Greetings and Felicitations!!

I feel so good that I just have to shout!

What makes me so happy you ask? Many things!

To begin with, the car season is upon us!

Trees are sprouting buds, the birds are singing, flowers are blooming! It’s a re-birth of nature!

And with it all comes the joy of internal combustion machinery coming back to life!

I have taken out and driven my cars several times each now, and the feeling of cruising down the road again, whipping around the turns, mashing the pedal, listening to the engine growl, (I could go on and on, and you’d probably dig it!) and all the other things that go with driving a great car just make me smile and appreciate all God blesses us with!

We all know and share those feelings of gripping that shift knob, turning the key, listening to that engine fire up, and then at long last hitting the road after a long hiatus since last year. Man it’s been great already and it’s only May!

Another thing that lifts my spirits are car shows and cruise nights! Yes, yes, yes! Those wonderful automotive sensual festivals have started, where you can get your fill of eye candy, ear candy, and nose candy. (Not what you think!) I refer to the smell of race fuel, exhaust, and rubber! Those sexy bodies that come out to be seen. (Again, not what you think…although they come out to be seen too!) The long, lean, clean, flowing lines of a curvy body with a highly polished and mile deep paint job! Detailed engines that look too good to ever be driven, but just listen to them run! How about the Max Wedge or 427 Big Block that rumbles from a half mile away even with a stock exhaust system! All “candy” for the senses!

Yes, yes, yes. What more could you ask for?!

We have six spectacular months to come! Get out there and make the most of it!

Another thing that has made me feel “renewed” is something unrelated to automobiles! (Believe it or not.)

It is one thirty in the morning on a Thursday night (early Friday actually), and I have just come from seeing the best band to ever play the clubs of Long Island. A band that I have not seen in years. A long overdue absence of sensory stimuli that enlivens the spirit! I got myself a “Soul Vaccination”! I took a trip Down to the Nightclub to see an affiliation of musicians that can make the stodgiest person shout, sing, dance, and groove like a bow-legged monkey!

I am talking about the Funk Filharmonik!

Those of you who’ve seen them know what I’m talking about! Nothing comes close.

For those of you who have never seen these professional Funk Masters, what you are missing cannot be conveyed here.

This is a twelve man strong group that tours as individuals with almost every singer, group, and orchestra you can think of.

For over 15 years they have given a GIFT to Long Island and NYC by gathering together from their separate gigs and playing for us as the tightest, funkiest, most unbelievable band you could ever hope to see.

People in the audience range from their early 20’s on up into their 50’s and beyond! These guys come out ready to play each and every time. They have real fun doing it and it shows! Their infectious soul/funk grooves permeate everything in the joint! They have a kick-ass five piece horn section that tears the roof of the “you know what” every time! Guitar and bass that wail and the funkiest keyboards to keep it all moving! They also have two brothers playing drums and percussion that synchronize and syncopate the whole group! The singers tonight were no less than three guys who sing for Tower of Power! These guys have awesome vocal abilities and they hit it hard!!

I know this is an automotive site and not a music review, but if you want a lift sometime, “You’ve Got to Funkifize” and go see the Funk Filharmonik. You’ll never walk the same again.

Check out their website: http://funkfilharmonik.com/

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Cruise Night location updates:

TUESDAYS: McDonald's. 98-01 Metropolitan Ave. Forest Hills, NY.

WEDNESDAYS: Long John Silver's/A&W. Union Blvd, South of Sunrise Hwy. West Islip, NY.

FRIDAYS: Huntington Shopping Center. (Toys R Us) Route 110. South of Jericho Tpk. Huntington, NY.

SATURDAYS: Sonomax Station. 278 Greenpoint Ave. Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY.

SATURDAYS: Kohl’s. Corner Grand Blvd and Commack Rd. Deer Park, NY.

There was also another Friday Cruise Night in Hewlett that started and abruptly ended a week ago! The police even gave tickets out to people who gathered and from what I heard, they actually followed a few people home! Nothing bad had happened during the night to warrant such treatment. It was the first gathering at the Hewlett Shopping Center location (Loehmans and Fortunoff). Tony (who is running it) from the Greater NY Region A.A.C.A. told me it is not dead-in-the-water yet, it might be resurrected. He actually has written permission from the owners to use the property AND a multi-million dollar insurance liability coverage policy! The Cops overstepped their bounds. Check back on this one.

More Cruise Night updates as they develop in the next Newsletter.

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We would like to mention more car clubs that have listed on the site recently. As the hobby continues to grow and bring in both older and younger enthusiasts, there is no shortage of clubs and organizations to fulfill anyone’s tastes. Some of these clubs have been around for many years, while others are relatively new start-ups. Check them out in our CLUBS section!

