I’d adding some new content to the site. I get a lot of emails on factory racing and I thought I’d include article from time to time.
These entries will not be my original work – but with my commentary (EVERYONE loves my commentary…ok….maybe some one does..but too bad, it’s my blog!!!) . This won’t be the driver stats, or the standing for championships, this will be about the cars.
First up is the Ford page which gives a look at the Ford Fusionrace car for 2013…..now why would you want to EcoBoost on your race car??? (ok..fine ruin my fun….it’s only an ad!!!) Check it out at the following link: http://wp.me/PKHNM-SK
Replaces that is, boot as in shifting boot. (Were you thinking…since I just got back from the Barrett Jackson Auction.. I was considering getting rid of the Stang ? Nope..but I tell you there were a couple of cars I’d even swap for…that’s for sure!!)
When the 4 speed trans got installed we used the old rubber boot and it did tear. So I replaced it with a nice leather replacement from Scott Drake.
The chrome plate (well not really chrome) was originally held in place by the last fold of rubber on the boot. This isn’t possible with the leather replacement so I had to improvise.
So the boot and trim are in stalled, but of course you leave those ugly bolts sticking out. I originally thought that I would get some chrome bolts to replace, but they aren’t inexpensive as I found out when I replace my 1984 Corvette’s valve cover bolts with chrome…hey..they keep the chrome locked up at the local Ace Hardware!!! <<>> So since I still have to replace the carpeting (I could change my mind later about the bolts) I opted for some plastic chrome-like covers – they are actually cover for license plate screws. Here are a couple of pics:
One cap on and one off.
Both caps on, held in place with a touch of easily removed household rubber silicon glue
The big Scottsdaleauction week is finally here, now with six companies set to to drop the hammer on literally thousands of collector cars in a mere handful of days. In typical fashion, Barrett-Jackson was the first to usher cars through the stage lights, and it’s here where we’ve been alerted to the probable sale of this 1948 Tucker (chassis #1043) currently owned by none other than noted Barrett-Jackson attendee and enthusiastic car collector Ron Pratte.
Specific details about the Tucker are lacking, other than mention of its restoration, on Barrett-Jackson’s auction description. And we use the phrase “probable sale” simply because unlike most of the lots at B-J, the Tucker is listed as having an undisclosed reserve. That said, Mike Schutta of the Tucker Historical Foundation, provided more insight.
This car is very nice and most Tucker fans are keeping a close eye on this auction to see if it will set a new record price for a Tucker. The current record is $1,127,500 paid for Tucker #1045 about 18 months ago. This Tucker is in much better condition.
An interesting tidbit is that Tucker #1043 was used as part of an advertising scheme for a golf driving range in a western suburb of Chicago back in the ’50s. It was painted Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White to match the driving range buildings.
While surfing through the Barrett-Jackson website for more information on the Tucker, we stumbled upon four other Ron Pratte-owned vehicles that will also be offered at Westworld during the weekend, beginning with the car pictured above: the 1947 Bentley Mark VI with coachwork by Franay. The Bentley was last offered for sale by Barrett-Jackson – at no reserve – at their 2006 Palm Beach auction, where the hammer fell at $1,728,000 (including buyer’s premium). At that sale, details of the Bentley were as follows:
4.5 Liter Inline 6 with a four-speed. Coachbuilt by Franay. Magnificent restoration to Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance winning standards. This is the first major winning Concours d’Elegance car after WWII. Winning the first two major Concours in 1948, back-to-back, on the 12th of June at Enghien and the 17th of June at Bois de Boulogne. Mr. Gudol, the original owner and visionary of the Franay, was an industrialist whose sole purpose was to prove to the world that France was not only back from the rigors of war, but ready to reassert its dominance of haute couture and automotive design elegance. The awards the Franay has won over the decades is proof of his timeless vision. Mr. Gudol, in his wisdom, continued to enhance and advance the performance capacity and design elements of the Franay to push the envelope of an ever improving competitive edge in Concours d’Elegance competition. Mr. Gary Wales, who has shepherded the Franay through over 50 major awards and honors since 1990, has scaled back the number of public appearances so that the car is currently eligible for any and all Concours d’Elegance events.
Like the Tucker, the Franay Bentley touts an undisclosed reserve.
Then there’s Pratte’s 1957 De Soto Adventurer convertible, again with an undisclosed reserve. Oft-repeated generic De Soto history aside, specific details provided by Barrett-Jackson state:
Powered by the famous 345/345hp Hemi V-8 with dual quads, an automatic transmission, push-button shifter on dash, and independent torsion bar front suspension. With the division’s top Hemi V-8 under the hood, the Adventurer was an early muscle car with a set of the most aesthetically pleasing tail fins ever seen on virtually any car.
