By Richard Farrell   Thu, May 06, 2010

My story begins in the early 1960's when I was a bored schoolboy wandering around a badly lit basement under a shopping centre in Pretoria, South Africa looking for a safe place to have an illegal cigarette. There were all kinds of cars parked there, including an unusually squat one lurking under a dusty piece of canvas.

I drew the cover aside and found a long narrow sports car with what looked to me like motorcycle mudguards over the wheels and motorcycle headlights on the bonnet. I climbed in and sat down on a tiny leather seat behind an enormous steering wheel. I soon got bored and got out again. Then I spotted a silver plaque about half the size of a pack of cigarettes on the front end of the bonnet just above the crude mesh grill. I wiped it clean. It stated that the car was the Talbot that won the 1950 Le Mans race. That didn't mean an awful lot to me, and so I finished my cigarette and got on with other things.

The other day I got curious again and decided to find out more about the car. I learned that it was driven to victory after covering 3,465 kilometers in 24 hours, meaning that the father and son team of Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier had maintained an average speed of 144 kilometers per hour in what was a fairly basic car by today's standards.

The Lago-Talbot Type T26 was a factory works racer provided with a 4.5 liter 260 horsepower straight eight engine that was conventionally aspirated through a side air intake known as a bazooka. The "bazooka" can be clearly seen in the illustration – the absence of the motorcycle mudguards in the picture suggests that "my" car was the wider bodied version with mudguards and headlights that was designed especially to comply with Le Mans standards, which would make it totally unique.

The Lago-Talbot Type T26SC-GS owes its victory to the vision of Anthony Lago who headed up the firm in those days. He was an engineer of the old school who believed in improving road car components by tweaking and testing them under the harsh conditions of motor car racing. Remember, in those days there were no computer simulation tools available and drivers simply tested the parts to failure.

Anthony Lago began his experiments in the late 1930's on an existing 3.0 liter six cylinder engine already in commercial use in Talbots since the beginning of the decade. At the end of the hostilities he was joined by a new designer named Carlo Marchetti, who helped produce the first 4.5 liter version of the six cylinder engine. There was more work to be done as the prototype only produced 165 hp, which was bumped up to 240bhp by introducing a number of innovative modifications, including shortening the pushrods by moving the lateral camshafts half way up the block.

Even when finally able to produce the required 260 hp, the Lago-Talbot was still no match for the Alfa-Romeo team. This time Anthony Lago and Carlo Marchetti turned their attention to the design of the car itself. They based this on the classic roadster design working back from the long bonnet to a more triangular shape to compensate for the high engine block, and then added transverse leaf springs and friction dampers up front to help maximize stability.

Although still slightly deficient in performance the Lago-Talbot had several design benefits that helped Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier drive it to victory in the 1950 Le Mans. These included better fuel consumption and longer legs due to the lack of supercharging and a more economic straight six cylinder engine compared to the competition's supercharged V8’s, plus legendary reliability. It won the 1950 La Mans because it stopped less frequently, as opposed to being the fastest car on the track.

The enduring contribution made by the Lago-Talbot Type T26SC-GS to automotive development was the balance struck between brute power and efficiency, and in this way Louis Rosier can also be regarded as the unintentional father of modern, environmentally conscious motoring.

By Stefan Abrutat   Wed, May 12, 2010

It seems living beyond one’s means is an aspiration nowadays, rather than a fault. The advent of the disposable lifestyle is leading (if we’re not there already) to disposable educations, societies, relationships, and people. Respectively, university students cite higher wages as the primary reason they matriculate, yet still end up in more debt than in any other time in history. Divorce rates are likewise at an all time high. Wars continue to rage. So take a page out of this innovative man’s book, when faced with the pursuit of artificiality; cheat with impunity. Because being artificial about artificiality cancels itself out.

By Carson Honaker   Mon, May 10, 2010

Get ready to “rev your engines” with muscle cars, a great atmosphere, and good eats at Rick Treworgy's Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda, FL.  This magnificent museum features a 99,000 square foot building with over 200 classic ‘50s to early ‘70s muscle cars. 

You'll get a glimpse of some amazing vehicles including a '67 Mustang GT 500E, a '66 Impala SS 396, and ‘69 Camaro Yenko clone.

This is just the tip of the tailpipe. The museum has a collection that boasts GM performance cars including:

·      1967 - 1970 Z-28 Camaros

·      1968 - 1971 396 Camaros

·      1964 - 1971 SS Chevelles

·      1965 - 1971 SS El Caminos

·      1958 - 1967 Big Block Impalas

·      1964 - 1971 Pontiac GTOs

·      1964 - 1972 Oldsmobile 442s

There is also a vast array of Hot Rods and antique Chevys, including one or more Corvettes from ’54-2006.

Rick Treworgy and His Dream

The automobile has played a big part of Rick Treworgy's life, with him falling in love with cars as a child.  Model cars, pedal cars, and any toy with four wheels were always a fascinating inspiration to him.  Driving by age 16, a great time for a guy who loved muscle cars, Rick started out with a 10 year old Chevy.

Early on, Rick's interest in old cars was purely financial, since they were all he could afford.  As time passed, he found that these old cars had a “certain charm”.  He often bought, restored, and sold cars as a hobby.

Soon, his interest turned to collecting GM cars, Chevy's in particular.  After fourty years of collecting and stock piling over 200 vintage muscle cars in four warehouses, he decided to move into a central location and share his passion with others.  He found a closed Walmart store and turned it into Muscle Car City, a 99,000 square foot car museum.  The museum opened in March of 2009. 

Extras at Muscle Car City

The museum has a lot to offer car enthusiasts, including car cruises, a speed shop, a car corral, a memorabilia store, and a ‘60s themed diner.

The car cruises and showings are a strong point for Muscle Car City.  With 720 parking spaces at the museum and many car clubs from around the U.S. scheduled to make an appearance at Muscle Car City each year, there will definitely be plenty going on.

