Emotion Before Perfection

The Slow Blog

Weekly English and German
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October 2019

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167 LEE IACOCCA 25.10.2019 17:47

Lido Anthony Iacocca, known as Lee Iacocca (15th October 1924 – 2nd July 2019), was also named the father of the Ford Mustang. A brief review on his life is a must.

The son of Italian immigrants graduated with a degree in industrial engineering in Bethlehem, PA and afterwards went to Princeton University. He then began a career at the Ford Motor Company as an engineer. His career flourished and he was called to the Dearborn, MI headquarters. Finally, Lee Iacocca was named president of the Ford Division in Detroit, MI.

Dreams come true – one of them is the Ford Mustang. Not least because of Lee Iacocca this dream came true – even affordable (do you see the four letters f o r d in this word ...) for numerous people. Iacocca was significantly involved in the development of this icon in the world of automotive.

The Castiron and Eleanor V, his Ford Mustang – just one of many, many examples: Ford Mustang is probably the ultimate synonym for individualism; one vehicle the same as the other? Please have a look at blogpost 62 and its video and pictures and you will have the answer.

This month, Lee Iacocca would have turned 95, but he passed away in July; one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of automobiles is no longer with us.

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

Photo: Tom van Egmond, Ersigen. Thank you Tom!

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PS Source reference: Wikipedia

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166 BEST CONFEDERATES 201910 18.10.2019 11:37

Do you remember blogpost 22 and 88, about tyres and wheels and about the brakes? Today, the shock absorbers, the chassis springs and you – really best allies, once again! Especially the shock absorbers: drastically underestimated. Best tyres, best brakes are useless when your car’s wheels have poor ground contact, or even none.

This complex topic requires usually the advice of a specialist. Therefore, just a few hints, based on the personal experiences of The Castiron over the last decades. One main remark: the shock absorber is an oscillator damper, has to bring calm and stability into the vehicle as far as possible.

The shock absorbers and you – really the very best confederates! Therefore: check them (please have a look at the video) regularly. Leaking means unusable. Should you not be sure, if they are damaged or not, do not hesitate to go for a professional check. Dampers decrease in performance while in use, at first almost imperceptibly!

One day will be the day for new dampers! Contact your suspension specialist. Replacing them and saving money do not go together, definitely not – you get, what you are paying for! When you buy new parts, choose the correct ones for your car from a reputable manufacturer; there is a broad choice, meeting - or coming very close to - your demands.

In this context also a few words on the chassis springs, too. Believe it or not: this quite solid component can break! First of all, a visual check of damper and spring is helpful. A broken spring has to be replaced, ideally as a complete axle set. And here again: cheap does not really work!

Have a safe and effective drive, on the road, on the track - and never forget the shock absorbers, these often underestimated, but very important parts!

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

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165 MORE ON THE GRAND PRIX SUISSE 11.10.2019 10:39

Blogpost 153 dealt with the history of one of the great motorsport classics, the Grand Prix Suisse – and a related exhibition. Today, let us have a look at some side stories.

Technology and racing circuits speak their own language, at all times: in the early days, there were racing cars with hand cranks to start the engine and track surfaces partly made of cobblestone. And the driver, with the always valid aim: finishing first. Additionally a quite high risk of accidents; safety was not the main topic, rather heroes behind the steering wheels.

The Castiron’s father was associated with these events as part of the paramedic teams. Sometimes he told stories of racing drivers hanging in or falling from trees after accidents – often quite serious, sometimes fatal ones. He did not say a lot more.

Father knew of the bright and dark side of this fascinating sport. When one day his son, The Castiron, let him know his intentions to obtain a racing driver’s licence, the father was not amused – quite the contrary. It was a touchstone for both, the father and The Castiron – finally mastered mutually.

Less words, more pictures: the picture gallery will give you a short overview. Enjoy yourself – and you are invited to reflect, too. Not to forget: heroic stories are often inseparably linked with tragedy and death.

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

Recommendation: http://thecastiron.ch/en/racingdriver.html

PS The main picture from 1939 shows the crashed car of the German Rudolf Caracciola, who finished his career after this accident. It was also him, who established in the year 1938 a speed record for automobiles of 270 miles per hour.

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164 ONE SINGLE HORSEPOWER 04.10.2019 10:25

Last week’s blogpost dealt mainly with many horsepowers, 1 hp and a wedding, the church and its minister. Today, in this broader context, we are looking back to the 18th century.

One example, one shaping character was George Whitefield (16th December 1714 - 30th September 1770) – an itinerant preacher, serving in Great Britain und the United States of America. He had a dramatic impact on the enormous change in those dark times, spiritually and socially – and it was urgently needed! His major means of transport onshore: 1 hp, a horse.

During his travels in America, he was on the horseback for several thousand miles, with the intention to become more familiar with this state. Moreover, he held more than thousand sermons – in front of myriads of people. Often, he spoke to more than twenty thousand people on one single event.

In Great Britain it was the same. There, furthermore, he made a special journey from Scotland to Wales: George Whitefield rode 300 miles in order to marry – on an excellent horse, having received it as a gift.

See you next Friday. - God bless you, all the best! The Castiron

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PS Source reference: Benedikt Peters, CLV, George Whitefield; www.clv.de

PPS George Whitefield: „Come poor, lost, undone sinner, come just as you are to Christ.“ Reported in Ernest Bormann, Force of Fantasy: Restoring the American Dream (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1985), p. 73.