Tag Archives: Vintage Cars

Ain’t Social Media Great? Converstation with Top Gears’ Rutledge Wood

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Are you a fan of Top Gear?  I am!  Have been since it’s been on cable.  Of course we don’t travel in the same circles, Rut has his Fox Sports gig(covering motorsports) beside all the Top Gear filming and promo events and I’m a wannabe writer, covering the automotive world.  So it’s highly unlikely we’d cross paths and sit down for a car discussion.  Unless????

That is what’s so great about the age we live in.  On my twitter account (@restortation)  I’m a follower (among many) of Top Gear and guys (Tanner, Rut (@rutledgewood) and Adam).  Just luck let me catch a Tweet by Rutledge that mentioned that he had a Facebook event today where fans could chat with him.

So I closed my office door (yeah I was at work) and joined the crowd on Facebook.  I actually got a few questions answered.  Here they are:

Write a reply…

Tim Sweet: Who finds the cars you use in the show? Private individuals?

Rutledge Wood: I have found almost all the ones I’ve used…but I’m not in LA to go test drive them. We have some amazing producers that bust their butts for us. Huge support team…but we find most of them online. Craigslist, Auto trader, and even a few on ebay

Tim Sweet: Thanks…great!!!!

Tim Sweet:  So who is the STIG…I won’t tell anyone….?
Rutledge Wood: honeslty…I have no idea. They wont talk to me. Never seen them.

Rutledge Wood: I want them to give me a hug

Tim Sweet: Everyone wants to hug the STIG

Tim Sweet: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. I got to get back to this ‘work’ thing I do every day…my C6 needs a super charger!!!! Take care!!!!

Rutledge Wood: Thanks! Good luck with the C6 !

 

Twitter and Facebook are great tools.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

'Top Gear's' Rutledge Wood on

Two Time Trophy winner. 1970 Mustang

Two Time Trophy winner. 1970 Mustang

Elvis Presley’s BMW 507 set for complete restoration – Road & Track

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I’m not sure they should restore it.  Maybe just preserve it.

Elvis' BWM 507!!!

Elvis’ BWM 507!!!

Only 253 examples of the BMW 507 were ever made, and Elvis Presley owned two of them. The first, a white ’58 roadster, he famously gifted to his Fun in Acalpulco co-star Ursula Andress; the other, a ’58, has been in storage for over 40 years. Now, BMW Classic has obtained Elvis’s “lost” sports car and will give it a full restoration.This Bimmer’s circuitous history begins in March 1958, when the U.S. Army officially inducted its most famous Korean War draftee. While assigned to the Third Armored Division, Elvis met hill-climb ace Hans Stuck, who was racing a 1957 BMW 507 at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in southern France. Presley was smitten with the 150-hp drop-top. After having its 3.2-liter V8 rebuilt and a new four-speed manual gearbox installed, he leased it that December.

 

Read the article at  Elvis Presley’s BMW 507 set for complete restoration – Road & Track.

 

Awesome car none-the-less.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

“Elvis’s BMW 507: lost & found” exhibition comes to Munich

“Elvis’s BMW 507: lost & found” exhibition comes to Munich. 27 July 2014. After nearly 60 years, the BMW 507 formerly owned by Elvis Presley returns to its birthplace. You can currently visit the Roadster, still untouched, in the BMW Museum – but when …
BMW plans to restore 507 Roadster previously owned by Elvis Presley

BMW has revealed intentions to restore a 1957 507 Roadster which was originally purchased by king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley. The BMW 507 Roadster seen here had a white paint and rolled off the assembly line in 1957 with the chassis number 70079.
Elvis’ BMW 507 | Dieser Oldie ist ein echter Rock ‘n’ Roller

Der Kult-Roadster ist noch bis zum 10. August in der Sonderausstellung „Elvis’ BMW 507: lost & found“ im BMW-Museum zu bewundern. So lange bleibt der Scheunenfund im Originalzustand, danach geht’s zu den Experten der BMW Group Classic.

