Recently we told you that the fastest car ever produced is up for sale. Now, one of the most interesting looking cars in the world just hit eBay. It’s a Drop Tank Lakester and it’s 100 percent jet-powered.
The Lakester is 16 feet long and was inspired by the world’s first cruise missile, the German V-1. While it looks like it used to set records, it was built to be a show car—a driving work of art—but it can shoot six-foot flames out its tailpipe.
Here are a couple of links to another lakester I wrote about previously:
In the sea of muscle cars and hot rods here at Barrett-Jackson, this streamlined chrome roadster really stood out as being truly unique. Constructed from the wing tip tank of a Lockheed Super Constellation airplane, the “Lockheed Lakester” is built to …
Corvette enthusiasts from around the world have been waiting for the reintroduction of the legendary model since production of the C6 Z06 ended, but the wait will soon be over. If you want to be the owner of the first 2015 Z06 produced, then you need to be at Barrett-Jackson’s second auction of the 2014 season, being held at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, April 11 – 13. Gary Bennett, Vice President of Consignments, has once again struck a deal with GM to auction off the very first production model of a new Corvette. At this point, the Z06 is scheduled to cross the block on Saturday, April 12.
If, however, you guessed the 2015 Corvette Z06, you are also correct. If you guessed anything else, you’re reading the wrong magazine. Because of the upcoming Z06’s striking similarities to the ZR1, we’ve taken to thinking of the new car as the “ZR06.”.
Sometime ago I purchased a MAC tool box from a family member. This one:
It’s vintage 1980’s all steel MAC Tools tool box – it’s Godzilla heavy – about 5.5 feet tall. A month or so a go I was moving tools around in it and got to a section I hadn’t cleaned yet. So I emptied the contents of that section and found an interesting object and I tucked it away thinking I’d do something with it later on.
I re-found it today and hence this brief article. Oh…what is it? Here ya go.
It is a DeSoto Adventurer key blanks
I can’t tell what year it is from.
It folds up like a pocket knife and pictures the likeness of an Adventurer.
Not a bad looker! But they got even better later on!!!
Was I lying? Better looking 2 years later!!
So I thought…hmmm what don’t I know about this car…a lot.
I do know that the 1956 Adventurer is a rare car – only 996 of these were produced and cost about $4k back in the day. It was powered by the 320 horse powered 341 Hemi (considered their high performance model…well…yeah!!).
Here’s some stuff I didn’t know about DeSoto’s Adventurer model:
– They were first produced in 1956 and sported the Hemi 341 with dual exhaust.
– They were often referred to as the “Golden Adventurer” that year and had power brakes, power front seat, electric windows, windshield washer and dual exterior rear view mirrors and dual radio antennas (rear mounted).
– In 1956 they only came in a hard top.
– They were produced from 1956 to 1961 which was not only the
Adventurer’s last year but DeSoto’s as well.
OH…Hold the Presses!!! Didn’t I see one in person not too long ago? Yes, I did. It was a convertible!! Now I recall. I was at….Barrett Jackson Auction with……
….
and we saw this……
CAR!!!
…go for BIG MONEY $$$$.!!!
Here’s the rear end…
Please don’t ask me ‘why’ this is the only pic I took….!!!
In fact the a car above was a 1957 and there were only 300 convertibles made that year. Heck there were only 1650 hard top made that year as well.
In fact, again, they were all low production models:
– 350 hard tops and 82 convertibles in 1958
– 590 hard tops and 87 convertibles in 1959
– more cars in 1960 and 1961 – but they added a 4 door. What!!?!?!?!?!?! Boo!! Hiss!! Yup you could still get the 2 door version, yeah, in hard top only!!! (No convertibles…Double Boo!!! Triple Hiss!!!)
– All the Adventurers came with the most powerful engine DeSoto offered every year – always over 300 horse power, but just barely in 1960 and 1961 when it topped out at 305. (Another article coming up with some engine specifics for this cool model.)
Thanks for reading. If you know what year these key blanks are from drop me a note. If you own an Adventurer, drop me a pic @ timsweet@cox.net.
Danbury Mint 1956 DeSoto Adventurer Diecast Car 1:24 Scale Black/Gold w/Box http://t.co/v0RYpqnz2O
Unique and beautiful machines seen on the streets of New York. Monday, July 15, 2013. 1958 DeSoto Adventurer, First Street and Eighth Avenue. Posted by Cartorialist at 06:56. No comments: Post a Comment. Older Post Home. Subscribe to: …
I haven’t held a contest in a long time. So it’s way over due and I have a lot of model cars and DVDs to handout.
So here is what I’m going to do.
I going to take the next 20 individuals that register with Average Guys’ Car Restoration, Mods and Racing and toss them into a virtual hat and pick 10 winners. They will receive one of 10 Motor Mint model antique cars.
You just need a valid email address to register at https://www.average-guys-car-restoration-mods-racing.com and you will be entered to win. If you comment on one of the articles, you’ll be entered twice.
I never share personal information with anyone and no one but myself has access to your email.
So after a little follow-up I found that the car was a promotion created by Ford and Autocraft. See below.
Lot 446.1 – 1969 Ford Mustang Convertible
Sale Price: $24,750
TMN Rating: 9
TMN On-Site Review: Other than a few body panel mis-aligns, presents nicely.
