Category Archives: Auto History

US Cars Overseas – Sweden

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Thought I’d share this.  It’s amazing how many and the variety of  US cars made in the 50’s and 60’s made it overseas.  It’s also very interesting what they do with them.  Check out these MOPARs in Sweden.  Way Cool!!!

From:   http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/a-variety-of-mopars-in-sweden-to-envy/

A Variety Of Mopars In Sweden To Envy

Michael Hardingby on April 23, 2012

You can always tell a car guy by looking in his garage and seeing what he has in there. If you see a couple of cars, that’s could be your first clue. But when you see muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s, and engines on pallets, car lifts, stickers from internet performance shops, and various parts on the shelves, then you know that garage isn’t the run-of-the-mill garage.

Looking at Anders Ohlin’s garage in Sweden lets you know that this guy is into cars and performance – particularly Mopar performance. His collection of Mopar muscle cars is enough to make you drool.

Anders collection is interesting, and he says that some of his cars are the only ones that he knows of in Sweden. He considers himself a fanatic, as do many of his friends. Just looking at the pictures in his garage and you can see that he likes to surround himself with performance.

Some of his cars include a 1958 DeSoto Fireflite with a 361 Wedge, a 1965 Dodge Coronet A990 Super Stock Clone with a race HEMI that he imported in 2010, a 1964 Dodge 440 that has a 426 Wedge with dual carbs, a 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Coupe that appears to have a 413 with dual carbs, and also a 1964 Dodge 330 to round out the cars we know of.

You can check out the YouTube video and see him moving his 1964 Dodge 330 around the garage. It’s a very healthy sounding Mopar, and if the deep rumble of that exhaust doesn’t sound like music to your ears, then you need to turn your speakers up!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Swap Meet Gems

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It’s not that often that I get out to a car swap meet.  Here in Arizona you are in  for a hot time…tempature-wise, do to the lack of shade.  Car parts so hot you’ve got to have oven mitts to handle ’em.  But the are still fun.

Down the street at the local drag strip they had one this weekend and I thought I’d pass on a few of the gems they had for sale.  There was a bit of a car show there as well.

You could pick-up some ‘Field Fresh’ projects like this coupe:

 

“Trailer Not Include”read the sign

 

Love the rear window

The floors are solid.

 

$3500 and the cob web are no extra charge.

 

 

Or this Pick-Up:

You could also find some project that the owner just couldn’t finish…some with some very extensive ‘restoration damage’  like tons of bondo holding the fender together.

This Chevy wasn’t the worst, but it had a lot of bondo.

This Dodge pickup wasn’t horrible. It would make a nice starter project.

This Plymouth Barracuda was pretty stripped down.

I actually think the owner had a lot of the parts laying on the ground for sale separately.

This ’65 Chevy is has been lowered and that’s about all.

Lot work left on this project.

Some cars did find new homes:

This Dodge found a new home.

This Imperial looks like it’s going to its new garage under its own power.

 

I love this car!!!!

Going to need some interior work. This one sported the push button shifting.

 

Coming up… some of the show cars.  Some nice rods.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

1998 Camaro Z28 – NICE!!! Update!

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You are gonna to love this car.

It is a one owner Camaro Z28.

ONLY 78,700 miles on this V8 with automatic transmission

Black & White with white leather interior (in perfect condition)

T-tops and ground effects

Fully loaded including:

power door locks, power windows, tilt wheel, fog lights, power remote mirrors, power seat, AM-FM  6 speaker  stereo with CD player,

theft deterrent alarm system, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, rear window defogger.

I know the owner and this car has had the best care.  It is an AZ car and is always garaged or covered when it’s not moving and it DOES move.

What’s under the hood?

GM’s Generation III V-8 engine as configured in the Corvette.  It is the all-aluminum 5.7-liter (350-cubic-inch)  produce up to 350 horsepower in the two-seat sports car.

 100% Stock.   More Pics To come.

Interested?    Call me at 520-405-5314 or email me at timsweet@cox.net.

Asking $9k. That’s a steal in this condition. This isn’t my car, but if you buy and don’t like, I’ll buy it from you!!!!…Actually, I ought to buy it myself!!! I”m going to think about that some.

