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 D BU
R IL
T E C H N O L O GY  S C I E N C E  AU T O M O T I V E  H O M E  O U T D O O R S
EA D
M YO
POPULAR MECHANICS

D U
EC R
K

SEPTEMBER 2004 popularmechanics.com

NEW
WEAPONS
OF THE

SPECIAL
FORCES
SEPTEMBER 2004  HEARST MAGAZINES

Plus Firing The

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Bad News For
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FORGET
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AB VOLUME 181, NO. 9

NOW EYE
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 THIS MONTH
The newest high-tech weapons that help
our special operations forces do whatever is
necessary, wherever. PAGE 82

62 72

AUTOMOTIVE SCIENCE
48 New Cars 115 Car Care 17 Technology
Watch

2005 Scion tC, Ford Super
Duty pickups, Yamaha Royal
Star Tour Deluxe, Mercedes-
Benz G55 AMG, Suzuki
Boulevard, Victory Hammer,
Volvo midsize models and
Porsche 911 Carrera.
50 Detroit Spy
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 and
Chevrolet Impala.
52 Europe Spy
2005 Volkswagen Passat;
2006 Porsche Boxster Coupe
and Volvo V30.
56 Asia Spy
2007 Nissan Cube and March.
58 Jay Leno’s Garage
The environment and the old-
car hobby can coexist.
62 Comparison Test:
What Drive?
What’s better—front- or rear-
wheel drive? We found out.
 AUTO CLINIC
Car care Q&A.
 SATURDAY MECHANIC
Purging bad interior smells.
TECHNOLOGY
30 Meandering Macs
Elgato’s EyeHome lets you
get movies and music from
computers to TV.
34 Time On My
Hands
Limited-edition watches mark
Timex’s 150th anniversary.
78 Need
Networking?
The newest trends in wireless
networking and what you
need to do it yourself.
THE TIME ANNIVERSARY: Timex cel-
ebrates 150 with nine XFactor watches.
PHOTOS BY VINNIE DONIZETTI (CAR), COMSTOCK IMAGES (EYE), COURTESY OF HECKLER & KOCH (SERVICEMAN)
 Creating power from thin air.
 Mankind’s first compound
machine found in China.
 NASA abandons
International Space Station.
 Meltdown-immune nuclear
reactors.
 Space Shots and Earth News
this month, plus more.
40 Live To Be 180
Biologists have cracked the
secret of long life, but you
might not want to pay the price.
72 20/20 Vision
Laser surgery is the high-tech
way to fix your sight. Here’s
what really happens when
you go under the light.

4
 SEPTEMBER September 2004 Volume 181 No. 9 PM

78 68
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL DIMARE (LAPTOP), PHOTOS BY SKIP GANDY (BOAT), CLIFF GROMER (SEGWAY), ERIC HANSON (DECK)

OUTDOORS HOME MONTHLY

36 Segway On A Roll
We take the new budget
p Series out for a spin.
68 Navy SEALs Boat
With its military genes, the
Zodiac CZ7 is touted as the
ultimate, go-anywhere
adventure boat.
90 Deck Built To Last 8 EDITOR’S NOTES
Adding a deck to your house 10 COMMUNICATE
is one of the most popular WITH US
and cost-effective of all do-it-
yourself projects, and we
12 LETTERS
show you how to do it. 14 TIME MACHINE
44 EXTREME
98 Glass-Block Party MACHINES
Update your bathroom with a
glass-block window. 128 GREAT STUFF
142 IT WORKED FOR US
104 HD Cleanup
Heavy-duty equipment to keep
ON THE COVER
your grounds looking great.
Photos by Eric Hanson,
108 Homeowners courtesy of Heckler & Koch.
Clinic
Answers to your tough home
improvement questions.
108 Book Review:
Bathroom
Remodeling
All the basics you need to
know to redo your bathroom.

DON’T WALK. RIDE: We test the entry- DECK YOURSELF: Build this deck and
level Segway in Times Square. add 400 sq. ft. to your house.

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 THERE ARE OVER 200 WAYS TO BE A SOLDIER IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
FIND OUT MORE AT GOARMY.COM OR VISIT 1-800-USA-ARMY.

WHAT’S HOT THIS MONTH ON THE

PM
@ POPULARMECHANICS.COM
SCIENCE
The help
you need is SPACESHIP ONE
The desert skies over Mojave, Calif., Pick your Favorite
always at witnessed the opening of a new era of
Ace. manned space flight when a privately Home Tips and Hints
For projects big developed rocket plane launched into Sweepstakes
history in an attempt to be the world’s
or small, the advice Pick your favorite home tip
first commercial manned space vehicle.
and supplies you need Go to www.popularmechanics.com/links/mojave or hint as provided by the
are available at your Home editors of POPULAR
MECHANICS and win a
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TECHNOLOGY sponsored by

PM WISHLIST
Think of all the opportunities your spouse or
girlfriend has to register for gifts she wants First:
to receive: bridal shower, baby shower, new Go to www.popular
home. It’s time for a change-now it’s your mechanics.com /links/
turn to get the gifts you really want! Just log arienssweepstakes and tell
onto www.popularmechanics.com/links/ us your favorite tip or hint.
wishlist Be sure to check back
throughout the year for the
latest tip, which will give
you extra know-how when it
OUTDOORS comes to home improvement

9 WAYS TO GO OFF-ROAD
This is definitely not a comparison Then:
test. It’s more like a personal question- Register and be automati-
naire about how you really spend your cally entered for a chance
outdoors time: What’s the best means to win a free Ariens® light-
for getting you safely into the woods weight cast aluminum deck
and back out again? What’s going to mower
fit your budget as well as your lifestyle? There is no one
right answer. Instead, we suggest nine right answers. Go to Good Luck!
www.popularmechanics.com/links/offroad

TECHNOLOGY
PM PICKS FOR
BACK TO SCHOOL
Now that it’s time to get back to school,
the PM.Zone has a wide array of products
that will be really useful for the upcoming
school year. This guide is easy to surf and
understand, so if you need some ideas, go
to www.popularmechanics.com/links/
www.acehardware.com school
PM EDITOR’S NOTES
A Great
F
Run
OR the past 19 years, I’ve had the
privilege and pleasure of talking to
you in this space, in my role as Edi-
tor-In-Chief of Popular Mechanics.
Now it’s time to pass this prime piece
of magazine real estate on to the next
editor of this great magazine. As I said
in the October 2002 issue, an editor
doesn’t own the magazine. He just
steers it for a while until someone
else gets handed the steering wheel.
Now it’s time for me to hand the steer-
ing wheel to Jim Meigs, a veteran
editor who covered technology sub-
jects for Popular Mechanics early
in his career and has since gone on
to help launch Entertainment Week-
ly and serve as Editor-In-Chief of
Video Review and Premiere. Just be-
fore PM, Meigs was Executive Editor
at National Geographic Adventure. So
I leave Popular Mechanics in good
hands. Hey, it’s been a great run. I’ve
had the unique opportunity to mold
and shape a major men’s magazine
into my vision of what it should be, all
the while quite cognizant of what you
readers told me you wanted in your
magazine. Around 1.2 million of you
buy, and more than 9 million people
read, each issue, and that tells me we
8 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
did a pretty good job. Along the way,
we won a National Magazine Award
(the “Oscar” of the magazine publish-
ing industry) and were nominated for
another, won numerous other awards
for editorial excellence and graph-
ic design, and made a few bucks for
our parent company, The Hearst Cor-
poration. In fact, thanks to the crea-
tivity and expertise of our fantastic
editorial team, Popular Mechanics
has been profitable for 102 years in a
row. Not too many magazines can say
that, much less even last that long. In
the end, though, it’s all about you,
the reader. I always said you own
the magazine, not us, and I meant it.
You were along in 2002 when we cel-
ebrated our 100th anniversary and
so many of you told us how Popular
Mechanics had influenced your life in
some way. We printed many of those
stories as part of our yearlong anni-
versary celebration. I feel strongly
that Popular Mechanics will con-
tinue to make friends and influence
people. After all, PM has transcended
being just a magazine. It has become
part of the fabric of America, an icon,
and that’s as it should be. Popular
Mechanics is an American phenom-
enon, and the mere departure of me
or anyone else can’t change that. PM
is too big to notice and it will go on
as it always has—informing, enter-
taining and inspiring. As for me, I’m
going to enjoy my retirement by play-
ing with my musclecars, staring at
the palm trees in La Quinta, Calif.,
and smoking lots of cigars. See ya.
PHOTO BY CLIFF GROMER
You’ve got a job to do.
And there’s only one
way you know how to
do it — ’til it’s finished.
Wolverine DuraShocks ®
with New
Technology will get you
there. They don’t quit,
so you don’t either.
They’re the world’s
most comfortable boots.
Guaranteed.

AT LEAST HIS FEET ARE COMFORTABLE.

For more information, call
1.800.270.6079 (toll free)

© 2004 WOLVERINE WORLD WIDE INC. ROCKFORD, MI 49351

www.wolverine.com
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PM LETTERS
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great and I love
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looking at them ����
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at car shows����������
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Mechanics. But they’re a bunch of

bull! Real concept cars are never
actually produced. They’re just too
wild for the public to accept. Then
there are the phony “concept” cars
that are actually next year’s production
models passed off as concept cars. Like
I said, a bunch of bull—but still fun.
Charles Abbateo
Via Internet

Show me one concept car that was

ever produced.
Bill White 502-cu.-in. V8s and get out of my way. BUNCH OF BULL?: Some readers think
concept cars are just a fantasy.
Via Internet Big inches is the only way to fly.
Bill Bloom
CELLPHONE TV Lake George, NY the vindication of Percival Lowell is
Your article in the July issue was inter- Watch it, Bloom. Here comes the Sierra satisfying. He was the person who
esting, but let’s face it, there’s nothing Club and they’re looking for you. —Ed. opened our eyes and minds to the
on TV that I would want to watch on wonders of other worlds in our solar
a cellphone. RED PLANET system. The fact that he was ridiculed
Robert Lorenz NASA is saying that water existed on for years for claiming that there was
Via Internet Mars millions of years ago. Lowell water on Mars is another example of
claimed to have seen his water “canals” the science community vilifying a new
Oh great! Now I can take “The on Mars in 1895. The man was no theory, then having to eat its words.
Bachelor,” “Extreme Makeover,” “Blow more than a wealthy kook. His work Sylvester Polkowski
Out,” “Queer Eye For The Straight was debunked for good reason. Via Internet
Guy,” and Paris Hilton and Nicole Rich- Jan Norbert
ie with me wherever I go. I wouldn’t Via Internet To be considered for publication, please include
your full name and address, even if you send via
want to miss any of those shows. e-mail. We’ll withhold both upon request but we
John Benzino As a longtime amateur astronomer will not print any anonymous letters. All letters are
subject to editing for length, style and format.
Via Internet and a constant observer of Mars, ILLUSTRATION BY RADOVAN VARICAK (COVER, TOP LEFT)

AQUA POWER READER PROJECT OF THE MONTH

T
Mercury Marine engineers
HIS 11 x 14-ft. hay hood barn is built on a
can fuss all they want with
concrete pad with 4 x 4 pole-barn-like fram-
4- and 6-cylinder outboards,
ing, is sided with salvaged wood we believe
supercharge them, fuel in-
to be 100-year-old sassafras, and has original barn
ject them and give them
doors. We use it as a garden shed and potting area.
high compression. If you
It also has a loft for storage space. The steel roof
want to go fast on water, it’s
is new and the porches on each side expand the
all a waste of time. The old
usable space. It cost about $2000 to build.
adage “there’s no substitute
THOMAS SHEA, Troy, IL
for cubic inches” holds true
If your project is chosen as Reader Project Of The Month, you will receive a token of our appreciation for sharing your project
on water as well as land. with us. For your project to be considered, please send a clear, color photo and brief description to: Reader Project Of The
So give me twin inboard Month, Popular Mechanics, 810 Seventh Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

12 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 0 50
100
PM TIME MACHINE
Years Ago (September 1904)
COOL HEADS PREVAIL
A forerunner to the hazmat suit, this smoke res-
pirator used a water spray around the firefight-
er’s eyes, nostrils and
mouth. The water pro-
vided protection from
heat, and allowed the
firefighter to “remain
a long time in rooms
and other places
heavily charged with
smoke, fighting the
25
fire and saving much
valuable property.”
Years Ago
(September 1979)
MAKING WAVES
Astrophysicists all over the world
were searching for cosmic rip-
ples, otherwise known as gravity
waves. Making use of giant alumi-
num bars, lasers, and space probes
such as the Solar
Polar vehicle (left),
the scientists hoped
to discover the gravi-
tational radiation that, in
Albert Einstein’s theory, passes
through the universe and invis-
ibly touches everything.
14
Years Ago
(September 1954)
SPACED OUT
The big sound that swept
the country was called high
fidelity. One of the sys-
tem’s most startling ben-
efits was a natural third
dimension—space. While
improvements in all parts
of the sound chain—from
tuners to amplifiers—
contributed to the new
sound, the key factor
was the full-frequency-
spectrum loudspeakers.
7
Years Ago
(September 1929)
MESS TRANSIT
A bus manufacturer want-
ed to know what happened
5
when a bus traveling at 60
mph experienced a front-
tire blowout. For deflation,
a shotgun (see arrow) was
rigged on the bumper. When
the bus attained the proper
speed, a cable attached to
the trigger fired the gun. The
bus ran 250 ft. under braking
without swerving. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 TECHWATCH
AVIATION COMPUTERS DEFENSE ENERGY ENVIRONMENT MEDICINE ROBOTICS SPACE TRANSPORTATION
Power From Thin Air
A
IR pressure changes
that make your ears
pop as you drive over
mountains may some-
day produce massive
amounts of electric power—without
polluting the environment.
Air pressure can vary over the
course of the day, depending upon the
weather. Over time, there are clear
patterns, with some regions experi-
encing historically predictable high
and low pressure. Anthony Mamo,
a former research director for Borg-
Warner, believes the technology is
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL DIMARE
in hand to tap the enormous ener-
gy reserve. “The reusable energy is
extracted from the difference in baro-
metric pressure between the ends
of a long pipe that is configured to
exchange barometric air pressure for
supersonic air velocity,” he explains.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
As the diameter of a pipe decreases,
the velocity of the air moving through
it necessarily increases. In Mamo’s
system, air would be accelerated to
supersonic speeds as it passes from
the mouth of a 14-ft.-dia., half-mile-
long funnel and into a 4- to 6-ft.-dia.
pipe. He calculates that the fast-mov-
ing airstream would contain enough
energy to produce electricity by
spinning the blades of a conventional
“No new hardware need be developed,
no new technology need be perfected.”
turbine generator. The amount of
power that could be extracted from
each pipeline would depend upon the
location of the two ends of the conduit.
Maps included in Mamo’s success-
ful patent application show pipelines
extending from the Pacific Northwest
into Nevada. He envisions them being
constructed above and below existing
highway, railroad and utility rights-
of-way. “No new hardware need be
developed, no new technology need
be perfected,” Mamo tells Popular
Mechanics. “All of the required engi-
neering is elemental and time-tested.”
Mamo estimates it would be possi-
ble to produce power from his system
for less than 1 cent per kilowatt-hour,
compared to 4 to 6 cents for windmills
and 11 to 14 cents for nuclear plants.
Mamo says that his company,
Atmospheric Cold Megawatts of
Arlington Heights, Ill., is currently in
discussion with potential developers
in the United States and India.
17
 First Compound Machine Found In China
T
HE machine age appears to have begun
in China in 550 B.C., hundreds of years
earlier than had been previously believed.
This conclusion comes from a Harvard Universi-
ty research project in which Peter J. Lu, a graduate
student in physics, demonstrated that ornamental
jade rings were made not by hand, but with a com-
pound machine. A compound machine consists of
two simple machines that work together.
In this case, Lu found that early high-precision
grooves cut in a jade ring (left) were created by a
mechanism that linked a turntable to a scribing
tool, as shown below.
In his report, published in the international
journal Science, Lu says scholars previ-
ously believed that compound machines
initially appeared in the first
century.

FINE CUTS:
The grooves
seemed too
precise to be
handcrafted.

PM TECHWATCH
EDITOR JIM WILSON

REPORTERS STEFANO COLEDAN, LINDA DORAN, SCOTT GOURLEY, MALCOLM LOWE, BARRY ROSENBERG

Growing Diesel Fuel Mysterious

L Chemicals
OW-SULFUR diesel fuel
with ignition characteristics

N
suitable for modern engines ASA scientists say they
can be obtained from the seeds of are at a loss to explain the
a wild bush that grows on land too origin of two chemicals
nutrient-poor for farming. found in a cloud near the center

SCIENCE (COMPOUND MACHINE), ©2004 STEVEN FOSTER (JATROPHA)

The Jatropha Biodiesel Project, of the Milky Way.
which is currently being conduct- “The 8-atom molecule pro-
ed on two plantations in India, was penal and the 10-atom mole-
described to Popular Mechanics cule propanal were detected in a
during a recent technology confer- large cloud of gas and dust some
ence sponsored by DaimlerChrysler 26,000 light-years away in an
in Stuttgart, Germany. area known as Sagittarius B2,”
Jatropha curcas, also known as the says a spokesman for the National
purging nut, has seeds that are 60 Radio Astronomy Observatory in
percent oil. Chemically combining Charlottesville, Va.
that oil with an acid or alcohol pro- Several theories suggest that
duces a usable fuel. Biodiesel residue it was comets formed from inter-
can be used as an organic fertilizer. stellar clouds that brought the
organic molecules necessary for
BLOOMING FUEL: Long considered a
nuisance, Jatropha has energy to burn. life to Earth.

(Please turn to page 20)

18 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 ID E A
H E A LT H Y

Roasting Dirty Soil Cellphones

T Monitor Drugs
HE ground beneath gasoline stations and oil transfer terminals
is often so saturated from spills that the land must be condemned.

I
The combustible nature of the pollutants, however, contains the seeds BM engineers in Switzerland
for their cleanup. Heating the soil burns the carbon in spilled fuel, producing and England teamed up to cre-
mostly harmless carbon dioxide. The solution is not widely applied because ate an intelligent pillbox. In
of the high cost of burning soil at processing facilities—as much as $100 per addition to reminding patients when
cubic yard. Cross-Fire Soil Remediation of Ellsworth, Maine, found it could to take their medicine, it uses Blue-
cut costs by burning contaminated soil on-site. Temperatures in the port- tooth to link vital-sign sensors with
able, self-contained the patient’s own cellphone to alert
HOT STUFF: Contaminant-free soil falls out of the burner reach in excess the patient’s doc-
portable propane-fired burner. INSTANT M.D.:
of 2900˚. Critical to Phone calls
tor if the medica-
the process is the mix- remind forget- tion produces an
ing of the flame with ful patients. adverse reaction.
the correct amount of
oxygen. Because flame
contact takes place
at close range, the
propane-fueled sys-
tem uses a fraction of
the energy consumed
by a stationary plant.
As much as 45 tons
of soil can be cleaned
in an hour.

PM TECHWATCH
WATCH

POWER PLAY:
The new
reactor will
be three times
more powerful.

Smaller Crews
For Future Carrier CROSS-FIRE (ROASTING DIRTY SOIL), IBM (CELLPHONE MONITORS),

T
HE Navy has given North-
rop Grumman the go-ahead
to begin construction of the
next generation of aircraft carriers.
Although the yet-unnamed CVN 21
will have the same hull form as current
carriers, it will be powered by a more
compact nuclear reactor and use an
the crew to launch five aircraft in
the time it now takes to launch four.
The Navy hopes the increased use of
computers and automation will result
in smaller crews—between 500 and
NASA Rethinks Space Station
900 fewer
sailors than the
5000 now required.
Sea trials of the $1.4 billion car-
rier could begin within four years.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN (CARRIER)

electric, rather than steam, catapult.
The CVN 21 will be the first carrier fit-
ted to launch and recover unmanned
aerial vehicles. It also will have pro-
visions for deploying more vertical-
takeoff aircraft. A highly automated
ordnance handling system will enable
N
ASA will write off the International Space Station. “You see
the space shuttle and the space station going away,” Marc Allen,
Director of Strategic and International Planning, told 200 space sci-
entists during a meeting on future projects in June. His remarks came four
days after NASA announced a sweeping internal reorganization, needed to
meet President Bush’s mandate to return to the moon and to explore Mars.
(Please turn to page 22)

20 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 E
F LI G H T LI N
Berlin Air Show Headliners
N
EW concepts in general
and amphibious aviation
and improvements in space
and weapons systems highlighted this
spring’s Berlin Air Show ILA 2004.
Making its debut was a new Ger-
man light transport aircraft, the High
Performance Aircraft TT62 Alekto.
Constructed principally from compos-
ites, the 5-seat Alekto has two 310-hp
PM TECHWATCH
Future Nuclear Reactor
LIKE LEGO:
MIT’s Andrew
Kadar shows
how systems
connect.
22
Thielert turbodiesel engines installed
in the rear fuselage, with driveshafts
connecting to propellers mounted in
separate external pods. The first flight
is slated for later this year.
Using water or land for its run-
way, the Dornier Seawings Seastar
light transport/executive amphibian
offers an air link for coastal and island
communities. On a much larger scale,
FUTURE FLIGHTS: The top-mounted air intakes protect the engines
of the Dornier Seawings Seastar (top) from sea spray. Two diesel
engines reduce the cost of traveling in the new Alekto (left).
A Diamond
unique Chinese nuclear
reactor will help engineers
at the Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology (MIT) design pow-
er plants that would be immune to a
“China Syndrome”-type meltdown.
Part of what makes the pebble-bed
reactor safe is the way the nuclear
fuel is packaged. Fissionable ura-
nium is surrounded with billiard
ball-size packages of graphite—peb-
bles—that moderate the reaction.
Tsinghua University in Beijing has
operated a pebble-bed reactor for 10
years. MIT’s contributions include
developing a plug-and-play design
that replaces the cur-
rent practice of design-
ing each reactor indi-
vidually. The change
could substantially cut
construction costs.
Russian company Beriev displayed a
concept in model form of a 6-engine
superheavy cargo amphibian called
the Be-2500.
European aerospace giant EADS
showed a model concept of a reusable
launch vehicle. German defense com-
pany Bodenseewerk Gerätetechnik
displayed models of new precision
weapons called HOSBO and HOPE.
One Tough
MALCOLM LOWE (BERLIN AIR SHOW), MIT (ANDREW KADAR), PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (DIAMOND)
S
CIENTISTS
HARD ROCK:
can’t explain Cooked dia-
it, but a new monds are at
microwave “cooking” least 50 per-
process developed by cent harder.
Chih-Shiue Yan of
the Carnegie Institution of Washing-
ton has created the world’s hardest dia-
mond. Exactly how hard is unknown—
the measurement gauges broke.
(Please turn to page 24)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 1 ALASKA
IT was a close call for residents
when a magnitude 6.7 earthquake
shook fishing towns as far as 60 miles
from its epicenter south of Craig about
2 am on June 28. Because the quake
occurred at sea, it caused only mini-
mal damage on land. A shore-scour-
ing tsunami, which sometimes follows
undersea earthquakes, did not occur,
say scientists at the West Coast &
Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
2 GREENLAND
PRELIMINARY evidence sug-
gests that the Greenland ice sheet has
begun to melt, and that the melting
might continue even if emissions of
greenhouse gases are lowered. The
prediction is based on data analyzed
by Jonathan Gregory of The University
of Reading in England, and published
in the science journal Nature. A worst-
case scenario sees global flooding over
the next two centuries, even if the cur-
rent global warming trend reverses.
PM TECHWATCH
Neon Signs Made With Movable Type
24
3 MYANMAR
MORE than 140 people died after
a tropical cyclone hit the western
part of the country. The storm, which
struck on May 19, packed winds in
excess of 100 mph. Phone and elec-
tric utility lines were downed and an
estimated 18,000 people were left
homeless. Before striking land, the
cyclone wreaked havoc at sea. It sank
84 ships, killing an unknown number
of passengers and crew.
EARTH NEWS
LTI
2 ME
1 EARTH
QUAKE
4 AUSTRALIA
ONE of the largest preservation
efforts ever undertaken will protect
one-third of the Great Barrier Reef.
Previously, only one-twentieth of the
reef—which is roughly the size of Ger-
many—was protected by fishing bans
and other environmental restrictions.
The reef is home to more than 1500
species of marine life and 400 species
of coral. It is also considered essential
to Australia’s tourist industry.
E
NG IC
CYCLONE 3
PRESERV ATION 4
C
HARLES Wolthoff has
become the Gutenberg of
neon lighting. In the past,
writing words in neon light required
bending glass tubes to form the mes-
sage, and wiring the tubes to a high-
voltage system that causes the gas
to glow. The Wyckoff, N.J., inventor
has created a clip-on attachment sys-
tem that makes it possible to assemble
neon signs one letter at a time. The
clip creates a mechanical and electri-
SKIP GANDY (“CHANGABLE NEON LETTERS”)
cal connection to a metal frame. At
the recent Invent Now America exhib-
it in Orlando, Fla., Wolthoff showed
Popular Mechanics how a sign could
be assembled, let-
ILLUMINATING:
ter by letter, with-
Signs plug into
a conventional
out powering down
110-volt wall the system. The
outlet. method should cut
sign costs.
(Please turn to page 27)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 Creating
Space
TV CAMERA MICROPROBE

I
N the vacuum of space, tiny
microelectromechanic (MEM)
devices are deprived of the thin
layer of water vapor that lubricates
these tiny moving parts on Earth. This
is significant because MEM power sup-
plies operate on about one-tenth the
voltage of existing systems. Amounts
of friction that might previously have
MEM DEVICE been negligible could become mission
stoppers. After long flights, a “sticki-
ness” problem can cause critical parts,
such as antennas, to fail to deploy.
MICROSCOPE At the Southwest Research Insti-
LENS
tute based in San Antonio, Texas,
engineers have built a test chamber
that duplicates the uniquely harsh
environment of space. Identifying
TASTE OF SPACE: parts most likely to fail tells designers
The chamber creates how to beef up critical areas without
conditions similar to
VACUUM PUMP adding undue weight, which drives
spaceflight. CONNECTION TO
TEST CHAMBER up launch costs.

