Monthly Archives: January 2012

Buy a Car get a Track Day!!!

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So I’m read a few articles online and a few have touched on Fiat and all the issues they are apparently having with bring the brand back to the US.   There are some individual that say the 500 won’t be back and that they tried too
soon or that they didn’t have any dealerships lined up to handle the turn.  But I don’t really care much, I’ll never buy a Fiat, unless is an older classic, and then maybe….ummm…naaahh…not even then.

But I did notice that they are now offering a race ready version of the 500 Abarth.  That’s right 160 hps of rubber melting power, not too bad when you are starting out with 101 hp.  Drop a turbocharger and you’ll get 160.  They
tuned the suspension for the track and its light curb weight might make it a bit fun to drive..might.

160HP..enough said...HEY..who snickered???!!!

But the cool part is that included in the price is a ‘Track Day‘.  Supposedly you will get (I think car will be available in the spring) a day at one of the Richard Petty Driving Experience events.  What would be really cool is if you could return it right after that!!!

Anyway, I got to thinking if any other auto makers offer a track day.  We all know that the Big Three are making track ready cars’ some for track only and some for street and track.  Here is what I found out.

Fiat got the idea from Chrysler.  They are  offering a track day with the purchase of some of their SRT models (300 SRT8 and the Challenger SRT8).

GM via Cadillac offers their own at various tracks across the country.

Purchasing a Corvette ZR1 will get you a trip to Ron Fellows Performance Driving School or Bob Bundurant School of High Performance Driving, in Chandler, AZ.  (OK….even you can’t afford the ZR1, sell the spouse’s daily driver, rent out your man cave (gal cave) and go to the Bundurant school.) They have a lot of classes at all levels and some fair prices.  I did the Formula 1 event at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and it was outstanding.    Here is a link:   http://www.bondurant.com/?gclid=CJD93Luc2K0CFQduhwodNyU1mQ

2012 ZR1 Vette

Not to be out done Ford as a similar deal with the 2012 Boss Mustang. This is at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.  I chatted with one of the Miller Motorsports reps at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in Scottsdale and he showed off some video of their facility and it is extremely nice. I’d make that trip.

2012 Boss 302

If you got to have an “import” (and the Fiat ain’t doing it for ya) Mercedes-Benz will be offering a track day at course across the US if you purchase their top of the line models. (Although I didn’t find mention of which ones.)

So if you are going to spring for a new car, you’ve got some options if a Track Day  is part of the deal. Of course the Fiat will run you about $22K and the ZR1 about $108K, tough choice?

Thanks for reading

Tim

Ford Releases First 2013 California Edition Mustang Pictures

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I really like this car.  These use to carry the moniker – California Special.

Posted by on January 16, 2012

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.

Corvette Club steps up and honors a returning soldier | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts

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Read it on Hemmings Blog. 

Corvette Club steps up and honors a returning soldier | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts.

 Great Story.

Beautiful 1980 Vette Great job done by Classic Glass Corvette Club of Marietta, Georgia

 

Corvette Club steps up and honors a returning soldier | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts.

Another First @ Barrett-Jackson Auction – 427 Corvette

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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

–  ZR1-style Michelin PS2 tires

–  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.

DO YOU WANT ONE NOW??? 

HOW ABOUT NOW???

2013 Corvette-427-Convertible-Collector-Edition-1

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Selling Your Car. Part I

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Some of the folks that sell cars have some great sales pitches or reasons for sell.  Many blame their wives….”the wife says I have to make room”.

Here are a couple:

1973 Dodge Dart- Fast Back 318 Mopar motor,automatic trans,  body fair no dents. Was going to use as hobby rebuild but obama & congress making me sell  in order to servive. e-mail or call

Some are folks have a sense of humor when selling their car.

1958 Edsel Pacer 4 dr hardtop.  This car would be a very good restoration project, but not for me, since I am out of space.  I bought this in 2007 or 2008.  It had been stored inside for years, not restored, but kept running. During my ownership, I have replaced the carburetor with a 1963 4 barrel Autolite.  The original Holley is in the trunk if you want to return it to stock.  It runs and drives, but I would expect to go through the suspension and brakes to be sure it’s safe for a trip.  There’s also a loose connection between the tele-touch controls and the transmission.  Occasionally, it will not start, but wiggling wires under the hood and calling it names, seems to correct that.

