CRUISE NIGHT: Downtown Barrington, Illinois

Downtown Barrington, Illinois's classic car cruise has been taking place for 9 years.Tucked away in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago is the quaint town of Barrington and every summer Thursday night, the classic cars come rolling in for the village’s weekly cruise. With its tranquil, tree-lined setting, easily accessible boutique shops and casual dining, this event is one draws automotive enthusiasts from all over.

Anne Garrett helps to oversee the downtown Barrington, Illinois classic car cruise night.

Anne Garrett

Anne Garrett serves as the Manager for Special Events and Marketing for the Village of Barrington and described to us how the cruise came to be.

“This year is our 9th year for the cruise, which got started in 2003. At the time, the village had been looking for ways to draw traffic and attention to the downtown area and knew a classic car cruise would be just perfect. Other neighboring suburbs had something similar so we did some research and determined we had what it would take to run a successful event. We settled on the South Cook street area and in all the years its been running, haven’t changed a thing.”

Anne informed us two village staff members and several members of the The Barrington Police will typically bring out a few vehicles to the classic car cruise.public works, as well as local law enforcement, are required to run the event.

“The Barrington Police will attend but it’s more of a public safety presence and a chance to interact with the local community.”

In addition, they also typically bring out vehicles from their fleet and allow spectators to get up close and personal with their high-tech cruisers. Volunteers from the Barrington Lions Club also help with the event.

Classic cars parked in downtown Barrington, Illinois for the classic car cruise. 2012“Four years ago we were approached by the group who offered their assistance. Every year since we’ve had 4 or 5 faithful volunteers help man the barricades and allow the cars to come in and out.”

Judging by the jammed lots, full of classic and custom cars, and the multitudes of owners and spectators milling about, it’s safe to assume the cruise has been a huge hit with the community.

“So far, the response has been tremendous. It seems every week people genuinely look forward to the event. They’re able to come early and go to the Farmer’s Market and then wander around the lots, checking out the cool classic cars. We rotate the onsite food venders and always have different entertainment so no two weeks are exactly the same.”

Classic cars parked in downton Barrington at the cruise. 2012

Expect the lot to be filled during the warm, cruising months.

The local businesses have taken notice of the increased foot traffic. Classic cars parked in downtown Barrington, Illinois for the classic car cruise. 2012

“We’re having more and more of our downtown merchants stay open late, which gives spectators many options for additional shopping and dining activities when they’re done seeing the cars. It really adds to the overall community feeling of the event and makes it a wonderful place to spend the evening.”

If you plan on attending the Barrington cruise and want to bring a four-wheeled relic, you’d better get there early.

“Our official start time is 6:30pm but the car owners will arrive and start cuing up around 4:30pm. Many of them want to make sure they get their ‘special spot’. Generally our end time is right at dusk, as the car owners don’t like driving home in the dark with their headlights on. We’ve been told they don’t like to run the risk of attracting bugs and having to put in the extra time cleaning them off.”

Classic cars parked at the 2012 downtown Barrington, Illinois classic car cruise.Each night throughout the summer has a theme, highlighting a certain brand, style or type of classic machine. While all are welcome, the themed vehicles are given special attention. Here is the schedule for the rest of the season:

July 19: 70’s Night
July 26: “Orphan” Cars
August 2: Mopar
August 9: Convertible
August 16: Sports & British Cars
August 23: Corvette
August 30: Trucks/ 4×4

** Want to know what events are taking place near you? Check out our Cruise Calender **

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At the downtown Barrington cruise, you’ll see everything from an ultra-modern Fisker Karma to all your favorite vintage Detroit muscle machines.

Classic cars parked at the 2012 downtown Barrington, Illinois classic car cruise.

**All photos and content by Classic Recollections and may not be used without permission. 2012 © **

Classic cars parked at the 2012 downtown Barrington, Illinois classic car cruise.

