Monthly Archives: February 2015

Auto Factoids for the Week of 2/22/2015 – Firebird, Thunderbird, AMX

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Got a few huge debuts this week’s Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids), so lets get started.

 

Feb 23, 1954 – Ford shows off the Thunderbird for the first time.

Although the Thunderbird wasn’t available until 1955 it was in design.  Originally it was going to be called the Vega!!

1955 T-Bird

1955 T-Bird

 

Feb 23, 1967 – Pontiac debuts the Firebird

The brain child of John Delorean the Firebird started out as the Banshee in two versions (XP 833 convertible or Hard top coupe).  1966 it was a two seater referred to as XP-798.

 

Look some what familar? Corvette maybe?

Look some what familar? Corvette maybe?

Pontiac brass thought so too and these concepts were not approved.

Pontiac brass thought so too and these concepts were not approved.

The XP 798 Firebird concept.

The XP 798 Firebird concept.

1967 Firebird

1967 Firebird

 

 

Feb 24, 1968 – American Motors debuts the AMX

1969 Hurst version...NICE!!!

1969 Hurst version…NICE!!!

 

Feb 25, 1905 – Jose Piquero crossed the Andes in a Caddy!!

Had to dig for this one. Found it on http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org.   Back in 1905 a Cadillac was the first car to cross the Andes (the mountain range not Andes, New York) that happened on Feb 25th, but I don’t know why, nor does anyone else seem to know.  I can tell you  the Andes are in South American and average about 14,000 feet in altitude.  The ’05 (that’s 1905 not 2005) Caddy was, well, let’s say “airy”.   That ‘brave’ (pronounced ‘Crazy’) soul was Jose Piquero. But wait, some sources say it wasn’t a Caddy at all, but a Oldsmobile.

So I would imagine in either ride the trip was a tad bit chilly.

1905 Olds

1905 Olds

1905 Caddy

1905 Caddy

 

Feb 27, 1934 – Ralph “Corvair Killer” Nader was born in Conn.

You can celebrate that (anyone?  Bueller, Bueller…) if you absolutely can’t find another reason to have an adult beverage.  I wonder if he fell out of a car seat when he was young?

1962 Lakewood

1962 Lakewood

The last Corvair Vert.

The last Corvair Vert.

I'm seeing the Corvair but can't help notice the Nova's on the rail car.

I’m seeing the Corvair but can’t help notice the Nova’s on the rail car.

 

Feb 28,  1940  – Mario Andretti born in Montona, Italy

Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

1955 thunderbird specs1967 firebird specs

1968 Ford Mustang Fastback – Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine

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Don’t worry, not all kids are rocking double-decker winged imports with stereo volume that competes with fart can exhaust. There are young hard-core hot rodders building cars their fathers and grandfathers would be proud of. Joe DeBattista of San Bruno, California, is one of those kids. With a father who collected just about anything that related to cars, Joe was always surrounded by automotive paraphernalia. He almost didn’t get a choice if he would be a fanatic.

Joe’s dad, Joe Sr., was a British car lover. That’s all fine, but Joe was more into American Muscle. He was even happy for his plan to be receiving his mother’s ’70 Mustang Coupe when he was old enough to drive. That was until mom, who worked as a secretary at an auto-repair shop, called them to come check out a car. An older woman had brought in a car with a minor carburetor issue to be resolved in order to sell. Joe and his dad were rather uninterested, as Joe would be getting the ’70 coupe. Mom insisted they come see it anyway.

(chase the link to read more…)

via 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback – Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine.

