The Lost Art of Manliness

About a year ago, I began to truly notice how many men in America seem to have lost the art of being a man. As recently as the 1950s, real men still existed. They could survive in the wilderness without an RV or a cell phone. They could grill a steak without burning it. They knew how to fix a leaky sink without calling a plumber. They could work on their car without going a mechanic. They not only knew how to tie a tie, but knew how to select their suit size and buy a fedora. An essence of chivalry still existed. Men got in shape from doing hard labor (not from going to a gym). There was a very sexist attitude toward women (which I don’t condone), but men were still men and “metro sexuality” didn’t exist.

In the fifty odd years since the atomic age, men seem to have lost their way. The men of today are more sensitive to women’s needs (sometimes) and have no problem with women in the workforce, but the things that made them truly men have, for a large part, disappeared. If their sink leaks, they call a plumber. If they’re lost in the woods, they use their GPS or call AAA. They take their car to a mechanic to change their oil. They’re lucky if they can figure out how to tie a slipknot in their tie, let alone know the difference between a Windsor and a Box Knot. Bow ties come in the clip-on variety. They rarely open doors for women anymore. Their muscles come from nautilus machines rather than from working with their hands. The list goes on.

Perhaps it was caused by generations of men growing up without a strong father figure. A number of theories could be made as to why men lost the ability to be men. The fact exists that most men in the 21^st century would bring a tear to the eye of a man’s man from the 30s, 40s, and 50s (if real men cried).

Because of this loss of masculinity among the men of today, I was inspired to come up with the idea for a manual of sorts. A “guidebook” on how to be a man that covered everything your father should have taught you. This tome would be titled, “The Lost Art of Manliness: Everything your father should have taught you… but didn’t”. It would cover everything from chivalry to working on your car; from grilling a steak to buying cufflinks. The book would be separated into sections with each one covering a different trait or piece of knowledge that all men should know.

The rough layout I figured out would be as follows:

Chapter 1 – Grooming and clothing

1. Tying a tie correctly
2. Determining your hat size and how to properly reshape a fedora
3. Finding your shirt size
4. Knowing your suit size and when to wear a tuxedo
5. How to properly apply pomade
6. The correct way to shave (straight razor, disposable, and electric)
7. How to darn a hole in a sock
8. Doing the laundry correctly
9. The importance of dry cleaning
10. Properly starching and pressing a shirt

Chapter 2 – Male Accessories and Jewelry

1. Selecting cufflinks and when to wear them
2. The importance of a good watch
3. Tie tacks and why they are sometimes needed
4. Selecting a fountain pen and how it can help business deals
5. Buying a tie and matching it to your shirt
6. Techniques for folding a handkerchief

Chapter 3 – Automobiles

1. Changing the oil
2. Checking and changing spark plugs
3. Quick fixes for an overheating engine
4. Checking tire pressure and changing a tire
   
5. How to determine why your car isn’t starting
6. Basic preventative maintenance
7. The often overlooked art of washing and waxing a car
8. Buying a used car and spotting a “lemon”

Chapter 4 – Chivalry and Relationships

1. Paying for dinner
2. Opening doors
3. Buying flowers and when to give them
4. Love poem basics and why men should know how to write them
5. Diamond rings (understanding the 3 “Cs” and how to save money at the jeweler)
6. Popping the question
7. Meeting the parents and making a good first impression
8. A guys guide to etiquette and when it’s important

Chapter 5 – Survival

1. How to start a fire
2. Building shelter for the night
3. Finding your way
4. Locating clean water
5. What’s safe to eat
6. Basic fishing techniques in freshwater and salt water
7. Setting a broken bone and other first aid techniques
8. Important plants to counteract poison ivy, nettles, and bug bites

Chapter 6 – Food and Drink

1. Paying for the first round
2. Grilling a steak correctly with charcoal, wood, or gas
3. Basic techniques to cook chicken and pork safely
4. How to clean and prepare fish
5. Selecting the right wine to go with an entrée
6. Beer basics (imports, domestics, and microbrews)
7. Cocktails every man should know
8. How to make a good cup of coffee
9. Selecting and smoking a fine cigar

