Any Northeasterner into AMCs must have seen Bob Majeski’s 1958 Rambler Ambassador over the last 14 years: In the time that he’s owned it, Bob has put 34,000 miles on it driving it to pretty much every major AMC show in the region. Now Bob is counting on that familiarity to bring his car back to him after thieves took it in broad daylight over the weekend.
“I used to joke, ‘Why would anybody ever steal it?’” Bob said. “It’s pretty much the only one around, and nobody needs any parts from it. And yeah, it’s a beautiful car, but it’s a 1958 Rambler, so who’d want it?”
Nevertheless, after he came back from a drive with some friends, mapping out the weekend’s dust-off run for the Connecticut region of the American Motors Owners Association and AMC Rambler Club, he found his Ambassador missing from where he left it earlier that afternoon in the parking lot of the All Seasons Inn and Suites in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
“I’m floored,” he said. “I can’t believe anybody would want to steal this car with AMXs and Javelins around it. All I can figure is that somebody thought they were stealing a ’57 Chevy, and somebody opening a container in South America will be surprised when they see my car.”
-The original intention of the race was for a winner to be declared following three straight years of competition. The Rudge-Whitworth Cup would be given to the driver combination to complete the farthest distance total over three years. Unfortunately the idea would be abandoned after the end of the first three year segment, in 1925.
The winners for 1923 were Andre’ Lagache and Ren`e Leonard and the accomplished that feat by completing 2209.536 km (apporximately 1372.9420186 miles – 🙂 in 128 laps in a Chenard & Walcker Sport with 3-Litre overhead camshaft engine.
This is an awesome looking car!!!
Originally, the race was held for cars as they were sold to the general public…
…Not so much so today!!!
5/6/28 – Chrysler intros the Desoto
Debuted in 1928 and produced for sale in 1929. Desoto merged with Chrysler as part of the Dodge Brother’s deal and the name disappeared in 1960 and was renamed “Newport”.
5/7/28 – Chrysler buys Dodge – Follow this – Mr. Chrysler started Dodge and booted out. Mr. Chrysler starts Chrysler and buys Dodge.
5/10/23 – Alfred Sloan becomes pres of GM – MIT grad – carried GM through the Great Depression.
Just a field full of vintage Mopar metal!!!! You’ve gotta love the prices that these car brought.
I often read where automotive writers type, “Where are all the classic/muscle cars?” They really need to get out more. There are many places just like this one across the U.S. Take a drive a cross the Painted Desert. I’m sure I saw at least 10 muscle Mustangs in the backyards, garages and car ports!!!
Ok, let’s get overly simple: Your classic Mopar has come from the factory with a leaf-spring suspended rear end. This setup has been installed in cars and trucks since the automobile’s humble beginnings. It works well in factory-designed situations …
With over 30,000 members, ForABodiesOnly.com has become the largest and leading authority online for information focused on “A” Body Classic Mopar cars and is pleased to celebrate a decade of serving the community. Chicago, IL — (SBWIRE) …
There were many Corvair owners that braved the wind and brought their Monza’s, Drop Tops and Van’s to the 29th Annual Chevy Showdown today.
Here are some of the pictures.
Parking and setting up
I’d estimate about 20 Corvairs attended. The white Monza was beautifully done!! There were a couple unique Corvair powered entries.
In a previous post entitled “Lost Classics – Trucks – Corvair Rampside” I mentioned that I’d never seen a Rampside in person. Well, I can scratch that off my car bucket list. Here is the 1961 Corvair powered Rampside.
Corvair 95
This Corvair 95 Rampside is in very good condition and got to the show under it’s on power provided by the ‘Flat Six’.
Now the Rampside also came in the Greenbrier packaged. And there was a Greenbrier Corvair there….this great looking 1962 van with the 110 engine.
1962 Greenbrier Corvair Van
AC in front and back!!!
Yup that’s A/C stuffed back here!!!
There now I’ve seen all manner of Corvairs!!! Only that was there was the Corvair wagon.
More coming up on the Chevy Showdown here in Tucson, Az
There is almost never a bad day for a car show, especially here in Southern Arizona. Today was cool and a bit overcast, but extremely windy and so much tree pollen (as well as other stuff) it covered anything standing still. That may have what caused the light turnout for cars as well as spectators for the 29th Annual Chevy Showdown, which is limited to classic cars (up to 1972 with a category for 73-89). This is put on by the Classic Chevy Club of Tucson and there were a few sub-clubs attending like the local Corvair and Nomad club.
