You no doubt know about Ford and Carroll Shelby’s Cobra winning the 1965 FIA World Manufacturer’s GT Championship – breaking Enzo Ferrari’s reign on the in that event. But this short video tells more about what Bob Bondurant endured during those races. He is a true racing icon.
I’ve had the thrill of running Bondurant course here in Phoenix, AZ., include the F1 event held at Phoenix International Raceway. All great experiences from a well run organization.
Check out the story of how the U.S. Team (with Bob and two English drivers) took home the win.
I thought I’d start off with one (one of many…mind you!!) favorite car classes, the Station Wagons!! I am a big fan of the 1950’s, 1960’s wagons. From the Nomads to the to the Falcon wagons the styling is varied, options many and with a little muscle added, they are fine machines!
If you’ve read my bio, you may recall my first car (given to me as a graduation gift back in the late 1970’s) was a restored 1966 Chevy Impala convertible. Awesome car with the reliable 283 engine. So it’s not hard to guess that I’d love seeing the wagon version of my Chevy. Well is just so happened that there were two 1966 wagons at the show.
The first one had the 327 engine and the owner added nice rims to hold it up. I’d improve the stance a bit by getting wider rubber for the rear tires. I think the roof rack is excellent. (I guess I should mention the Pinto wagon next to it. It was nicely done too.)
1966 Chevy Impala Wagon
Another 1966 Chevy Wagon. Same 327 engine and very nice wheels
Great lines. No roof rack
Interior was spectacular with the original horn which is impressive.
Crazy or not I love the wagon versions of my Impala.
There were a few others that I thought notable.
Beautiful Pontiac with a 326 engine
Here a great little Nash Rambler Super.
This one will floor ya!!
Mercury Colony-Park Monterey.
Not Real Wood mind you, but still nicely done.
Love the wide white walls!!
Let’s talk painted dash!!! One of my favorite features of ’50’s and ’60’s cars! Who needs padding?
AW Dude….it’s a STICK!!!! Lots of Chrome!!!
Did you know that the Dodge Dart could be had in a wagon?
Yup!!! Although I’m pretty sure it didn’t have a V8 and dual exhaust originally.
But don’t think wagons are just show cars. Here’s a shot from the autocross competition.
There wagon in staging!!
The wagon rolls up in a few frame and in case you thought it might be six cylinder…turn up you volume!!!!
That’s a great sound.
Thanks for reading and if you have a wagon you are proud of, drop me a note.
Image: Cars and Global Warming: Why Station Wagons Are Greener Than SUVs The 2015 Honda Fit is pictured at the Jacob Javits Convention Center during the New York International Auto Show in New York April 17, 2014. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters/Landov).
With the likes of Industry Legends like Bruce Meyers, Speed demon Don Garlits, incredible machines since its inception in the early 1900’s, manic machines like the 270+mph 288 GT0, the Bonneville Salt Flats is the mecca for nature/car enthusiasts with an incredible backdrop showcasing the fastest pieces of metal on wheels in the world once a year in quiet Wendover, Utah.
If you picked up my Twitter feed (@AGCarRestore) you would have seen a great cross-section of the cars and activities going on as they occurred in Scottsdale last weekend. Below are the a few short videos that give you a feel of the activities and over the next few post, I’ll share some ‘most excellent’ cars.
Great sights and sounds.
View of the Autocross pit.
Staging
Thanks for reading.