Parking Lot Spotlight – 1958 Porsche – Survivor!

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We all love vintage cars.  On a trip to Dana Point, Ca this past weekend I happened to spot this beauty in the hotel parking lot.

DSC_0193

This 1958 Porsche 1600 Speedster appeared to be all original.  The seats appeared to be still clad in the original – nicely worn leather.  This is the 356A which was a modification of the 356 body (from 1957) it was known as Type 2 in the factory (or T2).

This beauty is in the  original color, maybe original paint, but interior looks stock, right down the thin rubber floor mats.

DSC_0195

I did notice a couple of things – the steering wheel looks to be metal, they were originally wooden and the under the dash gauges of course are after market. As the 356 was track raced the wooden steering wheels were quickly identified as a safety issue.  During crashes they would splinter and pierce the drivers body – some career ending injuries.  They were often swapped out for metal.

The engine was a OHV flat four with 60 bhp, 1,582 cc and horizontally-opposed OHV four-cylinder engine (the four-cam “Carrera” engine was a more power/extra cost option for the 356A).  It came with a four-speed manual transmission, torsion bar independent front suspension, swing axle independent rear suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

The production numbers were around 21, 000 for the period of 1955-1959.

Great tail lights!!

Great tail lights!!

Now that's what I like to see - bug spots....this car gets driven!!!!

Now that’s what I like to see – bug spots….this car gets driven!!!!

Missing the 'cage' that often covered the headlights.

Missing the ‘cage’ that often covered the headlights.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

1958 porsche 356a

AutoCherish

Buy & Cherish this 1958 PORSCHE 356A COUPE LA CARRERA PANAMERICANA RALLY CAR Coachwork by… http://t.co/gL5hI8Hxu0
Numbers Matching 1958 Porsche 356A Coupe-Trike

This 1958 Porsche 356A Coupe is said to be a matching numbers example, but where you will find the chassis number on the back-half is beyond us. The roof and rear panels do look like the right shape, and the engine has …

1951 Chrysler New Yorker Is the Most Unlikely Rally Car – Carscoops

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Ever wondered what’s it like to run a long-distance vintage car rally in a 1951 Chrysler New Yorker? Well, consider this: the car is as heavy as it is unbreakable.At least that’s what owner Jake Auerbach says in the following Petrolicious video about his 1951 New Yorker, a car that unfortunately hit and killed two deer at the same time during a rally and carried on like nothing happened.Bought from eBay, the car has an impressive racing pedigree. It ran in the famed La Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado. Since Auerbach and his father bought the Chrysler, they drove many miles in it, running the New York-to-Vancouver leg of the Trans-America Challenge in 2012 in addition to numerous other events.

IMPRESSIVE!!!!!

IMPRESSIVE!!!!!

via 1951 Chrysler New Yorker Is the Most Unlikely Rally Car – Carscoops.

Check out this amazing story.   Cool Car…Cool Story!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Engine Line Up for the 1965 to 1975 Avanti II

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The Avanti II was what was left of Studebaker car company (called Studebaker-Packard by that time) in the 1960’s . By that time all the car production for Studebaker-Packard was being done in Canada and South Bend factories were closed down.  Nathanial Altman and Leo Newman (two South Bend Studebaker dealership owners) purchased the rights and the dies/tooling for the Avanti, after failing to get the financial backing to reopen the plant in South Bend and continued production.

The Avanti II

The Avanti II

Of course Studebaker wasn’t making its own engine and the two dealers that pulled together enough funds to purchase the Avanti rights and dies/tools were in no position to start  full blown engine production.  So what’s next?   Make a deal with a company to purchase engines.

The Altman/Newman team Avanti turned to GM for the power plant.  So for 1965 – 1968 they opted for none other than the Corvette 327 cubic inch iron!!! Purchasing the previous year engines for placing in their new models – Now that explains why I often see the Avanti and the local drag strip during Test and Tunes!!!  The 327 was an overhead valved,  iron block that came with the stock bore and stroke of 4.00″ x 3.25″ and a compression ratio of 10.5:1.

