Four-Links – Clair Patterson, papercraft, two-wheel-steer motorcycle, Golden Gate Packard

I briefly considered scrapping the entire Four-Links format this week to focus entirely on Lucas Reilly’s longread on Clair Patterson, the chemist/geologist who for decades doggedly pursued the evidence – against stiff opposition and subterfuge from the automotive and petrochemical industries – that leaded gasoline was polluting the earth and that it was making us sick, stupid, and mean. Seriously, take the half hour or so to read the entire story and consider that without Patterson’s research we’d still be fueling with leaded gasoline.

* In the end, however, I can’t call it a Four-Links and include any less thank four links for you to click, so here’s some of Wendell Koch’s papercraft cars – no need for leaded gasoline here.

* Ever wonder how to build a driven and steerable motorcycle hub? Rohorn showed us how this week.

* The Golden Gate Bridge turns 80 today, and as part of the celebrations the Bridge District will trot out a 1937 Packard it owns that has been part of pretty much every past celebration, commemoration, and any other special event connected to the bridge. The Petaluma Argus-Courier has more on the car.

* Finally, part 1 of a BMC reel on the development of the original Mini. (via)