The liar's bench

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Re: The liar's bench

Post by SassyFrass »

Cranky, to be completely honest, I'd probably end up having to change to tranny out to an automatic. I rode a 57 hard tail with suicide and jockey shift until 2005, when I had to change it to foot shift/hand clutch. I had a little mishap and my leg dont work as well as it used to. So feeling the clutch is mostly nostalgia for me. Although, I may be just stubborn enough to try it for awhile.[emoji16]
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Re: The liar's bench

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Lot of guys love slushies eh ya in rough country they bout as handy as teats on a boar, auto on a nice flat road , can't beat it with a stick
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Re: The liar's bench

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Only thing an auto is good for is drag racing (bracket, not heads up)
Other than consistency, an auto with a tranny brake hits the drivetrain just as hard or harder than a soft lock clutch.
Off road? Standard all the way, bull low, low range, foot off the gas and crawl.
Wife likes the auto in her mud truck but she also likes the auto feature on the t/case too.😒
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Re: The liar's bench

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When you're sitting in traffic going up hill on a 21% grade waiting for a stop light to change an automatic is a damn nice thing to have. In my opinion manuals are only good for flat straight roads and cars that are only driven on weekends.

I have kind of a funny story about that sort of thing.

When I was younger we had an old Chevy pickup that started out life with 3 on the tree but at some point it got an engine change that involved a BOP engine and a powerglide transmission but kept the original shifter. The way you determined what position you were in was to count but because it only had 2 speeds when you were at highway speed sometimes you were never certain you were in 2nd gear so we would bump it up into neutral then back down into drive...until I did that one day and missed neutral and put it in reverse at 55 MPH. It was quite the experience and I can say that a stock powerglide and a GM 12 bolt rear end are actually capable of handling it without damage. The people who were with me not so much but they eventually got over it after we blew up that engine and swapped it for a Cadillac 500 and TH400.
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Re: The liar's bench

Post by HDNB »

i've shifted my fair share of gears for this lifetime. automatic for me now, just out of sheer comfort.

I was getting tailgated once on the freeway driving a (auto) 1979 trans am...they have the reverse lights switch connected inside the column, via a cable from the floor shifter.
with that cable stretched or broken, you could rotate the outer housing on the steering column and illuminate the reverse lights...which i did, to satisfactory results...not as spectacular of an event as what you had Cranky...but equally effective for tailgaters!
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Re: The liar's bench

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I like old trucks, old bikes, old likker, and other stuff too...
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Re: The liar's bench

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I like things I can actually work on. I can't work on newer cars and can't trust others to work on them for me...Not to mention I'm a cheap bastard :ebiggrin:
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Re: The liar's bench

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I resemble that remark[emoji16]
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Re: The liar's bench

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cranky wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 5:49 pm I like things I can actually work on. I can't work on newer cars and can't trust others to work on them for me
Amen. I'm a B series Cummins fan myself. 4 or 6 cylinder. You can put them in about anything you want, and they'll run on anything south of gasoline and north of coal. With a manual trans you don't even need batteries, just park on a hill every time you shut it down.
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Re: The liar's bench

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I used to have a '62 Chevy 3/4 ton that I drove in San Francisco back in the early 80's. I can't tell ya the number of times some yuppie ahole would get right up behind me on a hill. I'd have to set the parking brake and tell said ahole to back their fancy BMW or whatever up or face the consequences. When I had to repower that thing I put an automatic in it. It was a Franken job and looked crappy in the cab but it worked.

I still have tach and dwell meters and timing lights but I haven't used them in a while. I am my family's welfare mechanic and I have slowly gotten better at working on newer stuff. That is until about 2010, things are getting even harder now.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Having learnt to drive in a country where automatics are generally made to order for people who can't physically handle a gear shift I find it all quite amusing. A fairly good driver can out-perform (both economy and power) an automatic because they can anticipate whereas an automatic is always reacting to the change that has already happened.

