep you cool in their warmer months and toasty warm in the winter. The friendly staff have all lived on the Sapphire Gemfields for over40 years so they can share their wealth of information with you, entertain you with stories of the colourful characters past and present, and maybe even steer you in the right direction so that you can dig up your own sapphire fortune!
The two bedroom cottage features a comfortable queen sized bed with side tables in each bedroom. Three split system air-conditioners ensure comfort throughout the cottage. All linen supplied. The large kitchen is equipped with a fridge-freezer, microwave, hot plate, toaster, kettle, and all the cooking equipment, cutlery, glassware, and crockery that one could need. The lounge room has one three seater couch, and another two seater sofa bed that sleeps one person, and flat screen television with satellite reception. The apartment also has two modern fully tiled bathrooms with shower and toilet in each, and an automatic washing machine. The dining area has a table and chairs and the large verandah also has an outdoor setting so visitors can enjoy the peaceful garden surroundings.
The one bedroom apartments feature a comfortable queen sized bed with locally crafted wrought iron bedhead, side tables, and full sized mirrored wardrobe. Split system air-conditioners in each room. All linen supplied. The kitchenette has a fridge-freezer, microwave, hot plate, toaster, kettle, and all the cooking equipment, cutlery, glassware, and crockery that you could need. The lounge room has one three seater couch, and another three seater sofa bed that sleeps two people. The apartment also has a modern fully tiled bathroom with shower and toilet, and the dining area has a table and chairs. The upstairs apartment has two decks, both with table and chairs on them, and the downstairs apartment has a patio area with table and chairs.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


text:
Sale Date Ended
Page Views : 37
We invite you to Next Generation Software Testing Conference,A world class conference is been held in your city. This conference is for all CEOs, CIOs, IT Directors, Project Managers, Product Managers, Developers,Professionals who are working in software testing business.. you will get to know new ideas,learn innovative ways of software testing,expand business,networking etc. for more details you can visit the website and register there.


text:
My Mum's met the Romanian Rugby Team (of 15 years ago).
My Mum's met the Romanian Rugby Team (of 15 years ago).
Or something.
RIP Fardin Qayyumi (AKA "cricket player"; "Bob"), 1/11/1990 - 15/4/2006
I met the Romanian under 19s a few weeks ago
Most games the All Blacks played were not test matches as we didnt consider the opposition good enough.This changed in 87 with the advent of the World Cup
My 2008/09 stats
Games: 10 Innings: 10 Nout Outs: 3 Runs: 489 Average: 69.86 Highest: 154 Fifties: 0 Hundreds: 3
Catches: 7
Fascist Dictator of the Heath Davis Appreciation Society
Supporting Petone's Finest since the very start - Iain O'Brien
Also Supporting the All Time #1 Batsman of All Time Ever - Jacques Kallis and the much maligned Peter Siddle.
Vimes tells it how it is:
Quite certain Jamee IS half romanian, isn't that right Jamee?
Originally Posted by SupaFreak2005Originally Posted by steds
And, in Meads' case, complain about how much "bloody pasta" they're eating.
The Future of International Cricket - Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravi Bopara, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Salman Butt, JP Duminy
Proud Supporter of the Bangladeshi Tigers
Ryan ten Doeschate - A Legend in the Making
MSN: firstname.lastname@example.com
I don't remember much of the final, because we had been at a party (must have been a blue moon that night, because I got lucky), and we went back to my friend's place to watch the final. Unfortunately the reception was so terrible we could barely make the ball out in amongst the fuzzy static, so it was a guess whether the drop kicks had gone through the posts. I've never watched that game again.
Mum and Dad slept through their alarm so didn't watch it and have never sought out a replay.
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text:
The Woes of Robert Vadra
Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, hit back at allegations that he had improper financial dealings with a real-estate company. But the way he did it also attracted criticism.
On Friday, Mr. Vadra was accused at a press conference by anti-corruption activists of receiving favorable treatment from DLF, one of the country's top real-estate companies. His accusers said they were basing their critique on public records. He, DLF and the Congress party that his mother-in-law heads, have all denied any impropriety.
Mr. Vadra is a New Delhi-based businessman whose interests include handicrafts exports, hospitality and real estate.