TECHWATCH PM
STEVE KARP (MEM), DAVID A. AGUILAR/HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS (BINARY STARS)

SPACE SHOTS

Heavy Twins

B
INARY stars are a common
feature of the universe. What
sets the twins comprising the
WR20a cluster apart is their weight.
Each is 80 times more massive than
our sun. Discovered 20,000 light-years
from Earth in the constellation Carina,
the stars are the heaviest ever observed.
Large double stars are important because
they provide a glimpse into the stars
that first populated the universe, says
Harvard University’s Krzysztof Stanek,
who led the research effort.

 Telescope: Las Campanas

Observatory
 Location: Chile
 Experiment: Optical
Gravitational Lensing

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 27

 FOLLOWING UP… ����
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Watching
Thoughts
A
device that tracks minute
magnetic fluctuations is
being used to map thoughts
as they travel through the human
brain. Known as MEG, for magneto-
encephalography, the machine tracks
magnetic fields generated by tiny puls-
es of electricity. Every time you have a
thought or an impulse, your brain pro-
SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY (WATCHING THOUGHTS)

duces an electrical signal that travels

from cell to cell. An MEG at the Vet-
erans Affairs Hospital in Albuquer-
que, N.M., uses 306 superconducting
sensors to track those
INCOMPLETE impulses. The goal is
PICTURE: a better understand-
Current scans ing of how informa-
only image the
brain’s cellular
tion is processed, with
structures. an eye toward treating
schizophrenia. PM

28 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

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PM TECHNOLOGY
Meandering
COMPUTERS
Macs
Elgato’s EyeHome lets you
A
get movies and music from
computers to TV. BY CHRISTOPHER ALLBRITTON
new device from Elgato Systems
is getting Macintosh users excited. It
allows you to connect your Mac—or
multiple Macs on a local network—to
your television and stereo so you can
view movies and photos and listen to
music on them. While it’s a good sys-
tem, there’s something fundamentally
unsatisfying about it.
The EyeHome is a handsome little
unit, measuring 8 x 1.5 x 6 in. It weighs
in at 13 ounces—that’s because its sil-
ver-colored enclosure is made of plas-
tic. On its back are stereo outputs,
30
a composite video output,
component video outputs,
a digital optical out, an S-
Video out, a power port and
an Ethernet port. It has no
fan and is very quiet.
Setup is simple since it
works only with Macs. Just
pop the CD into your com-
puter and start the install-
er. It will install a System
Preference to turn on and
off media sharing, and auto-
matically launch the media-
sharing application called,
coincidentally enough, Eye-
Home. You should make
sure your Mac is set to allow
Web sharing.
What all these little shar-
ing settings do is make your
computer and all its vari-
ous media files visible on
the network into which
you plug the EyeHome
device. This means that
the music in your
iTunes music folder
MOVIES AND
TUNES: Move can be played, and
your media the photos in your
from Mac to iPhotos folder and
TV or stereo. the movies from
the iMovie mov-
ies folder can be viewed. It all shows
up on your television screen with-
out much work on your part because
it uses Apple’s version of the Zero-
Config networking protocol called
Rendezvous. The EyeHome looks
all over the network, finds any Macs
attached and then finds the appro-
priate media on the hard drive. It’s a
1-button setup and the technology is
practically instant—and impressive.
EyeHome supports the most popu-
lar video formats, including MPEG-1,
MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX, popular
photo formats like JPEG and PNG,
and audio formats including MP3
and AAC.
In addition to all that, it has a
basic Web browser. The Services
menu grants you access to your Web
browser’s bookmarks (provided you’re
using Apple’s Safari Web browser), a
(Please turn to page 32)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
PM TECHNOLOGY
built-in Web directory, streaming
radio stations, and headlines from
Yahoo! and BBC News.
Not bad for $249, right?
But as impressive as all that is, I
was disappointed by the EyeHome.
For one, its light weight didn’t exactly
inspire confidence that it was a solid
product. The remote also felt some-
what flimsy and is quite confusing,
with four colored buttons set in the
middle of a sea of gray. What do these
buttons do? They allegedly take you
to the various sections (Movies,
Photos, Music, Services), but I wasn’t
able to make them work.
And I wasn’t able to get some of
my music files to play even though
they were clearly
in the
AAC
format,
which Elga-
to says the Eye-
Home supports.
I never did figure
this one out. And sometimes the unit
would just lock up and give me a black
screen, forcing me to unplug it and
reset it. This was highly annoying.
Add to this the fact that the Quick-
Time movies I had on my various
networked Macs were persnickety.
Some MPEG files were fine, but oth-
ers had a crinkly sound and a pixelat-
ed image. MOV files (a native Apple
format) are not supported at all. I
expected better from a machine that
is designed to work only with Macs.
But it’s not just these limitations.
It feels somehow incomplete, espe-
cially compared to Slim Devices’
Squeezebox ($199). Whereas the
Squeezebox comes with a built-in
wireless card, making setup a snap,
EyeHome requires a wireless Ethernet
32
“EyeHome uses
media sharing
so you should set
your Mac to allow
for this.”
bridge if you want to connect it to an
802.11b/g network.
And if you’re dealing with a lot of
media files, like I do, EyeHome will
just not cut it. You can play your iTunes
playlists as they are, but you can’t add
or rearrange songs to be played in
PRETTY FACE: For $249 you get beauty,
brains and simplicity.
any order you like, as you can with
the Squeezebox. So I could pick one
song to play, and after it was done,
it would dump me back to the Eye-
Home Music menu, where I’d have
to tediously click through playlists to
find the next song I wanted to hear.
I also couldn’t browse other media
while playing a song or movie. It
would be nice to be able to listen to a
song and then queue up another one
while the first one is playing. Or if I’m
watching a movie file, browse over
to my music library, pick a song and
hit play. Uh-huh. I’m forced to push
the stop button on the remote, then
click over to the Music selection and
then click my way to the song I want
to hear. It’s strange that a device that
can play so many forms of media, from
any computer on your network, has an
interface designed to make you think
of just one thing at a time.
About the only thing that works
well on the EyeHome is the photo
browsing, although that leaves a bit
to be desired, too. If I want to see
a slide show from one of my iPhoto
photo albums, I should be able to see
it on the television screen, highlight
it and click the play button, right?
No. Again, I have to go into the pho-
to album and then click the onscreen
play button. And if you have a lot of
pictures, it can be slow.
For my last gripe, I wish EyeHome
would not force me to select a sin-
gle computer to access media. I can
view photos or movies or hear music
off only one computer at a time,
and if I want to get files off
a different machine, I
have to stop everything,
go into another screen
and select the other
computer. Why?
Why not just combine
all the media on my net-
work into one place, which is what
Elgato says it’s trying to let you do. I
don’t want to have to remember that
my vacation photo album is on my
laptop and my Christmas home video
is on my desktop machine. They’re
all on the same network. Just make
them all available through the TV
and be done with it.
There are a lot of things right about
the EyeHome—its simplicity, good
looks and cost, but its interface drove
me crazy, often leaving me frustrated
and cursing. Elgato, which is based in
Germany, says it will have released an
update that addresses these concerns
by the time this column is published.
If you need access to all your
media files, EyeHome is probably
your best bet, but if all you want to
do is play music from your hard drive
through your stereo, consider anoth-
er option. The EyeHome’s limitations
will have you spending more time
futzing with the interface than listen-
ing to music. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
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PM TECHNOLOGY
TIMEPIECES

Time On My Hands

O
Limited-edition watches mark Timex’s
150th anniversary. BY TOBEY GRUMET

tle’s bat) burned them-

selves into America’s
collective conscious-
ness, making Timex
a household name in
timekeeping.
Timex will show
that the new millen-
nium will be as excit-
ing as the past by
introducing a series
of limited-edition
watches called the
XFactor Collec-
tion. Designed by
N May 12, 1960, three landmark innovative figures
commercials aired on the “Frank in the world of art and
Sinatra Timex Show.” fashion, including Karim
Using the now-famous Rashid, Matthew Williamson
tagline “takes a lick- and Dave Kinsey, these watches will
KARIM RASHID: Industrial design and
ing and keeps on tick- be available for the holidays.
a sleek look push the envelope.
ing,” iconic newsman Founded in 1854, Timex began as
John Cameron Swayze the Waterbury Clock Co., making its
showed the world how name by keeping time affordable for In the 1950s, the com-
a Timex watch could the average American with high- pany brought out the first
withstand being land- quality clocks that imitated more inexpensive and reliable
ed upon by a full- expensive imported models. Timex watch.
grown dolphin or By the turn of the cen- By the 1990s, Timex had
wound in perfect tury, the company hit it big pulled away from the pack
silence by a mime. when it introduced the once again with its In-
These images “Yankee” pocket watch diglo night light feature
and taglines that cost only $1. Need- (the first electrolumines-
(along with less to say, it was a cent watch face) and the
other torture smash—selling almost world’s first watch or-
tests devised 40 million units. Even ganizer, called Data Link.
over the years, Mark Twain had one in The XFactor watches,
such as Timex his vest pocket. In 1917, nine in all, each costing
watches being the U.S. Army requested $150, reflect both a unique
strapped to that Waterbury retool the fashion sense as well as tech-
Mickey Man- Yankee into a wristwatch nical innovation. Some colorful,
for World War I soldiers. some futuristic and some just fun,
DAVE KINSEY: When the soldiers these watches give a per-
This watch
returned home, civil- sonal touch. As part of
is all about MATTHEW WILLIAMSON:
graffiti and ians went gaga over the XFactor program, a
Bright colors mix with a
street style. these newfangled peacock design.
total of $30,000 will be
timepieces. donated to charity. PM

34 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

PM OUTDOORS
TRANSPORTATION

Roll Playing

T
We take Segway’s budget p Series
out for a spin. BY CLIFF GROMER

ALK about hype. When the Seg-

way Human Transporter (HT) i Series
was announced to the world in 2001,
the publicity budget must have been
in the gazillions. You couldn’t pick
up a newspaper or watch a TV news
show without seeing something about
this “transportation revolution of epic
proportions.” If you thought the auto-
mobile was hot stuff, you hadn’t seen
nuthin’ yet.
The Segway looked pretty cool,
even though the spin sounded like
something from the PR firm of Bar-
num & Bailey. To get the lowdown
on this high-tech marvel, we asked
the Segway folks if we could take one
out for a test ride. “Sorry,” we were
told, “get in line, behind the TV media,
the daily press and the guy who sells
hot dogs on West 57th Street.” We
offered to buy one for the $4495
asking price. “No can do,” they said.
“You’re a magazine. We’re only sell-
ing them to corporations for indus-
trial applications.” We got the distinct BORN TO BE MILD: We “thunder” for evaluation and—holy cow!—the
impression that they didn’t want us through Times Square at dawn. company said yes.
technoids to ride it and write about it. You don’t just get on a Segway and
Recently, Segway announced a several Segway-flavored knockoffs go. Learning time for the p Series var-
PHOTO BY CLIFF GROMER

second, slightly more compact model
dubbed the p Series. Targeted at folks
with a tighter grip on their wallets, the
p, budget priced at only $3995, has a
2.5-mph-slower top speed and is $500
less expensive than the i. Meanwhile,
have emerged from offshore copycat
companies. None offer the sophisti-
cated 2-wheel balance technology of
the real McCoy, and get by instead
with three or four wheels for stabil-
ity. We tried again to borrow a Segway
ied from almost none to “forget it”
among the six PM staffers who lined
up for rides. Those of us who ski
caught on the quickest. The machine
is very sensitive to your balance
inputs, and coaxing the machine to
(Please turn to page 38)

36 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

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stand stationary takes some doing at
first. So does mounting and dismount-
ing, which has to be done smartly. If
you take your time in stepping off the
Segway, it thinks you want to go back-
ward and it tries to run you over.
Humans are built to stand on a
small base and we have a high center of
gravity. We don’t fall over because we
develop the software (balance) in our
first couple of years of life to be able to
stand erect. The Segway has basically
the same thing. Gyroscopic sensors
and tilt sensors measure the angle of
the machine—how much it’s tilted for-
ward or backward—and how quickly
it’s starting to fall. The HT’s computer
responds by driving the two electric
motors either forward or backward to
compensate. The benefit, besides the
ability to stand upright, balance and
“They thought we
were a bunch of
weirdos out for a
joyride.”
turn in place, is that you don’t have to
fool with an accelerator or a brake con-
trol. You simply lean in the direction
you want to go and the machine fol-
lows you. Turns are made by rotating a
twist grip on the left handlebar.
So, why not add two extra wheels
to the Segway and cut the complex-
ity and cost? The problem is hills. In a
4-wheeler, once the center of gravity
(CG) falls outside one of the wheels,
the machine tips over. To get around
that, the wheels would have to be far-
ther apart (creating a wide base) or
the CG would have to be much lower.
Once we got the hang of it, the
Segway was fun—for a while. The nov-
elty wears off after a couple of days’
use. It is practical, although a cuphold-
er would make it more so. As far as
reactions from folks in the neighbor-
hood, they thought we were a bunch
of weirdos out for a joyride.
Bottom line: While technically inter-
esting, the Segway is a high-priced
oddity that’s more geek than cool. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
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PM SCIENCE
GERONTOLOGY Biologists have
Live To
cracked the
secret of long
life, but you
Be 180
might not want
T
to pay the price.
BY JIM WILSON
HIS is the ultimate good news
story. Your odds of living to be older
than 100 just got better, as many as
80 years better. In the United States,
census statistics reveal that centenar-
ians have become the fasting-grow-
ing population group. Not surprising,
most people who celebrate 3-digit
birthdays have relatives who have
lived to be older than 100. If long life
doesn’t run in your family, you will be
happy to learn that researchers at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) believe it is possible to chemi-
40
cally erase the difference between the
genetic haves and have-nots.
HOW MANY CANDLES?
No one can calculate how long
an individual human can live. We
do know there is a biological lim-
it, which falls somewhere between
120 and 180 years. The explana-
tion has to do with fragments of
DNA called telomeres. They extend
human life in much the same way
endcaps extend the life of shoelaces.
The cells that make up the human
body reproduce by splitting in half,
a process called
THIN GENES: mitosis. When this
Those who live occurs, cells make
longest tend copies of the genet-
to be naturally ic material in their
skinny.
chromosomes. One
copy goes to each
new cell. Each chromosome has a
protective cap that makes sure the
information is successfully passed to
the new cells.
Over time, the instructions con-
tained in the chromosomes become
damaged, similar to the way letters
like “e” and “o” become distorted if
a document is photocopied too many
times. Cells run out of telomeres just
before chromosomes become badly
corrupted. Without telomeres, genet-
ic instructions become too jumbled
for cells to reproduce. By measuring
the weight of telomeres and the rate
at which cells divide, scientists have
calculated the maximum theoretical
human life span: somewhere between
120 and 180 years.
THE FAT CONNECTION
ILLUSTRATION BY FRANK AND JEFF LAVATY/YUAN LEE
When 115-year-old Maud Farris-Luse
died in Michigan in March 2002,
headlines proclaimed her the world’s
oldest woman. MIT Biology Professor
Leonard Guarente and his colleagues
think they understand how she and
other centenarians achieved their
milestones. Long-lived people tend to
be skinny people.
Beginning in the 1950s, biologists
made a curious observation about
yeast, worms and lab rats. Those who
(Please turn to page 42)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
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MOTHERSCOM
DETAILGUIDECOM
PM SCIENCE

lived on the edge of starvation lived
longer than their well-fed peers.
In June, Frédéric Picard, a biologist
in Guarente’s lab, published a solution
to the starvation-longevity mystery
in the science journal Nature. Pre-
dictably, the answer is genetic—spe-
cifically, it’s tied to the gene that tells
your body what to do with fat.
When you eat a hamburger you are
digesting a combination of proteins,
carbohydrates and fats. Humans and
other mammals immediately convert
the proteins and carbohydrates into
energy. The body tucks away the fat
for a rainy day, storing it in white adi-
pose tissue (WAT) cells. If the body’s
minimum energy requirements can-
® dramatically, to between 1000 and
not be met by metabolizing proteins
and carbohydrates, it begins drawing
on its stores of fat. The MIT discovery is
that a single protein, Sirt1, controls the
body’s ability to store fat in WAT cells.
Researchers believe this mecha-
nism evolved to enable humans to
survive famines. To get Sirt1 to tell
the body to shed rather than store fat,
Guarente estimates, humans would
have to cut their food consumption

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longer than their
well-fed peers.”
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visit us at www.ugl.com
Check back with us in 180 years. PM

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

PM EXTREME MACHINES
HugeVision
OPTICS
TVs are getting bigger but the world record
S
isn’t likely to be challenged anytime too soon.
BY PAUL EISENSTEIN
to selling televisions, retailers are
betting that their customers believe
bigger is better. There was a time
when a 19-in. screen was the height
of entertainment. Today, Mitsubi-
shi sells a gargantuan 82-in. HDTV.
Work is moving forward to build
still larger screens. Yet even when
screens stretch the height and length
of the typical suburban living room—
and it’s certain they will—it will be
impossible to compete with the visual
stopping power of two outdoor dis-
plays that claim to be the world’s larg-
est TVs. One soars 8 stories high, the
other stretches the length of a 747.
TROLL the aisles at any appliance Measured by the square foot, there’s
store and you realize when it comes no question Sony’s Power Tron TV in
44
DYNAMIC PIXELS: Mitsubishi’s 26 x
231-ft. Diamond Vision display
sparkles from any angle.
Tsukuba, Japan, deserves its crown
as the largest TV ever built. But the
folks at the Guinness Book of Records
saw fit to give the Diamond Vision dis-
play at the Hong Kong Jockey Club
more than just an honorable mention.
The installation set up by Mitsubishi
Electric at the club’s Sha Tin Horse
Race Course last year is the world’s
longest television display, measur-
ing 26 ft. tall x 231 ft. wide. As Guin- PHOTO COURTESY OF MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC DIAMOND VISION
ness points out, that’s long enough to
“display the Statue of Liberty if she
stepped down off her pedestal and
lay on her side.” Typically, the track’s
installation is put to more practical
use, often displaying three different
views of a race, along with statistics
and betting odds—simultaneously.
INSIDE THE BOX
The large-screen TVs that are becom-
ing the norm in American homes
operate using notably different tech-
nologies from the record-setting Sony
(Please turn to page 46)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
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PM EXTREME MACHINES
and Mitsubishi sets. Commercial tele-
visions typically rely on electron guns,
liquid crystal or plasma to create rap-
idly changing color images that the
eye perceives as motion. Because out-
door screens must be seen against day-
light, they need to cast more light. To
accomplish this, Sony uses large fluo-
rescent tubes. The Diamond Vision
system relies on chip-type LEDs that
are ultrabright and boast a 170˚ view-
ing angle. The wide angle is especially
significant in a large stadium because
the board can be seen from virtual-
ly every seat without degradation of
brightness or color.
“The biggest challenge was maintaining
mechanical accuracy throughout the
entire face of the screen.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge was
maintaining mechanical accuracy
throughout the entire face of the
screen, says Mark Foster, Diamond
Vision’s general manager. A special
modular cabinet system was developed
to hold tight tolerances when support-
ing the screen across its 231-ft. length.
To further enhance picture qual-
ity, Mitsubishi utilized a system that
it calls Dynamic Pixels. Each pixel—
the most basic element in a digitized
image—consists of four dots: two red,
SIZE TRIUMPHS: Sony’s Power Tron in
Tsukuba measures 80 x 150 ft.
one green and one blue. The dots can
be shared between pixels, filling in
the gaps and creating the perception
of incredible clarity. A sophisticated
signal processor compensates for the
artificial coloration of the LEDs to
create vivid, natural-looking colors.
The technological differences mean
that both TVs can claim bragging
rights. If pixel count is the sole cri-
terion, Mitsubishi’s Diamond Vision
racetrack screen in Hong Kong, which
boasts a 400 x 3520 pixel count, cross-
es the finish line a far first ahead of
Sony’s fluorescent system in Tsukuba,
PHOTO BY GUINNESS WORLD RECORD HOLDERS
which has a resolution of 378 vertical
x 400 horizontal.
For those who don’t plan to catch
the races in Hong Kong, there is
another place to watch a record-
setting screen. Mitsubishi installed
the biggest indoor TV installation in
North America: the 34 x 110-ft. high-
definition video display featured at
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in
Las Vegas. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
PM AUTOMOTIVE

CAARR
WC
EW

Live Fast, Stay Young

NE
N O
O R
R TS
T S
RE
R EP
P

Toyota births a third Scion.

FUN FOR STARTERS: The ’05 Scion tC

Generation Y is the current holy grail of shares its driveline with other Toyotas,

marketing. Makers and vendors of all sorts of but will soon offer a supercharger.

things and services are chasing this large group fully at Scion dealerships. Among the
of young folks in an attempt to tap into its afterbuy offerings are an MP3-capa-
ble sound system, a big-bore exhaust
considerable buying power. How- options available, Scion intends most system and go-faster suspension piec-
ever, there’s a problem: GenY reacts of these vehicles will be purchased as es. Soon, dealers will offer to install
negatively to marketing directed at it. blank slates to be customized—hope- a factory-warranted supercharger—
One company that seems to be having claimed to boost power to “around 200
some degree of success in appealing “The standard hp.” The tC is normally shod with 245/
to GenY is Toyota, or at least Toyota’s
Scion division. Scion’s nontradition-
suspension is fine 45ZR17 all-season tires, but upgrades
to 225/40ZR18 or huge 225/35ZR19
al methods and counterculture-style for running to all-seasons are available.
vehicles are being bought and driven Driving the tC is pleasant, the in-
by young people whom other carmak- Starbucks.” terior room is excellent and the ride
ers can only lust after. Now is quiet, in true Toyota fash-
the people at Scion have add- ion. The standard suspension
ed a third model to the lineup. is adequate for running back
The latest entry on their pal- and forth to class and to Star-
ette, fitting between the xA bucks, but anyone interested
sedan and xB mini minivan, in carving a corner or running
is the ’05 tC Coupe. It shares a canyon road will need the
its 160-hp 2.4-liter 4-cylinder optional setup to neutralize
engine, and 5-speed manual the car’s understeer. No doubt
and optional 4-speed auto- part of Scion’s overall appeal
matic with several other Toy- is its price. And the tC, with
ota models, but there is little a base of $16,465, should get
family resemblance after that. A BLANK SLATE: An MP3 player is among the add-ons. more than its share of serious
With few factory-installed buzz. Mike Allen
(Please turn to page 50)

48 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 Joe Gibbs is very demanding. Particularly about anything or anyone that affects
the success of his team. Which says volumes about WIX filters, the only filter used
by Joe Gibbs Racing and by most of the teams in NASCAR. They choose WIX
because it’s a better filter. And so should you. WIX filters out 45% more dirt and
lasts 35% longer than the leading national brand. That should give you something
to smile about. WIX. The #1 Filter in NASCAR.
www.wixfilters.com
PM AUTOMOTIVE
CAR
N E WO R T S
REP
Supersize That?
Ford has upped the big-
pickup stakes with the
’05 Super Duty.
Y
OU can spot the new-
est Ford Super Duty
pickups by their new
grille and headlights.
But from the driver’s
seat you can tell the difference by
the newly improved ride. The 4wd
versions of the big trucks get a new
coil-spring front suspension, and both
2wd and 4wd models get a retuned
rear suspension as well as a stouter
frame, rear axles and bigger brakes all
around. Refinements under the hood
for the F-250 and F-350 include cyl-
inder heads with three valves per cyl-
inder, just like in the F-150. Standard
power is from a 300-hp 5.4-liter V8.
Optional engines include a 30-valve
6.8-liter V10 that produces 355 hp
and 455 ft.-lb. of torque. Our favorite,
HAULIN’: Properly equipped, the
Super Duty can tow 17,000 pounds.
50
REFRESHINGLY REFINED: The big
differences in the new Super Duty
are felt more than seen.
however, is the 6.0-liter Power Stroke
diesel that makes 325 hp and 570
ft.-lb. of torque. All have electronic
throttle control and mate to a 6-speed
manual or 5-speed automatic. Since
90 percent of Super Duty owners use
their trucks for towing, Ford is offering
a new factory-installed trailer-brake
controller that works seamlessly with
the truck’s ABS. Speaking of towing,
Ford has upped the Super Duty’s tow-
ing capacity on all Super Duty mod-
els to 17,000 pounds. Payload is up
to 5800 pounds. Prices are about the
same as for current trucks. Ben Stewart
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
DETROIT
SPY REPORT
BY JIM DUNNE
Filling A Big Hole
S
OMETHING big has been
missing in the Dodge Ram
HD pickup line—four real
crew cab doors. For 2006 Dodge
will have a Ram 2500 to compete
with the big versions of its big-boy
competitors. We spied a prototype
of a crew cab model wearing a
misleading disguise. Dodge engi-
neers tried to create the illusion
of a full-size SUV complete with a
fake fuel door and rear hatch flaps
on the cover-up. The noteworthy
item about this prototype is that
it has four full-size doors rather
than the smallish rear doors of
the current Ram Quad Cab.
2006 DODGE RAM HD: Don’t let this
pickup’s camouflage fool you.
Subtle But Significant
C
HEVROLET has some
major changes in store for
its Impala line due in mod-
el year 2006. You can see that the
grille displays a floating Bowtie
emblem without the horizontal bar
that’s on most other Chevy models.
Below the bumper is an oversize
PHOTOS BY JIM DUNNE (DODGE RAM, CHEVROLET IMPALA)
air intake, which complements
the larger headlights. Perhaps
less obvious are the new shapes
to the hood, fenders and fascia. In
2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA: Gone is
the grille’s chrome horizontal bar.
(Please turn to page 52)
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PM AUTOMOTIVE
profile, the sixth window offers
CAR
N E WO R T S a shorter kickup at the rear for a
REP
more refined appearance. Over the
rear wheel is a new trademark for
Chevy sedans—a sweeping line
that begins in front of the wheel-
house and runs rearward on a
horizontal line to the taillight.
The taillights are larger as well.