When I was learning to drive, my dad's car had a 4-speed gearbox. Once, in order to pull out of a slip road onto a dual carriageway which was under serious works (so single lane, but still relatively fast-flowing) you either had to wait half an hour for a decently sized gap in traffic. I still remember by dad saying "OK, as soon as she's rolling, change up to second and stay there until I say so". We were doing at least 50mph before I changed up from second. Thankfully that car had no rev meter.

My first and only experience driving an automatic was also my first time driving a left-hand-drive car (in the UK they're right hand drive). I only had to park it, but those were the roughest and most traumatic 50 metres of driving I've ever done... and I have an HGV licence!
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Re: The liar's bench

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A few years ago, one of the wife's cousins (hes LEO) was telling me that having a manual transmission decreased chances of it being stolen.
But then again, I usually drive an old beater farm truck loaded with hay, corn, feed, etc...runs good, mechanically sound, no rust, just ain't fancy as most on the road today.
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Re: The liar's bench

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River Rat wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 6:40 pm
cranky wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 5:49 pm I like things I can actually work on. I can't work on newer cars and can't trust others to work on them for me
Amen. I'm a B series Cummins fan myself. 4 or 6 cylinder. You can put them in about anything you want, and they'll run on anything south of gasoline and north of coal. With a manual trans you don't even need batteries, just park on a hill every time you shut it down.
I love mechanical inj diesels! Had numerous 6.9/7.3 idi fords and currently have a 8.2 turbo diesel and manual in my motorhome/toy hauler.
Same thing, pop the clutch and it will run with no electricity.(as long as you cage the brakes to get it rolling with no air) 😂

I always watch these “end of times” shows (walking dead, etc) and think, why the heck are they not driving diesels?? Lots of veggie oil and other crap to run in them! Then I remember,
“Hollyweird” they do not deal with reality...
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Re: The liar's bench

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goinbroke2 wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 6:38 am I always watch these “end of times” shows (walking dead, etc) and think, why the heck are they not driving diesels?? Lots of veggie oil and other crap to run in them!
I'm not normally a fan of diesels but I'm with you on that point. Diesels are definitely the way to go post poc-y-clips.
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Re: The liar's bench

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I reckon me and the old mule will hit the hills and go places the gas or diesel vehicles cant get to during an apokolips.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Gentlemen, have some UJSSM, new and white off the still last night. Pulled from the center of the hearts.

My family first come to the plains with my great great grandad and his family. He wasn't much of a family man. He got the homestead claimed and a sod house built then headed on west to catch wild horses. He would go west, bring back a herd of horses for the kids (6 boys) to break and take the last bunch of now broke horses and sell them. Not much money made it home as he liked to gamble, drink, fight and carouse. Fortunately great great grandma was a good business woman. She kept her boys busy and soon turned that 160 acre homestead into a full section farmland.

Well by the 20's GG grandad was in his 60s and had settled down at home. But he stilled to drink and fight. It was also during this time the mafia in Chicago was fat with money from illegal booze and needed places to invest that money. One of the places they invested was cattle ranches on the plains. One of the bigger ones they owned was the Headquarters Ranch. Besides an investment they used it as a cooling off place for any of the Chicago thugs that might have gotten a little heat.

On night GG grandpa goes to town and stops at the bar for a beer. 4 or 5 mafia types at a table tell him to leave, it is their bar for the night. GG grandpa tells the bartender to give him a beer. As he sips, mafia man come up, dumps out the beer and tells GG grandpa to leave. GG grandpa steps out and pulls the wagon hammer from the double tree and returns. Caught the first guy on the side of the head removing a chunk of skull and opening up his head like an egg. Second one catches it right in the face, smashing his nose and putting him down and out. Others beat it out the back door. GG grandpa gets another beer, finishes it and tells the bartender that he will be home of the cop needs to talk to him. Apparently the cops never came and neither did the mafia. GG grandpa eventually died of natural causes.
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Re: The liar's bench

