| Mustang Shelby GT500 lives up to family name
With its nameplate drawn from Carroll Shelby, icon of super-cars, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features flashy paint and dizzying performance that makes it a pavement-pounding predator direct from Ford Motor Co.'s Blue Oval. Sporting Shelby GT500 badges, our test car drew attention everywhere with its bulging bodywork, "torch red" paint with white stripes, 3-inch rumbling exhaust outlets and massive air intakes. .
Textron Awards Top Innovations of 2006
Textron Inc. (Nachrichten) (NYSE: TXT) celebrated its top innovations of 2006 at the seventh annual Chairman's Awards for Innovation ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island. The Chairman's Award recognizes and rewards employees whose exemplary innovations have led to significant improvements in products and technology, or in the company's business practices that result in tangible gains in sales, profitability, quality or competitive position. The extraordinary talent of our workforce reminds us that greatness starts with each of us, and I am incredibly proud of this year's award recipients, said Lewis B. Campbell, Textron's chairman, president and CEO. These individuals and teams directly contribute to our journey toward becoming the premier multi-industry company. Their efforts advance our products, technology and business processes in ways that better serve our customers and advance Textron's success.
Associated Press story on August 23
During a five-year housing boom, the rate resets didn't lead to many defaults because home prices rose steadily. The higher prices enabled a distressed borrower to either sell his house to repay a loan or to refinance based on the house's higher value. With prices stagnant or falling in most markets, demand for homes has slackened. Speculators, credited with creating record housing demand during the boom, are also weakened. But a glut of unsold new and existing homes remain, putting more pressure on prices. Gross said the Fed could spur demand by cutting rates sharply _ by 2 or 3 percentage points. But, he argues, that would not prevent the millions of rates scheduled to adjust higher from resetting as planned. Gross said the Fed wouldn't be able to force lenders to lower 30-year mortgage rates or loosen lending standards.
Mechanic transforms car parts into artwork
Old Brooklyn auto mechanic and muffler artist Todd Seeds can transform the rusty exhaust pipes from your Taurus into a springy, smiling Chihuahua. He can craft an elephant's trunk out of your Bronco's tailpipe. Perhaps if you're lucky, leftover pieces of your Mustang will be born again as an ominous red dragon. Or parts from your Cougar could someday become a wobbling penguin. Situated on a grassy patch behind the Mufflers For Less auto shop on Pearl Road, Seeds' display of muffler art includes a bald eagle clutching an American flag, a zebra and a wiener dog. You might say he's a sort of drive-through Doctor Dolittle. Or the auto mechanic's answer to St. Francis of Assisi. While lately Hollywood has seen Transformers change car parts into robots from another planet, Seeds has been crafting new additions for his auto parts animal park for seven years.
Work in progress
By Ron Cherry
Special to The Union
It was a bit of serendipity when James Donaldson found his '50 Chevy Sedan Delivery. A friend bought an antique stove from him and he spotted it in a corner of the barn where he was delivering it. His friend had started to work on it years before, but stopped when he got involved with other projects. Since then it had just sat, so his friend was willing to sell. And James bought. His friend had repainted the Chevy, redone the interior and lowered it. All James had to do to make it driveable was to add brake fluid, change the points and replace an exhaust donut. But James has big plans for his sedan. He is going to replace the in-line six engine with a 350 CID four-bolt main Chevy V-8, the three-speed manual trans with a Turbo 350 auto, the stock rear end with a 12 bolt, and put in a modified Mustang II front suspension with disc brakes.
Matt's Memo: Blog TV Program - Honored with Edward R. Murrow Award for ...
He stuck his tee in the ground on the first hole of the day. He gripped his shiny oversized driver and gave the golf ball a whack. It didn't go quite where he wanted it to or quite as far as he had hoped, but his expression remained the same. Pleasant. Warm. Kind. The same scene repeated itself seventeen more times as we navigated our way around the Atunyote golf course at the Turning Stone Resort. Keller George clearly has an understanding of his modest position in a lengthy continuum of time. Keller George has crafted a fascinating life by serving two nations and his people. He retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than thirty years. He was a Master Sergeant who worked on the AWACS program. Since that retirement, at the request of the Clan Mothers of the Oneida Nation he has served the Oneidas as a spokesperson and representative on a local, regional and national level.
Question of the Month: Bring back VW vans, sports cars and Cords
Q: What motor vehicle that is no longer produced would you like to see make a return to the U.S. marketplace? And why? Maybe the question should have been: Can you think of any motor vehicle that you would not like to see return to the U.S. marketplace. Of the scores of Question of the Month responses that came in by snail mail and e-mail over the past couple of weeks, Edsel seemingly was the only car model of note that did not merit a mention. .
Autovations: The Toyota Tundra
More Americans own full-size trucks than need them. All that bulk and latent utility! A ride as high as a lifeguard chair! Ford's F150 ruled the hill for years. GM's Sierra/Silverado has devotees. But Toyota's been chipping away at the market. And its big, redesigned 2007 Tundra – the top-end model has a 5.7-liter V8 with an aluminum block and head (cast and assembled in the US) – matches its competitors in most categories and beats them in a few, including (by a slim margin) estimated m.p.g. The model we tested (optioned up to about $40,000) had the voluminous Crew Max cab. That configuration borrows from bed length, and it felt odd having to go diagonal with a 9-ft. rug. (The smaller Double Cab offers a longer bed, at 97.6 in.) Tundra is refined, from transmission – a very smooth six-speed automatic – through interior appointments.
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