Chapter 7 – Around the House

1. Mowing the lawn
2. Maintaining a garden
3. Fixing a leaky sink and other basic plumbing
4. Hanging a picture
5. Fixing a squeaky door
6. Repairing and replacing cabinets
7. Patching holes in walls
8. Basic electrical repairs
9. Knowing what you can do yourself and when to call a pro
10. Setting up a home workshop and what tools you need

Of course my list is still far from being complete or concise. There could be sections and/or chapters that covered:

1. Negotiating a deal
2. How to haggle
3. Buying a gun
4. Hunting
5. Sharpening a knife
6. Giving a proper handshake
7. Throwing a perfect spiral
8. The importance of playing catch with your son
9. Giving the sex talk to your kids
10. When to tip and how much
11. Giving a toast
12. Changing a diaper
13. Screening babysitters
14. Etc...
    

The idea is to create a book that provides most of the information that every man should know or at least have a good grasp on how to do. There have been a number of books written over the years that covered different aspects from the above list. There are books on being a gentleman and etiquette (John Bridges has written a fascinating series of books on being a gentleman), books on remodeling a home and home repair (anything by Norm Abrams), books on wilderness survival (anything by John 'Lofty' Wiseman), books on auto maintenance and buying cars (Chiltons and Consumer's Guides), and self help books on being a good father (a search on Amazon yields over 53,000 results). Unfortunately none of them have attempted to provide a complete manual to manliness, or if they have, it’s been more of brief one page coverage (like "How to Mow the Lawn" by Sam Martin). I'm still uncertain about how in depth John Hunt's "Stuff Guys Need To Know: How to Do Just About Everything" gets. Perhaps it’s impossible to cover all that a man should know within a single book.

I was lucky to have a father that taught me a number of things from the list I worked up. Others I learned on my own. Yet despite all that, there are still a bunch of things that I don’t know. I may know how to replace a motor in a car, buy flowers, and the difference between a Windsor and a Box Knot, but I never learned how to haggle, clean a fish, or set a broken bone. I believe that if there were a single book that a man could read and learn from, the male of the species could regain some of his silent dignity and put a smile on the face of men from the past.

It’s an idea.

The Lost Art of Manliness

3 Wheeler Concept

About a month ago, I stumbled upon some photos of the old Morgan Super Sports Aero 3-Wheeler (manufactured between 1927 and 1939).

Morgan Super Sports Aero

Seeing pictures of this beautiful automobile revived the car lover in me again. I've always loved the design of the cars from the early days of European Grand Prix auto racing and this vehicle shared similar design lines with the Bugatti Type 35 and other cars from the same era.

Bugatti Type 35C

Unlike the Grand Prix cars, Morgan stepped in a much different direction than Bugatti and others. The two major differences were the use of three wheels rather than four and incorporating a 9.94HP 996cc J.A.P. JTOR v-twin motorcycle engine to power the vehicle rather than the larger 90HP 1991cc single overhead cam straight-8 used by Bugatti.

Because of the transmission, performance, and horsepower limitations of the day, the Morgan wasn't capable of traveling nearly as fast as the Bugatti. However, with the advances that have been made in motorcycle engine technology and transmissions since then, the Morgan design could possibly be adapted to create a very fast (yet remarkably fuel efficient) vehicle.

There are a number of companies already making modernized versions of the old Morgan. Most of them offer kit versions (BRA, JZR, Pembleton, Triking, etc...), but few offer fully assembled vehicles. Aero Cyclecar (the makers of the BRA) and Liberty Motors (makers of the Ace Cyclecar) seem to be the only ones offering a fully assembled version. The problem with all of these it seems, is that despite a bit of modernization and different motors, they are effectively little more than Morgan replicas.