EUROPE
SPY REPORT
BY MIKE ALLEN

All In The Family

A Double Deluxe V
OLKSWAGEN is
revamping its Passat
model for ’05. Key to the
remodeling job is making the car
Yamaha has a new dual-purpose bike.

Y
AMAHA’S new 787-
pound convertible
cruiser, the Royal Star
Tour Deluxe, uses a
smooth and power-
ful DOHC 16-valve 79-cu.-in. water-
cooled V4 that makes 98 hp and
90 ft.-lb. of torque. And it gets the
power to the ground with a dual-
overdrive 5-speed transmission and
look more like its upscale brother,
shaft drive. For the long-range hauler, the Phaeton luxury sedan. This
there’s an all-new 5.3-gal. gas tank, is most noticeable in the car’s
cruise control and locking hard side- face—particularly the massive-
bags. But you can easily convert the looking chrome grille and logo.
Tour Deluxe into a boulevard cruis-
er: The windshield and backrest are
easily removable without tools. Take
them off and the Tour Deluxe has
that cool low and long look. The Tour
Deluxe costs around $14,000. B.S.

A Safe Potency
MORE SAFETY:
Volvo debuts 2005 VW PASSAT: Any resemblance
a blind-spot to the Phaeton is intentional.
warning system
called “Blis.”

der head, turbo,

air cleaner and
6-speed manu-
al as the 300-hp
R model—but “Missing from
here it adds up
the lineup is
PHOTOS BY BRENDA PRIDDY (VW PASSAT)

to 257 hp. In
Volvo adds power and safety. addition, S60 the W8.”

F
ROM the outside it’s tough models can be optioned with Volvo’s
to tell, but Volvo has given its Four-C electronically adjustable shock In addition, the fender flares are
midsize sedans and wagons a absorber system. And, there’s a new more pronounced. A variety of
freshening for 2005. There are new optional safety system called “Blis.” engines will be available, as now,
headlights, taillamps and subtle trim It’s a blind-spot information system including a turbocharged 4-cylin-
changes all around, as well as interi- that warns when a car is occupying der, a Diesel Four and the venera-
or refinements. Beneath the skin, S60 your vehicle’s blind spot by lighting a ble VR6. Notably missing from the
and V70 T5 models get the same cylin- small red triangle on the A-pillar. B.S. lineup is the 4.0-liter W8 model.
(Please turn to page 54)

52 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 YOUR CAR

M AY T H I N K I T ’ S

BACK IN

T H E S H OW R O O M .

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quality garage floor. Just one coat of easy-to-apply Rust-Oleum® EPOXYShield® gives you a professional

finish that withstands gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil, salt, even

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what’s under your car’s hood, just what’s under your car.

rustoleum.com
PM AUTOMOTIVE
CAR
N E WO R T S
REP
If You’ve Gotta Ask
Porsche’s icon 911 gets a
deep makeover.
F
OR 2005, Porsche has
significantly updated the
911 Carrera. It’s available
as plain vanilla Carrera
with a 325-hp 3.6-liter flat
Six, and Carrera S with a 355-hp 3.8-
liter version of that engine. Transmis-
sion choices are a new 6-speed manual
and an updated 5-speed Tiptronic S.
With stability control, the new Porsche
Active Suspension Management and
the optional Sports Chrono Package
Plus that brings a limited-slip differen-
tial, both models are fast, nimble and
stable at any speed. We tested the speed
A Silver Jubilee The G-Class passes
a milestone.
M
ERCEDES celebrates the
25th anniversary of the
introduction of the G-Class
sport utility with a new, more pow-
erful G55 AMG version. This model
offers 476 hp from a 5.4-liter super-
54
COMFY, TOO: The new interior boasts
six airbags and a choice of wheels.
and stability on the deserted autobahn
near Hannover, Germany, and saw a
solid 175 mph. Casual observers will
distinguish these sexy machines mostly
by their return to oval headlights. The
Carrera carries a $69,300 suggested
price, the S $79,100. Ken Juran
charged V8 gasoline engine. Teamed
with a 5-speed automatic transmis-
sion, the new G55 boasts a 0-to-60-
mph time of less than 5.6 seconds. In
most visual respects, the latest G-Class
model is identical to its predecessor.
On the outside, the badging,
painted grille, special wheel
styles and running boards
distinguish the new G55.
Suspension, brakes and oth-
er operating systems are also
upgraded to accommodate the
higher engine output. Jim Dunne
POWER IN A BOX: The G55 now
has a strong 476-hp V8.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
It’s A Very
Small World
M
AZDA uses Ford
Motor Co.’s small-car
platform as the basis
for its Mazda3. Ford will base the
next Focus on it. And to complete
the hat trick, Volvo will offer it as
2006 VOLVO V30: Ford extends its
Mazda platform to Volvo.
the V30. With shared drivetrains,
these vehicles are all slated to
appear as 2006 models. Insiders
say the Volvo versions may get
awd, and be available in coupe
and roadster versions.
PHOTOS BY KEN JURAN (PORSCHE INTERIOR), HIDDEN IMAGE (PORSCHE BOXSTER), BRENDA PRIDDY (VOLVO)
Testa Firma
A
S Porsche is revealing
the new Boxster at the
auto show in Paris this
fall, it will be well into plans to
offer a coupe version of that car as
well. The Boxster Coupe should be
here as a 2006 model. Important
2006 PORSCHE BOXSTER: Expect
the new Boxster to offer a hardtop.
refinements to the new car include
larger grilles for all three radia-
tors and a wider stance under the
enlarged fender flares. The interi-
or will be freshened too.
(Please turn to page 56)
PM AUTOMOTIVE
CAR
N E WO R T S
REP
On The Boulevard subtle tweaks along with the Boule-
Suzuki renames its entire
vard moniker. The names you might
line of cruisers. remember from last year are now
N
alphanumeric designations—for ex-
EW motorcycle ample, Intruder 1400 is now the S83
brands don’t happen and Volusia is now the C50. The S,
along very often— according to Suzuki, corresponds
especially those aimed to more sporty and stylish bikes,
at specific market whereas the C designation denotes
segments. But the folks at Suzu- classically styled cruisers. The most
ki decided that their cruiser bikes exciting part of all this, however, is
needed a name all their own—enter the M group. The M stands for “mus-
Boulevard. However, there is no cle.” Over the next few years Suzuki
all-new Suzuki Boulevard bike to lead will unveil a whole lineup of Boule-
the charge. Instead, all the cruisers vard muscle cruisers beginning with
in Suzuki’s current lineup receive the M50. We can hardly wait. B.S.
Sledgehammer
Victory is serious
about sport cruisers.
V
ICTORY Motorcycles is the Hammer. On the twisty back roads
pushing its way back into the around Bear Mountain in New York,
steroid-steed segment with the bike proved it’s serious. The ride
is crisp and responsive, and soaks up
bumps. Opening the throttle serves
up an espresso dose of adrenaline,
thanks to the new 1634cc Freedom
4-stroke 50˚ V-twin pushing out 104
ft.-lb. of torque and 80 hp. The Ham-
mer debuts this spring. Jonathan Gromer
PHAT RUBBER: The Hammer’s 250mm-
wide rear tire speaks volumes.
56
ASIA
SPY REPORT
BY BEN STEWART
The Cubist Movement
N
ISSAN has an answer to
the Scion xB. The appro-
priately named Cube
has been on sale in Japan since
1998. You can expect the second-
generation Cube here in two years
as an ’07. In Japanese trim, the
2359-pound Cube boasts 97 hp
and 100 ft.-lb. of torque from a
2007 NISSAN CUBE: A cubic car for
non-squares.
4-cylinder engine. Cube Cubic
models are essentially stretched-
wheelbase models that allow for a
third row of seats. You can expect
we’ll get that model too.
Marching To A
Different Drummer
T
HE Nissan March is
based on Nissan’s global
“B” platform. The March
12SR is a tiny 3-door that weighs
2050 pounds. So even with only
105 hp from its 1.2-liter engine,
2007 NISSAN MARCH: A mini hot
rod for the sport compact set.
it’s the hot rod of the lineup.
Since this car shares its platform
with the States-bound Cube, our
spies deep inside Nissan have
suggested that the March 12SR
may come as well. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 Ruger 10/22 Rifle
10/22RR
22LR
Suggested retail price of $275.00

Ruger 10/17 Rifle

10/17RBR
17 HMR
Suggested retail price of $510.00

The Ruger 10/22 is easily America’s favorite autoloading rimfire carbine. Ruger is proud to offer two new rifle-style models
that are sure to carry on the 10/22’s legacy of accurate, dependable performance.
The New Ruger 10/17 Magnum Rifle is chambered for the exciting new, flat-shooting 17 HMR caliber and the New Ruger
10/22 Rifle has a bold new look. Both rifles feature a new rifle-style stock that shoulders quickly and is light and easy to handle.
The new stock is slimmer, with an increased length of pull, a flat buttplate and a tapered rifle-style forend with no barrel band.
Of course, both also feature the rugged durability and performance you’ve come to expect from the Ruger 10/22 Carbine.
The 10/17 Magnum Rifle includes premium features like a solid steel receiver with integral mounts for Ruger scope rings -
included at no extra charge. The 10/17 Magnum Rifle also features a longer, 20” tapered barrel with a folding rear sight and a
gold bead front sight mounted on a centerfire-style banded ramp. The New Ruger 10/22 Rifle also has a sleek redesigned
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The look and feel are all new, but the performance and value are very familiar.

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All Ruger firearms are designed and built with pride by American workers
at Ruger factories in the United States of America.
FREE Instruction Manuals are available online at www.ruger.com
PM AUTOMOTIVE

Clean And Green

JAY LENO’S GARAGE

I
F we all want to The environment and the old-car hobby can
continue to have
this car hobby that
coexist quite nicely. BY JAY LENO
we all enjoy so
much, we have to
learn to police our-
selves, or someone
else will try to do it
for us. Here in Cali-
fornia they recent-
ly tried to pass a
sealed crankcase law. So instead of a
simple drain plug, there’d be a lock
and only a dealer or licensed repair
shop would have the key. The idea
behind the law was to better control
the disposal of the old oil. Luckily, it
didn’t pass—but it could have.
They have passed some crazy laws
in a number of states that affect what
you can do in your own garage. I
mean, I’ve heard stories like, “I have
a Model A Ford, and I kept it in my
driveway. Well, I came home one day
and the city had taken it away. They
said it was an eyesore.”
Bottom line is, we all have to learn
to be responsible. That means, for
example, disposing of used crank-
case oil and cleaning fluids correct-
ly. It’s fascinating to me what some
people consider ecologically respon-
sible disposal methods. When I was
a kid, some people would get a Hefty
bag, pour the oil into it, seal the Hefty
bag up real tight, and then throw it
into the garbage. It would go off to a
landfill somewhere. And then maybe
nine years later you’ve got a guy say-
ing, “Hey, this tap water tastes like the
oil I threw out nine years ago.”
People also used to take their motor
oil, go out in the woods, dig a hole,
pour it in and then put the dirt back SOUND SOLUTION: Leno cleans his Too many people don’t comprehend
on it. “What’s the problem? I’m put- delicates ultrasonically and safely. the ramifications of their actions with
PHOTO BY JOHN LAMM

ting it back in the Earth.” People think
it’s like mulch. It’s not. It’s dirty oil.
In small towns in the Northeast, like
the one I grew up in, most of the gas
station guys would heat their shops
with used oil. Years ago, that was
considered recycling. Trouble was,
nobody bothered to look at the smoke-
stack belching out the fumes.
all of these automotive fluids. Look
at antifreeze: This stuff is particular-
ly attractive to animals because it’s
sweet. So when you dump it out on
the driveway, 10 minutes later you see
(Please turn to page 60)

58 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 War Between Financiers Creates
World’s Most Valuable Watch
H
enry Graves and James Packard were two screw down crown are in 5 mil 24-karat gold. Not only have we emulated a stunning watch
of the richest and most competitive men But the real beauty of this watch is on the inside. of the 1930’s but just as surprising, we’ve
in the world in the 1920s and 1930’s. We replicated an extremely complicated early been able to replicate the prices of the 1930’s.
Graves made millions in banking and railroads automatic movement with 27 jewels and seven
The fine 27-jewel automatics that are on the
while Packard was crafting some of the most hands. There are over 210 individual parts that
market today are usually priced well over $2000
beautiful automobiles ever built. But in their are assembled entirely by hand and then tested for
dollars but you can enter the rarified world of
genteel world of high society, they were at war. over 15 days on Swiss calibrators to insure accura-
fine watch collecting for under $200. You can
Their favorite competition…watch collecting. cy. The watches are then retested in the United
now wear a millionaire’s watch but still keep your
In 1927 Packard commissioned the world’s most States upon their arrival.
millions in your vest pocket. Try the handsome
complicated watch but not to be outdone, Henry What makes rare watches rare? “Graves” timepiece risk free for 30 days. If you
Graves surpassed his rival in 1933 with a single Business Week states it best, “ It’s the complica- are not thrilled with the quality and design, please
masterpiece. It took over 3 years to engineer thistions that can have the biggest impact on price.” send it back for a full refund of the purchase price.
truly one of a kind timepiece; only one watch was (Business Week July, 2003) The hands of the four
ever built. It was held in the Museum of Time interior complications on our Graves™ watch dis- Not Available in Stores
for years until it was recently play the month, day, date, and a Call now to take advantage of this
auctioned off for the record price 24 hour clock that graphically limited offer.
of over $11 million dollars depicts the sun and the moon.
Stauer Graves™ Wristwatch
at Sotheby’s. The engine for this timepiece is 4 Payments of $49.50+S&H.
Our vintage watch craftsmen powered by the movement of the
were fascinated and inspired
by this rarest of all watches
body as the automatic rotor winds
the mainspring. It never needs
800-859-1736
batteries and never needs to be Promotional Code SGS129-02
and they have given a new life
manually wound. The precision Please mention this when you call.
to this 1933 masterpiece by
crafted gears are “lubricated” by To order by mail, please call for details.
creating our Graves™ watch. 27 jewels and 210 27 rubies that give the hands a
The enameled face with four hand-assembled sweeping movement. And the 14101 Southcross Drive W.
interior dials highlights the clas- parts drive this watch is tough enough to stay Dept. SGS129-02
sic antique design. The case and classic masterpiece water resistant to 5 atmospheres. Burnsville, Minnesota 55337

For fastest service, call toll-free 24 hours a day 800-859-1736

Visit us online at www.Stauer.com for the complete line of Stauer Watches, Jewelry and Collectibles
PM AUTOMOTIVE
the dog lapping it up, and next thing
you know, he’s lying dead in the road.
“Hey, what happened to Rover?”
Here in California, right in Bur-
bank where my garage is, there are a
number of recycling centers. I take my
oil there, and they dispose of it prop-
erly. Obviously, you have to keep your
oil with oil, and paint thinner with
paint thinner, that sort of thing. But
they take it all.
Besides recycling centers, nowa-
days there are a number of products
that can be of tremendous help.
How many of us of a certain age have
complained for the last 20 years that
you can’t get good carburetor cleaner
anymore? You know, that stuff that
eats your skin and goes directly into
your pores, so you die when you’re 62.
There are a lot of effective, but gentle,
new kinds of cleaners like some made
by Meguiar’s and Simple Green.
But the most incredible things I
have found are industrial ultrasonic
cleaning machines. They use sound
waves, so they don’t damage any sen-
sitive small parts or even a paper gas-
ket. Really, it’s just a larger version of a
jewelry cleaner. When you’re through
you push the machine out to the drive-
way or empty it near the drain, and
you just flush the water away. It’s no
60
worse than washing your car. Omega-
sonics (www.omegasonics.com), in
Simi Valley, Calif., makes a big ultra-
sonic cleaner, like the one I have,
called a Super Pro. The company also
has little benchtop models. It only
takes about half an hour to do a cylin-
der head that’s covered with carbon.
And the ultrasonic waves get into
every little nook and cranny—a regu-
lar sprayer can’t do that.
AROMATIC NOSE: A safe solvent
doesn’t necessarily smell nice.
Then there’s the Clean Express
(www.betterengineering.com). It’s a
single-stage parts washer. I bought
mine from Better Engineering in
Baltimore. The one I have is about
51/2 ft. tall. It’s essentially a carwash
for engine parts. It uses high-pressure
steam and hot water to blast parts
clean. It’s faster and does a better and
neater job than the old “spray it with
cleaner, hose it off, repeat” way that
we used to use.
A lot of these cleaning machines,
especially the larger-size models,
aren’t cheap, but there’s no reason
all the members of a car club couldn’t
chip in to buy and share one.
Another cool thing is this Ingersoll-
Rand (www.irgaragesolutions.com)
nitrogen generator I have. People
don’t realize how corrosive the air
is—it’s especially bad for a car’s alumi-
num wheels. A lot of times, when you
see old aluminum wheels, they’re pit-
ted on the inside. If you fill the tires
with pure nitrogen, the wheels stay like
new. Also, the pressure of a nitrogen-
filled tire doesn’t rise or fall like one
filled with air. Put 32 psi in your Cor-
vette tires, go out and do a few burn-
outs, and now you have 38 psi. But
nitrogen won’t do that. It stays where
you set it. The nice thing about this
Ingersoll-Rand nitrogen inflation sys-
tem is that it’s a generator, so it extracts
the nitrogen right out of the air—for
free. You don’t have to call a guy to
bring a huge tank of nitrogen. I’m run-
ning nitrogen in everything now.
The odd thing about car people is
that we love our sport so much we’re
willing to die for it. It’s sad. You see
some old guy hobbling around the
Pomona show and you ask, “How old
is that guy? Eighty?” Nope, he’s 55. All
those chemicals took their toll.
The thing that makes you a great
hot rodder—that sense of individu-
ality—is also what can kill you. If
you don’t take precautions, you may
get liver disease, lung cancer or any
number of horrible things. Here’s my
advice. Go out to your garage and safe-
ly dispose of all those old toxic chemi-
cals. Then buy only environmentally
safe products.
If we don’t do this, someone else
will do it for us. You don’t want some-
one to tell you that you can’t work on
your car in your own garage anymore,
and here in California we’ve come
close to that. When I was a kid, you’d
drive down the street and see garage
doors open and a half-dozen guys
working on cars. Now in California,
you’d better close your door or some-
one will complain.
So let’s help each other. If you’re
safely using a new product or machine
PHOTO BY JOHN LAMM
that you feel helps the environment,
let me know about it. Write to me at
Popular Mechanics, 810 Seventh Ave.,
6th Floor, New York, NY 10019, and
tell me what you’ve got. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
Grizzly has a premium taste and a price that’s
kind to your wallet. Pick up a can (or two) today.
 Push
AUTOMOTIVE

or
Pull Which is better: front-
or rear-wheel drive?
BY BEN STEWART
PHOTOS BY VINNIE DONIZETTI

62 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

O
ver the lion’s share of the automobile’s history, most
cars had an internal-combustion engine in front of the driver
powering the wheels in back of him. But the fuel crises of
the 1970s changed that. Manufacturers scrambled to save
weight to save fuel, and they adopted assorted variations
of the front-engine/front-drive layout. With all of the drivetrain compo-
nents under the hood, cars became smaller and lighter and still had
adequate interior room. Plus, with the engine over the drivewheels,
traction improved too. Today, the majority of family cars are front-drive.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 63
 FORD FOCUS ZX4 ST
COMPACT 4-CYLINDER SEDANS FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE

PRICE – Base: $17,705, As Tested: $19,865.

POWERTRAIN: 151-hp/154 ft.-lb., 2.3-liter DOHC I4,
5M. TIRES: Pirelli P6 Four Seasons, 205/50HR16.
WEIGHT: 2787 lb. SUSPENSION – F: Coil/Strut,
Lower Arm, Stab. Bar, R: Coil, Shock, Multilink,
Stab. Bar. ELECTRONICS: Traction Control (TC)
off unless noted, ABS.

TEST RESULTS: DRY WET

ACCELERATION
1/4-MILE: 1 16.17 sec. @ 16.31 sec. @
85.06 mph 85.85 mph a
0-30 MPH: 3.02 sec. 3.55 sec.a
0-60 MPH: 8.32 sec. 8.56 sec.a
40-70 MPH: 6.19 sec. 6.14 sec.a
BRAKING2, a
60-0 MPH: 129.47 ft. 140.79 ft.
30-0 MPH: 32.36 ft. 34.80 ft.
SLALOM,3 525 FT.: 47.1 mpha 44.3 mpha
LANE CHANGE, 250 FT.: 55.4 mpha 51.5 mpha
SKIDPAD, 150-FT. DIA.: 0.79 ga 0.69 ga
POPULAR MECHANICS SERVICE INDEX:4 78
FUEL MILEAGE
EPA ESTIMATE, CITY/HIGHWAY: 23/32 mpg
PM TEST AVERAGE (INCL. TRACK RUNS): 23.2 mpg
200-MILE PM FUEL LOOP AVERAGE: 26.4 mpg
SOUND LEVELS (AVG. OF 2 DECIBEL READINGS)
IDLE: 48.0
60 MPH: 80.2
FULL THROTTLE: 83.1
a. TC on. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best
stop hot or cold. 3. Best speed through 8 cones 75 ft. apart. Index

Through it all, cars meant to be Have traction and stability control of transient response. 4. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks.

driven fast for fun have been stead-
fastly rear-drive. But all the while,
drivers of less exotic front-drive sedans
have taunted the rear-drive advocates
with the front-drive’s superior wet-
weather traction and stability.
Lately there has been a resurgence
of rear-wheel-drive family cars. And,
their makers claim better traction and
handling than front-drive models,
thanks to sophisticated electronics.
MIDSIZE 6-CYLINDER SEDANS
systems rendered the whole push ver- 4-CYLINDER COMPACT
sus pull argument moot? To find out, We pitted a 151-hp Ford Focus ZX4
we gathered pairs of 4-cylinder, 6-cylin- ST against a 189-hp Mercedes-Benz
der and 8-cylinder sedans. One in each C230 Kompressor Sport sedan. Both
pair had front-wheel drive, the other cars were equipped with a manual
rear. We ran them through our normal transmission. The Focus had trac-
battery of performance tests. Then, we tion control, the Benz had ESP—
soaked the track and repeated all the DaimlerChrysler’s combination trac-
tests to replicate the conditions you tion and stability control system.
would face on a rain-slick road. Now comparing a $19,865 Ford to a
Here’s what we found.
INFINITI G35 LEATHER
REAR-WHEEL DRIVE

PRICE – Base: $30,100, As Tested: $31,485.

POWERTRAIN: 260-hp/260 ft.-lb., 3.5-liter DOHC
V6, 5A. TIRES: Goodyear Eagle GS-D, 215/55WR17.
WEIGHT: 3409 lb. SUSPENSION – F: Coil/Strut,
A-Arms, Stab. Bar, R: Coil, Shock, Multilink, Stab.
Bar. ELECTRONICS: Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
off unless noted, Traction Control, ABS.

TEST RESULTS: DRY WET

ACCELERATION
1/4-MILE: 1 14.68 sec. @ 14.85 sec. @
94.26 mph 94.74 mph
0-30 MPH: 2.60 sec. 2.92 sec.
0-60 MPH: 6.37 sec. 6.68 sec.
40-70 MPH: 4.67 sec. 4.61 sec.
2, a
BRAKING
60-0 MPH: 118.52 ft. 130.08 ft.
30-0 MPH: 28.99 ft. 31.46 ft.
3 a
SLALOM, 525 FT.: 46.0 mph 43.6 mph
LANE CHANGE, 250 FT.: 57.9 mpha 53.7 mph
SKIDPAD, 150-FT. DIA.: 0.87 ga 0.82 ga
POPULAR MECHANICS SERVICE INDEX:4 69
FUEL MILEAGE
EPA ESTIMATE, CITY/HIGHWAY: 18/26 mpg
PM TEST AVERAGE (INCL. TRACK RUNS): 18.7 mpg
200-MILE PM FUEL LOOP AVERAGE: 21.3 mpg
SOUND LEVELS (AVG. OF 2 DECIBEL READINGS)
IDLE: 47.5
60 MPH: 78.2
FULL THROTTLE: 80.9
a. VDC on. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best
stop hot or cold. 3. Best speed through 8 cones 75 ft. apart. Index
of transient response. 4. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks.