 

351 Modified

351 Modified

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

Hot Rod To The Rescue – A 351 Cleveland Is Eating …

The 351 Cleveland in Scott Mays’ 1970 Mustang Strips Distributor Gears. Hot Rod To The Rescue.
1971 1972 1973 mustang 351 cleveland an other parts – $1 …

1971 1972 1973 mustang 351 cleveland an other parts – $1 (Oak Ridge, MO). 1971 1972 1973 mustang 351 cleveland an other parts – $1 (Oak Ridge, MO) http://semo.craigslist.org/pts/4845021312.html …

Auto Factoids for Week of Feb 15, 2015 – SCCA, Nash-Healey and More

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Here are your Auto Factoids (#autofactoids) for the middle of Feb, 2015!!

 

Feb 15, 1944 – Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) was formed.  For those of you that don’t follow racing you need to check out what SCCA does.  It’s a great organization for local racing, as well as state/regional and even national.  I’m a proud card-carrying member and attend the local chapter Arizona Border Region .  I can attest that this chapter is well run and enjoyable.

Me and SCCA Solo instructor in my C7

Me and SCCA Solo instructor in my C7

 

Feb 16, 1951 – Nash-Healey debuts.     The Healey Nash mash-up produced one of the most beautiful cars of the early 1950’s. They originally met the Queen Mary.  Nash supplied the power train that consisted of the Ambassador’s straight six OHV 234.8 cu in (3.85 L) engine (minus the cast iron cylinder heads – they used their own design aluminum version) and three-speed manual transmission with Borg-Warner overdrive, plus torque tube and differential.  Healey supplied the carbs – two SU and the body.  Actually Healey designed the body to fit their frame, but aluminum body the supplied Panelcraft Sheet Metal.

 

Beautiful Aluminum bodied sport car!!!

Beautiful Aluminum bodied sport car!!!

2 SUtwin 1.75-inch (44 mm) and lighter and higher compression cylinder head - boosting it from 112 to 125 hp. That's a lot for a small car.

2 SU twin 1.75-inch (44 mm) and lighter and higher compression cylinder head – boosting hp from 112 to 125 hp.

 

Feb 17, 1934 – First Drivers Ed Class – in State College, Pa.

 

Feb 18, 1952 – Studebaker 100 years

Studebaker started out with an electric car in 1902 (before that they produced wagons)  and by 1904 began producing gas-powered.

Basically an electric wagon!!!

Basically an electric wagon!!!

1904 gas powered Studebaker.

1904 gas-powered Studebaker.
1952 Studebaker. 2 years later money issues forced a merger with Packard.

1952 Studebaker. 2 years later money issues forced a merger with Packard.

 

1979       – Richard Petty wins Daytona 500 (Number 6 for him)

6th Daytona win 1979

6th Daytona win 1979

The #43 Car for 1979

The #43 Car for 1979

 

1898 –       Enzo Ferrari born in Modena, Italy     (Not sure what he is famous for!!!)

Of course you would!!!

OH!!!!

 

Feb 20, 1954 – Dodge displays it’s Firearrow at the Chicago Auto Show (go on now for 2015)

One of the coolest concept cars!!!   Agree?

Two convertible models

Two convertible models

Clock in the steering wheel center? Crazy Cool!!

Clock in the steering wheel center? Crazy Cool!!

Awesome Interior

Awesome Interior

 

Thanks for reading!   Let us know how you like the Auto Factoid segment!!!

Tim

Auto Factoids for the Week of Feb 8, 2015 – N.Y. To Pairs …

As we run through the middle of the 2nd month of the year, here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids). A light week this week. Feb 10, 1942 – Pontiac.
Auto Factoids for the Week of 2/1/2015 – Kaiser Week

Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the first week in Feb. 2015!!! I think we can call this Kaiser Week as 3 of our factoid are related to the Kaiser auto.
Auto Factoids for the Week of 1/25/2015

Wow it’s the end of January already. Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the last week of January 2015. Jan 26th 1920 – Lincoln Motor Company.

 

BangShift.com 1936 Chevy Bus

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This 1936 Chevy Bus Was Made Into A Hose Hauler By The Fire Dapartment – Could It Haul Hot Rods?