She looks great with the T’s off!!!!

 

Engine Pic1 – SOOOO CLEAN!!!

 

Engine Pic 2. Nicely Maintained!!!

 

Perfect Stock Interior!!!

 

Room for 2 in the back. Although it doesn’t look like anyone has ever sat back there!!!!

Interested?    Call me at 520-405-5314 or email me at timsweet@cox.net.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1956

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Well I wasn’t present for the 1956 year but it was an interesting year.  Lincoln and Continental were separate makes and interestingly enough the Clipper (a model of Packard) tried ‘independence’ on for size.  Oh…and there were some very cool show cars.

The finished out with Chevy and Ford way out in front with 1,567,117 and 1,408,487 – respectively.  They were followed over 500,oo behind, were Buick with 573,024, Plymouth with 571,634 and Oldsmobile with 485,458.  The rest of the field looked like this:

Pontiac – 405,730

Mercury – 327,943

Dodge – 240,686

Cadillac – 154, 577

Chrysler – 128,322

DeSoto – 109,442

Nash – 83,420

Studebaker – 69,593

Lincoln – 50,322

Hudson – 22,588

Clipper – 18,482 (out paced Packard by nearly 8,000 cars)

Imperial – 10,684

Packard – 10,353

Metropolitan – 9,0868

Continental – 2,550

Here is an ad for a 1956 Clippard Super…Looks alot like…>>>

…this 1955 Packard Clipper…doesn’t it?

1956 Show Cars were really hot looking.

1956 Centurion by Buick. Come on!!! Warp speed Mr. Sulu!!

Pontiac was in the game with their 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer show car. I like it!!!

What? A Parkard you say?!!!! Yup this was the Predictor (name only would have killed this model). But just think how cool that would have been!!!!

A few other things were happening in 1956 like:

– Studebaker’s Goldenhawk was given Packard’s 352 cid V8

– American Motors developed a 200 pound air-cooled V4 engine

– Plymouth ran a gas-turbine car from New Your to L.A.

It’s ugly!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

27th Annual Chevy Showdown – Videos

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As a wrap up here  are some videos.

Ok..this guy is clearly lost…Who brings a Mustang (even an extremely nice one) to an All Chevy Show:

Listen to this Chevy:

Two more to listen too:

And although there were a lot more entries for this show I’m going to end this series with one that brought back a lot of memories. This wasn’t a 1966 like my very first car, but it was pretty closed.  Look over this Impala.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

27th Annual Chevy Showdown – 1980 Chevy Malibu Classic

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As I ran though the photos for the all chevy how here Tucson, Az thought I’d follow-up with a few more.

Sitting under the tree at the far end of the parking lot was this great looking 2 door Malibu.  It as tough looking little car with a 350.

This proves that a two door version of the normally . blah looking car can be cool looking.

 

 

Signs says it all…

Meek and mild looking…..but OH…..WAIT!!!!?!!??!   What do we have here???!!!!!!

Are those straight dual tailpipes?!!!!?????? Yeah..they are!!!

Thanks for reading,

Tim

 

International Trucks Follow-Up

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Sometimes a comments  turns into a post.  Here is another good history piece from Bill.

 

“My native Louisville, KY was home to a LARGE International Harvester plant in the 1960s and 1970s, so I have a fondness for their trucks. In my neighborhood growing up, the argument for best pick wasn’t Chevy vs Ford, but rather International vs Ford (both were built-in Louisville).

Little known fact about the Louisville International Plant: it was licensed by Chrysler Corp to build 318 engine blocks at the foundry. Yep, there were many 318 V8s in Scouts and International Pick Ups, and Volares and Aspens for that matter, with the “IH” cast into the 318 block.

Another tidbit; the Louisville IH plant built CUB CADET riding lawnmowers and tractors.

I got to visit the IH foundry once when the FBI and ATF was bringing in confiscated firearms to be melted into 318 engine blocks. My uncle worked as a Federal Penitentiary guard, and I got to ride along and watch thousands of handguns go by conveyor (heavily guarded) into the smelters. The guys joked with me that once one gun was loaded and the bullets went off as they neared the smelter door.

