The Map of Todd

Dot Map

2008-11-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Really a borderless proportional symbol map I put together after the election. I wanted to show the organic nature of the electoral process. After I had laid out the state locations it looked more like a petri dish than a map, so I added the oblique border to finish off the look.

Monday Night Movie

2008-10-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

I popped in a DVD tonight, since the recent reduction in our television channels has left things excruciatingly dull.

Guess what it was. Go ahead. Guess.

KHAAAAAN!!!

Tearing up the Carpet

2008-09-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

I cleaned up the underside this last weekend and now the carpet is pulled out. I think I clean up the motor compartment some more, as I have been distracted lately with rust. As long as the motor and controller have a clean new home, I can continue with restoring the rest of the car. It sure felt good to tear up that carpet.

Automatic Transmissions

2008-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

The problem with converting an automatic transmission vehicle to Electric is that the automatic transmission is designed to shift based on the needs of the internal combustion engine - not an electric motor. Also because the automatic transmission needs to keep moving automatic transmission fluid (ATF) to shift gears, the transmission shaft must keep spinning, even in idle. This inefficiency leads EV purists to only convert standard transmission cars. There is even a bit of snobbery with some groups providing conversion kits or maybe just laziness because they only want to deal with what they know. The fact of the matter is, an EV conversion from an automatic transmission vehicle WILL WORK. More time and money will be involved, but it can be done. Other people should know this, because at some point ONLY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR CONVERSION! There.

The other thing that ticks me off is that a particular conversion company (mentioned earlier on this blog) only supplies an adapter plate for 6.7 inch motors to the VW transmission (same bolts on standard as on automatic). And it's relatively cheap - under $300. But, what if I want to put on a 9" motor? Do I pay 'EV Parts' in Canada $1100 for a custom 9" to VW adapter plate made of aluminum? I either dish out the cash for a custom plate or... make my own adapter plate?

1.21 Gigawatts! 1.21 Gigawatts!

2008-08-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I learned that the 'Back to the Future' movies revealed some oddly accurate findings in the real world.

1. FACT. The true pronunciation of the Greek prefix giga for n x 10⁹ (billions) is with a soft 'g' like in the movie script when Doc Brown pronounces it correctly - 'jiggawatt.' The SI acceptance of this prefix was not until 1960 (some 5 years after Doc Brown's famous outburst, but perhaps he deduced what his future-self meant when he heard the term in the video from the future.) My college professor in physics, the late Dr. Asim Barut, always pronounced it "jigga" - and he knew better than anyone else.

2. FACT. A bolt of lightning produces anywhere from 1 gigawatt to 100's of gigawatts of power in it's short life span.

3. FACT. If I took the literal translation of my name (Todd = Middle English for FOX, and Mitchell = Hebrew name MICHAEL) and flipped to MICHAEL FOX, who starred in the 'Back to the Future' movies, this is just plain eerie.

Aside from my name on different internet forums being variations of FastbackToTheFuture, I have no intention of turning my EV conversion into a time machine. If indeed 1.21 gigawatts of power is needed for time travel, then I would need more than 3000 times the battery voltage to resuscitate a Monty Python parrot. And that's more than I'm willing to fit under the back seat.

VW Script

2008-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

The metal placard "automatic" under volkswagen on the fasty will be replaced with the word "electric." Now I just need to give the data to someone with a CNC router and I have a plastic or aluminum script which will look just like the original.

Engine Out!

2008-07-27T16:04:00.001-07:00

My friend Tomo and I tackled the first task of the EV conversion yesterday - removing the ICE (internal combustion engine). Tomo had recently removed his Baja Bug engine, so he was used to easy extractions. This was more confusing, as the '69 Type 3 transmission is supported by the engine only, and it was an auto trans to boot. Tomo had a Chilton and I had the Bentley manual, and BOTH books told us to look for 4 bolts between the torque converter and drive plate. There were only 3 bolts on the torque converter - like there have always been. Err...

Despite the pains of getting to the final extract, we did have fun taking this monster out. I also had fun getting greasy.

The next step will be to clean out, prepare and paint the rear engine compartment to make a new home for the EV parts.

3 Gallons to a Good Cause

2008-07-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

I ran a one man bucket brigade today, transferring 3 gallons of gasoline from the fasty to my truck. I would drain off 1 1/2 gallons from the removed fuel tank into an oil change caddy and then from the caddy to a gallon gas can. No, I don't own a funnel - but this worked fine, besides the tank is kind of cumbersome to lift and pour.

I have now:

drained the oil
removed the fuel tank
disconnected all wire connectors in the engine compartment
removed the air cleaner
removed the black box and fuel injection loom
disconnected the air intake bellows and oil filler neck

I should be ready by this weekend, with help, to remove the engine completely.

