No. 5 - May

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A New Age Dawns For Private Aircraft
Powered By Miniature Nuclear Reactors
BLOWING FERRARIS DOORS OFF
Testing The 8 Quickest Cars You Can Buy
NEW HIGH-DEFINITION RADIO
Even Better Sound Than CDs
ATOMIC
PLANES
TESTING 7
SERIOUS
CHAIN
SAWS
BASEBALL
Technology
Changes The
Game
2004
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popularmechanics.com MAY 2004
COVER ART BY PAUL DIMARE, STEVE WILLSON.
May
MAY 2004
VOLUME 181, NO. 5
6 Editors Notes
10 Communicate
With Us
12 Letters
14 Time Machine
42 Extreme Machines
72 Great Stuff
164 Worst-Case
Scenarios
46 New Cars
2004 Volkswagen R32, BMW
R 1200 GS, Chrysler PT Cruiser
Convertible, Yamaha R1;
2005 Chrysler 300C and
Dodge Magnum.
52 Detroit Spy Report
2005 Jeep Cherokee,
Chevrolet Monte Carlo;
2006 Chevrolet roadster.
52 Europe Spy Report
2005 Volkswagen Touareg,
BMW 7 Series, Land Rover
Discovery; 2006 Porsche 911.
68 Jay Lenos Garage
Jays new street rod,
powered by a tank engine.
112 Comparison Test:
8 Quickest Cars
Now, street cars that run
12-second quarter-miles.
149 Car Care
Auto Clinic: Car car Q&A.
Saturday Mechanic:
Replacing motor mounts.
36 Musical Computers
Recording music at home isnt
as hard as you might think.
Heres how to get started.
40 The New ThinkPad
The newest IBM ThinkPad
sheds 14 ounces and gains
more features.
104 High-Definition
Radio
HD Radio delivers the
clearest signal to your
cars sound system.
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
2 MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS.COM
Page 112
17 Technology Watch
Electricity from the sea.
Holographic interrogators.
NASA to unfurl solar sail.
Honda builds a business jet.
Space Shots and Planet
Watch this month, plus more.
30 Body Armor
Takes A Hit
The next-generation flak
jacket could be made of the
same material as grocery bags.
98 Atomic Wings
A new mini-reactor revives the
dream of a nuclear-powered
aircraft.
108 Bad Day At
Mission Control
From the beginning, the Mars
rover mission was plagued by
bad luck. Then disaster struck.
34 Open-Door Policy
With more public lands
marked Keep Out, where
can todays sportsman go?
121 Special Section:
Baseball 2004
Technology In
The Dugout
Baseball strategy is
changing as managers
and coaches rely more
heavily on information
than intuition.
Mechanics Of A Fastball
Its still the best pitch in
baseball.
130 Comparison Test:
7 Chain Saws
We put seven new models
to the test.
136 Test: New Holland
TC30
Torturing a workhorse in both
grass and snow.
138 Book Review:
Build A Better House
The JLC Field Guide To
Residential Construction helps
you build a house from foun-
dation to finish.
140 Installing Siding
Do the job yourself and save
a bundle.
145 Homeowners Clinic
Home maintenance Q&A.
145 Literature Review:
Help With Stucco
A manual that shows you the
art of applying perfect stucco.
MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS.COM 3
Whats Hot this Month on the
popularmechanics.com
automotive
technology
home
science
outdoors
5.04
outdoors
GREAT GIFTS FOR GRADS
This is the preferred source for must-have gifts
and gadgets to reward the aspiring graduate.
From laptop computers to digital cameras,
the PM.Zone has some awesome, affordable
ideas that will make your shopping a lot easier.
Go to www.popularmechanics.com/links/grad
to check them out.
2004 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
More than 2300 of the worlds lead-
ing marine industry manufacturers
displayed their newest powerboats,
engines and accessories on more
than 2.5 million sq. ft. of exhibition
space. Show visitors also found the
latest in sailboats and related gear
at the Miami Beach Convention
Center. Go to www.popularmechanics.com/links/miami
for our exclusive coverage.
2004 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
The New York International Auto
Show is a premiere annual event
thats as popular with the media
as it is with the car-buying pub-
lic. Kicking off the springtime
selling season, the 2004 New
York auto show featured an
impressive collection of cutting-edge design and remarkable
innovation. More than four floors of displays from the worlds
carmakers highlighted their newest vehicles and futuristic con-
cept cars. Go to www.popularmechanics.com/links/newyork
for our exclusive coverage.
Pick who will be the
winner of the Pontiac
Performance 400
at the Richmond
International Raceway and
automatically be entered
for a chance to win a free
Popular Mechanics Car
Care Book
TO ENTER visit
www.popularmechanics.
com/links/carsweeps to
register and choose
your winner before the
Pontiac Performance 400
All of the correct
answers will be
automatically entered in
the sweepstakes to win
a free Popular Mechanics
Car Care Book
GOOD LUCK!
2004 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
With no home-grown auto
industry to call its own, Geneva
is neutral ground for the worlds
carmakers to convene and dis-
play their latest models. Almost
all of the worlds major brands
were exhibited here, and many of Europes noted tuners
showed their latest high-performance efforts. Go to
www.popularmechanics.com/links/geneva
automotive
technology
PICK THE PONTIAC
PERFORMANCE
400 WINNER
SWEEPSTAKES
THE OWNER GETS TRICKED. THE CAR GETS TRICKED OUT.
NEW SERIES TUESDAYS
9
PM E/P
For more information go to Discovery.com and click on TLC
automotive
s
Hell experience the most challenging training, use the latest technology, and get the strongest
support. Before long, hell discover that he has become one of tomorrows leaders. Encourage
him to consider becoming a Soldier AN ARMY OF ONE.
2004. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.
E
The Good Old Days
Enough about the classic car years of the 30s.
Forget the golden years of the 50s. The muscle-
car 60s? Already discredited. If youre a car guy,
these are the good old days. Our comparison
test in this issue, which kicks off on page 112,
proves it againtodays high-performance cars
would have chewed up and spit out the perform-
ance cars of any other era. My first job, for a
magazine called , was test- Hi-Performance Cars
ing and reporting on all the hot cars of the day
from 1965 to 1972, the heart of the musclecar
era. I drove every musclecar made. Yes, even the
427 and 454 Corvettes. In stock condition, noth-
ing ever ran as quick as the cars in this months
test. It boggles my mind to think you can walk
into a dealer today, plunk down X dollars, and
drive out in a showroom stock vehiclemaybe
even a 4-door sedanthat can run the quarter-
mile in the 12-second bracket at over 110 mph.
Thats territory once reserved for purpose-built
Super Stock champions in NHRA competition,
all-out race cars that could not be driven on the
street. Yet, we drove our test cars to and from the
track with the air on and stereo blasting. These
are truly miraculous cars wrought by modern
technology. I stand in awe. I was checking
some baseball statistics recently and was star-
tled to discover that of the 61 pitchers currently
in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,
N.Y. (and that includes Babe Ruth), 40 of them
have less than 283 major
league wins. A few have
less than half that num-
ber. Among baseball
know-it-alls, 300 wins is
generally regarded as the
ticket into the Hall. Since
283 wins would be more
wins than two-thirds of
the pitchers already in the Hall can claim, youd
think that any pitcher with 283 major league
wins be in. Not so. Jim Kaat, who pitched would
for the Twins, White Sox, Phillies, Yankees and
Cardinals, retired with 283 wins and deserves to
be elected to the
Baseball Hall of
Fame. Kaat is not
only my favorite
broadcaster (for
the Yankees), but
he also writes for
us on a regular
basis. He wrote
this months spe-
cial section on
technology in
baseball, which
begins on page
121. Yes, Im
prejudiced.
Come on, Baseball Writers Association of Ameri-
ca, do the right thing and elect Jim Kaat on the
next available ballot. Till next time.
Auto editors at work in Pomona
(left to right): Don Chaikin, Ben
Stewart, Mike Allen, Ken Juran.
Writer/broadcaster Jim Kaat
(right) was recently nominated
for an NY Emmy Award for out-
standing on-air achievement on
a sports broadcast. He has 283
major league wins. Contributing
Editor Cliff Gromer has none.
6 MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS.COM PHOTO BY VINNIE DONIZETTI (TOP)

A
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We cannot be responsible for loss of unsolicited queries, manuscripts or photos. For return, they must be accompanied by
adequate postage. AS A SERVICE TO READERS, Popular Mechanics publishes newsworthy products, techniques
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AB
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10 MAY 2004
Weapons And Terrorists
I am a concerned citi-
zen who has generally
supported the war on
terrorism. Your article
helps explain, and re-
new my support for, tax
dollars spent on mili-
tary R&D. Thank you.
DEREK JONES
LAYTON, UT
I resent your use of
the word insurgents.
We are dealing not
with insurgents, but
with demonic, Islamic,
homicidal, criminal,
psychotic terrorists.
And you are traitorous
for revealing how we
will protect ourselves
against them. I hope
you are proud of your-
selves. Every word
that aids the terrorists
kills another one of
our children.
JAMES MCCONNELL
BANGOR, CA
The United States al-
ready has an inventory
of directed-energy de-
vices that are capable
of detonating or dis-
abling electrically
activated weapons.
It seems to me that
the explosive device
(FCLAS) under devel-
opment, which is de-
scribed in your article,
has a greater potential
for collateral damage,
especially to people.
WARD W. DANEKAS
FRANKLIN GROVE, IL
Boating 04
I enjoyed reading
about the new wave
of boats and motors
for 04, but why do all
the photos show these
fancy boats traveling
at top speed with the
riders not wearing life
vests? This is not good
promotion for water
safety.
P.J. LAUTZ
VIA INTERNET
Ive been reading PM
long enough that the
covers featured in the
25 Years Ago section
of Time Machine look
familiar. I have a re-
quest: Please keep the
swimsuit girls. I dont
believe the people
who threaten to cancel
their subscriptions
will really do it.
JAMES ISENNOCK II
VIA INTERNET
Just once in a while
could you show a
woman driving a boat
or a truck? Ive driven
our truck over 70,000
miles, pulling a big
horse trailer, while my
husband stayed home
tending the livestock.
It would be nice if you
recognized that real
men dont always
have to drive.
MARY SAPP
COLUMBIA, MO
I could, but I wont.
Youll have to read
Cosmo or Redbook
to see women driving.
Our readers are al-
most all men, so
well be in the drivers
seat for the foresee-
able future at PM. Ed.

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Reader Project Of The Month
If your project is chosen as Reader Project Of The Month, you will receive a
token of our appreciation for sharing your project with us. For your project to
be considered, please send a clear, color photo and brief description to:
Reader Project Of The Month, Popular Mechanics, 810 Seventh Ave., 6th Floor,
New York, NY 10019.
DOREN A. SPILLMAN
HOXIE, KS
12 MAY 2004
Correction
In the Spring 2004
issue of J.D. Power Car
Guide, several of the
paragraphs and charts
in the article, The
Greenest, were
improperly used and
should have been
attributed to The New
York Times and author
Jim Motavalli. We
regret the error and are
sorry for any confusion
or inconvenience it
may have caused.
I built this wheeley using two bicycle frames and a piece
of auto tailpipe. My eldest son, Wes, did the welding and
pipe bending. It has a 5-hp Briggs & Stratton engine, a
30-in. propeller and a handbrake. The wheeley is approxi-
mately 8
1
/2 ft. long. We used expanded metal for the back
and lawnmower handles to extend the handlebars. This
project took about two weeks in my spare time. The pro-
peller and hub cost about $200, and the other materials,
about $50.
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F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , s e e y o u r d e a l e r , o r c a l l t h e A T V S a f e t y I n s t i t u t e a t 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 8 7 - 2 8 8 7 . W a r n i n g : A T V s c a n b e h a z a r d o u s t o o p e r a t e . F o r y o u r s a f e t y : A l w a y s w e a r a h e l m e t , e y e p r o t e c t i o n a n d p r o t e c t i v e c l o t h i n g . N e v e r c a r r y a
p a s s e n g e r . N e v e r r i d e u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e o f d r u g s o r a l c o h o l . N e v e r r i d e o n p u b l i c r o a d s o r p a v e m e n t . A v o i d e x c e s s i v e s p e e d s a n d s t u n t d r i v i n g . B e e x t r a c a r e f u l o n d i f f i c u l t t e r r a i n . P r o f e s s i o n a l r i d e r s h o w n o n a c l o s e d c o u r s e .
2 0 0 4 K a w a s a k i M o t o r s C o r p . , U . S . A . K a w a s a k i A T V s w i t h e n g i n e s o f 9 0 c c a n d a b o v e a r e r e c o m m e n d e d f o r u s e o n l y b y p e r s o n s 1 6 y e a r s o f a g e o r o l d e r . K a w a s a k i a l s o r e c o m m e n d s t h a t a l l A T V r i d e r s t a k e a t r a i n i n g c o u r s e .
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Time Machines
Room At The Top
You could laugh at No Vacancy signs
when you packed this auto penthouse that
could sleep four. The roof-mounted cabin
with canvas walls folded low enough to fit
through a garage doorway. The cabin set
up easily in under 5 minutes. To raise the
roof you climbed a ladder and unfolded the
cabins plywood ends. The cabins forward
end was supported
by nine suction cups.
The rear end of the
cabin was
held up by
tubular brack-
ets that at-
tached to the
bumper. 1
Barrels Of Fun
In PMs Mechanics For Young America sec-
tion was this story on building a barrel boat
for sailing. The hull consisted of nothing
more than a
plank supported
by wooden bar-
rels at either end.
An outrigger
(another plank)
added stability.
The boat was
said to be one of
the best devices
known to instruct
a young person in the art of managing
sails. The barrels, covered with tar and
painted for watertightness, were attached to
the main plank at an angle to reduce drag.
Years Ago:
May 1929
Years Ago:
May 1904
Years Ago:
May 1979
Years Ago:
May 1954
14 MAY 2004
Check Mates
Chess-playing computers were all the
rage. PM took the four most widely avail-
able of these game-playing think tanks
and pitted them
against each oth-
er in a 72-hour
round robin tour-
nament. The
contestants were
Boris ($300),
CompuChess
($180), Chess
Champion
($100) and
the ultimate
winner, Chess
Challenger 10
($300 from
Fidelity Elec-
tronics). The
most personable
machine was
Boris, who delivered some 80 programmed
comments ranging from pitiful pleas to
outrageous insults.
PM ran a 2-page pictorial en-
titled, This is how some of
the worlds familiar inventions
looked at the
time of birth.
the first pocket
watch (top).
Built by Peter
Henlein, it was called the Nrnberger Egg.
The Wright brothers were the first in pow-
ered flight, but they
were inspired by
Otto Lilienthal and
his first successful
glider (above).
Germanys first
motorcycle was a bicycle (above right)
that was powered by a Daimler engine.
Finally, the
grandfather of
all horseless
carriages was
this steam
wagon (left) de-
signed in 1769.
Included was
w
Extracting energy from
waves and tides is among
mans most enduring tech-
nological daydreams. And
like most dreams, it has
failed to materialize.
The problem is that the
sea is a far harsher environ-
ment than most designers
realize. Gearboxes in wave-
motion systems are eaten
alive by corrosive seawater.
Tidal power systems work
fine, except for the several
hours of slack periods
between tides.
It is precisely for these
reasons that the power
extractor created by Gulf
Stream Energy of Palatka,
Fla., has captured the at-
tention of the U.S. Navy
and public utilities.
The company is com-
mercializing an idea con-
ceived by Herbert Williams,
a former Coast Guard cap-
tain who spent 25 years
working off the unforgiv-
ing coast of Alaska. Being
around water, you see how
much energy it contains,
he tells P M . OPULAR ECHANICS
His extractor consists of
a ring of turbine blades
that acts as the rotor of a
generator. The blades re-
volve inside a circulator
housing, which functions
as the generators stator.
The motion of flowing
water produces a reliable
electric current.
Williams hopes to sell lo-
cal utilities in coastal states
on the idea of using his ex-
tractor to capture energy
from the steady current
of the Gulf Stream.
Electricity From The Sea
MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS .COM 17 ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL DIMARE

AVIATIONCOMPUTERSDEFENSE
ENERGYENVIRONMENTMEDICINE
ROBOTICSSPACETRANSPORTATION
Editor: Jim Wilson
Reporters: Stefano Coledan, Scott
Gourley, Malcolm Lowe, John McKelvie,
Barry Rosenberg, Andy Turnbull.
Virtual Teleportation For
Meetings And Interrogations
Life-size 3D holograms
that allow executives to
virtually teleport them-
selves to distant business
meetings via a standard
ISDN line may soon be
used to bring experts into
interrogation cells to ques-
tion suspected terrorists.
James Stephens of
Dallas-based Teleportec
says the system shows im-
ages in sufficient detail to
replicate nuances in facial
expressions interrogators
rely upon to detect decep-
tion. The chief attraction is
that the technique saves
travel time when every
second counts.
Cheap Steam Cleaning Makes
Vegetables Tastier, Crispier
Before vegetables are frozen, they undergo blanching,
which, among other things, helps preserve a fresh-picked
glow. The process involves dipping cut vegetables into
boiling water, then quickly cooling them. The downside
of hot-water blanching is that it consumes large amounts
of energy and water, which later literally goes down the
drain. The new Vapor-Flow system from Lyco Manufac-
turing of Columbus, Wis., blanches with water or steam.
Besides cutting costs, steam blanching locks in more
flavor and
nutrients and
makes frozen
vegetables
crispier than
water
blanch-
ing.
Watery View Of Ancient Earth
A hydrothermal vent in
the mid-Atlantic Ocean is
giving scientists what they
believe is a glimpse of the
incubator that nurtured
the earliest life on Earth.
Known as the Lost City,
the 18-story-tall vent emits
chemically rich, heated sea-
water. Although the ocean
Atom Rocket
Revived
is frigid, the area near the
vent reaches temperatures
between 105 and 107F
due to a chemical reaction
that takes place between
seawater and the mantle
rock below. Plentiful quan-
tities of both materials
means that these forma-
tions, called smokers, can
remain stable for as long
as 100,000 years. The term
derives from unusual
smokelike shapes that have
formed near the vents over
the centuries. Here, what
appears to be a cloud is a
7-ft.-tall flange made of
snow white carbonate.
Scientists from the Uni-
versity of Washington in
Seattle have been investi-
gating the site. They plan
to continue their studies
of the area in the hope of
gaining further insights
into how life first evolved.
After a 3-decade hiatus,
the Los Alamos National
Laboratory has restarted
work on a nuclear-pow-
ered rocket. Engineers
for the New Mexico
lab say one will propel
NASAs Jupiter Icy
Moon Orbiter mission
to Europa. The ice-cov-
ered Jovian moon is
believed to conceal a
massive sea, which may
be brimming with life.
Design choices have
been narrowed to a
helium-, sodium- or
liquid-metal-cooled
fission reactor, rated at
500 to 1000 kilowatts.
Liftoff is set for 2011
at the earliest.
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18 (Please turn to page 20)
Barn Inspires Steel House
With their vaulted ceilings
and expansive interiors,
converted barns make
luxurious homes. But old
barns were built with what
are now hard-to-find
woods. It didnt seem en-
vironmentally responsible
to utilize heavy timber in
a modern construction,
Sean Tracy of FACE Design
tells P M . OPULAR ECHANICS
Instead, his Brooklyn, N.Y.,
architectural firm devel-
oped a new type of modu-
lar steel building system
that borrows heavily from
old-fashioned barn raisings.
The superstructure uses
hollow tube sections called
structural bents that are
bolted together on the
ground and then lifted into
anchors in the foundation
walls. Horizontal I-beams
brace the bents and pro-
vide contact points for
hanging the wall panels.
The first home, above,
took five weeks to build.
shown above. Depending
upon the angle at which
the swirling air is ejected,
the craft can move up or
down or in any direction.
A small, unmanned ver-
sion could be flying in
about three years.
NASA Will Try
Solar Sail
NASA will try to sail in
space. After launch, the
Inertial Stellar Compass
mission will deploy a plas-
tic sail that will be pushed
by the pressure of sunlight.
The Solaris sail provides a
low-cost alternative to con-
ventional propulsions, says
Charles Chafer, President
of Team Encounter, the
Houston-based solar sail
developer. Liftoff is in 2005.
Old Enemies Collaborate On New Plane
A flying saucer-shaped
aircraft propelled by a
controlled tornado is be-
ing jointly developed by
Russias Saratov Aviation
Center and the U.S. Navy.
The propulsion system
uses a concept called vor-
tex oscillation, which is
rumored to have been
developed in the Soviet
Union during the 1960s.
An internal powerplant
creates a rapidly swirling
airflow that is aimed down-
ward from the craft, as
Temporary
Heart Pump
Builds Health
Heart patients could soon
get healthier while waiting
for a donor organ. The
Total Artificial Heart from
CardioWest of Tucson, Ariz.,
restores normal blood
pressure, thus relieving
stress that damages the
kidneys and liver.
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Y
O
U
NOT
FOR SALE TO
MINORS
COOLS NEVER BEEN
THIS INTENSE.
COOLS NEVER BEEN
THIS INTENSE.
FRESH, BOLD TASTE. EVERY TIME.
Trademark of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. or an affiliate. 2004 U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.
Frost Cooled to ensure a clean, crisp, refreshing taste
of intense wintergreen flavor that lasts a long time.

TEXAS A dust storm
that swirled along parts of
U.S. Highway 84, 20 miles
southeast of Lubbock, is
being blamed for a 30-car
pileup that killed two and
injured 11 on Feb. 19.
INDONESIA The rainy
season, which runs from
October to April and is
frequently accompanied
by heavy flooding and
mudslides, reached its peak
on Feb. 19. Overflowing
streams put parts of Jakarta
beneath knee-deep waters,
forcing some 10,000 of the
citys 13 million residents
from their homes.
SWEDEN The soil in sub-
arctic bogs in the Abisko
region has undergone a
dramatic change over the
past 30 years, according to
an international research
team led by the GeoBio-
sphere Science Centre at
Lund University. The so-
called active layer, the part
of the soil that thaws in the
summer, has become thick-
er. And, in some areas, the
normally solid permafrost
has disappeared altogeth-
er. Scientists say these
changes are of grave con-
cern because the active lay-
er releases large amounts
of methane, a powerful
greenhouse gas.
TURKEY An avalanche
and landslide were blamed
for 11 deaths in early
March. An avalanche near
the Iranian border killed
seven members of one
family in their home. Three
others were swept away.
The 11th death occurred in
a landslide in the eastern
province of Erzurum.
MOROCCO A magnitude
6.5 earthquake struck the
port city of Al Hoceima at
2:30 am on Feb. 22, killing
600 and injuring hundreds
more. Falling debris
trapped many in their
beds as they slept.
Planet
Watch
Customers who squeeze
fruit to test ripeness are an
expensive problem for
grocers who are left with
bins of bruised produce.
New Zealand scientists
have discovered a more
accurate and far gentler
approach. It is a label that
changes color to indicate
relative ripeness.
This idea was based on
the fact that certain fruits
release ethylene and other
gases as they ripen. As the
concentration of gases in-
side the package increas-
es, a sticker thats sensitive
to the gases changes color
from red to yellow. A color
scale on the package indi-
cates the condition of the
fruit at each stage of the
color change. Freshness-
indicator packages are
being tested with Anjou
pears in Oregon.
Fume Risk
Misjudged
The health risks associat-
ed with exposure to sol-
vents and other organic
compounds that evapo-
rate at room tempera-
ture may be three times
higher than previously
estimated, according to
a new study of indoor
air by the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of
Public Health in Balti-
more. The public health
implications of our find-
ings loom large, says
Timothy J. Buckley, the
reports senior author.
K
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Label Tells Customers When Fruit Is Ripe
Todays high-tech devices demand high-tech power. Energizer has harnessed the power of
Energizer e
2
Lithium, Energizer e
2
and Energizer Rechargeable in one destination The Energi Zone
.
These Performance Brands deliver massive power to high-tech devices like digital cameras and MP3 players.
So if you have a high-tech device, Go To The Zone.
2004 Energizer
Energizer, e
2
, the Energizer Bunny design and other marks are trademarks of Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
*Vs. ordinary alkaline. Results vary by camera.
**Vs. ordinary alkaline, in average of industry standard tests. www.energizer.com
S P A C E S H O T S
In manufacturing, lasers normally cut away unwanted ma-
terial. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology
in Atlanta have put laser light to a more constructive use.
The microscopic chain shown above was created by using
a laser beam to selectively activate and cross-link mol-
ecules of acrylate monomers. Unexposed areas dissolve
when the part is washed. We believe this technique pro-
vides a real competitive advantage for making complicat-
ed 3D microstructures, says codeveloper Seth Marde.
Building With Lasers GPS Heads For Cover
Since the advent of GPS in the mid-1990s, engineers have
wished for a similar system that could be used indoors to
help, say, build large aircraft. Arc Second of Dulles, Va., has
delivered on that dream with an indoor positioning sys-
tem. Instead of relying on timing signals from satellites
as does GPS, the Constellation 3Di system uses infrared
transmitters, shown below, to turn any space into a sort
of 3D grid. As with the outdoor GPS, the more signals a
receiver can tune in, the more accurately it can deter-
mine its location. Under ideal conditions the 3Di can
measure distances as short as 3.5 thousandths of an inch.
When Stars Collide, A Galaxy Gets A Black Eye
NASAs soon-to-be-discarded Hubble
Space Telescope has produced the
most dramatic photo ever taken of the
aftermath of a stellar collision in the
M64 galaxy. A popular target for ama-
teur astronomers, M64, also known as
the Evil Eye or Black Eye galaxy, is locat-
ed 17 million light-years from Earth in
the constellation of Coma Berenices.
Initially, astronomers believed that all
of the stars in M64 were moving in the
same direction. From studies of the
Hubble images, scientists made the re-
markable discovery that the interstellar
gas in the outer regions of M64 rotates
in the opposite direction from the gas
and stars in the inner regions. Active
formation of new stars is occurring in
the shear region where the oppositely
rotating gases collide, are compressed
and then contract. Particularly notice-
able in the image are the hot blue stars
that have just formed.
G
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A
I NTROD
CARRIER
Introducing free package pickup. You have a
and get it. Its that simple. For package pickup,
day, well be there, just like always. To learn m
usps.com/pickup. Its another simple way to sh
A WHOLE NEW
WAY TO SHIP
PACKAGES
WILL SOON BE
ARRIVING AT YOUR
DOOR.
2004 United States Postal Service. Eagle symbol is a registered tra
DUCI NG
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Priority Mail
or Express Mail
package to ship. We come

just go online, request a Carrier Pickup and the next delivery
more about the requirements for using Carrier Pickup, go to
hip from the U.S. Postal Service.
usps.com ademark of the United States Postal Service.

