Engine Line Up – 1949 Chevrolet

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”

 

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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

Hennessey’s Twin Turbo C7 Corvette Stingray Burnout | CorvetteVideos.TV

Hennessey HPE700 708 horsepower @ 6,300 RPM Twin Turbo C7 Corvette doing a burnout at Lonestar Motorsports Park in Sealy, Texas.

Awesome!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

hennessy

 

 

 

Hennessey Mustang GT 2015, sal y pimienta para el icono

El preparador y marca independiente estadounidense Hennessey Cars ha facilitado los detalles principales de los dos kits de mejora para el Ford Mustang GT 2015. Fruto de la incorporación de dos compresores diferentes y de diversos cambios en el motor …

 

They Made How Many? Chevy 1975 Part II

Continuing  with Baseball, Hot Dog, Apple Pie, Chevrolet  and 4th of July theme….

Last post we touched on a rare Chevy but they made some great car in 1975…ok….maybe…not ‘great’, but there are some collectibles I think are over looked. (Keep in mind that I think just about any 2 door Chevy can be ‘all that’!!!)

Check these out.

How about the Malibu for ’75?   It came in the S and Landau versions and with a total of 258,909 units built, there a good bet you can find used parts.

1975 Chevelle....the hood wasn't an option!!!

1975 Malibu….the hood wasn’t an option!!!

The Nova was on the decline design-wise, but you could get it in  a V8 and a Super Sport version.  There were 273,014 Nova’s built-in two door and  (hiss…boo) 4 door configurations.  Of that total 138,879 were six cylinders and 134,103 were V8’s.  Within the V8’s 9,087 were Super Sport!!

Nova SS (Hatch backj? Yup!)

Nova SS (Hatch back? Yup!)

There was a the Impala/Bel Air/Caprice platform.  No I am serious!!!!  The two door version are under rated and can be monsters in the right hands (the Bel Air only came in 4dr and wagon sub models).  The Impala had the Landau, Custom Coupe and Sports Coupe with a total production of 176,376.  The Caprice had Custom, Landau and the Convertible with 103,944 units coming off the assembly line.  That totaled included 8,349 Convertibles.

75 Caprice Caprice Convertible

75 Caprice Caprice Convertible

Saving (arguably) the best two platforms for last the Chevelle series (which included the Malibu, the Malibu Classic, the Classic Estate [station wagon] and the Laguna) and the Camaro.  The Camaro was still longish and sleek and the Chevelle etc was….well Monte Carlo like!!!  Both came in 6 and 8 cylinder and had a few two door configurations.  The Malibu and Malibu Classic and the Laguna Type S-3 having two door cars for the Chevelle and of course that’s all there was for the Camaro.   The Malibu units totaled out at 63,530 (21,804 – 6 cylinders/41,726 – V8s) with the Malibu Classic production at 131,455 (3,844 – 6’s and 127,611 – 8’s) and the Laguna Types S-3 (think NASCAR) 6,714.

NASCAR Laguna

NASCAR Laguna

75 Laguna

75 Laguna

The Camaro came in the base model and the LT.  There was the Rally Sport package which sources agree were about 7,000 produced.   There is some issue with the total number of Camaro produced with number ranging from 141,629 to over 145K.    But with other numbers like 145,755 had power steering and 29,359 with 6 cylinders and 116,430 with V-8s (totally 1445,789)   We do know that there were 4,160 car built for exports.

1975 Camaro RS

1975 Camaro RS

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

ChevCamaro

#car4sale #camaro Chevrolet : Camaro Camaro 1975 Chevrolet Camaro Base … http://t.co/GAwXUuCyIf #usedcar #forsale

The Delivery Trucks

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

Wrecked – 1959 Bel Air

Wrecked is a one of the features on Average Guys’ Car Restoration, Mods and Racing that spotlights vintage cars that are available as parts donors.  I do this based on the offering that PartingOut.com has listed.

Parting Out does a great job of pulling together offering from across the country of salvage yards and private individuals that have vintage/classic car parts available for plundering.  Many of these are located in the steel friendly Texas.

 

Up this time a 1959 Chevy Bel Air, oh yea…the era of big finned cars.

This car’s not ‘wrecked’ and there is a lot of good steel and good looking chrome still on it.  It is a 4 door.

 

'59 Bel Air Parts Donor.

’59 Bel Air Parts Donor.

 

Lots of restorable chrome here!!!

Lots of restorable chrome here!!!  Hard to find a gille with all the bullets still on it.

59bel-3 59Bel-4 59bel-5 59bel-6

Good look steel, restorable dash and it even had the original power plant – 283 maybe?   See at PartingOut.com  1959 BEL AIR.

 

The 1959 Bel Air was the 4th Generation Bel Air – basically an entirely new car as compared to the 1958 Bel Air.   The 1959’s came in 2 door, 4 door and re-branded as Parkwood or Kingswood for the station wagons. To power these  210.9″ long cars you had the 3.9L (235.5 cid), 4.6L (283 CID) and the 5.7L (348 CID).  They were mated up 3 & 4 speed manuals or 2 speed power glide automatic.

 

Grab some of these parts and you could have a classic that looks like these:

1959_chevrolet_bel_air 112809BelAir3

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Own a 1959 completed or project Bel Air?  Drop me a note!!