64 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 MERCEDES-BENZ C230K
SPORT REAR-WHEEL DRIVE
PRICE – Base: $29,250, As Tested: $33,810.
POWERTRAIN: 189-hp/192 ft.-lb., 1.8-liter DOHC
Supercharged I4, 6M. TIRES: Michelin Pilot SPORT,
F: 225/45ZR17, R: 245/40ZR17. WEIGHT: 3404 lb.
SUSPENSION – F: Coil/Strut, 2 Lower Links, Stab.
Bar, R: Coil, Shock, Multilink, Stab. Bar. ELECTRON-
ICS: ESP off unless noted, Traction Control, ABS.

TEST RESULTS: DRY WET

ACCELERATION
1/4-MILE:1 15.89 sec. @ 16.11 sec. @
87.44 mph 86.55 mph
0-30 MPH: 2.96 sec. 3.13 sec.
0-60 MPH: 8.07 sec. 8.40 sec.
40-70 MPH: 6.00 sec. 6.15 sec.
2, a
BRAKING
60-0 MPH: 113.56 ft. 132.63 ft.
30-0 MPH: 28.29 ft. 32.39 ft.
SLALOM,3 525 FT.: 49.7 mpha 47.5 mpha
LANE CHANGE, 250 FT.: 58.9 mpha 55.9 mpha
SKIDPAD, 150-FT. DIA.: 0.86 ga 0.80 ga
POPULAR MECHANICS SERVICE INDEX:4 69
FUEL MILEAGE
EPA ESTIMATE, CITY/HIGHWAY: 23/32 mpg
PM TEST AVERAGE (INCL. TRACK RUNS): 20.5 mpg
200-MILE PM FUEL LOOP AVERAGE: 24.1 mpg
SOUND LEVELS (AVG. OF 2 DECIBEL READINGS)
IDLE: 48.1
60 MPH: 75.0
FULL THROTTLE: 80.2
a. ESP on. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best
stop hot or cold. 3. Best speed through 8 cones 75 ft. apart. Index
of transient response. 4. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks.
time in the wet than the Mercedes— traits. And understeer happens more
$33,810 Mercedes-Benz might seem but only slightly less. easily in the wet than in the dry.
odd at first. However, the power-to- In our slalom and emergency- In contrast to the front-drive Focus,
weight ratios of the cars are close lane-change testing, we found the rear-drive C230 used its sophisti-
enough to be comparable. As such, in the rear-drive Benz lost less speed cated ESP, sport suspension and sticky
dry acceleration to 60 mph, the C230 than the Ford in wet testing versus tires to produce very quick and agile
was two-tenths of a second quicker dry. With its traction control turned handling in the dry tests. With the
than the Ford. However, in the wet, off, the Ford tended to spin its inside ESP shut off, our test driver noted
that advantage was reduced to one- tire when pushed. With the trac- that the car would oversteer slightly.
tenth of a second. In other words, the tion control active, the tire spin was (Actually, the ESP can’t be complete-
front-drive Ford lost less acceleration controlled but the Ford would then ly killed. Pushing the button makes
understeer. Both are undesirable it less responsive.) So instead of
TOYOTA CAMRY XLE V6
FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE

PRICE – Base: $25,405, As Tested: $30,359.

POWERTRAIN: 210-hp/220 ft.-lb., 3.0-liter DOHC
V6, 5A. TIRES: Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus, 215/
60VR16. WEIGHT: 3462 lb. SUSPENSION – F: Coil/
Strut, Lower Arm, Stab. Bar, R: Coil/Strut, Multilink,
Stab. Bar. ELECTRONICS: Vehicle Stability Control,
Traction Control (TC) off unless noted, ABS.

TEST RESULTS: DRY WET

ACCELERATION
1/4-MILE: 1 15.82 sec. @ 16.11 sec. @
89.41 mph 88.27 mph a
0-30 MPH: 2.97 sec. 3.26 sec.a
0-60 MPH: 7.86 sec. 8.30 sec.a
40-70 MPH: 5.89 sec. 6.03 sec.
BRAKING2, a
60-0 MPH: 125.89 ft. 142.78 ft.
30-0 MPH: 31.03 ft. 34.77 ft.
3 a
SLALOM, 525 FT.: 44.8 mph 41.1 mpha
LANE CHANGE, 250 FT.: 54.2 mpha 49.9 mph
SKIDPAD, 150-FT. DIA.: 0.76 ga 0.71 ga
POPULAR MECHANICS SERVICE INDEX:4 89
FUEL MILEAGE
EPA ESTIMATE, CITY/HIGHWAY: 21/29 mpg
PM TEST AVERAGE (INCL. TRACK RUNS): 18.5 mpg
200-MILE PM FUEL LOOP AVERAGE: 22.5 mpg
SOUND LEVELS (AVG. OF 2 DECIBEL READINGS)
IDLE: 48.7
60 MPH: 73.1
FULL THROTTLE: 77.3
a. TC on. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best
stop hot or cold. 3. Best speed through 8 cones 75 ft. apart. Index
of transient response. 4. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks.

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 65

 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
FULL-SIZE V8 SEDANS GXP V8 FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE
PRICE – Base: $35,270, As Tested: $38,495.
POWERTRAIN: 275-hp/300 ft.-lb., 4.6-liter DOHC
V8, 4A. TIRES: Goodyear Eagle RS-A, 235/50WR18.
WEIGHT: 3901 lb. SUSPENSION – F: Coil/Strut,
Lower Arm, Stab. Bar, R: Coil, Leveling Shock, Trailing
Arm, Lat. Link, Stab. Bar. ELECTRONICS: StabiliTrak,
Traction Control (TC) off unless noted, ABS.

TEST RESULTS: DRY WET

ACCELERATION
1/4-MILE: 1 15.07 sec. @ 15.42 sec. @
91.93 mph 91.53 mph
0-30 MPH: 2.73 sec. 3.07 sec.
0-60 MPH: 6.95 sec. 7.37 sec.
40-70 MPH: 5.00 sec. 5.12 sec.
BRAKING2, a
60-0 MPH: 123.35 ft. 143.10 ft.
30-0 MPH: 31.38 ft. 35.82 ft.
SLALOM,3 525 FT.: 45.6 mpha 42.4 mpha
LANE CHANGE, 250 FT.: 51.5 mpha 47.9 mph
SKIDPAD, 150-FT. DIA.: 0.81 ga 0.74 ga
POPULAR MECHANICS SERVICE INDEX:4 81
FUEL MILEAGE
EPA ESTIMATE, CITY/HIGHWAY: 17/24 mpg
PM TEST AVERAGE (INCL. TRACK RUNS): 13.8 mpg
200-MILE PM FUEL LOOP AVERAGE: 18.3 mpg
SOUND LEVELS (AVG. OF 2 DECIBEL READINGS)
IDLE: 51.9
60 MPH: 73.4
FULL THROTTLE: 79.1
a. TC on. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best
stop hot or cold. 3. Best speed through 8 cones 75 ft. apart. Index
of transient response. 4. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks.

plowing through a turn like an under-
steering car, the tail slides first. In
severe cases, the car can spin out.
To prevent this, many rear-drive
cars are now equipped with stability
control systems. In the wet, the ESP
helped the C230 lose less speed than
the Focus in the transition from dry
handling to wet. Likewise, the C230
retained more grip in the wet than
the front-drive Focus.
6-CYLINDER MIDSIZE
In one corner we have the $30,359
front-drive Toyota Camry XLE
equipped with a 3.0-liter V6, 5-speed
automatic, traction control and vehi-
cle stability control (VSC). In the oth-
er corner, we have the nearly equal
$31,485 Infiniti G35 Leather with a
For more automotive features check
out the PM.Zone Web site
POPULARMECHANICS.COM/AUTO
PEAS IN A POD: The G35 and Camry
are a good match—in size and weight.
3.5-liter V6, 5-speed automatic aided
by traction control, and vehicle dynam-
ic control (VDC). Plus, they weigh
within 60 pounds of each other.
We expected the front-drive Camry
to accelerate better in the wet than the
Infiniti. But with the traction control
shut off, the Camry spun its tires and

66 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 CHRYSLER 300C HEMI
REAR-WHEEL DRIVE

PRICE – Base: $32,370, As Tested: $36,345.

POWERTRAIN: 340-hp/390 ft.-lb., 5.7-liter OHV
V8, 5A. TIRES: Continental ContiTouringContact,
225/60HR18. WEIGHT: 4066 lb. SUSPENSION –
F: Coil/Strut, Upper/Lower Arms, Stab. Bar, R: Coil,
Shock, Multilink, Stab. Bar. ELECTRONICS: ESP off
unless noted, Traction Control, ABS.

TEST RESULTS: DRY WET

ACCELERATION
1/4-MILE: 1 14.32 sec. @ 14.68 sec. @
98.14 mph 97.54 mph
0-30 MPH: 2.54 sec. 2.86 sec.
0-60 MPH: 6.12 sec. 6.66 sec.
40-70 MPH: 4.22 sec. 4.26 sec.
BRAKING2, a
60-0 MPH: 130.11 ft. 138.69 ft.
30-0 MPH: 31.60 ft. 34.72 ft.
SLALOM,3 525 FT.: 45.4 mpha 44.0 mph
LANE CHANGE, 250 FT.: 51.1 mpha 51.2 mph
SKIDPAD, 150-FT. DIA.: 0.79 ga 0.73 ga
POPULAR MECHANICS SERVICE INDEX:4 75
FUEL MILEAGE
EPA ESTIMATE, CITY/HIGHWAY: 17/25 mpg
PM TEST AVERAGE (INCL. TRACK RUNS): 13.3 mpg
200-MILE PM FUEL LOOP AVERAGE: 18.7 mpg
SOUND LEVELS (AVG. OF 2 DECIBEL READINGS)
IDLE: 51.0
60 MPH: 71.4
FULL THROTTLE: 80.5
a. ESP on. 1. Best E.T., trap speed may be attained separately. 2. Best
stop hot or cold. 3. Best speed through 8 cones 75 ft. apart. Index
of transient response. 4. Based on 60 simple weighted tasks.

produced slower times. We got our The VSC in the Camry cannot be ALMOST EQUALS: The Mercedes and
Focus have similar power-to-weight.
best numbers with the traction con- turned off. The harder you push the
trol on. Conversely, the Infiniti was Camry, the slower it is through the
quicker with the VDC off. The G35 handling tests. For that very reason you’re lifting off the throttle. Despite
lost less time in the transition from dry the Camry is probably a safe choice as this, the Infiniti lost fewer miles per
acceleration to wet. One reason is the a family sedan. hour in the transition from dry to wet
Infiniti’s stickier tires. Another is the The Infiniti is docile in its han- in our slalom.
Camry’s soft suspension, which trans- dling as long as the stability control is
fers more weight to the rear wheels helping. With it off, the G35 takes a V8 FULL-SIZE
thereby unloading the front wheels, skilled hand to drive hard. We found The more power you run through the
causing more tire slippage. it to be very quick to oversteer when wheels, the more it affects traction.
(Please turn to page 124)

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 67

OUTDOORS

68
 Wave
Warrior
With its military
genes, the Zodiac
CZ7 is touted as
Zodiac calls it outrageous. Extreme.
Extraordinary. And that’s just the price. Almost
200 grand for a rubber boat is enough to quick-
en—or stop—anyone’s pulse. But the Zodiac
the ultimate CZ7 (Civilian Zodiac 7-meter) isn’t your father’s
go-anywhere rubber boat. As a matter of fact it isn’t a rubber
adventure boat. boat at all, but a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RIB).
BY CLIFF GROMER The design uses a deep-V fiberglass hull with
PHOTO BY SKIP GANDY an inflatable tubes collar.
69
 RIBs are popular for recreation-
al boating in Europe, but not here,
where these craft are relegated to
such pedestrian chores as yacht tend-
ing. Zodiac is considered the premier
manufacturer of inflatables. The CZ7
is meant to pump up the advantag-
es (and hopefully sales) of Zodiac’s
entire RIB line, and dispel any mis-
guided “rubber boat” association.
The CZ7 is billed as the ultimate
adventure boat—a go-anywhere, do-
anything, extreme-conditions craft
that is being positioned similarly to
the way the Hummer is stacked up
against its lesser SUV brethren. Like
the Hummer and its Humvee coun-
terpart, the CZ7 comes imbued with
military genes. It’s essentially the
ZODIAC CZ7
70
same boat as Zodiac’s Hurricane
H-733 Special Warfare RIB that’s
used by the Navy SEALs, the Drug
Enforcement Administration, the U.S.
and Canadian coast guards, and sev-
eral NATO countries for commando
operations and nabbing pesky drug
runners. Aside from law enforce-
ment and military duties, the H-733
is a big favorite for heavy-weather
search-and-rescue missions. As with
the Hummer, you may never come
close to pushing the CZ7 to its limits,
but you at least have the satisfaction
of knowing it could go the other five-
tenths—if you wanted it to.
Image aside, the CZ7 is one tough
hand-built wave buster. It’s designed
to handle up to 300 hp, and it comes
GOODIES: A beaching shoe protects the deep-V fiberglass hull.
The helm packs a Raymarine electronics suite. Ullman saddles
keep you planted, while twin Evinrude 150s provide power.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 equipped with twin 150-hp Evinrude
2-strokes. Push the throttles wide-
open and you’ll hit 52 mph. Fill-ups at
your local marina will pump 133 gal.
on board—good for a 580-mile cruise
range (300 miles at wide-open throt-
tle). That’s a long run with no head
accommodations. Hey, the SEALs
go to the bathroom before they set
out on a mission, so if you’re a SEAL
wannabe, you’d better do the same.
This ain’t no party boat—it seats only
four and there aren’t any cupholders.
Still, even though the CZ7 is all
business, it’s designed for comfort,
or as the military calls it, shock mit-
igation. SEALs have to be in shape
to complete a mission after a 3-hour
wide-open blast in rough seas, so
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZODIAC OF NORTH AMERICA
they can’t have a boat that beats ’em
up. There’s no nap time built into the
schedule. Zodiac’s shock-mitigation
system includes the inflatable collar,
SKYDEX shock-absorbing deck floor-
ing—the same stuff that Nike uses in
some of its footwear—and nifty Ull-
man saddles that you straddle. The
saddles alone cost 10 grand apiece.
Of course, you get the full monty of
military hardware (sorry, the .60-cal.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
machine gun is not an option at this
time) and cutting-edge electronics.
Included are a 10.4-in. color radar, a
chart plotter, an EchoSounder and
VHF package that gives you WAAS
GPS, a digital sounder and more.
The carbon-fiber and aluminum con-
sole is chock-full of Faria custom
“SEALs have to be in shape to complete
a mission after a 3-hour wide-open
blast in rough seas.”
multifunction gauges, and a Tiger
Performance cockpit communication
system cuts through the background
din of machine gun and rocket fire—
and noisy personal watercraft. If
you really want to stand out from
the pack of CZ7s that no doubt will
be clogging marinas everywhere, go
the extra mile (or $25,000 in this
case) for the optional night vision.
When you’re not peeping at other
boats through your night vision sys-
tem, you may want to learn just what
For more outdoors features check out
the PM.Zone Web site
POPULARMECHANICS.COM/OUTDOORS
G-WHIZ: We put the CZ7 through its
paces. The boat can withstand 6 g’s
of acceleration at full load.
your new Zodiac can do. It follows
that an extreme boat should come
with extreme training. And it does.
Zodiac has developed its eXtreme
eXcursions Academy to teach you
extreme boat-handling techniques
and navigation skills—stuff pre-
viously limited to the military, Coast
Guard and first responders.
Our test drive of the CZ7 demon-
strated the boat’s capabilities as a
fast, nimble, hard-cornering, shock-
absorbing, tough-as-nails machine.
It’s easy to drive, but takes some effort
to pull out of a max-g turn. Power
steering would have been nice.
The CZ7 isn’t for everyone, but it
certainly would be our choice for a
midnight mission—against Larry’s
All-Night Beachfront Bar. PM
71
 SCIENCE

BY LESLIE B. SABBAGH ILLUSTRATIONS BY KO STUDIOS

When eye surgeons turn on the lasers.

I
F you haven’t had it yourself, you
probably know someone who has. With
more than 4 million procedures per-
formed, laser vision correction, or refrac-
tive surgery, is one of the most common
operations performed in the United States.
There’s ample reason for its popularity—the
outcomes are mostly good, and it is the most
marketed surgery ever. Ads blare from billboards
to the wrapper on your Sunday paper’s comics
PHOTO BY COMSTOCK IMAGES

page. But can you believe the hype?

Although ads and media hyperbole trivialize
it, refractive surgery is serious business. After all,
your signed consent form lets the surgeon blast
a flesh-dissolving laser beam on your eyeball.
72 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 73
If you’re thinking of refractive surgery,
here’s a look at the three currently
approved procedures.
LASIK
About 90 million Americans suffer
from some sort of refractive error:
myopia, nearsightedness; hyper-
opia, farsightedness; astigmatism, the
inability of the eye to focus sharply
at any distance; or presbyopia, age-
related blurriness.
The fix for these vision problems
varies with the error. At press time, the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
had approved three procedures: laser
in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and
photorefractive keratectomy (PRK),
also known as surface ablation, for
myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism,
and conductive keratoplasty (CK) for
hyperopia and presbyopia.
These procedures target the cor-
nea, the tissue responsible for most
of the eye’s focusing power. The
structure of the cornea is changed by
removing tissue, or steepening or flat-
tening it, thereby altering vision.
In LASIK, the surgeon creates what
is called a corneal flap in one of two
LASER IN SITU KERATOMILEUSIS
Corneal flap created with microkeratome or femtosecond
laser. Flap pulled back and myopic, hyperopic or astigmatic
correction performed with excimer laser.
 Number performed: 4.1 million in the United States.
 Complaint: Under- or overcorrection,
loss of acuity.
 Price: $299 to $2200 per eye.
74
PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERATECTOMY OR SURFACE ABLATION
Top layer of cells removed, then myopic, hyperopic or astigmatic correction performed
with excimer laser.
 Number performed: 80,000 in the United States.
 Complaint: Rarely, haze and loss of acuity due to wound healing.
 Price: $299 to $2200 per eye.
ways. The first uses a handheld device, nea’s cells, then lases the correction
a microkeratome, to slice the cornea on top of the corneal surface.
almost in half. Think of halving a Myopia is corrected by removing tis-
kaiser roll for your burger, leaving a sue in a pattern that allows light rays
smallish hinge to keep the top from to focus at the right spot on the retina.
falling off. The second method uses Hyperopia is corrected by steepening
a femtosecond laser to target only the the cornea, allowing light rays a lon-
cornea’s middle layer, bypassing the ger path so that they, too, focus at the
top layers. The fem- correct spot on the retina. Mild astig-
tosecond creates tiny matism is corrected by removing tissue
cavitation bubbles in the steep areas of the cornea.
in a perfect circle In the hands of a well-trained,
midway through the careful surgeon, the right patients
cornea. In both pro- enjoy good outcomes with these tech-
cedures, the surgeon niques. Each has its own benefits
gently pulls back and drawbacks, but less postopera-
the flap to expose tive pain and faster vision recovery
the corneal stromal have made LASIK more popular with
layer. Next, a com- surgeons and patients than its pre-
puter-controlled cold cursor, PRK, the first FDA-approved
laser, a 193-nanome- refractive procedure.
ter excimer, reshapes
the cornea. The laser CK
emits a pulsating Refractive surgery’s newest darling,
ultraviolet light that conductive keratoplasty, is approved
precisely vaporizes for mild hyperopia without astigma-
corneal tissue with- tism, and presbyopia. Radiofrequency
out heat. energy, flowing through a probe the
size of a human hair, is applied in a
PRK circumferential series of dots around
In PRK, instead of the cornea. Resistance in the tissue to
creating a flap, the For more science features check out
surgeon removes the the PM.Zone Web site
POPULARMECHANICS.COM/SCIENCE
top layer of the cor-
(Please turn to page 76)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
© 2004 Conwood Company, L.P.
 STAAR LENS
Intraocular lens implanted in front of the crystalline lens to correct myopia.
 Number performed: 40,000 worldwide, about 1400 in FDA trials.
 Complaint: Rarely, removal due to sizing, elevated intraocular
pressure and traumatic lens touch.
 Price: Unknown, FDA approval pending.
the current flowing into the tip creates
localized heat. This heat causes colla-
gen around the tip to shrink to about
80 percent of the corneal depth. This
acts like a purse string on the cornea,
steepening it to increase its curvature,
adding reading power.
And while CK is the first FDA-
approved procedure for presbyopia,
it’s not perfect. The “short- and long-
term effects are not established com-
pared to LASIK and surface ablation,”
says Dr. Perry Binder, a refractive sur-
geon practicing in San Diego. CK’s
VERISYES
Lens attached to the iris to correct myopia.
 Number performed: 150,000 worldwide, about
2000 in FDA trials.
 Complaint: Rarely, iris malformation and removal
due to sizing.
 Price: Unknown, FDA approval pending.
76
CONDUCTIVE KERATOPLASTY
Radiofrequency energy applied through tiny needle in
circumferential pattern around the cornea. Temporary
treatment for mild hyperopia and presbyopia.
 Number performed: 50,000 combined for
presbyopia and hyperopia. Approved for
hyperopia in 2001. Approved for presbyopia
March 22, 2004.
mechanism of action, col-  Complaint: Regression, induced astigmatism.
lagen shrinkage, regresses  Price: $1500 per eye.
and presbyopia worsens with
age. So the correction you get the procedure will be grounded, says
at 50 years of age most likely won’t Dr. Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, Chief of
last until you’re 60, hence the “tempo- Refractive Surgery at the University
rary” modifier attached to the FDA’s of Pittsburgh.
approval. What’s more worrisome is
“that the treatments may induce astig- THE NEXT BIG THING
matism,” according to Binder. Some surgeons say it’s time to move
As with any operation, the key is to corrections inside the eye. At press
select your surgeon well, the FDA says. time, the FDA was considering two
A steady hand makes the difference in internal lenses: Staar Surgical’s
outcomes. Surgeon Alan Brown, who Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) and
invents instruments AMO’s Verisyes.
to improve surgical The ICL is inserted through a 3mm
accuracy, likens CK to incision and sits directly in front of the
a facelift. “You’re not eye’s natural crystalline lens. The FDA
22 again, but it does likely will approve the ICL only for
make patients read patients 40 years old and younger.
better and feel young- Surgeons clamp AMO’s Verisyes
er.” The good thing lens directly to the front of the iris.
is that CK’s effect It’s inserted through a 7mm incision
regresses, so if you do and sits close to the tissue responsible
get mild astigmatism for keeping the cornea clear. That
it’s likely to lessen means perfect surgical technique is
naturally as the cor- mandatory. This lens will be recom-
nea remodels itself. mended only for high myopia.
Unlike LASIK and Despite increased surgical diffi-
surface ablation, CK culty and higher risk for severe
is not approved by complications compared to corneal
the Federal Avia- corrections, intraocular lenses may
tion Administration, provide better quality of vision with-
so pilots who’ve had out removing tissue. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 Memories aren’t
the only things that
should last a lifetime.
Seems like only yesterday that your father
brought you to the range for the first time.
Those sure were good times –
just you, Dad and his Smith & Wesson.

So, whether your game is making a

tin can dance or cutting the ten-ring
at 50-feet, there’s a Smith & Wesson
just for you.

2100 Roosevelt Avenue • Springfield, MA 01104 • www.smith-wesson.com • 1-800-331-0852

AMEX Ticker: SWB
 TECHNOLOGY

Need
Networking?
The newest trends in wireless networking
and what you need to do it yourself.

BY REBECCA DAY

It’s 8 pm on a typical Tuesday.

