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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Making Some Sense of the Catalytic Converter
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At its inception, the catalytic converter was never meant for road-going vehicles. Its inventor, Eugen Huadry, initially intended for it to be used in smokestacks and off-highway equipment utilized in mining and warehouse work to reduce emissions output to keep workers safe. After realizing how effective it was, he attempted to use his invention on…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: This Volvo power steering pump is amazing
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Here’s something new I learned this morning… the electric power steering pump out of certain Volvo models is the perfect addition to a project car. Specifically, a project car in need of a power steering solution. That’s because it’s a self-contained unit you can mount anywhere, then power up, run your hoses, and voila, you…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Power front and manual rear windows
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Welcome back to Encyclopedia Hoonatica, where we, specifically you, explore general useless automotive obscurities. Today we look at one of the cheap features of so-called premium vehicles. The E34 is one of my favorite BMWs of all time. It’s not about its style or performance but rather ownership satisfaction. My ’91 535i with manual transmission…
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Encylopedia Hoonatica: This is how a transmission works
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The US Auto Industry YouTube channel is one of my favorite corners of the Internet. Wonderful old videos populate its pages. This is a vision of the automotive world from decades ago. Some of those videos are educational films that show how a specific part of an automobile works. Spinning Levers is just such a film,…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Handling by Lotus
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In addition to making sports cars, the Lotus brand also offers engineering and consulting services. Clients of those services vary from race teams to automakers. Some automakers handed the design of the suspension systems to Lotus, be it a design from the ground up or an improvement to what the automaker designed but lacks the…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Asymmetrical Cars
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It’s a weird thing about symmetry. Studies have shown that things that are symmetrical look more appealing to people: faces, bodies, houses, bridges, and most other things. Before you scream at me that people are in fact symmetrical, they aren’t really perfectly so. My left ear sticks out a lot more than my right ear,…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Turbo things that aren't turbo
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What is so damn special about the word Turbo? It used to appear on everything in the 80s and 90s. One of my first computers was turbocharged – it even had a little flashing light when the so-called turbo would kick in. There are a million others turbo things, too. But this turbo phenomenon hasn’t…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Two doors, two seats, fixed roof, and no hatch
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I’m a big fan of grand touring automobiles. Those are usually luxury large coupes that were designed to swallow up miles while providing the driver and the passenger utmost comfort. Big engines, just enough room for you and yours, and the small amount of stuff two people may need for a weekend at a resort…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Cars with roll down rear windows
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There was a time when cars had large windows. A time when there was no need for blind-spot sensors because they were so small. And there were many vehicles that allowed all windows to be rolled down. This was especially common with full-size SUVs and station wagons. This was because years ago they all had…
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Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Bigger Numbers are Smaller Cars
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In the days of alphanumeric vehicle names, automakers typically setup their model lineup so that the bigger number represents the bigger, better, pricier car. There hasn’t been a better example of that than the BMW lineup of the 1990s. The 3-series was a small sedan for yuppies. The 5-series was the bigger sedan designed with…