The speed shop offers a full line of hot rod, muscle car, speed and restoration parts to rebuild or improve your own ride.  For those who don't want to mess with the mechanics, the car corral may be for you.  It has hot rods and other high-performance cars that visitors can purchase.  If collectibles are your thing, then check out Muscle Car City's memorabilia store which offers a variety of vintage and modern automobile collectibles.  The memorabilia gift shop carries everything from T-shirts, posters, and jewelry to neon signs and gas pumps.

After taking in all of the metallic muscle beauty, you'll probably be hungry.  The ‘60s style diner at Muscle Car City offers a nice variety of omelets, biscuits and gravy, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and cheese steaks.  In addition, there are old-fashioned floats, sodas, shakes and homemade ice cream to keep your stomach “topped” off.  The diner is open daily for breakfast and lunch.

As you can see, Muscle Car City has a lot to offer to car enthusiasts, families, ... just about everybody.  The museum is located in Punta Gorda, Florida.  Admission is reasonable at $10 for a one time pass for adults and those age 12 and older.  Children that are under 12 are free with an adult.  An annual pass can be purchased for $30.  Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.  Diner hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. 

For more information, you can call Rick Treworgy's Muscle Car City at 914-575-5959.

By Steven Hennis   Fri, May 14, 2010

Americans simply love a great rivalry.  It may be Duke versus North Carolina on the hardwood, Ohio State versus Michigan on the gridiron, or Yankees versus Red Sox on the diamond.  Yet another great American rivalry is the Ford Mustang versus the Chevrolet Camaro.

The Ford Motor Company unveiled the Mustang midway through the 1964 production year and a legend was immediately born.  A completely new classification of car had been discovered. Small, nimble and powerful, dubbed “pony cars” due to the Mustang’s pony emblems.  Sales went through the roof immediately and continued for decades. The original Mustang utilized many component parts from the very pedestrian Falcon model, but reskinned into a much sleeker and sexier form.  The entry level models had six cylinder engines and three speed transmissions, but performance models were available equipped with V8’s, four speeds, handling packages, improved brakes and acceleration minded rear end gear ratios.

Mustangs naturally fit the SCCA’s new Trans Am racing series which featured stock bodied cars with production engines and components.  The series included car manufacturers from the world over, but the Mustang dominated early on in the classification for car with engines displacing over two liters.

The executives at GM quickly realized that Ford was onto something and burned the midnight oil to catch up.  In the Fall of 1966 the ‘67 Chevrolet Camaro was introduced and the next legendary pony car was let loose on the American roads.  The Pontiac Firebird was based upon the same platform, only powered by Pontiac engines, and was introduced in the middle of the ‘67 model year.  The Camaro line ran the gamut of performance, ranging from six cylinder cars to powerful V8’s with performance and handling packages.

These two rivals have competed against one another on showroom floors, road racing courses, drag strips and between stoplights for more than four decades.  Both cars began their lives with uncompromising performance and have seen several generations of development.  They have been upsized, downsized, seen the onslaught of emissions controls and safety regulations, weathered fuel crises, and been transformed from bare knuckles machines into vehicles sporting electronic fuel injection and onboard computers.

In recent years these old rivals have also become two of the most popular and desirable cars among collectors.  Baby boomers drove these cars as young kids or rode in cars owned by their Dads and older brothers.  The most desirable models are still the oldest.  The Mustang’s first generation spanned ‘64 through ’66, but ’67 through ’70 is also very desirable, and the Camaro from ‘67 through ’69, with additional interest through the late 1970s.

The SCCA rules for its Trans Am Series limited engine displacement to 305 cid.  By 1967, both Ford and Chevrolet had developed fire breathing 302 cid engines for their performance oriented street cars, forming the basis for the SCCA race cars.  The showroom cars were factory rated at 290 horsepower, but in reality both engines developed over 350 horsepower.

The recent 2010 Barrett-Jackson auction at Scottsdale, Arizona contained several excellent examples of these old pony cars.  There was a beautiful, fully restored Rally Green 1969 Camaro Z28 (Lot #90) which sold for $64,350. 

This car is a perfect example of a first generation Camaro and is essentially a factory race car which would have been perfect to convert into SCCA Trans Am duty.  It’s been restored from top to bottom on a rotisserie, meaning the car was completely torn down and reassembled on a rotisserie device to allow the car to be spun upside down for perfect detailing.  It has the original DZ 302 engine with the upgrade to a dual Holley equipped JL8 cross ram intake manifold, plus the M-21 “Rock Crusher” four speed transmission.  The rear end is a 12 bolt posi-traction unit stuffed with 4.10 gears and it’s equipped with four wheel disc brakes.  Outside, the car has an immaculate new paint job in the rare original Rally Green color, the bulging cowl induction hood and Chevy Rally wheels.  Inside it has an AM/FM radio, rosewood dash insert, center console and black vinyl bucket seats.  The price paid for this near perfect car is near the top of the scale in today’s market.

Another great example was a Hugger Orange 1969 Z28 RS (Lot #443.2) equipped very similarly to the previous Z28, except it lacks the dual carb cross-ram set up and is a more common color.  But this Rally Sport model is a frame-up restoration, runs the DZ 302 engine, four speed transmission, rally wheels and it has the optional hideaway headlights.  This car sold for a somewhat more reasonable $49,500 and has massive head turning power.

At the lower end of the scale was a very sharp bright red 1968 Camaro Coupe (Lot #413).  This car retains a very stock appearance inside and out, although it has incorrect “SS” (Super Sport) badges.  The engine is a 327 cid V8, which is the base-level V8.  It’s equipped with a Turbo Hydramatic three peed automatic transmission, which is highly streetable although less collectable.  This restored Camaro is an excellent example of a great looking, reasonably priced, boulevard cruiser.  It’s not a true competitor for a street fight and has some minor non original modifications, but will still draw attention everywhere it goes.  This is a great entry level first generation Camaro for the $22,000 sale price.