Corvette Power Plant

Corvette Power Plant

Combined with hydraulic lifters, 5 main bearings and topped with a Carter (model 3846247) (for 1965) 4bbl carb produced 300 bhp at 5000 rpms.  All that in a light fiberglass body!!!!!

 

 

 

The difference between 1965 thur 1970  327’s were the carburetors that were available.  For 1966 it was a Holley 4bbl (model 3884505) , the remainder of production the hard working 327 was topped with various models of Rochester 4bbl carbs. ( 1967 it was Rochester 4bbl (model 3096631); 1968 a Rochester 4bbl (model 7028207); 1969 Rochester (model 7929203)

In 1969 Avanti II was blessed with an additional engine option.  It was the Corvette’s  350 CID.   This was an iron block overhead valve engine.  4.00″ x 3.48″ bore and stroke with hydraulic lifters and five main bearings.  With a compression ratio of 10.5:1 and breathing through a Rochester 4bb carb the lightweight was but 300 bhp.  (Same as the 327 – but there a lot you can do now with a 350 – again this may be the reason we still see them at the drag strips.

By 1971 the 350 was the only engine in the Avanti II and it’s configuration remained unchanged except the compression ratio was dropped to 10.25:1 and the horse power suffered to the tune of -30 hp, dropping to 270.

In 1973 the engine was changed to the generic GM 400 CID, but before you get too excited, it had 4.13″ bore and 3.75″ stroke but it was strangulated by a compression ratio of 8.5:1 and even the 4bbl Rochester could not help much as it produced only 245 bhp.

For 1974 and 1975 fompression was dropped and the Avanti II struggled to produce only 180 horses.  But you could still get the 4 speed manual Hurst shifter….so there’s that.

The first time I saw an Avanti II in person was at my local drag strip, during a charity race that I had entered by 1970 Mustang in (300 HP).  The Avanti was a 1970 and mostly stock as far as I could tell and it looked great and sounded even better at the tree.

The Avanti continued on through various owners and still using the Studebaker chassis until 1987 and the GM’s 305 was used for a time.  The Avanti continued on through 2006…but that is for another post.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

avanti ii

1969 Studebaker Avanti II is a “labor of love” – Jalopnik

If bongo solos and Studebakers are your thing, you are guaranteed to enjoy this week’s vintage Car and Track road test of the 1969 Avanti II. Even If bongo solos and Studebakers aren’t your thing, chances are you will still …

Selecting A Collector Car Based on Original Reliability Impressions

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Well that title was longer type out than it was in my head.

A recent discussion over on my Twitter feed (@07C6Vette) had us discussing the collect-ability the Edsel. Part of the conversation dealt with one participates’ opinion/conclusion that Edsels were unreliable back in the day, therefore not desirable for collecting.

I would imagine that for some, that rationale seems prudent and I bet they believe they’ve saved themselves money and status by opting for a Ford or Mercury (in this instance) of the same era instead. I say they are missing out on some fantastic cars if they determine their selection based on original reliability.

Check out these dashboards!! Sure both are great (you know I love the painted dashboards) but the Edsel’s is just cooler!!!

 

1959 Edsel Dash

1959 Edsel Dash

1959 Ford Ranch Wagon Dash

1959 Ford Ranch Wagon Dash

Clearly there are differences that may or may not be substantial to a collector. For me it’s not about just having ‘a similar’ car, it’s about the car.

Another example is the rep the British cars managed to obtain. For instance the MG during the 1970’s and 1980’s were tagged as being electrical nightmares and unreliable. Having direct exposure to a 1960ish and a 1970’s MG I would agree that electrically they were unreliable. Now days a quick trip online to a forum and you know someone has it all figured out and often times even a beginner can remedy the situation.

Trumph’s Stag sported a 3.0 V8 and that was its down fall.  It was horribly unreliable.  Everything from the water pump to cylinder issues right down to the Aluminum heads not matching up well with the iron block. But this are all fixable this day in age, but the all lead to the Stag making the top 50 worse cars ever.  But it is a very collectible British car, just ask these guys Stag Owners Club.

