Monthly Archives: June 2014

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

How Much Would You Pay For A Secret Mini Found In A Dead Factory?

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It was saved by a former factory worker who got permission to remove it in 2012 shortly before the tunnels were due to be filled in – making it the last ever Mini to leave Longbridge. After not getting any sunlight for three decades, this 1275 GT needs lots of love in order to return to its former glory.

via How Much Would You Pay For A Secret Mini Found In A Dead Factory?.

Doesn't look like much in this photo.

Doesn’t look like much in this photo.

 

Still doesn't look like much - top has been banged out a bit.

Still doesn’t look like much – top has been banged out a bit.

 

But the good thing is....it's a low mileage car!!!!!

But the good thing is….it’s a low mileage car!!!!!

Would you buy it?

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

mini longbridge factory

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.

GM suspends sale of 2013-14 Chevrolet Cruze for potential airbag glitch

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Chevy Cruze

Chevy Cruze

Well I believe Mary Barra is cleaning house…which is good and bad.

DETROIT — General Motors is telling dealers to halt delivery of all 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Cruze sedans because of a potential airbag problem, hampering sales of the company’s top-selling car amid an end-of-the-month sales push.

Some of the cars may have a “suspect” driver’s side airbag inflator module, according to a stop-delivery order sent to Chevy dealers nationwide on Tuesday and obtained by Automotive News.

via GM suspends sale of 2013-14 Chevrolet Cruze for potential airbag glitch.

Read the rest at the link above, but I had to share this part directly:

 

The Southeast dealer noted that many customers who have dropped off their Chevy Cobalts to have ignition switches replaced are driving Cruzes now subject to the stop delivery.

Cobalts are among the 2.6 million vehicles being recalled for a defective switch that can slip out of the “run” position and cut power to the power brakes, steering and airbags, a defect that GM has linked to 54 crashes and 13 deaths.

“What am I supposed to do?” the dealer said. “Tell them to bring the loaner back now?”

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

GM Recalls 3.4 Million More Cars for Ignition Problems

(DETROIT) — General Motors is recalling another 3 million cars because of a defect that causes a similar problem to one that led to an earlier massive recall of small cars, and is linked to 13 deaths.
GM dealers grapple with recall avalanche

As General Motors continues to pile on recalls, the scope has become staggering — and the work and customer interaction will all fall to the automaker’s franchised dealers. They’re the ones who will perform the actual repairs on what is already 17.73 …

The Ten Worst Car Factories In History – Rootes Group Linwood

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The Ten Worst Car Factories In History.

 

Remember the Volvo P1800? Well, you want the S version because it was built in Sweden instead of Scotland, along with many of the Chrysler-Rootes Group cars.ranwhenparked has more:

The Chrysler-Rootes plant in Linwood, Scotland was pretty terrible. It was constructed specifically to build the Hillman Imp (full disclosure, I actually kind of like that car, my dad’s British expatriate friend had one for decades).

Chrysler wanted to build the car at their existing factory in Ryton, but oh no no, the UK government had other ideas. With Scotland’s shipbuilding industry essentially dead (partly, OK, heavily due to government policy), the idea was to replace it with car production. So, Chrysler was denied the necessary permits to expand the Ryton plant, but was given generous subsidies to build a new factory in Linwood and really needed to build the car somewhere, so they went with it.

All their suppliers were still located in England, Linwood was basically in the middle of a vast no-man’s land for the auto industry, which led to high transportation costs and frequent parts shortages. The local workforce was inexperienced in car assembly, which led to poor quality and low productivity (the rush to get production going was also to blame, as it shortened training time). Turnover was high and labor problems were rampant – there were over two dozen strikes in one year alone. The factory operated deep in the red throughout its existence and was ultimately closed in the mid ’70s after only 13 years in operation.

Scottland

 

http://jalopnik.com

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

The Ten Worst Car Factories In History

Well, you want the S version because it was built in Sweden instead of Scotland, along with many of the Chrysler-Rootes Group cars. ranwhenparked has more: The Chrysler-Rootes plant in Linwood, Scotland was pretty terrible. It was constructed …

Man’s prized ’79 Corvette found 33 years after it went missing in Detroit | The Detroit News

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Detroit — A man’s prized Corvette that was stolen three decades ago in Detroit has been found in Mississippi.

George Talley says he was watching TV last week when AAA called to say his 1979 Corvette had been found.

Talley tells WXYZ-TV he was told the car still runs, has 47,000 miles on it and is sitting at a police station in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The last time Talley saw the car was in 1981, before thieves took it from a parking spot along a Detroit street.

via Man’s prized ’79 Corvette found 33 years after it went missing in Detroit | The Detroit News.