Finally, there was a 1968 Camaro RS/SS Coupe (Lot #686).  It is a fine example of a factory street machine.  It has the 325-horsepower, 396 cid big block engine, Turbo Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission and 12 bolt posi-traction rear end with 3.73 gears.  This model is significantly heavier and more front heavy compared to a small block car with a manual transmission.  But such a model is great for cruising and the big displacement, high torque engine demands respect.  This Camaro is fully restored, perfectly repainted with the original and very mellow Butternut Yellow color, black SS stripes, Rally wheels, reproduction polyglass tires, drum brakes, console and wood grain dash.  The big block engine makes this car a fair purchase for $55,000.

Turning to the Mustangs, there were several excellent examples of a basic, yet great looking, first generation Mustangs. A numbers matching 1966 coupe (Lot #356) painted Silver Blue, equipped with the base level 289 cid V8 engine, C4 three speed automatic transmission, factory air conditioning and power steering.  Although not a fire breather by any means, the V8 engine is a great upgrade from the base straight six cylinder.  The sale price of $16,500 for this vehicle is very affordable and makes this car a very good deal.

There was also a 1969 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet fastback (Lot #430.1) which is the epitome of the pony car platform transformed into a boulevard cruiser.  The larger, heavier 428 Cobra Jet engine adds a lot of weight to this vehicle and degrades the handling characteristics due to the resultant front heaviness.  However, all those wonderful cubic inches give this Mustang amazing acceleration performance which is the stuff that street racing legends are based upon, and the automatic transmission is a very good fit for more of a “straight-line” performer.  The car is impeccably restored, repainted in the original Aztec Aqua color, and is equipped with some rare options such as power brakes, power steering, the sport deck fold down rear seat, and seat belt warning lights.  The sale price of $69,300 is definitely a fair price for such a rare and beautiful car.

The classic early Mustang is the coupe, or “notch back”, body style.  However, the introduction of the “fastback” body style dramatically changed the character of the Mustang’s looks to a somewhat racier and meaner stance.  A 1965 Mustang Fastback (Lot #703.1) a prime example of the fastback’s good looks. It has the 289 cid V8 engine, four speed manual transmission, disc brakes, power steering and Rally Pac.  This is just the sort of model ordered back in 1965 by a guy who wanted to do a little track racing on the weekends but use the car as a daily driver during the week.  The one unusual option is the factory air conditioning.  While somewhat gaudy by today’s standards, the black exterior with red interior is a highly desirable look for 1965. This car is professionally restored and its $39,600 sale price is very justified.

Finally, there was an excellent example of one of the ultimate factory built race cars, a 1970 Mustang Boss 302 (Lot #1037.1).  For a guy looking to build a competitive road racing car, this was where to begin.  This example is rotisserie restored and painted the original, and very rare, bright white color.  It’s equipped with the under rated 290 horsepower 302 cid “Boss 302” engine, four speed manual transmission, oil cooler, front/rear spoilers, spacesaver spare tire and hood tach.  With very few modifications, this car would have been race ready for its owner back in 1970.

One of the fastest-growing segments of the collector car market was very visible at the 2010 Barrett-Jackson auction.  This is the category known as “resto-mods”.  The cars are fairly stock-looking in appearance, but run modernized super-high-performance aftermarket parts.  A wonderful example of a Mustang resto-mod was the 1965 Mustang Custom Fastback (Lot #978).  It’s definitely a one of a kind white Mustang with stock looking bright red stripes.  Under the hood is a 693 hp, 347 cid V8 engine constructed from a Dart block with Stage 2 aluminum heads, Paxton supercharger and Accel DFI fuel injection.  It also runs a custom 1.75” stainless steel exhaust system with Magnaflow mufflers, Tremec five speed manual transmission, Auburn limited slip rear end, huge brake rotors.  The interior is completely custom rendered in gray leather and features an integrated roll cage.  Outside, the factory appearing body is very subtly modified with smooth fender flares, shaved door handles, a custom made front grille, PIAA fog lamps and 18” Torque Thrust wheels.  The sale price was $104,500 but the amount of custom work on this car completely justifies that price.

A wonderful example of a Camaro resto-mod was the bright red 1967 model (Lot #734) powered by a 565 cid all aluminum big block featuring a Kinsler progressive throttle body and F.A.S.T electronic fuel injection.  The custom exhaust is fabricated from 3” stainless steel tubing.  There is a Corvette ZF six speed transmission, Ford 9” rear end with 3.89 gears, Baer four wheel disc brakes and custom machined wheel.  The sale price was $126,500 for this truly unique Camaro.

The 2010 Barrett-Jackson auction became just the latest location for the ongoing Mustang versus Camaro rivalry.  The car collector hobby and each enthusiast benefitted from the entertaining stream of these cars which crossed “the block”, each unique and special in its own way.

By Christopher Smith   Wed, May 05, 2010

Can’t have too much of a good thing, right? Just like the glam rock bands of the era, 80’s cars came in a variety of flavors and sizes, they were at times a bit over-the-top, and there were way too many to try and keep up all of them. Here are 10 honorable mentions that could rock out the clubs on the Strip, but for various reasons never cracked the Billboard top 20.

1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe—Large and in charge with the Mustang SVO’s 2.3 liter turbocharged four cylinder, an available five-speed manual tranny, and a host of luxury items like active suspension control.

1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI—Modern day hot hatchbacks like the Ford Focus RS, MazdaSpeed 3 and Honda Civic Si owe their existence to the GTI. It was lightweight and practical, it handled like a go-kart, and it was quick enough to be fun.

1988 Camaro IROC-Z—One can’t think of mullet cuts and rocking out to Whitesnake without thinking IROC-Z, and with the bugs worked out of the General’s 350 V-8 it was a tire-smoking boulevard bruiser, not to mention one of the quicker rides of the decade.

1985 Porsche 928—Who can forget Tom Cruise sinking his Dad’s 928 in the movie Risky Business? Add in the 928’s all-new, 288-horsepower DOHC 5.0 liter V-8 for 1985 and you have another iconic 80’s ride made famous by Hollywood.

1989 Chevrolet Corvette—Arguably the least-desirable generation for America’s premier sports car, the C4 Corvette’s modern styling and handing improvements (albeit at the cost of ride quality) helped to keep the ‘vette magic alive until the horsepower caught up with the styling.