Carb problems, cylinder problems, fuel problems for most collectable and semi-collectable cars can all be overcome by modern technology and in many cases, done in such a way as to not impact the value of the car.

I think it’s important to keep a car as original as possible, but I’m not putting them Pebble Beach Contour’s competition, so using modern tweaks to ensure it can get you from point A to point B – safely is important.

So do your research before you purchase your next collector/project and don’t just consider the reliability opinions surrounding the model you are considering.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

_JKP2736-1970-mustang-web

Action Shot Contest – Average Guys Muscle, Classic Whatever You Got.

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I’m a member of a lot of groups/pages on FB and they all are great, but I grow weary of the static, standing by the side your car photos!!!

  Let’s see some action!!!!!

Average Guy’s Action Photo/Video contest starts today 7/12 and runs through 7/19.  Let’s see your classic/vintage, muscle, race car (even just your daily driver) in action. There will be at least two categories – still action shots and videos.

Only a couple of rules:

1.  Be safe.

2. It has to be you and it has to your car.

3.  It has to be an action shot either a still photograph or video.

Something like these:

Auto crossing with my C4 at Bondurant facility.

Auto crossing with my C6 Sports Car Club of American (SCCA) Sole Class.

_JKP2736-1970-mustang-web

Lining up my ’70 Mustang at the drags against a Ford Focus!!!!

There will be prizes given away, including car art take by one of the artist on http://wp.me/P2YxYx-19F  and we’ll check the budget for some on-line auto parts gift cards as well.

Get you pics or videos to us either on our FB page https://www.facebook.com/AGCarRestoration  or email them to AGCarRestoration@cox.net or timsweet@cox.net.

This should be fun!!!!

Tim Sweet

AGCarRestoration@cox.net

 

They Made How Many? Chevy 1975

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Here’s a little 4TH of July twist for They Made How Many?

What’s more American then a Chevrolet?

Check it out:

 

This was  a 1975 commercial and yes I know that other American cars (but feel free to remind me!!!! ) but this is just so American!!!!

You can see the a Vega, a Caprice, a Monza,  a Nova and few other Chevy’s in the commercial.

Total American car manufacturing show that Chevy was #1 in  car production with 1,755,773 units.  Chevy was followed closely by Ford with 1,569,608, then a distant 3rd was Oldsmobile with 631,795 (Roughly 1 million less than Ford!!).

The rest looked like this:

Pontiac – 531,922                                     Buick – 481,768                                   Plymouth – 454,105

Mercury – 404,650                                  Dodge – 377,462                                  Cadillac – 251,549

AMC – 241,501                                          Lincoln – 101,843                                 Imperial – 8,830

Checker – 450                                            Avanti II – 125                                       Excalibur – 90 (what?)

Out of the 1.7 million cars that Chevy produced there were some highlights.  Take for instance the famous 1975 Cosworth Vega two door hatchback with a total of 2,061 cars produced.

1975_Cosworth_Vega

Number-wise that was a very low production, but did you know the rarest car Chevy produced that year was the unfamous 1975 Vega Panel Express.  Total production was 1,525!!!

 

75Express

 

More coming up on 1975 Chevy production!!!

No shortage of drag racing action

The Electronic Gamblers’s Race came down to a final between the dragster of Mary Roach from Saint John, N.B., and the 1974 Chevy Vega of Rick Nowlan from Moncton, N.B., with Roach emerging victorious. The Junior Dragster class ran two divisions, and …
Benton’s Steve Collier is driven to succeed

Collier, a detective with the Benton Police Department, captured his first national win in Baytown, Texas, in his 1972 Chevy Vega and is now sitting in the top 10 nationally in points. “You have hundreds of racers and you have people out there who’ve …

Let me know if you own when of these and drop us a note at:  AGCarRestoration@cox.net

Thanks for reading.

Tim

chevy vega engine

 

The Delivery Trucks

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I have always loved the look of the huge panel/delivery trucks or sedans of the 30’s and 40’s.  The rounded fenders and either separate or incorporate headlights combined with the tall solid panel sides gave them a great look.