Mom’s on the laptop in the kitchen
catching up on e-mail. Junior is in
his room playing City Of Villains for
a virtual good-night kiss via Webcam.
Like more than 13 million U.S. house-
holds, this family is reaping the online
benefits of a home network.
Most of the existing networks are
wired, but the trend is shifting and,
by next year, wireless networks will
dominate the home networking mar-
ket by 5 to 1. Wired networks offer
the smoothest, most reliable and
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL DIMARE

78
79
most secure form of networking, but
because you have to build it into the
walls, most people find it impractical.
The buzz today is for 802.11g prod-
ucts, which send through five times
as much data as their first-generation
802.11b counterparts (“g” products
are backward-compatible with “b,”
but this slows them down). 802.11g
routers enable more gear to operate
over the network at once, so you suffer
less lag time and gain more range.
Once the basics of a network are in
place, you can send audio, video and
games from a PC to other networked
devices in the home. Whether you’re
sharing a broadband connection or
just the music library from the PC with
the family stereo, a wireless home net-
work is the most versatile means to
shuttle data throughout the house.
What’s not to like? Well, a few
things. Radiofrequency (RF) trans-
mission is as vulnerable as it is flex-
ible. Operating at 2.4 GHz, 802.11g
signals interfere with other devices
in the same space including cordless
phones and microwave ovens. Build-
ing materials including mirrors, steel
beams, cement and wire mesh
AIRSTATION WRB-G54K
inside stucco walls trip up RF sig- $150 www.buffalotech.com
nals. That’s why more net-
 Power Source: External power supply
work suppliers are  Dimensions: 1.5 x 6.9 x 5.6 in.
selling repeaters  Networking Standard: 802.11g wireless devices, both products need to
or extend- plug into a wall outlet for power.
ers that boost for the network. These security meas- Although all 802.11g-certified
the signal. And ures, however, can impede interoper- products are supposed to be interop-
being wireless, ability between devices. erable, that’s not always true when
the signals can The heart of a wireless home net- companies add their own twists. In
be picked up work is the router, which connects the case of Buffalo’s repeater, the
by people out- the home network to the Internet and range extender is guaranteed to work
side your home makes that connection available to only with the company’s own router
if you don’t set other network-ready devices. Buffalo so what you gain in extension, you
up a password Technology’s AirStation WRB-G54K might give up in compatibility with
and encryption kit bundles a router with a repeater other wireless adapters.
bridge, which the company claims Today’s laptop computers typical-
doubles the range of a wire- ly come with Centrino (802.11b) or a
less network (range var- different version of Intel’s networking
ies widely according to technology built in. That enables you
environment). Like most to hop onto an available wireless net-
work at Starbucks or the airport lounge
CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER (for free or for a fee). But 802.11b
$199 www.us.creative.com
is yesterday’s wireless standard, and
 Power Source: External power supply
For more technology features check
 Dimensions: 6.89 x 5.51 x 1.1 in. out the PM.Zone Web site
 Networking Standard: 802.11g POPULARMECHANICS.COM/TECH

80 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

older PCs don’t have networking built
in at all. That’s where a wireless note-
book adapter card comes in.
Netgear’s WG511 wireless card
claims to double the speed of a Cen-
trino connection, which means faster
downloads of Internet pages. The card
plugs into the PC card slot on a laptop
computer, and after two or three set-
up clicks, you’re able to surf the Net.
System requirements are a 400-MHz
or faster processor and Windows 98,
ME, 2000 or XP operating system.
Creative Labs’ Sound Blaster Wire-
less Music adapter may look more
like a cable modem than a music
component, but don’t be fooled. The
device frees music from your PC hard
disk and delivers it to another room
in the house. Sound Blaster functions
in two ways: as an auxiliary input
“By next year, wireless networks will
dominate the home networking market.”
to an existing music system or as a
stand-alone when paired with pow-
ered loudspeakers. Up to four music
adapters can be used at once over
either 802.11b or g networks.
Creative’s music adapter comes
with a remote control whose large LCD
shows artist, track and playlist informa-
tion. Note: It won’t stream tunes pro-
tected by digital rights management.
Games are always more fun against
a human foe. The Linksys WGA54G
Wireless-G Game Adapter enables
head-to-head gaming with an oppo-
nent in the same room
or across the
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
D-LINK DCS-5300W
$449 www.dlink.com
 Power Source: External power supply
 Dimensions: 4 x 4.1 x 4.4 in.
 Networking Standard: 802.11b
country—all without wires, Ma. You
can set up the WGA54G to work with
a pair of Xbox, PlayStation 2 or Game-
Cube players—whether 3 ft. away or
across the house.
The cheaper 802.11b version ($79)
connects to a network at several mega-
bits per second (the rated 54- and 11-
megabit-per-second specs for both
802.11g and b networks are higher
than real-world usage). That’s plenty
of speed for gaming over the Inter-
net since cable and DSL modems max
out at a data speed of 1Mbps to
1.5Mbps in real-world use.
NETGEAR WG511
$60 www.netgear.com
 Power Source: PC
 Dimensions: 4.73 x 2.13 x 0.28 in.
 Networking Standard: 802.11g
Networks can be used for home
security, too, when you use a Webcam
to monitor the house. You can use one
to check up on the baby, the nanny
or an elderly relative when you’re at
the office. D-Link’s tricked-out DCS-
5300W has a built-in computer and
Web server, which allows it to either
connect to a home network or stand
alone as an Internet camera that can
be controlled via a Web browser. It
can be set up to monitor in real time
or to record using MPEG-4 compres-
sion that packs an hour of video, with
audio, into 40MB of hard-disk space.
The DCS-5300W records in color
and offers 4x digital zoom, and pan
and tilt control through a Web inter-
face. The camera’s motion sensor can
trigger recording—along with an
e-mail alerting you that motion has
been sensed—or you can designate
a time period for the camera to roll.
802.11b, g and more. The indus-
try’s always adding more
ingredients to the
alphabet
LINKSYS WGA54G
$129 www.linksys.com
 Power Source: External power supply
 Dimensions: 6.3 x 3.94 x 1.42 in.
 Networking Standard: 802.11g
soup of wireless networking stand-
ards. Incompatibility and security
issues will continue to loom as the
technology goes forward, but, accord-
ing to market research firm Jupi-
ter Research, the 802.11g standard
should be the dominant technology
through 2008.
Tired of waiting for a
broadband connection?
Maybe it’s time to do a
little networking. PM
81
Weapons
SCIENCE

of the
Special
Forces Whatever is necessary,
wherever. BY SCOTT GOURLEY
PHOTO BY JAMES A. SUGAR

82
S
PECIAL operations. The name
says it all: specially trained individuals
conducting highly specialized missions
using a range of specialized hardware.
Whether they are leading cavalry charges of
freedom fighters or helping to yank foreign
despots from their underground hiding places,
U.S. special operations forces have at their disposal
the most cutting-edge weaponry.

NAVY SEALS: Hitting the beach on an

exercise using special weapons.

83
 Pistols. Assault rifles. Long-range sniper systems. Whatever tools the
special ops need to do the job—whether the job is in the jungles or the
desert wastelands—they have.
HANDGUNS
An example of the
right tool to get the
special ops job done
is the Mk23 (Mark
23) .45-cal. ACP (Automatic Colt Pis-
tol) from Heckler & Koch. During
the late 1980s, as the rest of the mili-
tary was embracing its new 9mm M9
handguns, special operations repre-
sentatives identified the need for an
“Offensive Handgun Weapons Sys-
tem—Special Operations Peculiar.”
The new weapons system, which
was optimized for close-quarter bat-
tle (now called close-quarter com-
bat) operations, included a .45-cal.
semiautomatic pistol with a 12-round
magazine, sound suppressor and laser-
aiming module. Requirements called
for ammunition compatibility with the
M1911 .45-cal. ball cartridge as well
as “enhanced ammunition.” Included
in the latter category was the .45-cal.
ACP “+P”
(Plus-P) car-
tridge, described
in the spec as a 185-
grain full metal jacket
truncated cone, semiwad-
cutter-type ammunition of higher
pressure and velocity than a standard
commercial .45-cal. ACP.
84
HECKLER & KOCH MK23
This offensive handgun weapons
system is designed to provide
.45-cal. power during close-
quarter battle.
Deliveries of the re-
sulting Mk23 system began
FABRIQUE NATIONALE P90
in 1996, with the majority of the spe-
cial operations systems (approximate- FN Herstal’s 5.7 x 28mm P90 is one
of the new generation of “personal
ly 2500) fielded to Navy SEALs. defense weapons” that could have
In addition to the .45-cal. Mk23, special operations applications.
various special operations elements
carry a wide range of handguns from continued, with only the 9mm MP5
9mm down to .22-cal. currently manufactured.
SUBMACHINE GUNS
Another weapon category for select-
ed special operations scenarios is the
submachine gun/machine pistol,
HECKLER & KOCH MP5
The MP5 is available in over 120 differ-
ent variants optimized for different
tactical applications.
with one of the most popular models
being the 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5
machine pistol.
At one time the MP5 was offered
in both .40-cal. and 10mm designs,
but those options have been dis-
HECKLER & KOCH UMP
The UMP is drawing special
operations interest due to its
multicaliber flexibility.
With over 120 variants available,
the MP5 meets the broadest range
of tactical requirements. Examples
of its flexibility in special opera-
tions can be seen in the MP5K-PDW
(Personal Defense Weapon) vari-
ant, with features like a folding butt-
stock, vertical foregrip, and threaded
barrel for accessory attachments. In
addition to these tactical features,
various MP5 trigger group options
range from the single-fire semiauto-
matic variant to the fully automatic
“Navy trigger group” favored by many
U.S. special operators.
Although the 9mm MP5 remains a
popular base system, Heckler & Koch
representatives point to their new
UMP (Universal Machine Pistol) Sub-
machine Guns as the next likely addi-
tion to special operations armories.
While typical MP5 series 9 x 19mm
(9mm Parabellum) options include
the Winchester 115-grain Silvertip
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
(muzzle
velocity
1225 feet
per second) and 147-grain
Subsonic (muzzle velocity
1010 fps), H&K offers the
same popular weapon design in
both .40-cal. Smith & Wesson
and .45-cal. ACP. Options for .40-
cal. ammunition include the Win-
chester 155-grain Silvertip (muzzle
velocity 1205 fps) and Winchester
180-grain JHP (muzzle velocity 990
fps), while .45-cal. ACP options include
the Winchester 185-grain Silvertip
and Proload 185-grain JHP (both with
a muzzle velocity of 1000 fps).
According to Bruce David-
son, Military Programs Manag-
er at Heckler & Koch Defense,
the flexible UMP design is
HECKLER & KOCH MP7A1
Developed by H&K, the 4.6 x 30mm
MP7 series is another “personal
defense weapon” with potential
special operations applications.
drawing considerable interest from
special operations elements.
Noting that there are a few UMP
models currently in field testing,
Davidson says, “I think the biggest
reason that UMP is drawing a lot of
interest right now is because it does
come in [9mm, .40 and .45 cal.].
So the units that are out there using
different-caliber pistols have the
ability to select the caliber of sub-
machine gun that they want to use
to match their pistol ammo.”
HECKLER & KOCH MP5N
The MP5N variation is popular with
Navy special operations forces.
85
ASSAULT RIFLES
Few weapons provide today’s special
“operators” with the tactical flexibil-
ity offered by the M16/M4 series’ Spe-
cial Operations Peculiar Modification
(SOPMOD) hardware.
Under the coordina-
tion of the SOPMOD
Program Management
Office at the Naval Sur-
face Warfare Center in
Crane, Ind., the SOP-
MOD is a kit concept
designed to provide stand-
ardized, versatile weapons accessories
to meet needs across special operations
mission scenarios. Individual acces-
sories are selected for the SOPMOD
kit based on their contribution toward
increasing operator survivability and
lethality by enhanced weapon per-
formance, target acquisition, signa-
ture suppression and fire control.
The SOPMOD concept is based
around the M4A1, the special opera-
tions variant of the Colt 5.56 x 45mm
M4 Car-
bine, a
versa-
tile weapons
system with a sliding
buttstock and 14.5-in. barrel (the spe-
cial operations A1 version is capable of
fully automatic fire). When equipped
with multiple accessory-mounting
surfaces, the M4A1 SOPMOD allows
the special operator to tailor his weap-
on to specific mission requirements.
Examples of the components
contained in the current SOPMOD
kit include: 4X Day Scope, Reflex
Sight, Rail Interface System (MIL-
STD 1913), Vertical Forward Hand-
grip, Quick Attach/Detach 40mm
M203 Grenade Launcher Mount and
Modified Leaf Sight, Quick Attach/
86
Detach Suppressor, Infrared Laser
Pointer/Illuminator, Visible Laser,
Visible Bright Light (9-volt flashlight),
Backup Iron Sight, Combat Sling,
Sloping Cheek Weld Stock, Mini
Night Vision Sight, Universal Pocket-
scope Mount, 9-in. M203 Grenade
Launcher Barrel, and Kit Carrying/
Storage Case.
In addition to
these components, there
are rumors of a 10.5-in. bar-
rel “upper receiver” component
option as well as ongoing plans to add
an enhanced grenade launcher module
(EGLM) to replace the aging bottom-
loading M203 attachment. One exam-
ple of an available system that could
meet EGLM requirements is the AG36
side-loading 40mm grenade launcher
developed by Heckler & Koch.
REACH OUT
While 5.56 x 45mm weapon designs
provide a range of ballistics options,
an increasing number of special opera-
tions programs are returning to the
7.62 x 51mm cartridge for extended-
range engagements. Examples of
this trend include the Marines’ field-
ing of highly modified M14s, called
Designated Marksman Rifles (DMRs),
to units that have been operating in
Afghanistan since early 2002. Also, the
Army fielded M14s to snipers within
the new Stryker Brigade Combat Team
immediately
MARINE CORPS M14 DMR
The enhanced 7.62 x 51mm DMR
re-entered service during Operation
Enduring Freedom.
prior to that unit’s Iraq
deployment in the fall of 2003.
Within the pure special opera-
tions world, the 7.62 x 51mm has been
fielded as the U.S. Army Ranger Regi-
ment’s SR-25 (Stoner Rifle) as well
as the Navy SEALs’ new Mk11Mod0
sniper rifle (deliveries were com-
pleted in 2002). Both of the weap-
ons are manufactured by Knight’s
Armament and are nearly identi-
cal except for the Mk11 designator
on the Navy’s 365 systems.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

COLT M4A1 SOPMOD
Special operations forces
can personalize their fully
automatic M4A1s with a
broad range of SOPMOD
accessories.
KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT
STONER RIFLES
The Army Rangers’ SR-25 and
the Navy SEALs’ Mk11Mod0 are
adaptations of the same Gene
PHOTOS BY JAMES A. SUGAR
Stoner rifle design.
OLD FAITHFUL
For seriously reaching out and touch-
ing something, the current king
within U.S. special operations is
the .50-cal. M82 series from Barrett
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
“For some special operations missions,
size definitely does matter. And .50-cal.
won’t do the job.”
Firearms
Manufac-
turing. Tactically
employed in special
missions during (the civilian
Operation Des- version has a
ert Storm, the flat bottom bipod) and a new plastic
original civil- rear grip for comfort in cold weather.
ian version
M82 HIT HARD
series For some special operations missions,
has size definitely does matter. And .50-
most cal. won’t do the job. For those situa-
recent- tions, Barrett Firearms has developed
ly been joined by the XM109 25mm payload rifle. With
the M82A1M/M107. an overall length of 46 in. and a rifle
With a length of 57 in. weight of 33.2 pounds, the XM109
and a rifle weight of 30 incorporates a new upper receiver
pounds, the M107 is hardly opti- onto the M82A1 .50-cal. rifle togeth-
mized for close-quarter combat. er with the necessary modifications
However, with its 10-shot detach- to hold a 5-round box magazine of
able box magazine of .50-cal. lethality, 25mm “cargo rounds.”
the weapon is in such demand that the According to Bob Gates, who works
Army has accelerated wider fielding on the program at Barrett Firearms, the
to its combat units with the XM109 is currently under a government
contract “for refinement of some chang-
es that they want made to the gun.”
Recent activities have reportedly
focused on designs to reduce recoil
to less
than 60 ft.-lb.
In addition, the gun
manufacturer has been provid-
ing engineering support to the effort
to refine a 25mm Armor Penetrator
“XM” experimental designator still round now under development by
in place. Minor differences between General Dynamics.
the M107 and earlier civilian mod- Noting that the program was briefed
els include forks on the folding bipod to U.S. Special Operations Command
87
in December 2003, Gates adds, “The
program is on track for us to field six
prototype XM109s in August 2004 to
the spec ops community, and those
weapons will be equipped with the Bar-
rett Digital Ranging Optical Sight.”
FUTURE FIREPOWER
Looking toward the
future, special opera-
tions planners are calling for a
new-generation weapons system des-
ignated the Special Operations Forces
(SOF) Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR).
Envisioned as a family of weapons,
SCAR will be developed in two pri-
mary configurations: SCAR-Light
(SCAR-L, 5.56 x 45mm) and SCAR-
WHAT’S NEXT
Test Firing
The XM8
Searching for downrange
targets, I slid my index
finger forward in the trig-
ger guard, hitting the bolt
catch release and chamber-
ing the first 5.56mm round. The
ambidextrous thumb lever on both
sides of the handgrip smoothed my
lefthanded transition from safe,
through semi, to full-automatic
fire. The initial burst was directed
at a torso target, and the weapon’s
high sightline and innovative stock
design provided heads-up assurance
that the bulk of the bullets were
plastering the cardboard victim.
PM was in the Nevada desert to
test fire the newest addition to the
88
Heavy (SCAR-H, 7.62 x 51mm), with
SCAR-L leading the acquisition proc-
ess. A characteristic of the follow-on
BARRETT M82
The .50-cal. M82 series
long-range sniper rifles entered
service during Operation Desert
Storm and have proved effective
against materiel targets.
Army’s small-arms
arsenal, the XM8
lightweight
carbine
system.
“The
XM8
is an
experi-
mental M8 carbine,” explained Jim
Schatz, Manager, Military Programs,
HK Defense. “XM8 is the Army des-
ignation for what the Army expects
will be its new combat assault rifle
system. If it is successful and if it’s
fielded, the XM8 weapons system
is intended to replace the M16/M4
family of weapons.”
SCAR-H model is the use of an Open
PHOTO BY JAMES A. SUGAR
Architecture design that will accommo-
date changing calibers from the stand-
ard NATO 7.62 x 51mm. The initial
(BARRETT M82)
caliber change is projected as the 7.62
x 39mm used in the AK-47 and other
international weapons series.
Explaining
the Army’s
need for the
new XM8
system,
Schatz
acknowl-
edged
that “the
M16/M4
family of
weapons have been around for 40
years and they continue to serve the
military very well. We take noth-
ing from the design of Gene Stoner.
It’s brilliant. But there are certain
requirements that the conventional
Army has for a new assault rifle
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

Both SCAR configurations will pos-
sess the capability for barrel modular-
ity and thus will be available in the
following variants: Standard, Close
Quarters Combat and Sniper Variant.
Maximum size for the SCAR-L is 29.9
in. (stock collapsed or folded)/33.6 in.
to reduce the training burden, to
increase the service life, and to
increase the reliability of
that M16/M4
system.”
The XM8 employs a proven oper-
ating system that uses a pusher
rod located above the barrel, pushed
to the rear by a piston. When a
round is fired, gas comes up into
the cylinder, pushing a piston rod
that strikes the bolt carrier and
drives it to the rear.
“Once the piston comes about
6mm to the rear, all the excess gas,
which you don’t need to operate the
gun, goes out the front, out of the
muzzle and out of the gas venthole.
And all the carbon goes out of the
muzzle with it,” Schatz said.
The operating system is one fea-
ture in a totally modular weapons
design that Schatz likens to “a Lego
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
(stock extended with standard barrel)
with a maximum unloaded weight of
7.25 pounds. Size and weight goals
for SCAR-H are 30.3 in. folded/
40.2 in. extended with standard bar-
rel, and no more than 9 pounds.
Among its capabilities, the SCAR
set” in terms of its ease of assembling
components and accessories.
The XM8 weapons system includes
four major variants: Baseline Carbine,
Compact Carbine, Sharpshooter and
Automatic Rifleman. Automatic fir-
ing rates for all variants fall
within 700 to 825 rounds per
minute. Barrel lengths vary
from 9 to 20 in. Firing the standard
NATO M855 5.56mm bullet, muzzle
velocities vary from 2400 fps (9-in.
barrel) to 2700 fps (12.5-in. barrel)
to 3000 fps (20-in. barrel).
Moving to the range, our own fir-
ing experience with multiple XM8
variant prototypes provided a new
appreciation for the design features
and inherent program lethality.
As these pages go to press, XM8
prototype testing will continue
through the summer with the for-
mal “decision to adopt” scheduled
for September. A positive decision
would lead to initial production early
in 2005 with the first fielding later
that year. —S.G.
For more science features check out
the PM.Zone Web site
POPULARMECHANICS.COM/SCIENCE
BARRETT XM109
Firing a 25mm “cargo round,”
the XM109 marks the boundary
between sniper rifle and cannon.
family will be compatible with all
components of the SOPMOD kit.
Industry designers have recently
unveiled several new weapon design
concepts in response to the SCAR
requirements. Knight’s Armament,
for example, has traced a growth path
from its current SR-25/Mk11 weapons
to the SCAR-H design. The company
has shown great flexibility in recent
years, even producing prototypes for
an SR-47 (Stoner Rifle) design that was
externally identical to the M4 carbine
but re-engineered to fire the AK-47
banana clip and 7.62 x 39mm ammo.
“We’ve showed special operations
representatives the Mk11 and then
we showed them a Mk11 of a differ-
ent lower receiver that had a collaps-
ible buttstock,” explains David Lutz,
Vice President of Military Marketing
for Knight’s. “Then we took the upper
receiver—which has a 20-in. barrel—
off the new collapsible lower receiv-
er and we pulled out what we call
‘The Battle Rifle,’ with either a 16-in.
or 14.5-in. barrel. That now goes on
the collapsible stock SR-25 lower
receiver. As far as we’re concerned,
we think this is certainly your ‘immedi-
ate term’ SCAR-Heavy.”
Meanwhile, special operations
planners continue to support the
immediate needs of special operations
personnel in the field. For their part,
the special operators are continuing
to go wherever they are needed and
do whatever needs to be done. PM
89
 Home
PM

Journal
DECK

HJ

90
 PM

DECK
HJ

Built To Last
DECK

BY JOE TRUINI, PHOTO BY HANSON PHOTOGRAPHIC

Building a deck is the most efficient and cost-effective

way to expand your living space and create an inviting out-
door oasis. It also happens to be one of the most popu-
lar of all do-it-yourself home improvement projects. The
challenge is to find a deck design that’s relatively simple
to build, yet stylish and architecturally interesting. It must
also be spacious and accommodating, and able to fit com-
fortably within the confines of your backyard and budget.

91
PM
With those criteria in mind, we
present this attractive deck that will
provide 400 sq. ft. of outdoor liv-
ing space on two distinct areas. The
rectangular main deck measures
DECK

about 12 ft. wide x 20 ft. long. On the

left side, it drops down one step to a
12-ft.-wide octagonal platform per-
fectly sized to accommodate a dining
table and chairs. To the right, a stair-
case leads down to the lawn.

MATERIALS Planking on the octagon is at 45˚. That provides design contrast but also a visual
The deck’s frame is built from pres- cue when stepping down to its lower surface.
sure-treated lumber, while the
HJ deck itself is TimberTech Tongue- To give the deck a nicely finished deck is different than many in that it
and-Groove Planking, an extruded appearance, a 12-in.-wide TimberTech is free-standing and is not attached to
material made from recycled wood fascia plank conceals the perimeter the house with a ledger. It is supported
and new polyethylene plastic resin joists and the stair stringers—it is entirely on its posts. Regardless of how
(TimberTech, 894 Prairie Rd., Wilm- ripped narrower to cover the open you build your deck, check with your
ington, OH 45177; 800-307-7780; stair risers. A vinyl lattice conceals municipal building department to see
www.timbertech.com). The planking the framing underneath. what construction codes and specifi-
is secured to the framing with trim- cations apply in your area. Our post
head deck screws. The planks are BUILDING THE FRAME details (and overall deck structural
water-resistant, and they do not need Deck construction begins with mark- details) may vary considerably from
to be sealed or stained. Perhaps the ing the post locations. Note that our what is allowed where you live.
most important aspect of this compos-
ite deck material is that it’s designed
not to rot, warp, cup, check or splinter.
It costs $4 to $6 per square foot and is
available in tones of cedar, gray and
redwood (shown).
The decking material is also used
to fabricate stair treads. The stair’s
stringers, however, are built out of
pressure-treated lumber. Likewise,
the railing posts are pressure-treated
lumber with TimberTech covers over
them. The handrails and balustrade
are built from the company’s Orna- 1 Fasten the double 2 x 8 beam to
each 4 x 4 deck post using metal
connectors and carriage bolts.
2 Build the floor frame out of
pressure-treated 2 x 6s. Set the
floor joists, spaced 16 in. on center.
mental Railing System.
PHOTOS BY HANSON PHOTOGRAPHIC

3 Attach each 4 x 4 railing post to

the band joist with a 1/2-in.-dia. x
41/2-in.-long galvanized carriage bolt.
4 Cut lengths of starter strip to fit
between the railing posts. Then,
screw them to the perimeter joist.
5 Press the first decking plank into
the starter strip and fasten it with
21/2-in. trim-head screws.

