Name That Car – #1A

Ok.. Steve Sear won the last round.

This round the rules are the same.  You have to be the first to get 5 correct answers.

If you see this on Facebook you have to chase the link and post your answer on the Blog.

You’ll have to provide a mailing address to receive the prize.

So here is the first car in the next round.

This car was once it’s own company.

This particular car is 1950’s era.

Name that Car #1A

Good luck  and thanks for playing.

Tim

Name that Car – #5 Answer

Too easy?

Maybe.

Good guess Jeff G.

My 1970 Mustang.

1970 Mustang

Thanks for playing.

Tim

Name that Car – #1 – Answer

The answer is ………………….  Steve won this one.

1966 Chevy Impala

1966 Impala

Thanks for playing.  Next one  is coming up.

Tim

1970 Ford Mustang Mod Project

1970 Ford Mustang Mod Project.

1970 Ford Mustang Mod Project Heat and Sound help
http://wp.me/PKHNM-mJ

Nearly Live Goodguys Car Show

Coming up in about 60 minutes, Nearly Live – images from the Goodguys Car Show in Scottsdale Az.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Reader’s Pride and Joy His Chrysler LeBaron

One of my favorite things is to have a reader drop by virtually and tell me about their rides.  I’ve known Bill for 2 or 3 years now. We use to work in the same building and his car is nearly mint. What makes this even better is that Bill wrote up his own narrative.  So I just have to copy and paste.

Take it away Bill.

Hi Tim:

Here are some LeBaron pics. (Pic are below) There are some from back in 2004, and the most recent from Jan 1, 2009 when the car turned over 100K miles. We actually celebrated that day the car’s odometer adding that most significant 1 to 5 zeros.

I bought this car Oct 2nd, 1991 from Celebrity Chrysler Dodge in San Jose, CA. The sales price was a whopping $15,344.15 out the door and no, I did not get any paint protection package, or extended warranty.

I know you won’t believe this, but this has been the very best car I have ever owned. It currently has 110K miles, and has the original water pump, alternator, AC compressor and Freon, fuel pump, master cylinder, and I could go on and on. The transmission was rebuilt a few years back, but otherwise only wear and maintenance items have been replaced. It has been very dependable from day one. I still get 23MPG around town, and lots of ‘thumbs ups’ at red lights.

The top has been replaced in 2004, but the paint is all original. This car has never been in a car wash, nor in an accident-not even a fender bender.

I get asked quite frequently who painted the car, and there is disbelief when I tell them it is original paint. I guess that is testament to the DriWash products and good ol’elbow grease.

This car has lots of memories and by accident has become a member of the family. I enjoyed cruising from San Jose to Santa Barbara along the Pacific Coast Highway 1, a few beautiful evening drives to Lake Tahoe and Reno with the top down, summer trips to Monterey and cruising Pebble Beach and the 17 Mile Drive. One thing going for this car, it is the most fun you will ever have at 35MPH.

The LeBaron convertible was the longest run for the K CAR based derivatives, lasting from 1982 to early model year 1996 when the Sebring came on-line. The original 1982 model was a conversion by ASC, and Chrysler sold out of the entire production run in just three weeks. Lee Iacocca ordered that the 1983 model be built-in house, and Chrysler had tool and dies made to factory build the convertible. It was the ONLY factory built convertible until the late 1980s when the Corvette switched to in-house convertible production. Up until the Miata was introduced, the LeBaron was the number one selling convertible, not only in the USA, but globally.

It is hard to believe that a car so popular died off so quickly. Chalk it up to poor resale value and low-cost (read cheap) Chrysler manufacturing. I still credit the smallest of the Big Three with the return of the convertible, and feel the LeBaron has an ignored legacy.

Bill's LeBaron

The LeBaron at 100k miles

 

This car has the same motor that powered the Mitsubishi 3000 and Dodge Stealth, a 3.0l V6. In K CAR duty, this is a SOHC, 12V motor with a frumpy 147bhp. The transmission is the (infamous) A604 ‘UltraDrive’, which was in its 2nd year in 1991. This was the world’s first electronic valvebody controlled auto trans, and some were so problematic mechanics nicknamed it the ‘a-sick-oh-four’. Mine lasted to 94K miles without an issue other than a flash memory recall. I had it overhauled due to the overdrive clutch worn out.

Thanks Bill…great story!!!

Tim

Auto Factoids for ..Oh..Man..it’s Nov. already!!

Christmas is coming!!!….oh

We’ve got a couple debuts this week and a couple of birthdays.

11/1/1955 – Studebaker offers the public the Studebaker Hawk.

 

This is the '56 Studebaker Golden Hawk

 

 

 

11/2/1935 – Cord debuts is 810 model and at the same time Ford does the same with its Zephyr – both on the same day????!!!!!

 

1936 Cord 810

1936 Lincoln (Ford) Zephyr

 

 

James Packard was born 11/5/1863  – Founder of the Packard Car company – his company’s first car was 36 years later.

Edsel Ford was born 11/6/1893 – Henry’s kid, oh yeah..there’s was a car brand named after him

Carlo Abarth was born 11/6/1908 – I recently read about Carlo – racer (motorcycles/cars), auto designer linked up at one point with Porsche in Italy.

First Car show at the national level was held on 11/3/1900

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim