iMatt :: The Blog of Matt Clare

Lindsay and I had a fun time at the 2010 British car show at Bronte Creek Burlington.

It was fun seeing the all of the British car, including the MGB. Lindsay’s last time in an MGB was when her mother was pregnant. Maybe we should have bought one of the ones in sale so our kid can tell the same story?

Last May Canada Post announced that they were replacing their Grumman Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) they currently have with the new Ford Transit Connect.

I spotted one of them on a car carrier today. Looks sharp.

I’m a big fan of the Ford Transit Connect mainly because of its efficiency of packaging and innovative design. The Transit’s European heritage ensures that it’s got modern suspension and fuel economy. Here’s hoping it serves Canada Post well.

My web site passnerd.com has had some recent updates.

Here’s what to look for:

• There’s a new complexity picker.
• The site has got even more light-weight and should load even faster than before.
• There is a new mobile version ( preview it at passnerd.com/?mobile )
• You can enter the password length into the URL, for example: 6 characters passnerd.com/6 , 12 passnerd.com/12 , 32 passnerd.com/32 — worth bookmarking.

The site still is a quick way to have a scure password suggested to you from work done one YOUR computer, not “my” end. I created the site as a service to those who need it, and it makes pennies a year, but one of these days if it earns enough I’ll create an HTTPS version – but I want to stress that it’s just as secure without it because it uses JavaScript on YOUR computer’s end to create the password.

I’m always looking for suggestions or feedback from anyone that is willing to share them.

After a lot of planning, sawing, hammering and a little bit of screwing [up] it is finally ready. I think I had a good plan and I benefited from [grand]dad’s experience.

In the interest of practicing what I teach I modeled two walls worth of wainscotting in the tiny room via Google SketchUp. It helped to both visualize the plan and explain it to Lindsay and my dad. The SketchUp model also helped when it game to dividing space evenly and dealing with the irrational system the is the imperial measuring system.

If anyone else is interested in a simple wainscotting plan, here’s the Google SketchUp plans and the Home Depot suplies:

The raised parts are 3/4″ x 36″ 1/2″ Primed Fiberboard mounted on 1/4″x48″x96″ STD Hardboard. It was cutdown at Home Depot to 1/4″x 37″ x96″ – both to make it a good hight for the room, and to make it fit in the back of my car.

The hardest part, other than all the leveling was the joins. The room is ~126″ x ~111″ – and the STD Hardboard is only 96″ long each wall. There was a liberal use of wood filler to help join the two.

I’ll also get trim for the “chair rail” and quarter round for the bottom, but I didn’t add that to the drawing.

Car and Driver has started a new campaign: Save the Manuals!

As a fan of rowing my own gears I have to throw my support behind manual transmissions.

I’m a fan, but many aren’t. When I bought my last two used cars I had to cast a very wide net to find a manual transmission. They don’t have a high “take rate” and some vehicles don’t even offer a manual transmission to reduce development and manufacturing costs. I can’t argue with the manufactures logic – but I do have to wonder why drivers don’t want more control.

I know what gear ratio I want and far too often an automatic transmission doesn’t, and beyond that changes the ratio when its not wanted and not change it when its needed. Some vehicles allow drivers to use things like paddle-shifters to control what gear they are in, but the shift often takes longer than a second and that’s way too late.

Porche’s PDK and VW/Audi’s dual-clutch systems amongst others use a clutch and gearbox, not an automatic transmission, to remove the need for the driver to operate a cluch and have a computer control the it for you. Porche driver’s appreciate more control over their transmission than an automatic can provide, but they can’t be the only ones.

One of the most enjoyable cars I’ve ever driven is an 80s Ford Fiesta with three cylinder with a 5spd manual. I’m certain that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy that car as much without being able to ring all I could have out of the engine.

Long live the manual transmission! We let ignition timing and choke operation slip out of our hands – lets not give up the manual transmission too!

More at www.caranddriver.com/features/10q3/save_the_manuals!-car_and_driver