OLE NEW
TO SHIP
KAGES
SOON BE
G AT YOUR
Using Sound To Create
The Power Of Stars

F O L L O W I N G U P
Honda Business Jet Takes Off
28 MAY 2004
Old generals may fade away, but old missiles go out
in a blaze of glory. At the height of the Cold War, PM
gave readers an inside look at the land-, air- and sub-
marine-based legs of the nu-
clear triad that deterred Soviet
aggression. Last December, a
critical element in that nuclear
shield flew its final mission. The
last Atlas rocket, based at Van-
denberg Air Force Base in Cali-
fornia, blasted off from Space
Launch Complex-3 East and
placed a National Reconnais-
sance Office spy satellite on
orbit.The Atlas IIAS rocket was
a descendant of the original
Atlas introduced in the early
1960s as an intercontinental
ballistic missile (ICBM). The Air
Force subsequently replaced the Atlas ICBMs with Min-
uteman missiles. Remaining Atlas missiles went to work
as NASA launch vehicles later in that decade. The Atlas
II series that followed in the late 1980s was primarily
used to launch military communications satellites.
Retiring The Missiles That
Fought The Cold War
When researchers first reported that it might be pos-
sible to produce useful amounts of energy with a
technique called sonoluminescence, we were properly
skeptical. The flap over cold fusion was still fresh in
many peoples minds. Yet, the credentials of the scien-
tists who believed compressing bubbles with sound
could release large amounts
of energy were sufficiently
impressive, convincing us to
devote our February 1998
Science column to a descrip-
tion of the experiment.
This March, scientists report-
ed new evidence supporting
their earlier discovery. What
we are doing, in effect, is pro-
ducing nuclear emissions in
a simple desktop apparatus,
says Rusi Taleyarkhan, a pro-
fessor of nuclear engineering
at Purdue University in West La-
fayette, Ind. That really is the magnitude of the discov-
ery, the ability to use simple mechanical force to initiate
conditions comparable to the interior of stars. 1
Honda has successfully completed
initial flight tests of its latest compact,
the HondaJet business jet. In a break
with typical industry practices, Honda
is powering its 4-passenger, 2-crew air-
craft with its own engine, designated
the Honda HF118 turbofan.
The engines are optimally posi-
tioned on the upper surface of the main
wing in a unique configuration that re-
duces drag at high speeds and increas-
es cruising efficiency, says a company
spokesman. This layout also eliminates the
need for structural engine mounts in the fu-
selage, creating over 30 percent more cabin
space than in a conventional aircraft.
Honda believes that one of the biggest at-
tractions will be the aircrafts fuel economy.
The company says that its proprietary wing
design will make the HondaJet 40 percent
cheaper to fly than other busi-
ness jets. The flight tests, con-
ducted at Piedmont Triad
International Airport in North
Carolina, culminated a research
project begun in 1986. Honda
says it will partner with General
Electric to obtain Federal Avia-
tion Administration approval
to sell the HF118 engines.
FEBRUARY 1998
FEBRUARY 1960
s
W
When I hear the buzz
phrase improvised
explosive device, I
think of this kid I
knew growing up.
He was fascinated
with explosives.
One day while
packing match
heads into a pipe,
he blasted a fist-size
hole in his thigh. It end-
ed happily enough. The
doctors managed to save his
leg. The improvised explosive
devices (IEDs) being used
against our troops in Iraq pack
far more of a wallop. Instead of
being fueled by kitchen match-
es, they typically consist of a
pair of artillery shells that are
set off by a remote-control deto-
nator. Fortunately, the many
soldiers who have crossed
paths with
Iraqi IEDs
have been clad in armored
jackets, and have had fast ac-
cess to medical treatment. This
has saved their lives. As the
first year of the war draws to a
close, the death toll stands at
about 600. For the families and
friends of each fallen soldier,
the deaths are personal trage-
dies. For the Pentagon, the
number of fatalities is astound-
ingastoundingly low.
Estimating casualties is as
basic to the combat equation
as estimating ammunition.
During the Civil War, generals
expected two soldiers would
be wounded for every fighter
killed. By the war in Afghani-
stan, the ratio of wounded to
killed improved to about 3-to-
1. Better medicine kept ahead
of more powerful weapons.
In Iraq, the ratio is an impres-
sive 6-to-1. Body armor made
a difference.
Higher Impact
Most of the 125,000 combatants
stationed in Iraq have been is-
sued Kevlar helmets and Kevlar
vests with pockets that hold
ceramic plates. And, from what
military surgeons report, the
armor seems to be working.
When a group of orthopedic
surgeons visited recovering
soldiers in Walter Reed Hos-
pital near Washington, D.C.,
last spring, they were aston-
ished at the low number of
torso wounds. A full 80 percent
of the life-threatening injuries
were to the arms and legs.
However, months later, as
the Army settled into its
peacekeeping mission in Iraq,
something unexpected hap-
pened. The insurgents traded
their rifles for IEDs. High-ex-
plosive antitank rounds are
now being used to attack soft
civilian targets. The current
generation of body armor,
Body Armor
Takes A Hit
BY JIM WILSON
MATERIALS
Current body armor consists of
ceramic plates that fit into pockets
of a Kevlar-lined vest. The protective
package weighs 16 pounds.
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which was designed
to withstand a blast
from hand grenade
fragments, is simply
outgunned. Help is
at hand. In fact, you
probably held the
solution to the IED
problem in your
hand the last time
you went shopping.
molecular weight
polyethylene.
In grocery bags,
lower-weight fibers
are disorganized.
In Spectra fabrics,
fibers line up in
overlapping parallel
rows. We have
captured the tre-
mendous natural
strength in the
molecular backbone
of this material to
create one of the
worlds strongest
and lightest fibers,
Wagner explains.
Pound for pound,
Spectra fiber resists the penetrat-
ing force of a projectile, rapidly
moving the kinetic energy of the
bullet away from the impact area
and ultimately slowing the pro-
jectile to a stop, Wagner says.
In the coming months the
Army will be testing vests made
with the ultradense plastic.
If Spectra-Shield performs as
After a ceramic plate
Invisible Chains
Lori Wagner, man-
ager of the Spectra
products division at
Honeywell, hands
me a sheet of what
feels like wax paper.
Beneath the film that
gives it its slippery
coating are rows of
tightly packed, high I
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breaks up the bullet, the
Spectra-Shield backing
absorbs remaining energy.
Spectra is 10 times
stronger than steel.
Because of its
molecular makeup,
successfully against IEDs as it
has in laboratory tests, it could
find its way into civilian prod-
ucts. Efforts are also under way
to use it in commercial airliners.
It can prevent explosives hidden
in cargo from breaking apart a
planes fuselage, as happened
when a terrorist bomb exploded
on Pan Am Flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland. Honeywell
also sees a market in bullet-
proofing limousines. 1
I
n 1922, a small watchmaker in
Switzerland patented the first automatic
watch to display the day, month and
date. Only 7 of these magnificent timepieces
were ever made and this watch was almost lost
to history. Today, they are so rare that one
original chronograph watch would probably
fetch more than $300,000 at auction.
These watches were among the most styl-
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attempted to remake this 1922 classic until
now. The Stauer watch design that you see
here has been painstakingly recreated from
the original functions to please even the
most discerning owner. The owner of this
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From the sweeping second hand to the
Roman numerals on the unique ivory-colored
face, every detail has been carefully repro-
duced. This Stauer reissue is a limited series,
allowing you to wear a watch far more
exclusive than many Rolex, Movado, TAG
Heuer or Breitling watches.
The watch has a 21-jewel mechanical
movement, the kind desired by fine watch
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This is a chance to claim a piece of watch-
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The watch comes with a 30-day no questions
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t
P
Open-Door Policy
Picture a pristine wilderness, a
majestic landscape, a magnifi-
cent lake. Now, take the same
scene and plaster it with Keep
Out and No Anything signs.
Its the ongoing tug of war be-
tween the folks who want to
enjoy the great outdoors re-
sponsibly and those who want
to banish humanity from set-
ting foot on it. Note, we said
respon-
sibly,
and by that we exclude those
low-life types who tear up the
environment, leave tons of trash
to be picked up by the wind,
and snore loudly (hey, the
animals need their sleep too).
When it comes to govern-
ment regulation of and access
to public lands, the perception
is that the gates are being
slammed shut. ! Sports- Thud
men feel like theyre a tooth-
paste tube getting squeezed
by the combined iron grip of
the Department of Interiors
Bureau of Land Management
and Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the Department of Agricul-
ture Forest Service.
Info, Please
In reality, things
arent that bleak.
Sure, land access
is being blocked,
but a big part of
the problem is that
some public roads
are being gated
illegally and some
new landowners are
rescinding access
that was allowed
by the previous
owners. Another
headache is that
sportsmen, hunters
and fishermen
do not receive cur-
rent information
on which public
lands are closed or
blocked, and which
areas are open. Big
deal, you say.
Big Bucks
Heres how much of a big deal
it is: According to the Fish and
Wildlife Service, hunters and
fishermen pay some $4 billion
a year in excise taxes on sport-
ing equipment. They also pro-
vide nearly 75 percent of the
annual income for all state
Ah, wilderness! Its sure
nice to have access to
public lands. Looking
at pictures isnt quite
the same.
BY CLIFF GROMER
LEGISLATION
The recent Memorandum of Understanding assists
sportsmen in pursuing their passions.
PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES 34 MAY 2004
MAY 2004
conservation agencies. Hunters
alone pump some $21 billion into
the economy each year. Close
access to public lands or fail to
keep outdoorsmen informed, and
these folks will sit home and
watch ESPN.
The good news is that the pro-
verbial door to these taxpayer-
funded lands is at least cracking
open if not being flung off its
hinges. A group of legislators and
sportsmen recently signed what
is being called a Memorandum of
Understanding. The regulatory
side of this agreement includes
the Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, Fish and Wildlife
Service, and private conservation
groups such as the Theodore
Roosevelt Conservation Partner-
ship. Representing the sportsmen
are a host of organizations includ-
ing the National Shooting Sports
Foundation, National Wild Turkey
Federation, and the Recreational
Boating and Fishing Foundation.
The memorandum was spear-
headed by the Congressional
Sportsmens Foundation, a non-
profit organization that works
with members of the Congres-
sional Sportsmens Caucus. The
caucus consists of members of
Congress who hunt, fish and
support wildlife management.
Lets Talk
The memorandum recommends
formal communication channels
such as a toll-free number for cur-
rent information. This will help
identify public lands with inad-
equate access points, road main-
tenance and other factors that
would impact sportsmens access.
Another benefit is improved com-
munication with sportsmen via
the Internet to provide maps and
other information related to ac-
cess points, alternate routes, etc.
You can obtain more information
at www.sportsmenslink.org. 1
A
Aspiring rock stars
are mixing and
performing their
own songs as
they always
have, but instead
of making a
scratchy demo
tape in their garage,
theyre making slick
professional-quality
CDs using middle-
to high-end computer
systems and off-the-shelf
software. While its no secret
that using computers to make
and produce music has trans-
formed the music industry
from top to bottom, it can
sometimes be intimidating
to the
weekend
headbanger. But dont worry,
its easy and fun.
The Computer
First, of course, you need a
computer. You can use either
a PC or a Macintosh, but most
people in the business consid-
er Macs more stable for this
kind of computer work. Most
important, you need a fast proc-
essor, a lot of RAM and a fast
hard drive, although two drives
is considered the best option.
The processor should be at
least a 1.4- or 1.5-GHz Pentium
4 on a PC2 GHz or faster is
preferable. If youre on a Mac,
youll want at least a 1-GHz G3,
but preferably an 800-MHz or
faster G4. A dual 2-GHz G5 is
the best of all.
RAM is vital. You will need
a minimum of 512MB of RAM
to handle the large audio files
youll be generating. If youre
recording at CD quality, a 1-
minute guitar track can be up
to 5MB in size. One 4-minute
song with five tracksdrums,
bass, guitar, keyboard and
vocalsmight consume up to
100MB. Basically, a computer
with more RAM will be able
to handle a complicated com-
position more quickly and will
be less likely to crash.
The hard drive should be
able to quickly get data onto
and off the platen. Aim for a
hard drive that rotates at 7200
rpm or better and has a ran-
dom-access speed of at least
12 milliseconds. The latter
refers to the time it takes to
locate a block of data on the
drive. If you have a slow hard
drive, latency can be an issue.
You wont be able to record
multiple tracks and play them
back simultaneously. And for-
get about laying down tracks,
playing them back and then
playing another track on top
of the current ones.
Its often better to work with
a FireWire external drive than
an internal drive. If youre re-
cording live tracks, the drive
will fill up pretty quickly and
you dont want to clutter the
main drive that holds your
operating system. I have
friends who can fill an 80GB
hard drive in a year with only
occasional weekend jam ses-
sions. Also, if you end up cre-
ating something cool and you
want to have it professionally
produced, you can take an
Musical Computers
BY CHRISTOPHER ALLBRITTON
COMPUTERS
Want the sound of the British
Invasion? Line 6s POD guitar inter-
face allows almost any effect to be
dialed in and run to your computer.
A Star Is Reborn.
THE NEW, MORE POWERFUL ROAD STAR.
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n
38 MAY 2004
external drive to a hired produc-
er, hand it over and have him
work on your files.
The Software
All music-recording software is
about doing the same thing: Tak-
ing what youve created, either
by recording your own music or
using pieces of prerecorded mu-
sic (called loops), arranging it,
and then putting it into a format
that people can listen to, such
as an MP3 or other
sound file.
The software you
need depends on
the kind of music
you want to make.
Are you recording
a lot of live instru-
ments? Youll want
to use either Cu-
base SL (about
$500, www.cubase
.com) or ProTools LE
(usually under
$100, www.digi
design.com). Both
applications are
flexible for record-
ing live instruments
and doing compli-
cated things like
editing a single bar in a track
youve recorded, blending and
mixing tracks, altering volume
and adding effects.
If you want to work with loops,
you can use Acid on a PC or
Apples new GarageBand on a
Mac. Reason is another popular
program available for both plat-
forms. These applications come
with a set of loops that can be
layered and altered. Live record-
ings can be laid down over them.
These kinds of applications are
good for electronica, drum n
bass and clubby-techno genres.
A lot of these applications can
work together. For example, Rea-
son can be used in conjunction
with Cubase. Record some killer
grooves in Reason, import them
into Cubase, and then lay down
vocal tracks using the latters
professional-grade editing tools.
You also can buy plug-ins for
these applications. There are
pitch-correction plug-ins that
make it sound like youre singing
on key when youre really off.
(Similar to what makes Britney
Spears sound so good.) There are
new instruments from companies
like Native Instruments and
Steinberg, which produces Cu-
base. Virtual instruments such
as 12-string guitars, drum kits
and vibes, which can be con-
trolled via a MIDI-compatible
keyboard or computer, give you
a wide selection of sounds, from
electric guitars from the 1960s to
spacey synthesizers straight out
of the movie Barbarella.
Other Hardware
Speaking of MIDI keyboards,
youll want one. MIDI stands for
Musical Instrument Digital Inter-
face. Its an industry-standard
protocol that allows electronic
devices to interact and makes
computer control of musical in-
struments possible. At its most
basic, Cubase or Reason can
assign a MIDI keyboard to play,
for example, a Claptonesque
guitar on one track while you
rock out on the keys.
I chose the Keystation 49e
($99) from m-audio.com. It plugs
into my USB port, draws power
from the bus, and includes a
velocity-sensitive keyboard with
49 full-size keys, as well as pitch
and modulation
wheels. There are
numerous key-
boards available,
including one from
Oxygen 8.
If the keyboard
isnt your thing,
consider the POD
from Line 6. Guitar
players love this
thing. There are
several models
available, costing
between $200 and
$300. Essentially, it
sits between your
guitar and comput-
er, and lets you dial
in almost any kind
of amplifier sound
in the history of rock. Need a
1960s Tweed blues amplifier?
No problem. With the lines out
from the POD to the computer,
you can be jamming live to your
hard drive in no time.
Coda
And thats about it. You dont
need a POD or a MIDI keyboard
to produce your own music,
although they certainly help.
You dont even need friends
with whom to form a band. Just
a little inspiration, some talent
and a lot of luck, and you could
be the next Top 40 star with your
song for sale online through
iTunes or Napster. 1
Apples GarageBand application lets you mix and remix your own
recordings as well as thousands of prerecorded, royalty-free loops.
T
BY TOBEY GRUMET
Think Small
PHOTO BY BRYAN CANNIFF
The other day, a small package
arrived from IBM. Inside was a
box that resembled a ThinkPad
notebook. Inside that, I found
a keyboard made of chocolate
with a note that read, Sweet
news from IBM: ThinkPads
been dieting. Our loss is your
gain. 14 ounces lighter. 410
grams. This is what 14 ounces
feels like. Next to an asterisk
was this: ThinkPad not shown
actual sizeat least not yet.
I silently cursed IBM for not
thinking
that after
the holidays, I might be diet-
ing too, and promptly placed
the 14 ounces of chocolate in
the public feeding area here
at PMs offices.
Carry On
IBM calls its new, thinner
ThinkPad the X40. As for the
14 ounces the laptop has
shed, the company claims
this is the same weight as
three cellphones or two digital
cameras or a pair of jeans, or
a sweater and T-shirt. Not an
exact science, but once I got
the new ThinkPad X40 in my
hands, I could appreciate
these examples.
IBM shipped me the 2381-
6GU ($1874), which weighs
2.7 pounds and offers 256MB
of memory. It is 0.81 in. thick
and comes loaded with Win-
dows XP and Intels Centrino
wireless mobile technology.
The Centrino chip set lets you
connect to the Internet using
Wi-Fi (802.11b). I encountered
a few problems here. I loaded
America Online but it never
detected the wireless network.
When I tried Microsoft Explorer,
it worked only half the time.
One of my favorite details of
this ThinkPad is its standard-
size keyboard. True, its some-
what ludicrous to look at this
tiny computer and see it outfit-
ted with a full-size keyboard.
Some people dont mind the
smaller versions, but when
I use them it feels like the
keys are not where theyre
supposed to be. So a regular
keyboard is a big plus for me.
IBM includes an 8-cell sys-
tem battery that runs up to
7.5 hours. For better battery
life, an optional X4 UltraBase
Dock can be purchased for
$199. It supports extra batteries
as well as increased storage
and extra media drives.
My X40 also came with a USB
2.0 Portable Multi-Burner Drive
($499), which is a slim, clam-
shell-style DVD and CD record-
able drive that attaches to your
laptop. The Multi-Burner in-
cludes an AC adapter, but you
also can read the optical drive
using two USB 2.0 connections.
A perk for travelers.
Total Recall
The X40 debuts what IBM calls
its Rapid Rescue and Recovery
with Rapid Restore. This func-
tion offers you emergency re-
covery tools in case something
goes horribly wrongfor ex-
ample, if you lose your files.
It also lets you try to diagnose
and fix your own problems
without IT support. All of this
comes preinstalled.
If youre looking for some-
thing small, powerful and easy
to use, look no further. 1
COMPUTERS
40 MAY 2004
F
For sheer firepower, its hard to
imagine anything outgunning
the planet-killing Death Star
from the Star Wars movies.
Not for lack of trying, though.
Since the first catapults and
cannons took aim, the search
has been on for guns that can
shoot farther, faster, and deliver
more deadly re-
sults. Yet there
are also those whove foreseen
the opportunity to put these
weapons to peaceful purposes.
Its difficult to imagine the
shock waves that reverberated
through Paris on the morning
of March 21, 1918, when shells
began raining down on the
city. They had been fired from
the railway-mounted Paris Gun
tucked away in the forest of
Coucy-Auffrique, 70 miles
away. The 264-pound projec-
tiles soared 25 miles into the
stratosphere, reaching their
target in 170 seconds.
Formally known as the Kaiser
Wilhelm Geschutz Long-Range
Guns, the weapons were pro-
duced by the dreaded Friedrich
Krupp A.G. munitions firm. The
guns used bored-out, 380mm
naval cannons, each fitted with
barrels that were 131 ft. long.
Seven were produced, though
never more than three operated
at any time.
Firing a Paris Gun was a
logistical nightmare. Each
shell required a 400-pound
powder charge. The shock was
so intense, each succeeding
shell needed to be slightly
wider. The guns lining had to
be rebored every 20 shots.
Only 367 shells were fired
by August of that year, and the
guns aim was often wild.
Barely half the shells hit the
city. Even so, the Paris Gun
caused 256 deaths, a third of
those when a shell struck the
church of St. Sepulchre during
Good Friday services.
Though the Paris Gun had
little impact on the outcome
of World War I, it was a high-
priority target for Allied troops.
Yet none of the guns were ever
found, even after the armistice.
The Biggest Gun
The Treaty of Versailles creat-
ed, at best, a tenuous truce.
Hoping to ward off another as-
sault, France erected a seem-
ingly impregnable network of
forts along the German fron-
tier. Determined to overcome
Worlds Largest Gun
BY PAUL EISENSTEIN
Not as mobile as it appeared, the
Gustav Gun was a logistical night-
mare. For starters, it required a
500-man crew.
WEAPONS
42 (Please turn to page 45) PHOTO COURTESY OF IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
MAY 2004
this obstacle, Adolf Hitler issued
orders that specified a gun able
to pierce a meter of steel, seven
meters of concrete, or thirty
meters of dense earth.
Krupp quickly complied, pre-
senting Hitler the Gustav Gun
named in honor of family patri-
arch Gustav Krupp von Bohlen
und Halbach. The biggest gun
ever built, it weighed a crushing
1344 tons, including its railway
carriage. With its breech block,
the entire machine stood 4 sto-
ries tall, 20 ft. wide and 140 ft.
long. Moving, positioning, load-
ing and maintaining this mon-
ster required a 500-man crew
commanded by a major general.
The Gustavs 800mm bore ac-
cepted two giant projectiles: a
10,584-pound high-explosive
shell and a 16,540-pound con-
crete-piercing shell. Though it
didnt deliver the range of the
Paris Gun, the Gustav could
strike targets up to 29 miles away.
As often happens in war, the
original mission evaporated
when German troops outflanked
the Maginot line, quickly forcing
France to surrender. Plans to use
the Gustav against the British at
Gibraltar were also scrapped,
but eventually Gustav found a
suitable target.
In April 1942, the Soviet city
of Sevastopol fell under assault.
One shot inadvertently destroyed
a Russian ammo dump hidden
100 ft. below the Sevemaya mili-
tary base. In quick succession,
the gun crumbled the forts that
were vainly defending the city.
In all, the Gustav fired 300
shells on Sevastopol, and anoth-
er 30 during the 1944 Warsaw
Uprising. It was never used
again. Unlike the mysterious
Paris Gun, the gun met a final
if ignobleend. It was captured
by U.S. troops and cut up for
scrap. A duplicate gun, named
for the chief engineers wife,
Dora, saw action only briefly
and was destroyed to prevent its
capture by the Russian army.
Reaching For The Moon
In his classic From The Earth To
The Moon, Jules Verne envisioned
a gun powerful enough to launch
a hollowed-out shell to the moon,
with a team of adventurers inside.
Though such a gun would pro-
duce g-forces no human could
survive, the concept resonated
with Canadian weapons expert
Gerald Bull. In the 1960s, he be-
gan work on a supergun, weld-
ing together two 16-in. battleship
gun barrels. The gun was to
have two possible purposes: It
could shoot finned arrow shells
to record distances, or launch a
projectile into space.
Bulls High Altitude Research
Project (HARP) was run by Mc-
Gill University in Montreal. Also
known as the Barbados Gun, for
the island where its remains now
rust, HARP launched a series of
rocket-powered space probes be-
fore the U.S. government with-
drew funding to Bull.
Determined to keep his con-
cept alive, Bull made a series
of bad business decisions. One
landed him in U.S. prison for
illegal arms trading. He then
accepted an offer to build a
supergun for Saddam Hussein,
though many feared it might be
used to lob weapons of mass
destruction onto Israel.
In 1990, as he was about to
enter his Brussels apartment,
Bull was murdered. Five shots
were fired into the back of his
neck by an unknown assassin,
whom many suspect represent-
ed Israels Mossad. Bulls last
gun, Project Babylon, died with
him. Allied troops found and
destroyed the unfinished gun
during Desert Storm. 1
a
C
2005 Chrysler 300C
And Dodge Magnum
Chrysler and Dodge are
going back, way back.
Back decades. It has been
nearly 20 years since
either brand has had a
passenger car with a V8
engine and rear-wheel
drive. Well, for 2005 this
once traditional combo has
returned in the Chrysler 300C
and Dodge Magnum. The
300C is available as a sedan
while the Magnum is a station
wagon. These models replace
the Chrysler Concorde, Chrys-
ler 300M and Dodge Intrepid
as the Chrysler Groups large
family cars. The 300C and
Magnum each
ride on an all-
new rear-drive platform with a
120-in. wheelbase developed
by Chrysler. The 4-wheel inde-
pendent suspension is also
unique to these cars but it
shares some piecesincluding
the rear differentialwith the
cars corporate cousin, the
Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Given
this crossbreeding, its not
surprising that the 300C and
Magnum feel a great deal like
German sport sedans on the
road. When hurried along on
twisty roads, these cars remain
poised and firmly planted on
the macadam.
Both the 300C and Magnum
will be offered with a choice of
three engines. As noted, a V8 is
available. The V8 in question is
Chryslers new Hemi, the same
one used in the Durango. The
5.7-liter makes 340 hp and 390
ft.-lb. of torque in these cars
when all eight cylinders are fir-
ing. This installation marks the
debut of the com panys cylin-
der deactivation system, which
allows a car to run on four
cylinders under light-load,
light-throttle conditions
to save fuel. The Hemi
comes mated to a 5-speed
automatic designed by
Mercedes-Benz. With this
combo, both cars can hit
60 mph in 6.5 seconds.
Both of these cars can
easily turn their 18-in. rear
tires into pools of molten
rubber with one serious
stab of the gas pedal. For those
who dont want all that muscle,
the 300C and Magnum also
can be equipped with a 2.7-
liter 24-valve V6, the standard
engine, that makes 190 hp and
190 ft.-lb. of torque. Also avail-
able is a 250-hp 3.5-liter 24-
valve SOHC V6 that makes
250 ft.-lb. of torque. Both come
with a 4-speed automatic.
After all those years of trum-
peting the traction advantages
NEW CARS
Reports From
Around The World
DODGE
MAGNUM
CHRYSLER 300C
46 (Please turn to page 48) PHOTO BY JOE WILSSENS PHOTOGRAPHY (DODGE MAGNUM)
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w
of front-wheel over rear-
wheel drive, Chrysler
offers these cars with
traction aids to quell
the concerns of those
buyers in snowy climes.
Both traction control and
Electronic Stability Con-
trol are available. In ad-
dition, the cars will offer
Mercedes-Benzs 4Matic
all-wheel-drive system.
Inside, the 300C and
Magnum have more up-
scale furnishings than
the models they replace. And
while still roomy, these cars give
up some interior space and trunk
volume to the old cars.
Expect pricing for the V8s to
be around $30,000 for a Magnum
and $34,000 for a 300C.
Ben Stewart
2004 Volkswagen R32
Volkswagen will dip its toe into
the youth-oriented tuner market
with the R32, a high-performance
version of the Golf 2-door. Sport-
ing 18-in. alloy wheels, special
body cladding and a muscular
240-hp 3.2-liter V6 engine, the
R32 will be sold for only one
year in the States in numbers
no higher than 5000. VW talks
of 0-to-60 times in the 6.4-second
range. But the new VW has even
more to offer4Motion all-wheel
drive, a 6-speed manual trans-
mission, six airbags and big,
bright 15-spoke wheels. The only
available option is leather uphol-
stery. To help the R32 stand out
in a crowd of Golfs, the car has
an all-new front fascia with three
large air intakes below the bum-
per level. In the rear, the high-
light is the dual exhaust with
3-in.-dia. tips. Customers choose
from four paint colors: black,
silver, red or blue. At $29,100,
the R32 sits at the top of the
Golf lineup. Jim Dunne
2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Convertible
Theres more funk and more fun
to be had in Chryslers PT Cruis-
er. For those who prefer wind-
in-the-hair good times, theres
now a PT Cruiser Convertible.
And its the lowest-priced 4-pas-
senger convertible on the market
at $19,995. After dropping the
top, engineers added structural
supportto the doorsills, the
windshield, the B- and C-pillars,
across the rear-seat structure
and to the rear suspension tow-
ers. A sport bar helps tie the
chassis together. For an entry-
level convertible, the Cruiser is
quite flexfree. And it weighs only
150 pounds more than the regu-
lar PT. The PT Convertible is
available as a Touring model
with a 150-hp 4-cylinder engine
and a 5-speed manual. Then
theres the Turbo. The Turbo has
a 180-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter
Four, with either a 5-speed
manual or a 4-speed automatic,
which is optional in the Touring
model. The top dog is the GT,
which gets 50 more horsepower
from the Turbos 2.4-liter and the
choice of a Getrag 5-speed or
the automatic,
4-wheel disc
brakes, traction
control, 17-in.
wheels and a
firmer suspen-
sion. Regard-
less of model,
you get a power
top, windows
and door locks
as well as a
keyless remote.
All models offer
VOLKSWAGEN R32
CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE
Spirals can use less than half the floor-space of a traditional stair!
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metal units. The Iron Shops spiral stairs start at only
$425 and are available in diameters ranging from
3'6" to 7'0", spanning almost any height.
Since 1931, The Iron Shop has enjoyed a reputation
for outstanding design and fabrication of spiral stairs.
Today, by utilizing computer-aided technology throughout
our production process we guarantee that each stair
meets only the highest standards successfully mixing
state-of-the-art manufacturing with Old World quality.
Call for the FREE color Catalog & Price List:
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Main Plant & Showroom: Dept. PM, P.O. Box 547, 400 Reed Road, Broomall, PA 19008
Showrooms / Warehouses: Ontario, CA Sarasota, FL Houston, TX Chicago, IL Stamford, CT
2003 The Iron Shop
*Calculations are based on the floor-space requirement of
The Iron Shops 3'-6" diameter metal spiral stair kit versus
the required floor-space of a traditional 42 straight
stair, spanning a typical 9'0" floor-to-floor height.
NASCAR
is a registered trademark of the National