Also, remember to check our EVENTS section for show, cruise, and event listings! As of this writing over 200 events are already listed for the upcoming car season!

If your club and events are not listed on Long Island Classic Cars.com get them listed soon! People are making their plans on where to go and what shows to attend. Don’t be left out or late to the party!

Exceeding Limits Truck Club - Long Island Chapter. Club is open to all makes and models of trucks: custom, stock, American and Foreign. They have monthly meetings, meets, and cruises. New members welcome!

Gold Coast Cruisers. A club that is open to all makes and models of cars and trucks pre-1990. Open to new members.

They have a car show, meets, and other activities.

Greater New York Region A.A.C.A. Formed in 1960, they are a regional division of the national club. They are one of Long Island’s largest and longest running clubs! Open to all vehicles American and Foreign, steam, electric, motorcycles, auto, trucks, and more! They have shows, meetings, parties, Holiday party, dinner dances and other functions.

Island Wide Classics. They are the local Long Island Chapter of the Classic Chevy International Club. However they are also open to other makes and models of American classics. They have shows, cruises, poker and mystery runs, a Christmas party, dinner dance, bowling, and other events as well.

Long Island Corvette Owners Association. (LICOA). Another long-time club! They are a 45 year old Corvette Club with over 300 local members. They have meets, shows, rallyes, cruises, and other events throughout the year. New members are welcome! Very active and fun club!

Long Island Region Plymouth Owners Club. Long Island Region of the National Plymouth Owners Club. Open to new members. Cruises and more. A relatively new local/regional club of a well established national organization.

Long Island Super Sport Team (LiSSt). Automotive enthusiasts dedicated to the promotion and preservation of 1994-1996 Impala SS automobiles. Membership is open to owners of those cars as well as 1994-1996 Chevy Caprice 9C1 autos, and equivalent B-body wagons. Club events include meetings, drag racing, auto-cross, car shows, dyno events, and more.

Redline Auto Club. A club that is new but growing fast! They invite anyone with a Modified Import or Domestic, Low-Rider, Truck, Motorcycle, or Sport Compact to come and join. A very active club with many events and activities.

Still Cruisin' Car Club. Club formed over 14 years ago. Family oriented car club open to all makes and models of cars and trucks pre-1970. They have car shows and meets and other events. New members are welcome!

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We would also like you to take notice of these new advertisers on Long Island Classic Cars.com. They can certainly help you with your vehicles and provide services that you may need.

S&S Ultimate Automotive. The boys at S&S specialize in 55-57 Chevy’s but work on all classic and muscle cars. Complete mechanical, chassis, drive-train, and body. They also do partial restorations for those of you who may be on a budget or just want a hand in it yourself. They are located mid-Long Island in Farmingdale.

S&S Ultimate Automotive Transporting. Guess what? That’s right! The S&S boys also have a nice transportation business that can move a vehicle for you, or bring that new one home at a very reasonable price! Give them a call for a quote!

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GUEST WRITER(S) COLUMN(S)

Once again we welcome Tom Sebastian. This time out our “secret agent” tells of his search for the replacement to the now famous Morgan of his previous feature.

I got more feedback on that last story of his (see March ’04 Newsletter) than any other article we have featured yet. Seems everyone got a kick out of that wedding scene! Let’s see what car and adventure he has most recently indulged in. PS..I finally got a headshot of Tom to go with his articles. These government guys can be secretive!

“Rich’s Tech Tips” is back with a physics lesson on Torque and Horsepower. Interesting stuff for sure. But grab a pencil and scratch pad for this one! You’ve got some calculating to do.

In the “My Car Story” feature, Jason Hughes has submitted an article on his custom Honda Civic that is a stunning car to see! I saw it at a show a few weeks back and it stopped me in my tracks. Jason has done a lot to this baby and his work is impressive.

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Tom Sebastian

Tom goes from this… …. to this!

Days of Wine and Bow Ties... and Arthritis.

"I swear, rain dripped through that Morgan top even when it wasn't raining!"

-- The author, after long trip to Vermont

OK. So I'm getting older -- flatulent, even... and keeping the shine on that gorgeous, lacquer finish is a bit painful on my right shoulder these days. And somehow, waiting for another of those, infamous, Lucas electrical failures is not quite the same with 'Miss MBA' here as it was with that young, wild thing from the art department. -- And wasn't that just a touch of real annoyance I saw in her eyes after that last, uproarious, Dead-Man's-Curve routine? (And didn't I pull out of that one just in time!)

