Category Archives: Car Restoration

8th Annual Tucson Classic Car Show 2014 – Prt II

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I could spend all day taking pictures of every car at any car show I attend, but that’s crazy (or so I’ve been told…whatever!!!). So here are some highlights.

Some Corvettes:

C3 and C4 arriving...there was only 1 C4 in the field!!!

C3 and C4 arriving…there was only 1 C4 in the field!!!

One of the beautiful 60's vettes - this one a 1967

One of the beautiful 60’s vettes – this one a 1967

One of the beautiful 60's vettes - this one a 1967

One of the beautiful 60’s vettes – this one a 1967

One of the beautiful 60's vettes - this one a 1967

One of the beautiful 60’s vettes – this one a 1967

Got to love those PIPES!!!!

Got to love those PIPES!!!!

StingRay

StingRay

There were multiple row of corvettes, here's just one.

There were multiple row of corvettes, here’s just one.

IMG_20141018_111112449

Oh..and there was this other ...Sting Ray

Oh..and there was this other …Sting Ray

Oh..and there was this other ...Sting Ray

Oh..and there was this other …Sting Ray

 

More coming up.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

8th Annual Tucson Classic Car Show – Garagistry Blog

8th Annual Tucson Classic Car Show – Real stories about Classic Cars and the people who own them.
Tucson Classic Car Show – N2HotRods

Taken in Tucson, Arizona Oct. 19, 2013. Beautiful day in Tucson, AZ. Over 600 cars! 1383526_10202333085394786_257906437_n. Tucson Classic Car Show – Oct. 19, 2013. N2HotRods, LLC. Design By yesimarobot.com.
Tucson Classic Car Show October 22nd » Blue Knights AZ IX

Tucson Classic is having their 5th Annual Car Show on Saturday October 22nd from 10:00 – 4:00 pm. Location is the St. Gregory Preparatory School @ 3231 N. Craycroft Rd.

Detroit Made!!!!

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You are gonna love this new music video by By Seger!!!

 

I’m going to let this one ride a few days on my front page for a few days!!

 

Thanks for reading…I mean rocking!!!!!

 

Tim

Jason Horn’s 1969 Pontiac GTO!!

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I was contacted by one of my followers on Twitter (@CarRestoration), I follow him as well (love a nice GTO) Jason Horn of Beattyville, KY.

He is currently heal up from an injury but he provided a link to what is a monster power plant that he’s build for his 1969 GTO rebuild.

Check out this how this mild-mannered 375 wants to jump right out off its motor mounts!!

 

 

Here’s why: It is a Butler performance stroked factory 375 that is now a 474.
Jason is looking at 650 – 700 HP and he’s connecting that up to TKO 5 speed!!!!

This is his 28th Pontiac engine rebuild.

Rest that injury Jason and drop us a note when you are back at the project.

Best of luck
Tim Sweet

1969 gto

National Corvette Museum: Museum Owned GS90 Unveiled at 20th Anniversary Event

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So what’s a GS90?   Here a share from  National Corvette Museum blog

BTW it you are a Corvette owner or enthusiasts and you are not a member of the Museum – you should be and here is the perfect reason why.  Read on!!!

History of the GS-90

In 1994, Corvette racing driver and tuner, Dick Guldstrand introduced his first and only coachbuilt Corvette: the GS90. The car is based on the Corvette ZR-1 chassis and engine designed by Steve Winter. When the C4 ZR-1 was released, Guldstrand saw an opportunity to bring back the Grand Sport he used to race with, pitching the concept of his radically restyled ZR-1 to Chevrolet. He requested several ZR-1s and a few million dollars. Instead he received one car and a blessing.

The GS90 was Guldstrand’s ultimate 475hp version of the ZR-1, incorporating influences from the Grand Sports of the early 60s inside a distinctive body style that is a throwback to the original 1963 Corvette Grand Sport race cars. Guldstrand left the ZR-1 cabin alone, concentrating instead on the chassis and engine development, and bespoke coachbuilt distinctive body.

Read entire article here National Corvette Museum: Museum Owned GS90 Unveiled at 20th Anniversary Event and see how a Lifetime Member supported the restoration of this rare car!!!

GS90

Thanks for reading.

Tim

corvette gs 90

National Corvette Museum to close sinkhole, plans for Great Eight finalized | Hemmings Daily

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It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on the Great 8. The National Corvette Museum has just announced that they will close the sinkhole.  See more here:   National Corvette Museum to close sinkhole, plans for Great Eight finalized | Hemmings Daily.