On Sunday, after the accusations against Mr. Vadra made the front pages of many of Saturday's local newspapers, Mr. Vadra was then criticized for allegedly terming India a "banana republic," on Facebook according to local news reports. Mr. Vadra's Facebook account could not be accessed Monday, and neither he nor his representatives could be reached for comment.
India Against Corruption, the anti-corruption movement that propelled activist Anna Hazare to a national profile last year, noted the posting. "Today Robert Vadra has written 'mango people in banana republic' on his Facebook page," Kumar Vishwas, an IAC member said on television news channels Sunday.
"He has insulted our country," Mr. Vishwas said. "He should apologize before the nation."
Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan, the two men who accused Mr. Vadra of improprieties Friday, are longstanding members of IAC. Mr. Kejriwal is in the process of setting up a political party.
Messrs. Kejriwal and Bhushan claimed Friday that Mr. Vadra had received property from real-estate firm DLF Ltd. at favorable rates. They alleged that the company, in turn, received favors from Congress governments in several states. The proferred records they said came from the Registrar of Companies, part of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
In a statement issued to NDTV news channel Sunday, Mr. Vadra, dismissed the allegations as "utterly false, entirely baseless and defamatory."
Mr. Vadra claimed that the accusations by the two men were intended to "malign my family in order to gain cheap publicity for themselves and for the launch of their political party."
Mr. Vadra is married to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra - the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, daughter of Congress party President Sonia Gandhi and sister of Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress official and the man widely-tipped to be the party's prime ministerial candidate at the next national election, scheduled for 2014.
Mr. Vadra, in the statement to NDTV, said his business dealings were "fully reflected" in financial reports that were submitted to appropriate government authorities. "They are available in public domain to anyone interested in knowing the truth," he said in the statement.
DLF also denied the allegations. In a statement issued Sunday, it said, "DLF vehemently denies any quid pro quo in its transactions with Mr. Vadra and his group of companies."
"We wish to categorically state that the DLF has given no unsecured loans to Mr. Vadra or any of his companies. Further, we have never received any undue benefit from any state government or any government authorities in any part of India," it said. A spokesman said the company had no further comment Monday.
On Monday, DLF's shares were trading 6.3% lower at 226.50 rupees on the Bombay Stock Exchange, compared with a 0.8% decline in the benchmark index.
Mr. Kejriwal said the DLF statement is "full of half truths and lies."
"A lot of information has been suppressed," he said on television news channels Sunday.
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded an investigation. "Those involved in it should come up with concrete clarifications to put an end to the issue," BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told India Real Time Monday.
Congress, however, has ruled out an inquiry against Mr. Vadra. Congress is the main party in the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition in New Delhi.
"We can't probe private deals without specific allegations or quid pro quo," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said during a television press conference in New Delhi Monday.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.


text:
8-10-09 Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Since the Pirates are out of town for a week, and I'd like to snag my 500th career ball sometime in 2009, I decided that I needed to make a road trip or two this week. My first stop would be Camden Yards in Baltimore.
I attended this game with two friends, one of whom is in the ballhawk league (Andrew).
We arrived at 3:30 and got our tickets. There are two gates that open at 5:00. The Eutaw Street gate near the Babe Ruth statue…
And the one on the opposite end, nearest to the right field foul pole.
Which didn't happen.
We stayed l
ong enough to watch all of the batters from each team hit, and then left the game early. We had a four hour + drive, and made it back home a bit after midnight.
Here are today's baseballs:
And the sweet spots:
Game: 3 balls (3 hit)
Season: 263 balls (137 hit, 84 thrown, 42 device)
Games: 56 games (5 of which didn't have BP)
Average: 4.70 balls per game
Career: 429 balls
Streak: 71 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 14,688


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Youtube user TopCityGear had experimented with a nerf blowgun before, but decided he wanted a bit more capability. The result is an air-powered gun made from PVC, a gutted cordless drill, and a sprinkler valve.
The air reservoir is pumped to capacity with a standard Schraeder valve. The air then passes through the empty cordless drill and into the sprinkler valve. The man behind TopCityGear came up with an interesting hack here. He wired the trigger of the drill to the actuator in the sprinkler valve, giving him realistic control over his shot.