Association for Stock Car Racing, Inc. All other logos,
trademarks and service marks are property of their
respective owners. As such, no materials from this ad may
be reproduced without said owners written permission.
Win back
some of your
most valuable
floor-space!
NASCAR
Dodge Weekly Series

Proud sponsor of Steve Senerchia
and the #77 Pontiac Grand Prix.
s
13.3 cu. ft. of trunk
spacemore than
enough for a pair
of golf bags. B.S.
2004 BMW
R 1200 GS
BMWs new light-
weight R 1200 GS
has a bigger,
smoother, more
powerful engine,
a nav system,
completely new
electronics, frame
and luggage, and,
oh yes, a new look.
The bikes engine
is enlarged to 1170cc by a 2.5mm
increase in stroke (now 73mm),
and is the first BMW boxer twin
to carry a balance shaft. Output
is up to 100 hp at 7000 rpm and
85 ft.-lb. of torque at 5500 rpm
with an 8 percent boost in fuel
economy. Theres also a lighter,
stronger 6-speed transmission
with helical-cut gears like those
in an automotive transmission.
The new bike weighs in at 496
pounds, 66 pounds less than its
predecessor. The Telelever front
end and the Paralever rear have
more than 8 in. of travel, and car-
ry three disc brakes with ABS.
The R 1200 GS comes
with a cast-aluminum
luggage rack assembly
and factory bag mount-
ings. The new bags are
square-cornered alumi-
num luggagetwo bags
and a tail boxwith
mechanical expanders
for more capacity. The
BMW Garmin Navigator
II uses 512MB Compact-
Flash memory cards. It
offers 14 menu languag-
es and touchscreen ca-
pability, and is designed
to be operated by riders
wearing gloves. The
system will even help you find
gas stations, ATMs, hospitals and
restaurants. During our ride in
South Africa, we were impressed
by its lightweight feel, accelera-
tion and the standard ABS. The
new R 1200 GS is roomy, com-
fortable and easy to ride. Prices
start at $15,100. Jim McCraw
2004 Yamaha R1
Yamahas new top of the line
379-pound R1 sportbike has
more horsepower than Fords SVT
Focus173, to be exact. In fact,
the new R1 is the most powerful
sportbike you can buy. Its heart is
a 20-valve 998cc
4-cylinder engine.
Its more over-
square in its bore
than the previous
model and has a
higher compres-
sion ratio of 12.1:1,
as well as longer
duration and high-
er lift cams. It
also has Ram Air,
which at the upper
revs forces more
air into the cylin-
ders and produces
an additional 7
hpfor 180. This
monster of a motor is mounted to
an all-new frame that is lighter,
narrower and stiffer than the
previous R1. Unlike many sport-
bikes, the R1s riding position is
fairly upright. The handlebars are
up 10mm and the footpegs are
2.5mm forward and 7.5mm low-
er, making it more comfortable.
Supporting this new chassis are
a stiffer, fully adjustable 43mm
Kayaba fork and Soqi rear shock
with piggyback reservoir. Brakes
are 320mm discs in front with ra-
dial-mounted 4-piston calipers.
On the tight canyon roads
around Anza Borrego, Calif.,
we found the new R1 to
be remarkably docile
with plenty of low-end
torque. Couple that to
the riding position and
this bike could be a
commuter. But make
no mistake, if you have
the guts, twist the right
grip until the tach hits
13,000 rpm and the
R1 will turn your hair
white. The bike tops out
at about 190 mph. With
a 56 lean angle, the R1
will flatten just about
any corner. You can buy
one for $10,699. B.S.
BMW R 1200 GS
YAMAHA R1
r
2006 Chevrolet Roadster
Chevrolet has plans for a small
2-seat roadster similar in size
and layout to the Pontiac Sol-
stice. As yet unnamed, the new
vehicle will be built on the same
Kappa chassis that GM has as-
signed to the Saturn Curve,
Chevy Nomad and Solstice. This
enhanced photo shows some of
the styling differences between
the Solstice and the Chevrolet.
At the side, theres
a prominent scar
in the front fender,
which is similar in
theme to the Cor-
vette. In the rear,
styling is more sub-
dued than the Sol-
stice. Not seen here
is a thin horizontal
bar in the front that
splits the grille in the
traditional Chevy
fashion with the gold Bowtie
escutcheon in the center.
2005 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo
Look for Chevrolet to perform
a major facelift on the Monte
Carlo for the 2005 model year.
However, you can expect that
the cars NASCAR-inspired pro-
file will be kept intact. Up front,
the grille will consist of an air
intake thats larger and wider
than the slit opening of todays
model. The lower fascia will re-
duce the complexity of the cross-
hatch theme and present another
larger air intake. Side panels in
both front and rear fenders will
continue with horizontal creases
over the wheel openings, but
those lines will be less arched.
It appears that the roof design,
with its wide and flowing C-pil-
lar, will be carried over without
major change. At the rear, the
bumper surface will lack the in-
dentations of the current model,
and the air-deflector wing atop
the trunk will offer a more hori-
zontal, less aggressive angle to
the wind.
2005 Jeep Cherokee
Heres another look at the 2005
Jeep Cherokee undergoing real-
world testing. But thanks to very
thorough camouflage, you cant
see much in the way of new
sheetmetal. Still, Jeeps trade-
mark 6-bar grille is visible behind
the mesh in front. And those
fender arches are more rounded
compared to the current Chero-
kees. Minor changes in the front
end include a flat bumper face,
driving lights embedded on each
side of the bumper and a smaller
headlight/parking light compos-
ite. At the rear, the hatch assumes
a more upright position, affording
more space for cargoand possi-
bly a third row of passengers.
BY JIM DUNNE
DETROIT SPY REPORT
2005 Volkswagen
Touareg
Partly in response to re-
quests largely from the huge
base of buyers in North
America, Volkswagen is
planning a longer-wheelbase
version of the Touareg SUV.
Stretched about 8 in., the bigger
truck will have room for a third
row of seats. This also may be
a reaction to plans at rival Mer-
cedes-Benz to introduce a simi-
larly stretched M-Class that
will accommodate six or seven
BY MIKE ALLEN
EUROPE SPY REPORT
52 (Please turn to page 66) PHOTOS BY JIM DUNNE (DETROIT SPY), HIDDEN IMAGE (VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG)
that
70s CAR
that
70s CAR
Part II of II
Restoring a Vintage Automobile from a Celebrated Decade!
Presented by
Adver t i sement
Adver t i sement
The way we remember
the Seventies, and we were there, it was all about
nding yourself and personal expression and letting it
all hang out. When it came to clothes, that meant
striped bell-bottoms, leather vests and platform
shoes. When it came to hair, the shaggier the better.
When it came to music, Heavy Metal eight-track
tapes played so loud the speaker cones cracked.
When it came to transportation, you were supposed to
personalize your new musclecar with aftermarket
performance bolt-ons. Aftermarket aggrandizement,
the car magazines called it.
The Cuda 440 weve been working on is the
perfect example of what the Seventies were all about.
Last month we took it from rusty hulk to fully-painted
rolling chassis, awaiting only the mechanical parts
to make it go. This month were adding
the rebuilt engine and drivetrain,
suspension, tires and interior
to complete a running, driv-
ing personalized muscle-
car that would have been
the height of fashion in
1971. Its sooo Seventies!
The rst thing any self-respecting
musclecar buyer did was remove the factory air-
cleaner, carburetor, intake and exhaust manifolds
and throw them in the trash. This voided the warranty,
of course, but who cared about that. We were young
and strong and living on the edge!
Then you replaced these factory bits with aftermarket
parts that delivered much higher performance. Or at
least, with parts that you hoped would deliver much
higher performance!
Most musclecars also came with idiot lights, so back
then we all added a set of aftermarket gauges.
As soon as the OE tires wore out we immediately
installed high-performance tires that gave a much
better grip than the cheap factory rim protectors.
In the Seventies, there was no such thing as a
completely stock musclecar. We restored our Cuda
to the way we would have modied it for ourselves if
wed bought it new in 1971. Our Cuda is not exactly a
hot-rod, but its not 100 percent factory stock, either.
It is faithful to the way car guys personalized their
musclecars in the Seventies.
CUDA 440
CUDA 440
Resto-Rod
Resto-Rod
That Seventies Car!
The Way We Were
That Seventies Car!
The Way We Were
That
seventies look
That
seventies look
YOU CANT PROTECT IT. BUT NOW YOU CAN FIX IT,
with new Scratch-Fix 2in1
TM
by Dupli-Color
. Now
repairing a chip or scratch on your car is as easy
as using a pen. The new
Scratch-Fix 2in1
TM
features
two applicators that make it
easier to use and control. The new Roller Ball pen tip
is perfect for ne chips and scratches. The other end
TM
brush
or broad stroke use. Scratch-Fix 2in1
TM

is Perfect Factory Match paint, and is
available for most domestic and import
cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs.
Call 800-247-3270 or go to
duplicolor.com to nd your
color, and a retailer near you.
2004 Dupli-Color Products Company
TM
tube and a Premium Touch-Up
the tube (up to $5.99 retail) back by mail-in rebate. The kit contains Primer,
Clear Coat, sanding pad, sanding discs, Premium Glazing & Spot Putty,
Ultra Finishing Compound and step-by-step instruction book.
Actually, our Cuda came out a little better than we
remembered, because the technology of tires, brakes and
shock absorbers has come a long way in three decades.
Best of all, from a purists point of view, none of our bolt-
on modifications required cutting the car, so it can
always be returned to factory stock.
We rebuilt the mighty 440 cubic inch big block Chrysler
Wedge V-8 with 9.5:1 compression ratio heads and a
High-Energy camshaft. We reinstalled it in our Cuda
with new engine mounts, then added Hooker headers,
an Edelbrock Performer RPM 440 aluminum intake
manifold and 750 cfm Holley High-Performance
carburetor that we converted to electric choke. To dress
up the engine compartment, we added a set of Mopar
Performance chrome valve covers.
The Edelbrock manifold is taller than the stock intake
manifold. It raised the carburetor so high the stock
air-cleaner would no longer t under the hood. A low-
rise, low-restriction chrome air cleaner just like those we
used in the Seventies solved that problem just as it did
thirty years ago.
From the headers, we ran dual
2 inch aluminized exhaust
pipes and mufers that are very
close copies of the factory exhaust
fitted to big-block Cudas. We
finished up the exhaust with
reproduction wide oval chrome
exhaust tips from Year One.
A Wix Racing lter is more important than you might
think, because a huge V-8 like our 440 Wedge circulates
a lot of oil at high pressure. The Wix Racing 51515R
filter on our Cuda cleans the oil of all contaminant
particles larger than 25 microns, plus a high percentage
of smaller particles. It can withstand a burst pressure
of 500 psi and restricts oil ow by less than 2 psi at 4
gpm. Special nitrile high-temperature gaskets prevent oil
leaks under tough conditions.
A new coil, new distributor and high-performance spark-
plug wires completed the engine. A new under-hood
insulation pad, a new reproduction Mopar battery, new
steering box, new power brake booster and new master
cylinder nished up under the hood.
Actron Manufacturing
For over forty years, Cleveland-based Actron Manufacturing has supplied Do-It-Yourselfers
with professional-quality testing and measuring equipment. Their current line includes
high-tech multi-meters, timing lights and OBD II scanners.
We installed a set of Actron SunPro gauges above the console of our Cuda. We also used
an Actron Chrome Timing Advance Analyzer to check the ignition timing and distributor
advance on our Chrysler V-8.
For later model cars that have OBD I and OBD II onboard diagnostic computers, Actron
makes the Super AutoScanner CP9145. This is a hand-held scan tool that retrieves
and reads diagnostic trouble codes from all OBD II compliant passenger cars, light
trucks and SUVs sold in the U.S. since 1996. Optional cables allow you to retrieve and
read codes from Ford and General Motors cars built as early as 1984 and from Chrysler
products built as early as 1989.
The mighty wedge
The mighty wedge
Under the hood
Under the hood
Adver t i sement
Wix racing oil lter
Wix racing oil lter
f
866-567-7226 (866-567-SCAN) www.autoscanner.com/pm
Actron AutoScanner available at Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Murrays, NAPA, Pep Boys, Sears,
Strauss Discount Auto, J.C. Whitney, and other fine automotive supply stores.
$169
99
msrp
starting at
Yourcar is trying to tell you something.
Actron speaks its language.
Actron AutoScanners
TM
unlock the information stored in your
cars computer. The tools large screen clearly displays the
problems trouble code and its description. Actrons AutoScanners
are easily upgradeable, so youll be able to diagnose and repair your
future cars, too. Whenever your check engine light is on, AutoScanner
will pinpoint the problem so you can fix it fast and be on your way.
No matter how careful we are, we always seem to make
a scratch or two in the paint under the hood while
were working around the engine. Weve found Duplicolor
Scratch Fix 2 in 1 is perfect for filling these tiny
scratches without making a mess. Duplicolors ball point
applicator applies an appropriately tiny amount of paint.
Its very clever and convenient.
We used a cool new tool to set the timing on our big
block V-8. Made by Actron Manufacturing, the Chrome
Timing Advance Analyzer uses a linear Xenon ash tube
with Fresnel lens for the most accurate beam possible.
The inductive pickup clamps over the sparkplug wire
without damage.
The Actron Analyzer mea-
sures ignition timing, vac-
uum advance, centrifugal
advance and computer
advance on a adjustable
dial that displays direct
degrees. We found it
quick, easy and accurate.
We completely overhauled our Chrysler A 727 3-speed
automatic, which was in pretty bad shape, and bolted it
in behind the rebuilt V-8 with a new high stall-speed
torque converter. We replaced the worn ring and pinion in
the rear axle with a new 3.55:1 Sure-Grip unit, then
replaced the worn-out factory axle shafts with new high-
strength racing axle shafts from Moser Engineering.
We hung the completed rear axle on new leaf springs,
then installed KYB high-performance shock absorbers
rather than wimpy stock replacement shocks. The stock
Chrysler rear anti-sway bar on these E-body Chryslers is a
really Mickey Mouse bit of engineering, with long links to
lower the bar beneath the fuel tank.
Addco makes an aftermarket anti-sway bar that mounts
in a conventional way to the frame rails in front of
the axle. We called Shelly at Addco, and she efciently
overnighted us a 7/8th inch rear bar with urethane
bushings.
We kept the front suspension stock, except for KYB
shock absorbers and 1 1/8th inch Addco anti-sway bar.
Of course, we totally rebuilt the steering and suspension.
BF Goodrich
What can you say about BF Goodrich? This huge tire and rubber company has one of the most recognizable
names in the world and produces a wide range of automotive, aircraft, manufacturing and consumer products.
Passenger car tires are just the tip of the iceberg.
For our 1971 Cuda 440, we wanted modern high-performance tires that maintain That Seventies
Look. BF Goodrichs Radial T/A has one smooth black sidewall and classic raised white letters on
the other sidewall. It also has a tread pattern thats very similar to the familiar tread pattern of
Radial T/As that were popular in the musclecar era.
But todays Radial T/A is a modern metric-sized performance tire, SR rated for sustained 112
mph cruising and M+S rated for superior performance on wet or snowy roads. Radial T/As
were the perfect choice for That Seventies Car, a hard-to-find mix of classic styling and
modern performance.
Duplicolor touch-up
Duplicolor touch-up
Actron
Timing Analyzer
Actron
Timing Analyzer
Drivetrain
Drivetrain
Suspension
Suspension
Adver t i sement
WIX
Filters are the number one lters in the NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch Grand National, and Craftsman Truck series. And
theyre the best performers on the road. In fact, WIX Filters trap 45% more dirt and last up to 30% longer than the leading
national brand.*** Your engines always on the line, so trust the lter preferred by professionals. WIX. The #1 Filter in NASCAR.
*
* Based on lter usage among top ve race nishers in these
respective NASCAR series.
** From official NASCAR product verication forms. Results are
based upon combined oil and air lter top ve nishes.
*** Based on SAE test HSJ806 of street-application lters.
Stainless Steel Brake Company
makes disc brake kits for most
musclecars. For the rear of our
Cuda, we used one of their disc
brake conversion kits, which
includes everything needed to
change from the old Chrysler
drum brakes to state-of-the-art
disc brakes. It even includes
emergency brakes that work
with the stock cables.
In 1971, Chrysler pony cars
could be ordered with either
front drum brakes or disc
brakes. At the time, a lot of
drag racers were convinced that
the slight drag of caliper pads
on the rotating brake discs
hurt their quarter-mile times,
so they preferred drum brakes.
Our Cuda had stock front discs that were seriously
worn out. Rather than rebuild them, we ordered a
conversion kit from Stainless Steel Brake that allows you
to install modern four-piston calipers and larger rotors
instead of Chryslers old-fashioned single-piston calipers
and stock rotors.
What SSBC failed to tell us was that the four-piston
caliper kit is designed to work with drum brake
front-wheel spindles that are different from disc brake
front-wheel spindles. Imagine our surprise when we
couldnt mount the calipers!
We made an emergency call to Mark and Brian at Formel
Motor Company, one of the largest wrecking yards in
New England. They went out in bitterly cold weather
and moved sixteen cars out of a snowbank in order to get
to a junked drum-brake Barracuda. They cut the front
quarters right off so we could have the spindles
that afternoon. With the correct spindles, the front
suspension went back together, this time with new four-
piston disc brakes.
Barracudas and Challengers were available with the same
wheel options offered on the larger Chrysler B-body cars.
You could have painted steel wheels with hubcaps,
stamped steel Rallye Wheels with brushed aluminum
trim rings or Magnum 500 wheels that were used on
many Ford and Chrysler performance cars from 1967 on.
No choice here. We wanted the cool chrome Magnum
500 wheels. Once again, Chrysler bafed us. In 1967
and 68, Chrysler used fully-chromed Magnums. This is
good. From 69 on, Chrysler specied a Magnum wheel
with a chrome center section, painted rim and brushed
aluminum trim ring. Not so good.
This change must have saved Chrysler a dollar a wheel
or something, but these later Magnum wheels look
seriously dorky. The question we had to ask ourselves
is, Trim rings or no trim rings? The obvious answer,
No dorky trim rings!
Adver t i sement
Wheels
Wheels
Brakes
Brakes
g
VECTOR
continues to lead the
way in portable power
products. Recogni zed as
innovators in new technology,
Vector offers the most complete line of
Smart 12V Battery Chargers, Portable
Vehicle Jumpstarters, Rechargeable Spotlights and
Flashlights, DC to AC Power Inverters, Thermoelectric
12 Volt Car Console Coolers, Polishers, Sanders, and
12 Volt Air Compressors. Designed to meet exact
specifications for safety and durability. Visit our website:
www.vectormfg.com for the retailer nearest you.
Toll Free: 866-584-5504 2004 VECTOR MANUFACTURING, Ltd.
QUALITY INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY
Our choice of tires was easy. Thirty years ago, BF
Goodrich Radial T/A tires with raised white letters were
the hot set-up on any performance street machine.
BF Goodrich still makes the Radial T/A, still with those
distinctive V-shaped tread blocks, but with modern
rubber compound and improved radial construction.
When our Cuda was new, it came with F60-15 tires on
15x7 inch rims. In modern metric sizing, thats roughly
equivalent to a P235/60SR-15. You can t up to a 255
section tire on a 7 inch rim, but not only do you create
fender clearance problems, the overly-bulging
sidewalls just dont look right. Our BF Goodrich Radial
T/As look perfect!
Except for a few trim pieces that were thankfully
available as New-Old-Stock, our Cudas carefully-stored
original interior was remarkably useable. We installed
new black carpets, a new repro headliner and the stock
seats, dash and center console. Year One even had repro
woodgrain inserts for the center console and a set of
oor mats embroidered with Cuda in yellow to match
our I Am Curious Yellow paint job.
Our nal touch was a set of SunPro gauges that we
mounted over the console, just like we would have in
1971. These white on black instrumentsoil pressure,
water temperature and voltagehave a choice of black
or bold chrome trim rings, a sturdy chrome mounting
bracket and all the necessary wiring. Very cool!
We laid a reproduction oor mat in the trunk before
storing the original jack in the left side. Instead of the
plain steel spare our car originally carried, we added a
fth chrome Magnum wheel with BF Goodrich Radial
T/A tire.
We used Eagle One All Wheel and Tire Cleaner to scrub
off that blue protective coating BF Goodrich puts on its
white letter sidewalls. Not only did it reveal brilliant
white letters, it gave the black rubber of the sidewall a
perfect and even matte nish.
Our Cudas mostly original black vinyl interior was
understandably dull and dusty-looking after three
decades of oxidation. Using Eagle One Protectant
Detailer, we were able to restore gloss to the vinyl
and bring the color to an even hue. The transformation
is remarkable.
Our final step was
waxing our new I
Am Curious Yellow
paint job and black
vinyl billboards with
Eagle One NanoWax.
NanoWax contains
polishing agents
with much smaller
particles than those
in traditional car
waxes. These micro-
scopic particles fill
and smooth the paint surface. It really works! On our
Cuda, NanoWax brought up an unbelievable shine.
Eagle One
Eagle One makes a great variety of car care products, many of which we used on That Seventies Car.
We constantly clean up with Eagle One 20/20 Auto Glass Cleaner, an ammonia-free spray thats safe
for tinted windows and smear-free on chrome. Eagle One Protectant Detailer did an
absolutely incredible job of restoring our original vinyl interior to look like factory new.
Weve also just discovered Eagle One NanoWax. This is a high-tech wax that uses nano technology
(nano means one-billionth of a meter) to polish your car with sub-microscopic particles that
conceal swirl marks and hairline scratches while microscopic particles of carnauba wax coat your
paint with a high-gloss protective nish. It really works!
Our favorite Eagle One product remains Wipe & Shine, a fast detailing spray. It removes greasy
ngerprints, dust, dirt and even paint overspray. Good stuff!
Adver t i sement
Tires
Tires
Interiors and trunk
Interiors and trunk
The perfect nish
The perfect nish
k
k
CHEM8T8. CAR BUFF8.
PUT THEM TOGETHER AND TH8
8 THE WAX YOU GET.
Introducing EagIe One's NanoWax
"
, the
most technoIogicaIIy advanced wax.
Created using nanotechnoIogy, it's abIe to
II ne scratches better than traditionaI
waxes. It aIso provides an amazing shine
and Ieaves no wax residue. And as an
added bonus, a micro-ber cIoth
comes free with every bottIe.
Never A Dull Moment
lllustration: Nano-sized particles fll fne scratches and
conceal swirl marks better than traditional waxes.
For i nf or mat i on on anoWax, vi si t www. eagl eone. com
Yes, we know the front fenders of our 440 Cuda should
have embossed gills with chrome trim. We were
never able to come up with an NOS pair. We were
offered gill patches to cut and weld into our new
Barracuda fenders, but that seems unnecessarily crude.
Plus, to be honest, we never liked the look of those
extraneous gills, anyway. Talk about tacky!
We also werent able to nd a set of the narrow 3/4
inch rocker moldings that came on 71 Cudas. We like
the look of the car better without the moldings, and
were still not convinced that every last Cuda had them
when it left Dodge Main in Hamtramck, Michigan.
Our very last step was to charge our new Mopar repro
battery before connecting it. We have a heavy-
duty Vector Smart Battery Charger, Model VEC 1090A.
Compared to a conventional battery charger, Vectors
Smart is twice as fast at charging, safer and more
efcient.
Well, its doneas far as any musclecar is ever done.
Hood pins were a popular option on Cudas, so we
could add those for a racier look. We havent found
a supplier for E-body frame connectors, but stiffening
our Cudas unibody would have to be a good thing.
Nitrous-injection might be fun! At which point, a
rollbar and racing seats with four-point belts would
be in order.
No matter what we decide to change, our Cuda 440 is
already a blast to drive. The Ram Air hood roars, the
differential howls, the exhaust booms...and you leave
two perfect black stripes on the pavement for as long
as you can stand it! Theres a reason musclecars were
so cool thirty years ago, and remain cool today.
Theres just something about That Seventies Car...
Adver t i sement
Its done!
Its done!
Its fun!
Its fun!
Vector
smart charger
Vector
smart charger
Disclaimer for
mopar fanatics only
Disclaimer for
mopar fanatics only
Visit our Sponsors Web Sites:
www.autoscanner.com/pm www.bfgoodrichtires.com www.duplicolor.com www.eagleone.com
www.vectormfg.com www.wixlters.com www.RestoreUSA.com
98052-CC2R1 98052-E27502
Name ______________________________________________
Address______________________________________________
City __________________________________State __________
Zip ____________Telephone __________________________
Actual length of
replica 7.5
RESERVATI ON FORM
Farmall, McCormick, IH and International Harvester are Trademarks of CASE, LLC.
Farm FriendshipsBuilt to Endure.
A First-Ever Die-Cast
Replica Celebrates
International
Harvesters
Centennial
Year
YES! Please reserve the A Century of