1986 BMW 635CSI—The classy lines of BMW’s first 6-series are punctuated by the sexy growl of its gutsy inline six-cylinder engine, never mind the endless list of luxury items offered by this coupe. Folks may also recall a pre-Die Hard Bruce Willis and 80’s goddess Cybil Shepard sporting a 635 in the quirky drama Moonlighting. Hollywood strikes again.

1983 Mazda RX-7—This tiny road racer embodied the essence of sports car motoring with its light weight and balanced handling. Though initially down on power, by the end of the decade the RX-7 would evolve into one of the best sports cars in the world.

1980 Ferrari 308—It’s hard to imagine the early 80s without Magnum P.I. rocking the airwaves in his red Ferrari 308. Though technically a mid-70’s design, the 308 lived through 1985 and became the car of choice for guys with neat mustaches and an abundance of chest hair.

1988 Honda Prelude 4WS—Aside from being one of the original tuner cars, its sleek styling, robustly-economical engine and rock-solid reliability would set a benchmark in this class. And oh yeah, it was also the first production car to offer four-wheel steering. How cool is that?

1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible—Not all memorable 80’s autos are purely performance oriented. Aside from being the last “large” droptop Caddy, the Eldorado’s rarity, distinctive 80’s style and front-wheel drive V-8 power make it a sought after collectible of the era.

By Car Chat Guy   Mon, May 03, 2010

I heard an interesting interview with an environment group the other day that took a sociological approach. He said that sales were just over 10 million cars last year in the US, down about 2 million from 2008. China sold about 12 million this year, in China.

He said that for the first time since WWII there were more cars scrapped than sold new in the US, and he did not attribute that to the "Cash for Clunkers" program. He attributed it with the "urbanization" of America, where more people, especially younger ones, and “empty nesters”, were moving back from the suburbs to the urban centers, thus not having as much of a need for cars. Also, these urbanite young people are communicating in new ways (internet, smart phones) and don't travel as much for socialization. So the social aspects of the car are changing more dramatically than the cars themselves.

He said four out of five Americans live in cities (albeit some small ones) as opposed to rural areas. Auto sales have been above 15 million cars annually since 1994, and there is a large existing fleet of used cars still in service. With an average used car lifespan of some 15 years, it might be another 10 years before more than 15 million cars per year are again sold in the U.S., even without economic turmoil.

Demolition derby, anyone?

By Jonathan Kaufman   Tue, May 11, 2010

Add walls, a ceiling, and a concrete floor and you’ve got yourself a garage, right? Well, sure, but that’s like calling an 85’ Plymouth Reliant a car!

You probably all remember that best-selling poster we all hung up in our bedrooms during high school or in our college dorms. You know the one with ten garages that read, “The Benefits of Higher Education,” or “Decision, Decisions, Decisions.” It had a cross-selection of fine automobiles lined up one after the other, and it set in motion that eternal “guy discussion” about what ten cars you would choose if it was your ten car garage to fill. Always a fun bit of car talk amongst your buddies. But other than walls, floors, a ceiling, and your choice of cars, what makes for a truly great garage?

It’s really all about scale and priorities. Scale is important, because as much as we’d all like to have Leno’s money and his garage(s), that’s just not realistic for 99.9% of the population. On the flipside, there’s no such thing as a car guy that would ever be happy with just one car. Sure, you might love, adore, baby, modify, restore, and play with just one car, but given a bigger budget, you’d have at least one more. Then there’s the lifestyle part of a great garage. Some car guys would say the only real car guys work on their own vehicles, others would staunchly disagree, but in the end, the important part is taking care of them properly. So no matter what, there’s an area dedicated to car care--it might be a ginormous tool box, a hydraulic lift, and a full array of air-compressed apparatus. It could be a full-on welding set-up, maybe a place to work on sheet metal with cutting tools and glue sets and upholstering machines. Or it might just be a very well equipped cabinet filled with towels and the latest and greatest from Meguiars and Zymol. A great garage has a place to fulfill a car guys need to take care of his car.

A major factor that separates a “great garage” from all other garages is livability. This is where that gap between “man cave” and simple vehicle storage is bridged. The greatest garages are cool enough, neat enough, safe enough, and large enough to hang out in for hours, if not days at a time. What functional elements make for this important “next level” in garage greatness? There are four simple items. There can be dozens more, but there are at a minimum, these four items. The first is a refrigerator. Now any fridge will do, that’s true. But in truth, it should be a fridge that speaks to your taste in the automotive world, or automotive history. If you’re a 40’s-50’s car guy, then a vintage fridge from that era, even unrestored (but working), is a remarkable piece for your garage. Likewise, if you’re a German car guy, of any era, there’s nothing quite like a stainless steel Bosch fridge sitting next to a 60’ era 356 or a 1980 gun metal 911 whale tail Turbo. There’s that next level of that fridge holding some nicely chilled American beer or German beer or Italian beer suited to your car craziness. And sure, a wine fridge is a nice touch, but there’s something about garages and beer. Save the vino cravings for your next trip to Formula 1 at Monaco or the Concours at Pebble. Same on the cigars guys, eventually, that stench will find its way to your precious upholstery--ventilation or not. Always, always, always make sure there’s ice in the fridge, you’ll need it for drinks and you’ll need it for injuries.

The second item you need is a sofa. Yes, a sofa. Chairs get in the way, get broken, end up holding tools or pizza boxes or helmets or jackets. Loungers or La-Z-Boys aren’t bad, but they’ve got to be nice and not cheesy and let’s face it, quilted blue velour is just cheesy. Quilted blue velour with grease on it is cheesier yet, and quilted blue velour with grease on it, and food stains is just downright gross! Take two cans of Scotchgard, spray the crap out of a decent but cheap fabric sofa and put it in the garage. If you have a “side room” within your garage, leather is even better if you can afford to go that way. Scale is important here too and size is a factor--it’s simple, the bigger the sofa, the more guys you can get on it (without feeling too close). So go with the biggest sofa that the space can handle, “L” or “U” shaped sofas are a total bonus, if you can do it, do it.