92 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

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SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 93

PM
Mark post locations and dig the 12-
in.-dia. holes. Pour 2 in. of gravel into
each hole, then add 8 in. of concrete
to form a footing. Allow the concrete
to cure overnight, then plumb and
DECK

set the posts in the holes. Backfill and

firmly tamp around each post.
Now snap a level line across the

6 7
posts, and trim them to height with Continue the planking across the Fasten the end of each plank to
a circular saw or reciprocating saw. floor joists. Each plank must fit the band joist by driving a screw
Then, bolt a galvanized metal post-to- tightly to the one next to it. through the U-shaped extrusion.
beam connector on top of it.
Next, make the beams by nail-
ing together two lengths of 2 x 8. Set
the beams into the metal connectors
HJ on top of the posts. Bore a 9/16-in.-
dia. hole through the beam at each
connector, and install a 1/2-in.-dia. x
41/2-in.-long galvanized carriage bolt,
washer and nut. Tighten the nut that
secures the beams to the posts 1 .
Crosscut the 2 x 6 lumber to length
for the floor joists and perimeter joists.
Set the floor joists on the beams at 16-
in.-on-center intervals 2 . Drive three 8 After completing the main deck,
cover the octagonal platform with
the planks at 45˚ to the floor joists.
9 Use the 12-in.-wide fascia board
to conceal the ends of the tongue-
and-groove planks and the band joist.
16d galvanized nails or 3-in. deck
screws through the perimeter joists
and into the ends of each floor joist.
Next, crosscut the 4 x 4 handrail
posts, cut a 11/2-in.-deep x 51/2-in.-wide
notch into the bottom of each post,
and attach the posts to the perimeter
joists with a 1/2-in.-dia. x 41/2-in.-long
galvanized carriage bolt 3 .

INSTALLING DECKING,
STAIRS AND RAILING
Begin decking installation by cross-
cutting the starter strip to fit between
the railing posts. Lay it on the perim- 10 Bore holes between the string-
ers, then attach the stair frame
to the deck with carriage bolts.
11 Cut and install the stair treads
using deck planks. Rip and
crosscut risers from fascia board.
eter joist with its grooved edge fac-
ing the deck 4 . Fasten the strip to
the joist with 21/2-in.-long trim-head
(smaller head) deck screws.
Next, crosscut a deck plank so
it spans from the perimeter joist to
within 1/2 in. of the house siding.
Secure the plank by driving deck
PHOTOS BY HANSON PHOTOGRAPHIC

screws through it and into the joist.

Cut and install the subsequent planks
in a similar manner, and secure each
plank to the perimeter joist with a sin-
gle trim-head deck screw 5 , 6 , 7 .
After the deck on the main area is
complete, move on to installing the
12 To give the staircase a clean,
finished look, cut stringer
covers from the fascia board.
13 Slip the post covers over the
pressure-treated 4 x 4 railing
posts. There’s no need to fasten them.
deck planks on the octagon-shaped
(Please turn to page 96)

94 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

PM
DECK
14 Position a baluster above the
decking, then use three screws
to attach it to the center of the post.
lower deck. Note that the deck planks
run at a 45˚ angle to the framing
below. Begin at one edge and plank
HJ across the octagon 8 .
When the planking is completed,
attach the fascia board to the perim-
eter joists with deck screws spaced
16 in. apart 9 .
Crosscut the three stair stringers
from 2 x 12 lumber, and make the
tread and riser cuts in them. The num-
ber of treads and risers that you cut
in the stringers depends on how high
your deck is. Refer to the deck draw-
ing for tread and riser dimensions.
Note that the outside stair stringers
are attached to the outside of the 2 x 6
ledger, which is, in turn, bolted to the
perimeter joist. The center stringer
must be either shortened or notched to
fit against the ledger. Otherwise, it will
be longer than the outside stringers.
Use a stringer as a reference to gauge
the position of the gravel-filled trench
on which the stair’s sleeper rests.
Fasten the outside stringers to the
ends of the ledger with three 16d nails.
Toenail the center stringer to the led-
ger with two nails through one side
and one through the other. Nail the
sleeper to the bottom of the stringers,
then attach the stringer-ledger assem-
bly to the perimeter joist with two
5/8-in.-dia. x 5-in.-long galvanized car-
riage bolts 10 .
Next, crosscut the cleats from pres-
sure-treated lumber scrap, and screw
each piece to the front edge of each
stringer where a half deck plank will be
placed for a tread. Also, rip the starter
strips from a piece of deck plank, and
attach each strip to the corner of the
riser and tread. Fasten treads to the
stringers followed by risers 11 .
96
15 Fasten the balusters to the
rails. Use a block to maintain
consistent spacing.
17 Set the handrail over the top
rail and fasten it at each end
with one 21/2-in.-long screw.
Remember to cut and attach the
stringer covers before attaching the
posts for the stair handrails 12 .
The company’s railing system con-
sists of precut balusters, post covers,
top and bottom rails, and handrails.
Begin railing construction by slipping
the post covers over the posts 13 .
Next, attach a baluster to the center
of the post cover with three 21/2-in.
screws 14 . Crosscut top and bottom
rails, and fasten balusters to them
using a spacing block 15 .
Take the completed railing subas-
sembly and slide it in place so that it
fits over the balusters attached to the
posts 16 . Drive a screw down through
each end of the upper rail and into the
balusters fastened to the posts. Also,
drive a screw up through each end of
the lower rail and into the post.
Next, set the handrail on top of
the upper rail 17 . Secure it with
one screw driven down through each
end and into the upper rail. With
the railing sections installed, place
For more home features check out the
PM.Zone Web site
POPULARMECHANICS.COM/HOME
16 Fit the railing between the
posts, and attach it to the bal-
usters that are screwed to the posts.
18 Top off each railing post with
a decorative post cap. For this
deck, we used copper pyramids.
the post caps on the post covers 18 .
Attach each cap with two 1-in.-long
stainless steel screws driven through
the decorative cove molding and into
the post cover.
Install the post covers and balus-
trade on the stairs in identical fash-
ion. On the stairs, the top and bottom
rails, the handrails and the balusters
are crosscut at an angle. Otherwise,
the assembly sequence is identical.
FINISHING TOUCHES
We finished our deck by installing
a vinyl lattice skirt. To do this, first
excavate a shallow trench directly
below the band joist. Measure the
distance from the trench to the under-
side of the perimeter band joist, and
cut the lattice to that dimension.
Next, cut two pieces of pressure-
PHOTOS BY HANSON PHOTOGRAPHIC
treated 1 x 3 equal to the lattice
length, and attach these pieces to the
top and bottom edges of the lattice
using 3/4-in.-long stainless steel screws.
Secure the lattice to the deck by driv-
ing 11/2-in.-long stainless steel screws
through the fascia board and into the
1 x 3. Finally, backfill the trench. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
PM
GLASS-BLOCK WINDOW
HJ
Block Party
H
Update your bathroom with a glass-block
window. BY JOSEPH TRUINI
ERE’S the perfect project for
homeowners who have always want-
ed to build with glass block, but
were afraid to try. It consists of
replacing a double-hung bath win-
dow with glass block and adding
two narrow glass-block sidelights.
The process of setting the 4-in.-
wide blocks and creating uniform
mortar joints is easier than you
might have thought thanks to a clev-
er system of plastic spacers devised
by Pittsburgh Corning.
98
WINDOW MAKEOVER: This boring
bathroom window was replaced
with beautiful glass block and two
glass-block sidelights.
For this project we used 8 x 8-in.
($5 each) and 4 x 8-in. ($4) blocks.
Glass blocks come in several levels
of transparency and translucency.
We chose a style called Decora that
has a wavy pattern molded into
PHOTOS BY GARY HEATHERLY
the glass to distort the view from
outdoors without reducing light
transmission.
In addition to blocks and spac-
ers, you’ll need mortar, foam rubber
expansion strips, reinforcing wire
and metal panel anchors. For dealer
(Please turn to page 100)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
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PM
GLASS-BLOCK WINDOW

1 Locate the 6 x 34-in. sidelights 8 in.

from each side of the window. Cut
out the drywall with a utility knife.

HJ

3 Build 1x pine frames to fit into the window and the two sidelight openings.
Rip the stock so it’s flush with the inside wall surface. Be sure to shim the
frames so they remain level and plumb after they’re fastened in place.

Use pine to build a frame for each enough water to the mortar to form
opening, ripping the boards to width a toothpaste-like consistency. Then,
so the frames are flush with the dry- transfer some of the mortar to a bucket
wall on the inside and even with the and bring it to the window opening.
butt edge of the siding on the out- Use a pointed trowel to apply a
2 Use a recip saw to cut through the
sheathing. Here, the vinyl siding
was first cut out with a utility knife.
side. Slip the frames into the openings
3 , shim them so they’re plumb and
1/2-in.-thick bed of mortar along the

sill of the window frame. Next, place

secure them with finishing nails. a length of foam rubber expansion
and product information, contact strip against each side jamb. Press an
Pittsburgh Corning, 800 Presque SET THE GLASS BLOCKS L-shaped block spacer into the corners
Isle Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15239; Mix up a bag of white glass-block mor- where the sill meets each side jamb.
www.pittsburghcorning.com. tar in a wheelbarrow. A 50-pound bag Set the first block onto the L-spacer
(about $15) yields enough mortar to and slip a T-spacer under its opposite
PREPARE THE OPENING set about 26 8 x 8-in. blocks. Add just bottom corner. Press the block down
Start by removing the trim from
around the inside of the window.
Then, measure the rough opening to
determine how many blocks you’ll
need. If the opening won’t accept a
whole number of blocks, you’ll have
to reframe it so the blocks will fit.
Next, measure 8 in. from each side
jamb and mark the outline of the
PHOTOS BY GARY HEATHERLY

6-in.-wide x 34-in.-tall sidelights.

Use a utility knife to cut out the dry-
wall from each outline 1 . Move
outside and carefully pry out the win-
dow. Then, use a reciprocating saw
to cut out the wall sheathing from
4 After setting the first row in a bed
of mortar, press a square spacer
into the joint between the blocks.
5 With the spacers in place, use a
trowel to spread a thick bed of
mortar across the top of the blocks.
the sidelight openings 2 .
(Please turn to page 102)

100 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 PM
GLASS-BLOCK WINDOW
6 Add a metal anchor to every other
row. Bend the anchor at a right
angle and screw it to the side jamb.
into the mortar. Don’t put any mortar
between the block and the expansion
strip. Continue laying blocks across
the sill, using T-spacers. The last block,
like the first one, sits on one T-spacer
and one corner L-spacer.
HJ
Set the next course in a similar man-
ner, starting with an L-spacer. Spread
mortar across the top of the first course.
However, now use regular square spac-
ers between the blocks, not T-spacers
4 . After completing the second row,
again install square spacers along the
top of the blocks. Spread a bed of mor-
tar across the blocks and spacers in
preparation for the third course 5 .
To add structural integrity to the
glass-block window, install metal pan-
PHOTOS BY GARY HEATHERLY
9 Finish the job by installing trim around the perimeter of the window and each
sidelight. Use a miter saw to cut accurate joints at the corners and leave a
1/4-in. reveal along the window frame.
102
7 8
For this particular window, we
used one 4-in.-wide block in each
course to completely fill the opening.
el anchors and reinforcing wire along
every other course. Snip the wire to
length and embed it into the mortar
along the top of the row. Then, bend
the 24-in.-long anchor to a right angle,
making the short leg of the anchor 6 in.
long. Press the long leg of the anchor
into the mortar and screw the other leg
After the mortar cures, fill the
gaps around the glass-block
panels with clear silicone adhesive.
to the side jamb 6 . Cover the anchor
and jamb with an expansion strip.
Continue setting blocks for the
remaining courses. Note that for our
particular window, each course is
made up of four 8-in.-wide blocks
and one 4-in. block 7 . That’s because
the window opening was too narrow
to accept five 8-in. blocks.
When you reach the last course,
don’t spread mortar across the top
of the blocks. Instead, insert an ex-
pansion strip between the blocks and
the head jamb.
Allow the mortar to set for an hour,
then twist off the spacer tabs that pro-
trude from the blocks. Wipe the blocks
clean with a damp sponge. Strike off
the mortar joints on both sides of the
window with a jointer tool.
Each sidelight is composed of four
4-in.-wide x 8-in.-tall glass blocks. Set
these blocks using the same spacers
as the main window. And don’t forget
to install expansion strips along the
sides and top.
PHOTOS BY GARY HEATHERLY
FINISHING TOUCHES
Fill the joints along the sides and top
of the glass-block windows with clear
silicone adhesive 8 . Smooth out the
adhesive with a plastic spoon. Allow
it to cure overnight, then install trim
around the openings 9 . PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Voting Rights and Hearing
to Consider Whether to Approve Reorganization
You should read this Notice if you were exposed to ASBESTOS or ASBESTOS-CONTAINING
products manufactured, distributed, sold or possessed by FEDERAL-MOGUL CORPORATION,
T&N LIMITED and/or any of their subsidiaries or affiliated companies OR if you hold any claims –
including ASBESTOS PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS – against those companies.
NOTE: Federal-Mogul Corporation and T&N Limited are two of 157 affiliated companies in the Federal-Mogul reorganization
proceedings. Please consult the Federal-Mogul Reorganization Website at http://www.fmoplan.com, the Federal-Mogul Helpline
at 1-888-212-5571, or the Voting Agent listed below to obtain a complete list of the companies covered by this Notice.

A joint plan for the chapter 11 reorganization of Federal-
Mogul Corporation, T&N Limited, and certain affiliated
companies called the Third Amended Joint Plan of
Reorganization (the “Plan”) has been filed with the United
States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the
“Bankruptcy Court”). Persons or entities with claims against
or interests in the Debtors, including personal injury or
wrongful death claims relating to exposure to asbestos or
asbestos-containing products manufactured, distributed,
sold or possessed by any of the Debtors, may vote to accept
or reject the Plan by November 3, 2004. The Bankruptcy
Court will consider whether to confirm the Plan at a hearing on
December 9, 2004.
A detailed notice describing the Plan called the
Disclosure Statement (the “Disclosure Statement”), together
with a copy of the Plan itself and voting materials, called a
“Solicitation Package,” has been mailed to known holders of
claims against the Debtors or their lawyers.
One hundred thirty-four of the Debtors are companies
incorporated under the laws of the United Kingdom (the
“U.K. Debtors”). If you hold a claim against one or more of
the U.K. Debtors, including an asbestos-related personal
injury or wrongful death claim, your vote to accept or reject
the Plan will also be a proxy on certain matters in the United
Kingdom administration proceedings of the U.K. Debtor or
Debtors against which you have a claim.
KEY PARTS OF THE PLAN
The Plan proposes a Trust to pay asbestos personal
injury and wrongful death claims that relate to exposure
to asbestos or asbestos-containing products
manufactured, distributed, sold or possessed by any of
the Debtors. An injunction under sections 524(g) and 105
of the Bankruptcy Code, applicable to all people and
entities, will result in the permanent channeling of all
asbestos personal injury and wrongful death claims
against all of the Debtors and certain other parties to the
Trust. This injunction will effectively give the Debtors and
such other parties broad releases from liability for
asbestos-related claims. Persons and entities with
asbestos-related claims will be forever barred from
asserting their claims directly against any of the Debtors.
You should read the Plan and Disclosure Statement
carefully for details about how this may affect your rights.
HOW TO VOTE ON THE PLAN
The Bankruptcy Court has issued an order describing
exactly who can vote on the Plan and how to vote. The
Disclosure Statement contains information that will help you
decide how to vote on the Plan if you are entitled to do so.
Your legal rights may be affected if you do not vote on the
Plan. To be counted, a ballot voting on the Plan must be
received by the Voting Agent at the address below by
4:00 p.m. (prevailing Eastern time) on November 3, 2004.
If a ballot is not received by that date and time, it will not
be counted.
ASBESTOS PERSONAL INJURY AND
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS
Proof of an asbestos personal injury or wrongful death
claim does not have to be filed with the Bankruptcy Court at
this time. The Bankruptcy Court has established special
procedures for holders of asbestos personal injury and
wrongful death claims to vote on the Plan. Lawyers for holders
of these claims may vote on the Plan on behalf of their clients if
authorized by their client. If you are unsure whether your lawyer
is authorized to vote on your behalf, please contact your lawyer.
THE HEARING ON THE PLAN
A hearing to confirm the Plan (the “Confirmation
Hearing”) will be held before the Honorable Raymond T.
Lyons, United States Bankruptcy Judge, at the Clarkson S.
Fisher U.S. Courthouse, 402 East State Street, Courtroom 4,
Trenton, New Jersey 08608 on December 9, 2004 at 10:00 a.m.
(prevailing Eastern time). You may attend the hearing, but are
not required to do so. If you want to object to the Plan,
objections must be submitted in writing and received by
November 3, 2004 to be considered. Objections to the
Plan should be sent to the Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court,
United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware,
824 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Wilmington, Delaware 19801.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information about the Plan, Disclosure
Statement and the Trust proposed for asbestos-related
personal injury and wrongful death claims against the Debtors
(including copies of the Plan and the Disclosure Statement)
may be obtained by contacting the Debtors’ Voting Agent at
1-888-212-5571, or by visiting the Federal-Mogul
Reorganization Website at http://www.fmoplan.com.

For complete information, including all relevant forms, notices and instructions, please consult:

Federal-Mogul Federal-Mogul
Reorganization Website Reorganization Helpline
http://www.fmoplan.com 1-888-212-5571
Write to: The Garden City Group, Inc., Voting Agent for Federal-Mogul, PO Box 8872, Melville, NY 11747-8872
PM
Cleanup Crew
CONSUMER GUIDE
F
Heavy-duty equipment to keep your grounds
looking great. BY JOE PROVEY
HJ
OR the millions of us who haven’t
given in to the lure of lawn and gar-
den services that cost hundreds or
even thousands of dollars a year, yard
cleanup remains a rite of spring and
fall. Outdoor power equipment manu-
facturers know this and market dozens
of machines designed to speed the job
of getting rid of yard debris.
Most homeowners choose between
two options when it comes to the col-
lection and disposal of lightweight
00
materials such as leaves and clip-
pings: Mulch and leave the shredded
material in place, or collect the debris
and add it to a compost pile. Mulching
is best done with one or two passes of
a mulching lawnmower and is fine for
light leaf cover. Once accumulations
are more than an inch or two thick,
composting is a better idea. This is
best done in homemade bins of wood
or wire fencing, since store-bought
composters are usually too small to
handle sizable accumulations of leaves.
Of course, there’s always the option
of hauling the waste off to your local
recycling center. But even then you
have to collect the debris, and you need
the gear to get the job done right.
LEAF BLOWERS
Of course, every homeowner has a
leaf rake or two to keep the lawn and
garden looking great. But for big jobs
and the regular autumn cleanup that
much of the country endures, you’ll
need a good blower for gathering
your fallen leaves. These are available
in both electric- and gas-powered ver-
sions. Choose an inexpensive electric
(about $30 to $120) if your yard is
small and you don’t mind wrestling
with an extension
EXTREME cord. For home-
CHIPPERS:
owners with yards
Heavy-duty
machines like
of up to a half-acre
this 12-hp DR and several decidu-
chipper can ous trees, look for
handle 41/2-in.- a handheld gas-
thick logs. powered blower
with a 24- to 30cc
engine and a cubic feet per minute
(cfm) rating of about 400. Handheld
units are lightweight, less noisy than
backpack-style blowers, and can be
laid aside in an instant should you
want to grab a rake or need to run
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

to the garage for more bags. Reliable
units are available for under $200.
For larger yards with more trees,
consider a backpack-style blower.
They’re more powerful than handheld
units and the time you save will out-
weigh the nuisance of having to lug
the extra weight around on your back.
Look for at least a 40cc engine and a
cfm rating of 600 or more. Top units
have the On/Off, speed and trigger-
lock controls built into the blower-tube
grip. When shopping, look for substan-
tial shoulder and back padding, easily
adjusted shoulder straps, an easy-to-
swivel blower tube, and a handle for
carrying the blower to and from the
job site. Expect to pay between $300
and $400 for a quality unit.
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
Those with large yards may also
want to consider a leaf blower on
wheels. They’re much easier to use
than either handheld or backpack
blowers—and are much more power-
ful, with cfm ratings in excess of 1000.
But they’re expensive, with prices
starting in the $600 to $700 range.
When you shop for a blower, don’t
be tempted by the seemingly brilliant
idea of blower vacs—tools that use
airflow to either blow leaves away or
draw them into a collection bag. Shred-
ding leaves with these units requires
more time and energy than it’s worth.
Blower vacs clog easily and require
frequent stops to pull debris from the
tube. They don’t handle damp leaves
well, and when they do work, you’ll
PM
CONSUMER GUIDE
HJ
LEAF CONTROL: Blowers are faster
than rakes when the leaves build up.
This Little Wonder SHO blower is
ideal for large lawns.
end up lugging around a heavy, cum-
bersome bag of shredded leaves.
LEAF SHREDDERS
A better tool for reducing a huge pile of
leaves to a manageable bundle of fine
clippings is a dedicated leaf shredder.
One light-duty solution is the electric-
powered Flowtron LE-900 mulcher
(about $110, Flowtron Outdoor Prod-
ucts, 15 Highland Ave., Malden, MA
02148). This simple and effective unit
resembles a powerful string trimmer
built into the base of a large funnel.
The discharge chute is high enough off
105
PM
the ground for you to put a
bag beneath it. This design
CONSUMER GUIDE
doesn’t have the clogging
problems of blower vacs
and will allow you to
shred leaves faster, but
it’s still an enormously
time-consuming way to
handle leaves. It also has
trouble with wet, matted
clumps of leaves.
Shredding enthusiasts
may also want to take a look
at a chipper/shredder vac on wheels.
These machines come in a variety of
styles, some looking like giant vacuum
HJ cleaners and others like high-decked
lawnmowers. In both cases, they roll
along like mowers, vacuuming and
shredding leaves and small twigs.
Large 2- to 3-bushel rear bags hold the
equivalent of 20 or 30 bushels of
unshredded leaves.
The big attraction to these
machines is that they elimi-
nate the need to blow
leaves into piles.
You’re essentially bringing your
shredder to the leaves instead of the
other way around. Options include
self-propulsion—important if you
have hilly property—and an on-board
vacuum hose for sucking leaves en-
tangled under shrubs and in garden
beds. Most designs also include a chip-
per chute for small branches.
Chipper/shredder vacs are not
without several negatives. The vacu-
um hose attached to some units has
the same clogging problems that
plague handheld blower vacs—espe-
cially on lawns where lots of twigs fall
with the leaves. And, wheeled vacs
are not very effective with wet leaves
106
STIHL BR 340L BACKPACK BLOWER
 Engine: 44.9cc
 Blowing capacity: 636 cfm
 Weight: 19.8 lb.
 Price: about $320
 Stihl, 536 Viking Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23452;
www.stihlusa.com
This backpack blower boasts 50 percent
more cfm than typical handheld blowers and
may make sense for homeowners with large
yards. Its fan and muffler are specially designed
for use in sound-restricted areas, keeping noise
levels to 69 dB.
JOHN DEERE BH25 LEAF BLOWER
 Engine: 24.5cc
 Blowing capacity: 400 cfm
 Weight: 8.4 lb.
 Price: $170
 John Deere Inquiry
Dept., Box 13603,
Research Triangle
Park, NC 27709; www.johndeere.com
or on pavement. In addition, the cost is
This compact blower has one of the
industry’s best power-to-weight ratios.
pretty steep ($400 to $700) for yet
Its upgraded muffler also makes it one another limited-duty piece of equip-
of the quietest (68 dB at 50 ft.). Another ment that takes up valuable shed
excellent blower with a slightly more or garage space. Finally, chipper/
powerful engine is Stihl’s BG45 model. shredder vacs do not solve the prob-
lem of chipping up branches with
DR C1120BEA CHIPPER diameters over an inch or two.
 Engine: 12-hp Briggs & Stratton,
electric start CHIPPER/SHREDDERS
 Branch capacity: 41/2 in. Gathering and disposing of leaves is a
 Weight: 243 lb.
time-consuming task no matter what
 Price: about $2000
 Country Home Products, approach you take, but the real yard
P.O. Box 25, Vergennes, VT 05491; cleanup challenge for many home-
www.drchipper.com owners is the heavy stuff—brush, and
If you want larger branch- pruned
diameter capacity and are and
willing to dispense with the fallen
shredding function altogether, branches
check out this dedicated unit.
that are too
LITTLE WONDER small to burn in
SHO 9502 LEAF BLOWER a fireplace or wood
 Engine: 5-hp Honda stove and too big to
 Weight: 110 lb. compost in a reason-
 Price: about $700 able amount of time. To
 Little Wonder, handle them, you have
1028 Street Rd., two choices: Make regu-
Southampton,
PA 18966; www
lar trips to your munici-
.littlewonder.com pal recycling center or
invest in a stationary
This blower’s front wheel
chipper/shredder or
swivels for maneuverabil-
ity. Its high-performance dedicated chipper.
impeller and adjustable Chipper/shredders
deflector control airflow. are available in a variety
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 PM
of designs and capacities. TROY-BILT CS499
Typically, they’re equipped CHIPPER/SHREDDER

CONSUMER GUIDE
with two chutes. At the  Engine: 10-hp Briggs & Stratton
bottom of the smaller one,  Branch capacity: 3 in.
there are blades that reduce  Weight: 185 lb.
 Price: about $850
branches to chips the size of small
 Troy-Bilt, P.O. Box 368022,
change. At the bottom of the larger Cleveland, OH 44136
Tip-down chipper/shredders allow
the user to shred by either drop-
ping leaves into the hopper or by
lowering the hopper to the ground
and raking in the material. This
chipper/shredder has a mower-
like blade for shredding instead
of the flails typically used.

