Your greatest vehicle.

[Dave Shepard]

My 1999 Dodge 2500 Cummins. It's waiting for a rebuilt transmission right now. 500Hp/1,200 ft/lbs torque. It was a work truck, and a Mustang humiliator all in one.

 

[gf beranek]

My best ride was the Norton Commando. I had a '69 750cc and '73 850cc. Light and powerful, and I loved the lines of the bike. I totally rebuilt the machines two times over. Could rebuild the clutch or Tranny in an hour each. Got many thousands of miles and hours of riding pleasure out of both machines. Funny, a guy in Germany bought my 850.

These images I found in an internet search, But they are the same bike, and I kept them perfectly stock. Only way to go.

 

[Mick!]

The Norton 850 commando was epic. I've been on the back of my mates in the 70s. As Neil diamond says "it's a beautiful noise"

 

[cory]

Cool looking truck, Jake.

My first truck. An 85 Toyota SR5 extended cab with every option available that year. Bought it from the first owner, garage kept, with 70k on it in 1999. It was nearly flawless. I worked a horse ranch in Colorado one summer as a teen as a break from the never ending cycle of tree work all summer that made up my childhood. I saved $1500 and my uncle matched what I saved. Great truck.

That part sounds awesome, Tuck.

You learnt a lot about engines (and how to fix them) with these.
But they gave you freedom, priceless.

The freedom, and the engine learning you got, definitely priceless, Mick.


Jim, that motorcycle musta been a gas when you were a teenager. And yeah, Duramax rocks.

2006 VW TDI. I get 43mgp and have put 205,000 miles on it with no signs of slowing down.

Sounds like a cool car, Nate. I'd like a money maker like that.

The Norton 850 commando was epic.

Totally agree, Mick and Gerry, awesome machine. When I was in HS, the coolest kid in town rode one, no helmet, no shirt, sat astride it just so, kinda Steve McQueen-like. The look and sound when he tooled on by just reeked of cool. He actually went on to Hollywood, behind the scenes I think.

 

[HolmenTree]

My buddy let me ride his 1975 Norton 850 Commando a year after he bought it new. Beautiful bike.

My ultimate vehicle I have no pictures of because my first wife burnt the photos of it during our divorce.

It was a 1970 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 that I bought off my logging superintendent in 1975 when I was 17 yrs old.
All black with chrome Crager SS wheels . Setup for 1/4 mile racing with a heavily modified Ram Air IV with 575hp on the dyno with open headers. M22 Muncie Rock Crusher 4 speed with Hurst vertical gate shifter and line lock. 430 rear gears.
Good for in the mid 11's e.t. in the quarter .mile.
I drove this car on the street for 4 summer's, amazing I didn't kill anybody or myself.

I don't have photos but here's a story of the engines builder.....a fellow I never got to meet.

http://www.competitionplus.com/featured-stories/5620-vern-moats-there-at-the-beginning

 

[gf beranek]

That was a good read, Holmen. Thanks for the link.

 

[HolmenTree]

You're welcome Gerry.
I never knew so much about Vern Moats until I googled about him a few months ago. I'm proud to have owned and worked on one of his engines.

My engine was certainly well short in power of his 3,000 h.p. engine that could do the quarter mile in the 5 second zone.
. But I had more then enough power to scare the dickens out of anyone who sat in my passenger seat. Ha

 

[Burnham]

I had an 850 Norton for a while, too. It was fun.

 

[gf beranek]

In my opinion the Norton was the best of the Limey motorcycles. I had two BSA's and one Triumph also, both of which vibrated the hell out of me on any long trip, and they broke down a lot, too. In 1972 I rode one Beezer from Syracuse, NY to Key West, Fl. My whole body was numb. Other than that the trip was great.

 

[PCTREE]

Gerry a lot of friends of mine who were older than me rave about the Comandos . Never had the fortune to ride one though. I guess the most fun I ever had was on a 92 Kawasaki ZX7. Bought it off a guy at the track who had only ride it twice and had 2 broken femurs (yes Im sick) man that thing could jump outa corner. I could always pass a couple of guys exiting but that beast would high side you in a second. I raced it for 2 seasons and crashed it at least 20 times and she kept on keeping on. She went through plastics, pegs and clip ons but always ran straight. In 96 I bought a GSXR 750, that bike ended my racing career in a hurry.