Feb 16, 2015Brian LohnesBangShift XL, XL Online Find0

1936 Chevy Bus

1936 Chevy Bus

 

 

So there will never be a day when we grow weary of seeing, scheming about, or dreaming of cool car haulers. This 1936 Chevy school bus was converted into a hauler of sorts many moons ago by a fire department to move hoses around. They simply lopped off the roof of the passenger compartment and left a big open flatbed for them to throw their heavy hoses on. We’re guessing that this rig was used in a town that wasn’t too large because a 1936 Chevy school bus laden with rolls of heavy hose would likely arrive to the scene of a fire in time to help save the basement after the rest of the structure was consumed. As cool as its history is, how neat might the future be?

Sparse interior...even when it was new.

Sparse interior…even when it was new.

It would take some doing and a lot of dough but we’re thinking that this truck has serious possibilities as a hot rod hauler. The cab area would need to be reworked and likely everything from the windshield back would need to be formed by a metal shaping house like Marcel’s or someone of that creative genius level of talent so that it didn’t look like a high school project. The entire drivetrain would need to be swapped out for something more powerful and modern, the chassis would need to be beefed, the suspension revamped, and the there’s the issue of the hauler area itself. Leave it as a flat bed and simply add some ramps? Make some sort of a wedge deal on the back of it? This is looking like a Donald Trump level budget project but it is pretty fun to mentally design the truck as we would want it. Your turn.

via BangShift.com 1936 Chevy Bus.

 

I’m think it would be a cool toy hauler or maybe an awesome why to get your trailer queen to a car show!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

chevy bus

PPEP, Inc.

to southern Arizona farm labor camps. This was all done aboard a 1957 Chevy bus. PPEP was officially incorporated on December 10, 1969. PPEP TEC High

 

Video: Aussie Pro Stock 400ci SBC On The Dyno At Patterson Racing – Chevy Hardcore

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As I’ve said before, I’d love the chance to hangout in car culture in Australia for couple months….maybe one day.   But it’s true you just don’t find a lot on the net.  Read on and chase the link for more.

 

Trying to find any substantial information about Australian Pro Stock racing on the Internet is like trying to get your kid to eat Brussels sprouts – simply speaking, it’s tough! Seeing the video of this Aussie Pro Stock 400ci SBC engine from Patterson Racing singing on their dyno takes your author’s mind back to the small-block Pro Stock Truck class and their high revving 358 inch engines that departed NHRA competition just over a decade ago.

Patterson Racing has been in business for 35 years and is widely known for their cutting edge engines and innovations in the racing arena. Naturally aspirated small blocks like the ones used in the Australian National Drag Racing Association‘s Pro Stock field are close to their heart. The typical engine puts out over 2.75 horsepower per cubic inch without any power adders and they spin at over 10,500 rpms. When compared to the NHRA Pro Stock engine of the 500-inch variety the little ANDRA version is not as tightly regulated in terms of rule restrictions on modification.

via Video: Aussie Pro Stock 400ci SBC On The Dyno At Patterson Racing – Chevy Hardcore.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

patterson racing

Formula One speeds towards radical thousand-horsepower shakeup

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The teams, the drivers, the fans, the circuits… few, if any, were satisfied with how Formula One has shaped up since the current regulations took hold last year. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t working on it.

1000 HP F1

1000 HP F1

At a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, the leading parties in the sport outlined a new framework that would radically shake up the cars themselves while keeping costs in check. And the biggest change could see the engines producing around 1,000 horsepower.

via Formula One speeds towards radical thousand-horsepower shakeup.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

f1 racing[ ATTRIBUTE: Please check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/87806373@N04/8118612139 to find out how to attribute this image ]

Pat Symonds Q&A: Williams can be champions again

Q: Then let’s put it this way: you had zero impact in F1 racing for some time because you haven’t been in F1 racing… PS: True. And now I am enjoying being with Williams. It is a great team. Yes, of course it’s nice when you are in demand – but to be …
F1: Rivals suspect Ferrari form is real

