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Designfax readers tell us: Why I love my car

What engineer doesn't like to talk about cars? Now it's your turn to tell us why you love yours -- and the engineering behind it. Email a paragraph or two and maybe even a pic, and your story could be posted in an upcoming issue of Designfax. Got a 250,000-miler? Love the way your ride handles that grueling trip to work each day? Maybe you're a do-it-yourselfer, and you just want to show off.

Steve Rose, Mechanical Engineer, CyberOptics:

Since a boy, I have been enamored with Henry Ford's flathead V8. It is the last development project in which Ford was intimately involved. At the time of its introduction in 1932, it was the only V8 available to the common man -- all other mass-produced engines were in-line 4- or 6-cylinder configurations. The engine evolved over its 21-year production run, ending in 1953, but remained essentially the same engine.

I love the sound of the engine, which is quick to start, idles very smoothly and quietly, and has a nice bass note that comes out at higher RPMs.

The photos show the flathead V8 engine in a 1952 Ford F3 Express Pickup Truck. This one, which I formerly owned, has been converted to a 12-volt negative ground alternator and has a coolant overflow tank. However, all the engine internals are original.

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Troy, IMCOR (Interstate Mechanical Corp.):

"My dirt late-model racecar. 1-3/4-in. mandrel bent chrome moly tube chassis. 104-in. wheel base. 900-hp, all-aluminum Chevy SB2 power plant. Speeds capable of more than 160 mph.

"There is nothing like oval-track racing, sliding on dirt with more horsepower than you can harness. Especially with 24 other fire-breathing monsters all wanting the same spot. The lead on the last lap!"

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John, Lincoln Electric:

"I have been a Camaro guy since I was a teenager. I got my first Camaro at the age of 16. It was a used blue 1967 Camaro with a black vinyl top. The Camaro became the car that I loved.

"I had a beautiful silver '67 Camaro later on. That was the car I never should have sold. I have kicked myself many of times for getting rid of it.

"So as time went by, I made a deal to myself that if they would make the Camaro again I would buy one. And so it happened in 2009 when the Fifth Generation Camaro came to life. I wanted one with a white stripe and a beautiful interior. So here it is : A 2010 Camaro SS, black with white stripe, inferno orange interior. I lowered the car 1 inch, added a performance exhaust, spoiler, custom wheels, and a few custom orange and chrome parts, and here you have it!

"I love the way it looks, the way it handles, and the way it sounds. I'm a 57-year-old Camaro man!"

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How to participate
Email why you love your car to Mike at mfoley@nelsonpub.com, and we'll get the reader contributions rolling. You can also use the feedback form below to submit your story, but if you have a pic to send too, you will have to send that separately. Posted content will be identified by contributor first name, job title, and company.

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