 

It’s a little rough looking but it’s so cool that it had a happy ending…..33 years later!!!!  Low mileage is a plus!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

1979 corvette

beritaauto

Reuss offers to help reunite Detroit man with ’79 Vette: A Detroit man and his beloved 1979 Corvette wil… http://t.co/RTqo7fEOfg #otos

America Had The Most Badass Car At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans

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High praise for the C7.R!!!!

As a European, I must salute you. The two Corvette C7.Rs were simply amazing at Le Mans. And not just because of those burnouts.The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the greatest race in the world, and while it certainly works without Americans, having a few stars and stripes around always makes it more exciting. Just think of all those GT40s back in the day!The C7.R is no GT40, but Chevy’s newest racer built by Pratt & Miller for the GTE Pro and USCC GT classes. It’s no GT40 because it’s not a prototype and also because they couldn’t beat Ferrari at Le Mans this time: The #73 car finished second behind a 458 Italia while #74 got the fourth place thanks to a rapid 911 RSR.Still, great results from a pair of brand new cars fighting against the best of Europe, especially with Cadillac’s paint from the early 2000s quietly fading away in the background as a constant reminder of previous GM failures at Le Mans.

via America Had The Most Badass Car At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans.

C7 R

C7 R

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Hot Rods Head to Beaulieu — WordPress.com

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BEAULIEU’S ever popular Custom & Hot Rod Festival, held on Father’s Day, saw hundreds of colourful customs and stunning hot rods flood into the picturesque parkland of the National Motor Museum.

The Festival, held in association with Victory Wheelers, the south coast’s leading Custom, American and Hot Rod club, welcomed 7,320 visitors.

A large variety of custom cars and motorcycles were on display, with plenty of unusual designs and eye-catching artwork for visitors to admire. A number of trade stands were open for business, selling clothing, Americana memorabilia, merchandise and accessories.

This year, three dragsters formed a special display in a corner of the Beaulieu Arena. The Ratcatcher Resurrection slingshot dragster and Joe Bond’s Nuthin Fancy fuel-altered dragster both fired up for watching visitors, showing off the powerful force of their engines, in morning and afternoon demonstrations.

Europe’s first dragster, Sydney Allard’s 1961 Allard Chrysler, which was officially returned to the National Motor Museum at last year’s Festival, following extensive renovation, was also on display.

via Hot rods head to Beaulieu — WordPress.com.

Car shows on the grass are the best!!!!

Car shows on the grass are the best!!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

hot road festival

Maserati centennial exhibition in Modena — WordPress.com

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A UNIQUE exhibition dedicated to the Centennial of Maserati was inaugurated in Modena this week.

Maserati 100 – A Century of Pure Italian Luxury Sports Cars retraces the story of the Italian car manufacturer through an exhibition featuring some of the Trident marque’s most significant road and racing cars and to learn about the individuals who shaped its history.

via Maserati centennial exhibition in Modena — WordPress.com.

Headed to Modena next October (2015)

Maserati

Maserati is celebrating 100 years and although it was started in the Italian city of Bologna but eventually moved to Modena in the 1930’s  where it’s headquarters still operates.  The area is called “La Terra dei Motori” or Motor Valley and host not only Maserati, but Ferrai, Lamborghini, Dallara and Pagani as well as Ducati, Malaguti and Bimota motorcycle manufacturers.   We are headed to the Modena area Oct 2015!!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

lamborghini museum modena italy

Video: An Easy Way to Decrease the Value of Your Vette – CorvetteOnline.com

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While we all realize that cars are depreciating assets and therefore lose value with time and usage, many enthusiasts try to do everything possible to slow down this process. Some enthusiasts will go to the extent of covering their car daily, intentionally reduce the usage of their car, or even park their car when its brand new only to never use it for collector value.On the flip side of this, there are a lot of enthusiasts that believe “a car is meant to be driven” and will use their Corvette as if it were a Honda Civic in daily driving conditions. Both groups are very passionate about their opinions and if you ask either party, they will tell you that they are right and the other group is wrong.Whether you preserve your cars or drive your cars, one aspect of vehicle ownership that is sure to rapidly decrease the value of your car is an accident. Unfortunately for the driver of this video, they found out the hard way that while a beautiful black on black C5 may have a strong resale market when it looks great, that is not the case after a severe accident. Judging by the video, this black on black C5 ran right off the road– and into the trees. The impact of hitting the trees was severe enough to thoroughly mangle the front end of the car and deploy both front airbags. Often times, once the airbags deploy, the car gets totaled, which is unfortunate. Without having a video of the actual incident, one can speculate that speed was involved and the car was potentially pushed too far. Sad to see but hopefully they had some great insurance!

via Video: An Easy Way to Decrease the Value of Your Vette – CorvetteOnline.com.

My Note:  I’m the guy that drives his corvette like a Honda…only faster!!! Yes they sure did a job on this one but I don’t think they over drove the cars capabilities, more like the driver exceeded his abilities, which is usually the case with hi-performance cars.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim