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.

Leilani Münter “Life is short. Race hard. Live green.”

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You are going to like this story.  I’m as green as a guy that believes dead dinosaurs  are for burning (fossil fuel…get it?), but I do recycle including oil.  Here is something I can get behind as well.

Leilani Münter “Life is short. Race hard. Live green.”.

Race Car Driver and Eco-Activist Leilani Münter is Getting in Gear to Take “The Cove” Movie to the High Banks of Daytona
Activist Raising Funds For A “The Cove” Themed Race Car to Help Raise More Mainstream Awareness of Dolphin Captivity and Slaughter

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Daytona Beach, Florida (Jan 3, 2012) Leilani Münter, race car driver and passionate environmentalist, is bearing down on her goal of driving a “The Cove” themed race car at Daytona International Speedway, arguably one of the most famous race car tracks in the world. The ARCA race at Daytona is February 18 and will air live on SPEED television, which is available in 79 million homes. This will be the first ever ocean awareness themed race car to race the high banks of Daytona. Münter is seeking corporate and philanthropic donations for the remaining funds required, which is $30,000. Leilani has already raised $15,000 in donations prior to this story. To make a tax deductible donation, please visit opsociety.org/securedonation.htm and be sure to write “For Daytona” in the notes.The Academy-Award winning documentary “The Cove” exposes the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins in a small cove in Taiji, Japan. It also exposed the undeniable connection between dolphin parks and dolphin captivity, and the largest slaughter of dolphins in the world.

“The Cove forever changed me. I know race fans will respond to it, they just need to know about it,” said Münter. “The race falls on my birthday, and my greatest wish is to end the slaughter and the ongoing abuse of these beautiful ocean creatures.”

This campaign in designed to educate and engage 75 million race fans in the United States. Director of “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos has committed to giving away 1000 DVDs of “The Cove” at the race, and in addition, will be in attendance for the race alongside dolphin activist Ric O’Barry autographing DVDs of the film. People donating $50 or more will be entered into a raffle to win two pit passes for the Daytona race and two other lucky fans will win two garage passes each. Münter will be wearing a helmet painted for “The Cove” during the race, which will then be auctioned off with all the proceeds going to Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project to continue the fight on the ground in Taiji. To donate to “The Cove’s” awareness campaign at Daytona, click here and be sure to write “For Daytona” in the notes.

Münter is a biology graduate turned race car driver and environmental activist who adopts an acre of rainforest for every race she runs and promotes only environmentally conscious companies on her race car. Since seeing the film, she has traveled three times to Taiji, Japan to document the slaughter first hand and has organized several screenings of the film. Most recently, she spearheaded a campaign to turn the lights of the Empire State Building red to raise awareness.

At Münter’s last race at Daytona, she was driving the first ever 100% eco sponsored race car, with six environmental companies coming together to get her car on the track. The race was watched by 2.4 million people live on SPEED television and 100,000 people were watching the race trackside. The media exposure she received included the front page of the sports section of the New York Times.

“The Cove” received 47 awards including the Audience Awards at Sundance Film Festival and the Oscar for best documentary film. New York Magazine described it as “Passionate, exciting, and frightening” and Cinematical called it “A stunning, shocking story. The film itself is an act of heroism.” Over 2.3 million people from 151 different countries have signed a petition asking for the slaughter to end. The grassroots movement to spread awareness has spread to social media, with over 500,000 fans of the movie on Facebook.

For more information on the cause visit thecovemovie.com, opsociety.org and dolphinproject.org and for more information on Leilani, visit carbonfreegirl.com.

First Look: Hyundai Genesis Coupe – 2013

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Ok  match this one up the 2013 Dart in the previous post.

What would rather pruchase?

Engine:    3.8-liter V-6 now goes Direct Injection, which helps bump the horsepower to 348 and torque to 295 lb-ft (using premium fuel). 

BUT TIM!!!..COME ON NOW.  The Dart only has 4 cylinders!!!   True!!!

So for the Genesis – 2.0-liter inline-four is now paired with a twin-scroll turbocharger and improved intercooler, with that yielding 274 hp and 275 lb-ft, again with premium fuel. 

It even looks similar to the Dart –

Not bad---missing the second of door..but.....

Enough said?
 
Thanks for reading.
Tim

 

First Look: Dodge Dart

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(And my last look, unless someone drives one through my house and parks it in the living room!!!! )

You’d think the heat Chrysler took for making the Charger a 4 door…they would have come up with something better looking than a Dodge Neon look-a-like!!!!  (I’m a previous Dart owner w/318!!)