Ferrari’s strong form in the first pre-season Formula 1 test has left rivals wary that it might have made a much bigger leap than expected over the winter. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were fastest on three of the four days of the first pre …

Engine Line Up – 1949 Chevrolet

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1949 was the first year after World War II where Chevrolet did a complete maker-over of its offerings, meager in terms of variations as compared to what they would become in the next decade. With only the Special Series 1500 GJ, Deluxe Series GK, each with a Fleetline and Styleline Sub-Series you can bet that the engines were limited.  In fact there was one.

 

All units were powered by a six cylinder engine, even the 8 passenger wood and steel stations wagons.

 

1949 Chevy Woody Station Wagon.

1949 Chevy Woody Station Wagon.

 

The in-line 216.5 CID was the only option.  It was a cast iron blocked, overhead valved, straight six cylinder engine. Bore and stroke were 3.5″ x 3.75″with a compression ratio of 6.5:1. Add in solid lifters and four main bearings and topping off with a Carter downdraft single barrel carb (W1-684) it produced about 90 hp. That’s not a lot of power when you consider the lightest of the Series was about 3,015 pounds and the heaviest was 3,485 pounds.

 

216.5 CID

216.5 CID the “Thrift-Master”

 

We love seeing your pictures.  Post them up on Facebook  Average Guy’s Car Restoration and Mods, or twitter (@agcarrestore) or via email agcarrestoration@cox.net

Thanks for reading.
Tim

 

1949 chevrolet

 

1949 Chevrolet 3100 – True Blue

Sometimes our readers get frustrated because they feel the trucks we feature are too far away from what they were originally. While we do like to feature some stock restorations as we come upon them, we also like to show you how versatile these trucks …

New BMW M6 GT3 racer starts testing – Only Motors

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New BMW M6 GT3 racer starts testing

BMW is retiring its hugely successful, V8-engine Z4 GT3 racer later on this year. It’s replacement, the BMW M6 GT3, was spotting undergoing testing this week.

And, good grief, does it look mean. The Z4 is one of the most cartoonishly pumped-up cars on the GT3 and the M6 carries on the tradition. The wheel arches are gigantic, the sills are like shelves and the rear wing would make a decent bar.

Power comes from the twin-turbo, 4.4-litre V8 found in the road-going M6. Though modified to cope with the demands of racing, it will probably produce less power than the road car, thanks to the Balance of Performance system that equalizes the extremely diverse GT3 field.

 

Check out the rest @ New BMW M6 GT3 racer starts testing – Only Motors.

 

GT3 - 2016 Get Ready!!!

M6 GT3 – 2016 Get Ready!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

2016 BMW M6 GT3 Race Car Starts Testing

BMW is set to phase out its Z4-based race car from GT competition at the end of this year and replace it in 2016 with a new car based on the M6 platform. The new race car is being developed to GT3 specifications, with versions likely developed for the …
2016 BMW M6 Is A Thrill For The Senses: Video

For anyone that’s thinking BMW has lost its way with cars like the oddly-shaped Gran Turismos and the blasphemous front-driving 2-Series Active Tourer, this promo video for the 2016 M6 range should restore your faith in the blue and white roundel. The …
BMW previews new M6 GT3 racing prototype [UPDATE]

… new information about the car. Enquiries from North America are to be sent by E-mail to M6GT3NA@bmw-motorsport.com. Featured GalleryBMW M6 GT3. News Source: BMW, BMW Blog · BMW Coupe Racing 2016 bmw m6 gt3 bmw bmw m6 bmw m6 gt3 …

Auto Factoids for the Week of Feb 8, 2015 – N.Y. To Pairs 1908 – Ford Flatty

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As we run through the middle of the 2nd month of the year, here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids).   A light week this week.

