Category Archives: Car Restoration

Model Cars, or How I Spent My Winter.

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I happen to live where the weather is nice nearly year round.  You could almost always work on your car.  But even here in Southern Arizona, we get a cold spells….HEY…36 degree (morning temperature) is cold!!!!

Ok…enough whining. There are many of you that live a bit North of here and driveing much less working on your project car  is more like Man vs. Wild in the Antarctic – I know I’ve lived in Nebraska and up-state (way up) New York.

So one cool way to spend the winter it collecting model cars (actually you can do that any time).  I wrote a piece about 3 years ago (Yikes I’ve been writing this blog for that long!!!) about collecting model cars.  Here  a link:  When You Just have to have that Classic/Muscle Car?…Think Small!!!!        http://wp.me/p2YxYx-1rV

As you can see (compared to 3 years ago) my collection has grown a bit.

The Mustangs

The Mustangs

The Vettes

The Vettes

Few others

Few others

More of the collection.

More of the collection.

These are only a few that I have room to display. Of course these were all purchased and unless you are big in to dusting, this isn’t really going to help those winter months speed by.

But building your own can be rewarding.  Here are a couple I have on deck for building.

This is a 1963 model kit of a Stutz Bearcat and a Model T

This is a 1963 model kit of a Stutz Bearcat and a Model T

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The Stutz model pieces are not there, but yes I’m gong to but the Model T together.

After that I have this one coming up:

1930 Packard. This is a 1960's model - the original box is long gone

1930 Packard. This is a 1960’s model – the original box is long gone

IMAG1731 What am I working on now?

How about an Edsel?  Yup love those cars.

Here’s the body in the first stage of painting:

Edsel in paint

Edsel in paint

This is an experiment.  It’s the first model car I’ve painted by spraying on the paint.  This is the first coat and it will be sanded and re-sprayed.    I want this two toned with the rear quarter panel inserts will be black or white.  So I experimented with some liquid masking that my wife uses when she is doing her rendering.

 

Art Masking Liquid

Art Masking Liquid

This actually worked very well.  After it’s applied it rubberizes  and protects the area from paint spray.  It comes right off when you are done.  I used a pencil eraser (exactly what my wife uses on her hand rendered drawings and I used a tooth pick to get around the lettering.

So spend you winter building a classic, or a hot rod, or a muscle car!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

 

PartingOut.com – Cool Concept in Used Car Parts.

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PartingOut.com is a very interesting concept in marketing and selling used car parts.

The video explains the concept.

Check out the site at www.partingout.com.

I thinks a great idea!!!

Tim

a href=”https://www.average-guys-car-restoration-mods-racing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Parting_Out_Logo.jpg”img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-5516″ alt=”Parting_Out_Logo” src=”https://www.average-guys-car-restoration-mods-racing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Parting_Out_Logo.jpg” width=”298″ height=”277″ //a

More 2014 C7 Owner’s Manual Details Appear – CorvetteOnline

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Yet another – leak!!!

More 2014 C7 Owner’s Manual Details Appear – CorvetteOnline.

http://www.corvetteonline.com

c7draw1-640x395

Sleeper Cars

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As you know  (I assuming here), a “sleeper” car is one that on the exterior looks “average” (that it’s normally understood as referring to “slow”) under the wrapper, it’s a fire breather.

I was reading a special edition of ……the best auto periodical publisher in the WORLD (normally understood as referring to “ever existed”) Hemmings’ Muscle Machines – All Modified….and came upon an article entitled “Sleepers” by Richard Brigidi.

He defined a “sleeper” car as one with no engine badges, no chrome or striping, but with a monster engine.  The idea was back in the 1960’s as to hide the fact that you had mega HP under the hood.  Of course back in the day, street racing was common (although non-legal – just like today) and often it was done for cash or “pink slips”,  so hiding (or at least under stating) that fact that you’ve got a super power plant would be a benefit.

I’ve always liked the thought of having a poverty wheeled – rubber burner and always had in mind a plain-Jane Chevy Biscayne.

biscayne

Or maybe a plain old Mustang coupe?

Mustang010809

What’s your idea of a sleeper car? Drop your idea in a comment below.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

sleeper carssleeper cars

5 Best Sleeper Cars of 2014

Meanwhile, I put together a list of Top 5 Sleeper Cars available today. It includes a few American-built vehicles, and a couple more coming from cold, snowy Sweden and rugby-loving Australia. Check them out past the jump and tell me your thoughts in …

 

Mopar Door Panel Project – The LeBaron

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Some time ago I wrote about repairing my 1984 Corvettes door panel.  The panel its self was not well made … read “cheap” and didn’t stand up well to time/use.  Unfortunately, I can’t say there was any improvement in “quality” of the door panels in my 2007 Vette.  But this project isn’t a Corvette door panel,  but my son’s Chrysler LeBaron.