Classic cars parked at the 2012 downtown Barrington, Illinois classic car cruise.

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Classic cars parked at the 2012 downtown Barrington, Illinois classic car cruise.

Classic cars parked in downton Barrington at the cruise. 2012__________________________________________________________________________________

**All photos and content by Classic Recollections and may not be used without permission. 2012 © **

Dodging Bankruptcy and the Crusher

Dodging Bankruptcy and the Crusher.

Joe Greeves – July 05, 2012 10:00 AM

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(Editor’s note: Shortly after this article was written and printed in Auto Enthusiast (July issue), John Guarnieri was killed in a traffic accident en route to a show with his Dodge in tow. Our sympathies are extended to the friends and family in the loss and it was our privilege to share John’s car and passion with our readers).

Financial bailouts of automobile companies have been in the news but shoring up the auto industry is not something limited to recent times.

This beautiful 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer is proof that sometimes the infusion of extra cash can produce striking results. Almost driven to bankruptcy because of poor sales in 1953 and 1954, Chrysler was saved from collapse by a $250 million loan from Prudential and the talents of automotive designer Virgil Exner. In 1955, a beautiful collection of cars across the board became the result that put Chrysler solidly back into the Big Three.

The redesigned 1955 Dodge emerged from the makeover as a truly representative car of the ’50s. Positioned between Plymouth andDe Soto in the Chrysler lineup, the Dodge sported a six-volt electrical system, kingpin/leaf spring suspension, and 15-inch wheels. Six adults could ride in comfort and the trunk could hold their luggage.

Over-engineered with 20-quart cooling systems and six-quart oil capacities (sixes as well as V-8s) the engines ran on low octane gas and were trouble free. They were good looking cars then and still are today.

Enter John Guarnieri, a retired police officer and lifelong Mopar enthusiast living in St. Augustine, Florida. John is an active member of the Ancient City Auto Club and has owned 64 vehicles over the years. His involvement with this beautiful example began moments before it was headed to the crusher!

In February 2004, he and a friend were on a parts run when they drove past a junkyard in Lake City, South Carolina, surprised to see a distinctive tri-colored Dodge being pushed inside the fence. Except for rusted floorboards from a failed heater core, the car was complete and the body was pristine. A six-volt battery and a gallon of fresh gas brought the 270 Hemi V-8 to life, convincing John that the car had potential.

He learned that the car had been carefully stored for more than 25 years by the grandfather and his son, but the grandson got involved with drugs and never paid the storage fees. Knowing that the Custom Royal Lancer was the flagship car of the Dodge line, John stepped up like Prudential a half century before, intent on saving the car. He wrote a check for the storage fee, paid for a South Carolina title, and took the car home. As an unexpected bonus, the dealer threw in a second ’55 Dodge as a parts car. In all, John acquired five parts cars during the almost four year restoration.

After trailering the car back to St. Augustine, John’s first step was to get the brakes working properly and exercising the engine. Several trips up and down the highway and two oil changes later, the engine stopped spewing black smoke, a sign that it was time for the full restoration to begin.

Recalling the process with a smile, John says, “It only took two days to tear the car apart and 3½ years to put it back together!” The five parts cars and new old stock items located on eBay gave John everything he needed to complete the project. He accomplished much of the work himself, overhauling the engine on his own and rebuilding the transmission with help from Danny Novello at American Transmission in St. Augustine.

John also redid the brake system, refurbished the gas tank, added a new YnZ wiring harness, and located five Goodyear 7.10 x 15 tires with 2¾ inch whitewalls. The correct combination of Jacquard fabric and Cordagrain vinyl was sourced in Canada and installed by Old City Upholstery in St. Augustine. Several other local experts added their talents, like Tony Puleo at A&R Auto Electrics, along with staff members Jimmy and Charlie, who handled the rebuild of the car’s electrical components.