But wait… the engines….oh I’m sure there something special there:

Dart’s three,  four cylinder engines are:

–          Base 2.0-liter – 160 horsepower, 145 pound-feet torque,

–          Optional 1.4-liter – 160 horsepower, turbocharged using Fiat’s Multi-Air technology

–          Optional 2.4-liter – 184 horsepower, Multi-Air

OH….powered by a Fiat engine….oh…184 hp….um…yeah?

We at least there are 12 colors and 6 wheel choices!!!!

sigh.....2013 Dodge Dart.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

First Look: Dodge Dart.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

First General Lee to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson

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Yes another posting for the up and coming Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottdale.  If you are going in person or just watching on the Speed Channel, you’ll enjoy the cars they have coming up.

I recommend going in person.  There is a ton of things going on at Barrett-Jackson events, it’s even fun for non-car people.

If you are going to Scottdale this year…give me shout.  It would be fun to meet up and say “hey”.

This from Hemmings Daily emails.

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Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson

One of the most famous television cars in history will cross the block in Arizona later this month at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. Lot number 1291, a 1969 Dodge Charger base model with a 383-cu.in. V-8, is said to be the very first Charger used in the making of The Dukes of Hazzard. It’s also the very first Charger destroyed in the making of the show as it was laid waste and left for dead after being used to jump over a Hazzard County police cruiser (presumably that of Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane).

Movie and TV cars are tough to estimate before an auction, but The Dukes of Hazzard was all about the car, making the orange Dodge Charger every bit the center of the action as much as Bo, Luke and Daisy Duke. It’s kind of hard to imagine a car upstaging Daisy Duke, but this Charger did. Replete with a Confederate flag on the roof and distinctive “01″ on the doors and known by car fans and casual viewers alike as The General Lee, the Charger has been instantly recognizable for more than three decades since the show’s 1979 debut. And the value of 1968-1970 Chargers today likely owes something to the show’s popularity.

Wearing the VIN XP29H9B193680, this particular car was dubbed Lee 1 by Warner Brothers in 1978. It has the distinction of being the only General Lee to appear on every episode of the show out of some 320 or so used – and used up – by Warner Brothers during the show’s seven seasons and 145 episodes. That first jump over a dirt ramp, 16 feet up and 82 feet long, nearly bent the car in half when it landed on its nose, even with a trunk full of concrete used to balance the front-heavy machine. Although that pretty much wrote off Lee 1, the shot of that jump became an iconic and enduring moment in the show’s opening credits until it went off the air in 1985.

Edmunds Inside Line ran a thorough piece on the discovery and restoration of Lee 1 five years ago that tells a bit more of the background of what was otherwise a pretty ordinary used car back in 1978. The restorers put the car back to its condition as it was used on that fateful day in 1978, meaning hastily and sloppily painted with a nowhere near concours-quality finish.

Like any car up for auction, all it takes is two determined bidders to drive the price up. With a no reserve sale, Barrett-Jackson viewers will know exactly what the car is worth when the hammer falls. The question, really, is how much provenance can a plain-Jane 1969 Charger have with some cheap day-glo orange paint and sloppily applied numbers and flags.

The Barrett-Jackson auction takes place January 15 to 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit Barrett-Jackson.com.

 

Driving Difference

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Since I’ve gotten the 4 speed ( T-10 from 1967 Shelby) in the Mustang, I’ve been driving it a lot more.  I’m surprised at how much of an improvement it has made in the drive ability.  Of course there is more power going to the ground which is remarkable and the RPMs are put to much better used.  The original three speed top out pretty quickly and nothing left but engine noise.

Of course with more power hitting the ground, my current tires (wide and hard) tend to grip a lot less and spinning them through 2nd gear is common.  That will required some new, softer tread before long.

After driving the Mustang a few days in a row, I took the Vette to work.  Now you would expect there to be a difference, especially with the 120 hp disparagement in power  the Vette (about 420) and the Stang (about 300 – maybe a bit less) , but what I notice is how both cars arrive at top speed.

Both car’s like to launch, but the Vette does so with much less rear hunching then the Mustang.  The Vette feels lighter as it gets up to power – less down force on the road.  The Mustang is much different.  You can feel it, feeling the road.  I can actually feel the power longer and deeper in the Mustang as it move on up through the RMPs and the gears.

I think I’m ready to at a tach to the Mustang, I need to see the RPMs it’s turning out and then I’m going to have it dyno’ed.  It will be a good baseline before I get the  351 CJ head and intake installed.

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

Valiants Down-Under

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I enjoy the off-beat (as in not in the top 20 collectible) cars.  And they really have some of those ‘down-under”.  I grabbed this from this site

I  LOVE Valiant cars!

Found this one in Yarraville, Melbourne.

 Thanks for Reading

Tim