Third item is the “red Corvette” of the great garage set up, it’s the TV and audio. Like the sofa, bigger is better, louder is better. Every great garage has a TV. There’s always a place for it, and there’s always a place for speakers and a receiver. Whether you’re into sports, racing, or just love to hunker down with some buddies on a stormy Sunday to watch the “Bullitt/Cannonball Run” double feature again, a nice big screen will serve the garage well.

Last but not least, the fourth items are what define your garage, they define your car craziness and your automotive loyalty and passion. This is the category of car “stuff.” This is your memorabilia, signage, framed articles, photographs, trophies, and other such stuff. It is the ultimate car guys definition of ‘decorating’ a great garage. The great thing about these items is that they are both infinitely affordable and outrageously expensive. With the advent in recent years of replica signs and reproduction posters, there are dozens of places to buy reasonably priced pieces of art, posters, and other materials that reflect your car thing. In many cases, there are also pieces of cars that can be polished or painted, and hung, for very little money. Steering wheels make for great wall art.

There’s more, of course, and there always will be. If you budget can handle it, there are pool tables now made from car chassis, upholstered leather chairs with any car logo known to man, exquisite tables with bases made from new racing tires, polished aluminum blocks, pistons, or wheels.

Flooring can now be glazed, polished, rubber coated, or covered in customized plastic tiles. These always make for a nice touch and more often than not, provide great protection against oils, transmission fluid, or other harsh chemicals making it into your concrete, of draining off into the water supply. They just make clean up, and remaining cleaned up, a whole heck of a lot easier.

Whether it’s one car or 100 cars, these four elements are at the core of turning your space into a great garage. It’s in this great garage that dreams and ideas are generated, good friends become great friends, and unfinished projects find the light of day. Only car guys understand the importance of this space. And it’s only car guys who will never finish having that conversation about which ten metal beasts are best suited to theirs.

By Guenter Hohmann   Thu, May 20, 2010

A Little Automotive Nostalgia:

Every auto make and model had its own unique design and you can tell the make and model in an instant.

3 speed stick on the column

Fluid clutch. Why a clutch at all?

Split windshields

Flathead engines

Two tone paint

Push button auto trans Edsel

Chromed steel bumpers with bullets on front

Wide whitewall tires

Portawall false whitewall

Fender skirts

Spare tire on back. Toilet seat

Chopped and channeled

Raised and lowered

Nosed and decked

Bar grills

Flex exhaust pipes to make it look like duel

Dynaflow transmissions. Did you feel it shift?

Fuzzy dice

Fuzzy mirror

Graduation tassels hanging from mirror

Retractable hard top 1957 Ford I had one. Wish I had it now.

Turboglide transmission 1957 Chevy. Did you feel that one
shift?

Tubes in tires. Man did they blow out fast

Auto transmissions with only 2 speeds. Powerhouse

45 rpm record player under dash. Skipped over every bump

No seat belts. Ouch

No head rests

Metal dashboards

Only AM radio

No power steering or brakes. Who needs a spa?

Big steering wheels that had to be turned 3 times to round a
corner

Big metal horn rings

Suicide knobs

Ignition points. What's that? Oh yea, you adjusted them with a matchbook cover

Oiler kits to pump more oil into the rocker covers

Single master cylinders (some under the floorboard). One leak and no brakes. Pedal to the floor. Crunch!

Glasspack mufflers

Just rubber mat on the floorboard. No carpets. Carpets were an option

Even a heater was an option

No air conditioning Open the windows and go 60 mph

Drive in movies

28 cents a gallon for gas. Those were the good old days

Car hops

Hood emblems. The bigger the better

Fins. The bigger the better

High beam button on floor. Always rusted and corroded and seldom worked

T-Bird sequential tail/directional lights

2 seater T-Birds

Edsel, Pinto, Yugo, Fiero

Bench seats even in the front

Vent glass windows on front doors

Bias ply tires. Wore out in no time

Two door hard tops were cool and a four door was the old man's car.

Would rather be dead than drive the old man's station wagon

Vacuum operated windshield wipers. When you accelerated the wipers would slow down

Retread tires

Manual overdrive on transmission

4 bbl carbs

3 two's

Duel quads

Oil bath air filters

I am sure you can all think of more and I would love to know your thoughts.

By Robert Livesay   Wed, May 19, 2010

When obtaining antique vehicle insurance quotes, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind to make sure you are comparing oranges to oranges. You want to only consider classic car insurance companies that are underwritten by a company with an "A-" or better rating by A.M. Best, and are licensed to do business in your state. Make sure you are insuring your classic car for its actual market value, and that your policy is based on an "Agreed Value" for the car. Also make sure that the mileage limit on the policy, if any, is not lower than the total your classic car will be driven in a year. Once you have those points covered, it is time to get into the pertinent details!

First consider the limitations that antique vehicle insurance companies place on their policies. As previously stated above, many policies have mileage limitations. In addition, they are very selective about who the policy will cover. Most classic car insurance companies will have requirements for a driver's age and/or years of experience behind the wheel. Some collector auto insurance companies require that the driver be at least 21 years old, and others will have a minimum age of 25 or 26. If you have teenage drivers in your home, your classic car may not be covered if they drive it.

You or your household may not be eligible for specialty antique vehicle insurance if you have had more than one or two moving violations in the past three to five years. Additionally, more than one or two at-fault accidents will usually disqualify you. Every classic car insurance company is different on these details; make sure when you are getting classic car insurance quotes that you qualify for the program, and state all moving violations and accidents to the classic car insurance companies.

Another point to consider is that most, if not all, classic car insurance companies will not cover any accidents that occur while racing. Many muscle car owners take their car to the drag strip now and again, and classic sports car owners often compete in road races. If you participate in any racing activities, make sure you read the fine print in the policy. You probably don't want to actually ask the question, as even the suggestion that you may be racing the car might affect your classic car insurance quotes! If your classic car is going to be in a restoration or repair shop at some point, make sure that the car is covered while it is there. Some insurance policies transfer the responsibility to the shop's insurance carrier if damage occurs while it is in the shop's possession. Make sure you will receive compensation from YOUR insurance company if damage occurs at a restoration shop, and let the insurance companies fight it out between themselves. If you plan on attending classic car shows with your vehicle, make sure that the policy covers your classic car if damage occurs while at the show. Similar to being at a repair shop, some policies will transfer responsibility to the show organizers if damage occurs on the show premises.