Boyd’s Glass located and installed new tinted glass and Rick’s Mufflers fabricated the new exhaust system. Tony Castellano polished the stainless steel and Space Coast Plating of Melbourne, Florida, did the chrome. John’s good friend, Hamlet Smith from Palm Coast, Florida, helped in reassembling the car and John’s wife Lynda hand-painted the hubcap spinners, gauges and related pieces.

The refurbished 270 Super Red Ram V-8 came equipped with Hemi heads and a two-barrel carb, producing 183hp. A rare Power Pack option was available from the factory that added a four-barrel Carter carb and dual exhausts, good for an additional 10hp. John’s car is equipped with a two-speed PowerFlite transmission, complete with a unique dash-mounted shift lever. (Those famous Chrysler pushbuttons appeared the following year.) Chrome trim separated the colors on the door panels. Gauges span the width of the dash and on John’s car. The eight-tube pushbutton radio has an optional rear speaker.

Unique colors were part of the mid-’50s experience and Dodge certainly brightened the landscape, taking 13 basic colors and expanding the choices with 16 two-tone combinations. Newly introduced in 1955 were 16 more three-tone combinations. If 45 choices still weren’t enough for you, upper colors, insert colors, and lower colors could be switched, providing a staggering 76-choice color palette. John’s colors of Regal Burgundy Metallic, white, and black were colors that often appeared in Dodge brochures, making them a sought after combination. Handling the spray gun, Billy Walters from Jacksonville, Florida, shot the chassis and accomplished the unique tri-color paint job.

Saved from bankruptcy by Prudential and the crusher by Guarnieri, the Dodge justified their faith beginning in December 2008 when the car was presented to the judges. The hard work and long hours were rewarded with a Junior Award at AACA’s ’08 Winter Meet in Lakeland, Florida. The Senior Award followed at the 2009 AACA Spring Meet in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The following year, John trailered the car to New Bern, North Carolina where it won again, taking home an AACA Grand National Award. John hopes the car will obtain its Senior Grand National Award at the 2012 Grand National Meet in Shelbyville, Tennessee.

When that happens, it will be a genuinely happy ending for an almost bankrupt car once headed to the crusher.

Slacking – What’s Coming Up

Yes, I’ve been slacking a bit on the blogging, but have good reason.  Ok…not really but here’s what is coming up.

–  A couple  new Engine Lineup articles

– An unexpected new project shows up

– An unexpected problem with the Mustang

– Corvette headlight issues

–  More probing on the Corvette gas gauge issues

– Corvette clutch fluid leak

– Pick up my RSS feed and your name will be entered in my monthly drawing for a die cast replica and other KOOL stuff.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Show in – Rothrist, Switzerland

Remember a few post ago that covered MOPAR’s in Sweden? (Short Link:  http://wp.me/pKHNM-174)  I wrote how interesting it was to see US sheet metal in other countries.

Well check out this car show in Rothrist, Switzerland.  This is from Andres Palomares who lives in Bern, Switzerland.  There are some great examples of US car history in this show.

Switzerland is beautiful and visited Interlaken several times while living in Europe.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Wide-Body – The Pike Challenger

I wanted to share this link because I was surprised at what Tom Pike does to some of the cars he modifies.  We are talking 6-8 inches to a Challenger!!!!

http://tommypikecustoms.com/

Here are some highlights:

First that do it all in metal – no fiberglass

– they cut the front fenders and quarter panels from the top body line down and remove the factory sheet metal

– they add patch panels with thousands of welds

– they re-attach the factory fuel door and add a longer filler neck

– for this particular car they shaved the door handles and blacked out the turn signals and side markers

To this car they added 10 1/2″ wide tires in the front and 13″ wide tires in the rear!!  They also lowered the car with Hotchkis suspension with coilover shocks.

It’s beautiful:

Tommy Pike’s Customs

WOW!!!

Oh… and the wheel are custom-made by MHT Luxury Alloys.  The wheels are 3 piece and took 3 months to create.