Treetx (nate?) I currently drive a 2000 Jetta with like 250K on her and get about 60mpg, she has never faltered or let me down and is fast if you floor it (as I obviously rarely do)

 

[gf beranek]

That's a great bike story, Paul. I got to say, "A man can truly develop a love relationship with a MOTORCYCLE." They are so fine. I haven't rode one in over 30 years. The roads are too crazy today.

 

[Bermy]

Moving on from the 50cc Mobylette, a Honda CB100, bored out for a 125 piston, sprocket changes, Triumph 'Burgess" muffler, could go up a steep hill with two people in fourth gear, exceptionally well balanced motorbike. CB100's are cherished and prized to this day.

My hubby had a CB150 twin, he sold it after getting 70mph in second gear...way to fast (this was 'back in the day')

This is all in a country will an official speed limit of 20mph...at 30 they start handing out tickets

 

[gf beranek]

What era are you referring to, Fi? And where?

 

[PCTREE]

What era are you referring to, Fi?

Wow I cant believe you just asked a women that !!

 

[gf beranek]

Serious!

 

[flushcut]

My 1999 Dodge 2500 Cummins. It's waiting for a rebuilt transmission right now. 500Hp/1,200 ft/lbs torque. It was a work truck, and a Mustang humiliator all in one.

View attachment 59293

I had my 06' Cummins chipped but took it off because I was eating tires really quick. One set of drive tires every 15k was breaking the bank. It was a Bully Dog tuner.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I used to go about 25k on a good set of Coopers. Of course back then, you could get a pair mounted and balanced for $300. Of course I was towing a lot of heavy loads, so it makes sense that it would wear them quicker.

 

[flushcut]

I wasn't towing so much but " watch me roast the tires for 150 feet" Ahh youth!

 

[Bermy]

Hey Gerry,

We just got back from some camping in the highlands and temperate rainforest...

My CB100 was new in the 80's, about 1985-6ish. My hubby's CB150 twin was in the 60's. (He's a bit older than I am...)

The 150 was a racing model, twin cylinder, twin carb, twin mufflers, he said it was red and cream. He sold it after he got caught speeding, he said it was just too easy and too tempting. This was all in Bermuda. Bermuda boys are born raceheads with small CC motorcycles, they just have to run well, and sound good, and be shiny and sparkly...

 

[HolmenTree]

I never knew so much about Vern Moats until I googled about him a few months ago. I'm proud to have owned and worked on one of his engines.

My engine was certainly well short in power of his 3,000 h.p. engine that could do the quarter mile in the 5 second zone.
. But I had more then enough power to scare the dickens out of anyone who sat in my passenger seat. Ha

I'm just trying to get a handle on posting YouTube videos......... so thought that I'd share a short video of my engine builder Vern Moats that I posted about earlier.

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=vern+m...&mid=6314FB48E2E44FF1403D6314FB48E2E44FF1403D

 

[MasterBlaster]

Here's how to embed videos;

(first, you need to leave that site and view it on YouTube to get the code)

1) Do NOT copy/paste the page url.
2) Click the "share" button - a embed button will appear underneath/to the left.
3) Scroll down and click the "embed" button - a blue highlighted address will appear.
4) Copy/paste THAT address in your post.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OtBMXjJKFpw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[HolmenTree]

See if this works. Your simple instructions are not simple enough for a simple guy like me.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ye0ajJlZrP8 frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>< /iframe>

 

[MasterBlaster]

You're getting closer. Are you posting from your phone? For some reason, posting vids from a phone doesn't want to work most of the time.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Get a teenager to help, Willard.

Remember when the joke was about 12:00 12:00 12:00 flashing on the VCR or Beta.

 

[HolmenTree]

Butch I'm stuck on post 47 .I can't read posts after that.