So I issued a challenge to myself. Design a car loosely based on the old Morgan design, but modernized using:

1. a more powerful modern motorcycle engine (more than likely a Moto Guzzi)
2. double wishbone front suspension (used in many sports cars today)
3. a more advanced transmission (the original Morgans didn't have a reverse gear)
4. a roll-cage incorporated into the design (for added safety)
5. some sort of protection from the weather (something that all the modern versions lack)
6. a few motorcycle design elements to complement the use of a motorcycle engine (like an exposed rear tire and saddlebags)
7. a few elements from my other automobile passion, the ratrod (flat black paint job, pinstripes, and whitewall tires)

After researching my list of goals, I came up with the following solution. To build the vehicle, I would need a Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans II or a Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans III (perhaps one that was wrecked in the front to keep cost down), a 1970s Triumph Spitfire Mk IV (in decent shape but doesn’t need to be running), and about $900-1000 (based on current steel prices) in 2” x 2” tube steel, 1” round stock tubing, and 18ga sheet metal. Parts that aren’t needed from the motorcycle and Triumph could be scrapped out or sold to recoup some of the expenses.

The 2” x 2” tube steel would be used to make the frame, the 1” round stock tubing would make the top of the roll cage, and the 18ga sheet metal would be used to fabricate the body panels.

1981 Moto Guzzi Le Mans II

From the Moto Guzzi, I would be able to reuse:

1. The 74HP 844cc (Le Mans II) or 76HP 844cc (Le Mans III) engine
2. Rear swing arm
3. Exhaust system
4. Rear disc brake
5. Bell housing from the transmission (possibly)

Triumph Spitfire Mk IV

From the Triumph Spitfire, I would be able to reuse:

1. The double wishbone front suspension
2. The 5-speed transmission w/reverse
3. Shift linkage
4. Driveshaft (possibly)
5. Rear differential
6. Front disc brakes
7. Dashboard (modified to fit)
8. Steering linkage
9. Turn signals
10. Side and rear mirrors
11. Alternator
12. Wiper motor

In addition to the above list, I would need:

1. A modified “tuner car” rear spoiler
2. 20” x 3” wire spoke rims and whitewall tires for the front
3. 18" x 5" wire spoke rim and whitewall tire for the rear
4. Black racing seats with 5-point harnesses
5. About 6-8 yards of oilskin to make the removable top and doors
6. “Flying Lady” hood ornament from a 1940s Cadillac
7. A pair of bug-eye headlights
8. Black hard shell saddlebags
9. A Windshield
10. Euro style wiper arm and blade
11. Some exhaust tubing to push the mufflers further back
12. Misc. bits and baubles

The drive train would start with the Moto Guzzi engine mounted between the front tires. From there, either the Guzzi bell housing would need to be modified to fit the Triumph gearbox or the Triumph bell housing modified to fit the Guzzi engine. The transmission would then be connected to a driveshaft (perhaps the one salvaged from the Triumph) to link it to the Triumph rear differential. The differential would then be modified to only output on one side to run a chain drive to the rear tire.

The end result, after a bit of fabrication and retrofitting, a flat black paintjob, and some pinstripes

With the saddlebags and doors added

According to www.3wheelers.com:

In a couple states you have the option to license a 3-wheeler as a car. Most states are fairly uniform, but these are the questions one should ask of the motor vehicles department, which anyone can call for information.

In general 3-wheelers are classed as motorcycles though in at least one State, a motorcycle must weigh a certain amount. ( 1500 lbs?). As a motorcycle there are no tests for pollution in most States. (Though in California all new motorcycles come with catalytic converters) In some States, motorcycles skip the annual safety inspections, where a car can be disqualified for hundreds of reasons. You are sometimes limited to one headlight, sometimes to one tail light, but this isn't usually enforced. No windshield wipers, turn signals, catalytic converters or any of the other things the older motorcycles do not have. If you have any of these items though they must work even though they are not required.

In general a 3-Wheeler must be insured as a motorcycle and you can not insure it as a car...(you can read the rest here)

This would allow the vehicle to be registered as a motorcycle rather than a car. What does this mean? Fewer requirements on equipment that must be on the car (lowering the weight), lower registration cost, and the ability to drive in the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) and carpool lanes in many states.