Helping the Farmer replica for me. I need SEND
NO MONEY NOW. I will pay for my replica in two
equal installments of $29.95 each, the first to be
paid prior to shipment. My satisfaction is
completely guaranteed.
365-Day Guarantee. The Best in the Business.
* Plus a total of $6.95 for shipping & handling. Illinois residents
add state sales tax. Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipment.
T
he International Harvester companies have been known
for quality, dependability and honest value for nearly 100
years. Through the seasons and across generations, the
International Harvester name has been a friend to Americas
farmers. Its no wonder that the name has become an
American iconan enduring symbol of timeless small town
tradition. Now, a new die-cast replica honors the proud
traditions of the International Harvester companies and
celebrates the 100th anniversary of International Harvester.
Handcrafted in 1:25
scale by Ertl
, #1
in die-cast farm
col l ect i bl es
for over
50 yearsthis quality replica is fully detailed with authentic
logos and features a chrome-finished grille, engraved
headlights, rubber tires, operable doors and more. Drop the
tailgate and a cargo of service equipment is ready to
unloadhandcrafted mechanics tool box and oil can, plus
two Farmall H tractor replacement tires and rims.
Officially licensed by the Case Corporation and complete
with a Certificate of Authenticity and informative full color
collectible booklet, this Hamilton Authenticated replica
celebrates a century old tradition of farm-town friendships.
Order A Century of
Helping the
Farmer today.
o
occupants. This VW
prototype, caught
cold-weather testing
in Scandinavia, looks
pretty complete, so it
might appear here as
early as fall. We have
no word on the tim-
ing of that Mercedes-
Benz, however.
2006 Porsche 911
Despite recent intro-
ductions and rumors of different
kinds of vehicles, Porsche con-
tinues to refine its core product,
the 911 series sports cars. Shown
here is an undis-
guised 2006 model,
known internally as
the 997. Scheduled
to replace the current
996-based 911, the
997 returns to earlier
rounded headlights
after a flirtation with
oval lamps. Even
though the 997 Turbo
should be available
as a 2006 model,
keep in mind that
the Swabian auto-
maker pays little attention to
traditional model-year introduc-
tions. Displacement of the tradi-
tional flat Six boxer engine
will be boosted to
3.8 liters, producing
a healthy 350 hp.
2005 Land Rover
Discovery
Clearly influenced
by the Range Rovers
styling, the Land
Rover has aban-
doned its distinctive
2-plane roof and
theater-style rear
seating to give the
Discovery replace-
ment a sleeker look.
And in a nod to
civility, the spare tire has migrat-
ed from the tailgate to beneath
the floor. With slightly more
length, but shorter height and
narrower width than the previous
version, the 2005 Discovery is
based on an all-new platform
with suspension derived from the
Range Rover. Seating is for seven,
and engines include a 250-hp 4.0-
liter V6 and a 270-hp 4.2-liter V8.
2005 BMW
7 Series
The father of the cur-
rent controversial
styling at BMW,
Chris Bangle, has
recently been pro-
moted up and out of
the day-to-day busi-
ness of designing
new cars. However,
before he took on
his new job, he over-
saw the redesign of
the Munich-based
carmakers big sedan. The new
7 Series has the same distinct
decklid as the current model, but
its nose is considerably different
with new headlights
and a much more
rounded BMW twin-
kidney grille. The
rear fascia is also
softened. Insiders
say the 2005 model
will see upgrades
to the engine selec-
tions, with the cur-
rent 4.4-liter V8
getting punched out
to 4.8 liters and mak-
ing nearly 400 hp,
and an upgraded
6.0-liter V12 arriving
soon after. 1
PORSCHE 911
BMW 7 SERIES
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY
66 MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS.COM PHOTOS BY HIDDEN IMAGE (PORSCHE 911 AND LAND ROVER DISCOVERY), BRENDA PRIDDY (BMW7 SERIES)
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o
Now Thats A Hot Rod
A
All of my car-owning buddies
used to kid me because I never
had a real hot rod. Well, a little
over a year ago, a guy named
Randy Grubb showed up at
my garage. He was hauling a
trailer with a car on it that he
and a pal of his, Mike Leeds,
had built. Unfortunately, the
car had no rear brakes, head-
lights or turn signals and was
far from road legal. However, it
did have a 190-in. wheelbase
and an engine from an M-47
Patton tank. Naturally, it got
my attention.
So I handed over shopping
bags full of $20 bills and the
car was mine. And, it stopped
all of that no-hot-rod nonsense
I was hearingin a hurry.
Enter Bernard Juchli, foreman
of the Jay Leno More-Money-
Than-Brains Garage. Bernard
has built numerous race-win-
ning cars and worked on many
projects over the years. He took
one look at this project and
said, Just shoot me now.
As if getting this car road-
worthy werent already enough
of a challenge, we soon had to
replace the engine because
somebody had opted to use
radiator hose as an oil line.
There I am, going down the
freeway for the first time. I put
my foot into it and ! boom
That 90 psi of oil pressure
was too much for the radiator
hose and all 16 gal.thats
right, 64 quartsof oil was
gone in less than 10 seconds.
That was the end of that.
This engine is an AV-1790-
5B and its 1792 cu. in. It has
overhead cams and Hemi
heads. Since it was designed
to move a tank, it puts out
810 hp and makes 1560 ft.-lb.
of torque. But you cant just
hit the local neighborhood
NAPA store for replacement
parts on one of these. Fortu-
nately, a fellow by the name of
Roy Smith has a surplus com-
pany in Augusta, Ga., and he
has piles of them sitting there.
He probably bought them for
5 cents on the dollar, but thats
fine with me. There are guys
who just save things, sort of
like monks of the Middle Ages.
They look at something and
say, Someone put too much
work into this piece of machin-
ery to just throw it away.
Remember, this motor was
used in a tank that weighed
92,883 poundsempty. Fully
armed, the tank weighed
101,775 pounds. With 233 gal.
of 80-octane fuel in its tank,
Never one to go partway, Leno
decided to give himself a 16-ft.-
long, air-cooled, 800-hp-plus rod.
BY JAY LENO
JAY LENOS GARAGE
68 (Please turn to page 70) PHOTOS BY JOHN LAMM
o
70 MAY 2004
the Patton would travel about
80 miles. Thats about one-third
of a mile per gallon. The engine
was originally built under li-
cense by Chrysler, and cost the
government $110,000 in 1953.
Today, a complete rebuild would
cost $4500. Hows that for re-
using the nations tax dollars?
With the engine handled, we
turned our attention to getting all
of that power down to the ground.
So we replaced the transmission.
The one in the car
came out of a Grey-
hound bus. It had
about 200,000 miles
on it, and it was slip-
ping continuously.
So I called my friend
Dave Killackey at
Performance Allison
Transmissions in
Azuza, Calif., who pro-
nounced, Theres only
one transmission that
could do that job:
the Allison HD4060
6-speed. We got one
from GM Powertrain.
I wanted the transmis-
sion geared so that when the en-
gine was running at 800 to 900
rpm, the car would be moving
about 80 mph. This is an Ameri-
can car, powered by an American
tank engine, and the power is be-
ing put to the ground by an Ameri-
can transmission, by Allison.
I called the folks at Allison
and told them my needs. They,
of course, asked, What vehicle
is this for? When I said it was
for a car with an engine from a
Patton tank, I was put on hold.
I really thought that would be
the end of it. But, no, they came
back and they were very excited.
These people are engineers and
they love projectsespecially
hot-rod projects. We took the
car over to General Motors Prov-
ing Ground in Arizona to get it
specially calibrated. Steve Spur-
lin, from Allison, knew just what
to do. When were through with
it, he told me in serious truck-
engineerspeak, it will easily
handle your duty cycle.
We added, among other
things, rear brakes with vacuum
boosters front and back, a new
starter motor, an entire new elec-
trical system, rear springs and
an electric pre-oiler pump. We
even added a Ki-Gas system
like many supercharged cars
useto inject raw fuel and
prime the motor before starting.
And we have mufflers, so were
socially responsible.
This isnt a car that when you
take it apart and drop something
you hear . You hear, ! bink Clunk
Bang! The engine alone weighs
2100 pounds. The car weighs
9500 poundsnearly 5 tons, but
only one-twentieth of what the
tank weighed. This thing is
faaasssttt. Best of all, its hilari-
ous to drive. The size is whats
the funniest. The engine alone
is 6 ft. long. The car looks like
a roadster on steroids. When
Arnold was on The Tonight
Show, I brought it in to show
him. I said, Its the Terminator
car. He loved it.
Since the engine is air-cooled
with huge fins and cam-driven
fans, its like driving with your
face in a hair dryer. On the cold-
est day of the year, Im driving
around with short sleeves. Peo-
ple think, Wow, what a macho
guy. But really, macho or not,
I have a 100 breeze in my face
even if its 30 below.
This is the only car Ive ever
had with an engine that can actu-
ally overcome the brakes. You
put your foot on the
brakes as hard as you
can and hit the gas,
and it still pulls. Its
ridiculous how much
torque there is. We
had to reinforce the
frame because it was
twisting like a coat
hanger. We installed
a Rockwell 3.78:1 air-
locker rear end, like
youd use on a huge
dumptruck. It costs
$4200 and its made
of unbreakabillium.
With it, we can really
light up the tires,
which travel 11 ft. per rotation.
I have aircraft-engine cars, of
course, like my Phantom II Rolls
with a Merlin V12 from a Spitfire
fighter plane, but this is my first
tank-engine car. Were branching
out. Truth is, this is not that dif-
ferent from an airplane engine.
Except that they didnt make a
whole lot of gasoline engines
for military tanks. The first time
someone hit one with a grenade,
the Army brass went, Oh. So
tanks went diesel. The Army
doesnt use Patton tanks any-
more, but Im using up those old
engines. And now the Army has
heard about my car. They want
me to race it against their tank
at Fort Irwin, Calif. My strategy is
simple: Just stay out of the way of
that gun turret and Ill be fine. 1
If an engine is strong enough to move a tank, Leno figures its okay.
72 MAY 2004
2. Just Do It
If you need to fix anything around
the house, Popular Mechanics Com-
plete Home How-To is the gold stand-
ard reference on the subject. One of
the most complete and up-to-date
DIY guides ever published, the 528-
page book covers every area of
concern to house and apartment
owners. Subjects include decorating,
repairs and improvement, security,
electricity, plumbing and tools. The
book, published by Hearst/Sterling,
sells for $24.95 in bookstores. Con-
tact Hearst/Sterling at 800-367-9692;
www.sterlingpub.com.
1. MotoVoom
Motorolas newest accessory is the
V600, a sleek, attractive flip phone
with Bluetooth wireless capability.
The phone includes a camera, Multi-
media Messaging Service and al-
ways-on Internet access. Not only
can you take images, but you can
also record video clips and then
play them on the phone. Throw in
the HS810 Bluetooth Headset and
you are good to go. Also included is
a choice of metal covers. The V600
retails for $299 and the HS810 goes
for $119.99. For more information,
visit www.motorola.com.
2
1
From fun to functional, here are the newest, coolest gadgets
and gear on the planet.
EDITED BY CLIFF GROMER
3
MAY 2004
4. Free Poster
Here is one great poster. It shows
100 of POPULAR MECHANICSs best cov-
ers, one from each of the first 100
years of PMs existence. It measures
11 x 17 in. and is suitable for framing.
And its free. To receive a poster,
simply send PM a self-addressed
stamped envelope measuring at
least 8.5 x 11 in. You can request up
to five copies. The supply is limited,
and when theyre gone, theyre
gone. Mail your envelope to: Free
Poster, Popular Mechanics, 810
Seventh Ave., 6th Floor, New York,
NY 10019.
4
3. Water Scooter
Yamaha ups the performance of its
flagship WaveRunner with the FX
High Output. A new 4-stroke engine
cranks out 160 ponies. The power is
put to the water via a new, more effi-
cient pump that increases stream
velocity and thrust while decreasing
cavitation and prop spin. The new
Runner, at 772 pounds, is lighter than
the previous model, thanks to its high-
tech SMC hull. Yamaha claims best-
in-class power-to-weight ratio for
the FX. The WaveRunner is at Yamaha
dealers for just under $10,000. Go to
www.yamaha-motor.com.
5. Compound Interest
When you shop for a compound
miter saw, put Hitachis 10-in. C10FSB
on your list. The 43-pound saw is
equipped with a 10-in. blade and cuts
45 on the left and 57 on the right.
Its bevel capacity, left and right, is 45.
The saw has plenty of thoughtful de-
sign features, such as a swing-out
fence that increases the stability of
long workpieces and allows easy
access to the motor brush. The saw
is available at hardware stores and
home centers. Contact Hitachi, 3950
Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross, GA
30093; www.hitachi.com/powertools.
The Way The
World Works.
For 100 Years.
2002 HEARST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
5
From fun to functional, here are the newest, coolest gadgets
and gear on the planet.
EDITED BY CLIFF GROMER
Zipperfree
Reducing a tent to the bare minimum, the Vela featherweight solo tent
replaces the traditional entrance zipper with a slide system. The entrance
opens and closes by sliding up and along Velas one and only pole. Setup
takes 1 minute. Just slide the pole through
the sleeve and secure it. The inner canopy
is already attached. The Vela weighs
under 3 pounds and costs $189 at
outdoor and sporting goods
outlets. Call Exped at
888-609-7187.
Or go to www
.exped.com.
Fun Box
If you like to sleep with your toys, check out the new GearBOX LSV (Lifestyle
Support Vehicle). It is a towable trailer with a fold-down ramp door that will
haul your toys (ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc.) to remote locations and
give you all the comforts of a nicely equipped RV. Theres a full-function galley,
queen-size sleeper and bathroom with a stand-up shower. A variety of sizes
and floor plans are available. The trailers start at $24,000 at Fleetwood RV deal-
ers. Contact Fleetwood Enterprises at 909-351-3500; www.fleetwoodrv.com.
Branch Office
For light-duty work or small jobs such as removing a single branch, its pretty
hard to beat electric tools for fast and efficient work. Thats why we like the
Homelite 18-volt cordless pruning kit. In it you have a 10-in. chain saw, an
18-in. hedge trimmer, and a telescoping pole pruner with a 5-in. blade that
reaches up to about 5 ft. You get all three with two
batteries and the recharger for $180. The kit is sold
at The Home Depot. Contact Homelite Consumer
Products, 1428 Pearman Dairy Rd., Ander-
son, SC 29625; 800-242-4672;
www.homelite.com.
(Please turn to page 76)
Putt Out
One sound you
wont hear is putt-
putt with the new
Briggs & Stratton
outboard. Thats
because the 3-hp
motor is electric
powered. Something
else you wont find is a
high price tag. At $1798
for the tiller version and
$1898 for the remote
model, the 68-pound
motor delivers a maximum
thrust of 150 pounds and
75 pounds in cruise mode. The
48-volt power system delivers over
2 hours of run time at cruise, up to
7 hours at trolling speeds. The motor
is available at select marine dealers
and Briggs & Stratton dealers. Contact
Briggs & Stratton at 920-674-4213;
www.briggspowerproducts.com.
Daring Duo
One small step for Sony, one giant
step for digital warriors everywhere.
If you love your Memory Stickthe
Sony media for use in digital devices
such as cellphones, digital cameras
and digital audio playersyoull go
gaga over
the new
Memory
Stick PRO
Duo
Media.
About
one-third
the size and half the weight of a
regular Memory Stick, the PRO Duo
Media is perfect for the digital war-
rior always on the run. You get all
the same utility of the full-size me-
dia including MagicGate copyright
protection. It is available in 256MB
and 512MB capacities and can trans-
fer data at 20MB per secondfast
enough to support high-resolution
video recording. It retails for $125
(256MB) and $300 (512MB). Visit
www.sony.com.
MAY 2004
For Motor Assembly
And So Much More!
Lubriplate No. 105
Motor Assembly Grease
Still The Best For Motor Assembly
The original prelube for installed engine parts.
Prevents Dry Start, provides lubrication during initial start up.
Prevents rust and corrosion on freshly machined engine parts.
Countless Other Automotive Uses
Excellent for transmission rebuilding and assembly.
The original white grease for hinges, latches and locks.
Ideal for power seat mechanisms, tracks and slides.
Transmission
Assembly
Hood & Trunk
Hinges
Throttle Linkages
& Cables
Door Hinges
& Locks
Lubricants
Lubriplate Div. / Fiske Brothers Refining Co.

Newark, NJ 07105 / Toledo, OH 43605
1.800.733.4755 / www.lubriplate.com
Hood Latches
Available at
A Must Have For Every Tool Box!
Lawndry Bag
Spring is an ideal time to seed bare ground, but crabgrass
can get a foothold before the grass even starts. Now you
can prevent crabgrass while hastening seed growth with
Scotts Starter Fertilizer plus Crabgrass Preventera prod-
uct that can be used on bare ground or when seeding an
existing lawn. The 18-23-4 blend (nitrogen, phosphate and
potash, respectively)
comes in a 22-pound
bagenough to feed
and treat 5000 sq. ft.
Scotts says it prevents
crabgrass, barnyard grass
and foxtail with its 3.1
percent content of a her-
bicide called Siduron. It
costs about $36 at hard-
ware stores, home centers
and garden centers. Con-
tact Scotts, 14111 Scotts-
lawn Rd., Marysville, OH
43041; 800-543-8873;
www.scottslawn.com.
Doozer Of A Cruiser
Formula packs lots of features into its new 34 PC Perform-
ance Cruiser. The U-shaped lounge accommodates the
entire crew for intimate entertainment. A design-inte-
grated wet bar is always within convenient reach, and
16 cupholders means theres no need to share your drink.
The spacious cabin offers up to 6 ft. 8 in. of headroom.
Youll also find a full galley, a 20-in. flat-screen TV and
room to sleep six. The offshore cruiser is available with
sterndrive I/O or V-drive inboard with power ranging
from 300 to 375 hp. Prices start at $238,600 with Mer-
cruiser Twin 350 MAG MPI Bravo Three power. Contact
Formula Boats at 260-724-9111; www.formulaboats.com.
Save up to $60 on the Sunlight Lamp!
CLEARER, , EASY ON THE EYES BRIGHTER NATURAL LIGHT
FOR READING, WORK, AND HOBBIES
COLORS LOOK MORE VIVID AND TRUE TO LIFE
SHARP VISIBILITY FOR DETAILS
HELPS REDUCE EYESTRAIN
So much like sunshine it feels like youre on vacation!
The Bell & Howell Sunlight Lamp could be the most important advance in lamps
since the invention of the light bulb! It simulates outdoor sunlight, which is balanced
across the entire spectrum of color visible to the human eye.
Everything seems easier to see
This is the clearest, whitest, and brightest lamp we have found. Colors look more vivid and true to life.
Its the perfect light for reading, working and all close up tasks and hobbies. There is virtually no glare,
making this the perfect companion light for computer work.
Save $$$ on your electric bills!
The supplied high-tech 27-watt bulb gives as much light as an ordinary 150-watt bulb, but uses far less
energy. The bulb can last up to 5000 hours - 5 times longer than other bulbsfor years of normal use.
Weve nicknamed our Sunlight Lamp the Its great to be alive lamp!
Many people say that dreary, dark days make them feel blue and that bright sunny days have a cheerful
and energetic effect. Now you can switch on the sunlight indoors every day of the year!
A word about this unheard of price
This lamp features the state-of-the-art performance you expect from the well-respected
Bell & Howell name. We have a special arrangement to offer it to you at an unbelievably
low price. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Get your floor lamp home for just $17.49!
If you choose the 4-payment plan, we will ship you the floor lamp with your
first payment of $17.49 plus shipping and handling. After that well bill you
$17.49 once a month for three additional payments. 3 year warranty.
Table Lamp
Only $49.95
Call toll-free TODAY to order your Bell & Howell
Sunlight Floor Lamp while supplies last!
Fl oor Lamp ( 60. 5hi gh) : $69. 95 pl us S&H
Tabl e Lamp ( 26hi gh) : $49. 95 pl us S&H
For fastest service call toll -free
1 - 8 8 8 - 8 6 5 - 7 7 2 7
24 hours a day, 7 days a week / We accept checks by phone!
NOT AVAI LABLE I N STORES
Bell & Howell Sunlight Lamp, Dept. 2888
P.O. Box 5555 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359
To order by mail please call toll free
1-888-865-7727 for details.
NOW ONLY
$
69
95
EA
WAS
$
99
95
With ordinary lamp
h
Take A Whirl
Heres just the thing to liven up dull
office meetings or family gatherings
or to just scare the cat. The Vectron
Ultralite flying saucer lifts off and
flies without wires or tethers. Just
point the infrared controller (similar
to your TV remote unit) at the Vec-
tron, pull the trigger, and it will take
off and hover. Release the trigger
and it will land. The soft propeller will
stop if it comes in contact with your
boss or the cat. The Vectron requires
no assembly and costs about $40
at toy outlets. Contact Science Tech
at 800-637-3455.
Its A
Bird,
Its A
Plane
Yes, but what
kind of plane?
The Plane
Spotter military
aircraft identifi-
cation guide pro-
vides the answer.
The guide contains
photos, descriptions, and
spec lists that give each planes use,
branch of service, manufacturer,
speed, range and ceiling. A relative
aircraft size chart is included. The
guide costs $8. Call 520-579-2473
or visit www.planespotter.com.
MAY 2004 POPULARMECHANICS.COM
The Worlds Best Just Got Better!
performance circuitry that provides maxi-
mum laser warning
X-treme POP protectionthe most
effective counter measure to the newest
traffic monitoring technology
Order yours today. Were so confident that youll
love it, well let you test-drive it for 30 days
completely risk free!
The all new, technologically advanced Passport
8500 X50 from ESCORT. The legend lives on.
For more than 25 years ESCORT has set the
standard. Now, were raising the baragain.
Introducing the all new Passport 8500 X50
the most advanced and most sophisticated
detector ever!
The Passport 8500 X50 takes radar/laser perfor-
mance to the X-treme:
X-treme radar rangeup to 50% more
range on the all-important K and Ka bands
X-treme laser responsehigh
Introducing the all New
Passport 8500X50
N
E
W
!
2
0
0
4
E
s
c
o
r
t
I
n
c
.
Passport 8500 X50 Blue $339.95
Passport 8500 X50 Red $299.95
Plus S&H. OH residents add 6.5% sales tax
Escort Inc. 5440 West Chester Rd.
West Chester, Ohio 45069
Department 406854
DE T E C T T HE DI F F E RE NC E
www. escortradar. com
Call Toll Free 1-888-837-2678
1-888-8 ESCORT
Cut And Fun
One way to make lawn cutting more attractive is to make
the job fun. The Ariens Sport-Zoom 1232 is a 12-hp, 32-in.
riding mower with dual hydrostatic transmissions. The
machine looks like theres nothing to it, but it weighs a
bit under 500 pounds. That heftiness is due to its 1-piece
steel chassis and a 12-ga. steel deck with 7-ga. steel
spindle reinforcement. The mower costs about $2200
at Ariens dealers. For more information, contact Stens,
655 W. Ryan St., Brillion, WI 54110; www.ariens.com.
Porta-Basket
If you thought you couldnt take basketball with you be-
cause your hoop is firmly attached to your garage, think
again. Monster Basketball is a new twist on an old game
and you can pack it up and play it anywhere. The inflatable
basket goal stands 96 in. tall and is 72 in. across at the base.
Included are two balls37 in. and 24 in.and playing in-
structions. Or,
make up your
own rules. The
complete setup
weighs 64
pounds and
ships in a box
thats 41 x 25 x
9 in. Monster
Basketball costs
$1099 from
Virtual Sports,
503-363-0013.
Or visit www
.monsterbasket
ball.net.
For more info & pricing, call
Call Toll Free 888-325-5756
Or Call 818-788-4358
BAK-TALK actually talks to you. 8 Feet.....,
5 Feet....., 3 Feet....., 2 Feet....., 12 Inches.
BAK-TALK even reads objects in blind areas.
BAK-TALK fits all vehicles
Let BAK-TALK save you hundred$ in damages!
Peace of mind!
Get BAK-TALK and NEVER WORRY about backing
into ANYTHING again!
Will fit almost every kind of vehicle: cars, vans,
trucks, sport utility vehicles, buses, motorhomes,
trailers, etc.
Easy to install (installation video included) or any
auto stereo shop can install it in roughly 30 minutes
SPECIAL DISCOUNT TO ALL MEMBERS OF AARP
Are you anxious or troubled when backing up your vehicle?
Youre not alone. Over one million sold!
BAK-TALK
BAK-TALK
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BOAT; www.techmarine.com. 1
F E D F I L
speci al adver t i si ng sect i on
The first of a two-part series about the
rebuilding of a Little League baseball field
OUR VERY OWN
Photos provided by Little League Baseball, Incorporated.
A sits among the trees. baseball field
An in an otherwise , oasis of green urban landscape
a place where peoplechildrencan go
to get away from the crime, the bustle
and the many, many ways there are to find trouble.
Theres just one problem...
OUR VERY OWN OF FIELD DREAMS
his field, , Melvin Drive Park
in the heart of urban
Atlanta hasnt been used
in almost three years. The
base paths are clogged
with weeds. The pitchers
mound, torn from its moor-
ings, lies broken and side-
ways across the infield.
A downed streetlight lies
splayed along the parking
lot, and two tires rest in
the outfield, left there by
someone doing something
that no one wants to know
anything about. >>>
REINFORCING OUTDOOR FUN AND FRIENDSHIPS
A
t first glance the (RBFF) doesnt Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
seem like it would have much to do with rebuilding a Little League field, and, in fact,
not much in common with baseball in general. The RBFF sees it differently though.
They know that the values supported by Little League are the exact same ones reinforced by
boating and fishing. Just as playing on a baseball team can teach you a lot about friendships,
outdoor fun and family values, so can boating and fishing. In fact, more than 50 million people
a year enjoy those activities because they provide a chance to get away from hectic day-to-day
routines and to reconnect with families and nature-not to mention because its fun.
On its website RBFF helps anyone interested in getting out on the water do so quickly and easily. www.WaterWorksWonders.org
The site features information about where to boat and fish in your area and also includes easy-to-follow instruction on how to
participate in either activity. If youve never tried, its easier than you think, and more rewarding than you can imagine.
u
Take me shing.
So Ill always remember you.
Take me shing.
Because youre the
coolest grandpa ever.
Take me shing.
So you can tell me
stories about my dad.
Take me shing.
And show me how
to drive the boat.
Take me shing.
So Ill always remember you.
To learn more about boating and shing, visit
www.WaterWorksWonders.org
ts here, though, where
most see decay and
despair that the Little
League spots opportunity.
Along with Ben Hill Little
League and a slew of
corporate partners
Husqvarna, GMC,
Wolverine, Ace Hardware,
The Recreational Boating
and Fishing Foundation,
Minwax, Quikrete, and
the Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Corporation
Little League is working to
rebuild the field and restart
the games.
If its surprising that Little
League would get involved
in rehabilitating a field that
the community in which it
sits has seemingly aban-
doned, it shouldnt be.
From its beginnings Little
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Good advice is the best tool.
League has endeavored to
do more than just provide
structure for the game. It
has sought to instill and
embody the sports very
values: leadership, sports-
manship, discipline,
teamwork, opportunity
and fair play.
HISTORY
It all started in 1938 when
a man named Carl Stets
wanted to find a way for
his two young nephews
to play organized baseball
in his hometown of
Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The American Legion had
started a league for
teenagers in the 1920s
and there were many
school teams around,
but the sport had not yet
reached everyone, every-
where, of all age levels.
After a year of experimen-
tation Stets enlisted friends
George and Bert Bebble
and each of them served
as a manager for the first
ever little league, a three-
team affair made up of
Lycoming Dairy, Lundy
Lumber, and Jumbo
Pretzel. The sponsor
names helped pay for
the equipment in order
to keep the price of
playing low, so anyone
who wanted to join could
afford it, a precedent thats
still a major part of Little
League today. To say that
initial three-team league
was the doorway to a
larger baseball world is an
understatement. In the 65
years since, Little League,
still based in Williamsport,
2
0
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3