Post by Not sure »

Tough days back then...
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Re: The liar's bench

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Tougher folks...
That's why they made it through the tough times. And dont ever let anyone tell ya it was just the men. The women back then was tough too. Someday I'll share some stories about my Great Granny Pearl. She ran likker from the hills to the cities back in prohibition. When I was young she was in her 90s and could still put 6 rounds from her .38 into the 5ring at a good distance. She took a liking to me, cause I'd listen, so shed sit and tell e stories that my grandparents didnt want told to a school age impressionable kid.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Luvvit, subbrew.

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Re: The liar's bench

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Wish a few of you experienced reprobates were closer. I can't bring 36 jars down to the bench. Having a hard time making the cuts on some UJSSM. Yes, I have read a weeks worth of posts on making cuts but that is just not the same as a little one on one coaching. The rum I did last month had fairly distinct cuts but this, not so much.

Let the palette rest and try again tomorrow.
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Re: The liar's bench

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subbrew wrote:Wish a few of you experienced reprobates were closer. I can't bring 36 jars down to the bench. Having a hard time making the cuts on some UJSSM. Yes, I have read a weeks worth of posts on making cuts but that is just not the same as a little one on one coaching. The rum I did last month had fairly distinct cuts but this, not so much.

Let the palette rest and try again tomorrow.
Subbrew, letting your palette rest and giving the likker a day or so to air out may help. I think folks get wrapped a little too tight about cuts. Keep what YOU like and rerun the rest. It's just likker, you can make more. And have fun with it. IMO, the having fun is the most important part.
But, just set a jar under the bench for sippin and maybe one by them bushes, oh, and over by that big rock...[emoji16]
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Re: The liar's bench

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I too was worked up about cuts. For starters, find the best jar. Then take a few either way, depending on the size of run and jars you use. A lot depends on your tastes too. I don't mind some heads but I really don't like tails. The hardest thing is to not be greedy. In my last whisky run I got a little greedy and I can taste some tails in there. Time and oak will sort it out, it wasn't a huge error. Another thing is doing the air out. While I am not sure how much difference I can smell because the jars have aired out what I do know is that after a day of running the still, smelling it all and tasting that my senses are dulled. I don't get loaded, don't get me wrong, but I am not as sharp as I am the next day. I use a graduated eye dropper so I can get the samples close to 40% easily and only a very small amount. Getting loaded while making cuts is a sure way to make crap.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Thank you for the replies. I apologize for taking this thread in this direction, supposed to be story telling. but just for info. I have 36 10 oz jars, been airing for three days last night, be 4 now.

Wanting to learn and cuts seems to be the hard part for me as it is more art than science.

For a story though, was eating breakfast this morning and my daughter looks out the window and says "I wonder who's dog that is?" Look out the window it is one of the biggest coyotes I have seen. By the time I got a rifle he was gone. Going to keep one closer as I don't want to lose any chickens or the cat. Sure wish he would take care of a few more rabbits though.
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Re: The liar's bench

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subbrew wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:24 am Thank you for the replies. I apologize for taking this thread in this direction, supposed to be story telling. but just for info. I have 36 10 oz jars, been airing for three days last night, be 4 now.

Wanting to learn and cuts seems to be the hard part for me as it is more art than science.

For a story though, was eating breakfast this morning and my daughter looks out the window and says "I wonder who's dog that is?" Look out the window it is one of the biggest coyotes I have seen. By the time I got a rifle he was gone. Going to keep one closer as I don't want to lose any chickens or the cat. Sure wish he would take care of a few more rabbits though.
in my neck of woods, he be hungry... i love rabbit,. stew or coocked and roast. morning and evening, i can.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Reading through the comments I can't help but notice that distilling and making stuff (be it booze, motors or crops) attract a certain kind of people from around the globe. I am from a whole other part of the globe than most folks from here - and when I was a young boy there was a war, and I've been through another in my teens, doesn't matter which one since this is not a political forum. For most of my young life economy has been in such shambles that money just wasn't around, all me and my friends, family and neighbours had was one another.
Around here people work for 300e, or 400e a month, but still smile most of the time when you meet them.