Tim
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Hundreds of car enthusiasts put their favorite rides on display at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday. Randy Paxton says there’s almost nothing like a day spent in his fully rebuilt ’68 convertible Camero cruisin’ in a car show. “Looks …
The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 posts some impressive performance numbers thanks to its 650-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. It also posts some impressive BTUs. A byproduct of that flame-breathing engine is heat, and lots of it, generated primarily by combustion, friction, and intake-air compression. These and other factors, such as the low hoodline and pinched frontal openings demanded by stylists and aero engineers, contribute to the complex thermal-management task faced by engineers working on nearly all of this car’s varied subsystems. To assure that the Z06’s maximum performance is attended by minimal risk of failure, GM performed heat-related stress analysis and modeling, as well as conventional hot-weather testing in Arizona. Here’s a look at the maximum operating temperatures of Z06 components:
These are some extreme temp and they will be higher during an Arizona summer
With an MSRP of about $79,000, but with trim levels that’ll take up much closer to $100K, the 2015 Z06 doesn’t mess around with measly six cylinder engines that pretend to be powerful with aid of umpteen turbochargers. It offers a massive, supercharged …
Racing Tires for the Street: Michelin engineered two tire options for the 2015 Z06. The standard Pilot Super Sport ZPs are sized 285/30ZR19 in front and 335/25ZR20 in back. A Z06 with the Z07 performance option gets Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP tires in the …
Got a few huge debuts this week’s Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids), so lets get started.
Feb 23, 1954 – Ford shows off the Thunderbird for the first time.
Although the Thunderbird wasn’t available until 1955 it was in design. Originally it was going to be called the Vega!!
1955 T-Bird
Feb 23, 1967 – Pontiac debuts the Firebird
The brain child of John Delorean the Firebird started out as the Banshee in two versions (XP 833 convertible or Hard top coupe). 1966 it was a two seater referred to as XP-798.
Look some what familar? Corvette maybe?
Pontiac brass thought so too and these concepts were not approved.
The XP 798 Firebird concept.
1967 Firebird
Feb 24, 1968 – American Motors debuts the AMX
1969 Hurst version…NICE!!!
Feb 25, 1905 – Jose Piquero crossed the Andes in a Caddy!!
Had to dig for this one. Found it on http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org. Back in 1905 a Cadillac was the first car to cross the Andes (the mountain range not Andes, New York) that happened on Feb 25th, but I don’t know why, nor does anyone else seem to know. I can tell you the Andes are in South American and average about 14,000 feet in altitude. The ’05 (that’s 1905 not 2005) Caddy was, well, let’s say “airy”. That ‘brave’ (pronounced ‘Crazy’) soul was Jose Piquero. But wait, some sources say it wasn’t a Caddy at all, but a Oldsmobile.
So I would imagine in either ride the trip was a tad bit chilly.
1905 Olds
1905 Caddy
Feb 27, 1934 – Ralph “Corvair Killer” Nader was born in Conn.
You can celebrate that (anyone? Bueller, Bueller…) if you absolutely can’t find another reason to have an adult beverage. I wonder if he fell out of a car seat when he was young?
1962 Lakewood
The last Corvair Vert.
I’m seeing the Corvair but can’t help notice the Nova’s on the rail car.
Feb 28, 1940 – Mario Andretti born in Montona, Italy
Here are your Auto Factoids (#autofactoids) for the middle of Feb, 2015!!
Feb 15, 1944 – Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) was formed. For those of you that don’t follow racing you need to check out what SCCA does. It’s a great organization for local racing, as well as state/regional and even national. I’m a proud card-carrying member and attend the local chapter Arizona Border Region . I can attest that this chapter is well run and enjoyable.
Me and SCCA Solo instructor in my C7
Feb 16, 1951 – Nash-Healey debuts. The Healey Nash mash-up produced one of the most beautiful cars of the early 1950’s. They originally met the Queen Mary. Nash supplied the power train that consisted of the Ambassador’s straight six OHV 234.8 cu in (3.85 L) engine (minus the cast iron cylinder heads – they used their own design aluminum version) and three-speed manual transmission with Borg-Warner overdrive, plus torque tube and differential. Healey supplied the carbs – two SU and the body. Actually Healey designed the body to fit their frame, but aluminum body the supplied Panelcraft Sheet Metal.
Beautiful Aluminum bodied sport car!!!
2 SU twin 1.75-inch (44 mm) and lighter and higher compression cylinder head – boosting hp from 112 to 125 hp.
Feb 17, 1934 – First Drivers Ed Class – in State College, Pa.
Feb 18, 1952 – Studebaker 100 years
Studebaker started out with an electric car in 1902 (before that they produced wagons) and by 1904 began producing gas-powered.
Basically an electric wagon!!!
1904 gas-powered Studebaker.