T
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e

Q
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T
E

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s
Pennsylvania, has grown to
become the worlds largest
organized youth sports pro-
gram with nearly 200,000
teams playing in all 50
states and more than
100 countries around the
globe. In 1964, the United
States Congress granted
Little League a Federal
Charter based on its stated
mission of assisting youth
in developing the qualities
of citizenship, discipline,
teamwork and physical
well being. By espousing
the virtues of character,
courage and loyalty...
Little League
has sought to
embody the
sports very values:
leadership,
sportsmanship,
discipline,
teamwork,
opportunity
and . fair play
d
PROTECTION
FROM THE
ELEMENTS
W
hether youre building a
deck or a dugout you have
to consider how youre
going to protect the wood from the
harsh outdoor elementseverything
from rain to sun to extremes of hot
and cold. Thats where Minwax
and one of its subsidiary brands
Thompsons come in. Theyve
donated both Minwax Helmsman
Spar Urethane and Thompsons
WaterSeal Advanced Wood Protector.
The Helmsman Spar Urethane is
great because it offers a tough, clear
protective layer that dries to a hard,
abrasion-resistant surface, sealing in
the woods natural beauty. It actually
expands and contracts with the wood
so it resists cracking as the seasons
change, and it contains a UV absorber
to protect from the sun.
The Thompsons WaterSeal on the
other hand protects any type of wood
with a long-lasting waterproof seal
that beads upon contact. It has UV
inhibitors to block the sun and it
resists mildew and discoloration. Best
of all, it goes on in one timesaving
coat, provides immediate protection
and can be applied to damp, freshly
cleaned wood. www.minwax.com
IN THE CITY
As Little League grew,
though, the people in
charge noticed a trend.
The leagues established
solid roots and thrived in
rural and suburban settings
but struggled in cities. On
a certain level this made
perfect sense. After all,
the opportunities were
abundant in less developed
areas, whereas the
American city continued to
face growing challenges in
terms of recreational space,
qualified adult volunteers to
run leagues and coach, and
in general, social conditions
that made baseball seem,
unnecessary, unwanted and
impossible.
OUR VERY OWN
FIELD DREAMS OF
To their credit, the people at
Little League headquarters
realized that the children
living in these parts of our
country needed baseball
and the life lessons it
imparts as much if not
more than anyone else.
Instead of a victim of the
inner city, baseball could
become part of the solution
by giving kids both literally
and figuratively a turn at
bat. So in 2000, Little
League formed its Urban
Initiative program. The
programs goal is to find
inner-city neighborhoods
that lack an organized
league for kids or ones
where leagues have lapsed
and then bring them base-
ball. The effort is not always
easy-places to play, good
people to run the show, and
funds are in short supply-
but its rewarding. Theres
never a problem finding
kids, says David James,
director of the Urban
Initiative program, whats
hard is finding the adults
and corporate partners to
HELPING
TO KEEP
FIELDS GREEN
W
hat do you do when the
battery on your cordless
drill wont charge anymore?
You get it to the Rechargeable
Battery Recycling Corporation
(RBRC).
The RBRC is an offshoot of the
industry that makes products powered
by rechargeable batteries. Such items
include Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd),
Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH),
Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small
Sealed Lead (Pb) batteries and
are used in things like cell phones,
camcorders, remote control toys,
portable appliances, two-way radios
and cordless power tools.
Through its Charge Up to Recycle
program RBRC has persuaded 31
major retail chains to help establish
more than 30,000 sites where every-
one from the individual consumer to
the local fire department can drop
off their used batteries at no charge.
The program is not only good for
the environment-by keeping all those
chemicals out of landfills-but the
recovered elements are used to
make a variety of products, including
new batteries.
All of the batteries used to build
our Field of Dreams will go to RBRC
and anyone who wants to find an
RBRC drop site nearby can just
call 800-8-BATTERY or go to
www.RBRC.org
OUR VERY OWN
FIELD DREAMS OF
SOLE
PROVIDER
W
olverine makes some
of the toughest, most
comfortable and best-
looking boots available anywhere.
Their array of boots are built for
almost any activity or job one
could imagine. This is especially
true of their steel-toe, waterproof
construction boots which were
donated to the Field of Dreams.
What makes these boots so special
is Wolverines patented DuraShock
outsole, which provides an amazing
combination of comfort, safety and
traction. Its lightweight dual-density
construction weighs one third as
much as rubber, yet absorbs four
times the force, while a compression
pad in the heel and forefoot also
help dissipate force before it reaches
the foot. The closed-cell polyurethane
footbed stays springy for an incredi-
bly long cycle and dual-density
polymer pads also help absorb
energy and shock. Find out more at
www.wolverinebootsandshoes.com
OUR VERY OWN
FIELD DREAMS OF
support their communities.
In this case James has
found both. Ben Hill Little
League had plenty of kids,
plenty of desire and an
infrastructure of adults that
would make any program
work. At the same time
eight organizationsAce
Hardware, GMC, Husqvarna,
Quikrete, Wolverine, Minwax,
The Recreational Boating
and Fishing Foundation and
the Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Corporation
stepped up with funds
and/or supplies to make
the refurbishing happen.
Together theyre rebuilding a
field, fortifying a community
and teaching the lessons of
baseball and life. But there
is more too. From its very
beginnings baseball has
meant more to America than
anything that normally takes
place on a field. With the
first shocks of green that
emerge from under the
snow, to the smell of a
Spring breeze and the
sound of a ball clicking off
a bat, baseball brings with it
nothing less than hope itself.
speci al advert i si ng sect i on
Baseball solution could become part of the by giving
kids both literally and figuratively a turn at bat.
speci al advert i si ng sect i on
1-866-LOCATE ACE
www.acehardware.com
800-462-8782
www.gmc.com www.husqvarna.com
800-523-9299
www.minwax.com
800-282-5828
www.quikrete.com
800-270-6079
www.wolverinebootsandshoes.com
Next month in the June 2004 issue, well take a
step-by-step look at the actual rebuilding of the field.
703-519-0013
www.waterworkswonders.org
Workers in full force to get the Little League field ready for opening day
800-367-6297
www.thompsonswaterseal.com
800-8-BATTERY
www.rbrc.com
Special thanks to the
following companies for
their contribution to the
FE D F I L
OUR VERY OWN
A
ccording to the
Environmental
Protection
Agency, the air inside
your home can be up
to 10 times more pol-
luted than the air out-
side. Most of our
homes and offices are
now sealed from fresh
air so indoor pollutants are kept in while
natural air cleansing agents are kept out.
The EPA informs us that 6 out of 10 homes
and buildings are sick, meaning they are
hazardous to your health as a result of air-
borne pollutants. Health problems relating
to this phenomenon are realAsthma cases
have increased by more than 100% since
1976. Its time to put an end to your own
personal air pollution problem.
How to Clean the Air
inside of Your Home
Our goal was to find the most scientifically
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It's so quiet I kept checking to be
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the world has not produced the
results that one afternoon of
Surround Air has.
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00 MAY 2004
ATOMIC
BY JIM WILSON
A new mini-reactor revives the dream of a nuclear-powered aircraft.
a
MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS .COM 00
NGS
After more than six decades of research, the first
atom-powered airplane is cleared for takeoff. Al-
though details of the project remain classified, a
description of this remarkable aircraft has begun
to emerge from technical conferences and declas-
sified engineering studies. The plane will be both
familiar and unique. Familiar in that it will resem-
ble a Northrop Grumman
Global Hawk, the bulbous-
Ungainly Elegance
To the trained eye, the ungainly Global Hawk is a
thing of beauty. A triumph of function over form, its
whale-snout nose presents a tiny radar cross sec-
The new hafnium-fueled reac-
tor emits so little radiation it
could be easily integrated into
civilian airport operations.
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL DIMARE
AVIATION
nosed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that the
U.S. Air Force has used to track enemy move-
ments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unique be-
cause its nuclear reactor is unlike any other.
Rather than split heavy elements or fuse light
atomsas in fission and fusion reactorsit will
use what is known as a triggered isomer reac-
tion. If this new powerplant, called a quantum
nucleonic reactor, performs as scientists expect,
its effect on the aircraft industry may prove as rev-
olutionary as the introduction of the jet engine.
00 MAY 2004
Inside The Nuclear Plane
X-RAY MACHINE
HEATED AIR
INTAKE
HEAT EXCHANGER/GENERATOR
RADIATION SHIELDING
HEAT DUCTS
HOT-AIR
TURBINE
HAFNIUM-178 FUEL
EXHAUST
INTAKE
MAY 2004
ANTI-ICING
HEATING DUCTS
COPILOT/ELECTRONICS
OFFICER EJECTION
SEAT ROTATES 180
TO FACE ELECTRONICS
PANEL
CREW REST
POSITION
PILOT SEAT
SYNTHETIC
APERTURE RADAR
ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN BATCHELOR
OPTICAL
SURVEILLANCE
tion. The thickly shrouded rear-
mounted engine, located high in
the tail, presents a minimal heat
signature. Even the paint, which
appears faded, serves a purpose:
It helps dissipate heat from the
planes electronic bay. Together,
these design features make the
Global Hawk virtually invisible
as it loiters at 45,000 ft., directing
its powerful radar and high-reso-
lution cameras on trouble spots.
One improvement would make
the Global Hawk the perfect sur-
If the plan takes shape, a
Global Hawk will be pulled off
the production line and undergo
extensive airframe and power-
plant modifications. Chief among
these will be the addition of
some 2700 pounds of radiation
shielding. Installed between
the tail section and the
main electronics bay,
the shielding
will create a
hot cell.
Discussions are under way to build a
military atomic aircraft, like this PM
concept plane based on the Global
Hawk UAV. A civilian model would
follow a similar design.
veillance platform: eliminating
the need to top off its fuel tanks.
For UAVs operating deep within
hostile airspace, refueling re-
quires dashing hundreds, some-
times thousands, of miles to a
friendly landing field. It is chiefly
for that reason that the Global
Hawk has been selected as a test-
bed for one of the boldest experi-
ments in aviation history. Project
managers for Northrop Grumman
and the U.S. Air Force Research
Laboratory tell P M OPULAR ECHANICS
they have begun discussions that
could lead to the conversion of a
Global Hawk to a nuclear-pow-
ered aircraft.
In this area, which will be de-
signed to minimize leakage of
radiation, engineers will install
the worlds first airborne quan-
tum nucleonic reactor.
Flying Nukes
A jet engine is the essence of
mechanical simplicity. Fuel and
air are mixed, compressed and
ignited. As the gas burns, it
moves rapidly rearward, propel-
ling the aircraft forward. Normal-
ly, this is done by burning jet
fuel, which is exactly what the
new nuclear plane will do when
it takes off, climbs and lands.
When it reaches cruising
altitudein the vicinity of 45,000
ft. and above trans-Atlantic air-
line trafficthe engine will
switch over to running on hot air
created by the reactor. Using this
power source, an unmanned
version could remain on station
for months on end. A manned
version, the logical next step,
could operate as long as the
crew had food.
Building a nuclear aircraft
poses daunting engineering
challenges. The underlying
operating principle, however, is
straightforward. In a fission
reactor, atoms of a very heavy
element, such as uranium, are
persuaded to split apart, casting
off neutrons that split other
atoms and produce heat. In a
fusion reactor, atoms of very
light elements, such as hydro-
gen, are cajoled to join. Here,
too, the conversion of mass into
energy obeys the tenets of Ein-
steins famous E=mc
2
equation.
The immense heat release keeps
the reaction going.
Fusion reactors are in their
infancy. But as early as 1940, sci-
entists were thinking about ways
of using the heat from nuclear
A solar cell or engine-mounted generator sends electricity to run a small X-ray
machine. The X-rays strike a block of hafnium-178, triggering a drop in the
energy levels within the nucleus of the hafnium atoms. This change in energy
levels is accompanied by the release of a burst of gamma radiation. The gamma
rays heat the core of a heat exchanger. Superheated air from the exchanger
floods into the jet engine, performing the same function a combustion gases
created by burning jet fuel. For safety reason, conventional jet fuel will power
the engine when it is below cruising altitude.
How It Works
GENERATOR
JET ENGINE
I
L
L
U
S
T
R
A
T
I
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N
B
Y
G
E
O
R
G
E
R
E
T
S
E
C
K
SOLAR CELL
X-RAY
MACHINE
HAFNIUM-
178
HEAT
EXCHANGER
GAMMA
RAYS
AIR
SUPERHEATED
AIR
SWITCH
I
L
L
U
S
T
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A
T
I
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N
B
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J
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A
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C
H
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L
O
R
NUCLEAR
ENGINES
CONVAIR B-36
PRINCESS FLYING BOAT
Earlier Attempts
Older POPULAR MECHANICS readers may recall that an atomic
plane was featured as our January 1941 cover story. Con-
ceived by physicists at the California Institute of Technology, it
used a fission reactor similar to those now used by electric
utilities. The idea was put on the shelf dur-
ing the war years. Aircraft nu-
clear power became an official
research project in May 1946,
when the Army Air Forces
awarded to the Fairchild Engine
and Airplane Corp. a contract to
perform preliminary studies on a
manned, nuclear-propelled air-
plane, explains Carolyn C. James,
a historian who has studied the
militarys nuclear flight program. In
December 1957, the Navy proposed
turning a British-made Princess Fly-
ing Boat into a nuclear aircraft by
connecting its 10 PW T-57 engines to
a modified General Electric direct-cycle reactor. The Air Force
set its sights on converting a B-36 bomber.
The Navy plane never flew off the drawing board. The Air
Force got as far as ground testing jet engines and, in a sepa-
rate airborne test, operated a reactor in a flying aircraft. Both
projects were eventually canceled, chiefly because they
required too much radiation shielding to protect air crews.
102 MAY 2004
fission to power airplanes. From
the late 1950s through the 1980s,
the Air Force and the Navy drew
up blueprints and got as far as
testing components for nuclear
craft. At one point, a converted
Convair B-36 Peacemaker flew
with an operating reactor. How-
ever, none of these components
were ever connected in the same
airplane and a nuclear-powered
aircraft never flew. The snag was
the shielding needed to protect
air crews from radiationprinci-
pally neutronsstreaming from
the reactor. Planes with enough
shielding to protect humans
were too heavy to carry weapons.
The quantum nucleonic reactor,
neither splits nor fuses atoms.
Rather, it creates its power by
triggering a massive release
of gamma radiation. This is dan-
gerous to humans, but requires
less shielding to control.
Radical Reactor
The fuel for the quantum nucle-
onic reactor is a formor iso-
merof hafnium. Paradoxically,
hafnium is the same element
used to slow chain reactions in
some fission reactors. A nuclear
chain reaction occurs when neu-
trons emitted by a splitting atom
strike an adjacent atom, causing
it to split as well. Hafnium has a
considerable capacity to absorb
neutrons without splitting, hence
its use as a brake or control rod
in fission-type reactors.
In the late 1990s, researchers
at the University of Texas in
Dallas made a remarkable and
unexpected discovery about the
hafnium isomer known as hafni-
um-178. When they bombarded
the metal with soft X-rays like
those your dentist uses to exam-
ine your teeth, the metal re-
leased a burst of gamma rays
60 times more powerful than the
X-rays. While this may seem
impossible, it is permitted by
the laws of physics. On the sub-
atomic level, bombarding hafni-
um-178 with X-rays has an effect
similar to triggering a small
avalanche by tossing a snowball
on a snow-covered roof.
One of the most useful aspects
of this newly discovered type of
nuclear reaction is that the gam-
ma ray output drops precipitous-
ly the moment power to the X-ray
machine is turned off, explains
Capt. Christopher Hamilton. He
conducted research on a hafni-
um reactor at Wright-Patterson
Air Force Base in Ohio, and was
the first to propose using that
device to power a Global Hawk.
A hafnium-fueled reactor has
two other attractive features,
Hamilton says. Since it produces
only gamma radiation, less
shielding is required. And
should an accident occur, there
is less of an environmental con-
cern than with fission. Hafnium-
178 has a half-life of only 31 years
compared to thousands of years
for other reactor fuels. In addition,
unlike uranium or plutonium,
hafnium-178 cannot support a
chain reaction, which means it
cannot be used to make rogue
nuclear weapons.
In his report on the potential
for the new reactor, Hamilton
calculated that a small X-ray ma-
chine could be used to generate
gamma radiation and create suf-
ficient heat to run a conventional
military jet engine. The Los Ala-
mos and Sandia nuclear weap-
ons laboratories in New Mexico
have since taken up research for
the project, supported by funding
from the Department of Energy.
Researchers involved with these
projects have been instructed to
discourage public discussion of
the new type of reactor. Los Ala-
mos scientists have expressed
suspicion that the triggered iso-
mer reaction process may not re-
lease useful amounts of heat. The
Department of Defense, on the
other hand, has put the reactor
on its Militarily Critical Technol-
ogies List, which means it is on
the fast track for future funding.
Executives for Northrop
Grumman tell POPULAR MECHANICS
that while they have not yet sign-
ed a contract to convert a Global
Hawk to nuclear power, they are
aware of discussions taking place
within the Air Force. Convention-
al aircraft can take a decade to
move from concept to the run-
way. The civilian atomic airplane
has, in one form or another, been
under discussion for more than
60 years. With the emergence of
a new type of powerplant, that
decades-old dream may at long
last take wing. 1
The quantum nucleonic
reactor neither splits
nor fuses atoms.
For More Science Features
Check t he PM. Zone Web si te at
popularmechanics.com/science
MAY 2004
GET
READY
FOR HDR
High-definition radio delivers the clearest
signal to your cars sound system.
T
BY REBECCA DAY
T
TV is doing it. Cellphones have made the transi-
tion. Music players, cameras and binoculars have
taken the plunge. Now U.S. radio stations are final-
ly stepping into the Digital Age, and radio has
never sounded better.
The party line is that digital radio makes FM sta-
tions sound like CDs and AM radio sound like FM.
Digital radio was developed by iBiquity Digital,
which calls the technology HD Radio. A do-it-your-
self listening test at
www.ibiquity.com/hdradio/
hdradio_experience.htm plays the same audio
source in both analog and digital modes, demon-
strating the wider frequency response and stereo
separation possible with digital radio.
HD Radio, with a frequency response of 20 Hz to
18 kHz on the FM band, eclipses analog FMs
bandwidth ceiling of 15 kHz. Digital AM expands
to 40 Hz to 15 kHz, in stereo, from the limited 60 Hz
to 7.5 kHz of mono AM stations. The improved
audio performance could mean the return of music
on AM stations, which during the last 30 years
largely converted to news and talk because the AM
band couldnt match the stereo performance of its
FM counterpart. Although AM stereo tried to take
off in the early 1990s, it never gained a foothold
AUDIO
JVC KD-SHX900
FM radio is antiquated. Customers are going to demand
HD Radio because of the additional features.
among radio stations or listen-
ers. AM in the HD age just might
make waves.
We think HD Radio is going
to mean the revitalization of the
AM band, says Bob Struble,
President and Chief Executive
Officer of iBiquity. We think a
lot of people will try to bring
back some of those niche for-
mats that have gone away like
reggae, blues and jazz. With
AM radio stations commanding
lower purchase prices than FM,
iBiquity is hoping entrepreneurs
will take a chance on an AM
station investment.
Like televisions transition from
analog to digital, radios evolu-
tion will be a long-term process.
Unlike the digital TV transition,
radios digital shift has no time-
table because the spectrum
remains the same.
The complete transition could
take five years or 500 years,
Struble says. Based on the pace
at which radio stations replace
their equipment and how quick-
ly consumers buy new car and
home receivers, Struble gives 12
years as a hopeful estimate.
In the meantime, you dont
need new equipment to enjoy
your favorite radio stations. AM
and FM stations are transmitting
over the same frequencies in
digital and analog modesso
whether your local station is
broadcasting digitally and you
have an analog radio, or you
have a digital radio and the local
station is exclusively analog,
youll still receive the signal.
The transition will be similar to
the gentle one from black-and-
white TV to color 40 to 50 years
ago. Consumers who had not
upgraded couldnt see Disney in
living color, but they could still
receive the pro-
gram in black-
and-white.
Work on HD
Radio began in
the early 90s.
On a scale of
1 to 10, Struble
says, were at an 8 in system
development. HD Radio has
undergone extensive testing,
received Federal Communica-
tions Commission approval, is
being built into semiconductor
chips, and, at press time, was
being broadcast by more than
75 stations. That number is ex-
pected to top 200 by the end of
the year, although
it falls
far short of the 12,000 AM and
FM stations in the country. Ac-
cording to iBiquity, 60 percent
of the population will have ac-
cess to at least one digital radio
station by December.
For investors, the $80,000
required for a station to go digital
isnt nearly as prohibitive as the
millions of dollars TV stations
have to pour into digital cameras,
transmitters, antennas and other
equipment. You largely use the
existing infrastructure in radio,
Struble says. Two refrigerator-
size racks of equipment including
an HD Radio signal generator, an
audio processor for the digital
signal, monitoring equipment
and a digital transmitter can
convert a radio station to digital
broadcasting in a day or two,
he says.
On the listener end, the transi-
tion will be seamless. Digital and
analog radio occupy the same
spectrum so youll still tune to,
say, 88.3 for a digital broadcast if
thats your favorite station. Cur-
rently, stations operating digital-
ly are transmitting in hybrid
mode. Theyre delivering both
analog and digital programming
by using unused space around
the analog frequencies. This space
originally was assigned by the
FCC to protect against bleeding
of the analog signal into adja-
cent frequencies. Those ineffi-
ciencies have improved over the
years so that spectrum was able
to be refarmed for use of digital
transmissions, Struble says.
When the day comes that there
is no longer a need for the analog
mode, broadcasters will be able
to recapture that part of the spec-
trum and use it for multicasting.
Currently, some National Public
Radio stations are experimenting
with second-channel multicast-
ing on the FM band under a
project called Tomorrow Radio.
For example, the A channel of
93.9 may play classical music
while the B channel tunes in
Morning Edition.
On the product side, HD Radio
debuted in the car, where 75 per-
cent of users listen to radio all or
part of the time, according to a
recent Arbitron study. Kenwood
launched HD Radio in an add-on
PANASONIC CQ-CB9900U
KENWOOD KTC-HR100 AND HEAD UNIT
106 MAY 2004
s
tuner that works with any of 15
compatible Kenwood HD Radio
head units. The KTC-HR100 tun-
er ($500) mounts in the trunk
and connects by cable to the
head unit.
How does HD Radio change
the listening experience?
Reception is greatly improved,
says Mike Bergman, Senior
Manager for digital broadcast
products for Kenwood. Digital
radio also delivers text informa-
tion. You can see radio station
call letters, song titles, artist and
CD information on a radios dis-
play. As broadcasters expand
capabilities, youll see stock
quotes, sports scores, weather
and news headlines.
Next-generation radios will
come with action buttons that
have labels such as Traffic and
Buy, which will give you on-de-
mand traffic reports and the op-
tion to buy a CD you hear or a
product thats advertised. There
might be TiVo for radio, says
Struble. Maybe youll hear a
song you havent heard before
and press rewind to go back to
the beginning. If you want to
hear a program that doesnt
correspond to your schedule,
an electronic program guide will
record the program and store it
on a hard drive.
Until those products arrive,
youll have to settle for improved
reception and audio quality.
Youll also pay early-adopter
price tags. Panasonic and JVC
have built HD Radio tuners into
flagship products. The Panasonic
CQ-CB9900U ($999) is a CD
receiver packing a 7-band equal-
izer that lets you tailor the sound
to a particular genre. The receiv-
ers Radio DSP digital sound proc-
essor helps reduce distortion
and multipath noise inherent in
analog radio.
The JVC KD-SHX900 ($799) re-
ceiver for HD Radio costs around
$300 more than similarly config-
ured JVC head units. But supply
and demand will bring down
pricing fairly quickly, says Aaron
Novak, National Product Plan-
ning Supervisor for JVC. Novak
says he believes the HD Radio
transition will be spurred by
consumer demand.
FM radio is antiquated,
Novak explains. Nothing has
changed since the late 60s.
Customers are going to demand
HD Radio because of the addi-
tional features and better sound
quality it offers. Its a way for
broadcast radio stations to
compete against the growing
satellite radio market. 1
For More Technology Features
popularmechanics.com/tech
Radio stations bundle analog and digi-
tal audio signals along with text. The
digital information is compressed, and
the combined signals are received and
decoded by HD radios.
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL DIMARE MAY 2004
J
108 MAY 2004
BY JIM WILSON
From the beginning, the Mars
rover mission was plagued by
bad luck. Then disaster struck.
AT MISSION
CONTROL
BAD
DAY
Jennifer Trosper has a nervous habit. When things
get tense, the perpetually composed NASA Mission
Manager begins chewing on the end of her pen. And
things dont get tenser than this. Mission control has
cryptically announced that Mars Explorer A has safe-
ly landed. And in a few minutes she and her boss,
NASA Administrator Sean OKeefe, will be meeting
the press to formally announce the good news. There
is only one problem. The roverchristened Spirit
has inexplicably stopped talking. NASA listening
posts have lost the X-band carrier signal that mo-
ments earlier confirmed the rovers safe touchdown
on the red planet. Then, as mysteriously as it disap-
peared, the signal returns. Only now
it sends a message that perplexes
the landing team even more than the initial loss of
signal. For reasons that immediately defy explana-
tion, the lander into which the rover is strapped is
telling mission control that it is base petal down.
That is, it has somehow flipped over.
We received [the signal] at a time correspond-
ing to when the spacecraft would have been
SPACE
PHOTO BY AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS
Y
MAY 2004

r
transmitting out of the antenna
on the bottom of the lander,
Chris Lewicki, Mars Exploration
Rover Flight Director, later tells
P M . According to OPULAR ECHANICS
the mission plan, duplicate cop-
ies of the post-landing messag-
es in the form of musical tones
should have been sent through
two different paths. The first set
of four tones would have routed
through the rover antenna. The
second set would have been
transmitted through the lander
antenna. This was a harrowing
moment, Lewicki says. It was
difficult to imagine how we
could be base petal down
but receive a signal out of the
bottom of the lander. Later,
NASA realizes it was a false
alarm. It will not be the last.
Lost Signal
With the exception of a widely
reported computer memory
problem on the rover Spirit
corrected by reformatting its
memory cardthe twin rovers
that landed on Mars in January
enabled NASA to furnish the pub-
lic with a seamless stream of
good news stories. What largely
escaped attention was just how
close the $820 million Mars land-
ing came to meeting the fate of 21
earlier American and foreign mis-
sions, which became lost in space
or upon landing. Two of these fail-
ures hung especially heavy over
mission control at NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near
For More Science Features
popularmechanics.com/science
When Spirit stopped talking, mission
control began working a checklist of
probable causes and likely solutions.
110 MAY 2004
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Pasadena, Calif. In September
and December of 1999, JPL
suffered back-to-back failures
when its Mars Climate Orbiter
and Polar Lander were both lost
as they approached Mars.
Memories of an even older fail-
ure came to mind as flight engi-
neers prepared to roll Spirit off
its lander, which had bounced
to a stop in the Gusev crater on
Jan. 3. For several terrible hours
it was feared that Spirit might
face the same fate as the Soviet
Mars 3 mission. After a success-
ful flight and landing in Decem-
ber 1971, Mars 3 transmitted
data for 20 seconds, then was
never heard from again.
Spirit Goes Quiet
Liftoff and landing are bumpy
and parts not securely fastened
become loose cannonballs
hence, the need to anchor the
tiny rovers tightly inside the
lander, using cables. To free
the rovers from their seat, mis-
sion control sent commands
that ignited small explosives,
which activated cable cutters.
During all of our critical
engineering operations on the
spacecraft, the activities are
programmed to include a beep
to indicate that it received our
command and is carrying out our
instructions, explains Lewicki.
Each [beep] has been pro-
grammed to last exactly 5 min-
utes. If the beeps fail to occur,
flight engineers at mission con-
trol begin working through a
checklist to identify the fault.
Spirit, however, refused to co-
operate and did something com-
pletely unexpected. It began to
send the signal confirming the
cable was cut, then 3 minutes
into the transmission, it stopped.
It turns out that [the delay]
was due to a somewhat obscure
configuration file at the
deep space network, which
controls what frequency
[NASA] receivers should
be tuned to in order to lis-
ten to the rover. There was
an abrupt shift in the re-
ceive frequency in the
At press conference after press conference,
the scientific team at JPL was evasive.
PANORAMIC
CAMERAS
NAVIGATION CAMERAS
MINI THERMAL EMISSION
SPECTROMETER (AT REAR)
LOW-GAIN ANTENNA
HIGH-GAIN ANTENNA
ALPHA
PARTICLE X-RAY
SPECTROMETER
MSSBAUER
SPECTROMETER
ROCK ABRASION
TOOL
MICROSCOPIC
IMAGER
MAGNET ARRAY
(FORWARD)
SOLAR
ARRAYS
MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS .COM (Please turn to page 152)