Ah, Youth! ...You golden, elusive, ever-diminishing quantity you!

But what could possibly replace The Mog? That ride! That 'Arrival' that blew everyone's sox off! ...Oh, dear... A real quandary this...

On the replacement hunt, I bypassed the Fiat Dino (fiat body with 6-cylinder Ferrari engine). Too obtuse; have to drive with the hood up for anyone to appreciate the thing.

A Maserati! 3500 Sebring? Who'd be impressed on this side of The Pond? The Americans that I hang around with aren't quite this subtle.

The Jensen-Healey? Nice... but... what is it, really? No pedigree here.

And then there it was... On the floor of an off-the-beaten-path, classic car dealer in some far-off, Virginian suburb... The car itself being an off-shoot of the Star of the 1961 Geneva Auto Show: The XKE Coupe. The one that started it all... The car that became more than mere transport but, rather, the symbol of all things desirable. -- And the one that ushered in, almost single-handedly, the Classic Car Era.

Well, it wasn't the coupe, exactly... The Series 2. 2+2 to be exact.

Now this car brought many reactions from friend and foe alike. (The Italians were too stunned by the entire concept to comment on any variations in models. To be outdone on the Sleek Side -- and by the stodgy Brits, of all people! ...Well, this was just too much to take... AND FOR 1/3 THE PRICE OF A FERRARI !!!)

Closer to home, automotive aesthetes and traditional 'X-Typers' were mostly put off by the sheer bulk of the +2. Of all the articles I read, only one seemed to fully appreciate it. Needless to say, I'm with him.

Not only was this a good 10 grand lighter on the wallet than the 2-seater, it was one hell of a lot more practical - read: More of a car! than the other. Tall folks could actually fit inside! Kids and pets could come along! And the enlarged suitcase space meant you could use this for more than one 2-hr outing on a bright, Sunday afternoon. Weekend or longer golf trips were now within the realm of the possible - and with your own clubs!

Having said this, I must agree with the aesthetes on one item: Both Series 1 and 1 1/2 2+2's should be avoided. That roof line really was just a bit geeky; it just didn't work. But the Series 2, with its more streamlined roof and raked windshield was, actually, more of an eye-full than even the 2-seater... I mean, really... something ET's brother would use for cruising chicks in a distant Galaxy. Wild! And this was before you even got in it! Just sitting there, it's a show in itself.

And while it may have been cheaper to begin with than the original, it is rarer by far right now than the 2-seater. (Always good news for a collector!)

The Ride

The E-Type is of two personalities.

Unlike the Morgan, where the first turn of the key literally explodes and rocks your bones -- and the low gearing makes the first 25 mph almost as much fun as the higher-end jaunt -- the Jag, by comparison, is actually quite a dud in town. (Not, however for the pedestrians, nor for the others doing the 'Linda Blair Head-Spin' from their Hondas. Few cars, if any, deliver the WOW Appeal of the E -- especially the Mother ship of the breed: The 2+2.)

However, take off on the traffic-free, smoothly-paved back road and then punch it. BINGO! Savor the arrival of one, mean, Dr. Jekyll !

Above 80 mph, something miraculous occurs but you can't put your finger on just what it is. It isn't for nothing that this car was derived from the Jaguar D-Type Racer.

By the time you've crossed the century mark -- with that glorious, gigantic, long-stroke, 4.2 liter overhead cam 6*** still humming in the lower rpm's -- your car has flattened noticeably, the ground-effects bottom sucking that bullet-shaped chassis closer to Mother Earth.

As you approach 120, the steering becomes razor-sharp -- something you hadn't noticed at the lower speeds. Then... above 125... you enter 'The Zone'.

Here is where you share the world of Phil Hill, Sterling Moss and the rest of that gang. That ineffable place where man and machine become tethered to one another at the crest of the performance curve, where even the slightest action on your part leads to an instant response from your 'other half’. A place where every sinew of your body senses exactly what the car is doing and exactly how to leverage its power for optimum braking, turning, and acceleration for the nest turn-in: A, virtual, closed-loop learning system wherein you and your car are simpatico, each half learning from the other to make each subsequent turn that much quicker -- with less roll, pitch, and yaw -- than the previous. Driving a car with one of the better man-machine feedback systems on record -- which you can tell by that cockpit alone -- you have just reached the tip of Maslow's Pyramid : Spiritual Self-Actualization. You now know why God sent you here!

It's only when you leave The Zone that you fully comprehend that you've been there. As you cruise down to civilian speeds at the outskirts of the town, normal breathing restored, it comes to you: You possess one of the few cars in existence that can provide the classic, Le Mans experience to its owner without any help from Bob Bondurant.