But I’ve never had a bad time at a car show and this one had a lot to offer.
I attended the 27th Annual Chevy Showdown here in Tucson, AZ and the turnout was much higher that year and I saw at least one familiar car – I’ll cover that later.
I wanted to share the Corvettes that showed up. So here are some shots.
The only C3 to show.
C2 Showed up in force!
Sorry I didn’t get a good shot of the C1’s and no C4 showed.
Wrecked is a one of the features on Average Guys’ Car Restoration, Mods and Racing that spotlights vintage cars that are available as parts donors. I do this based on the offering that PartingOut.com has listed.
Parting Out does a great job of pulling together offering from across the country of salvage yards and private individuals that have vintage/classic car parts available for plundering. Many of these are located in the steel friendly Texas.
Up this time a 1959 Chevy Bel Air, oh yea…the era of big finned cars.
This car’s not ‘wrecked’ and there is a lot of good steel and good looking chrome still on it. It is a 4 door.
’59 Bel Air Parts Donor.
Lots of restorable chrome here!!! Hard to find a gille with all the bullets still on it.
Good look steel, restorable dash and it even had the original power plant – 283 maybe? See at PartingOut.com 1959 BEL AIR.
The 1959 Bel Air was the 4th Generation Bel Air – basically an entirely new car as compared to the 1958 Bel Air. The 1959’s came in 2 door, 4 door and re-branded as Parkwood or Kingswood for the station wagons. To power these 210.9″ long cars you had the 3.9L (235.5 cid), 4.6L (283 CID) and the 5.7L (348 CID). They were mated up 3 & 4 speed manuals or 2 speed power glide automatic.
Grab some of these parts and you could have a classic that looks like these:
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Own a 1959 completed or project Bel Air? Drop me a note!!
I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/mNBKjK6FrB 2009 Chevy Malibu vs 1959 Bel Air Crash Test
Heard some guys talking that this car was low mileage, like 40000 miles. I didn’t look at the sign, but sure looks like it has been restored and not original. I like this car and I would drive it everywhere.
Kustom Koffin – Grandpa’s Dragula from The Munsters – Homage; 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air – Cool Tail Light and fin detail; 1959 Bel Air – Best Chevy Ass end ever; 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom – Side View; Gene Winfield’s …
You just never know what you are going to find at a garage sale.
I was running some errands this pass weekend that included a trip to my local Ace Hardware store. As I entered the parking lot of the hardware store, I noticed a “garage sale” sign outside the local self-storage located across the street.
I don’t often attend garage sales unless I know ahead of time what I need might be there and that I can pick it up cheap. However, it was beautiful Southern Arizona morning so I walked across the street and wandered around the storage buildings. It was a good size storage lot a bit more like a swap-meet, with some guy cooking burgers on his small home grill and selling bottled water. Not much interested me and I was about to exist, when I saw notices some car parts in the far corner. No self-respecting car gal/guy wouldn’t pass up at least a quick glance at old car parts.
There was no one around and no prices, so maybe it wasn’t part of the garage sale. Looks to be a 1955 Chevy front clip.
It had some re-bar temp braces on the back side to keep it from betting out of alignment.
DETROIT – The all-new 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the most capable in the history of the track-oriented model. The Z06 was first offered as an option package in 1963, directed at those who intended to use their Corvettes on a track.
The Z06 since has been offered in four of the Corvette’s seven production generations, each elevating the Corvette’s track capability:
Second generation (1963) – Developed under famed Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, the first Z06 package offered enhanced handling and braking capability with an available, larger fuel tank that reduced the need for refueling during a race. Power came from a fuel-injected small block V-8 engine, supported by a four-speed manual transmission and Positraction rear axle. Only 199 were built.
Fifth generation (2001-2004) – Combining a lower curb weight with higher horsepower, the fifth-generation Corvette Z06 was one of the fastest production cars on a track – a capability confirmed with a sub-8-minute lap around the Nürburgring. It was built on a unique fixed-roof hardtop body, with several lightweighting elements, such as thinner glass, a titanium exhaust system and more. Its unique LS6 small block engine delivered up to 405 horsepower through a six-speed manual transmission with specific, performance-optimized gearing. A total of 28,388 were built.
