| bicycle (various makes) |
 | I've been riding bikes for as long as I can
remember. Lately the setup has been a GT with the '02 Marzocchi Z1, the last one to feature
rim brakes. The bicycle is the ultimate human powered transportation, converting the linear
motion of your walking muscles to rotary propulsion. It lets you cover dozens of miles in a
day, go up to 25 mph on flat ground, and with some practice, you can go up 3 foot ledges
and down 6 foot ones. The bike does everything the Segway is supposed to do, except it
costs about 10 times less and has been around for over a hundred years. The bicycle brings
you one step closer to moving like a predatory animal.
|
| 86 suzuki samurai |
|
Shortly getting my driver's license, I received the family car as a hand-me down. I had
little knowledge of cars at this point, so I left it stock for the time I owned it.
Nonetheless, it was a fun car - more like a golf cart, actually. It has a tiny
wheelbase, one layer of thin sheet metal for the body, and an engine that a single
person can carry around. After it was further
handed down to my brother, he started modifying it, prodding me to do the same.
|
| 88 suzuki samurai |
|
Having gotten used to the Samurai, I bought one shortly after arrival in California. When I
bought it, had been sitting unused in a parking garage for months. I used it as my own
automotive mechanics lab, learning as things broke. So, I wound up working on the engine,
rear differential, brake, transmission, steering knuckles, fuel pump, driveshafts... a
spring over axle suspension conversion and Sidekick engine swap provided better off road
capability. It never really ran well - the steering wiggled all over the place, the engine
ran roughly, and would make foul smells if you went down steep or rough terrain. However,
it could squeeze through narrow spots and float over sand in 2 wheel drive. Despite being
raised 6" higher than stock, it could pull 180s on
dry pavement without tipping. Eventually, I would test its stability a little too far,
flipping as I punched it through a sharp turn in a rough dirt field on a construction site.
I sawed off the crumpled top and tried driving without my cracked windshield, but it was
evident that the project was over.
|
| 86 honda crx |
|
The Samurai is not well-suited to driving in LA - even with the 1.6L engine swap, trying
to keep up on the freeway could be a nerve wracking experience. I began eyeing the CRX as
sort of a road version of the Samurai, with the same virtues of light weight, good
visibility, simplicity, and low cost. I didn't buy one, but I talked a friend into doing so.
About a year later, the transmission on it went, and he sort of abandonded it in my yard.
After months, I replaced the transmission and started driving it around. The CRX is an
awesome car - even with over 200,000 miles on it, it could easily do 90, and averaged around
35 mpg. All this in a car you can buy for under $1000. I loaned it to my brother so he could
commute to his job in Utah, and after a few round trips the head gasket blew, all the
coolant boiled out the exhaust, and the engine warped. I tried selling it as is, and nobody
replied to my ad. So instead of throwing it out, I decided to hybridize it with an 88
Acura Integra. I needed so many parts from the donor Integra that the most economical thing
to do was to buy one - fully assembled and running. By using the whole Integra, you get
not just the 118 hp D16A1 motor, but also power steering, larger disc brakes in front, and
disc brakes in the rear (along with a mean mechanical disc e-brake!). And the CRX stays well
under 2000 lbs.
|
| 81 kawasaki KZ440A |
|
Since I had been on a bicycle for most of my life, and I liked cars so much, I figured a
motorcycle would be fun for sure. I wanted one that was functional and classic, not some
hog built to be deafening or something that looked like a clown-colored spaceship. It's an
old motorcycle, but it's in good shape and I got a decent deal. The previous owners were a
bit odd - they were moving, I think because something had happened with one of the daughters.
Their house was plastered with religious iconography, they were careful to move the girls
outside of the room while I was there, and at one point the dad answered the phone, and
hastily informed the caller that "she no longer lives here." He seemed a bit nervous when
I test rode the bike with no helmet, with all of maybe 20 minutes of motorcycle riding
experience under my belt. But I digress. I've replaced the front tire, changed the oil and
spark plugs, and now it's reliable transportation that gets 50 mpg in town.
|
| 84 toyota hilux |
|
The CRX did respectably on the dirt roads of Baja, but was far from a true off road vehicle.
The wound left by the fallen Samurai needed healing, and the early Toyota Hilux seemed like
its bigger brother. It has a similar drivetrain, with the same style sealed Birfield joint
sealed within the front axle. It is also extremely dependable, has good visibility, turning
radius, ground clearance, and is not too large or heavy. After searching for a long time for
a good deal on an 84-85 manual 5 speed with AC and power steering, an unexpected series of
events took me through a desert hailstorm to Payson, AZ, where I happened across this
particular truck. Modifications are underway...
|