BCS BIO 100 CHIPPER/SHREDDER

 Engine: 8-hp Briggs & Stratton HJ
 Branch capacity: 3 in.
 Weight: 250 lb.
 Price: about $1600
 Echo Communications, 924 Chapala
St., Suite D, Santa Barbara, CA 93101;
www.bcs-america.com
BCS is well-known among serious garden-
chute are flails, hammers or blades ers for its heavy-duty construction.
This compact unit rapidly chips
that shred leaves and plant stalks.
heavy branches thanks to a heavier-
When shopping for a chipper/ than-usual flywheel (37 lb.). With
shredder, buy as much chipping two blades and 28 flails, the Bio
capacity as your budget allows. Look 100 can handle the toughest
for a unit with at least a 5-hp engine limbs, brush and debris.
that will chip branches up to 3 in. in
diameter. The weight of the machine check out the number of flails
and its components are or hammers the unit has. In
also good indicators of general, the more flails, the bet-
performance, durabil- ter the unit will be for pulverizing
ity and capacity. stalks and leaves. Some newer designs Many units have interchangeable
If shredding can be tipped down to allow you screens that allow you to determine
is important to to rake leaves into the hopper, mak- how fine you want to shred your
you, be sure to ing leaf shredding a little easier. material. The screens prevent the
material from being discharged until
YARD MACHINES 021H CHIPPER/ it has been chopped fine enough to
SHREDDER VACUUM fall through the screen openings.
 Engine: 4.5-hp Tecumseh Choose a model with a clutch if
 Branch capacity: 11/2 in. you can afford the extra cost. This
 Clearing width: 22 in. allows you to disengage the blades
 Weight: 85 lb.
and flails when not in use and to
 Price: about $380
 Yard Machines, P.O. Box 368022, gear down with heavy loads. In
Cleveland, OH 44136 addition, clutch-equipped chipper/
For homeowners who shred leaves shredders are generally easier to start
for use as mulch or compost, this and reduce overall noise. Pneumatic
unit is worth considering or semipneumatic tires make trans-
because it eliminates the porting these heavy units easy.
need for a blower and
Negatives with chipper/shredders
shredder. It allows you
to chip small branches include loud noise—ear protection
by feeding them into is a must—and a high price range of
the chute on its deck. $800 to $2000. PM

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 107

PM
Toilet Fix
HOMEOWNERS CLINIC
Floor Drain
Slab Plumbing
Gas Fireplace
Fall Lawn Care
The answers to your
home improvement
questions.
BY NORMAN BECKER, P.E.
HJ Deteriorated
Closet Flange
A toilet in my house was wob-
bling, but one of its flange bolts
broke when I tightened it. Then
I removed the fixture and found
the flange to be rusted and crum-
bling. At a home center I was told
that replacing the flange would be
very difficult and that a plumb-
er should do it. Is this true? As a
cost-saving measure I would like
to do the job, if possible.
JOEL ISAACSON
Corona, CA
Whether you can replace the flange
depends on several factors. In some
cases, the flange sleeve is soldered to
an old lead soil pipe and removing it
entails cutting away a section of the
pipe. This requires full access to the
REVIEW HELP WITH BATH REMODELING
W
ITH 30 years’ experience
and 14 houses renovated,
Gene and Katie Hamilton
are about as well-qualified as is
possible to write a book
on basic bath remodel-
ing. And that’s what
this Dummies book
delivers: 336 pages of
the essentials—based
on experience—from
planning, estimat-
ing and financing
to instructions for
108
������������
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������ ������ ������ ���
��� ����
���� ���� �������
���������
�������
��������
YOUR CALL: Depending on the floor type and the drain’s material, replacing a
toilet’s flange can be an easy job or one that requires a plumber.
soil pipe, and could be a problem if
the toilet is located on a concrete floor
with the pipe embedded in concrete.
Even if the toilet is installed on a
wood floor, the repair could be dif-
ficult if you find rotted subflooring
hands-on work like installing a
shower stall. While no single book
can serve as an encyclopedic ref-
erence on a topic so complex, this
book is an extremely thorough over-
view of the subject. It uses black-
and-white drawings to illustrate
the work itself. For more specifics,
you would have to buy a book on an
individual skill, such as plumbing.
The book costs about $20 at book-
stores. Contact Wiley Publishing, 111
River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030; www
.dummies.com. —Roy Berendsohn
���
����
under the fixture. This would have to
be replaced.
Luckily, there are plumbing prod-
ucts that make flange replacement
easier than it would be otherwise.
There are plastic replacements for
cast-iron closet flanges in which the
flange sleeve fits inside the soil pipe.
Others have a sleeve that slides over
the waste line. In either case, it’s
important that there be a tight seal
between the sleeve and soil pipe so
sewer gas does not enter the room.
If the above items do not present a
problem, and you are handy with tools,
ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE RETSECK
by all means tackle the job yourself.
Garage Floor
Drainage
I have a house with a 2-car garage.
In the winter, the car carries in
snow and slush that melts and
(Please turn to page 110)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 COLLECTOR’S REPORT

Astonishing Discovery of Mysterious “Gold Rush”

Coin Stuns Experts
World’s Rarest U.S. $20 Gold Proof Found: The San Francisco Mint 1854 Double Eagle Proof!
ASHINGTON, D.C—A one-of-a-kind Fabulous Rarity Valued at $12 Million.

W U.S. Treasury gold proof coin has

been surprisingly discovered within
the vaults of the Smithsonian Institution. This
Only one original proof coin is known
to have been struck. Even the fore-
most rare coin experts were
1854-S gold Double Eagle $20 coin was struck unaware of its existence until it
by the San Francisco Mint in its first year of was unexpectedly found deep
operation. The San Francisco Mint was born
out of the need for a Western Frontier Mint
when, in January of 1848, gold flakes were
discovered at Sutter’s Mill triggering one of
the most important chapters in U.S.
History—The California Gold Rush! To the
surprise of historians, this single “S” mint
Proof coin was individually struck from
specially polished minting dies. How this
unique Proof Double Eagle made its way
across the continent and then into
the hands of the Smithsonian Institution is
still a mystery.
Today the First Federal Mint announces the
public release of the first ever Proof com- in the vaults of the Smithsonian muse- Not shown
memorative layered in 24k gold honoring this um. America’s foremost authority on U.S. actual size

rarest U.S. Government $20 gold piece. This
Proof has a frosted image against a deep mir-
ror field, creating a breathtaking work of art in
gold. This 150th anniversary Mint release hon-
ors the legacy of a true historic masterpiece.
The magnificent proof is layered in 24k gold
and measures a full 39mm in diameter to truly
showcase the beauty and intricacy of this
legendary coin design. The Double Eagle
Proof is available only through this limited
edition, private release from the First Federal
Mint at the advance issue price of $19.95 each.
The 1854 Classic Reborn
1854-S
1854-S DOUBLE
DOUBLE EAGLE
EAGLE OR
OR $20
$20 GOLD
GOLD
Designer: James Barton Longacre
Diameter: 39 millimeters
Weight: 480 grains
Edge: Smooth
Edition: Limited
Note: The First Federal Mint, LLC is a private distributor of government and private coin and medallic issues and is not affiliated with the United States Government.
gold coins, David Akers, has written, “the
1854-S Double Eagle is easily the most signif-
icant and desirable branch mint proof coin in
existence”. With the recent auction sale of one
of the three 1933 St. Gaudens Double Eagles
for $7.9 million, senior numismatist Nicholas
Bruyer estimates the unique 1854-S Proof
Double Eagle would bring at least $12 million
if it ever becomes available at auction.
The “Gold Rush” Coin.
2004 marks the 150th anniversary of this
historic mint striking. The First Federal Mint is
releasing this collectors quality
Gem Proof layered in 24k gold to
honor the legend, lore and legacy
of the 1854-S Double Eagle!
Special Discount for
Advance Orders.
The issue price for this special
150th anniversary 1854-S Double
Eagle Proof has been set at
$50.00. However during the
advance release period only,
you may reserve your own Gem
Proof layered in 10mils of gold
for only $19.95.
Your 1854-S Double Eagle 150th
Anniversary layered Gold Proof
will be protected in a clear
acrylic holder and mounted in a
deluxe presentation case. A signed
and numbered Certificate of
Authenticity will attest to the speci-
fications and Limited Edition status
of this exclusive private mintage.
Your order must be placed
during this advance issue period to qualify for
the $19.95 price. Multiple orders of five or
more will be priced at $17.95 per Proof. You
must be 100% satisfied with your order, or sim-
ply return it within 30 days by insured mail for
a prompt refund of the purchase price.
Price Guarantee!
All prices are guaranteed during the
advance order period, regardless of any
increases in the price of gold. Order your
150th Anniversary Double Eagle Proof today
to ensure these prices before the advance
order period is closed!
The 1854-S Double Eagle Proof is not
available in stores.
Call now to take advantage of our special
direct offer.
1854 Proof Double Eagle $19.95 +S&H.
Promotional Code DEC238-06
Please mention this Promo Code when you call.
Toll-Free 24 hours a day
1-800-386-7157
We can also accept your check by phone.
Visit us Online at www.FirstFederalMint.com
To order by mail call for details.
14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. DEC238-06
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
 SERVICE TIP LAWN CARE

Fall Fertilization

W
ITH the cool-weath-
er grasses that cov-
er most lawns in the
United States, fall fertilization
is more important than spring
fertilization. The fertilizer you
apply in the fall promotes root
growth, and it’s the roots that
get the grass off to a good start
in the spring and see it through
summer heat and drought.
The best thing you can do for your grass in the fall is to apply a fall fertilizer,
not simply use up that leftover from the spring. To promote winter nutrient
storage and subsequent spring root growth, fall lawn fertilizer has a much
higher level of potassium than that used in the spring. A spring fertilizer may
consist of a 30-3-4 ratio (relative to the whole bag, 30 parts nitrogen, 3 parts
phosphorus and 4 parts potassium), but a fall fertilizer may have a ratio of
22-3-14, or more than three times the potassium of the spring product. Those
three numbers reflect the fertilizer’s NPK ratio, the letters from the periodic
table of elements standing for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. —R.B.

runs toward the house’s concrete-

block foundation. Can a drain be
installed without replacing the
entire floor?
KEN GLADEN
Via Internet
It’s not necessary to rebuild or replace
the entire garage floor slab. You may
as well take advantage of the slope
that already exists. One solution is to
cut a 2-in.-wide channel in the floor
slab adjacent to the wall. The channel
should be deeper than the thickness
of the floor slab so that the meltwater
that accumulates in it will percolate
into the ground below the floor slab.
It is possible that the ground will
be frozen and the water will not per-
colate down. In that case, you can
incline the base of the channel so that
the water will flow to a sump pit where
it can be pumped to the outside.
If the building lot that the house is
Plumbing
Replacement
My home is built on a concrete slab
and all its plumbing is under the
concrete. I’m expecting to replace
the plumbing system because of
leaks. Should I run new lines in
the ceiling? If so, what type pipe
should I use?
JAMES A. FAUST
Lexington, GA
First check with the municipal build-
ing department in your area because
replacing a house’s plumbing usu-
ally requires a building permit. Also,
they probably will tell you the work
must be done by a licensed plumb-
er and that specific types of material
must be used. Although many build-
ing departments permit plastic pipe
for water distribution and drainage,
other municipalities do not.
ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE RETSECK

located on is sloped rather than flat,
a drainpipe can be installed that runs
from the channel through the foun-
dation wall to a free-flowing outlet
at the low section of the property.
You’ll need a wet- or dry-cutting con-
crete saw for this job. Contact your
local rental center.
Water pipes, because they are under
pressure, can be run anywhere. If you
place them in the attic, be sure to insu-
late them from summer heat and win-
ter cold. Drain and waste pipes are
more of a problem because they are
normally not pressurized. It will be
necessary to cut into the floor slab to
(Please turn to page 112)

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 gain access to the pipe or excavate the
BUY TOOLS THAT LAST A pipe on the exterior, and redirect it.

LIFETIME Fireplace
WITHOUT PAYING Installation
I have a question about a gas fire-
FOR THEM THE place in my house. Is it safe not
to have a vent so the combustion
REST OF YOUR LIFE. gases can escape? I have a car-
bon monoxide detector plugged
into an electrical outlet as a safety
precaution.
GENE MCCOY
Lewes, DE
It sounds like you have a zero-clear-
ance, ventfree fireplace. Gas fireplac-
es have either a direct vent through
the wall of the house, a natural vent
up a chimney, or they have no vent, in
which case they are called ventfree.
Ventfree fireplaces have no need for
a damper and they discharge combus-
tion byproducts into the room, like a
kitchen range. They come equipped
with an oxygen-depletion sensor. If
the fire is taking too much oxygen out
of the room’s air, and it’s not being
replaced, the sensor will prevent com-
Hot-forged, full-polished, bustion. Normally, air is about 21 per-
cent oxygen. When the oxygen level in
rust-resistant and loaded the room gets below 18.5 percent, the
with pro-grade sensor shuts the fireplace down.
Zero clearance refers to the dis-
features. All in tance between components of the fire-
place and combustibles such as wood.
competitively priced full It has nothing to do with the means by
which the fireplace is vented. Howev-
sets. Expect to have them
er, it is an important factor that’s taken
a good, long time. For a into account during fireplace installa-
tion. Otherwise, a 2-in. clearance to
Stanley® retailer near you, combustibles is required.
Although a carbon monoxide
call 1-866-340-6909 or visit detector shouldn’t be necessary with a
www.stanleytools.com. ventfree fireplace, I’m glad you have
©2004 The Stanley Works

one. It’s an inexpensive safety device

that everyone with fuel-burning
appliances, such as boilers, furnaces
and heaters, should own. PM

Do You Have A Home-Maintenance

Go online at Or Repair Problem?
Just ask Norman about it. Send your questions
www.stanleytools.com to to Homeowners Clinic, Popular Mechanics, 810
receive a rebate coupon of Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019. While letters
cannot be answered individually, problems of
up to $10 direct from Stanley. general interest will be discussed in the column.
See website for details.

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 �ar�are AUTO CLINIC
BY MIKE ALLEN

HI-YO SILVER!
The alloy wheels on my truck have developed these ugly scablike dis-
colorations on the spokes. It looks like some sort of mineral from the
road has collected on them. I tried to wash them off with water and then
with bug and tar remover. They’re raised up, and have an orange-peel
texture. What can I use to remove them? Can I use a Scotch-Brite pad?
Bug and tar remover didn’t touch it. –Kerry McDonald, Grand Rapids, MI

T
CLEAR HOSE discolorations are
far more than discolorations.
ALUMINUM SILVER They’re corrosion. Scotch-
PAINT
WHEEL Brite won’t cut it. Here’s why.
Aluminum alloy wheels are almost
always painted with a silver paint,
TOO LATE NOW: Painted alloy wheels and then a thinner layer of clear paint
need to be treated like any other
is applied over that. (Sometimes an
painted surface.
area of the aluminum is machined
off for a shiny accent before the clear
is sprayed.) If the wheels are not kept
clean, the paint layer is attacked by
road salt and brake pad dust, and
starts to peel. Then, the corrosive salt
and dirt attack the aluminum wheel
itself. Your “scab” is corroded alumi-
num and the remains of the paint.
Here’s the bad news—it will have to
be removed mechanically, best so by
glass-beading or walnut-shell blasting.
Maybe you’ve caught it soon enough
that it can be sanded off. If the wheels
aren’t properly refinished—the surface
of the aluminum not sealed—they will
corrode again. The weathered alumi-
num is a field of tiny stress risers that
will substantially reduce the ultimate
strength of the wheels. What’s a stress
ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON MANNES

riser? It’s a discontinuity in the surface

of a crystalline solid, like aluminum,
that allows tiny cracks to start readily.
Tiny cracks eventually become large
cracks, and your wheels could fail.
Most body shops can properly
refinish wheels, but ask first how they

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 115

�ar�are
CAR CARE TIP remove the old paint and corrosion.
(It’s probably not necessary to remove
Turnabout Is all of the paint on the wheels, just the
part that’s damaged.) Sandblasting is
Fair Play not an appropriate method of strip-

T
HE customer was visibly
angry. He wanted to know
why I had to replace the
right-front CV joint in two of his
three high-mileage cars. He came
right out and accused me of doing
something to sabotage them while
I did his occasional maintenance
(very occasional). So I got him to
stand under the car on the lift next to
Couple that with an aggressive
ping alloy wheels—it leaves stress ris-
ers, which make the wheel weaker.
To do this properly, the shop should
demount the tires from the rims. Why?
The corrosion almost certainly goes
down into the bead area of the rim,
and will let air leak past the tubeless
tire’s bead surface.
So, how do you keep this from hap-
pening? Treat the painted surface of

ILLUSTRATION BY ADOLPH E. BROTMAN

me. I showed him the worn CV joint
and the new one being installed. I
asked him to notice how the outer
joint displayed a lot more angularity
than the inner, because that’s where
the wheel turns as you go around
corners. The inner joint has to be
displaced by the vertical movement
only, not the turning of the wheels.
driver who uses a lot of throttle,
and you have an outer CV joint that
sees a lot of strain. But wait, there’s
more. Think about it: We drive on
the right side of the road here, and
so the righthand turns are more
numerous and more angular than
the lefthanders—so the right-side
outer joint wears more rapidly.
the wheels like any other painted sur-
face—keep it clean, dry and waxed to
repel dirt. Use the same wax you would
on the car or truck’s bodywork.
A Round Of Applause
I have a 1994 Chevrolet pickup.
When I start the heater blower

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 SERVICE TIPS
 GMC Technical Service Bulletin
(TSB) 99-07-30-016B discusses at
some length auto transmission
downshift/slip/cycling diagnosis
on most GM trucks back to 1988. It
suggests some customers may be
confusing normal cooling fan clutch
operation with transmission prob-
lems. The TSB details normal cool-
ing fan function for the technician
and the driver.
 Idle vibration in the steering
wheel and front seat of your 2003-04
4-cylinder Honda Accord getting
on your nerves? TSB 04-024 has
two repair procedures. One involves
there’s a flapping noise for about
15 seconds—it sounds like clap-
ping hands, then it stops. If you
turn the switch off and back on, it
claps for 15 seconds again. What’s
the problem?
NORMAN LUEBBE
Seneca, KS
Are you missing a credit card or maybe
a parking tag that you left on your dash
a while back, Norman? I think there’s
a foreign object in your heater plenum
that’s flapping for a few seconds as the
fan speeds up. Or, some blend-air door
is loose. Take it apart and look.
These Boots Are
leaked out. Do I need to replace
these, or is enough grease going
into the joint?
HOWARD FONTENT
Lake Charles, LA
Those boots are there to keep mud
and foreign matter out of the tie-rod
ends and ball joints as well as keep
the grease in. You need to repair this
ASAP, or you’ll soon be replacing a
worn-out joint. You used to be able
to buy the rubber boots as a separate
part—good luck with that because I
got stupid looks at the auto parts store
when I tried to buy some. You may
need to buy the whole joint. Maybe a
salvage lot?
PM

replacing an engine mount and
tightening the engine mount bolts.
The second adds extra radiator
mounts and weight to the front bum-
per. This will move the bumper’s
resonant frequency out of idle range.
Made For Walking
My pickup has zerk fittings on
the steering linkage. When I
pumped grease into them, I dis-
covered the rubber boots over the
joints were broken, and the grease
Do You Have A Car Problem?
Just ask Mike about it. Send your questions
to Auto Clinic, Popular Mechanics, 810 Seventh
Ave., New York, NY 10019. While letters, faxes,
phone calls or e-mail cannot be answered
individually, problems of general interest will
be discussed in the column.

QUALITY • INNOVATION • TECHNOLOGY

VECTOR continues to lead the

way in portable power products.
Recognized as innovators
in new technology, Vector offers
the most complete line of
Smart 12V Battery Chargers,
Portable Vehicle Jumpstarters,
Rechargeable Spotlights
and Flashlights, DC to
AC Power Inverters,
Thermoelectric 12
Courtesy of NASA/JPL/Caltech

Volt Car Console

Coolers, Polishers,
Sanders, and 12
Volt Air Compressors.
Designed to meet exact
specifications for safety and
durability. Visit our website:
www.vectormfg.com
for the retailer nearest you.
To l l F r e e : 8 6 6 - 5 8 4 - 5 5 0 4
© 2004 VECTOR MANUFACTURING, Ltd.
�ar�are
SATURDAY MECHANIC
BY BOB FREUDENBERGER

Freshen Up Your
Musty Interior
S
ATURDAY night, and you’re
ready to prowl. Actually, it’s
time to take your potential
in-laws out to dinner, an operation
possibly more angst-ridden than
that first prom date. At least tonight
you can drive your own car instead
of having Mom squire you around in
her minivan. Showered and shaved,
you head out to pick up your intend-
ed and her kin. You flip on the a/c
only to have the passenger compart-
ment fill with the sweet aroma of old
sweat socks as the dash vents pump
in cold air. Time to pick up a new
pine tree air freshener at the carwash?
No. Better to get to the bottom of the
problem, find the source of that nasty
odor and kill it.
SMELL PATROL
We know a man who was getting ready
to sell his beloved vintage Corvette
because the interior reeked. Then he
found the cause: A slim package of
meat had fallen out of a grocery bag
and ended up under the spare tire.
While your car may not present such
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
MODERATE
an extreme example, the first step in
deodorizing is to remove everything
from the interior that’s not bolted
down or welded in place. Besides the
floor mats, that means all the flot-
sam and jetsam under the seats, the
fast-food wrappers from the console
and the odd dead chipmunk from
the glove compartment. Then, do the
same with the trunk.

1/8 "
HOLE

DRILL
STOP

A/C PLENUM

DRILL CAREFULLY:
ILLUSTRATION BY DON MANNES

Smells in your a/c

may require the
evaporator core to
be coated with an
antifungal agent.
Apply by opening a
hole in the plenum
and spraying it in.

(Please turn to page 120)

118 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

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�ar�are
Now feel around for dampness.
If any area is wet, a repair is called
for. (We’ll get to that.) But that still
doesn’t relieve you of the task at hand,
which is to get the inside of that car
as clean as possible.
Vacuum thoroughly, of course.
Just a few tiny fragments of food can
cause olfactory distress. Then, you
may want to get your hands on one
of those steam cleaners intended for
household carpets and upholstery. As
they say, “Use as directed.” A caveat
on headliners: If yours is fabric and
doesn’t appear to be very well attached
to the roof, you probably don’t want to
be pumping hot vapor and detergent
into that tenuous bond, then pulling it
downward with vacuum.
Many late models are equipped
with cabin air filters, and there’s
a good chance yours has become
odoriferous. Changed yours late-
ly? That job can be quite an exer-
cise in automotive disassembly.
That film
on the inside HERE’S MUD IN
of the glass? It YOUR EYE: Check
definitely has the a/c evapora-
an aroma, but tor drain line for
road debris or
is practical- clogging.
ly impervious
120
thorough cleaning as already described
is about all you can do. Alas, as a used-
car dealer we interviewed puts it, “If
the vehicle was driven by a heavy
smoker, particularly cigars or a pipe, I
don’t think you can ever get the smell
out.” He’s had a professional automo-
tive deodorizing service treat the cars
on his lot, but says he’s had only about
a 70 percent success rate with smells
in general, less with smoke.
SWAMPY ODORS
Water provides a habitat that’ll grow
all kinds of interesting specimens.
Think mold, mil-
WHAT’S THAT dew and bacteria.
STAIN?: Start by A common
thoroughly cleaning cause of carpet
the interior uphol-
stery with detergent
dampness, par-
to remove any odors ticularly on the
and mold spores. passenger’s side,
is a clogged air-
to ordinary window cleaners. We’ve conditioning condensate drain from
found that alcohol really cuts it. Cover the heater/evaporator box. This may
the dash and door panels with news- be from leaves, twigs and other plant
paper (alcohol can cause spots), then matter that finds its way into the ducts.
douse a clean cloth or pad of paper We’ve seen it get so bad that you can
towels and get to work. An added ben- hear sloshing while you’re driving.
efit is that you’ll actually be able to Sometimes the drain is simply a
see where you’re going at night. hole at the bottom of the box, or it may
When you’re finished cleaning be a plastic hose or tube that sticks
everything, leave the car parked out through a hole in the firewall. You’ve
in the sun with the windows open probably noticed a wet spot under the
for as long as possible. car that appears after you’ve parked
on a hot day—the drain will be direct-
SMOKE SCREAM ly above that. Use any kind of dull,
Smoking in a car with the windows long probe (a chopstick, an unsharp-
closed is the equivalent of scientifical- ened pencil, etc.) to clear it out. Some-
ly odorizing the interior. The smell per- thing too pointy can damage a rubber
meates every fiber, even those under drain tube.
the vinyl, and tar coats every surface. A Deteriorated or poorly fitting
door, window, trunklid or hatch
A/C EVAPORATOR seals will allow water to seep
DRAIN
in. Have somebody hose down
the car while you sit inside and
look around for drips. Also, look
in the trunk or under trim pan-
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RON CARBONI
els for water getting in through
the taillight assembly gaskets.
Windshield leaks are another
possibility, so you may need to
FOREIGN MATTER visit a professional.
If your vehicle has a spare
tire well, it’s likely a collection
(Please turn to page 123)
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 �ar�are Another means of keeping the inside
of the HVAC system smelling sweet
is an afterblower, such as the type
sold by AirSept (www.airsept.com).
It’s an electronic module that you
wire into the blower circuit. It keeps
the fan running for a predetermined
time after you shut off the engine,
drying out the fins.