2005 C5 Z06
Sixth generation (2006-2013) – The sixth-generation Corvette Z06 featured its own, bespoke aluminum frame that was 136 pounds lighter than the steel frame on standard Corvette models. Under the hood, the 505-horsepower LS7 7.0L small block featured racing-derived technologies, including titanium connecting rods and a dry-sump oiling system. The Z07 Performance Package added carbon-ceramic matrix brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, enabling the Z06 to run the Nürburgring in 7:22.68. A total of 27,979 were built, including 740 with the Z07 performance package.
2006 C6 Z06 They look soooo good in Black!!!
Seventh generation (2015) – The new 2015 Corvette Z06 is the most capable production Corvette ever. Developed in conjunction with the Corvette C7.R race car, it incorporates racing technology to deliver greater aerodynamic downforce, cornering grip and braking performance. With the available Z07 Performance Package – again fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup tires and enhanced braking capability with carbon ceramic-matrix brakes – the new Z06 is faster on a track than the Corvette ZR1, in preliminary testing.
2014 C7 Z06
1963 Z06: Duntov’s legacy
The first Z06 was an option package on the iconic 1963 “split-window” Corvette, developed by Corvette’s legendary engineer and racing advocate Zora Arkus-Duntov. He successfully lobbied for the 1963 Corvette to offer a package for customers who intended to race the new car.
For those in the know, checking the RPO Z06 box on the Corvette’s order sheet added a thicker, 24mm (0.94-inch) front stabilizer bar, larger-diameter shock absorbers and springs that were nearly twice as stiff as standard parts. The Z06 package also featured:
upgraded brake components, including sintered-metal brake linings, which stood up to heat and resisted wear better than conventional material
a dual-circuit master cylinder and vacuum brake booster to enhance safety and reduce braking effort
These components would become industry standards but were still rare in regular-production vehicles of the era.
Possibly most significant for racing, the Z06 option could be combined with a larger, 36.5-gallon fiberglass fuel tank that allowed racers to stay on the track longer. Z06-equipped models quickly became known as “big tank” or “tanker” Corvettes and were originally limited to coupe models because the larger tank wouldn’t fit convertibles. Later, Chevrolet revised the package, making the regular 20-gallon fuel tank standard and the big tank an option. The change allowed the Z06 package to be ordered on a convertible. Only one is believed to have been built. The package originally added more than 40 percent to the Corvette’s base price. Aluminum knock-off wheels were also offered.
There was one engine available with the Z06 package – the 360-horsepower L84-code 327-cubic-inch small block, which featured an advanced mechanical fuel injection system. Corvette was a pioneer in fuel injection, having introduced it in 1957. A four-speed manual transmission and Positraction rear axle were also standard equipment.
In that pre-Internet era, few Corvette customers – even those with racing intentions – knew of the Z06 package. It wasn’t advertised, making word of mouth the primary source of information. Because most were purchased and used for racing, the attrition rate was comparatively high. Remaining, documented examples – especially the big-tank cars – are highly collectable.
2001-2004 Z06: Breaking the 8-minute Nürburgring lap
During the Corvette’s fifth generation, the Z06 name was reintroduced as a special 2001 model that took Corvette performance farther than it had ever been. Engineers started with the Corvette’s unique, limited-production hardtop body, which featured a fixed-roof design that was stiffer and lighter than the hatchback coupe. The car was further lightened with a titanium exhaust system, thinner glass, lighter wheels, conventional tires – in place of the standard run-flat tires – less sound-deadening material, a fixed radio antenna instead of a power antenna, and even a smaller, lighter battery.
The results shaved about 100 pounds off the weight of a conventional coupe model. The car also introduced rear-brake cooling ducts integrated in the rear fenders, which would become a signature styling cue.
On the other side of the power-to-weight equation is horsepower and to that end, the 2001 Z06 used an exclusive LS6 version of the Gen III small block engine. If featured unique internal parts, including a “hotter” camshaft and higher-compression pistons, and an enhanced cylinder block design for greater bay-to-bay breathing, helping it produce 385 horsepower. Further enhancements contributed to an increase to 405 horsepower in 2002. The engine was backed by a six-speed manual transmission with Z06-specific gear ratios.