The only two cars listed by Pratte without a reserve are this pair of 2007 Shelby GT500s, which are to be sold as a pair. Details per the auction site are identical for both Shelbys:
In January 2006 Ron Pratte bought the Ford Motor Company’s newest car, a 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 VIN 00001 that benefited Carroll Shelby’s Children’s Foundation. In the past, Ford reserved the first fifty cars produced for Ford family members and senior executives or by other people on a selective list. Ford was so grateful to Ron for his generosity, they offered him the opportunity to buy two more, VIN 00002 and VIN 00005. While Ron is keeping VIN 00001, he is selling the orange Coupe and matching convertible as a pair. The successful bidder will get both cars for one price. These cars are special in other ways as well, as part of the purchase of VIN 00001 was a trip to the Flat Rock assembly plant where these legendary cars are manufactured. At the end of the tour of the assembly plant, Ron was presented with the keys to VIN 00001, VIN 00002 and VIN 00005 by Carroll Shelby and Carroll autographed all three cars for Ron. Along with his cars were three other 2007 Shelby GT 5000′s, for Carroll Shelby, Steve Davis and Gary Bennett. Ron then threw Ford a curve and said he didn’t want any of these cars shipped by rail to the owners, he wanted them trucked, enclosed, to his facility in Chandler, Arizona, bypassing the traditional dealer delivery and inspections. All of the cars, including Carroll’s personal GT 500, were delivered to the respective owner this way. This is a unique opportunity to own two pieces of Shelby and Ford history.
Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction started Sunday and will run through this weekend. For more information, visit Barrett-Jackson.com.
Ford released three pictures of the 2013 California Edition Mustang, which has traditionally been an appearance only package. They have not released an exact part list yet but the pictures speak wonders for what you will get, including the popular glass roof.
You can check out more 2013 Mustang pictures over in our photo gallery.
C6 performance convertible and its 60th Anniversary Package will be unveiled at Barrett-Jackson, where the first public version will be auctioned off for charity.
Some features:
The 427-cubic-inch (7.0L) LS7 engine is from the Corvette Z06. Rated at 505 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque. The 427 Convertible is only available with a six-speed manual transmission.
The LS7 was co-developed with the Corvette Le Mans-winning GT1 engine with:
– lightweight titanium connecting rods and intake valves
– racing-inspired high-flow cylinder heads
– a dry-sump oiling system
Suspension/Brakes/Wheels
– the same driveline and rear axle system as the Corvette Z06
– Magnetic Selective Ride Control
– 19-inch front and 20-inch rear lightweight machine-face Cup wheels
– PDE performance packages – come standard and include unique gray-painted pockets.
– a rear-mounted battery
The 427 Convertible Body has:
– Carbon fiber raised hood (introduced on the 2011 Z06 Carbon Edition)
– Carbon fiber Z06-style fenders
– Carbon fiber floor panels
– The “CFZ” carbon fiber front splitter and rocker panels
Weight:
427 Convertible’s curb weight to 3,355 pounds.
Other specs:
– 505-horsepower LS7 engine, it gives the 427 Convertible a power-to-weight ratio of 6.64 – or one horsepower for every 6.64 pounds of vehicle mass
– one of the fastest convertibles in the world, delivering estimated 0-60 performance of 3.8 seconds, quarter-mile performance of 11.8 seconds, lateral acceleration of 1.04 g and a top speed of more than 190mph.
There will be hundreds of collector cars going up for auction at Barrett-Jackson this month, but few will be as interesting as this custom creation nicknamed the “Lockheed Lakester”. The car, registered for road use as a 1917 Crow Lakester Custom, was hand-built from the wing tip tank of a Lockheed Super Constellation and uses a mix of automotive and aircraft parts. Wedged inside the tank is a 1.8-liter turbocharged Hemi four-cylinder mated to a five-speed manual transmission, and the two-person cockpit features gunner seats and an air-speed indicator in lieu of a speedometer.
We’ll be bringing you live coverage of Barrett-Jackson later this month, so be sure to check back for more photos of the “Lockheed Lakester” and more in just a few weeks.
Ok match this one up the 2013 Dart in the previous post.
What would rather pruchase?
Engine: 3.8-liter V-6 now goes Direct Injection, which helps bump the horsepower to 348 and torque to 295 lb-ft (using premium fuel).
BUT TIM!!!..COME ON NOW. The Dart only has 4 cylinders!!! True!!!
So for the Genesis – 2.0-liter inline-four is now paired with a twin-scroll turbocharger and improved intercooler, with that yielding 274 hp and 275 lb-ft, again with premium fuel.
Since I’ve gotten the 4 speed ( T-10 from 1967 Shelby) in the Mustang, I’ve been driving it a lot more. I’m surprised at how much of an improvement it has made in the drive ability. Of course there is more power going to the ground which is remarkable and the RPMs are put to much better used. The original three speed top out pretty quickly and nothing left but engine noise.
Of course with more power hitting the ground, my current tires (wide and hard) tend to grip a lot less and spinning them through 2nd gear is common. That will required some new, softer tread before long.
After driving the Mustang a few days in a row, I took the Vette to work. Now you would expect there to be a difference, especially with the 120 hp disparagement in power the Vette (about 420) and the Stang (about 300 – maybe a bit less) , but what I notice is how both cars arrive at top speed.
Both car’s like to launch, but the Vette does so with much less rear hunching then the Mustang. The Vette feels lighter as it gets up to power – less down force on the road. The Mustang is much different. You can feel it, feeling the road. I can actually feel the power longer and deeper in the Mustang as it move on up through the RMPs and the gears.
I think I’m ready to at a tach to the Mustang, I need to see the RPMs it’s turning out and then I’m going to have it dyno’ed. It will be a good baseline before I get the 351 CJ head and intake installed.