 

As for the Great Eight Corvettes themselves, the museum’s board of directors, in conjunction with Chevrolet, has determined that only three of the eight cars damaged were in sufficient condition to be repaired. Chevrolet will oversee the restoration of the 2009 ZR-1 Blue Devil prototype, as well as the 1,000,000th Corvette assembled, a white 1992 convertible, at the GM Heritage Center. The third car to be restored is the black 1962 Corvette; Chevrolet has agreed to fund this restoration, which will be handled by a shop designated by the National Corvette Museum. The remaining five cars will be preserved in their current states, and will form the basis of a future museum exhibit.Speaking of the car’s damaged in the sinkhole collapse, GM’s executive vice president of Global product development, Mark Reuss, said, “Our goal was to help the National Corvette Museum recover from a terrible natural disaster by restoring all eight cars. However, as the cars were recovered, it became clear that restoration would be impractical because so little was left to repair. And, frankly, there is some historical value in leaving those cars to be viewed as they are.”

 

1 Millionth

1 Millionth

1962

1962

Blue Devil 2009 ZR1

Blue Devil 2009 ZR1

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Corvette museum to fill in sinkhole, leave five cars unrestored

Preservation or restoration. That’s the question that faces anyone dealing with classic cars, and it’s the issue with which the National Corvette Museum is grappling in the wake of the sinkhole that opened up in its midst this past February. In the …
National Corvette Museum sinkhole will not be permanent attraction

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) – A massive sinkhole that swallowed eight sports cars won’t be a permanent attraction at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. The museum’s board voted Saturday to fill in the entire hole that opened up in February and …

 

First 2015 Mustang Rolls off the Assembly Line!!

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2015 Mustang starts production at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant; car to be exported globally for the first time in its 50-year history New Mustang goes on sale this fall in the United States, and in more than 120 countries next year Mustang sets new performance and dynamics benchmarks for the brand with world-class handling, more precise steering control and enhanced ride comfort.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

2015 mustang

First 2015 Mustang rolls off line

FLAT ROCK, Mich. — Ford began production of the all-new 2015 Mustang on Thursday at its assembly plant here. The first 2015 Mustang off the assembly line was a red GT coupe that has been sold to Texas dealer Sam Pack for $300,000. He is donating the …

8th Annual Tucson Classics Car Show! Best Car Show in Southern Az! Oct. 18

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Wow where has 2014 gone?!  It’s almost Oct!!!!   But that’s a good thing here in the southwest, because that means its peak car show season and there “ain’t” nothing better than that!!!

Being a veteran car show participant, both as a spectator and entrant, I attend many hot, dusty car shows in Southern Arizona.   But the Tucson Rotary Club’s Annual Tucson Classics Car Show is a premier car show, in a beautiful setting and…wait for it…wait…it is on “GRASS”!!!!

With over 400 antique, sport, classic and hot rod cars, product and food venders everywhere,  it is a day well spent with the family.

If you are entering your pride and joy, these guys know how to run a quality car show!  Well organized and professional with lots of classifications.  They really cater to the car owner.

Since I’m a Corvette lover, I really like that the Tucson Rotary Club is, again, giving away a beautiful Corvette! I never miss a chance to win a Corvette.

Oh!!! All the proceeds support local charities, like the St. Joseph’s Neonatal Unit, among others.

Here a peek at this beauty:

 

Win this 2003 C5 Corvette Convertible!!!

Win this 2003 C5 Corvette Convertible!!!

For more information on the rules for the give-a-way and the car show navigate over to WWW.ROTARYTCC.COM and you can purchase your tickets for a chance to with this beautiful 2003 C5 Convertible (and other prizes) and enter your vehicle.

Maybe I’ll see you there and we talk cars!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

See you there!!!!

See you there!!!!

 

 

 

Engine Line UP – 1964-1966 Griffith

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Ok…how many of you stopped to Google Griffith?

Not a commonly mentioned classic car, right?

Well the Griffith was developed by a Ford dealer, Jeff Griffith.  It was a tubular frame with a British TVR body bolted on.  He produce the cars in that configuration, until the source of the TVR bodies dried up he found replacement with a sleeker (nicer looking in my option) by Intermeccanica in Italy.

So what powered this homogenized sports car?

Well since Jeff was a “Ford” guy so you can bet he at least had a Ford iron block in the mix.  The total production of the Griffith was 285 cars from 1964 t0 1966.

The TVR Body looks great!!!

The TVR Body looks great!!!