Spirit and Opportunity are identical,
and have a limited ability to use the
navigation cameras to avoid obstacles.
Black-and-white images from the red
planet provided confirmation that
NASA had broken a streak of bad luck.
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ACCELERATION
NATION
Now, street cars that run 12-second quarter-miles.
BY BEN STEWART, Photos by Vinnie Donizetti
L
Last time we
checked, the
United States
of America
didnt have an
autobahn or an
autostrada or
any road with a
speed limit high-
er than 75 mph.
Sure, the rest of the
world may care if a car
can hit 150 mph. But not us. Here in the
good old U.S. of A., we measure a cars mettle with
timing lights and trap speeds. We want to know
how fast a car will accelerate. Because top speed
means nothing when a Viper pulls alongside a
Vette at a stoplight.
Since we last tested the quickest cars (Accelera-
tion Nation, July 1999, page 82), the stakes have
gone
up.
Lets talk horsepower. Five years ago there were
only one or two cars available in the United States
that produced 500 hp. Today there are more than 20
that exceed that number (Horsepower Wars, May
2003, page 104). In terms of quarter-mile times, in
99 we tested the 12 cars and one truck that could
run under 14 seconds in the quarter-mile. Now,
Mercedes-Benz alone has at least 10 cars that can
do that. We had to raise the bar. This time we invit-
ed cars that we thought would run in the 12-second
bracket or quicker.
Before you deluge our mailbox with angry letters,
let us tell you that this test is for production cars
only. No twin-turbo Vipers, no supercharged Cor-
vettes and no Mustangs tuned to produce 450 hp.
Some cars on our list werent available at the
time of our test. We invited the $450,000 617-hp
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, but there were none
in the country at the time of our test. Same went
for the new 612-hp Porsche Carrera GT and the
552-hp Bentley Continental GT. Others that arent
here simply didnt have the guts to show up.
Ferrari, when invited, flatly turned us down. We
asked the folks from Maranello to bring a Ferrari
360 Stradale, a Ferrari 575 Maranello or a 650-hp
Enzoor all of them. But Ferraris press officer
told us, Ferrari will no longer participate in any
comparison tests. O-kay. Wimps.
When the sun rose on the day of the test, there
was $1.4 million worth of rubber-roasting machis-
mo lined up and ready to do battle against the
Christmas tree at the NHRAs home trackthe
Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.
Now, howd they run?
COMPARISON TEST
2
2
#
8
Mercedes-Benz
E55 AMG
Test Summary: Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
Base price: Price as tested: $77,650, $81,660
Engine: 5.4-liter/331.9 cu.-in. SOHC 24v super-
charged V8, 469 @ 6100 rpm, 516 HP: Torque:
ft.-lb. @ 2650 rpm, 86.9, 5A HP/liter ratio: Trans:
Powertrain: Axle ratio/ front engine/rear drive,
type: Curb weight: 2.65:1/open diff., 3990 lb.
Weight/HP ratio: Tires: 8.5, Continental Sport-
Contact 2 MO, 245/40ZR18, 265/35ZR18 f: r:
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 0-60 mph: 2.38 sec.,
5.06 sec., 12.89 sec. @ 115.81 mph 1/4-mile:
When the slowest car here pulls a
12.89 at over 115 mph, you know
this is serious machinery. In fact,
if this car had been in our 1999
test of quickest cars, it would
have beaten everything but the
Lotus Esprit and the Dodge Viper.
Impressive. This 4-door sedan
makes 469 hp and an incredible
516 ft.-lb. of torque, thanks to a
5.4-liter V8 that is hand-built by
Mercedes-Benzs in-house tuner,
AMG, and boosted by a Lysholm
supercharger. The E55 seamless-
ly puts that torque to the tarmac
through a 5-speed automatic.
But mash the pedal and the E55s
massive 265/35ZR18 rear rubber
liquefies. The key to speed here
is to ease onto the gas and not
go full throttle until you get into
Third gear. The drivetrain is
matched so the ferocious thrust
never breaks. The icing on this
cake is a wonderfully powerful
V8 soundtrack playing through
the E55s four polished exhaust
tips. The amazing thing about
driving a 12-second sedan is that
you can stomp just about any-
thing out on the streetand
bring along four friends when
you do it. This is the ultimate
executive sport sedan.
3
#
7
#
6
115
Lamborghini
Gallardo
Chevrolet
Corvette Z06
Test Summary: Lamborghini Gallardo
Engine: 5.0-liter/303.0 cu.-in. DOHC 40v V10
HP: Torque: 493 @ 7800 rpm, 376 ft.-lb. @
4500 rpm, 98.6, 6M HP/liter ratio: Trans:
Powertrain: Final midengine/all-wheel drive,
drive ratio: Curb weight: 3.08:1, 3300 lb.
Weight/HP ratio: Tires: 6.7, Pirelli P Zero Rosso,
f: r: 235/35ZR19, 295/30ZR19
4.68 sec., 12.53 sec. @ 116.01 mph 1/4-mile:
Test Summary: Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Engine: 5.7-liter/354.6 cu.-in. OHV 16v V8
HP: Torque: 405 @ 6000 rpm, 400 ft.-lb. @ 4800
rpm, 71.1, 6M, HP/liter ratio: Trans: Powertrain:
front engine/rear drive, 3.42:1/ Axle ratio/type:
limited-slip, 3118 lb., Curb weight: Weight/HP
ratio: Tires: f: 7.7, Goodyear Eagle F1, 265/
40ZR17, 295/35ZR18 r:
4.58 sec., 12.53 sec. @ 115.38 mph 1/4-mile:
From any angle, Lamborghinis
long-awaited second model, the
Gallardo, is a stunner. This is the
kind of car that gives you goose
bumps every time you open the
garage doorand every time
you turn the key. Its very cool,
very yellow and very quick. Be-
hind your head sits a 5.0-liter
DOHC V10 churning out 493 hp
and 376 ft.-lb. of torque. Our test
car came with Lambos E-Gear
6-speed paddle-shifted manu-
matic. It comes with a prepro-
grammed launch mode that
makes it so easy to drive, your
grandmother could win a bracket
race with it. Simply turn off the
stability control system, press
the Sport button and floor the
throttle. The revs climb to about
2700 rpm and then the transmis-
sion drops the clutch all by itself.
The nose rises, the tires spin
momentarily until the all-wheel-
drive system finds its footing,
and then you and the Lambo
are a big yellow blur. When the
shrieking V10 hits 8000 rpm, pull
the paddle and Second wham!
gear. Any other technique and
you get slower times. If youre
surprised that an exotic Lambor-
ghini is instantly at home on a
dragstrip, youll be dumbfound-
ed to hear that its an absolute
pussycat around townif you
want it to be. Leave the E-Gear
in automatic mode and the Gal-
lardo will make quick, precise
shifts that are smooth enough
not to spill your Sprite on the
leather upholstery.
At $52,720, the Z06 is more than
$20,000 less expensive than any-
thing else here. Its the least cost-
ly way to gain entrance to this
exclusive club. And while
youre at it, youll
have the satisfac-
tion of knowing
that your Vette
trips the clocks
with the same
exact ET as
the exotic
Lambor-
ghini, which
costs more
than three
times as much.
Thats reason
enough for us
to give Chevrolet
a standing ovation and place it
higher on the list than the Lam-
bo, even though its a third of a
mile an hour slower through the
traps. The latest in a long line of
very special Corvettes, Z06 is an
option package thats available
only on the lightest of all Cor-
vette body styles, the 3118-pound
hardtop. And that means the
Z06s 5.7-liter 405-hp V8 and
400 ft.-lb. of torque are used as
efficiently as possible. Getting
the power from the small block
to the rear wheels is a beefy
6-speed manual. Simply bring
up the revs and slip the clutch
enough to get a little wheelspin.
Once the rear tires bite, your
skull is sucked to the headrest
and its already time to shift. Just
shy of the redline, grab the shift-
er, bang Second gear and hold
on. There are few cars that sound
as good as a Z06 when your foot
is buried in the firewall. The
throaty growl of that American V8
is addictive. But for all its muscle,
the Z06 is a car you can drive ev-
ery day. It has a roomy cockpit
and a surprising amount of lug-
gage space. Hey, theres a reason
the Corvette is the best-selling
sports car in the United States.
#
5
Mercedes-Benz
SL600
Test Summary: Mercedes-Benz SL600
Engine: 5.5-liter/336.4 cu.-in. SOHC 36v twin-turbo
V12, 493 @ 5000 rpm, 590 ft.-lb. HP: Torque:
@ 1800 rpm, 89.6, 5A HP/liter ratio: Trans:
type: Curb weight: 2.65:1/open diff., 4429 lb.
Weight/HP ratio: Tires: 9.0, Michelin Pilot
SPORT, 255/40ZR18, 285/35ZR18 f: r:
4.62 sec., 12.48 sec. @ 117.42 mph 1/4-mile:
This $135,810 Mercedes-Benz
is the sleeper of the test. Its so
restrained and subtle as it sits,
who would imagine it could suck
the little prancing horsy off the
nose of a Ferrari? This car is in-
credibly fast, refined and luxuri-
ous, yet incredibly sedate. It was
our unofficial favorite do-it-all
car during the test. All our adula-
tion starts with whats up front
a Slushie-smooth and Freight-
liner-torquey 5.5-liter twin-turbo
V12. This is the same engine
used in the companys S600
sedan and is a slightly detuned
version of the V12 in the May-
bach. The SL600s V12 puts out
the same 493 hp as the super-
charged V8-powered SL55 AMG
but its tire-torturing torque is in-
creased by 74 ft.-lb. That makes
590 ft.-lb., to be exact. So when
you floor the accelerator, the
Benz buries just about anything
on four wheels. All you hear is a
muffled whoosh of the turbos.
But just flooring the accelerator
will produce big plumes of tire
smoke. To get the SL600 out of
the hole and down the track, you
need to baby the throttle through
First and Second gears. Even in
Third gear the tires can break
loose if conditions are just right.
Hammering this car down the
quarter-mile is amazing fun. And
unlike many turbocharged cars,
the SL600 never gets too hot.
Our low-12-second runs were
repeatable time after time. This
is Mercedes-Benz engineering
at its finest.
e
#
4
#
3
Porsche 911
Turbo
Test Summary: Porsche 911 Turbo
Engine: 3.6-liter/219.4 cu.-in. DOHC 24v twin-turbo
H6, 415 @ 6000 rpm, 415 ft.-lb. @ HP: Torque:
Powertrain: Final rear engine/all-wheel drive,
SPORT, 225/40ZR18, 295/30ZR18 f: r:
4.46 sec., 12.39 sec. @ 118.43 mph 1/4-mile:
Test Summary: Dodge Viper SRT-10
type: Curb weight: 3.07:1/limited-slip, 3357 lb.
SPORT, 275/35ZR18, 345/30ZR19 f: r:
4.30 sec., 12.07 sec. @ 120.04 mph 1/4-mile:
You wouldnt think a Porsche
would be good for this sort of
thing. After all, there are no
dragstrips in Zuffenhausen. And
even though Porsche engineers
probably dont dwell much on the
concept of stoplight-to-stoplight
racing, they know that an engine
in the rear over the drive tires
means traction. They also know
that 415 hp and awd mean explo-
sive acceleration. This car has
incredibly good traction, but
theres a fine line between bog-
ging the motor and breaking an
axle. So instead of dumping the
clutch from a stratospheric rpm,
we slipped the clutch from about
3000 rpm and that got us just
enough front-wheel spin to keep
the motor on boost at launch. The
911 Turbo is geared short, and
the motor spools up quicker than
a Cuisinart. Second gear comes
way before you think it should.
The engine is so quick the ta-
chometer cant keep up with it.
To drive this car right, you have
to learn to anticipate the upshifts.
Once youve learned, the reward
is low-12-second elapsed time.
The Porsches feat is all the more
impressive considering the Turbo
has the second-lowest horsepow-
er rating of our group.
The Viper has officially been de-
throned. Last time we conducted
this test, the big Dodge was the
quickest car, belting out a blister-
ing 12.08 at 118.51 mph. This
time it ran quicker and faster and
still found itself running third.
Who would have thought that a
Viper would be sent packing on
grudge night at the local drag-
strip? Okay, lets get realistic
here. With 500 hp and 525 ft.-lb.
of torque, the Viper is certainly
no slouch. And to beat it at the
strip, youd have to roughly dou-
ble its $84,795 sticker price.
The Viper is a huge bargain.
Its also easy to turn the mam-
moth 345/30ZR19 rear tires into
smoke. Get too aggressive with
throttle and this monster will sit
there and spin its tires into a
dense cloud. But with a little
clutch slippage and less than
3000 rpm showing on the tach,
you can get out of the hole and
down the track. There is so
much power and so much torque
that each gear change happens
with Richter scale ferocity. Any
car that will do over 120 mph
in the quarter-mile qualifies as
scary fast in our book.
Dodge Viper SRT-10
#
2
Ford GT
Test Summary: Ford GT
(Est.), 5.4-liter/330.0 cu.-in. DOHC 32v Engine:
supercharged V8, 500 @ 6000 rpm, HP: Torque:
500 ft.-lb. @ 4500 rpm, 92.6, HP/liter ratio: Trans:
6M, midengine/rear drive, Powertrain: Axle ratio/
Weight/HP ratio: Tires: 6.7, Goodyear Eagle F1
Supercar, 235/45ZR18, 315/40ZR19 f: r:
3.43 sec., 11.69 sec. @ 122.74 mph 1/4-mile:
Time for full disclosure: Ford was
unable to deliver a GT to Pomona
in time for the test. So we went
to Fords Arizona Proving Ground
near Kingman and tested one
there. Since Pomona has the
advantage in terms of traction,
temperature and elevation, wed
guess the times would have
been quicker had the car been
with us on the day of our group
test. That said, short of the rare
Saleen S7, the $145,000 Ford GT
is the quickest production car to
be had in any new-car dealership
on planet Earth. In fact, if you
look at the 0-to-60 times, youll
note the GT is quicker than the
S7. Some of that can be attribut-
ed to Fords decision to make
60 mph attainable in First gear.
The rest can be attributed to the
supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that
pounds out 500 hp and 500 ft.-lb.
of torque. Get the tire speed up a
bit at launch and after a few feet,
the GTs massive rear rubber
hooks up and hurls you down
the track. The thrust is Delta IV
brain-blurring and Terminator
relentless. Each gear change is
greeted with bottomless buckets
of torque. Its awesome. The
Ford GT is the absolute cheapest
way to get quite deeply into the
newly created and extremely ex-
clusive 11-second street-legal,
production-car club.
q
#
1
If you have the dollarsand we
mean $447,048 of themthen
you can dominate anything else
Saleen S7
Competition
g
The thrust is Delta IV brain-blurring
and Terminator relentless.
Close, But No Cigar
Test Summary: Audi RS 6
Engine: 4.2-liter/255.0 cu.-in. DOHC 40v twin-turbo
V8, 450 @ 5700 rpm, 415 ft.-lb. @ HP: Torque:
1950 rpm, 107.1, 5A HP/liter ratio: Trans:
Powertrain: Final front engine/all-wheel drive,
Weight/HP ratio: Tires: 8.9, Dunlop SP Sport
9000 RS, 255/40ZR18
4.99 sec., 13.15 sec. @ 106.37 mph 1/4-mile:
120 MAY 2004
Test Summary: Saleen S7 Competition
Powertrain: Axle ratio/ midengine/rear drive,
Weight/HP ratio: Tires: 5.0, Pirelli P Zero Rosso,
f: r: 275/30ZR19, 345/25ZR20
3.74 sec., 11.51 sec. @ 127.38 mph 1/4-mile:
on the road. Anything. The
Saleen S7 is essentially a race
car legalized for the street. It
looks like it just won the 24
Hours of Le Mans, it sounds like
a Nextel Cup Car and it acceler-
ates like nothing else bound by
gravity. Behind you sits a 7.0-
liter V8 packing 550 hp and 560
ft.-lb. of torque that is based on
Fords NASCAR V8. Unlike a Cup
Car, the engine in the S7 is mat-
ed to a 6-speed transaxle. And
though the S7 is long and wide,
its lighter than a Honda Civic.
Its also lighter than any other
car in this test by roughly 400
pounds, thanks to its space-
frame chassis and carbon-fiber
body. But getting the most from
this raw machine requires some
mighty skilled hands and feet.
The cockpit is tight and so is the
pedal placement. The clutch is
heavy and grabby. Place a foot
wrong and your run is ruined.
But get it all right and the
S7 is brutally fast. In fact, its
undeniably the quickest car
built in the U.S. of A. And it
may well be the quickest car
in the world. The Saleen S7
is our winner. 1
On paper, Audis limited-edition RS 6 is
a shoo-in. After all, it gets a more-than-
respectable 450 hp and a healthy 415
ft.-lb. of torque from its twin-turbo
4.2-liter DOHC V8. Audi pairs this motor
with its proven Quattro all-wheel-drive
system. But short of hooking up a
nitrous oxide bottle to the German se-
dan, we could not get the RS 6 into the
12-second bracket. We tried every driv-
ing style any one of us could come up
with. We had everyone on the staff take
a couple of cracks at hustling it down
the strip. Basically, we did everything we
could think of, but we couldnt get this
sedan to cover 1320 ft. from a standing
start in less than 13 seconds. Make no
mistake, the Audi RS 6 is one quick ma-
chine. Just dont challenge a guy in a
Mercedes E55 AMG to a drag race. t
The art, science and
technology of our national
pastime as it starts
its 156th season.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CLIFF GROMER AND LEITA RAFTON
D
SPORTS SCIENCE
122 PHOTO BY CHRIS LEE/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, INSETS BY INSIDE EDGE SCOUTING SERVICES
TECHNOLOGY
IN THE
DUGOUT
Baseball strategy is changing
as managers and coaches rely
more heavily on information
rather than intuition.
BY JIM KAAT
Decisions in the dugout have come a long way
since the days of the 15-cent ballpark hot dog. No
longer is it a simple matter of just going down the
roster to select a righthand hitter to face a south-
paw on the mound. The information revolution has
invaded baseballs humbleif not primitivedug-
out. Major League Baseball doesnt allow comput-
ers and other electronic gear in the dugout during
a game, but theres nothing preventing the use of
printouts, charts and a zillion types of computer-
generated reports to help give a manager that
all-important edge, be it ever so slight, over the
opposing ballclub.
Its not uncommon to see Tony LaRussa, manager
of the St. Louis Cardinals, reading glasses on, por-
ing over reports packed into a thick loose-leaf
binder during a game. LaRussa, arguably the most
intellectual manager in the ma-
jors, relies on a keen analytical
mind to make sense ofand quick decisions based
onan overload of data. Even 72-year-old Jack
McKeon, manager of the world champion Florida
Marlins, is in step with the times. He may not
spend his between-game hours in front of a com-
puter screen, but you can bet hes receiving input
from someone who does.
All the information packed into that loose-leaf
binder is gathered by a teams scouts and outside
scouting services such as Inside Edge Scouting
Services of Minneapolis, Minn. Managers can
check not only the history of a particular hitter/
pitcher matchup, they can break it down to the fine
Left-hander Jim Kaat won 283 games and earned 16 Gold Gloves
in 25 years as a major league pitcher.
H
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony
LaRussa studies scouting report
printouts to plan his strategy.
VIDEO REFERENCE ONLY
124 MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS.COM ILLUSTRATION BY DANILO DUCAK, PHOTOS BY AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

details such as what kinds of pitches were thrown,
which ones were hit and to where. Some of the
reports available from Inside Edge include Hitter
Profiles (hot zones, chase zones and power zones),
Hitter By-Count (performance on each count), Hit-
ter 1st Pitch and Pitcher Profiles (pitch selection on
each count).
At just about every major league game, youll see
the advance scouts in the stands with radar guns,
recording the speed and location of every pitch.
During the American League Division Series last
year, when the Twins played the Yankees, Tom Kelly,
former Twins manager, and Larry Corrigan, the
Twins lead scout, followed the Yankees for two
weeks prior to the playoffs, detailing every at-bat.
But, as the Twins learned, theres more to baseball
than scouting reports.
Homogenized Strike Zone
While technology is making the most impact in the
dugout, its reshaping
just about every aspect
of baseball. Ever since
theres been dirt to kick,
there have been con-
frontations between
managers and umpires
over calls behind the
plate. The umps call
em as they see em, but
not all umpires see em
the same way. Some
shave the corners, oth-
ers pad them. And rare-
ly do pitches high in the
official strike zone, or
even just above the belt
buckle for that matter,
draw the umps extended right
arm. Enter the Ques Tec Umpire
Information System. Its goal is
to provide a guide that all 68
major league umpires can use to
gauge their performance and
call a more uniform by the
book strike zone. The system
uses two video cameras mount-
ed in the upper deck of the ball-
park to track the path of each
pitch and determine its speed
and curvature. Two additional
cameras at field level measure
the strike zone for each batter
and for each pitch. Home plate
umpires are given a CD at the end of each game so
they can compare their calls to those made by
Ques Tec. Since Ques Tec is in place in 10 out of
the 30 major league ballparks, umpires tend to vary
their call of the strike zone depending on whether
they are in a Ques Tec park.
Pitcher Perfect
Optimizing player performance is another area be-
ing shaped by technology. The New York Mets re-
cently brought Pitching Coach Rick Peterson and
10 of the clubs pitchers to the American Sports
Medicine Institute (ASMI) in Birmingham, Ala.
ASMI analyzed the hurlers mechanics, with an eye
toward identifying potential injury-inviting mo-
tions, and pointed out areas for possibly improving
performance.
ASMI used six synchronized black-and-white
cameras, each shooting 240 frames per second.
They recorded each
pitcher, who, with reflec-
tive markers taped to his
joints, went through his
delivery. LEDs mounted
on the cameras project-
ed infrared light that re-
flected off the markers.
A computer analyzed the
camera data to create a
3D representation of the
delivery. Calculations
then determined joint
angles and angular ve-
locities. According to
ASMI Research Director
Dr. Glenn S. Fleisig, a
pitcher extends his el-
bow (from bent to
straight position) at a
velocity of about 2500
CAMERA POSITIONS
FOR QUES TEC SYSTEM
A pitcher extends his elbow at a velocity
of about 2500 per second.
FIELD-LEVEL
CAMERA
(FOR SNAPSHOT OF
LEFTHANDED BATTERS)
PITCH-
TRACKING
CAMERA 1
FIELD-LEVEL
CAMERA
(FOR SNAPSHOT OF
RIGHTHANDED BATTERS)
PITCH-
TRACKING
CAMERA 2
Ques Tec makes its calls and then generates a report against
which umpires can compare their own performance.
New York Mets pitcher Scott Kazmir has his delivery
analyzed at the American Sports Medicine Institute.
o
I
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D
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V
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MAY 2004

per second. The calculations also indi-
cated how much force was on each joint
(mass times acceleration).
Maximum pitching velocity requires the
proper chain of coordination from the leg
drive to hip rotation to shoulder and trunk
rotation to arm motion. If the hips rotate slightly
late, for instance, the pitcher cant realize his maxi-
mum potential velocity. Videos, provided by ASMI
along with the motion analysis data printout, help
pitching coaches identify areas that need help.
Of course, you dont have to go to Alabama to see
what youre doing wrong. All teams review tapes of
their games with the coaches. A pitcher going
through a slump can learn what hes currently do-
ing incorrectly by comparing videos of his current
poor performance to videos shot when everything
was working right. Hell look at the whole motion
and say, Im not taking the ball out of my glove
quickly enough, or Im overstriding, or whatever.
Videotape also works for hitters in slumps.
And while weve talked mostly about pitching,
technology hasnt ignored hitters. One of the most
amazing pitching machines ever developed is the
Abner Batter Training System. Named after Abner
Doubleday, the purported inventor of the game of
baseball, the machine is an 8-axis industrial robot
that fires regulation
baseballs at speeds
up to 90 mph. Two
spinning aluminum
flywheels create top,
bottom or sidespin, so
the machine can du-
plicate just about ev-
ery pitch in the book.
A screen in front of
the machine shows a
major league pitcher
in 3D animation. The
hitter can even see
the pitchers grip on
the ball, just like in real life. At the moment of re-
lease, a shutter opens in the screen as the machine
fires the ball through the screen to the batter. The
shutter then closes and the screen shows the pitch-
ers follow-through motion. It doesnt get any more
realistic than that, folks.
Technology has its place, but if you ask me, I
think its overdone. Personally, I dont think theres
enough time being spent putting the ball in a pitch-
ers hand, like my coaches Johnny Sain and Eddie
Lopat did. Theyd tell me, if you put a little more
pressure on this finger youll get the ball to do such
and such. As a pitcher, I always felt it was more im-
portant to have an idea of what makes the ball
move. To me, its still more important for a pitcher to
be able to throw several different kinds of pitches,
even if its with less than a perfect motion, and be
able to deceive the hitter, as opposed to having a
perfect, textbook motion that hitters can read. And
thats exactly what happens when you take the art
out of pitching and make it a science. 1
Inside Edge collects pitch-
by-pitch game data to
generate a variety of
pitcher and hitter reports.
e
MECHANICS
OF THE
FASTBALL
Its still the best pitch in
baseball and the pitchers
ultimate weapon.
BY JIM KAAT
W
With a 3-run lead going into the bottom of the
eighth in Game 5 of the 2003 American League
Championship Series, no one was the least bit sur-
prised when New York Yankees manager Joe Torre
called on closer Mariano Rivera to come in and
shut down the Boston Red Sox. Rivera, arguably
the best closer in the history of baseball, got off to a
shaky start, giving up a leadoff triple into the right
field corner by Todd Walker and an RBI groundout
to Nomar Garciaparra.
The next batter, fearsome slugger Manny
Ramirez, had already homered in the game. Another
SPORTS SCIENCE
score would bring Boston within one run of the
Yankees. It was the classic confrontationpower
against power. Ramirez versus Rivera.
But Manny Ramirez had a big advantage. Walk-
ing up to the plate, he already knew what Rivera
was going to throw him. In fact, all 34,000 fans
packed into Fenway Park that
night knew what Rivera was going
to throw. Essentially, Mariano Rivera throws only
one pitcha hard, heavy cut fastball that breaks
slightly to the left just as it crosses the plate. Occa-
sionally, hell also throw a 98-mph 4-seam fastball
that pours straight across the plate, high in the
strike zone. Thats it.
Ramirez dug in and peered out at Rivera, gearing
up for the fastball. Rivera came set and fired. The
4-seamer, 98 miles per hour. Ramirez swung late
and missed. Strike one. Rivera had thrown it right
by him even though Ramirez knew it was coming.
Rivera peered in at catcher Jorge Posada for the
sign, came set and fired. The cutter, low and away,
92 miles per hour. Ramirez, way out in front this
time, fouled it off. Strike two. You could see Ramirez
scowl at Rivera, a determined look on his face.
Ramirez would catch up with the next fastball. And
it would be a fastball. He knew that. And he would
catch up with it.
Rivera peered in, got the sign, came set and
delivered. A cutter, high and away. Ramirez,
fooled, checked his swing and managed
to lay off. Ball one. You could almost hear
Ramirez think. The next pitch was going
to be a 4-seamer. It had to be.
127 PHOTO BY DAVID BERGMAN/CORBIS
T
h
It was.
It was a perfect fastball, textbook perfect. It
poured across the plate letter high, 98 miles per
hour. Ramirez, simply overmatched even though he
had guessed right, swung late and limply. His fee-
ble swing, barely completed as the ball thudded
into Posadas mitt, was too little, too late.
Mariano Rivera, who went on to take Most
Valuable Player honors in the ALCS, had
proved it again.
The fastball is still the best pitch in
baseball.
Not only is the fastball a deadly weap-
on in its own right, but it also is the basis
for most pitchers entire game strategies.
Everything works off the fastball. Once
you establish your fastball in a game, ev-
ery batter has to be geared up for it since
it might come on any given pitch. Once a
pitcher has a batter in this overtensed, hair-
trigger state, its much easier to fool him with
off-speed and breaking pitches.
But it all starts with the fastball.
A fastball may have been the first pitch thrown in
a baseball game, the pitcher attempting to simply
overpower the batter. Since that first game in 1845,
there have been more variations of the fastball de-
veloped than any other pitch. Today, youll find
guys throwing a 2-seam fastball, a 4-seam fastball,
a cut fastball, a split-finger fastball and
probably others.
4-Seamer
The 4-seam fastball is the king
of the power pitches, and can
be delivered with the most ac-
curacy. The grip side view
shows how shallow the ball
lies in the hand. The ball is
held on the wide seams and is
thrown over the top. As the ball
is released, the fingertips impart
straight backspin, with all four
seams rotating. This produces a true pitch from
the mound to the plate, so there is very little
lateral movement.
Years ago, baseball players
and fans commonly believed
that it was possible to throw a
rising fastballa pitch that
would curve upward or hop
as it approached the batter.
This could be done, it was
thought, by gripping the
baseball across the seams
and releasing the pitch with a
wrist snap that would impart
a pronounced backspin on
the ball. Although they could
not explain why it happened,
pitchers, batters and catchers
were convinced that if the
pitch were thrown at high
speedover 90 mphit
would rise as it crossed the
plate, causing the batter to
misjudge the trajectory and
swing under the ball. They
were certain the ball rose be-
cause they could see it rise.
As a longtime baseball fan
and a physicist specializing in
the physics of sports, I was
curious to find out whether
the rising fastball was for real.
After all, a baseball must obey
the laws of physics, and there
was a well-established theory
and sufficient data available
to allow me to calculate the
aerodynamic forces on a
baseball in flight. The basic
principles are relatively sim-
ple. After the ball leaves the
pitchers hand, it is subject to
just three forces: gravity
(equal to the weight of the
ball) pulling it vertically
downward; aerodynamic
drag, created by the collision
of the ball with the surround-
ing air, which reduces its for-
ward speed; and what is
known as the Magnus force,
generated by the interaction
of the spinning surface of the
ball with the air. The ball gen-
erates a low-pressure wake
behind it as it moves through
the air, but if the surface is
spinning, the wake is deflect-
ed sideways. According to
Newtons law of action and
reaction, if the ball deflects
the air to one side, the air will
push the ball in the opposite
direction. The Magnus force
always acts perpendicular to
the path of the ball, deflect-
ing it sideways according to
the direction of spin. It is this
force that allows pitchers to
throw a repertoire of break-
ing ballscurveballs, sliders,
sinkers, etc.by adjusting
the rate and direction of the
spin on the ball along with
the speed and location of the
pitch. To throw a rising fast-
ball, the Magnus force must
be directed upward, oppos-
ing the pull of gravity, and
this can be achieved by
throwing the ball with back-
spin. If the Magnus force is
greater than the weight of
the ball, then the net force on
the ball will cause it to rise.
When I ran computer simu-
lations of pitches, I made
some interesting discoveries.
I learned that over the stand-
ard pitching distance of
60 ft. 6 in., a ball loses about
9 percent of its initial speed
due to aerodynamic drag
thus a pitch launched at
90 mph will have slowed to
81 mph when it reaches the
batter. The pitch takes only
about 0.44 second to cover
the distance. During this
The Myth Of The Rising Fastball
Pitchers, batters and catchers swear that a ball can rise at the plate.
128 MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS.COM ILLUSTRATION BY DANILO DUCAK