DRAIN PLUG
point for water. Remove the spare
and check the condition of any rub-
ber plugs in the bottom of the well.
You can easily reseal them with RTV
silicone caulk.
WHITE OUT
Household bleach is the
most potent weapon against
whatever’s growing in car-
pet or upholstery, but you
can easily take out the dye
along with the odor. If the
material is a light color, you
might want to experiment
with a highly diluted solu-
tion on an area that’s hidden
from view
and see DISNEYLAND?:
All your furry
if you get little friends
whitening will have to
or spots. find a new
If not, home.
sponge it
into the suspect area, then use a wet/
dry shop vac to extract it.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RON CARBONI
MOUSE CONDO
Snug, dry and safe from predators—
what could be a better place for a
mouse to build a nest
DEAD SEA: Look
around for mois-
than a car interior?
ture and mold Once you’ve smelled
collecting in low that distinctive rodent
spots like the odor, you’ll always
spare tire well recognize it. And this
or footwell.
doesn’t just happen
in vehicles that are
conditioner’s evaporator core is the left unused for long periods—the busy
problem. There are two ways to go little devils can make themselves right
here. You can buy deodorizers that at home in one night, typically in the
you spray into the vents, but there’s glove compartment or HVAC ducts.
little chance that you’ll deliver enough Once you’ve located and vacuumed
of a dose where it’s needed to eradi- out all that shredded insulation and
cate flora and microscopic fauna. paper, you’ll find to your disappoint-
ment that the odor remains.
Try a product intended
for pet odors, such as Zep
MOUSE Commercial Pet Spotter.
GAS ATTACK
The most likely source for
the odor of gasoline inside
your car is the evapora-
tive emissions control sys-
tem, mandated initially for
1971 models. This collects
the fuel that evaporates
from the tank, and stores
it in a charcoal canister to
be metered into the engine
intake while the engine is
Professionals inject specially formu- running. The vapor hose from the
lated sprays directly into the heater tank can be cut or become discon-
box and really bathe that core. These nected. The result is fumes escaping

LOCKER ROOM
Sometimes it’s easy. You know exact-
ly where the odor is coming from
because you get it only through the
a/c vents. Condensate moisture
that promotes the growth of vari-
ous microscopic organisms on the air
sprays are available at automotive
parts stores and over the Internet,
and can be quite expensive. They
leave an antifungal coating behind,
good for two to three years. Bactine,
commonly recommended in automo-
tive folklore, won’t cut it.
into the interior. Find the top of the
gas tank, which likely will require that
you pull up the trunk mat, then follow
the hoses that run from it. PM
For more automotive features check
out the PM.Zone Web site
POPULARMECHANICS.COM/AUTO

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 123


Introducing the all New
Passport 8500 X50
For more than 25 years ESCORT has set the
standard. Now, we’re raising the bar…again.
Introducing the all new Passport 8500 X50…
the most advanced and most sophisticated
detector ever!
The Passport 8500 X50 takes radar/laser perform-
ance to the X-treme:
• X-treme radar range…up to 50% more
range on the all-important K and Ka bands
• X-treme laser response…high
Passport 8500 X50 Blue $339.95
Passport 8500 X50 Red $299.95
Plus S&H. OH residents add 6.5% sales tax
Escort Inc. 5440 West Chester Rd.
West Chester, Ohio 45069
Department 406894
PUSH OR PULL
NEW
(Continued from page 67)
Our 4066-pound rear-wheel-drive
Chrysler 300C came packing a 340-
!
hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and Daimler-
Chrysler’s ESP stability and traction
control system, equivalent to that
in the Chrysler’s corporate cous-
in, the Mercedes-Benz. The 3901-
pound Pontiac Bonneville GXP was
no slouch either, with its 275-hp
version of Cadillac’s 4.6-liter North-
star V8 driving its front wheels aided
by GM’s StabiliTrak. The Chrysler
performance circuitry that provides maxi-
mum laser warning blasted to 60 mph in 6.12 seconds
• X-treme POP protection…the most versus the Pontiac’s 6.95 seconds.
effective counter measure to the newest But when we watered down the track,
traffic monitoring technology the merits of front-wheel drive came
Order yours today. We’re so confident that you’ll
love it, we’ll let you test-drive it for 30 days – into play. With traction control on or
off, the big Pontiac lost less time in the
completely risk free!
The all new, technologically advanced Passport wet than the Chrysler. In fact, with
8500 X50 from ESCORT. The legend lives on. both cars’ electronic systems off, the
Pontiac was almost 6 percent quicker.
Call Toll Free 1-888-837-2678
1-888-8 ESCORT This leads us to believe that in some
©2004 Escort Inc.
powerful cars, front-wheel drive may
have a distinct acceleration advantage
DETECT THE DIFFERENCE when the road is slick.
www.escortradar.com In the handling tests, the results
were the opposite. The Bonneville
understeered when pushed. And like
the Camry, its stability control system
intervened before the car reached the
limits of grip. And that was true in
the wet and dry. The Chrysler’s ESP
seemed to do a better job of allowing
the car to reach its limit, and then sub-
tly using electronics to keep the big
car on course. In fact, our tester was
able to duplicate the test times through
our emergency lane change in the wet
and dry—a real testament to the state
of the car’s ESP. However, with the
ESP system defeated, like most pow-
erful rear-drive cars, the 300C could
be coaxed into oversteer.
ALL SAID AND DONE
Neither front-wheel drive nor rear-
wheel drive is really better than the
other. Today’s sophisticated traction
and stability control systems are so
good they can mask or enhance the
true driving dynamics of a vehicle.
That said, through most of this test
we found the effectiveness of these
systems had more to do with a car’s
performance than which wheels
were actually doing the driving. PM
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
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Henry Repeating Arms is making it’s popular Henry Golden Boy available in
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A favorite of law enforcement personnel, the SureFire 6P is just 5.1 inches long
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Great
EDITED BY CLIFF GROMER

Stu≠ From new thrills on the water

to a new way to grill.
Here’s the gear to get.

PM 1 TRIPLE PLAY

Until now, you rode your PWC either standing or sitting. With the Sea-Doo
3D you can stand, sit, or ride somewhere in between. Each riding mode
offers its own handling characteristics. The craft converts easily to the
desired mode via the adjustable seat and handlebar/steering assembly.
Contact Sea-Doo at 800-882-2900. SEA-DOO 3D PWC $6999 AND UP www.seadoo.com
128 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
2 TINY TUNE HOLDER
JETAUDIO iAUDIO 4 $129-$249
As small as a pack of Juicy Fruit,
JetAudio’s iAudio 4 is a combination MP3
player, FM radio and voice recorder.
That’s a lot of features packed into
an amazingly small device. You
can customize your iAudio 4
with LED backlites and logos
in 124 colors to make it truly
your own. And, you can forget
about a separate USB driver to
download your songs because
the product works as a USB 3
2
Flash Plug-n-Play removable
disk drive. It comes in 512MB ($249),
256MB ($179) and 128MB ($129) memory
formats. www.jetaudio.com

3 KIDDING AROUND
POPULAR MECHANICS FOR KIDS
VHS AND DVD $12.98-$14.98
The award-winning “Discovery Kids” TV
series is now available on home video. 4
“Radical Rockets And Other Cool Cruising
Machines” and “Slither & Slime And Other
Yucky Things” help kids discover technol-
ogy and nature. Each video runs more
than 90 minutes. They can be ordered
from the Web site. www.kochvision.com

4 COOK EITHER WAY

CHAR-BROIL GRILL $220
Can’t make up your mind whether you
want to cook with charcoal or gas? This
Char-Broil grill lets you do both. Its
VersaFlame cooking system provides
35,000 BTU of gas cooking power, but if
you want to switch to charcoal, no prob-
lem. Use the grill’s stainless steel pan to
hold the briquettes, and you can ignite
the charcoal with the grill’s gas burner.
The grill comes with a night light powered 5
by six C batteries. It’s sold at department
stores and discount retailers. Contact Char-
Broil, P.O. Box 1240, Columbus, GA 31902;
888-224-7455. www.charbroil.com

5 PIPE DREAMS
CLASSIC TUBE EXHAUST TUBING
$4.50/FT. AND UP
(STRAIGHT TUBING)
Forget the pipe-bending exhaust shops.
You can cobble up your own custom or
stock exhaust system using Classic’s 16-
ga. T-304 brushed stainless steel tubing.
The tubing is available in straight lengths
and a variety of bends. Outside diameters
range from 3/4 to 3 in. Contact Classic Tube
at 800-882-3711. www.classictube.com

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM 129

Great
Stu≠
1

1 DIM VIEW
WISER VISOR $18.95 + $4 S&H
When the sun sneaks around your car’s visor, you’ll find the Wiser Visor better than
squinting or stretching your neck. The product clips to your present visor to block
glare and ultraviolet rays. It adjusts up and down and side to side, and folds up above
your car’s visor when not in use. The Wiser Visor is available direct from Skunes Manu-
facturing. Call 888-353-8567. www.wiservisor.com

2 PLAY BALL
MADDEN NFL 2005 $49.95 2
Can you believe Madden NFL Football is in its 15th
year? That’s right, video game publisher EA Sports
has been putting this one out for more than a decade
and 2005’s version is meant to be the best yet. The
Hit Stick is a new feature that lets players put more
oomph into their tackles. Used carefully, the Hit Stick
can completely change the outcome of a game. Along
with new animation, the ability to create your own
fans with the Create-a-Fan feature and a new defen-
sive playmaker control, you’ll be immersed in the
action more than ever. www.easports.com

3 COUNTER REVOLUTIONARY
SEARS BREW ’N WAVE $150
Space, as they say, is always at a premium. More
so in the kitchen, which is why Sears has paired
a coffeemaker with a microwave oven. One pow-
er cord, and a footprint measuring 23 in. wide x
171/8 in. deep means it occupies less space than
two appliances. The microwave has a 14-in. turn-
table and 10 power settings. The coffeemaker
brews from one to four cups and its warming
plate self-adjusts to keep the coffee at its opti-
mum temperature. It’s called the Brew ’N Wave
and is sold at Sears stores and the company’s 3
Web site. Contact Sears, Dept. 703, 3333 Beverly
Rd., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179. www.sears.com

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 4

4 THE WINDUP
AUTOREWIND $80-$140
There are a lot of things about yardwork
and gardening that are enjoyable, but
winding a garden hose onto its reel is
not one of them. The AutoRewind uses
the water pressure stored inside the
hose to power a water-piston drive
mechanism. Sizes are available for hoses
ranging from 65 to 200 ft. Contact Hydro
Industries USA, 2 Executive Dr.,
Suite 780, Fort Lee, NJ 07024.
www.hydro-industries.com

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 DO IT
YOURSELF.
BRAG TO
EVERYONE
ELSE.
Jonathan
Wal-Mart Customer
Introducing the all-new
Stanley® Mechanics Tool
Sets at Wal-Mart.
Available in 62-, 96-, 122-,
151- and 246-piece sets,
these professional-grade
tools are perfect for any job,
big or small. And now you
can fix what’s broke without
going broke because these
exceptional new Stanley tools
are available at Wal-Mart’s
Every Day Low Prices.
© 2004 WAL-MART
1 BLEED @ 3x11 125 TRIM @ 2 5x10 5
1
1 HOME CARE
iROBOT ROOMBA DISCOVERY
$249.99
The Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner is
now in its second generation and the
high-end Roomba Discovery is iRobot’s
best model yet. Apart from detecting and
cleaning up dirt on its own, a sensor now
lets the Roomba know when it’s stuck and
helps it escape. It’s especially good if you
have tassels on your rugs. The Discovery
is quieter and has a longer battery life
than previous models, and it charges in
just 21/2 hours. Also, it will return to its
Home Base to recharge when the battery
runs low. www.irobot.com
2 HAVE A F I T
MULTIPIECE SHOWER $365
As anyone who has ever remodeled a
bathroom can tell you, fitting the new
materials into the gutted space can be the
worst part of the job. Sterling’s Ensemble
shower system has that figured out with
solid plastic components that squeeze
through doorways and around tight cor-
ners. Once in position, they snap together
with tongue-and-groove joints that don’t
require caulk. They’re available in a range
of sizes in five colors: white, bone, almond,
gray and biscuit. The shower system
shown measures 34 in. deep x 36 in. wide x
753/4 in. tall. The 4-piece kit is sold at home
centers. Contact Sterling, Kohler, WI 53044.
www.sterlingplumbing.com
2
SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
LIVE @
 3

3 MAXIMUM VIEW
SERENGETI POLARMAX Outdoor Wood Furnace
$149.99-$199.99 100% Wood Heat for Your Home,
Serengeti has introduced the dream lens. Water, Shop and More.
The lightweight PolarMax polarized
line of sunglasses uses photochromic
“Buying a Classic Central Boiler is one of the best decisions
technology to adjust the lens to varying
light and weather conditions by seeking I have made... my heat and hot water cost me zero.
optimum light transmission. The lenses Since installing the boiler I saved between
are injected with photochromic material
rather than coated with it, so it will never $300 and $400 per month...” - Don P., CT
scratch off. Frames come in stainless steel,
titanium, Tortoise and Shiny Black. You
have a choice of brown or gray lenses.
www.serengeti-eyewear.com

4 LEAK STOPPER Financing Available

at participating dealers
REPAIRCLINIC.COM MICROWAVE (OAC)
LEAK DETECTOR $30
When we positioned
this microwave
4
Dual Fuel Option and Stainless
leakage detector Steel Models Available.
near an empty, ©2004 Central Boiler ad3222
running micro-
wave, we learned
the appliance leaked
energy like a sieve. With
food in it to absorb and Lubriplate® No. 105
reflect the waves, it was tight
as a drum. Good to know. The
Motor Assembly Grease
9-volt device couldn’t be easier to Transmission Hood & Trunk Throttle Linkages Door Hinges
Hood Latches
use. It’s sold by RepairClinic.Com, 47440 Assembly Hinges & Cables & Locks
Michigan Ave., Suite 100, Canton,
MI 48188. www.repairclinic.com

For Motor Assembly

And So Much More!
5 Still The Best For Motor Assembly
• The original prelube for installed engine parts.
• Prevents “Dry Start,” provides lubrication during initial start up.
5 SLICE O’ LIFE • Prevents rust and corrosion on freshly machined engine parts.

SLICER $350 Countless Other Automotive Uses

If you do a lot of food preparation this may
be your slicer. This appliance is designed
to slice from 1/2 in. thick to paper thin. The
appliance’s head can be positioned hori-
zontally or at a 30˚ angle to its base, and
its cantilevered design allows a platter
to be positioned under it. Contact Chef’s
Choice, 825 Southwood Rd., Avondale,
PA 19311. www.edgecraft.com
• Excellent for transmission rebuilding and assembly.
• The original white grease for hinges, latches and locks.
• Ideal for power seat mechanisms, tracks and slides. A Must Have For Every Tool Box!
® Also Available at:
Lubricants
Lubriplate Div. / Fiske Brothers Refining Co.
Newark, NJ 07105 / Toledo, OH 43605 / 1-800-733-4755
Online Webstore: www.lubriplate.com / Visa / MC / AmEx

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

Great
Stu≠ 1 GRIPSTER
1
A.G. RUSSELL FIELD TWEEZERS $7.50
We tried these tweezers and have never found
any that are better. The A.G. Russell Field Tweezers
are made in the United States from a single piece of
spring-tempered stainless steel. The precision points
provide pinpoint gripping accuracy. The tweezers come
with a stainless steel clip holder that will attach to a key ring.
Contact A.G. Russell Knives at 800-255-9034. www.agrussell.com

2 CHEESE IT
APPLICA GRATER $30
Many aspects of cooking are fun, but
not grating. To help you get food on the
table a bit more quickly, consider this
battery-powered grater. It comes with
three stainless steel blades: fine, coarse,
and a blade for dessert toppings such as
shaved coconut or chocolate. The blades
can be cleaned in the dishwasher. The
device is part of Black & Decker’s Gizmo
line. It’s sold at department stores and
discount retailers. Contact Applica at 5980
Miami Lakes Dr., Miami Lakes, FL 33014.
www.blackanddecker.com

3 GOOD TIMES ROLL

DUNLOP MOTORCYCLE TIRE
$117-$140 AND UP
Dunlop has rolled out its new D607
dual-sport motorcycle tire. The H-rated
tubeless tire will fit large-displacement
street-oriented dual-sport adventure
bikes. Benefits include good grip in wet
or dry conditions, and excellent handling
with increased mileage. Prices start at
$117 (front) and $140 (rear) at motorcycle
dealers. Contact Dunlop at 800-845-8378.
www.dunlopmotorcycle.com PM

SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM

 Save Hundreds of Dollars on the 6.0 Mega-Pixel Digital Camera
®

Dazzling Digital Color, 6.0 Mega Pixels, UNBEATABLE PRICE!

im Loaded With Features: • Still / Video Mode FREE BONUS
a Sl Tripod & Carrying Case
Ultr a Light • Up to 109 pictures in built-in 16M memory • P.C. / Mac. compatible
U l t r NOT
$
799 99

• 6.0M- 2848 x 2136 pixels 14 pictures • 4 x digital zoom

O N LY • Uses interpolation to achieve 6.0 mega pixels • 1.5” TFT LCD

299
95
$ • Lithium-ion rechargeable battery • USB 1.1
• 41/2 ounce, Ultra Slim 31/2" x 21/4"x 13/16” • Software: Ulead Photo
EA
• Built-in Flash Explore 8.0 Cool 360

16MB. Built-In 13
/16” LCD Screen

Doubles as a camcorder How can we offer this quality at such a price?

®
Six Mega Pixel
Digital Camera
Super-advanced 6.0-mega-pixel camera
This camera has twice the detail-resolution of most digital
cameras. From a 4x digital zoom portrait to a distant panora-
ma, it takes astoundingly beautiful photographs. Color is
richer and more brilliant. Clarity is knife-edge sharp, and
tones are incredibly true to life.
Longest battery/picture-taking time
Other digital cameras gobble up batteries almost as fast as a child
can eat a bag of potato chips. Not the Bell+Howell®. It uses a
very long lasting rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which will
give you about 2 hours of continuous picture taking on a full charge.
Ultra small with tremendous built in memory
This camera is almost as small as a credit card. It’s so small it
can even fit in your shirt pocket. Yet it has an amazing 16 MB
of built-in flash memory to store up to 109 photographs
depending on resolution. Preserve nearly a lifetime of photo-
graphs by using the camera's SD card slot for removable
memory cards.
Capture those once-in-a-life-
time events in movie mode: baby's
first steps, accepting a diploma, catching
the wedding bouquet. You get 85 seconds of
streaming video with built-in flash memory (30
seconds is the norm) and as much as 12 min-
utes on a 128 MB memory card (not included).
Reliable and built to last
This is not one of those plastic cameras tinted to look like
metal. It has a shockproof aluminum body and durable con-
struction that makes this the last digital camera you'll ever
need to buy.
$75-worth of FREE software & cables
Your purchase includes a TV cable and a USB cable for your
PC as well as software to catalog and browse photos, add spe-
cial effects, or create a slideshow with music. Our digital cam-
era and software allows you to display your pictures on your
computer, TV screen, the camera’s own LCD screen, or
develop them almost anywhere!
Trust Bell+Howell® with your memories
For almost 100 years Bell+ Howell® has been a leader in pro-
viding fine photographic equipment and electronics. Now
they have done it again! This is a precision-engineered cam-
era you can rely on to capture and preserve life's most pre-
cious and treasured moments.
We have a special arrangement to offer you this
Bell+Howell® 6.0 Digital Camera at a fraction of the price of
other 6.0 Digital Camera due to high volume capabilities.
But at this price, we expect out inventory to sell out fast! Ask
for special pricing when you buy two digital cameras!
Get your Bell+Howell® Digital Camera home
for just $59.99.
If you choose the five payment plan we will ship you the
camera with your first payment at $59.99 plus shipping &
handling. After that, we will bill you $59.99 once a month
for 4 additional payments. We will also ship you a
Bell+Howell® Tripod and Carry Case, a $29.95 value, FREE
with every order. Warranteed. Call today!
NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES.
For fastest service, call toll-free
1-888-217-6243 24 hours a day, 7 days a week / we accept checks by phone
®
Bell+Howell® 6.0 Digital Camera Dept. 3465
P.O. Box 5555 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359
To order by mail please call toll free 1-888-217-6243 for details.

Save up to $70 on the Sunlight Lamp!

®

CLEARER, BRIGHTER, EASY ON THE EYES NATURAL LIGHT

FOR READING, WORK, AND HOBBIES
•C OLORS LOOK MORE VIVID AND TRUE TO LIFE
•S HARP VISIBILITY FOR DETAILS
•H ELPS REDUCE EYESTRAIN
So much like sunshine it feels like you’re on vacation!
The Bell & Howell Sunlight Lamp could be the most important advance in
lamps since the invention of the light bulb! It simulates outdoor sunlight,
which is balanced across the entire spectrum of color visible to the human eye.
Everything seems easier to see WAS
$
99 95

This is the clearest, whitest, and brightest lamp we have found. Colors look more vivid and true to life. It’s
the perfect light for reading, working and all close up tasks and hobbies. There is virtually no glare, making
$
69 95

this the perfect companion light for computer work. NOW ONLY
Save $$$ on your electric bills!
The supplied high-tech 27-watt bulb gives as much light as an ordinary 150-watt bulb, but uses far less
energy. The bulb can last up to 5000 hours - 5 times longer than other bulbs—for years of normal use.
$
59 95
EA

We’ve nicknamed our Sunlight Lamp the “It’s great to be alive lamp!”
Many people say that dreary, dark days make them feel “blue” and that bright sunny days have a cheerful
and energetic effect. Now you can switch on the sunlight indoors every day of the year!
A word about this unheard of price
Bell & Howell has been a leader in developing cutting edge products for almost 100
Table Lamp years. This lamp features the state-of-the-art performance you expect from the well-
Only $49.95
respected Bell & Howell name. We have a special arrangement to offer it to you at an
unbelievably low price. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis. With ordinary lamp

Call toll-free TODAY to order your Bell & Howell

Get your floor lamp home for just $19.99! Sunlight Lamps while supplies last!
If you choose the 3-payment plan, we will ship you the floor lamp with your first Floor Lamp (60.5”high): $59.95 plus S&H
payment of $19.99 plus shipping and handling. After that we’ll bill you $19.99 Table Lamp (26”high): $49.95 plus S&H
once a month for two additional payments. 3 year warranty. For fastest service call toll -free Bell & Howell Sunlight Lamp, Dept. 4182
® 1-888-218-5333
24 hours a day, 7 days a week / We accept checks by phone!
P.O. Box 5555 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359
To order by mail please call toll free
1-888-218-5333 for details.
 Buyer’s Guide
For advertising rates call Jackie O’Connor (212) 649-2930 or Rene Biemer (212) 649-2929. Fax: (212) 258-2253.
Send advertising material to: 810 Seventh Avenue, 6th Fl, New York, NY 10019. 1-800-333-4948.

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138 SEPTEMBER 2004 | WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM
 To reach over 9 million prospects, or for additional advertising information, call McNeill Group, Inc toll free at: 1-800-394-5157, ext. 28
fax: 1-215-321-9636, or e-mail: aesposito@mcneill-group.com. Thank you for choosing Popular Mechanics Classified Advertising,
385 Oxford Valley Road, Suite 420, Yardley, PA 19067. For subscription inquiries call 1-800-333-4948.
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SOLAR MICROPUMPS garden drip
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RUN YOUR PORTABLE GASOLINE
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WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2004
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141
PM TIPS & HINTS

It Worked For Us
OVERPAINTING
MUNTINS
MULTIPANE windows and doors
are beautiful things. They let plenty of
light through and make a compelling
architectural statement at the same
time. If you are fortunate enough to
have newer windows or doors where
the dividing muntins are clad in vinyl,
you never have to worry about paint
peeling. This is a good thing because
painting them can drive you nuts. It’s
not that it’s hard work—it isn’t. It’s
just very time-consuming, especial-
ly if you want to coat both the out-
side and inside surfaces. The biggest
time and patience consumer is paint-
ing along the glass, usually called
cutting in. One way to avoid this
tedious work is to simply throw cau-
tion to the wind and overpaint the
muntins and not worry about spread-
ing paint on the glass. Once the paint
is dry to your touch—usually about
30 minutes if you’re using latex—
come back with a razor blade and demand relief. There are a lot of com- being repaired. All are good ideas. But
scrape the paint off the glass. Just mercial products out there. Some can if none are on hand, you don’t have
make sure that you don’t wait too be used straight out of the can, others to live with your mistakes. Just take
long. If the paint is completely dry are 2-part formulations that require some fine sawdust from the wood that
and hard, it will take you almost as mixing before use, and still others are needs repairing and mix it with some
long to scrape it off as it would have to tinted to match the color of the wood plain wood glue (white or yellow)
carefully cut in around each muntin. until the mixture is the consistency
of a thick paste. Then, fill what needs

ILLUSTRATIONS BY GEORGE RETSECK

HOMEMADE filling and strike the surface smooth
WOOD FILLER with a putty knife. When the glue is
IF none of us ever made a mistake dry, sand the filler flush to the sur-
when working on a project, there rounding surface. This mix will remain
wouldn’t be much need for wood filler. workable only until the glue starts
But the out-of-square cut, the pilot hole to set—about 30 minutes for most
bored in the wrong place, the hammer wood glues—so don’t mix up more
dent that’s just too deep to leave, all than you can use at one time. PM

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