 

 Feb 10, 1942 – Pontiac stops car production for WWII

– As you know WWII took a lot of sacrifice on many countries and their citizen and even corporations.  A lot of resources were used in producing automobiles, in particular metals that could be used to produce planes and Liberty ships and ammo.   That is why the U.S. government asked the car industry to halt production and assist in producing just about anything to support the war effort.  Pontiac was one of the last to comply with the request.  Pontiac’s main contribution?  It was the 20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons.   Check out what they could do!!!

Feb 11, 1932 – Ford announces new V8 engine

The Model A was history and the Model 18 ruled – with Ford’s new FlatHead V8 in 1932 (also referred to as the Ford Flathead or Flathead Ford or just Flatty).  It lived on in the Model 40 in 1933 and 1934. It continued on the 1950’s.

1932 Flatty

1932 Flatty

 

Feb 12, 1908 – Start of the New York to Paris car race.

– The race route was from NYC, Albany, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Valdez Alaska, Japan, Vladivostok, Omsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Berlin and finally Paris. It was sponsored by the New York Times and the LA MATIN   (Paris news paper) and finished 169 days later.

Asia Europe Route - 1908

Asia Europe Route – 1908

 

US Route 1908

US Route 1908

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AutoFactoid

Trajka z silnikiem Ford Flathead V8

Oczywiście, trójkołowe motocykle są świetnym rozwiązaniem dla wszystkich tych, którzy z jakiś powodów nie posiadają już pełnej swojej sprawności i nie mogą jeździć konwencjonalnym motocyklem. Skoro to stwierdzenie mamy z głowy, to co musi wydarzyć …
Porsches, hot rods featured at Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

“The East Coast rod is a blood relation of the sports car,” the chairman said, “while the West Coast rod has the style of the dry-lakes roadster, of Bonneville and the whole Ford ‘flathead’ V8 scene, probably what most people envision when they hear …
Video: Jay Leno Takes a 1932 Ford Highboy Roadster for a Spin

Jay’s latest adventure takes a deep dive into hot-rodding history with this beautiful 1932 Ford Highboy roadster . But don’t pass this off as just another deuce coupe . No, this car is the deuce coupe. Jay has with him Bruce Meyer, the car’s restorer …

H.E.M.I. Show – Come, see, and hear, the largest all Mopar show in Arizona.

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The H.E.M.I show is back, Saturday, March 7th, 2015. 8 AM -3 PM. Sponsored by Universal Technical Institute and Mopars Unlimited of Arizona. The biggest all Mopar car show in Arizona has a NEW LOCATION. This year the show will be at UTI, Universal Technical Institute, 10695 W. Pierce St, Avondale, AZ 85323.

The H.E.M.I show is back, Saturday, March 7th, 2015. 8 AM -3 PM. UTI, Universal Technical Institute, 10695 W. Pierce St, Avondale, AZ 85323

The H.E.M.I show is back, Saturday, March 7th, 2015. 8 AM -3 PM.
UTI, Universal Technical Institute, 10695 W. Pierce St, Avondale, AZ 85323

 
More space, more vendors, more swappers, food trucks, and over 50 professionally judged classes and all Mopar.

Vintage, Classic, Muscle, Truck, Jeep, FWD, Neon, Prowler/Viper, AMC, new Challenger, Charger, and Dart classes, survivor class, and a display only class plus many more. Stock and modified in most classes.

Personal Touch Dynamometer chassis dyno on site all day. See which Mopar will make the most power at the Dyno challenge. Special award for the highest horse power Mopar.

Come, see, and hear, the largest all Mopar show in Arizona.

Go to moparsaz.com for more info and to register show cars, swappers, and vendors, Just print and mail in the form by February 16th for reduced pre entry fee for show cars.

Entry is free to spectators. Show car $20 pre register by Feb 16th, $25 day of show, $15 Display only, Swap/Vendor space $20/$50, Dyno Challenge $30 2 pulls, enter as often as you like.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

mopar car show