t
2-Seamer
The 2-seam fastball
is gripped with the
fingers on the nar-
row seams. As
with the 4-seam-
er, you dont
want the ball
too deep in the
hand, a deeper
grip effectuating
more pull and
backspin. Fingertip
pressure with either the middle or index fin-
ger against the seam generates sidespin, which
causes the ball to drop as it nears the plate. This
late movement is called a sinking or tailing fast-
ball. Hurled by a lefty, the ball will move down and
away from a righthand hitter. Thrown by a right-
hand pitcher, the ball will move down and away
from a lefthand hitter. Whereas the 4-seam fastball
is favored by power pitchers, the 2-seamer is used
more by ground-ball pitchers.
The Cutter
The cut fastball, or cutter, is thrown using either of
the above grips. The key is to keep your hand be-
hind the ball as long as possible and let the grip
pressure in the middle finger give it the sidespin or
cut. The cutter will move in or out a few inches
like a tight slideras it nears the plate, but it wont
drop like the sinking fastball.
Dry Spitter
The dry spitter is thrown
with your fingers on the
hide as opposed to the
seams of the baseball.
Before the spitter was
made illegal, hurlers
would put saliva on the
ball to reduce friction,
and it would sort of
squirt out of their hand
like a pingpong ball.
These days, the pitcher
can have a little coating of mound dirt on
his fingers. This also reduces friction. The ball
comes out with virtually no spin and will sink as it
reaches the plate.
Split-Finger
The split-finger fastball is
released with relatively
little spin. The ball has a
tumbling rotation and a
late downward move-
mentsimilar to the
dry spitter. You can
change the velocity
of the split-finger
pitch by varying the
position and pressure of
your fingers on the ball.
The fastball is the only pitch you can throw
to all four quadrants of the strike zone, and its not
used nearly enough today. Look at a pitchers best
games, and Ill bet youll see a high percentage of
fastballs and good control. Thats why David Wells
has been so successful. He favors his fastball, and
throws most of them for strikes. His stuff is consis-
tent, start to start, and he has very few arm prob-
lems. He trusts his fastball. To be successful, all
pitchers, like Wells, need to trust their fastball and
say, here it is, hit it if you can! 1
For More Outdoors Features
popularmechanics.com/outdoors
Hurlers would put saliva on the ball to reduce friction.
MAY 2004
POPULARMECHANICS .COM 129 PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLIFF GROMER AND LEITA RAFTON
interval the ball falls about
3 ft. due to the pull of gravity.
A batter has less than half a
second to judge the trajec-
tory of the ball, decide
whether to swing, and then
bring his bat around to the
projected point of contact.
Hitting a baseball at the ma-
jor league level, I discovered,
is a truly remarkable feat.
Most significantly, I discov-
ered that in order for the ball
to truly rise in flightfor the
Magnus force to exceed the
weight of the ballthe pitch
would have to be launched
with a backspin of more than
3600 rpm. This is far beyond
the capacity of any major
league pitcher. High-speed
photography shows that
spin rates of about 1800 rpm
are the best that can be
achieved. Thus, it is not hu-
manly possible to throw a
true rising fastball. With the
ball spinning at 1800 rpm
and traveling at 90 mph,
the Magnus force retards
the vertical drop by a little
more than a foot. Instead of
dropping 3 ft. vertically on its
way to the plate, the ball
drops slightly less than 2 ft.
I concluded that the rising
fastball is an optical illusion.
The ball appears to rise only
because it doesnt fall as
much as the batter expects it
toin other words, the ball
rises only in relation to the
batters expectations.
Over time, a number of
other scientists have verified
my results. The most convinc-
ing confirmation has come
from real-time tracking of
baseball pitches using multi-
ple video cameras and rapid
computerized reconstruction
of the trajectories. To the best
of my knowledge, no one has
ever recorded a fastball rising
as it crosses the plate. A
Google search on the term
rising fastball reveals doz-
ens of articles all attesting to
the fact that the rising fast-
ball is an optical illusion. To
the exquisitely trained eyes
of a top-flight batter or
catcher, the ball appears to
rise because it does not fall
as much as it would without
the backspin.
Peter J. Brancazio
Professor Emeritus of Physics
Brooklyn College,
The City University of New York
h
a
d
Log On
Log On
A tree, or even a large branch, that falls and blocks
your driveway can be a major inconvenience, to put
it mildly. It also can be downright expensive to
have someone come and remove it, and they may
not be
able to
come when you need them. That holds true even
for a branch or an entire tree that falls in a harm-
less location. It doesnt present an obstacle, but
it looks unattractive. And getting a landscape con-
tractor or a tree service in there also can result in
a major unplanned expense.
Homeowners who heat with wood and those who
are more concerned with quickly clearing storm
damage are well served by owning a chain saw.
For wood-heating homeowners, its a necessity. For
others, its a tool that can pay for itself in one
storm, or over the course of two or three years,
tidying up the landscape.
Todays Saw
We gathered recently to test seven of todays chain
saws. We selected machines with engines of about
45cc and bar lengths of 18 in. It has been our experi-
ence that this combination makes for a versatile
saw. Its big enough and powerful enough to han-
dle the demands of someone who heats with
wood (partially or entirely), but its not too
big for the person who cuts a couple of
logs a year for the fireplace or to clear
storm damage. All of the saws were
equipped with low-kickback
We put seven chain saws to the test.
We put seven chain saws to the test.
BY ROY BERENDSOHN
Photos by Tom Klenck and Steve Willson
BY ROY BERENDSOHN
Photos by Tom Klenck and Steve Willson
COMPARISON TEST
r
* Readings taken at idle and full throttle.
** Weight of engine alone (bar and chain removed).
chain. Improvement to chain de-
sign makes todays saw cut more
easily and safely than its pred-
ecessor. Engineers have looked
intensely at handle shape and
balance to make saws more com-
fortable. And modern saws do a
good job of isolating the user
from the machines vibration.
If you like cutting wood as
much as we do, youll be inter-
ested in what we found. Before
we stacked up the firewood, we
stacked the saws against each
other. Heres what we learned
after the chips, dust and noise
settled down.
Stihl MS250
Theres no mistaking the Stihl as
anything but a highly capable
wood cutter. It is powerful, well-
balanced, and of all the saws it
has the best field-service capabil-
ity. Both the back cover and the
air filter can be removed without
tools. The saws spark plug place-
ment makes for easy service. The
saw has a well-protected master
control lever thats fast to use. A
small design feature that all the
testers liked was that the gas cap
and the bar oil cap have a flip-up
lever that makes them easy to
loosen or tighten. Thats impor-
tant for cold-weather work when
youre wearing gloves.
The only problem noted with
the Stihl was that it was the most
difficult to start. We suspect the
saw would be easier to start after
a break-in period.
Husqvarna 345
The Husqvarna is a smooth-run-
ning, fast-cutting saw. Its easy
to start and well-balanced. Its a
professional product, and if you
cut a lot of wood, youll find this
saw to be worth its price because
its speed and smooth perform-
ance make it very productive.
The Husqvarna was the loudest
saw (along with its twin, the
Jonsered) when we averaged its
decibel rating at idle and full
throttle. Is that an issue? Any-
body cutting wood should wear
hearing and eye protection.
The testers liked the Husqvarna
based on its performance, though
everyone agreed that it cannot
claim the easy field-service ca-
pability of the Stihl. You need a
screwdriver to remove the saws
top cover. However, once the
cover is removed you have excel-
lent access to the spark plug, air
filter and engine head. Husqvar-
na makes a point of saying it
designed the saws airflow to re-
move particles before they get to
the engine compartment. Still, its
good to know that with the cover
removed, you can keep this saw
clean as a whistle.
Jonsered 2145
Everything that can be said about
the Husqvarna applies to the
Jonsered. With the exception of
their difference in color, the saws
are identical, right down to their
controls. Speaking of which,
CHAIN SAW SPECIFICATIONS
MANUFACTURER MODEL PRICE ENGINE
(cc)
SOUND
LEVEL
(dBA)*
PRIMER
BULB
WEIGHT**
(lb.)
GAS
CAPACITY
(pints)
OIL
CAPACITY
(pints)
MANUAL
COMPRESSION
RELIEF VALVE
CHAIN
ADJUST-
MENT
STIHL MS250 $290 45.4 83/106 No 10.4 1 0.4 No Side
HUSQVARNA 345 $290 45 85.5/107 No 10.4 1.06 0.53 Yes Side
JONSERED 2145 TURBO $370 45 85.5/107 No 10.8 1.06 0.53 Yes Side
SOLO 645-18 $280 44.3 83/107 Yes 9.9 1.05 0.81 Yes Front
ECHO CS-440 $330 45 78.5/105 No 10.5 0.95 0.57 No Front
HOMELITE TIMBERMAN 45 $170 45 83/109 Yes 11.7 1.1 0.7 No Front
POULAN PRO 295 $230 45 80/101 No 12.8 0.86 0.61 No Side
132 MAY 2004
SOLO 645 JONSERED 2145 HUSQVARNA 345 STIHL MS250
n
although the testers didnt ex-
perience any problems with the
pullout choke control/throttle-lock
lever, it does look a bit delicate
and may be prone to damage.
Certainly the lever would be diffi-
cult to work if you were wearing
gloves. To start the Jonsered, or
its orange twin, you pull this blue
lever. That automatically sets the
Stop switch and throttle to fast
idle. A pull or two on the recoil
handle and youre cutting.
Our testers did not like the
saws gas and oil caps. Both
were most easily tightened and
removed by inserting a screw-
driver shaft between their posts.
On a more positive note, like
the Husky, the Jonsereds own-
ers manual is excellent. It has
the best illustrations, and use
and care instructions. And, along
with the Echos manual, it is
written entirely in English.
Solo 645
This is a good saw in search of
a market. It doesnt have wide
national distribution, but if you
have a distributor near you, we
recommend that you consider
it. Its an easy-starting saw and
we felt that this was due to its
having a primer bulb and a
compression release button. It
was the only saw to have both.
Some people feel the primer
bulb is the most reliable way
to start a small engine. We tend
to agree, based on our experi-
ence with small equipment
ranging from lawnmowers to
trimmers. This old-fashioned
feature is a good way of ensur-
ing adequate fuel at startup.
The Solo proved a capable cut-
ter, though not as smooth and
powerful as the Stihl or the
Husqvarna/Jonsered saws.
Echo CS-440
If your preference is for basic,
solid power equipment, the Echo
is your product. What do we
mean by basic? It is the only saw
equipped with a toggle ignition
switch and a choke knob that
looks like it could have come
off a pickup truck dashboard of
30 years ago. Combine those two
features with a throttle latch, and
you have a saw that anybody can
understand at a glance. To start
the Echo, you flip its ignition
switch to On, pull out its choke
knob and press its latch button.
When you do so, you lock the
saw in the fast-idle position. A
couple of pulls was all it took
to start this saw.
The Echo proved itself to be a
fast-cutting saw and its perform-
ance held up well under load.
Some woodcutters describe a
saw like this as having guts. We
agree. The fact that the Echo re-
ceived high marks for power and
ease of start is more remarkable
when you consider that it was
also the second-quietest saw.
Husqvarnas saw has its chain-adjust-
ment screw on the side. It is accessible
through a hole in the clutch cover.
To adjust the chain on the Solo, turn the
screw next to the bar. The Homelite and
the Echo also use this mechanism.
The chain-adjustment device on the
Poulan reaches the limit of its travel
before the chain is tightened adequately.
MAY 2004

POULAN PRO 295 HOMELITE TIMBERMAN 45 ECHO CS-440
o
Our only check marks against
it are small ones. The nut and
bolt that hold the nose guard in
place are wider than the saws
kerf. Your best bet is to remove
that clunky, pseudo safety device.
The Echo was among the saws
that use a chain-tension screw
positioned on the front of the saw,
on the side of the bar. The testers
agreed that chain tension should
be accomplished instead with a
screw through the side of the
clutch cover plate. However, the
Echo was the best of the front-
adjustment saws because its
large screw promotes easier
placement of a screwdriver.
Homelite Timberman 45
Homelite occupies a special
niche in American manufactur-
ing as a well-regarded brand.
It has seen some rough times
in the last few years, however.
Now the brand is owned and
marketed by Ryobi, believe it or
not. Has the change in owner-
ship harmed it? We dont think
so. The saw is well-made and
powerful. It proved easy to start
thanks to its primer bulb.
Having said that, we wouldnt
classify this saw as a primary
wood cutter. That distinction be-
longs to saws with more power,
less vibration and better field-serv-
ice capability. Still, the Homelite
is no slouch. We wouldnt hesitate
to recommend it as a backup saw
or one for occasional use. The
only significant problem noted
was that the saw directed a lot of
engine heat toward the users
hand when the saw was turned
sideways to make felling cuts.
Poulan Pro 295
Like Homelite, Poulan is another
old, well-regarded American
brandand a pioneer in chain
saw development. Its owned by
the same company, Electrolux,
that produces the Husqvarna and
Jonsered saws. The Poulan ap-
peared to have significantly less
substance than the other saws,
and it was the only machine in
which we noted an annoying
deficiency regarding its chain
tightening. The saw has a clever
design for tightening the chain
a slot at the base of the bar.
Insert a screwdriver in the slot
and turn to tighten the chain.
However, our testers found that
the mechanism reached the limit
of its travel before the chain was
tightened. That meant we had to
resort to the old-fashioned meth-
od of loosening the clutch cover
bolts and pulling the bar forward
and up. Then, we had to retight-
en the cover bolts without losing
the tension we had just applied.
Different pleated air filters can be
installed on the Husqvarna to allow
optimal airflow depending on weather.
The Echo has a neatly arranged engine
compartment including an easy-to-
service automotive-style air filter.
Stihls saw has the best engine-access
cover. Simply turn a knob and lift the
cover to remove it from the saw.
The Homelite was typical of the test
saws in that its engine cover is held to
the saw body with screws.
On the Jonsered and Husqvarna, pulling
the blue throttle latch automatically
sets the ignition and fast-idle control.
Testers liked the Echos throttle latch
button. Squeeze the throttle trigger and
press the button to set for fast idle.
134 MAY 2004
w
Theres no excuse for that kind
of flimsy manufacturing. On the
upside, the saw started easily,
ran with gusto and averaged out
as the quietest saw.
Conclusion
Of all the outdoor power equip-
ment evaluated recently, this test
produced the closest finish at the
top of the pack, a photo finish if
you will. We tested all the saws
for ease of start, power under
load, balance and ease of field
service. We even tested them
with an aftermarket chain pro-
vided by the nations premier
chain manufacturer, Oregon
Cutting Systems (www.oregon
chain.com). Oregon makes
chains for all the manufacturers
tested here except for Stihl,
which makes its own. We wanted
to know if an aftermarket chain
could affect saw performance.
All we can say is that putting a
fresh, sharp Oregon chain on
any saw should improve its cut
quality, but swapping chains
didnt affect the test rankings.
If youve tuned your saw, sharp-
ened it and you still suspect that
theres room for improvement,
our advice would be to consider
an Oregon replacement chain.
Having said all that, heres
how our test shaped up.
First place goes to the Stihl.
Although the testers were divided
on the first-place finisher, theres
no question that the Stihl exhibits
excellent industrial design fea-
tures and simplicity. In our experi-
ence with everything from table
saws to lawnmowers, products
that exhibit these two attributes
hold up best over the long haul.
Its our hunch that the saws
tough cold-starting could be
worked out with more experience
and after a break-in period. Also,
we should note that the Stihl
would start with a single pull
after it had a couple of minutes
to warm up. In all other respects,
this is an excellent saw. The
Husqvarna ranked next. As one
tester put it: I want the Husqvar-
nas power, smoothness of opera-
tion and cut quality paired with
the Stihls simplicity and ability
to be field serviced. You decide
which qualities are more impor-
tant. There was no debate among
the testers that with the hard-
woods we cut (birch, maple, cher-
ry and oak), the Husqvarna was
certainly fast. (The company also
makes an industrial high-speed
version of this saw, the 346 XP,
thats even faster. We did use it
in this test, but didnt rank it. Its
price tag is more than $400, and
thats well outside what most
nonprofessionals will pay for a
saw.) The 345 was easier to start
than the Stihl. The same can be
said for the Jonsered.
Next comes the easy-starting
and nimble Solo. We frequently
turned to this saw when we had
to do small clean-up work with
branches and related chores.
That speaks very well for it.
One tester put the Echo right
next to the Solo, the others
ranked it a notch below. Either
way, its a great saw thats easy
to start, powerful and simple.
Well below the saws already
mentioned ranks the Homelite,
an excellent homeowner saw or
a capable backup.
Bringing up the rear is the Pou-
lan. Not a bad saw, but it needs
additional work to improve its
balance and its chain-tightening
mechanism. Dont worry about
its ability to cut. It seemed to do
just fine in that regard. 1
Flip up the cap levers on the Stihl and
remove or tighten the cap with a single
turn. The design is the best here.
Homelites saw has an anti-kickback
nose guard. The guard has a threaded
hole and is held by a machine screw.
The Solo uses substantial springs
between the handle and engine assem-
bly to isolate the user from vibration.
Husqvarna recommends weekly clean-
ing or changing the spark screen in the
muffler. Removing it is easy.
MAY 2004

For More Home Features
popularmechanics.com/home
New Holland TC30 Utility Tractor
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STEVE WILLSON
Recently, New Holland introduced a tractor called
the TC30 that promises more power and capability
for less money than its competition.
We decided to try one out for a long-
term test and pass on the results to you.
Like most tractors in the compact market, this
machine can be outfitted in different ways. To
reduce costs, we chose the model with a geared
transmission instead of a hydrostatic drive. To test
performance, we chose the 4wd version with a 72-in.
shaft-driven mowing deck and a 63-in. 2-stage
shaft-driven snowblower. (See Tractor Specifica-
tions on page 138.) We used the tractor primarily
for mowing and snowblowing.
The mowing deck is a robust piece of equipment
featuring a heavy-duty steel deck and three 25-in.-
long x
1
/4-in.-thick steel blades. The cutting height
is adjustable from 1
1
/2 to 4 in. and is supported by
four wheels and one roller. We never stalled the
deck in a full season of mowing, though 10-in.-high
wet grass did slow the mower down. In acre after
acre of 6-in.-high dry grass, the mower performed
flawlessly. And the power steering was especially
good. It took practically no effort to maneuver the
tractor. This machine was also quiet at idle (77
dBA), reasonably quiet at transport speed (83 dBA),
but loud (98 dBAhearing protection required)
when running at proper cutting speed.
The snowblower was equally impressive. We
were blessed with repeated heavy storms through-
out the winter and had the opportunity to work
in 5-in.-deep slush and
25-in.-deep powder
that crested well
over the auger
TEST
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A
t
A book, like a house, is only as good as what you
put into it. And thats what makes this book excel-
lent. Its the collective experience of many con-
struction professionals, not the opinions of a single
author. The book is published by the Journal Of
Light Construction, a trade magazine that has
spent 20 years diligently
compiling information from
carpenters, masons, founda-
tion crews, architects, engi-
neers, painters, roofers and
siding installers.
As you might expect, it
begins its 384 pages with
a discussion of earthwork,
then proceeds to explain the details that make for a
firm, dry foundation. Next up is frame construction,
followed by roofing and exteriors. It amounts not to
a step-by-step guide on how to build a house, but
how to make it better once you know construction
basics. Hundreds of construction details are ex-
plained and illustrated, such as how to position a
load-bearing wall relative to a beam below. Other
material is given in the form of tips. For example,
to hold at full strength, a nail should penetrate the
wood to a depth 11 times its diameter. Also, we
learned that adding just 2 excess gallons of water to
a cubic yard of concrete will reduce its compressive
strength by 10 percent and increase its shrinkage
by 20 percent. Layout and estimating guidelines for
just about all construction materials are given here
in simple and concise terms.
The JLC Field Guide To Residential Construction,
A Manual Of Best Practice costs about $75. Contact
JLC, 186 Allen Brook Ln., Williston, VT 05495;
www.jlconline.com. Roy Berendsohn
Review: How To Build A Better House
housing. Very deep and very wet
snow would slow the machine,
but never stall it. The hydraulic
controls smoothly lifted the
blower and moved the snow
discharge chute from side to
side. Unfortunately, the chute
deflector has no dash-mounted
control. It has to be adjusted
manually at the chute. This
shortcoming is not a big deal
until youre working in subzero
temperatures and the wind
direction is unpredictable.
Routine service is, in most
cases, convenient. The hood lifts
easily and the side engine
panels come off quickly. The
plugs, filters (air, fuel and engine
oil), battery and radiator are all
very accessible. The hydraulic
pump filter, however, is almost
impossible to replace if the
mowing deck is installed. And
the oil drain plug is in a location
thats sure to result in spilled oil.
This tractor has a plain, boxy
design that seems a little dated.
And its not loaded with the
creature comforts that some
tractors feature (it doesnt even
have a cupholder). But if you are
looking for power, performance
and quality construction at a
reasonable price, you should
consider this equipment.
The manufacturers suggested
retail price for the tractor is
$11,000, for the mowing deck its
$3200, and for the snowblower
with a rear ballast box and
chains, $5100. For more informa-
tion, contact New Holland at 500
17557; www.newholland.com. 1
The front-mounted blower was very
powerful, easy to operate, took a 63-
in.-wide bite and never stalled.
Engine service is easy from both sides.
Screen panels can be pulled off in sec-
onds to provide clear access.
The dash has a tach, hour meter, warn-
ing lights, temp and fuel gauges, gear
Tractor Specifications
Horsepower 30
Transmission Gears
Fuel Diesel
Drive 4wd
Weight 2033 lb.
Height 83 in.
Width 58 in.
Length 112 in.
Ground Clearance 12 in.
3-Point Hitch Standard
138 MAY 2004
a
Dillar Ave., New Holland, PA
shift (on left) and throttle (on right).
c
Siding is a highly visible prod-
uct, so when it fails, its hard to
ignore. And, it fails with some
regularity. All siding products
have inherent weaknesses, and
if the materials havent been in-
stalled and maintained properly,
you can expect trouble fairly
soon. If a product is defective
from the start, as some have
been, no amount of care will
save it. In many cases, replace-
ment is the only option.
For example, our 10-year-old
house was sided with oriented
strand board (OSB) sidinga
product known to have problems
in terms of stability and deterio-
ration. The problems stem from
a moisture-absorbent substrate
that swells and encourages mold
growth and rot, and a surface
veneer that too easily allows
moisture in. When the deteriora-
tion progresses far enough, the
sheathing underneath begins
to break down as well.
As for new siding products to
replace the old, you have a few
options. If you like its look, and
are willing to pay for at least a
0.042-in. thickness, vinyls a
good choice. In fact, over 50 per-
cent of all siding jobs these days
are in vinyl, although the best
installations are expensive.
Then theres fiber-cement
board, which is impervious to
rot. But it has to be cut with a
diamond blade and secured with
a pneumatic nailerspecialized
gear that most homeowners are
unlikely to own or want to buy,
especially if theres an easier
and quicker solution.
And now theres SmartSide,
the latest incarnation of OSB lap
siding, from Louisiana-Pacific (LP
Specialty Products, 10115 Kincey
Ave., Suite 150, Huntsville, NC
28078; www.lpcorp.com). This
new product has improved edge
BY MERLE HENKENIUS
Illustrations by George Retseck
Do the job yourself
and save a bundle.
Installing
Siding
HOME
IMPROVEMENT
When the sheathing is foamboard,
which crushes easily, use a scrap of
siding as a backer for the pry bar.
To remove old siding, drive a pry bar
under the siding at each nail. Once the
nailhead appears, remove the nail.
1 2
140 MAY 2004
a
7 8 9
protection, is less absorbent and
contains a fungicide.
While SmartSide looks like it
has solved OSBs old problems,
we opted for time-tested hard-
board siding, also made by
Louisiana-Pacific. Many well-
maintained examples of this
type of product are going strong
40 years after installation. The
key is a good paint job, includ-
ing careful attention to the fac-
tory ends and saw cuts. Still,
hardboard isnt the best choice
for cool, rainy climates, such as
the Pacific Northwest, where
the warranty doesnt apply.
Our 1500-sq.-ft. ranch-style
home required $1300 worth
of hardboard.
The Tear-Off
Begin by using a small pry bar to
remove the trim at the top of each
wall. Then, use the pry bar to re-
move the siding. Drive the bar in
near each nail and lever the nails
loose one at time (Fig. 1). This is
relatively easy when the sheath-
ing is plywood or OSB, but foam-
board is another matter. To keep
the bar from crushing the foam,
use a scrap of siding as backing
(Fig. 2). Where the siding is
caulked to the trim, cut the caulk
with a utility knife before prying.
If you find any rotted sheathing,
cut out the bad section and
install a plywood patch.
Removing clear lengths of
siding is fairly easy, but youll
eventually run into mechanical
connec tions that pass through
the wall. If you have basement
access, its easiest to remove an
old dryer vent or outdoor faucet
and install a new one with the
new siding. If you dont, carefully
cut around the connection, so
you can pull the siding away in
pieces. With an outdoor faucet,
for example, remove the siding
above it, then use a sharp chisel
to split the siding above or below
the faucet (Fig. 3). At an electri-
cal box, undo the screws that
secure the box to the siding,
then use a chisel or sabre saw to
split the siding above and below
the nipple that passes through
the wall (Fig. 4).
To avoid removing the electrical
entrance equipment, we boxed in the
area and left the old siding.
To free a surface-mounted electrical
panel, shut off the breaker that supplies
it and remove the mounting screws.
In some cases, its easiest to simply cut
close to the obstacle with a sabre saw.
Then, finish the job with a chisel.
To remove siding around pipes or con-
duit, split the siding with a sharp chisel,
then pry it off in pieces.
Install preformed rain caps over all
doors and windows. Cut them
1
/8 in.
longer than the trim they cover.
Secure house wrap with plastic-capped
nails placed every few feet. Overlap
adjoining pieces for a good seal.
Trim the house wrap with a utility knife
so it meets doors and windows neatly.
Then, apply caulk at the trim.
3 4
5 6
MAY 2004

Some electrical connections
dont pass through the siding,
but are contained in surface-
mounted boxes. In these cases,
shut the power off at the breaker
panel, undo the screws that fas-
ten the box to the siding (Fig. 5)
and set the box aside.
Vent pipes that are inacces-
sible from the inside, like our
fireplaces combustion-air vent,
need to be approached differ-
ently. Try to separate the surface
fitting from the vent pipe, even
if theyre not designed to come
apart. If this fails, youll need to
cut into the sheathing to connect
a new vent.
Siding around the house elec-
trical entrance can be a problem.
Not only is the shock hazard seri-
ous, but you dont own all the
equipment. The meter socket,
weatherhead and conduit belong
to you, but the meter is owned
by the utility company, and its
sealed and usually locked in
place. To work new siding be-
hind it requires scheduling the
utility company to unlock the
meter and an electrician to loosen
and refasten the equipment. And
while the meters out, you wont
have electricity.
Because our phone interface
and the furnaces fresh air vent
were mounted under the electri-
cal entrance, we decided to leave
the old siding in this area. The
siding had no rot, and we deter-
mined we could save it with
enough paint. For appearances
sake, we separated the old and
new siding with strips of solid
wood that match the existing
trim on the eaves around the
windows, and at corners of the
house (Fig. 6).
Prep Work
Before installing siding, its a
good idea to cover the sheathing
with house wrap. House wrap is
a plastic air barrier that allows
moisture to pass through, while
significantly reducing heat loss
through drafts. Dont be tempted
to substitute ordinary plastic,
which would only trap moisture,
causing the walls to rot.
Begin by hanging the first
sheet of wrap from the top of one
wall. Secure the wrap every few
feet with plastic-capped nails
(Fig. 7), and cut carefully around
doors, windows and mechanical
obstructions. Tape or caulk along
the edges (Fig. 8).
Next, install galvanized metal
rain caps over every door and
window (Fig. 9). If you can sal-
vage the old caps, fine. If not,
buy new ones and size them
1
/8 in. wider than the trim they
cover. Nail each cap in place
Measure 10 in. up from the top of each
panel and mark the wall. Spot the top
of the next panel on this mark.
Where a vent pipe passes through the
wall, use a sabre saw to cut the hole.
After installing the hood, apply caulk.
To fit around a pipe, cut the siding at
the pipe center, then join the pieces
with siding splices, and caulk.
Paint the back of the siding with primer
to improve moisture resistance. Add a
topcoat to the lower panels.
Then, nail the siding until it seats
against the top edge of the piece below
it. Carefully wipe away the excess caulk.
Where the siding butts against trim,
bore the bottom corners with a
1
/8-in. bit
and apply a dab of caulk to the hole.
10 11
12 13
14 15
142 MAY 2004
f
through its back flange, at least
1
/2 in. above the bend.
Installing New Siding
Paint the back of as many panels
as you can before you start the
installation (Fig. 10). This helps
keep moisture from entering the
panels through their rear sur-
faces. If the primer you use dries
quickly, you can paint the panels
a few minutes before installing
them, instead of painting a large
number ahead of time. Use a
paintroller and store it in a plas-
tic bag between applications,
and in the refrigerator overnight.
After priming the edges of the
trim, determine the height of the
first row of siding. Use the verti-
cal corner trim boards as guides,
but measure down from the
eaves to make sure these boards
are the same length. Place the
bottom of the first row of siding
flush with the bottoms of the
trim boards, and secure it along
the top with 7d galvanized nails.
Its customary to nail a spacer
under the first row of siding, so
it slants at the same angle as the
boards above it. We chose to nail
our first row flat. Since sills and
band joists can leak a lot of air,
tighten up this area.
Many of the mechanical and
electrical obstructions will also
be at this level. The best way to
side around them is to cut the
siding at the center of the conduit
or pipe, and join the two pieces
with a metal splice designed for
end-to-end siding joints.
Our outdoor faucet offers a
good example. Measure from the
nearest corner to the center of
the faucet pipe and subtract
1
/8 in.
for the splice. Cut the siding and
create a notch to fit around the
pipe. Install this piece of siding,
and cut metal splices to fit above
and below the pipe. Apply caulk
to the splice pieces and bring a
matching piece of siding in from
the other direction (Fig. 11). Nail
this piece in place and caulk the
splice on both sides.
When installing new siding
around vent pipes, measure
carefully and cut a hole to fit the
pipe. Slide the siding over the
pipe and nail it in place (Fig. 12).
Then, install the vent baseplate
and hood, and caulk the top and
sides of the hood.
Working up the wall, measure
10 in. from the top of the previ-
ous panel and mark the wall
(Fig. 13). Hold the top of the next
panel on this mark and secure it
with nails driven through the top
edge and into studs. Where the
siding meets the trim, bore the
bottom corner with a
1
/8-in. bit
(Fig. 14), fill the hole with caulk,
and nail the siding until it seats
against the piece below (Fig. 15).
To allow for expansion, leave a
1
/8-in. gap between the siding
end and the trim.
Hardboard comes in 16-ft.
lengths, so you wont need many
splices. When you do, prime
the siding ends and make sure
the splice falls on the center of
a stud. Slide the metal splice
onto the siding from above or
below (Fig. 16).
When notching panels to fit
over doors and windows, use a
circular saw for the long cuts and
a handsaw to finish the corners.
Prime the edges and set the panel
in place (Fig. 17). Nail the panel
and apply caulk at the rain cap.
When you reach the eave, install
new trim over the last panels
top edge (Fig. 18). When siding
gables, angle the ends to meet
the rake of the roof and caulk the
seams. Finish by replacing any
light fixtures (Fig. 19), caulking
seams and painting. 1
Replace exterior light fixtures. Then,
caulk all joints between trim and siding,
and at the top of electrical panels.
Around doors and windows notch the
siding and paint the edges. Apply caulk
where the siding meets a metal cap.
When joining the ends of two panels,
paint the ends and slide a metal splice
in place from the top or bottom.
Install trim at the top of the siding and
caulk both edges. At gable ends, simply
cut the siding to fit, and caulk.
16 17
18 19
MAY 2004