This 1964 Griffith in the British TVR body had two engine options.  Both were Ford 289.   Both were overhead valve and had cast iron blocks.  The first option had a bore and stroke 4.00″ x 2.88″ and a compression ratio of 9.0:1.  Five main bearing and hydraulic lifters topped with a Ford model C3AF-9510B two barrel it produced 195 bhp.  The second option matched up with the first option, except with a higher compression ratio (10.5:1) and topped with the Ford model C30F-9410AJ “4” barrel. That boosted the bhp to 271!!!  That’s a heck of a jump…but wait…keep in mind this car weighted only 1450 lbs!!!!    Think about that!!!!!

Love the British Racing Grreen in this '65 Griffith

Love the British Racing Green in this ’65 Griffith

For 1965,  TVR bodied car matched the two options in the previous year to the ‘T’.

'65's 289

’65’s 289

1966 was a different animal. No more TVR bodied Griffith, this baby tucked it’s power house iron in an Italian steel body from Intermeccanica.   And like the body…the Ford engine was gone.  In it’s place was a Plymouth V8…yes a MORPAR!!!!  It was an iron block with overhead valves. Bored and stroked to 3.63″ x 3.31″  and a compression ratio of 10.5:1.  Add in the 5 main bearing and solid lifter and top it off with a Carter 4 bbl. carb (ADB3853S) and you could coax 235 bhp out of it.  Not bad…down from the 271 with the Ford 289.   However the car with it’s new Italian designed steel body, weighted over 1000 lbs more then the TVR version, topping the scale at 2540 lbs.

Sharper looking with the new body!!

Sharper looking with the new body!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

TVR Griffith 200

The TVR Griffith 200 (or Griffith Series 200) was a lightweight fibreglass -body sports car . make was TVR and the model was Griffith 200. …

Selecting A Collector Car Based on Original Reliability Impressions

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Well that title was longer type out than it was in my head.

A recent discussion over on my Twitter feed (@07C6Vette) had us discussing the collect-ability the Edsel. Part of the conversation dealt with one participates’ opinion/conclusion that Edsels were unreliable back in the day, therefore not desirable for collecting.

I would imagine that for some, that rationale seems prudent and I bet they believe they’ve saved themselves money and status by opting for a Ford or Mercury (in this instance) of the same era instead. I say they are missing out on some fantastic cars if they determine their selection based on original reliability.

Check out these dashboards!! Sure both are great (you know I love the painted dashboards) but the Edsel’s is just cooler!!!

 

1959 Edsel Dash

1959 Edsel Dash

1959 Ford Ranch Wagon Dash

1959 Ford Ranch Wagon Dash

Clearly there are differences that may or may not be substantial to a collector. For me it’s not about just having ‘a similar’ car, it’s about the car.

Another example is the rep the British cars managed to obtain. For instance the MG during the 1970’s and 1980’s were tagged as being electrical nightmares and unreliable. Having direct exposure to a 1960ish and a 1970’s MG I would agree that electrically they were unreliable. Now days a quick trip online to a forum and you know someone has it all figured out and often times even a beginner can remedy the situation.

Trumph’s Stag sported a 3.0 V8 and that was its down fall.  It was horribly unreliable.  Everything from the water pump to cylinder issues right down to the Aluminum heads not matching up well with the iron block. But this are all fixable this day in age, but the all lead to the Stag making the top 50 worse cars ever.  But it is a very collectible British car, just ask these guys Stag Owners Club.

Carb problems, cylinder problems, fuel problems for most collectable and semi-collectable cars can all be overcome by modern technology and in many cases, done in such a way as to not impact the value of the car.

I think it’s important to keep a car as original as possible, but I’m not putting them Pebble Beach Contour’s competition, so using modern tweaks to ensure it can get you from point A to point B – safely is important.

So do your research before you purchase your next collector/project and don’t just consider the reliability opinions surrounding the model you are considering.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

_JKP2736-1970-mustang-web

How Much Would You Pay For A Secret Mini Found In A Dead Factory?

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It was saved by a former factory worker who got permission to remove it in 2012 shortly before the tunnels were due to be filled in – making it the last ever Mini to leave Longbridge. After not getting any sunlight for three decades, this 1275 GT needs lots of love in order to return to its former glory.

via How Much Would You Pay For A Secret Mini Found In A Dead Factory?.

Doesn't look like much in this photo.

Doesn’t look like much in this photo.

 

Still doesn't look like much - top has been banged out a bit.

Still doesn’t look like much – top has been banged out a bit.

 

But the good thing is....it's a low mileage car!!!!!

But the good thing is….it’s a low mileage car!!!!!

Would you buy it?

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

mini longbridge factory