The terms panel/delivery were used on trucks as well as stations wagons (sedans)  like Ford’s 1938 and 1939 panel/delivery trucks with the oval grille and I include even the windowed  Chevy Suburban, Carryall in the late 50’s.

 

My favorite!! 1938 Ford delivery Van

My favorite!! 1938 Ford delivery Van

The 1938 Ford panel trucks were newly designed for that year.  This included the oval grille and car like fenders.  You had your choice of V8’s either 60 or 85 hp versions.  It include cool options like oil bath air cleaner, oil filter and an available hot water heater…yeah in the truck!!!

'41 Chevy Sedan Delivery. Another Favorite.

’41 Chevy Sedan Delivery. Another Favorite.

The ’41 Chevy Sedan Delivery was a new design for that year as well.  It also incorporated the passenger car features and a six cylinder engine that gave you more horse power (90) then the Fords V8s.   Chevy engineers solved a lot of issue with this model such as a new carb design to prevent the sudden stop stalling issues, newly designed water pump and a larger radiator to help with over-heating issues.  It also sported hydraulic breaks, synchomesh trans, double-acting shocks, independent front suspension and vacuum-assisted gearshift.

I mentioned the Chevy Suburban/Carryall which are great looking with a lot of windows.

 

'59Chevy Apache CarryAll

’59Chevy Apache CarryAll

1957 Carryall

1957 Carryall

 

These were basically for transporting people.  It was introduced in 1935 and in 1957 it had a lot of upgrades for example – hidden stairs and a new V8 – Chevy’s working 283 or the Trademaster 265.  It had power brakes, power steering, Hyda-matic with overdrive and electric wipers.  You had the option of rear panel doors or wagon tailgate!!!

I love this trucks!!!   But restoration is costly and I have a real problem with visualizing what can be done with, for instance, cargo space for the ’41 Chevy.   More seats?  Paneling and shag carpet? (I group in the 60’s and 70’s van era!!!)

Got a good idea for the cargo space?   Drop me your ideas in a comment for email me at  AGCarRestoration@cox.net.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

RTrogner

1942 Chevy Carryall Suburban http://t.co/tbuofoHvvA

Commodore name won’t sail on when GM replaces big Holden sedan – Autoblog

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Big changes are afoot at Holden. After General Motors opted to shut down its only plants Down Under, its Australian subsidiary is shifting from a manufacturer to an importer of automobiles. The question on everyone’s mind, then, has been whether Detroit would keep its Australian nameplates in place, or replace them with global ones.

The word on the yellow-brick roads of Oz has been shifting back and forth, but the latest indicates that GM will kill the Commodore name when the replacement for the current model arrives. Holden’s only proprietary model, the rear-drive Commodore sedan, wagon and ute are set to be replaced by a front-drive model to be brought in from either Asia or Europe. And while Holden execs have been pleading their case, it now appears that – because the car will be so fundamentally different from the one it replaces – GM will push the same nameplate it applies to the vehicle in other markets rather than try to port over the Commodore name, killing it alongside the Falcon that Ford is discontinuing as well.

via Commodore name won’t sail on when GM replaces big Holden sedan – Autoblog.

 

Holden Commodore VF

Holden Commodore VF

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

holden commodore

Holden Commodore recalled for second time in two months

THE new Holden Commodore has been recalled for the second time in two months because the windscreen wipers might not work. Holden is recalling 27,074 cars built from 27 February 2013 to 31 August 2013 because faulty windscreen wipers may become …
Holden Commodore sales resurgence means its factory won’t close early

Holden Commodore: 2648 — up 60.8 per cent. Hyundai i30: 2553 — up 1.6 per cent. Ford Ranger: 2317 — up 35 per cent. Volkswagen Golf: 2301 — up 46.1 per cent. Mitsubishi Triton: 2254 — down 13.5 per cent. Mazda CX-5: 1715 — down 3.5 per cent.