1952 Studebaker. 2 years later money issues forced a merger with Packard.
1979 – Richard Petty wins Daytona 500 (Number 6 for him)
6th Daytona win 1979
The #43 Car for 1979
1898 – Enzo Ferrari born in Modena, Italy (Not sure what he is famous for!!!)
OH!!!!
Feb 20, 1954 – Dodge displays it’s Firearrow at the Chicago Auto Show (go on now for 2015)
One of the coolest concept cars!!! Agree?
Two convertible models
Clock in the steering wheel center? Crazy Cool!!
Awesome Interior
Thanks for reading! Let us know how you like the Auto Factoid segment!!!
As we run through the middle of the 2nd month of the year, here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids). A light week this week. Feb 10, 1942 – Pontiac.
Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the first week in Feb. 2015!!! I think we can call this Kaiser Week as 3 of our factoid are related to the Kaiser auto.
Wow it’s the end of January already. Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the last week of January 2015. Jan 26th 1920 – Lincoln Motor Company.
As I’ve said before, I’d love the chance to hangout in car culture in Australia for couple months….maybe one day. But it’s true you just don’t find a lot on the net. Read on and chase the link for more.
Trying to find any substantial information about Australian Pro Stock racing on the Internet is like trying to get your kid to eat Brussels sprouts – simply speaking, it’s tough! Seeing the video of this Aussie Pro Stock 400ci SBC engine from Patterson Racing singing on their dyno takes your author’s mind back to the small-block Pro Stock Truck class and their high revving 358 inch engines that departed NHRA competition just over a decade ago.
Patterson Racing has been in business for 35 years and is widely known for their cutting edge engines and innovations in the racing arena. Naturally aspirated small blocks like the ones used in the Australian National Drag Racing Association‘s Pro Stock field are close to their heart. The typical engine puts out over 2.75 horsepower per cubic inch without any power adders and they spin at over 10,500 rpms. When compared to the NHRA Pro Stock engine of the 500-inch variety the little ANDRA version is not as tightly regulated in terms of rule restrictions on modification.
The teams, the drivers, the fans, the circuits… few, if any, were satisfied with how Formula One has shaped up since the current regulations took hold last year. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t working on it.
1000 HP F1
At a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, the leading parties in the sport outlined a new framework that would radically shake up the cars themselves while keeping costs in check. And the biggest change could see the engines producing around 1,000 horsepower.
Q: Then let’s put it this way: you had zero impact in F1 racing for some time because you haven’t been in F1 racing… PS: True. And now I am enjoying being with Williams. It is a great team. Yes, of course it’s nice when you are in demand – but to be …
Ferrari’s strong form in the first pre-season Formula 1 test has left rivals wary that it might have made a much bigger leap than expected over the winter. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were fastest on three of the four days of the first pre …
BMW is retiring its hugely successful, V8-engine Z4 GT3 racer later on this year. It’s replacement, the BMW M6 GT3, was spotting undergoing testing this week.
And, good grief, does it look mean. The Z4 is one of the most cartoonishly pumped-up cars on the GT3 and the M6 carries on the tradition. The wheel arches are gigantic, the sills are like shelves and the rear wing would make a decent bar.
Power comes from the twin-turbo, 4.4-litre V8 found in the road-going M6. Though modified to cope with the demands of racing, it will probably produce less power than the road car, thanks to the Balance of Performance system that equalizes the extremely diverse GT3 field.
BMW is set to phase out its Z4-based race car from GT competition at the end of this year and replace it in 2016 with a new car based on the M6 platform. The new race car is being developed to GT3 specifications, with versions likely developed for the …
For anyone that’s thinking BMW has lost its way with cars like the oddly-shaped Gran Turismos and the blasphemous front-driving 2-Series Active Tourer, this promo video for the 2016 M6 range should restore your faith in the blue and white roundel. The …
… new information about the car. Enquiries from North America are to be sent by E-mail to M6GT3NA@bmw-motorsport.com. Featured GalleryBMW M6 GT3. News Source: BMW, BMW Blog · BMW Coupe Racing 2016 bmw m6 gt3 bmw bmw m6 bmw m6 gt3 …
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