The video gives pretty detailed explanation of the device, but if you want to skip to the action go to 8:25.
[via Hacked Gadgets]


text:
Notice: On April 23, 2014, Statalist moved from an email list to a forum, based at statalist.org.
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: st: Conditional infile statements
Steven Samuels <email@example.com>
Re: st: Conditional infile statements
Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:30:59 -0500
There's no need to create the record-type data sets or append them, since the -forvalues- code goes through the entire data set each time. Here's the result, with multiple records per ID in the example.
/* my.txt is
1 100 John Smith
2 100 40
2 100 50
1 101 Bob Jones
2 101 45
local rt1 "rtype 1 id 3-5 str10 name 7-16"
local rt2 "rtype 1 id 3-5 age 7-8"
forvalues i = 1/2{
quietly infix `rt`i'' using my.txt if rtype== `i', clear
sort id
quietly save t`i', replace emptyok
merge 1:m id using t2
drop _merge rtype
sort id age
On Nov 20, 2011, at 7:40 AM, Gordon Hughes wrote:
I would like to read a *very* large dataset using conditional infile statements. With some oversimplification the structure of the data is as follows:
Line 1: type1 id 1 2 3 4 5
Line 2: type1 id 3 4 5 6 7
Line 3: type2 id ABC DEF FGH
Line 4: type1 id 5 6 7 8 9
Line 5: type3 id IJK 3 4 XYZ
The format of the data on each line is fixed but the formatting varies according the value of the first variable on the line. For practical purposes the data may be treated as having one line per observation but with different variables recorded for the different line types. There is no consistent pattern of the occurrence of lines of different types.
In high level programming languages, SAS and some other languages it is possible to read such data using the following generic code:
read str ltype @
if ltype=="type1" {read id str type var1-var5}
if ltype=="type2" {read id str type str char1 str char2 str char3}
if ltype=="type3" {read id str char4 var6 var7 str char5}
where the @ character holds the current line for re-reading. As far as I can work out this is not possible, at least directly, in Stata.
In fact the problem is even worse than this description implies because many of the variables have the form "123*" where 123 is a value and "*" may or may not be present and indicates a flag or note.
There is a way of doing this but to my mind it is clumsy:
infix str sline 1-30 using ...
gen ltype=substr(sline, 1, 5)
gen var1=real(substr(sline, 6, 2)) if ltype=="type1"
The user-written routine -strparse- can also be deployed for free format data, but again it involves the use of sub-string manipulation. I cannot locate any other user-written routine which provides a better way of doing this, but my -net search- terms may not pick up the right keywords.
I would appreciate any suggestions as to a better way of doing this - or should I just resign myself to writing the code required to parse each line. (Incidentally, one reason for my reluctance to do this is that it increases the maximum memory size required to hold the initial pass through the data.)
Gordon Hughes
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/


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USA – 31st July, 2017 – Rudolf Stark Limited is a comprehensive financial service stock holding company. Its Headquarter is in United States of America but its service covers also Europe and the neighboring continents. The company is a stickler for new approaches and ways as it combines financial, smart financial and industrial finance. It has created an impressive company that is harmonious, well-regulated and transparent that will surely realized investors' dream for success through excellent investment result and professional services. Rudolf Stark welcomes new partners and willing to answer all inquiries about the task.
Founded in 1995, Stark has already equipped is investors with the proper knowledge of making active investment, passive investment, Quantitative investment, fix income investment, specific asset management and more diversified asset management service. According to its CEO, "We are in pursuit of satisfying all kinds of needs; from asset management to consulting service for our investors. Our aim is to provide the best in the customer consulting service and trading consulting service of mutual funds, foreign exchange, crude oil, Heng Seng index and other financial derivatives. Our organization has everything in investments like giving our investors professional consulting advice in financial product service and trading investment research."
As an asset management company, Rudolf Stark Limited handles high-end investors and more than one million worth of US dollars in asset. It has established a stable foreign exchange trading platform, having achieved excellent risk control, as well as a secured asset management plan.
An excellent quality investment team called R & D is formed by core group members for they have acquired wholesome and positive investment experiences. Group leader said, "they placed great value in the following: in-group cooperation, complementing with each other's strength and exploiting collective wisdom."