Seller Description: An extremely rare and most unusual Mustang, a “Rumble-Seat.” This particular package was a joint effort by Ford and Autocraft of Dearborn, Mich. The option was not shown on the Build Sheet or Ford Window Sticker because the conversion was done after assembly. It was a blossom-time sales promotion offered only during April 1969 to certain Michigan Ford Dealers. Documented by two different magazine articles it is still uncertain exactly how many were done. This Mustang is believed to be the only one in Meadowlark Yellow. This Mustang was built April 16, 1969 and delivered to Jack Dykstra Ford in Lansing, MI. It is a V8, automatic, power top, factory tachometer, power top, Rumble Seat. It has only 56,000 Miles.
Before we get to the drive, it’s worth noting that my daily driver is a base model 2007 Corvette 410 hp with a stage 3 clutch. This puts down a lot of torque. My other car is 1970 Mustang pushing out 300 hp and I dive that a couple times a week.
Last year, I drove the Ford Taurus SHO and that was a nice with plenty of pep. But I wasn’t ready for this years ride, 2013 Mustang 5.0.
The car manufacturers set up a small auto cross track, under a 1/4 mile in length, it had a starting line and brief straight way in to a “switchback” turn, another straight way combined with a moderate turn and than the finish.
You are sharing the track with mild-mannered cars, like a Ford Focus and Chevy Cruz and the Corvettes and Camaros of Bondurant School and the Super Snake and Shelbys. There is a lot going on.
So I hopped into the Mustang, along with a ‘handler’ ( he rides along) and we pull in to line behind two Bondurant Corvettes. This Mustang is the automatic version of the 412 hp 5.0 and it feels small and light (much different than my C6).
The handler gives me the nod and I hit the gas. The rear wheels spin for a second and the you can feel the 420 hp launch the car forward. I was at the switchback curve in about 3 seconds – didn’t notice the speedometer but the handler said ‘slow into..’ but I was in an out of corner. The Mustang had excellent handling at about 50mph in a tight turn. I told the handler I that I raced SCCA with my vette, but don’t think that made him any more comfortable. I finished curve and punched the gas and breezed through the short straightway and then the final curve at about 60 mph and a quick braking and done!
Ok…again, I’m no big time automotive journalist, but I know cars. So, here are my impressions of the 2013 5.0 Mustang.
Interior was much better than previous years and it felt like sports when sitting in the seat, much like my Vette. I’m not normally a automatic transmission enthusiast but this one shift smooth as ice on a professional hockey rink. It launched really well, didn’t fell like 390 ft lbs of torque, felt straight and although a didn’t notice the band of rubber it was sporting, it did feel grip well. The car felt stable going into the two curves and it was enjoyable.
With more horsepower than my Vette it still couldn’t match the quickness of my C7 (oh….Freudian slip) …um C6 with more torque and almost 500 less pounds ( 3350 vs. 3800 curb weight).
Over all I WOULD purchase a new Mustang – but something at the next level than the base model 5 liter. The Boss 302 (maybe in the Laguna Seca) or the GT500)
Ok now there’s no debating that I’m a two bit blogger with no car industry pull. So Chevy, Ford and Mother MOPAR aren’t dropping cars off for me to beat up or even just to test drive.
Nope, if I want to test drive a car I have to hope a friend buys one (and let’s me drive – given my rep it’s a tough sell) or I have to go to the dealership. I’ve drove 100 miles out-of-town to test drive a C6 Corvette. You really have to convenience the salesman you are serious and in this particular case I did and the salesman accompanied me out on to highway and on a remote entrance ramp allowed me to open it up. That’s rare, normally you are lucky if you get to travel a couple blocks and maybe a spirited lunch at a traffic light.
Ok enough whining.
At Barrett-Jackson the dealerships – well at least Ford and Chevy have a venue set up where you can actually test drive some of their latest offerings. The lines are long and you aren’t going to be able to drive the Shelby SuperSnake or Z06, but there are some good rides there. What’s more, you aren’t driving on a city street….yeah…you are driving on an auto cross track – short but effective.
So I got to drive the 2013 Mustang 5.0, 412 hp on this short track.
That did I think? That coming up in the next post.
Thanks for reading. Grab the RSS feed or register for email updates.
Perhaps is was my imagination but there seemed to be a lot of guys dressed like the late Carroll Shelby (dark clothes, dark wide brimmed hat). What wasn’t my imagination was all the Shelby Mustangs up for sale, there were a lot. Normally, there are quite a few but there were more than usual.
I grabbed a lot of shots and I thought I’d share them.
1967 Shelby Mustang:
Here is a quick vid of them bringing a Shelby GT 350 in from auction. I had hoped they would fire it up but they were waiting for few cars in front of them to park.
Well once again I attempted to do some “nearly live” postings from the “big show” but my recent move to my own a new domain had some glitches and well my Android phones battery didn’t hold up.
But there were a lot cars and a ton of other sites and activity.
One of which was driving the 2013 5.0 Mustang with 412 hp!!!
So grab the RSS feed or sign up for emails because for the next few blog entries I’m going to ‘expound’ on some of my highlights.
So what is Black, transports a rodent and is worth 4.6 Million Dollars?
That would be a Ford Futura converted to the ‘BATMOBILE’.
It was standing room only when the Batmobile came to the stage. It was very cool to see it in person. Here are some photos. I spared you the picture of the elderly lady running around in a Bat Girl outfit. Some things you just can’t “unsee”.