Kind of sad that International Pick Ups and Scouts are forgotten today. They sure were great products.”

Thanks Bill.  All my trips to Louisville, I never heard of the IH plant there.  But what I can tell you is that you are correct, they were great products.  How do I know, I owned a 1970 International Scout, in all places Germany.  I purchased the truck from another airman headed back to the states.

This isn’t the one I owned, but similar with two exceptions. It was green and with a white removal top and HUGE MUD tires.

This truck was a 4 wheel drive, indestructible, piece of U.S. Iron.  The huge tires I had on it, made it sound like a tank driving through the narrow streets of the small Germany towns I frequented.  indestructible and unstoppable.   Only three things happened to it while I owned it.

One was reverse light switch went out, that’s trouble with the tough vehicle inspection for cars in Germany.  I installed a switch and convinced the inspection technician that the truck tires were too big and that I need to drive it up on the ramps.  While sitting there he conducted the inspection and when he had me toss it in to reverse, I pulled the switch on simultaneously – Passed!!   The second was a door hinge on the driver’s side.  The pin sheared in half which required it to be drilled out…and that was a chore at the airbase machine shop…that was real U.S. steel at it’s finest.  I did get through it and replaced the pin with the largest allen wrench  could find.   The final thing that went wrong was I blew a u-joint on a back German road.  No problem.  Climbed under pull the drive shaft out, tossed it in the back and locked the front hubs.  I drove it in “front wheel drive” mode untill I sold/traded it for a Camaro.  (HEY COME ON!!!  A CAMARO IN ON THE AUTOBAHN…THAT’S A DREAM FOLKS!!!!)

I have fond memories of that Scout!!!  OH..yes..it had the 318!!!

Thanks for the note Bill.

Tim

 

Parking Lot Spotlight 1956 International

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Here’s another parking lot find.

This pickup is good shape and that could be the original paint.

1956 International Pickup. (Try not to look at the white mustang!!!)

 

This is the S100.

This truck came with a 3.6L 220 cubic inch L6 and 3 on the tree (3 gears shift on the steering column).  Love the hub caps.

Value of these truck can range  between  $11,600 in top condition to as little as $450.

These are great little trucks.   Here is a little help when you need to shift your ’56 International.

[vodpod id=Video.16466954&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

Thanks for reading.

Tim

My Blue Beetle – Posted by Malc

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Do you like VW‘s?  Then you’ll love to visit  http://bandwagen.wordpress.com.   This is a great looking bug!!!  I’m glad he didn’t turn it into a drag car.

This blue Cal-look beetle was in my life for twenty two years. I purchased it with a friend back in 1988 with the intention of building a drag-car to enter the recently formed VWDRC. The basic plan was to weld up the doors, cut off the roof, fit a roll-cage and run a more or less stock 1600 engine on methanol and nitros oxide… this was back in a time when you could pick up as many used and running engines as you wanted, for around £50 each! The car only cost us £100 so we figured as long as we got a few quarter-mile runs out of each engine before they blew, it would be fairly inexpensive but fast fun!

As you’ve probably guessed from the pictures, the plans changed drastically when my friend lost interest in the bug. Thank god he hadn’t got around to hacking the roof off! I bought his share in the car and decided to use it as the basis for a Cal-look project. Over the next couple of years I started collecting parts and in 1990 it went into the body shop to fit the early panels, some de-chroming and a respray in Ford electric blue.

Once painted, I rented a small, two-car barn on a local farm with another friend who was also working on a project beetle. The bug slowly  came together over the following eight years. I’d work on it when time and money allowed which wasn’t too often – I was in my 20s and money was tight so there were usually other things that had to take priority, like paying the mortgage and food!

After a final push it was all together and driving in 1998 and I made it along to the Stonor Park VW show that year. Things have been updated and changed over the years including the addition of the 4″ narrowed beam in 2009 which was just before I decided to sell it. This beetle only covered 8,500 mile in the 22 years that I owned it which must be some kind of record! It’s still fairly local to me and owned by a friend of the guy who bought my ’72 Bay-window camper, but as they say, that’s another story…

Body:
Pre-67 front and rear valances, early wings and lights (US-Spec fronts containing orange indicators)
Long-bonnet and glass W-decklid.
Cal-look window rubbers.
De-chromed with smoothed/hidden catches on front and back lids.
Grey tinted one-piece door glass and matching rear side glass.
Stainless-steel blade bumpers.
Bodywork and paint by Paulespury coachworks in 1990 (still looks great!)