Like the original 1963 Z06, the fifth-generation car included chassis and suspension components optimized for the track. Its exclusive FE4 suspension package featured larger-diameter, hollow stabilizer bars that also had thicker walls for greater stiffness; larger-diameter shock absorbers compared to standard models, quicker steering – 2.46 turns lock to lock vs. 2.66 on other models – and a larger wheel-and-tire package, featuring Goodyear Eagle F1 SC tires mounted on lighter, stiffer forged aluminum wheels.
By the end of its production run, the fifth-generation-based Corvette Z06 was already benefitting from technology used on the successful Corvette Racing program, including lightweight carbon fiber. A special 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans Commemorative Edition – acknowledging Corvette Racing’s historic 1-2 class finish at the famous 24-hour endurance race – used a carbon fiber hood to shave 10 pounds off the nose of the car, enhancing its balance.
The 2004 Corvette Z06 proved its capability on the global stage, when it became one of the first production cars at the time to run Germany’s famous Nürburgring road course in less than 8 minutes (7:56).
2006-2013 Z06: A foundation for success
The groundbreaking sixth-generation Corvette Z06 elevated Corvette to compete with the world’s most-capable supercars. A power-to-weight ratio of 6.2:1 was one of the best in the world, helping it run from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.7 seconds, through the quarter-mile in the low-11-second range and achieve a top speed of more than 190 mph.
The foundation of the Z06 was its own, dedicated aluminum chassis – the first unique frame for a special model Corvette.
The Z06’s aluminum frame was 136 pounds lighter than the comparable steel frame used in standard models and even incorporated a magnesium engine cradle, contributing to a curb weight of only 3,130 pounds. Mounted on that cradle was another leap in technology: The LS7 small block engine. Displacing 7.0L (427 cubic inches), it was the largest engine offered in the Corvette in more than 30 years – and the most powerful engine in Corvette’s history until the introduction of the Corvette ZR1.
The LS7 used airflow and lightweight technology, including titanium connecting rods and a dry-sump oiling system, derived from the Corvette Racing program to produce 505 horsepower.
Along with its unique frame and LS7 engine, the sixth-generation Corvette Z06 also featured:
More rigid fixed-roof body style
Wider front and rear fenders – including carbon fiber front fenders
Unique rear spoiler and front splitter
Front and rear brake-cooling ducts – including signature integrated rear-fender inlets
Specific, lightweight 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels, with 275/35ZR18 front tires and 325/30ZR19 rear tires
Large 14-inch (355 mm) front brake rotors with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340 mm) rear rotors with four-piston calipers
Unique stabilizer bars, spring rates and shocks.
The ultimate Corvette Z06 with the Z07 Performance Package incorporated a number of components used on the 205-mph Corvette ZR1, including carbon ceramic-matrix brake rotors, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, additional carbon fiber exterior components and Magnetic Selective Ride Control. In 2012, a Z07-equipped Corvette lapped the Nürburgring in 7:22.68.
2015 Z06: The most capable ever
The new 2015 Corvette Z06 is the first Z06 to offer a supercharged engine, an automatic transmission and, thanks to a stiffer aluminum frame, a removable roof panel. It is also the most track-capable Corvette, ever.
It was developed in conjunction with the Corvette C7.R race car with technology proven through Corvette Racing, the most successful program in the Tudor United Sports Car Challenge series, formerly the American Le Mans Series.
A new, supercharged 6.2L engine, rated at an estimated 625 horsepower (466 kW), powers the Z06. It is also one of the industry’s only supercars to offer the choice of two transmissions – a seven-speed manual and an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission. Developed by General Motors, the paddle-shift eight-speed offers full manual control, delivering quick, seamless shifts that rival the world’s best dual-clutch/semi-automatic transmissions.
An available, carbon fiber aero package adds a carbon fiber front splitter with aviation-style winglets, carbon fiber rocker panels and a larger rear spoiler with a fixed wickerbill – a small, vertical tab at the edge of the spoiler that significantly increases downforce.
The available Z07 package adds larger winglets, an adjustable, see-through center section on the rear spoiler, Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup tires and carbon ceramic-matrix brakes. With this package, the Corvette Z06 will deliver the most aerodynamic downforce of any GM production car.
The 2015 Corvette Z06 goes on sale in early 2015.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
National Corvette Museum’s effort to remove the eight cars swallowed by a sinkhole last month got off to a triumphant start: The 2009 Corvette ZR1 “Blue Devil” pulled from the hole earlier this week drove away from the scene of the disaster under its …