Fastback to the Future

2008-06-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

After test driving Zap Xebras and almost buying one earlier this year, I took a break when I realized the speed and range were sub par. Lucky I did, as the Zap Motor Company turns out to be untrustworthy in this EV venture. The Xebra never exceded 35mph and a 20 mile range.

In May, I discovered Wilderness EV in Lehi, Utah. They turn gas-guzzling VW bugs and other small cars into all-electric vehicles and sell conversion kits for anyone to turn their own vehicle into a gas-free mode of transportation. Instant flashback to 1979 when my sister Misty got her first wheels - a white VW Beetle which quickly turned into a metallic blue. The memories of my dad and Uncle Max working in the garage pit on the rubber band which powered the oil-smelling piece of machinery. I knew that if I could convert something which burned as much oil as gasoline, I could show others how to do the same. I spotted a craigslist ad for a 1969 Type 3 Fastback and found my opportunity. For the bargain price of $1500, I sputtered down the road... for 3 miles, at such time I called a tow truck to get home.

This is just the beginning of a project which will first repair a VW Type 3, then prepair it for a future which no other Type 3 has experienced. I think I have more in common with this vehicle than anything else I have driven - maybe because we're the same age. And I've already peaked some interest among VW enthusiasts. The more VW people I meet, the more I appreciate the community which is not just about restoring these pieces of automobile history. It's about the enjoyment of driving these vehicles and sharing them with others. What better way to promote driving, and driving in a clean environment, than driving an E L E C T R I C Fastback?

Besides, Dustin Hoffman had nothing but good things to say about it.

Big Mouth

2008-02-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

I found some old backups today, and among them were some pictures I have had difficulty locating on the interweb. It has inspired me to create a page dedicated to Jerry Lewis and his special talent, with a beer glass.

In Case You Forgot

2008-01-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my first post which still makes me shoot milk out my nose.

Enjoy.

First Published Map

2008-01-31T21:29:00.000-08:00

I received my copy of Jewish Communities on the Ohio River: A History, which marks my first published map. When I saw something of my design bound in canvas with a dust jacket, I welled up inside. I need to do this more often. A history book without a map can still tell a story, but I cannot see how it could pull readers together the same way that a map can.

Pink Eye

2008-01-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

For my 39th birthday, I received something I had never had before - pink eye. I saw a doctor for the first time in a few years and he gave me some antibiotic eye drops. How did I get pink eye???

Scott Baio was no where near, I thought...

I'll have to send him a Thank You Card.

To Mac or Not To Mac

2007-04-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at PC's to replace the old HP and leave the G4 Mac Mini to read email.

Funny - all my map design projects so far were done on the Mac Mini. It has been slow but does the job.

The problem I'm seeing with the Mac Pro is the potential upgrade of newer video cards. Their current video card offering is puny and FAR behind any technology going into desktop PC's now.

But PC's run WINDOZE... Ugh.

What to do... what to do...

Not Fond of the IRS

2007-03-30T00:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know... It has been a while since my last post. I just thought I would add to the last post - all that I had saved while working "freelance" has gone to the Internal Revenue Service. Poop.

In Limbo

2006-09-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know it's been a while since the last post. The job I was 99% sure I had landed went to another candidate.

Our furniture and almost everything else went into storage and we moved in with my mother-in-law down the road. The greedy sniveling landlords pulled a last second "we've got a problem" with a crack in a very old fridge/freezer which we assured them was there when we moved in. I stuck to my guns and was prepared to take them to arbitration if any deduction was made for the crack. But alas, a week later we received our full security deposit back and our savings interest went up too. :)

The steady job search continues with the help of family. Time will tell.

Greedy Sniveling Landlords

2006-07-22T00:37:00.000-07:00

So we're getting the boot next month. All because we did not want to sign another 12 month lease and stay another year in freakin' Los Angeles! Ever hear of karma? These people's distrust and greed will catch up to them someday. I hope they rot.

On a much kinder note - Northern California beckons... But I have to wait a few weeks before I know if I got a job up there.

Stay tuned.

One door closes, another one opens...

2006-07-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

I interviewed for a cartographer position in Santa Barbara yesterday. They made me an offer, however I had to decline today because it just wasn't enough $$ to maintain a family in the Santa Barbara area. I really liked the place too. They're nice people and are producing some amazing material, and I told them that. So, I may be working remotely with them in a few months as a freelance cartographer.

First Post

2006-07-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

My wife, Kelly, set up her blog tonight and I was so impressed I decided to try it out myself. One could easily confuse this title with "The Wrath of Khan" (when read while chewing crackers), but it refers to my new career as a cartographer.

If you were directed here by someone chewing crackers and thought it was about the Star Trek™ movie, you might enjoy clicking on this picture.