I lived in Southeastern Ohio on a student exchange in my youth and my host family always wondered why i spent time with rednecks out of all the people, I said I am not sure what a redneck is, I just saw someone working on their yard and i offered to help, they gave me a cold beer afterwards and I found some friends.
Authenticity is hard to find now when we are bombed with information and trends, and feel forced to conform to ideals someone else made for us to consume.
That's why it feels like we are really living when we meet authentic friends and we have a little something of our own to consume.

Sorry for the long post I'm drunk on my friends Rakija - plum brendy with a little juniper berries added in. Klekovaca.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Quite4, good way of looking at folks and things in general...IMO. I normally dont keep beer around but there's always a little something harder to drink after the days work is done.
When I was a kid we didnt have wild turkeys or coyotes here, but now we have tons of both. I keep great pyranees dogs with the stock and in the yard and there's always a rifle or shotgun close to hand just for the coyotes and chicken hawks. Lost a few dogs over the years to rattlesnakes, bear and Bobcats. Been told we got the big cats moving back into Appalachia but I ain't seen any sign yet. Seen trail cam pics, but that's online and who knows how real it is? Bobcats are bad enough, dont really bother the big stock, but they'll take chickens and young goats if they can get them. Good thing is they are real shy and stay to the wilder places and darker hollows. Nuff of my ramblings...I got chore to finish.
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Re: The liar's bench

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NormandieStill wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:22 pm Having learnt to drive in a country where automatics are generally made to order for people who can't physically handle a gear shift I find it all quite amusing.
Yes you folks in Europe are on the right track in my opinion. Diesels and manual transmissions everywhere, even in the smallest cars! I wish we could catch up in the US. You can't hardly find a new vehicle that's not automatic here. We just started having diesels offered in 1/2 ton pickup trucks in the last few years. If I had my way there would be a diesel option and stick option in every vehicle made. Back to my booner's all corn shine.... help yourselves to some under the bench!
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Re: The liar's bench

Post by NormandieStill »

River Rat wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:56 pm Yes you folks in Europe are on the right track in my opinion. Diesels and manual transmissions everywhere, even in the smallest cars! I wish we could catch up in the US. You can't hardly find a new vehicle that's not automatic here. We just started having diesels offered in 1/2 ton pickup trucks in the last few years. If I had my way there would be a diesel option and stick option in every vehicle made. Back to my booner's all corn shine.... help yourselves to some under the bench!
Modern electronic injection diesels don't convert so happily to organic oil fuel. The injectors are more prone to clogging up. And after many years of promoting them, most western european countries are now quietly trying to phase out diesels due to air pollution concerns. Amusingly given the that US is often used here to talk about deregulation, you guys had stricter emissions standards than we did, which is why there diesels are more common here.

Personally my post-apocalypse vehicle of choice would be a bicycle (electric assist if I lived somewhere sunny and had a portable solar panel). At some point you're gonna run out of fuel and then you're just stuck with several tons of static metal.

I'd stick a jar under the bench, but I've not got any sipping likker yet. In the meantime, have a beer.
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Re: The liar's bench

Post by Setsumi »

there was a time where most development in europe went into diesel tech, small engines and smaller cars. today most development goes into electric cars. myself will prolly move on to the tall trees before i am forced to drive one. but my kids will have to drive them.
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Re: The liar's bench

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Setsumi wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:05 pm myself will prolly move on to the tall trees before i am forced to drive one. but my kids will have to drive them.
My son won't ever have to drive an electric car, he has been declared legally blind...although...the state of Washington is willing to still give him a drivers license in spit of being blind :wtf:
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