WOW.

Thanks for reading

Tim

US Cars Overseas – Sweden

Thought I’d share this.  It’s amazing how many and the variety of  US cars made in the 50’s and 60’s made it overseas.  It’s also very interesting what they do with them.  Check out these MOPARs in Sweden.  Way Cool!!!

From:   http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/a-variety-of-mopars-in-sweden-to-envy/

A Variety Of Mopars In Sweden To Envy

Michael Hardingby on April 23, 2012

You can always tell a car guy by looking in his garage and seeing what he has in there. If you see a couple of cars, that’s could be your first clue. But when you see muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s, and engines on pallets, car lifts, stickers from internet performance shops, and various parts on the shelves, then you know that garage isn’t the run-of-the-mill garage.

Looking at Anders Ohlin’s garage in Sweden lets you know that this guy is into cars and performance – particularly Mopar performance. His collection of Mopar muscle cars is enough to make you drool.

Anders collection is interesting, and he says that some of his cars are the only ones that he knows of in Sweden. He considers himself a fanatic, as do many of his friends. Just looking at the pictures in his garage and you can see that he likes to surround himself with performance.

Some of his cars include a 1958 DeSoto Fireflite with a 361 Wedge, a 1965 Dodge Coronet A990 Super Stock Clone with a race HEMI that he imported in 2010, a 1964 Dodge 440 that has a 426 Wedge with dual carbs, a 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Coupe that appears to have a 413 with dual carbs, and also a 1964 Dodge 330 to round out the cars we know of.

You can check out the YouTube video and see him moving his 1964 Dodge 330 around the garage. It’s a very healthy sounding Mopar, and if the deep rumble of that exhaust doesn’t sound like music to your ears, then you need to turn your speakers up!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

New ‘Cuda or Here We Go Again!!!

So I’m thumbing through one of the latest “here are the new cars” periodicals (I don’t spend much time with them…I don’t care much if a Mazda sedan and out perform a VW sedan…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz) and ran across  that stated “Chrysler looks to the ‘Cuda to replace Dodge‘s Challenger.”

Ok…come on heee…er (New York accent).   Didn’t we just have the conversation about the “Dodge Dart“???  Like how it looked more like a Neon!!! And correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we all agree that the Charger was a cool as “Honda Accord“?     Yes, I believe we did!

So now lets take the Challenger the one they got “right’ in a retro sense.  So why replace it?   Well some could argue in the 70’s the Cuda was a better looking car and you know they bring a lot more money.  So just maybe….but read this!!!

“A Barracuda replacement would be much more trim, though still on a RWD platform.  Chrysler and…(cough) Fiat are said to be jointly developing a new platform that’s smaller the current Charger… Gille’s Barracuda will be far less literal interpretation of its namesake.”

So let me see if I have this straight….you’re gonna take the Challenger that looks somewhat similar the orig…and you’re gonna replace it with a car that won’t look like this original?

Smart?  What do you think?

Tim

Dodge Unveils Next-Gen Sprint Cup Car in Vegas…..

……OR…WHAT THE CHARGER SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE START
By: Jen Dunnaway
                    Posted On: 3/12/2012 9:14AM

SuzyBruisy

Following the precedent set by Ford with its hot new NASCAR Fusion, Dodge unveiled a muscular Charger that’ll be running Sprint Cup during the 2013 season. Dodge enjoys the distinction of being the only Cup car that’s based on an actual RWD V8 civilian version, but the reveal also comes at a problematic time for the manufacturer: with Penske Racing having just announced that it’ll be leaving Dodge for Ford, the only Charger in the field is run by independent Robby Gordon. SRT Motorsports chief Ralph Giles says all options are on the table, including pulling Dodge from the series altogether. What do you think, does Dodge have a future in NASCAR? After seeing this new Charger, I kind of hope so. More info at NASCAR.com, pics via Autoblog.