From the time the company was launched, they gained the trust of their customers as it numbers are increased through the years. With the many awards they received, they added an Award from the "Asian Asset Management" magazine. You can say that the company is way up above its competitors. In fact they ranked no. 18 among 100 Global asset management companies. Recently, the company was named 2017 best customer service.
Since the customer is always right, company has gained the trust and confidence of its customers for its excellent corporate service.
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Rudolf Stark Limited, founded in 1995, is a comprehensive financial service stock holding company. Headquarter is in the U.S.A, with service covering the America continent, Europe, etc. Rudolf Stark Limited aimed at providing the customer consulting service and trading consulting service of mutual funds, foreign exchange, crude oil, Heng Seng index and other financial derivatives. The organization provides professional consulting advice in financial product service and trading investment research.
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Phone: 248467700
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Country: Seychelles
Website: http://www.rudolf-stark.com


text:
Royce Da 5'9" - Shake This
The official video for Royce Da 5'9"'s lead-single "Shake This" Produced by DJ Premier, from the album Street Hop, which is executive produced by DJ Premier.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
A 19-year-old Butler man is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl earlier this month at his West Cunningham Street apartment.
City police Wednesday arrested Tru Mann Miranda on rape and other charges. He is being held in Butler County Prison on $250,000 bail.
Investigators on Oct. 10 learned through ChildLine, a statewide child abuse hotline, that a 15-year-old girl had reportedly been strangled, bitten and sexually assaulted at an acquaintance's home, according to court documents.
Miranda is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, two counts of aggravated indecent assault, strangulation and corruption of minors, all the charges are felonies.
Additionally, he is charged with two misdemeanor counts of indecent assault.
A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.


text:
"Yes" Magazine Article on Vermont's Healthcare Success
"The state's progressive health care model has already bolstered campaigns in more than 20 other places."
The activists who celebrated the passage of Act 48 in Vermont last May will be the first to tell you that there is still a long road ahead. It may be six years before universal, single-payer health care will be fully implemented in the state. That's plenty of time for likely opponents, including the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, to marshal their forces and try to stop it. But the progress in Vermont has bolstered single-payer campaigns in 20-plus states around the country, and successes elsewhere may in turn help sustain Vermont's reform campaign.
Single payer, or "Medicare for all," is universal health care coverage with the government as insurer. (It's not "socialized medicine" as in the United Kingdom, where the government runs hospitals and employs doctors directly.)
President Barack Obama's big push for national health care reform in 2009–2010 left single-payer off the table.
Reform took a different path in Vermont. In 2010, the state hired a Harvard economist to recommend a cost-conscious system of universal coverage. The result, unveiled in early 2011, was a single-payer plan to be run by an independent, quasi-governmental board, with private insurers' role limited to contracts for claims processing and other administrative tasks.
In the meantime, Vermonters elected a strong single-payer supporter, Peter Shumlin, for governor. But the state had seen good single-payer plans and supportive governors before (think Howard Dean). One difference this time around was a huge popular mobilization. As the legislature deliberated, supporters of single-payer turned out in large numbers, including a "People's Team" clad in bright red T-shirts that became a fixture at the State House. The Vermont Workers Center, which had been working to build grassroots support on the issue for two decades, can take a lot of the credit. "It would be a shame," the center's James Haslam emphasized, "if the lesson people took from Vermont was that the win here was all about having … a sympathetic governor."
Progressive Party State Rep. Chris Pearson says organizing was critical to convincing "nervous Democrats" to support Act 48, and notes that the campaign also benefited from Vermont's progressive political climate. Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, an influential alternative to the Chamber of Commerce, supported single payer. Vermont's Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest insurer in the state and one of the few "Blues" that is still a nonprofit, did not mount an anti-reform campaign. And the presence of the Progressive Party itself made a difference. "While our numbers are small—five out of 150 in the House—our unwavering support for single payer has pulled the debate to the left the way you see the Tea Party pull the debate to the right," Pearson says. He also claims the Progressive Party influenced the Democrats' choice of Shumlin in 2010 by promising not to run a Progressive gubernatorial candidate so long as the Democrats nominated a strong single-payer advocate.
