Tag Archives: Auto History

Four pre-war Harley-Davidsons stolen – Reward Offered – UPDATE – RECOVERED!!!

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Stolen Motorcycle Cannonball Harleys Recovered
September 24, 2014 by Buzz 6 Comments

Thanks to an amazing on line effort by so many caring people the 4 stolen Harleys from the Motorcycle Cannonball have been recovered. Also the stolen trailer and truck.

All the spare parts, tools, luggage and crates are still missing and there is little chance of recovering them, but the motorcycle owners must be so relieved.

The stolen trailer was recovered in the Port of Tacoma.

 

REWARD! Motorcycle Cannonball Truck, Trailer and Harley Motorcycles Stolen

chase the link:  $10K REWARD: http://bit.ly/1CbtbT

September 23, 2014 by 6 Comments

The day after completing the grueling ride (nearly 4,000 miles) across the U.S. on antique motorcycles on the Motorcycle Cannonball endurance run there is bad news. A truck, trailer and 4 classic Harleys were stolen from the parking lot of the Murano Hotel in Tacoma, WA.

American Iron Magazine is posting this info here and asking everyone to please share this in the hope that we can track down and recover the stolen machines and parts.

THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT $10,000 REWARD FOR THE RETURN OF THESE MACHINES.

 

STOLEN CLASSIC HARLEY 1919 Harley J – Mississippi Antique Plate #9620.

STOLEN CLASSIC HARLEY 1919 Harley J – Mississippi Antique Plate #9620.

STOLEN HARLEY. 1926 Harley JD – Texas Antique Plate #BDKX4

STOLEN HARLEY. 1926 Harley JD – Texas Antique Plate #BDKX4

STOLEN Harley 1928 Harley Davidson JD – Texas Antique Plate # BFGV2

STOLEN Harley 1928 Harley Davidson JD – Texas Antique Plate # BFGV2

STOLEN HARLEY – 1931 Harley-Davidson VL – Texas Antique Plate #BFGR3

STOLEN HARLEY – 1931 Harley-Davidson VL – Texas Antique Plate #BFGR3

 

In addition to these four classic Harleys, a 2001 Ford F250 (Texas plate 89LBC7), and a 2007 Doolittle trailer (Texas plate 41968M) were also stolen.

We at American Iron Magazine ask that you share this info with everyone you can think of to help us try recover these stolen vehicles as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Dearborn Steel Tubing celebrates Thunderbolt’s 50th anniversary by building a | Hemmings Daily

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'64 Thunderbolt

’64 Thunderbolt

It’s been 50 years since Ford took the drag racing world by storm with its lightweight Thunderbolt, and to celebrate, Dearborn Steel Tubing, the original manufacturer of the Thunderbolt in 1964, has just produced a new Thunderbolt.

via Dearborn Steel Tubing celebrates Thunderbolt’s 50th anniversary by building a | Hemmings Daily.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

The Dynamat AMSOIL/Street Rodder Road Tour – Part 2

We were able to see the very first Ford Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt #100 which was the last one made. There were also three other Thunderbolts, two factory Pontiac “Swiss cheese” race cars and significant race cars from the 60’s and 70’s. We were able …

The Legendary Cord Brand Is For Sale

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Cord

Cord is one of those iconic automobile brands that seems to come from a mythical era of the past; they don’t quite seem of the world we know today. The legendary Cord 810 gave us pop-up headlights, was a FWD pioneer, and is considered one of the most beautiful cars ever. Now you can own the name!Yes, Leake Auctions is putting the Cord trademark up for bid — actually even more than just the name: Leake Auction Company is proud to announce a rare opportunity to purchase and own one of the most revered names in the world of American classic automobiles, the trademark, licensing and manufacturing rights to the CORD Automobile.

via The Legendary Cord Brand Is For Sale.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

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 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 …

Video: A 1964 Tempest Gets Fed The Eye Of The Storm With Vortech – Street Legal TV

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This is a fantastic car.  Follow the link below on Street Legal TV.

