Aftermarket and our future

Hi all,
My name is Gary O'Malley and I have a website called www.fatheromalley.com

The reason for this post:

This is a salute all of you that have busted a knuckle, scrubbed your nails before a date,   got an education,    or made sure you learned about what you love.    

I've always admired the ingenuity of Hot Rodding.

What you are about to read is simply an idea of marrying our huge aftermarket with people like Roy McCalister and Steve Harris of www.knowledgepublications.com

It is out of this admiration for all here that I write this.
First a little background since I'm a rookie here.

In the 60's I dropped a 57 Virginia Ford State Trooper 312ci supercharged engine in a 55 Ford 4 door Fairlane.  

I Changed the tranny to a Ford 4 speed and changed the rearend too, hmmmm.. I think it was a 4:10 gear set and not a 4:11. (Sleeper!)

But it's been multiple tours of Vietnam, and a life of cars, women, cold beers, love, humor, family, laughs, teaching "slow learners" in 5th grade and other good times.

I bought a 390 4 speed 67 Stang in 1967, changed the rear end again, wider "wide ovals"   advanced the timing a tad, adjusted the carb and installed tad smaller jets on the primaries, keeping the secondaries the same and proceeded to enjoy myself against GTO's and Cameros. Some days were rocks, some days were diamonds.  

Before I volunteered at the age of 24 to go to Vietnam, I worked for the old "Ma Bell" before they broke it up. I've hooked poles to install "drop lines" (telephone lines) and worked on Capital Hill nstalling
telephone PBX systems. (Key phones with big square lit buttons and a operator's board to direct calls the "Old Way")  

Between my 'nam tours I bought a Orange 1970 Ford Torino with the 351 Cleveland, 4 Speed, Bench front seat, and a shaker hood. . Loved it! Changed the rear ratio again,  , and messed with the timing, ran with the big boys of Chrysler and Chevy..butt meter tuning and a timing light.. hey E-5's didn't make that much.  

I had that fun to look forward to on each return home, to my first wife and 3 kids.

I've lived a good life in many ways and lord knows have made my share of mistakes. Mostly trying to repair a car...    or modify one..   little things break, big things too. I've had thrown rods, burnt clutches, dropped rears.. hah... valves drop in the hole... not pretty..

I've been in three businesses ranging from installing paramedic telemetry, robot delivery systems to hospital floors, for hospital associations,
to producing concerts, to manufacturing "Totally Awesome Granola" and founded "Cottage Industries, Inc." in the mid-70's. I stopped Concert Productions on the request of my bride in 1996. She wanted a family and a dad home, not producing tours for bands 3 weeks out of 5.

I went back to college and now work for Gates Corporation anchored in Denver Colorado.

Now:

5,000 feet does present some problems with cars straight from the factory. Local dealerships have been forced to deal with truck engine issues as well as cars. Sluggish, etc..

I've searched the papers and the yellow pages and can't find a place that burns chips for computers cars other than the obvious ones, like Mustangs, Corvettes, Japanese cars and the Chrysler Hemi's and such,

Those are covered, but when you now have a 2000 Taurus V-6, I can't locate anyone that would even attempt to reflash my computer, install a cold air kit...

No Market? How about all the people that are trying to save money on gas?

We have, as a country, the largest aftermarket in the world. I work for Gates Rubber too. What a bunch of hot rodders here at Gates!  

I've read religiously Muscle Mustangs for years and have enjoyed observing the advances in tuning that has taken place.

Does anyone know of any car computer people that would be interested in doing research on tuning every day cars for mileage too? Or maybe a special tune for ethanol, flex fueled cars?

How much "hacking" of Computer Codes needs to be done for the everyday non-performance sedan?

Can OEM participation be accomplished?

Can we develop quick, inexpensive converter Ethanol and Natural Gas converter kits? Price point between $500 and $1500 dollars?

Can we use Aftermarket Ingenuity with Experiments in Hydrogen fueled cars?

Could we have a simple switch to go between a mileage tune and a performance tune or a choice of natural gas, ethanol and gasoline? Much like suspension options offered now.

Roy McAlister has already done this and driven his car over 5 years if I remember correctly.

Simplicity First:

I know Roush and other Tuner/Racer companies are already helping with testing Hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines but from what I understand they still run with all the smog set up and throttle bodies. You don't even want a throttle body running Hydrogen. And Hydrogen fuel responds very well to supercharging or turbocharging..

No more arguing about drilling with some whack jobs:     Just a pitiful stab at humor here... keep reading please...

Burning Hydrogen begets water, there is no need for the "smog" technology that hot rodders must "un-attach" every time they sneeze near an engine bay.  

But for Ford and many car manufacturers, this technology is on the back burner when compared to overly complicated and expensive Electric Hybrids. This is getting far greater attention. More expensive, more money I guess.

But we face future problems if the market goes fully in this direction too quickly. Recycling and disposal of "used" cells is a major issue, plus the amount of precious metals used makes this an expensive "gizmo".      

Another consideration:

Hydrogen run internal combustion engines already have the recycling/replace/repair infrastructure here with the use of the ICEngine. Retooling costs are less maintaining market viability for ICEngines.

Our transportation industry runs on ICEngines which includes planes and trains.

We need the "hot rodders" to help us get off of foreign oil.

Somehow someway, I know there is a HUGE market in saving gas..

I don't want politics in this, this is about getting off of foreign oil. That isn't "political", this is survival.

Cars and trucks give us all our freedom. They deliver our goods, transport ourselves and our families in safety and comfort, the likes of which this world has never seen before now.  

But everytime we fill up, we give money to those that wish us no good. (Russia, South American Countries, the Middle East)

Is there something the HOT Rodders can do to help?

I have a whole section on this at www.fatheromalley.com.. the Home page has tabs on the left to take you to whole sections on aftermarket contributions in getting off of foreign oil. Videos galore.. If you can successfully dodge the politics and go straight to the Hydrogen section, maybe your eyes won't bleed.

Take a look at Prefessor Roy McAlister's videos on Hydrogen run internal combustion engines. ..

How about the first 10 second Mustang to run on Hydrogen produced from a portable solar panel purchased from High Gear and water??
   
Or just run a Hydrogen generator straight off an idling engine's battery. Then fill up your bottle and go "huntin'".

Check it out.. Roy McAlister.. not McAlister Guitars    

Or go to YouTube and search Hydrogen ICEngines

or click on www.knowledgepublcations.com which is a click through on www.fatheromalley.com

Great stuff!

Love you guys and girls....Keep up the great love for Hot Rodding..  

Gary "Father" O'Malley..

I'll be back..     If you guys don't kick me out