There have been a number of things recently that have prompted me to look into the use of Department of Transportation (DOT) numbers on tires: a recent purchase of a used car with seemingly sound tires and a four-wheel-drive SUV that racked up 80,000 miles on a set of factory tires. In either case, knowing […]
Jim Barnes
Born in Bremerton when Harrison Hospital was on Sixth and Chester, Jim Barnes is the son of a mechanic and was introduced to mechanics and equipment at a young age. A graduate of Central Kitsap High, he worked his way through Olympic College while employed by the torpedo station at Keyport. He served in the Navy, working on fighter aircraft during the Vietnam conflict, and later resumed employment at local military installations. Barnes began restoring, racing and enjoying Corvettes, then switched to "old cars" shortly after winning a 1991 road-racing championship. His garage is home to a number of old cars and besides restoring and repairing them, he takes them to various car events around the Northwest.
Posted inAuto Talk
Silverdale Race Track Comes Full Circle
Inevitably as you go through life, you have regrets — things you did or things should have done often come to mind. As a young lad, attending Junior High School in Silverdale, I often heard the roar of engines coming from Silverdale Speedway, but never thought to investigate. Many years later, after having met a […]
Posted inAuto Talk
A Tesla Owner’s Take on Whether Owning an Electric Vehicle Makes Sense
If you are expecting a dialogue bashing the internal combustion vehicle or touting the electric vehicles as the savior of our planet, I’m afraid you are in for a disappointment. My decision to purchase an EV was purely a matter of convenience and wanting to have more time to maintain my other six vehicles, which […]
Posted inAuto Talk
The Short-Lived Success of the Dodge Brothers
This story begins as John and Horace Dodge establish a small machine shop, in Detroit. The year was 1900. The brothers, born four years apart, were noted for their engineering prowess. In the beginning, the Dodges were known for creating a bicycle that featured sealed ball bearings and was marketed under the name of Evans […]
Posted inAuto Talk
Olds — the True Inventor of the Stationary Assembly Line
The beef I have with modern history is that as time marches on, it tends to be either watered down or rearranged to suit some purpose. Take, for example, the legend of Henry Ford. Madison Avenue would have you believing that he invented the first successful automobile and was the first to apply assembly line […]
Posted inAround West Sound
How United Airlines Took Off from Gorst
Did you know that United Airlines took off from Gorst? Sounds a bit far-fetched; however, there just may be a bit of truth tucked away in there somewhere. Let’s go back and see if we can connect the dots. The story begins as John Gorst brings his family from Minnesota in 1888. After a journey […]
Posted inAuto Talk
Filler Up: The Fascinating History of Gas Pumps
Unless you are one of those folks gliding around it an electric vehicle, you will be making a stop at a gas station of your choice any number of times in a month. It has become a part of everyone’s routine and those machines have developed in sophistication to the point where they can drain your […]
Posted inAround West Sound
The Heart of Local Auto Touring (in Pandemic Times)
It’s always a good day when you get to enjoy your hobby. But on those occasions when you get to share that hobby and put a smile on someone’s face — I have always found those to be the best days. In years past, groups of auto enthusiasts would gather at a number of retirement […]
Posted inAuto Talk
The Old-Car Hobby Is Not Just About the Cars
Describing a car hobbyist is like describing a diet. There are so many kinds: You have racers and people who watch races. You have collectors and hot-rodders. You have restorers and you have folks who simply love to drive. Today I wish to talk about what we like to call the old or vintage car […]