Happy Birthday Mr. Shelby

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Thanks for all your ingenuity. Enjoy your day.

Mr. Shelby

His legacy

Thanks for reading.

Tim

If you thought the Mustang Stationwagon was Bad?

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Why did he just buy a Ranchero???

 

1966 Ford Mustang Mustero

1966 Ford Mustero

By  Zach Bowman RSS feed

Posted Dec 21st 2011 10:00AM

The Ford Mustang has some strange skeletons knocking bones in its closet, including the Mustero. Believe it or not, the Mustang/Ranchero hybrid you see above was actually a Ford-licensed product. The company authorized Beverly Hills Mustang LTD to produce the machines for just two years.At the time, the conversion came carrying a price tag of $6,500. That made the Mustero as expensive as the Shelby Cobra. Needless to say, buyers weren’t exactly lining up with cash in hand for a pint-sized pickup sports car, and only 50 were ever produced, including this well-restored example.

According to the owner, this ’66 Mustero received a complete restoration in the ’80s and has been carefully stored indoors since then. A 289-cubic-inch V8 lurks under the hood, mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. Manual steering and brakes are part of the party as well, so be prepared for a work out when it comes time to wheel this machine through town.

 Thanks for reading.
Tim

1917 Crow Lakester Custom headed to Barrett-Jackson

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I’m pretty jazzed to see this car in person.

From Autoblog:

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.

 
The Crow Lakester

            

 

I’ll grap some pic and video.

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

The rebuilding of a Ford 3 speed manual Transmission

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m going to rebuild the old 3 speed transmission that I took out of my ’70 Mustang coup and I’ll do it in stages (average guy, average time to spend on a project…especially one that isn’t going to benefit my cars).  The rebuild kit is on it’s way.

This the first time I’ve attempted this, so who knows how it’s going to go.

First I’m going to give myself a transmission anatomy lesson, which I’ll share here.

In the mean time here are couple of videos.

[vodpod id=Video.15939015&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvid299.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fmm296%252Ftimsweet2200%252FVIDEO0086.mp4]

[vodpod id=Video.15939022&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvid299.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fmm296%252Ftimsweet2200%252FVIDEO0085.mp4]

[vodpod id=Video.15751050&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvid299.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fmm296%252Ftimsweet2200%252FMVI_9345.mp4]

Exciting..HuH?

Thanks for reading

Tim

Shelby Ford Mustang “Eleanor” From Gone In 60 Seconds For Sale!

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Perhaps one of the worse movies ever.  Horrible acting and on top that…..” five were totaled out during filming…” (see bel0w)
 
Posted by on January 9, 2012 – 1 Comment

mustang1

Even people who aren’t Mustang enthusiasts know the name Eleanor as it became a household name after the release of the remake Gone in 60 Seconds featuring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie. As I’m sure you remember, Nicholas Cage, or Randall “Memphis” Raines, is racing against time with his old crew to boost 50 cars in order to save his brother’s life. The last car on the list is the elusive Eleanor, a Shelby Mustang given a huge personality and is as big of a star, if not bigger, than the big household name actors in the movie. How can you forget that crazy police chase through Long Beach?

You could explain the car you were referring to as, Eleanor, and everybody knows exactly you’re talking about. The Mustang was quite a hit in the remake with it playing the role of the ’73 Ford Mustang Mach 1 in the original film that was released in 1974.

Steve Stanford, famed Hot Rod illustrator, was actually called to draw the concept for Eleanor which was turned into the physical Eleanor shown in the movie.

Chris Routledge Managing Director at COYS said, “The Eleanor Mustang is one of only two original cars in private hands. We are offering an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire one of the cars that actually appeared in the movie and which will undoubtedly increase in value in years to come.”

The “star” of the film, Eleanor, will be hitting the auction block on January 14th and will likely fetch more than £100,000. It is number seven of twelve that were used and this one was apparently used for some of the driving scenes. Can you believe that five were totaled out during filming? OUCH!

The 289-cubic-inch V8 was replaced by a 351 Ford Racing engine with a 700cfm Holley 4-barrel carb and a ‘big’ camshaft. It features a modified suspension plus some Wilwood brakes. The side exhaust was not functional during filming, but is now perfectly functional. It also features wide rear arches, a huge bonnet, deep front valance, side skirts, integrated boot spoiler, new grille, PIAA lights and 17-inch Schmidt alloy wheels.