Running gear:
New front suspension set-up fitted by Sayed @ Batts VWs in 2008 comprising of:
4″ narrowed and adjustable front beam, custom built by Gavin @ Trailer Queen Restos
CB Dropped spindles
New KYB Front shocks
Long-travel ball joints
Rear…
Adjustable Koni shocks.
New IRS gaiters
Type 3 IRS Gearbox
UVA Adjustable rear spring plates.
Copper brake pipes fitted throughout
Standard drums and disks re-drilled to Porsche 5-stud (VW 4stud fitment still retained as well)

Wheels & Tyres:
Fully-polished early Porsche fuchs, 5.5×15 fronts and spare with 185/55R15 Continentals
Original deep 6×15 rears with 185/65R15 Nankangs

Engine:
Built by Sayed @ Batts VWs and fitted in Feb 2000 (only done 6K miles!)
1641cc fully balanced.
Twin 36 IDF webber carbs with hex-bar linkage.
Engle 110 Cam.
040 Cylinder heads.
Hi-volume oil pump.
Remote oil filter with braided lines.
009 Distributor and Bosch blue coil
Polished, louvered stainless firewall.
Engine tinware painted electric blue.

Interior:

Grey vinyl/velour high-back sports with matching side panels and rear seat.
 Grey carpets.
Grey cloth headlining. 
Short-throw T gearshift.
 Custom painted speedo.
Grey sports steering wheel. 
Fire extinguisher. 
80s Pioneer cassette player with 4x speakers on custom rear parcel shelf.
 Auto-watch Alarm & immobiliser.
 Billet dash knobs and door handles/window winders and buttons.
 Additional oil temp gauge.

 I say…Nicely  done!!!

Thanks for reading

Tim.

NEW VETTE OWNER!!! Steve’s 1990 C4

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Well another reader (long time reader) has gone where few dare to tread.  Yes I’m talking a Ford car guy, a Thunderbird owner and former owner of a very cool  Mercury Cougar wagon, is now a proud owner of a    1990 C4 Corvette!!!!

It’s a great looking Steve!!!!!!

Steve’s White C4

It’s in great shape and I am liking the wheels!!!

I’m sharing this Steve!!!!

Tim,

As a Ford guy I guess I’ve come over to the dark side.

I bought a 1990 standard Corvette with all the sporty stuff. Seats, suspension and all the electronic gizmos.

Super well cared for condition with all maintenance history since new. I does have a worn right muffler cushion.

Last evening was my first ride ever in a Corvette and of course I was driving. Rides rougher than a cob on a rough road as expected.
It also makes all the cool dual exhaust music. Two tops, one glass and more switches and gauges than I’ve ever seen before. No deterioration of the
interior or paint so it must have been garaged. It also has a fine sounding Bose system which was standard I think.
I did find a 1/8″ chip on the drivers front fender.

Yup, I’m on the dark side and was wooed by the devil himself to get me in a Chevy…..
We have some streets in various stages of reverting to dirt here. Some very rough streets. The right muffle mount is collapsed (rubber) so it rattles. Roof panel does not rattle at all.

It’s in quite good condition for 22 years old. No interior or exterior work required.

It runs sooooo good. I think it may have never been driven in the rain. Underneath looks new, no tarnishing of the aluminum suspension bits.

The PO provided replacement “dew wipes” for the doors and a new power antenna that’s to replace the one that is stuck up. Please don’t tell me I have to remove the rear fascia to replace the antenna. LOL.

I did manage to scare myself a bit last Saturday. I’m not used to a posi-trac rear end…Ha Ha. Just a little sideways. It sure accelerates quicker than expected for only 245 horses. I’m averaging high 17’s around town which actually is unexpected. I guess the trick is 345 lbft or torque……..”

Thanks for sharing your Vette Steve…..NOW LETS TALK ABOUT SOME MODs!!!

Thanks for reading.
Tim