***You can skip the V12 for the E-Type. The 12 cylinder engine wasn't Jaguar's 'Thing', so to speak; not for a while, anyway. Only by the late 70's -- the XJS era -- did they begin to figure that one out. But the 4.2 is so great and reliable an engine that that would be my choice for that model as well... (Except that you can't find it!)

Downfalls

The E-Type gets a bad rap.

All the electrical gremlins reputed to be part of its nature -- along with all the hit and miss quality control issues that eventually did take their toll on the whole of the British car industry -- were, in Jaguar's case -- actually the fault of the infamous, XJ6. This latter model (produced from 1968 on), won the hearts and pocketbooks of Middle American suburbanites but most definitely was not the best thing that could have happened to Jaguar's image abroad. 'Everyone I know...' as the saying went, had some horror story attached to that thing. But the build quality of the E-Type, by contrast, was actually quite good. (True, ask any E-Type owner , "How could they possibly have made such a wonderful car so inexpensively?" and they will provide you with a ready list; we know where Coventry saved $$$ to give Everyman his Ferrari...Hey! Would that extra 1/2 inch of padding really break the bank!? Could you possibly have stretched that sheet-metal any thinner?)

But, generally speaking, the E-Type problems were of a different order and came into focus with the second-hand, collector market. The real problem was and is: How to find one that isn't raced and beat up so badly as to be worth the investment?

Ah... Now for the Secret of the Ages: The typical 2+2 owner was not the wild surfer dude who listened to Dan & Jean records and lit out after ever Corvette he saw. He tended to be older, responsible and in no particular hurry to locate Dead Man's Curve. The extra 2 seats usually meant FAMILY and the responsibility that went with having one. Believe me, these cars are far better deals than the lustier 2-seaters for this reason alone. (On my own Jag, the original, factory chalk marks could still be seen on a few of the underside parts.)

But I must warn you... If you don't particularly fancy drawing undue attention to yourself, and are looking for a rather subdued investment to correspond to your conservative personality, then this is not the car for you! Because as soon as this thing hits your driveway, bud, you've got crowd-control problems, Big Time!

So, in conclusion: For those of you who, as residents of the Vanguard of Civilization ( -- Long Island, of course -- ) wish to make a contribution to the visual arts, do I have the car for you...!

tmoore3us@yahoo.com

Next Time... Bond.... James Bond...

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“ Lets Tawk about Torque .. and Horsepower”

By Rich Fiore

Let’s start with the first rule here. You cannot measure horsepower directly. You can only measure torque at various rpm's and then calculate horsepower. I know what you gear heads are thinking now. I put my car on a dyno and it gave me the horsepower at the rear wheels. Yes it did, but again the dyno is measuring torque and then will automatically calculate horsepower at various rpm's.

Torque is traditionally described in foot pounds ( Ft - Lbs ). Think of a torque wrench. You would multiply the force exerted on the handle ( lbs ) by its length ( Ft. ). Torque produced by an engine is generated by combustion pressures exerting force on the pistons, and this force is being converted to rotary motion via the crank. Final torque will also vary with different gear ratios and throttle positions.

Now we need to look at horsepower ... or the concept of work. Mechanical work is the rate at which work is done. ( kind of like pressure vs. volume ). Work being the volume. If we look at how far a one pound weight would be lifted by a one pound force if suspended around a pulley with a radius of one foot .... we would have one foot pound of engine torque to make one complete revolution. The weight would also be lifted 6.2832 feet ... which is the circumference of the pulley ( remember high school .. Pi or 3.14 multiplied by the diameter ). In this case 3.14 x 2. So we still have to get horsepower. Focus on the concept of doing work at a rate. A vehicle with a small engine ( lets say a go - cart engine ) can climb a steep hill with enough gear reduction, but it will take a lot longer than your 440 ( I'm a Mopar guy). Therefore the greater the horsepower rating, the greater is the rate at which work can be done.

So now finally on to calculating horsepower. If we know torque and RPM, we also must know that one Ft - lb of torque produces 6.2832 Ft-lbs of work in one RPM. We then multiply all 3. So far the equation looks like this... Torque x RPM x 6.2832. You then divide that mess by 33,000 Ft-lbs per minute. ( The 33,000 is the standard horsepower rating of doing work at the rate of 33,000 ft-lbs per minute ). Since 6.2832 and 33,000 never change, we can divide 33,000 by 6.2832 and get 5252. So the new equation looks like this: HP = Torque x RPM divided by 5252. So if you have the plotted torque at various RPM from your dyno, horsepower is easily calculated.