When obtaining classic car insurance quotes, ask if the policy will cover the cost of original equipment repair parts. Most "normal" insurance policies only provide for "acceptable substitutes", and will not cover the extra cost of OE repair parts. Along the same vein, make sure that the policies on your classic car insurance quotes include coverage that will allow you to take the car to the repair shop of your choice. Many specialty repair shops charge a premium for their labor because they do superior work. You want to make sure the collector auto insurance policy will cover the extra cost of having your classic car repaired by an expert of your choice. Be aware of the additional benefits that are provided with the policy. Some classic car insurance quotes will include differing amounts of coverage for spare parts, towing, accessories installed on the vehicle, and windshield repair or replacement. There are different deductible amounts for these items that need to be compared, also. Most classic car insurance companies offer automatic coverage for 30 days after the purchase of an addition to your classic car collection, but the maximum limit for that coverage varies by company.

Lastly, you need to find out what the agency you are getting the classic car insurance quotes from requires from you to help decide the value of your classic car. Different classic car insurance companies will have different requirements, depending on the type of car and the amount you want to insure it for. Some companies will only require one photo for some cars, others may require five or more photos (including one of the garage where you keep it!), and still others will require an expert appraisal if your proposed value exceeds a certain amount. Some classic car insurance companies will only insure a car that has a value of a certain minimum dollar amount ($3000, $5000, $10,000) or more.

When comparing classic car insurance quotes, you need to make sure you keep all of the above factors in mind. Insurance is something that you hope you never need, but when and if you do, you need to know what is covered and what is not. Get antique vehicle insurance quotes from several providers before signing to make sure you are getting the policy that fits your particular situation and needs the best.

By ArthurB   Tue, May 18, 2010

AmCar Guide decided to pick out the best movie muscle cars that have ever appeared on screens. The aim was to select only muscle cars and only from movies so a few serious candidates didn't appear on this list because they were from TV series, was not a muscle car, or simply didn't get into this list. Anyway, AmCar Guide wants to mention 1970-1971 Plymouth Barracuda from "Nash Bridge" [with Don Johnson], Cobra from "Cobra" [with Michael Dudikoff], non muscle but exotic and iconic 1981 DeLorean DMC-12
from "Back to the Future", 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from "Smokey and the Bandit",1958 Plymouth Fury from "Christine", "Kitt" - Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from "Knight Rider", 1969 Dodge "01″ Charger from "The Dukes of Hazzard",1959 Cadillac Ambulance from "GhostBusters", etc. Each of them is someone's
dream car, each is perfect in some ways, but here's our TOP 10 Movie Muscle Cars:

1. Bullitt - 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 from "Bullitt", 1968

Probably this is the only unmodified movie Mustang ever. It has massive 325 HP, a real American muscle car's heart under the hood - the aggressive 6.4 liter V8 engine, 4-speed manual transmission [which definitely looks hard to shift] and sporty rear wheel drive to
have fun while cornering. What else do you need from a real muscle car for chases, especially back in 1968?

2. 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 from "Vanishing Point", 1971
 
This one was a hot model with outrageous 375 HP, 440 cubic [7.2 liter] V8 which plays probably the sweetest automative soundtrack. Would You manage to find a better car for Kowalski to drive from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours?

3. Eleanor - 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 from "Gone in 60 Seconds", 2000

Eleanor is probably the most copied muscle movie car ever to appear in screens. Even though the original
movie from 1974 was a hit, the 2000 stole the show for sure. There were 11 Eleanor units built for this movie and only 3 of them were actual running and driving cars. In the movie it acted as Shelby, but really they were modified Mustang fastbacks. The movie transmission was a 4-speed manual, but the stunt cars were automatic for easier act. Real legend.

4. The Interceptor - Australian 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe from "Mad Max", 1979

This was was the most modified car in that movie. XB GT Falcon was built exclusively for Australian market and there were only 949 units built. It came with 351 Cleveland engine and 4-speed manual transmission The movie car kept most of the original interior, but body had some serious changes : new nose design, rear spoilers, Weiand 6-71 supercharger with Scott injector had, 4-barrel carburetor
and the Zoomies - side pipes. Australians are proud of this car and also make replicas of it.

5. Bumblebee - Chevrolet Camaro from "Transformers", 2007

The Transformer's Bumblebee made Camaro one of the most popular car of the year. Well, not only it transforms and looks good, but has a modern amcar engine - 6.2 liter V8 which rates 426 HP and
does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds...

6. 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Magnum from "Bullitt", 1968

This triple-black, 4-speed Charger chased the Mustang in the "Bullitt" movie and made one of the greatest car chase scenes ever filmed. When the jumping act was performed over the San Francisco hills the Charger never failed with the suspension. Would you be able to name a car from
nowadays that could do that without ending as scrap?

7. Cobretti's custom 1950 Mercury Monterey from "Cobra", 1986

This 1950 Mercury is probably the most important thing in the whole movie. It was formerly owned by Stallone himself and later built for the movie by Cinema Vehicle Services. They double-scooped
the hood, cleaned all extra trim, fitted 383 Chevrolet small block, topped it with nitrous-aided 4-barrel Holley carburetor which also had Weiand 144 supercharger. The transmission was a 400 Turbo Hydraulic with 4-wheel brakes. A good car to reveal Cobretti's personality and join this Top 10 list.

8. 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra from "The Gumball Rally", 1976

The movie itself was inspired by a cross country driver Erwin G. "Cannonball" Baker who managed to drive across the country from coast to coast in about 54 hours. This comedy had many interesting cars on act, such as Ferrari Daytona, Porsche 911, 600 HP Camaro, Jaguar E-type, Convertible Corvette, Mercedes Roadster and even a Kawasaki motorbike. There were only 2 different, but original Shelby
Cobra cars in this movie [CSX 3243 and CSX 3255]. These 427 cubic [7 liter] OHV muscle cars managed to pump up to 355 HP. This was really impressive ride across the country with iconic
muscle cars...