I also found that a 3-wheeler (2 wheels in front, 1 in the rear) is capable of making faster turns, handles better, and has a much higher roll-over resistance than a typical 4-wheeled car. To give an idea of performance capable with a 3-wheeled vehicle (albeit a completely different configuration), the T-Rex (with a 187HP 1352cc inline 4 cylinder engine) is able to out-accelerate and out-handle Porsches and Ferraris (0-60 in 3.5 seconds). Of course my idea for a modernized Morgan wouldn’t be able to accelerate quite as fast as the T-Rex, but the handling could quite easily surpass that of a number of sports cars on the market today and still get 45-50MPG on the highway (without being a hybrid). The biggest bonus is that (depending on the cost of the Triumph and the Moto Guzzi) the total bill for fabrication and building the 3-wheeler could easily be under $10,000 ($15K if you get ripped off on the donor vehicles).

The Bottom Line:

1. 45-50MPG highway (equivalent to a Toyata Prius, but looks a heck of a lot better)
2. 0-60MPH at or under 10 seconds (you're not gonna break any land speed records, but you'll give a few tuner cars a run for their money.)
3. Cost to build: $10-15K (less than a new econobox)
4. If manufactured on a larger scale, it could allow for the average American to own a high performance, yet fuel efficient vehicle for $15-20K (and allow the company making it to earn about $5000 profit per car).

It’s an idea.

3 Wheeler Concept

Introduction

Like many people, I've got ideas.

Whether it's plans for a business, a concept for a website, a design for a product or mode of transportation, a use for some alternate form of energy, a plot for a movie, or just some crazy scheme for something that lack of time, money, and/or knowledge prevent me from completing on my own, I've probably wasted some braincells thinking about it. I guess you could call me an "Idea Man". All ideas, little action.

For a number of years, these ideas and concepts have simply stayed just that. Just an idea. Just a concept. Few of them have ever progressed beyond the drawing board. Even fewer still have been made reality. I've filled sketchbooks, notebooks, and 24 hour diner napkins with doodles and musings that, chances are, I'll never be able to create or follow through on. The problem is there are too many times that "just", "if only", "could", "should", and "would" are used in this world already.

This mass of unused concepts has become the inspiration for The Idea Can. A place for me to share ideas that otherwise would end up going nowhere except a drawer to collect dust. Each of them all but forgotten with their only audience being dust mites and mildew. The site itself is the first of many ideas I've come up with over the years that I intend to share.

A Bit About The Ideas Themselves

Some of the ideas presented will be fully fleshed out plans. Others will be little more than gestures of a concept. Perhaps only a sentence or two and a sketch. Where possible, I will include any sketches and illustrations I've worked up that relate to the idea. Also, if I make an update or improvement to an idea, I will try to link it to the initial idea to allow the reader to follow the development more easily.

With every idea I come up with, I try to think of the following quote.

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

- George Bernard Shaw

Just as most men stand on the shoulders of great men from the past, some of the ideas I share will not be my own. There are many fantastic ideas that have been thought of over the years and many of the most fascinating ones have been forgotten, lost, swept under the rug of history (as with many of Nikola Tesla's inventions), or suppressed through criticism (like many of the "free energy" ideas of today). As I come across them, I will post them with my own thoughts on the idea as well as links to the reference text.

For The Science Sticklers

I'm not an engineer and my knowledge of science is lacking in areas, so some of the scientific ideas I present will lack a great deal of plausibility. I decided a long time ago that I would never allow the (often misquoted) Laws of Thermodynamics to affect my thinking of what can and cannot be done. There are enough people in the world already that preach "scientific fact" and allow that thinking to prevent themselves from creating something new or supporting someone else that is (just look at the comments on the average free energy, HHO, or magnetic energy video on YouTube and you'll see what I mean). Remember that not too long ago in man's history, scientists believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, flight was impossible, and if you drove over 45MPH without a windshield the skin on your face would rip off.

For those that like to use the "It violates the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics" argument, think on the following quote.

"Free energy does not mean perpetual motion. Extracting power from the vast sea of energy that surrounds us is no more perpetual motion than a photovoltaic cell. It does not violate the second law of thermodynamics. It is a conversion of energy from one form into another form that is usable — not the creation of energy out of nothing."

- Sterling D. Allan

Introduction