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Review: Help With Traditional Stucco
Applying traditional 3-coat portland cement stucco is a skill that is rapidly vanishing. Still, we
see value in stucco because when properly applied it looks great, and it comes as close to be-
ing permanent as any building material can be. The art and technology of working with
stucco is nicely explained in this manual (EB049.05). Its a product of the Portland Cement
Association, a trade group of cement companies. In 62 pages, the manual explains stucco
materials and mixing proportions, stucco tools, application methods and troubleshooting.
It concludes with an appendix of 28 closeup photos of different stucco finishes. The
manual costs $27 postpaid from the Portland Cement Association, 5420 Old Orchard Rd.,
Skokie, IL 60077; 800-868-6733; www.cement.org. Roy Berendsohn
Deep Wells
What is the difference between
deep and shallow wells as far
as their typical depths and the
pumping apparatus that is used
for each? Also, what is the aver-
age depth of wells that drillers
are producing these days?
JERRY FUCHS
VIA INTERNET
A well that draws water from an
aquifer located less than 25 ft.
below the surface is considered
a shallow well. When the aquifer
is more than 25 ft. below the
surface, the well is a deep well.
Wells over 500 ft. deep are not
uncommon.
In shallow wells, the pumping
mechanism is not located in the
water. It is located on top of the
well. The water is drawn up to
the pump by a suction action,
somewhat like drinking through
a straw. Suction will occur in a
pipe immersed in a body of wa-
ter when the pressure is reduced
below atmospheric pressure,
thus creating a vacuum. Under
ideal conditions, the maximum
suction lift is
34 ft. However,
because of pump inef-
ficiencies and the fric-
tional resistance of the
pipe walls, the practi-
cal limit of suction lift
is 25 ft.
Because shallow
wells are more vulner-
able to contamination
from septic systems,
leaking buried oil tanks
and herbicides, it is
recommended that the
water produced by such
a well be tested periodi-
cally to ensure that it
is potable.
A deep well, as men-
tioned earlier, is one in
which water is pumped
from a depth that exceeds
25 ft. The most powerful
well pump that Gould
Pumps manufactures for
residential use is for wells
1200 ft. deep.
There is no way to deter-
mine the average depth of
a deep well in the United
States. It can vary by house
and location. The average
depth could be anywhere
between 25 and 1200 ft.
Intermittent
Air Conditioner
On very hot days the compres-
sor on my central air conditioner
will turn on for a few seconds
then shut off, but the blower coil
fan continues to run and the
thermostat shows that the sys-
tem is operating. Ive installed
a new thermostat, which didnt
Homeowners
Clinic
BY NORMAN BECKER, P.E.
Illustrations by George Retseck
A shallow well is no
deeper than 25 ft. A deep
well can be anywhere
from 25 to 1200 ft.
deep. The two types
of wells use different
pumping apparatus.
MAY 2004
SERVICE TIP:
MASONRY
Get The Water Off
Bleed water rises to the top of a
concrete slab after it is poured.
Some water will always rise to the
surface, even if just enough to give the concrete an attractive sheen. Stand-
ing water, however, is a sign of trouble, and it must be removed before
concrete finishing proceeds. There are several causes for excess water.
Sometimes the concrete is delivered with too much water, or the home-
owner requests that water be added to the mix to increase its workability.
Poor-quality materials used in the concrete also can promote excess water
rising to the surface. If you finish con-
crete with the water present, the sur-
face will be weak and prone to damage
from wear and weather. To remove the
water, two people can drag a garden
hose over it, or one person can use a
rubber squeegee. With either method,
be careful not to remove cement along
with the water. After the excess water is
removed, finishing can proceed as nor-
mal. Cover the concrete with a plastic
sheet to help it dry slowly. R.B.
help. I later discovered that
spraying the compressor with
water to cool it off helped. Is
this normal?
LEON ZHOU
VIA INTERNET
No, it is not normal. It sounds like
an airflow problem. The compres-
sor is tripping off as a result of
high head pressure. It then re-
starts when the head pressure
drops. You didnt mention whether
the condenser fan was operating.
Either the fan has failed or the
condenser coils are dirty and
blocking the airflow. The coils
may look clean, but often they
are clean only on the outside. The
coils have multiple passages and
could be clogged with dirt, dust
and pollen. The coils should be
washed with a garden hose.
Rising Butt Hinges
I live in a very old house. Be-
cause some of the floors are
uneven, I would like to replace
the door hinges with rising butt
hinges. Do you know where I
can purchase these hinges?
Thank you for your help.
BOB REINSTEIN
VIA INTERNET
For readers who are unfamiliar
with them, rising butt hinges pro-
duce a lifting action on the door
as it swings open. The hinges are
still manufactured and can be
purchased from Ball and Ball,
463 W. Lincoln Hwy., Exton, PA
19341; 800-257-3711; www
.ballandball-us.com.
The hinges, which come in
lengths of 3 and 4 in., are avail-
able in either brass or aluminum.
The product numbers are H257
for brass hinges and H1023 for
aluminum hinges.
The hinges will raise the door
by
1
/2 in. and also will act as
self-closing devices. They are
MAY 2004
a
intended for interior doors only,
and should not be used on
ex terior doors.
Leaking Refrigerator
When I removed the bottom
drawers of my refrigerator to
wash them, I was shocked to see
a quarter-inch of water standing
in the bottom of the refrigerator
cabinet. I sponged the water out
and checked it again a few
weeks later, only to find that the
water or condensation had re-
turned. It was very close to over-
flowing. The refrigerator is about
a year and a half old. What do
you think causes this condition?
NATE HENDRICKS
CAMBRIDGE MN ,
Because there is so much water,
I doubt that condensation or
someone leaving the door open
is causing it. It sounds like the
defroster drain is clogged. The
way the defrost system works is
that a heating element is activat-
ed after a certain length of time.
As the defroster melts the ice in
the freezer compartment, the wa-
ter that develops normally drips
into a little trough and then is
carried by a tube to the drain pan
underneath the refrigerator,
where it evaporates.
In your case, frozen water is
probably closing off the defrost
drain in the freezer section. The
water has no place to go and
drips into the refrigerator. Since
your refrigerator is only 1
1
/2 years
old, the problem may be the re-
sult of a design flaw. Contact the
manufacturer and ask if there is a
warranty that covers the defrost
drain problem. 1
DO YOU HAVE A HOME-MAINTENANCE
OR REPAIR PROBLEM?
Just ask Norman about it. Send your questions
to Homeowners Clinic, Popular Mechanics, 810
Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019. While letters
cannot be answered individually, problems of
general interest will be discussed in the column.
MAY 2004
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Crazy
I took my 2-year-old car into the
shop last week for diagnosis of a
bad alternator. Both headlights
looked fine when I dropped it
off. But when I picked it up, the
plastic headlamp lens on the
drivers side was hazed over and
cracked, like they had spilled
some sort of solvent over it.
Its not water inside, its a
pattern of slightly yellow
cracks toward the top
part of the lens. I cant
see any evidence of
the solvent on the
paint or trim around
the lens, and the serv-
ice manager says it
couldnt be the shops
fault because the me-
chanic who did the work
didnt use any solvents while
working on my car. Can I prove
what he used?
TERRY O GRADY
OKEMOS MI ,
It probably wasnt a solvent.
Your headlamp lens is made of
polycarbonate, which is not solu-
ble in any product the mechanic
would have used. My hunch is
that he used a fender cushion
to keep his belt buckle from
scratching your car. Then, he
left your headlights on for a
long time, resulting in the fender
cover collecting enough heat to
craze the plastic. Hold your hand
in front of your headlamp while
its on and youll appreciate how
much heat it creates. Normally,
the heat will dissipate, but any
covering will make it build up.
General Motors has issued a
service bulletin about this
but good luck proving it and
getting any satisfaction from
the stealership.
Hot Air
Within the past few weeks, a
local tire dealer has been run-
ning radio ads touting the use
of nitrogen to inflate car and
truck tires. Now, I know that
nitrogen is used in aircraft tires
and race car tires to keep tem-
peratures down. The ads say
the nitrogen-filled tires will last
longer, drive better and hold
pressure longer. At $5 per tire,
it sounds like a scam.
RON M KIDDY C
VIA INTERNET
I used to use nitrogen to fill my
race car tires because it was the
cheapest bottled gas I could buy
in big cylinders at the welding
shop. Twenty bucks worth of
ILLUSTRATION BY DON MANNES MAY 2004

BY MIKE ALLEN
Auto Clinic
Interruptible
Power Supply
It finally was time to replace the aging battery in her car. I was careful to reset the
clock afterward, too. Youd think Id get a nice thank-you, but the response after a
test ride was a catalog of things gone
wrong. The radio station presets were
gone. The engine ran poorly. The compass
in the overhead console pointed to some
alternate dimension. Complaints trickled
in for days. The rearview mirrors auto-
matic positions were wrong. The power
seat memory was frazzled. At least the
engine started to run better after a shop-
ping trip. For the next battery swap, I got
smart. I used a 9-volt transistor radio bat-
tery to maintain the engine management
computers learned defaults. You can
plug a battery into the lighter provided
the socket stays on even when the key is
Off. Otherwise, youll need to use alligator
clips to bridge into unswitched 12 volts
somewhere. Be sure the doors are shut or
the dome light is switched off.
nitrogen would fill enough tires
for a whole weekend of endur-
ance racing, and also would run
the air wrenches that I used to
change the tires.
Remember, air is about 80 per-
cent nitrogen to start withso the
difference is not profound. The
balance of the volume of air is
mostly oxygen, which is bad
for your tires. Oxygen promotes
breakdown of the rubber, so your
tires should last longer with pure
nitrogen. Furthermore, nitrogen
molecules migrate through rub-
ber more slowly than oxygen, so
your tires should lose pressure
more slowly. (Im assuming you
check your tire pressures on a
regular schedule.)
Another, perhaps more impor-
tant, advantage to nitrogen is
that the nitrogen delivered from I
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G Do you get a buzzing noise under
the hood of your 2000-02 Honda
Odyssey, especially with a hot engine
and the a/c on? According to Techni-
cal Service Bulletin ( TSB) 03-052,
its probably the serpentine belt am-
plifying the normal buzzing of the
alternator. Replace the belt with a
revised type.
G Electrical problems on your late-
model (211) Mercedes E-Class may be
the result of water entering the fuse
box. This is caused by a blocked cowl
drain. TSB P-B-62.003b shows how to
trim the replacement valve to prevent
it from becoming blocked.
G Does the a/c on your 2002-03
Subaru Impreza gradually get warmer
as you drive? Ice may be forming in
the evaporator core, thus reducing
airflow. TSB 10-72-02R suggests re-
placing the original surface-mounted
thermosensor probe with a fin-
mounted style to remedy this.
a welding cylinder or nitrogen
generator is desiccated and
clean. Moisture inside a tire is
bad because it causes pressure
fluctuations and corrodes rims.
And, Ive seen lots of water come
out of service-station air pumps.
I generally will check the line
for moisture before I use it by de-
pressing the inflater pin with my
thumbnail. If my thumb gets wet,
I try to purge the line for a few
seconds. Theres also the poten-
tial for the compressor to force
lubricating oil and garbage from
the inside of the tank into the tire.
Oil will further accelerate break-
down of the rubber, and dirt can
be trapped in the valve core,
starting a leak. Worse, some
shops use automatic oilers to
lubricate their air tools, adding
even more oily mist to the mix.
To properly use nitrogen in
your tires, all of the air has to be
purged, generally by the time-hon-
ored tradition of alternately filling
and venting the tire. Unless the tire
is broken off the rim, cleaned of
moisture and debris, and remount-
ed with a waterfree rim lubricant
before purging with nitrogen,
youll miss most of the benefits.
Bottom line: Id fill new tires
with nitrogen if the tire shop will
do it for free or at least at a dis-
count. Most will. But just cruising
in and topping off from a nitrogen
hose for 20 bucks? Save your
money. 1
Do You Have A Car Problem?
Just ask Mike about it. Mail your questions to
Auto Clinic, Popular Mechanics, 810 Seventh
Ave., New York, NY 10019. While letters, faxes,
phone calls or e-mail cannot be answered
individually, problems of general interest will
be discussed in the column.
i
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BAD DAY AT MISSION CONTROL
(Continued from page 111)
middle of this beep, causing
the receiver to lose lock, says
Lewicki. There was no problem
with the spacecraft at all.
Squidding
Both rovers employed a complex
landing technique that required
the perfectly timed firing of retro-
rockets, followed by the opening
of a parachute, the firing of atti-
tude-correction rockets and, fi-
nally, the inflation of a cocoon
of airbags to absorb the jolt of
hitting the surface.
To determine whether the
parachute could deploy without
being ripped apart during the
landing, engineers attempted a
realistic experiment. In this test,
the airflow whirling through a
wind tunnel was set to simulate
a descent through the thin mar-
tian atmosphere. The parachute
would be shot from its canister,
just as it would during the last
minutes of flight from Earth. Dur-
ing the test, a charge propelled
the parachute into the wind,
where it traveled the full length
of its shock cord. But instead of
billowing open like a flower in
bloom, it flopped limply in the
slipstream.
Engineers had seen this be-
foreit is a phenomenon called
squidding. Although it seems
counterintuitive, a parachute
needs to open at its top as well as
at its bottom. In the NASA test,
the size of the smaller upper
opening had been misjudged,
and so the parachute failed to ex-
pand. Operating more on instinct
than engineering principles, the
designers modified the parachute
and during a second test, it blos-
somed to its full dimensions.
On June 10, 2003, the Spirit Mis-
sion launched from Cape Cana-
veral Air Force Station in Florida.
Opportunity followed on July 7.
The biggest crisis was to come.
The Wrong Instrument
After engineers solved a memory
problem that briefly threatened
to put Spirit out of commission,
both it and its identical twin,
Opportunity, were busily explor-
ing the planet when a new and
completely unexpected problem
emerged. Scientific dispute
arose over one of the rovers
most important instruments,
the device that could provide
definitive evidence that there
was once water on Mars.
The instrument in question
is the Mssbauer Spectrometer
on the end of the rovers mov-
able arm. A spectrometer is able
to determine the composition of
a material on the basis of the en-
ergy it emits when it is heated.
Each rover carries a Mssbauer
and two pencil-eraser-size piec-
es of cobalt-57. The radioactive
cobalt sends a stream of high-
energy gamma rays into rock
samples. A detector and signal
processing electronics then
measure the frequency of the
energy reflected from the rocks.
The results are compared with
a database of measurements
made of rocks found on Earth.
Finding similar minerals on
Mars would strongly suggest
that similar geological processes
had taken place there. Of particu-
lar interest are minerals, such as
iron oxides, that form in the
presence of water.
And then another shoe
dropped. The geological journal
Earth And Planetary Science
Letters published a paper in
which M. Darby Dyar, an astrono-
mer and NASA-funded planetary
scientist at Mount Holyoke Col-
lege in Massachusetts, publicly
took issue with NASAs choice of
water-detection instruments.
Dyar questioned whether
the Mssbauer Spectrometer is
sufficiently sensitive to detect
hydrogen in iron oxidesthe
rust that gives the red planet its
distinctive hue. Hydrogen would
suggest water, the most basic
ingredient of life as we know
it. And it was the search for
geological evidence of water
that had lured NASA to Mars
in the first place. Goestar Klin-
gelhoefer, head of NASAs Mars
Rover Mssbauer team, insisted
the criticism was unfounded
and that the instrument would
perform as promised.
Moot Question
Overnight, the argument became
moot. Throughout February, im-
ages from Opportunity began
showing increasingly compelling
evidence of rock formations that
resemble those found in wet re-
gions on Earth. At press confer-
ence after press conference, the
scientific team at JPL was evasive.
Then, late on March 2, NASA
hastily summoned reporters to its
Washington, D.C., headquarters
for what it termed a significant
announcement. Steve Squyres,
the chief scientist for the Mars
Exploration Rover program, and
his colleagues were flown from
JPL to Washington to attend.
At the meeting, NASA an-
nounced that Opportunity had
found the best evidence of water
on Mars to date. A closeup exami-
nation of a curious-looking rock
named El Capitan revealed that
it was filled with random pock-
marks. Proof positive, say geolo-
gists, that parts of Mars spent
years, perhaps centuries, soaking
in salty water.
This area would have been
a good habitable area for a long
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it was the most promising sign
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152 MAY 2004
e
Replacing Loose
Motor Mounts
BY BOB FREUDENBERGER
Friday night. Its yet another
traffic light in front of the strip
mall. And the pimple-faced hat-
backward driving the lowered
rice
rocket
next
to you
is revving his throttle menacing-
ly, eyes bright with the possibil-
ities of conquest. Fortunately,
you know your V8 musclecar
can handle his blender-motor
skateboard. Green. Throttle.
Squaaawwwk followed by a ding,
ding, buzz, gurgle, hiss. Youve
just sawed a hole in your radia-
tor hose with your fanyour
engine mounts have failed.
The mountings that hold the
engine in place are way down in
the dark places of your engine
bay, and nobody pays much
attention to them. That is, until
those steel and rubber sand-
wiches start coming apart, typi-
cally because an oil leak has
softened the rubber. This allows
the engine to lift off its support,
rotating under its own torque,
and it doesnt take much of a
change of position to cause
interference. In the days of rigid
throttle linkage, this sometimes
resulted in the dangerous sce-
nario of your putting the pedal
to the metal and having it jam
there, wide-open.
Many older mounts relied on
the rubber-to-steel bond exclu-
sively, so when the mount failed
the engine could rotate a long
distance (drag racers used to
Failed engine mounts
can let your engine
rotate far beyond
acceptable limits
when you accelerate
or decelerate smartly.
ENGINE MOUNT
FAILED
RUBBER
MOUNT
ENGINEERED VOIDS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RUSSELL J. VON SAUERS
SATURDAY
MECHANIC
DIFFICULT
MAY 2004
run a chain from the head to the
chassis to preclude this). Newer
designs usually have interlock-
ing steel fingers that limit move-
ment even if the rubber is gone.
An indication of failure on rwd
vehicles, or those with fwd and a
longitudinally mounted engine,
is a continuous scraping noise
caused by the fan contacting the
bottom of its plastic shroud. This
is the result of deteriorated rub-
berthe mounts collapse under
the weight of the powerplant,
allowing the engine to settle into
a lower-than-normal position.
Weve seen people simply
cut away the lower section of
the shroud to eliminate the
interference, but what does
that do to the critical airflow
pattern? And how far are
the blades from the radiator
now that the operating angle
has changed? That kind of
contact is expensive.
Some late models employ
hydraulics to go beyond the
simple idea of using rubbers
compressibility to reduce
vibrations. As in a chassis
shock absorber, fluid is
forced through an orifice be-
tween two chambers at the
top and bottom of the mount
as they are compressed and
expanded by engine shake.
These fail from a loss of fluid, and
typically cause a more sudden
and more pronounced clunking
than youd get from a gradually
dissolving rubber mount.
Shot Or Not?
Unfortunately, you cant just look
at a motor mount and tell if its
coming apart. Although if you
can get close enough and have
a bright light, you might see
cracks or rips in the rubber (of
course, any mount thats soaked
with oil from a leaky valve or
cam cover should be considered
suspect). With an inline Four or
Six, you may be able to push
against the top of the engine
with enough force to lift the
weight off the mount and ob-
serve how far it moves. But with
V6s and V8s, youll definitely
have to enlist the power of a jack
or a pry bar to raise the engine
on the side where it tends to rise
under acceleration (crankshafts
may rotate clockwise or counter-
clockwise, so that could be either
side or, with front-wheel
drive and a transverse en-
gine, the front or rear).
Find somebody to help and
you can do this diagnosis
without getting under the
car. First, park the car where
it wont smash into some-
thing. Block the wheels.
Open the hood, stand at the
side of the fender and peer
down with your light. Then,
have your assistant set the
parking brake, hold his left
foot firmly on the brake
pedal, start the car, put it
in Drive, and step carefully
on the gas (torque it up, as
they say) until you can see if
there is any rotational move-
ment present. Do the same
This upper mount is easy to check and rarely fails. Note voids
to allow a small amount of nearly unrestrained movement.
A primary cause of failed engine mounts is oil contamination
from a bad crankshaft seal, or a leaky valve-cover gasket.
There are many types of engine mounts. Some have
electrical or vacuum connections.
ENGINE
OIL
TRANSMISSION
DOG BONE MOUNT
ACTIVE
MOUNT
SHOCK-
ABSORBING
MOUNT
LOWER
MOUNT
LOWER MOUNT
DOG BONE
MOUNT
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RON CARBONI
VOIDS
in Reverse to compare. Listen for
any unhealthy noises too.
Down And Dirty
On lower mounts, replacement
can range from very easy to very
difficult. We remember inline
Sixes for which it was only nec-
essary to push the valve cover
to tilt the engine, wedge a piece
of 2 x 4 between the chassis or
suspension and the block, reach
over the fender, then unbolt and
remove the old mount. Alas,
thats not often the case any-
more. Today, you likely will
have to put the car on sturdy
jackstands or ramps, get un-
derneath with a hydraulic
bottle jack and assorted
chunks of wood to take the
weight off the mount (dont
jack against the oil pan), then
get extremely dirty removing
the bolts and old mount.
Heres where the one positive
aspect of oil leakage comes
in: If everythings being con-
tinuously bathed in liquid
lube, chances are you wont
have to fight with any seized
threaded fasteners.
If you see odd-looking
voids in the rubber sections
of the mounts, its not from
beavers chewing on them.
Many mounts have holes, with
carefully calculated shapes, cast
into them at manufacture. The
purpose of these engineered
voids is to tailor the stiffness of
the rubber to the application,
and allow a mount to be sub-
stantially stiffer in one plane
than another. This will allow
the engine to shake harmlessly
in one degree of freedom, to iso-
late vibration, while retaining
stiffness under acceleration
or deceleration.
Strange and frustrating prob-
lems often are caused by flubbed
installation. Be sure to mark each
old mount to indicate its direc-
tion before extracting it, then
match that to the new one be-
cause theres a good chance that
it can be installed 90 or 180
from its proper position, or the
right one on the left side and vice
versa. This might place the en-
gine too far fore or aft, perhaps
causing interference. Positioning
the mount incorrectly also can
make it impossible to line up
bolt holes, or you could experi-
ence unusual driveline condi-
tions such as a heavy banging
when you go over bumps
caused by the driveshafts
slip yoke slamming into the
transmissions tailshaft. Or,
the mount may be designed
with more rigidity on one side
than the other to reduce rough-
nessimproperly installing
it will negate this benefit.
Needless to say, youll need
to correct the oil leak if thats
the proximal cause of the
failed mount. And if one
mount fails, take a close look
at the others, especially if
theyre soaked with oil. You
may as well change all the
suspect mounts at once. 1
Youll need to lift and restrain the engine
somehow to replace the old mount.
Honda was first to introduce a system that enlists the power of
the engine management computer to reduce vibration at idle.
The mounts are hydraulic with two fluid chambers. But these
are connected by orifices controlled by a vacuum-operated
rotary valve. When the computer sees idle speed or that the
a/c has been switched on (the load of the compressor can
roughen things), it commands a solenoid valve to allow engine
vacuum to reach a diaphragm that, in turn, opens the rotary
valve. This makes the mount softer, hence more able to absorb
unwanted vibrations. If youve suddenly noticed that idle is
not as smooth as it once was, the first thing to check is the
vacuum line that runs down to the mount. If its intact, pull
the hose off the solenoid and find out if vacuum is present at
the solenoids nipple during idle with the a/c on. No? Then
youll have to refer to factory troubleshooting information for
the engine manage-
ment system.
But thats passive. A
more sophisticated,
active approach, such
as originally used on
certain Lexus models,
incorporates hydrau-
lic mounts with an in-
ternal diaphragm that
pulsates at a frequen-
cy calibrated to pro-
duce a vibration counter to that of the engine at idle, thus
canceling out that last little hint of roughness. Beyond check-
ing the wiring, diagnosis of this system is strictly high-tech.
How It Works: Shake Busters
ENGINE MOUNT
2 x 4
ENGINE
FRAME
VACUUM
PORT
FLUID
CHAMBER
DIAPHRAGM
ILLUSTRATION BY RON CARBONI 156 MAY 2004
2004 Conwood Company, L.P.
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n
s
How To Survive A Riot
Y
Youre vacationing in Cap
Haitien, Haiti, when you hear
a commotion outside your
hotel. Thinking its some kind
of festival, you step outside
ready to party. Uh-oh! This
is no celebrationits a riot.
What should you do?
Remain indoors.
Stay away from the windows.
Listen for reports on the radio
or television. If you believe the
crisis is out of control or threat-
ens your life, plan to leave the
country quickly. Determine the
best route to the airport or em-
bassy, and leave the building
through any safe exit.
Exit away from gunfire or mobs.
Select a way out that is not
easily observed. Exits could
include windows, ductwork
or the roof.
Leave as a group.
You are safer with company,
especially if you have to dash
across an open area such as
the front of a building, a wide
street or a plaza. Gunmen will
have multiple objects to focus
on, not just one, and will not
be as likely to make a move.
Do not run.
Unless your life is in imminent
danger, walk. A person walk-
ing is harder for the eye to
detectthe human eye can
quickly sight someone run-
ning. Running also can gener-
ate excitementpeople may
chase you. If you must travel
by car, be prepared for evasive
maneuvers.
Drive on back streets, not
main roads. Do not stop for
anything. Remember, the car
can be a useful 3000-pound
weapon that even a mob can-
not stop. If you cannot drive
forward, drive in reverse. If a
Molotov cocktail (flammable
liquid in a glass container with
a lighted wick) hits your car,
accelerateit may burn out as
you gain speed. If not, youll
be driving a hot rod.
If you encounter roadblocks,
be prepared to bargain your
way to safety. You might have to
give up everything you are car-
rying in order to get away. Offer
cash first, personal belongings
(watches, cameras, jewelry)
second. Abandon the car out-
side the embassy or airport. 1
ADAPTED FROM THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK:TRAVEL, BY JOSHUA PIVEN AND DAVID BORGENICHT, 2001 BY BOOK SOUP PUBLISHING. USED WITH PERMISSION OF CHRONICLE BOOKS, LLC (http://www.chroniclebooks.com).
164 MAY 2004
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