 

1964 Monster Tempest

1964 Monster Tempest

 

Many of the people we come across tell us they’ve had their car for a long time, and that time frame is just barely into double digits. But Paul Minore from Orange, Connecticut, has surpassed many of those people three-fold. His 1964 Pontiac LeMans was purchased right out of high school and has been in his possession for 32 years now. It wasn’t new at the time, with some 18 years under its belt already, but he had plans for it.PM-Tempest09While most people know the musclecar-era LeMans as an A-body, it began as the Y-body Tempest, a sub-compact car that was shared with Buick and Oldsmobile in the early 1960s. Pontiac’s designer du jor from that decade was none other than John DeLorean, who had a hand in making the early Tempest a bit more unique than its Buick and Olds cousins.

via Video: A 1964 Tempest Gets Fed The Eye Of The Storm With Vortech – Street Legal TV.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

326/3-Speed 1964 Pontiac LeMans Coupe | Bring a Trailer

2) The tail lights and rear trim are from a 1964 Tempest Custom. 3) The paint code says the original paint was Alamo Beige (however Sunfire was available in 1964) 4) The trim code says it was originally a saddle interior.

Packard plant owner plans partial restoration with original architectural firm | Hemmings Daily

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With most disputes over the ownership of the former Packard plant on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit resolved, the new owner of the plant told the Detroit Free Press this week that he intends to begin cleanup soon and eventually restore some of the plant with the help of Albert Kahn Associates, the firm named for the man who designed the plant in 1903.Though Peruvian developer Fernando Palazuelo paid $405,000 for the 40-acre factory complex – vacated by Packard in 1956 – at a Wayne County foreclosure auction in December, he’s since had to clear a few hurdles to begin work on the deteriorating and vandalized buildings.First, in March, the former owner of the plant, Dominic Cristini – whose failure to pay about $1 million in back taxes led to the foreclosure of the factory – stepped forward to claim that he and a number of investors who backed him still held an interest in the factory worth $3.5 million. Though Palazuelo then described the claim as “typical blackmail,” he told the Free Press that he reached a deal with Cristini last month, and that he probably didn’t have the clear title to the plant that he previously thought he had.Then, earlier this summer, a number of Detroit news sources reported that Palazuelo owed the county more than $92,000 in delinquent taxes. At the time Palazuelo said that he believed his lawyers had taken care of the back taxes, but the Detroit Free Press noted that he only paid the county those back taxes after he resolved the dispute with Cristini.That leaves just one last hurdle, a dispute over a 4.5-acre parcel within the Packard plant complex that includes half of the much-photographed pedestrian bridge crossing East Grand Boulevard and that was not included in the county foreclosure auction. Palazuelo is reportedly working with the city to resolve that claim.

Read the rest at  Packard plant owner plans partial restoration with original architectural firm | Hemmings Daily.

 

Sprawling Packard Plant.

Sprawling Packard Plant.

Thanks for reading

Tim

packard plant then and nowpackard plant then and nowpackard plant then and now

 

Wrecked – 1972 Mercury Cougar

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I haven’t done a “Wrecked” piece in a while.  These are fun articles to do.  They include some history and specs for the highlighted car and a look at one that has quality parts still available.

You can find this featured car over on www.Parting Out.com. They have a unique system that pulls together quality used parts from all over Texas and U.S.

In 1972 the Mercury Cougar (rich cousin to the Mustang) took a different path from is roots as a classy coupe and began the move to the luxury side of the auto market.

By 1972 the Cougar series to flavors the Cougar and the Cougar XR-7.  Body styles were 2 door hard top Coupe and 2 door convertible for both the versions. If you say “…hmmm I don’t recall seeing a convertible!”   There’s a good reason for that.  In 1972 only 1,240 Cougar  verts were produced and only 1,929 for the XR-7.

Engine for the 1972 was the Ford work-horse power plant, the 351.  It had a cast iron block, overhead valves, bore and stroke 4.00″X3.50″.  Compression ratio was a low-ish 8.5:1 and topped with a two barrel carb it was able to knock out 163HP.

There isn’t anything that great to see is a donor car like this one:

Lot of parts on this car. Hard to find glass and any of the light lenses.

Lot of parts on this car. Hard to find glass and any of the light lenses.

 

Good fenders and doors and intact rocker molding - a huge plus

Good fenders and doors and intact rocker molding – a huge plus

Here is the best part. Rear bumper..will need re-chroming but the taillight lenses took to be in good shape!!

Here is the best part. Rear bumper..will need re-chroming but the taillight lenses took to be in good shape!!

 

Restoring a Cougar?  Give me a shout!!!!

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

1972 cougar xr 7

1971 429 XR-7 on E-Bay – Mercurycougar.net

1971 429 XR-7 on E-Bay. A bit tired but has some nice options. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercu…item4ac46cf6e3. 1972 Cougar,XR-7. My Cougar 2003 Focus SVT My SVT …