Mechanics Illustrated

[RonL]

Does anyone recall a writer for Mechanics Illustrated. I want to say maybe Tom McCahill? Was somewhat of a curmudgeon. Wrote an advise column and reviewed cars. Recall him showing the size of a car trunk by showing his two Irish Setters sitting in the trunk.
RonL

 

[TerryinMD]

Wasn't McCahill an editor or writer for Car and Driver or Road and Track? The name strikes a bell but I can't remember which magazine.

Terry

 

[RobS]

I think there is a Tim Cahill at Outside Magazine /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[TerryinMD]

I like talking to me.... /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Nope, just did a search on yahoo. Yes, he did write for Mechanics Illustrated. Go to yahoo (or your favorite search engine) and type in "Tom McCahill" in the search box. Got over 1500 hits.

Terry

 

[Rch]

I remember Tom McCahill (sp?). He died 10-12 years ago. I remember he compared the heater in some English car "to a little ole lady breathing on your foot" I think you are right about being in Mech. Illustrated. Curmudgeon is the perfect word.

 

[RonL]

Terry
I did a search on Google under "Tom McCahill" and did find a number of old articles. Brought back old memories. Also, it's "Mechanix Illustrated" not Mechanics Illustrated. Funny how as a kid I could tell you the make and year of every car that went by. Now, unless I read the nameplate, I can't tell one car from another.
RonL

 

[RonL]

RCH
He certainly had a style of his own. As I remember it he had an advice column that was equally irreverent.
I had a 1910 with a woods 750 backhoe (before I broke up with my ex) . Nice little machine.

RonL

 

[GlueGuy]

Yup, I remember that guy very well. I read MI religiously until I was in my early 20's. Then got away from it as other things got in the way...

I was very interested in the Chevy Vega when it first came out. Tom McCahill reviewed it, and one of the most pointed comments was that the "radiator is the size of a sears catalog". His observation was that the radiator would not work well once the engine had a few miles on it and the block was covered with a coat of oil.

Apparently the Chevy engineers were (attempting to) take advantage of the natural heat dissipation inherent with an all-aluminum block.

He said if you got a Vega, only get the GT version, as that had a more conventional radiator. Well, I did, and I did. Turns out that that was a very good decision (one of the few that I've made in my life /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif). Our Vega ran like a top for many years until we traded it in. My understanding is that a lot of the other Vegas had serious block/overheating problems as they aged.

Yup, good ol' Tom...

 

[brewerbob]

"Uncle" Tom McCahill was the dean of automotive testers. I believe he started testing cars in 1946. He was a very entertaining writer, and loved hunting and hunting dogs. I used to read him religiously back in my early high school days.
Bob

 

[Rch]

As I understand it the Vega had an all aluminum block with " siliconized" cylinder walls (read; NOT cast iron inserts). If it EVER overheated it warped and ,of course, was junk. At the tail end of its life GM had to offer a 100,000 mile engine guarantee (and the only car in decades that had a coolent LEVEL warning light) in order to sell them. It was up there with those 1970s GM car diesels as a misadventure.