So you're probably asking yourself why you're here and what is this They Might Be Racing stuff? Well, my two favorite things in the world are Automobiles and the band They Might Be Giants. This site is taking the pair and merging them, not only from a web perspective, but also from a physical one.

While I have a number of cars I'm presently working on, the one that this all derives from is my 1959 Studebaker Lark VII Wagon. I had the idea, that when it's finally ready for paint, that I'm going to theme the paint job based off of the NASCAR T-shirt that I originally bought at a TMBG concert in Amherst, MA. That was back in 1992.

Aside from this, I've often been frustrated at the lack of good general car restoration information on the web. In many cases it's very easy to find tips and how-to's for specific cars, but without the basic understanding of what's really involved a simple restoration becomes very difficult. The additional intent of this site is a place where I can publish my generalist articles on restoration topics to assist those who have the desire, but perhaps not the background knowledge, to do a proper rebuild of their cars.

Site Information

Restoration: Information and articles about how to restore your car.
Components: An instructional breakout of the various systems of your car. Make a big problem a smaller one by understanding the fundamentals of each system.
Projects: Documentation of projects that follow the restoration process and show how to handle the restoration stages.
Maintenance: General car maintenance articles. These are primarily about the modern cars owned by family and friends.
Shop Tech: Articles on tools, techniques, safety and other shop specific information.
Car Shows: Photos and information from local car shows.
My Cars: Information about the cars I've restored or am restoring.

Recent Blog Entries

Sandblasting Cabinet Modifications | 4/26/2008 5:45 PM

Hey Folks,

Published the following article on useful modifications for Meda (Sand) blasting cabinets: Media Cabinet Modifications

Also made a video:

The Heater article is published! | 4/23/2008 8:44 PM

The Jensen Healey Heater Assembly restoration article and videos are published!

Here's the article:
Heater restoration article.

Here's the video (part 1 of 2):

(part 2 of 2):

Cheers!
Jody

Site updates & Battery Reminders! | 4/22/2008 8:09 AM

Hey Folks,

So, when I posted the cost estimation calculator I forgot to add a blog entry about it. I have many people come to me or the site trying to figure out how expensive it will be to restore a car. The Project Estimator is a calculator, based on my experience and a few other known factors to give a rough cost estimate of how much a restoration will cost to perfom. So far it's been pretty well recieved.

Also, yesterday night I did my first "Battery Bailout" of the year. Once it starts getting hot here in Phoenix batteries begin to die at an alarming rate. For those who don't know, a car battery here only lasts a couple years at best. It's due to the extreme heat of the summers here. So, please, before you're stuck in a gas station parking lot, go to your local auto store and have your battery checked. I recommend having it done once every 6 months. Consider it to be free insurance against future breakdowns.

And, for us car guys, remember, a raised hood is a cry for help. As people who know and understand cars, its our responsibility to take these situations as an opportunity to help someone out, and possibly teach them something about their cars at the same time. Remember, what goes around, comes around. I cant count the number of times I've been helped out over the years when one of my LBCs dies on me in the middle of an intersection.

Cheers!
Jody

TheyMightBeRacing.Com TV | 4/13/2008 9:05 PM

The Sandblasting Episode:

Sandblasting article & General Blather | 4/13/2008 2:38 PM

So, I'm not sure what's more frustrating, seeing that my blog hasn't been updated in two weeks (meaning I've not accomplished anything noteworthy in the past two weeks), or knowing the reason why it hasn't been updated.

I've more or less lost the past couple weeks to working too hard, little girl-ifying my old home office, and dealing with frustrating leg issues. That being said, I managed to get a wild hair on friday, bought some new tools, and managed to get some work done this weekend. :)

At present, the heater sheetmetal bits are sitting out in the sun drying. There was a lot more damage in the unit than anticipated (nothing earth shattering, just mildly annoying). So, I'm almost ready for reassembly of the heater unit, which means that article is forthcoming.

I also published an article on sandblasting basics today, as I spent yesterday explaining it to the 8-year old, and the material was fresh in my head. That article is in the new Shop Tech section of the site.

All references to They Might Be Giants are fan references only. John & John I hope you don't mind! And if you're ever in Phoenix stop by for a visit!