The LeBaron is 1990’s car and the door panels are 1990’s cheap, no nice way to say that.  This quick project was didn’t start out about the door panel, other than we had to take it off to check the multiple window control switch.  The window controls were part of a plastic insert that also has the remote control for the drivers’ side mirror poked through it.  It stays put, normally by 3 prongs that push into “V” clips that are on stand-a-lone braces that are mounted on the door panel directly – but not well done.

Since the insert has slid down over the past few months, it seemed that either driving vibrations and/or normal door operations, so while we are in there we’d push the prong back in.  Seemed simple enough.

The back of the panel a fiber board/plastic composite – not really fiberglass but similar and it’s pretty sturdy.

Back side of the door panel.

Back side of the door panel.

Here you can see the brackets I mentioned above.  However, the way in which the bracket are attached to the board is meant to last forever.  They are held together with bits of glue in holes along the edges of the bracket.  In the heat of Arizona and the great condition our roads are in (tongue in cheek) this type of connection is not ideal.

Here you can see the glue and at the back of the bracket and that is oozed out into the holes.

Here you can see the glue  the back of the bracket and that is oozed out into the holes.

This image below is the results of the glue pulling off – separating from the fiber board.

Part clue - Part fiber board. This was laying at the bottom of the door panel

Part clue – Part fiber board. This was laying at the bottom of the door panel

I’ll finish this up in the next post.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

1926 Rolls Royce Phantom I

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Great work on this one. I love the engines in these cars!!!!
Tim

1926 Rolls Royce Phantom I

Posted on 11/26/2012

MVC-049F

MVC-054F

RollsRoyceSpring2007 016

MVC-057F

MVC-059F

MVC-089F

MVC-092F

Trio of Twisters (Twister Special Mustangs, that is) to storm Kansas City | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts

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Trio of Twisters (Twister Special Mustangs, that is) to storm Kansas City | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts.

 

The Viper

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I re-posted a discussion on “Would You Take A Viper Over A ZR1?” (http://wp.me/pKHNM-1nH).  To me there is really no discussion to be had.  There is absolutely no way I’d select a Dodge Viper for a ZR1.  Heck, there’s no way I’d select a Viper over any Corvette (even the ugly, big butted C5’s).  Yup, even over the horse power difference.

It is mainly the design.  The Viper looks like the it’s either broken in the middle or was two cars shoved together.    Check this out?

1992_Dodge_ViperRT103-2

So here ya go  – the curve of the hood and rake of the windshield make he look “bent” at the vertical line drawn on the fender.  The bump where the side exhaust starts  the bent look.  The door is hinged inside what would normally be a fender brake cooling vent.  Then notice the back-end – it looks familiar, yes like a Mazda.   It really looks like a sports car got been by shoving a Mazda Miata in its trunk.

Now take a look at a 1992 Corvette ZR1.

92ZR1

Let rake in the windshield and the brake vents are as they should be!!!  Great lines!!!

Collector for a 1992 Viper vs. the  1992 ZR1 is a little one sided with the Viper about $15k more than the Vette, so for investment purposes the Vipers the one to own.

Your thoughts?

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

Drive By 1938 Chrysler Royal

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Here is another drive by.  As you know these are in fact drive by – but shooting with a camera!!!!

We saw this on near down town Tucson, Az.

Royal1royal2

She needs a little work but it seems the owner drives it.  I love the suicide door and the 9 windows!!

The Chrysler Royal was an automobile produced by the Chrysler division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1950. The Royal represented the entry-level Chrysler during its production,[1] making it the most affordable Chrysler model. The Royal was replaced at the end of 1950 model year by the Chrysler Windsor.

Own one of these?  Drop me a note.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Engine Line Up – 1956 Hudson Part III (Packard Engine in a Hudson?) Update

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Additional update:

According to The Standard Catalog of American Motors 1902-1987, the AMC V8 was introduced on March 5 (1956) in a new model called the Hornet Special.  It displaced 250 cu. in.  The 2 V8 engines were sold side-by-side until October 25, when the 1957 models were introduced.  The 1957 cars, all of which were called "Hornets", came _only_ with the 327 cu. in. AMC V8 (the Hudson and Nash 6 cylinder engines were no longer available).
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There may also be other replies, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the forum again.

All the best,
AACA Forums

From over on Antique Automobile Club of America.

http://forums.aaca.org/f169/engine-line-up-1956-hudson-part-340657.html#post1104154

Kevin wrote:

Quote Originally Posted by misterc9 View Post
AMC bought V8 engines and automatic transmissions from Packard. They installed them in Nash and Hudson cars in 55 and 56. Their own AMC V8 was ready for 57 so I think they only used their own engines from 57 on.

Kevin

56 Hornet

Thanks Kevin.

Tim