The work of implementation is now under way. The Green Mountain Care Board is holding public meetings around the state as it begins designing the new system and proposing how to finance it. Ironically, meeting the mandates of the federal Affordable Care Act will represent a detour on Vermont's road to universal coverage.
Heavy national players opposed to single payer haven't been active in Vermont yet, at least not openly. Fierce battles probably lie ahead, but the single-payer camp can already claim one victory. Fletcher Allen Health Care, a nonprofit hospital, wanted to sell five dialysis units to a private corporation, Bio-Medical Applications. Single-payer advocates saw this as a step backward, fought hard to prevent the sale—and won.


text:
National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)
NLM Resources for Informing Comparative Effectiveness
This page provides specialized searches of published research - PubMed - and research still in progress - HSRProj, and ClinicalTrials.gov - to help inform investigations of comparative effectiveness. See the description below the search boxes for more information about this project.
For clinical and comparative effectiveness studies written specially for patients and consumers, see PubMed Health, a growing resource that is being developed by NLM's National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Please help us improve these searches. Send us your comments here.
Top Description of this Project
The Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (FCCCER) definition of Comparative Effectiveness Research focuses on studies in "real world" practice; the study designs used for conducting comparative research in practice settings are evolving and at present there are few studies conducted that have wide applicability beyond the settings in which they are based. The purpose of the search strategies presented here is to help inform discussions on or relating to comparative effectiveness by providing retrieval of a full-range of studies on the efficacy-effectiveness-effectiveness in the "real world" continuum. Conceptual organization of these searches has been based on work undertaken by Holve, E. and P. Pittman. A first look at the volume and cost of comparative effectiveness research in the United States [Internet]. Washington, DC: AcademyHealth; 2009 June [cited 2009 Oct. 14]. 20 p.
Clinical effectiveness studies cover a range of study designs with wide variation in terminology and they may be drawn from a variety of data sources. For this reason, the Randomized Controlled Trials and Systematic Review PubMed search strategies have been designed for sensitivity (that is, searches will retrieve many relevant citations but probably a few less relevant ones, too) while the PubMed Observational Studies search strategies have been designed for specificity (that is, searches will retrieve mostly relevant citations but may not include all citations that could be potentially relevant to a particular topic).
Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research definition:
Comparative effectiveness research is the conduct and synthesis of research comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in "real world" settings. The purpose of this research is to improve health outcomes by developing and disseminating evidence-based information to patients, clinicians, and other decision-makers, responding to their expressed needs, about which interventions are most effective for which patients under specific circumstances.
- To provide this information, comparative effectiveness research must assess a comprehensive array of health-related outcomes for diverse patient populations and subgroups.
- Defined interventions compared may include medications, procedures, medical and assistive devices and technologies, diagnostic testing, behavioral change, and delivery system strategies.
- This research necessitates the development, expansion, and use of a variety of data sources and methods to assess comparative effectiveness and actively disseminate the results.
The definition above is not meant to exclude randomized trials; however, these trials would need comparator arms other than placebo and be representative of populations seen in "real world" practice. Federal Coordinating Council for Comparativeness Research. Report to the President and the Congress, June 30, 2009 [Internet]. Washington, DC: The Council; 2009 [cited 2009 Oct. 14] p. 16.


text:
It's third-and-17. The Raiders throw a simple screen pass. Michael Bush gains 24 yards. Bears coach Lovie Smith called it "disappointing" and said "normally a team isn't going to convert on third-and-17." Well, unless they are playing against the Bears.
It's third-and-17. The Raiders throw a simple screen pass. Michael Bush gains 24 yards.
Bears coach Lovie Smith called it "disappointing" and said "normally a team isn't going to convert on third-and-17."
Well, unless they are playing against the Bears.
Chicago's defense can't get off the field. Even when everything points to an easy stop:
The Cardinals were 6-for-9 converting third downs of at least seven yards against the Bears in Saturday's third preseason game.
"That's the biggest down, third down," $91.5 million defensive end Julius Peppers said. "We've got to get off the field. We've got to make plays in those situations.
"We've got to rush better and get a little bit more pressure. We've got to cover better. We've got to get on the receivers before they catch the ball. We've got to tackle better if they do catch it. And we've got to be in the right defense."