9. Bond's 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from "Goldfinger", 1964

The DB5 is famous for being the first and most recognised movie car in James Bond movies. DB5 had 4 liter [282 HP], 5-speed transmission. Originally, Ian Fleming [the novel writer] had placed DB Mark III, but DB5 was the newest Aston at that time. In fact, they used the prototype car and fitted it with lots of weaponry that fat stripped after the movie and resold. The same car showed up in a few other Bond's movies as well. If You'd ask someone to say "what Bond's car is", the one would definitely name Aston Martin. Good car for good agent.

10. 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 from "Thunder Road", 1958

The movie character actually drove 2 car there - 195 Ford Coupe and 1957 Ford Fairline 500 which was the top of the Ford line. The 312 cubic V8 engine produced 245 HP and had automatic transmission. Good choice for 1950s if you really need "to take someone out".

By Keith Farren   Mon, May 17, 2010

Collector cars can be decent investments if you make wise choices. If restoring or driving collector cars is your hobby, you can get a return on your investment and enjoy yourself doing it! There aren't very many other hobbies out there that can earn their keep; most hobbies require you to invest in depreciating assets (Jet skis? Pleasure boats? ATVs or other off-road vehicles? Hunting, fishing...you get the picture). Collector cars in general will hold their value at the very least, and in most cases will appreciate as time goes by, instead of depreciating in value.

If you are thinking about purchasing a collector car, using cash is the safest way to do it. However, an argument can be made for collector car financing when you look at the "opportunity cost" of having all that cash tied up and unavailable for other investments. You may be able to get an antique car loan and pay less interest than the return you could be earning elsewhere. Most likely though, you would need to get that financing from a company that specializes in antique car loans for it to work. There are several different benefits to using a company that specializes in collector car financing.

Benefit #1 - Less time/Less hassle: You could spend a lot of time trying to find a conventional lender that will provide an antique car loan. Most normal lenders will not provide antique car financing for several different reasons. It primarily boils down to them not being familiar enough with the antique and collector car market to make a wise decision on how much a particular antique car is worth. There are just too many variables for them to evaluate, and the time they would have to spend to make an informed decision just isn't worth the return they would get from the loan.

Benefit #2 - Lower Interest Rate: If you do find a conventional lender that is willing to give you an antique car loan, they likely will have a higher interest rate than a company that specializes in classic car finance. The conventional lender will likely quote you an interest rate that they give to the typical used car buyer. They will classify your antique as just any old used car, which assumes that it will be worth less in the future than it is now. Companies that specialize in classic auto financing realize that your classic car will likely hold its value or increase in value, and they lower the interest rates accordingly.

Benefit #3: Longer Terms: Most used car loans have terms of 3-5 years. A company that specializes in classic car finance understands that an antique car purchase is an investment, and they can offer you up to twelve year terms! That will lower your monthly payment significantly, and can allow you to purchase a more valuable car than you could with a conventional lender.

Those are the top three benefits to using a company that specializes in collector car financing. You can save a lot of time and hassle, get a better interest rate, and spread out your payments over a longer time period. Just being able to talk to a person that understands what you are doing and why you are doing it goes a long way also. Search out lenders that specialize in antique car loans, and you will find they have a lot to offer.

By David C. Atkin   Thu, May 13, 2010

I have written a lot of articles on this subject, and I know if you have a bit of money to spend, you can make pretty good money on classic cars, my specialty is muscle cars, so that is what I will discuss in this article, I know them, and I know them well.

After twenty years of studying on the subject you learn a few things about them, the obvious thing is that if your a car freak, you can have a lot of fun making your money, it doesn't have to be like work, I would suggest that at the first you specialize in one type of muscle car.

Choose your favorite muscle car, and learn all you can about it, buy every book that you can find, they created special versions of almost every muscle car ever built, and these are the ones that you can truly make the good money off of, they won't be east to find, but it will be worth the hunt.

You need to make yourself an expert on the muscle car that you specialize in, yes you can expand later and begin to learn about different muscle cars, or classic cars, like I have specialized in the first generation camaro, and the second generation corvette.

Have you ever heard the term "by the numbers"? That is what you need to learn if you want to make money investing in muscle cars, learn the numbers, you cannot know to much about how they work, with a Chevrolet you have vin tags, casting numbers on the engine, and the transmission.

You also have a protect-o-plate if it's still with the car, not to mention a date code, and RPO code, a rear end code, and that should about cover all of the codes, these all must match the vin tag on the car, if they all match then you can bet that you have the real thing.

The biggest mistake that people make is that they get excited, and when part of the numbers don't match, they just blow it off because the car looks good, doing this will lose you money when you go to sell the car if you ever do, and if you keep it an an investment it won't be worth as much.

On a Chevrolet the one number that is easy to change to you best rip off art work, is the ROP code, the pad that the RPO code sits on can be machined off and re-stamped to match anything the thief wants, but that is why the other numbers are there, it won't match the casting number in this case.

If you find a car that the RPO code, and the casting number don't match, please do yourself a favor, and don't second guess the numbers, the numbers don't lie, they are always right, and if they don't match it should throw up a red flag the size of Texas.

This is a good place to start, if you keep in mind that you should never second guess the numbers, you'll always do well investing in classic cars, learn the numbers like the back of your hand, know everything you can about them, and you do very well in this venture. 

By James Martell   Tue, May 04, 2010

When Carroll Shelby built the hot little Cobra roadster, he couldn’t possibly have imagined the stir it would make with sports car aficionados. The year was 1962 and Shelby-American, under the guidance of Carroll Shelby and his crew, took the racing world by storm with a little car that had a lot of power under its hood.