So the bottom line here is this. An engine cannot be designed to do everything well. It needs to be tailored for what you need to do with it. Of course your gearing ( trans and rear ) along with tire diameter are the major players in your final outcome. And when looking at the numbers you have to ask yourself not only what is total horsepower... but what is the torque and at what RPM is the peak of each curve.

Enough tawk. If you got em.... smoke em!

Quick and dirty: When was the last time you replaced that fuel filter and sock in the tank? Older cars with rusty gas tanks can clog ‘em up pretty fast!

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My Car Story Jason Hughes: 2002 Honda Civic

I started modifying cars when I was in my early 20's starting out with a 93 Civic Hatchback.
From that I went to a 97 Honda Civic, to a ’94 Acura Vigor which is the car I had right before my current car.
The Acura was stolen from my driveway and at the time I was currently planning a wedding.
Due to the cost of the wedding my wife and I were a little tight on money so we decided to go with a new Honda Civic, because they are reliable and it was a reasonable price. I began modifying my current Honda due to a website that I found inspiration from; 7thgencivic.com.... It is a site dedicated to the 7th generation civic, from 2001-present. Here I met a lot of good people and found a lot of valuable information about modifying and enhancing the performance of the 01-04 Honda civics.

Once my wife and I began reading all the posts on the site, and seeing what the potential of the car was... we decided as a team to work on the civic together. We started out small and grew from there once we saw what it takes to win car shows and get recognition. The first modification was a body kit; no car can compete without some smooth lines. Next was a set of Exel 17" wheels, they did the job and looked really good. We also added an intake, Tenzo strut brace, a Pioneer head unit and 2 10" Pioneer subs in the trunk. We were happy with the way the car looked but it was missing something. We searched for a skid plate because we would bottom out the front lip all day long and didn’t want to buy a new one every 6 months. This is when Tom Licata answered an email on 7thgencivic.com. He brought over the skid plate and installed it for us as well. Little did we know at the time...The War had just begun. My wife took a glance at his car and without hesitation ordered a Tsunami roof wing, TYC taillights, Eibach springs, eyelids and a set of vinyl graphics from silent rage.com. The Kaminari carbon fiber scoop hood was to follow along with an in-dash TV and a ps-2 console mounted in the trunk. Tom knew he now had to keep up so his car went in to shop for paint job....we did one better. Multiple colors and crazy graphics. Next came a set of Lambo doors, which were soon chucked because of not being practical for an everyday driven car. As the winter months passed not much work was being done to the car but the wheels in my head were turning.

We needed something new and exciting to come out with when the spring time came, so once again the car was headed over to Pace Auto body to get a shot of house of kolors brandy wine paint with a ripping effect on the doors and roof of the car. 17x7 Arospeed riots were also ordered along with koni yellows and a set of ground control adjustable coil-overs at all 4 corners. The next thing we needed to address in the trunk. We added 2 more subs and another amp. We then got it all enclosed and wrapped in red vinyl and plexi glass. Next was a set of Tenzo Evo seats in red and a red carbon fiber dash kit to compliment the paint and trunk.

The most neglected area was the engine. We decided to turbo the car and get some boost in the motor. We opted for an intercooled SF turbo kit and upgraded to a super 60 turbo, a tubular manifold, alcohol injection and a turbo XS blow off valve. Autometer volt, boost and air/fuel gauges and a tranny cooler we also supplied for the install. We also had the intercooler pipes powder coated candy red to match the brandy wine on the exterior.

Building a car takes hard work, determination and a lot of money. A special thank you goes out to Vinny Pace from Fast Pace Motor Sports, Tom Licata for really helping out with the modification installs and inspiration, and Vinny a.k.a. "Osoboosted" for helping with the turbo setup.

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Here is where you can access previous editions of the Long Island Classic Cars Online Newsletter.

October 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Oct03.html

November 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Nov03.html

December 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Dec03.html

January 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jan04.html

February 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Feb04.html

March 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Mar04.html

April 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Apr04.html

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That wraps up another issue of the Long Island Classic Cars.com Newsletter.

I’m glad to see that the various components, aspects, and people in the car hobby are all coming together on this site! That is what I meant for this to be when I started out to create it. A place for everyone to gather. Thanks for your involvement, and keep giving us your input and stories! They are always welcome!

Don’t forget Mother’s Day this month! Make sure to get something nice for Mom, Wife, Grandma, and whoever else you need to recognize.

And as always, stop by and say “Hi” if you see us at the shows and cruise nights!

Pete Giordano

Long Island Classic Cars.com