Peppers' pass rushing skills were supposed to make it harder for foes to torment the Bears on third-and-long. But Peppers can't get to the quarterback if short dump-off passes go for long yards. Bush burned the Bears that way. So did Steve Breaston and Stephen Williams of the Cardinals, who were playing without All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
"They are getting check downs and throwing it short when we are back in coverage," said safety Chris Harris, who missed a tackle on Breaston's 13-yard touchdown reception on third-and-13 Saturday. "We need to react a little quicker and get them down."
You can't get them down if you miss the tackle. The Bears, 0-3 in the preseason, have been missing a lot of tackles.
"Absolutely," Harris said. "I accounted for about three of them. I've got to correct that.
"Tackles are going to be missed. They get paid dollars as well to play this game. But that's not an excuse. We've just got to get it done."
Third down used to be the absolute strength of Chicago's defense. The Bears ranked either first or second in the NFL in third-down defense in Lovie Smith's first four years as coach and were fifth in 2008.
But they sank all the way to 27th last year with a 41.2 conversion rate, often by letting teams escape third-and-long jams.
And it's looked even worse through three preseason games in 2010.
"You should win third-and-longs," Lovie Smith said. "We have to capitalize on that."
If they don't, it could be a long season for the Bears.
It already seemed long when Arizona converted consecutive third downs of 8, 8 and 7 yards on its first touchdown drive.
"I'm not going to say it's disheartening," Peppers said. "It's disappointment.
"You've got to keep playing. The next snap is the thing. After a play like that, you've got to move on to the next play and try to get off the field on the next third down."
"We have to," Harris said, "get off the field on third-and-whatever."
Matt Trowbridge can be reached at 815-987-1383 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
- Goal:
- $250.00
- Achieved:
- $100.00
Welcome to My Personal Page
For more than 40 years, the Alexander Center for Neonatology has been a leader in the fight to save the tiniest of patients. Walk For Winnie provides all of us in the community the opportunity to join Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Winnie & Babies in this fight.
Through Walk For Winnie, we will be able to provide funding for the care and treatment of the sickest of babies. Every day, skilled physicians and nurses at the Alexander Center for Neonatology provide the highest level of life-saving care for critically ill newborns, with one ultimate goal in mind: to help these babies thrive, to help them beat the odds. Please join me in raising funds to support the tiny miracles born in the NICU every single day!
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text:
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text:
James Piper's 1940 Ford Cabriolet Coupe
Original Looks, But A Few Hints Of Pro Street
By the end of the '60s, rodding was moving in a couple of different directions. The hot rodders were building cars with an emphasis on neck-snapping quarter-mile performance. The street rodders were starting to pay more attention to head-turning traditional styles. Somewhere between then and now, paths overlapped. Racers started picking up styling cues from the street cars, and street rods began incorporating the look of drag cars.
When James Piper and his 17-year-old son Jordan decided to build a '40 Ford cabriolet, the goal was to maintain the overall look and feel of an original '40 but to drop a few Pro Street hints here and there to make things interesting. The motivation came from the '40 coupe James had owned as a young man back in the mid-'60s. The raw material came from a guy in central California, who had collected a bunch of parts for the car but was unable to continuing working on it due to poor health.
thinks his cabriolet was probably first hot rodded as far back as the early '50s. One clue--and one of the first surprises they found when they started building the '40--was that the lower trunk section had been filled with cement to lower the car (or possibly to add weight to a drag car). As they pounded out the cement, they found a newspaper dating 1954.
Work continued at Europacific Parts International and eventually the car was completed at Nicks Old Car Specialty in Redlands, California. The original steel body was dropped on a TCI Pro Street IFS chassis with a 490hp, injected GM 502ci Rat motor packed under the hood. Besides the high- performance drivetrain, the only conspicuous Pro Street feature is the pair of Mickey Thompson steamroller meats filling the rear fenders.
We spotted the ragtop over at Nicks a few months ago--seven years after the Pipers started in on the car--and talked the guys into driving it out to this local orange grove for some photos. If you read our 100 Best February issue, then you've already seen the Pipers' '40. The next time you see it will be at a show or on the street. Grab a look.