Shelby’s career started in 1952, following a stint in the US Army as an Air Force test pilot, and an attempt at chicken farming. He needed his farm to provide a home and food for his wife and three children until his career as a race car drive and automobile designer took off. In the meantime he’d race from the farm to the track with his signature hickory-smoked bib overalls on, getting more attention from that than anything. But it didn’t take long for the Texan to have a flourishing career. His calling as a racecar driver was evident, gaining him honors and awards, but it was his innovative automobile designs and sophisticated styling that would be his claim to fame.

Shelby’s first race was no more than a quarter-mile drag meet in his hot rod, and because of who he was and what he sought, his hot rod had more power under the hood then one would imagine. Then at Norman, Oklahoma, he proves himself for real, driving an MG-TC, where he took first place against other MGs. Later he beat out a hot like XK 120. He was on his way as one of the hottest racecar driver around.

Shelby was on a Roll

His achievements in racing followed him for the next several years, taking him all over the world. 1954 proved to be one of his greatest years in racing. His stats go something like this:

· 1954 - Shelby drives as Aston-Martin DBR3 at Sebring, Florida for John Wyer,Aston  Martin’s team manager.

· Shelby drives an Aston-Martin DBR3 in Europe for Wyer where he finishes second against hot little Jaguars. This win takes him to the Le Mans in June of that same year.

· Carrera Pan American race in Mexico. Unfortunately, this is the race where he T-bones a large rock and flips the Austen-Healy four times, causing a year of pain and surgeries.

· 1955 - Shelby wins the Torrey Pines race with a Mexico Ferrari, defeating Phil Hill. From there he goes to Las Angeles to race then on to Europe.

· 1957 - Sports Illustrated names him "Driver of the Year."

 · 1957 - Shelby wins a 100-mile race in Riverside driving a V-8 Maserati single seat racing car.

· 1959 - Shelby co-drives an Aston Martin DBR1/300 and wins the 24 hour Le Mans.

· 1960-He won first place at the Continental Divide Raceways and breaks a course record.

Yes, the life of this race car driver was long and intense, giving him the name that he deserved in the racing world. He would go down in history. But then, something happened that would change all that. In 1960 he began to develop chest pains and was forced to leave the racing world and its stressful lifestyle. His last race was in December of 1960, the third annual Los Angeles Times-Mirror Grand Prix driving a Type 61 Birdcage Maserati. He finishes fifth, but overall, wins the USAC driving championship for 1960.

But he was not about to leave the world of roadsters, racing, and the lifestyle he had come to know so well.

When Shelby saw the Ace roadster, a product of an England based company called AC Cars of Thames Ditton, owned by Charles Hurlock; he saw a thing of beauty and design. When he heard that AC had lost their manufacturer for the lightweight and powerful Bristol motor, Shelby made a proposal. He suggested they continue the production of the Ace chasses as a platform for a U.S. made V-8 engine. Hurlock agreed as long as Shelby could provide a suitable American manufactured motor. With Shelby’s ambition, this would not be a big undertaking and soon he discovered the Ford small-block V8 that would fit under Ace’s hot little hood.

So began Shelby’s career headed in a different direction. In 1962 that little roadster, with its new engine, enters the Sebring in the prototype class and for the first time ever, a Cobra heat a GTO! Then that same year, the Cobra beat a Ferrari in the biggest race in Europe, the Le Mans. And from there it was uphill all the way with the Cobra on a wining streak throughout the sixties. In 1967, production stopped, and replicas begin popping up without hesitation. In 2003 the finest "replica" ever made came from Shelby himself.

By Mandy Edmondson   Tue, May 04, 2010

When our daughter was five years old, we were given a 1976 Camaro.  It didn’t take long for us to decide the car was her car. Trinety loved to help her daddy work on the car, and  she would do anything she could to help.

She helped from the very beginning, as much as a five year old can, that is. She really liked to use the screw drivers, so dad put her to work removing some of the interior panels.

The Camaro had been hit at some point and did not run very well. It had a stock 305 that I don’t think had ever been rebuilt. All the VIN numbers matched, and that’s a pretty cool thing for a ‘76 model.

Pulling and tearing down the motor was the first thing they did, and then it all went to the machine shop. My husband then ordered the proper size pistons and other internal parts the motor would need to be completed.

Considering Trinety being only five we knew that we had plenty of time to complete this car before she would be old enough to drive it. My husband decided he wanted to do a complete frame off restoration, where the body is actually separated from the frame rails and every surface is refurbished. So we got started, taking everything apart. It was far more work than I thought it would be. 

Everything got painted before any of the body was put back on the frame. At one point we were going to paint it purple with silver racing stripes and yellow accents.

We knew we were going to have to acquire some replacement panels for the car, so we looked at the junk yards for good quarter panels, but had no luck. So to the internet we went, and we found a place called Paddock in San Bernardino, CA. This was great, as it was local for us and we would not have to pay for shipping! That can really add up quickly. In a few days we had our panels. They were new ready to paint panels, but we did however find them a bit difficult to line up with the existing panels.

We found that Trinety liked to sand things, so we let her sand the primer coat on the hood before it was painted.  It was better she sanded that rather than other parts that did not need sanding. Kids are great to work with, you have to have eyes in the back of your head, but we would not have had it any other way!

While I helped Trinety in the shop with the hood, my husband finished putting the new quarter panels on the car, which took a lot longer than the hood sanding. They looked a lot better than the ones that were on the car when we got it.

When the engine was complete, we put it in along with the racing transmission from our GMC truck. We had already taken the motor out of our truck, so we decided to use the gauges out of it for the Camaro too. After getting everything bolted together and ready we got it started. It ran great, but it was a bit tricky to get it started.

Unfortunately, at this point my husband started having major back problems, and we were told that he needed to have back surgery. We made sure that the car was put

together and was in a drivable condition. This is where the project came to a standstill. The car has moved from Southern California to Texas with us due to a new job for my husband, and it is still unfinished due to the lack of sufficient space to work on it.

Trinety is now 12 years old and the plans for the car have changed some. My husband wants the new 2010 Camaro, painted like Bumble Bee, yellow with black racing stripes. Trinity’s Camaro is the same model so the new plan is to paint both cars alike. Like father, like daughter I suppose!