 

virtualex71

I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/mNBKjK6FrB 2009 Chevy Malibu vs 1959 Bel Air Crash Test
1959 Bel Air | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

Heard some guys talking that this car was low mileage, like 40000 miles. I didn’t look at the sign, but sure looks like it has been restored and not original. I like this car and I would drive it everywhere.
1959 Bel Air – Best Chevy Ass end ever | Flickr – Photo …

Kustom Koffin – Grandpa’s Dragula from The Munsters – Homage; 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air – Cool Tail Light and fin detail; 1959 Bel Air – Best Chevy Ass end ever; 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom – Side View; Gene Winfield’s …

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S vs. Nissan GT-R Comparison – Motor Trend

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S vs. Nissan GT-R Comparison – Motor Trend.

So let’s see the Camaro got spanked at the drag strip.  I get it.  It wasn’t designed for straight stretch racing, so what’s the point Motor Trend?  Why not take a Prius and run it against the Lotus?  Oh….what?  The Prius isn’t a race car?  Huh…go figure!!

But I will say it wasn’t too shabby on the strip!!  The Z/28 ran 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and the quarter mile in 12.3 seconds at 117.2 mph.   But it couldn’t compete with 2.7 to to 60 and 11 second @ 125 MPH (GTR) nor 2.6/10.9@ 123 MPH (911)

The Z28 and some other cars.

The Z28 and some other cars.

If you read further they complained about “racing’ tire peformance…wait for it….in 290 temps.  Seriously…read it yourself, it’s right there!!

I autocross my C6 here in beautiful…and HOT Arizona and you have to have meat that sticks (tires).  I don’t plan on taking the car up to the mountains and have it hang on to corners in the snow… much less  below freezing temps with the tires meant for track duty.

I agree with the conclusion that the Z/28 is “… a race car for the street. It’s got Recaro buckets, Pankl connecting rods, Mahle pistons, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes (co-developed and shared with the upcoming Z06), and Multimatic dynamic spool valve shocks. But it’s not just a name-brand collection of parts, and the Z/28 is no tuner. It stands as one of absolutely the best track-focused cars in the world.”…..except that last part – I say  it was 2nd best next to the Corvette.

 

While I love the nostalgia that comes to mind when I see this Camaro and the Z/28 badging, I don’t think I’d spend $75K on it.  I just jump up to the  C7 Corvette Sting Ray and be done with it.

What about you?

Thanks for reading.

Tim

z28 camaro

Factory Fast: Dave Bridgewater’s 2012 COPO Camaro – LSXTV

Though Dave Bridgewater already had three big block 1969 Camaros and an LS1 Swapped 1969 Firebird that he and his team maintain and race regularly at drag racing events around the country, he still wanted something more to add to his already awesome collection. That something more would most certainly be a Camaro of some sort, being that Bridgewater seems to have an undying love for the pony cars.

When the factory drag race COPO Camaro was first announced, “I signed up for it right away,” Bridgewater recalls. “But I got a call later on letting me know that they were all sold out.” After seeing videos on the internet of Dave Connelly testing the Cagnazzi COPO Camaro, he knew he needed to have one in his stable. With all of them being spoken for already, Bridgewater wasn’t going to let that get in the way of him owning a 2012 COPO Camaro.

See more:

Factory Fast: Dave Bridgewater’s 2012 COPO Camaro – LSXTV.

r-camaro

COPO Camaro

COPOCamaro

This is what makes the COPO GO!!!

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

First 2014 Camaro Z/28 and COPO Camaro Bring Over $1.3 Million At Auction

Two of the most enthralling auctions witnessed at the recent Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, Arizona were those of the very first 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and COPO Camaro. Tgether, they brought in over $1.3 million, and the best part is that all
Veterans Charity Raises $700000 from 2014 COPO Camaro at Barrett-Jackson

To refresh you on the origins and hardware on the COPO Camaro, the original COPO Camaro originated with the Pennsylvania dealer Yekno Chevrolet, founded and owned by Don Yenko. In order to have a unique product not available at other dealers, 

copo camarocopo camaro

 

[VIDEO] Chevrolet Introduces the 2015 Corvette’s Performance Data Recorder at CES

[VIDEO] Chevrolet Introduces the 2015 Corvette’s Performance Data Recorder at CES.

Thanks for reading.
Tim

 

KSa33d

RT @haseebashraff: 2015 Corvette Z06 Could be The Last Variant http://t.co/tTmqatIwpl
Corvette Chief Engineer Says 2015 Z06 Could Be the Last of the Breed

While GM’s description of the upcoming Corvette Z06 is music to any car enthusiast’s ears, things are less spectacular on the marketing side. Tadge Juechter, the Chief Engineer of the Corvette, admitted that the 2015 Corvette Z06 may be the last one ever.
An Exclusive Inside Look At The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

What you see here in illustrations is the 2015 Corvette Z06. What’s that, you say this can’t be the Z06? It sure is, according to the chief engineer as well as a number of other people familiar with the project. GM so doesn’t want you to see this. Last

Lost Classics – Trucks – Corvair Rampside

I love classic trucks and in my 3 plus years of bogging in this field I haven’t done much on trucks. Yes, you’ll see some in my Parking Lot Spot Light pieces but not much else.

Then I got to thinking about doing some articles to make up for that and I realize, after I picked up a book (“Collectible & Classic Trucks” by The Auto Editors of Consumer Guide) at one of my company’s stores (we specialize, among other things, used books) that even those in to the classic truck scene, often over look some really cool trucks.

So I thought I’d cover a few.  First up is one I forgot was ever made, much less have seen (in person) any in the past 20 years or so.  The Covair Rampside trucks.

This is a 61 Rampside

This is a ’61 Rampside

This are rear engined, air cooled workhorse that are clearly Corvair all the way.

Fully restored they look great.  But leaving them survivor style is really cool as well. Like David Hopkins’

David Hopkins "Everything mechanical is new, but when it came to do paint and body we just couldn't erase all the history."

David Hopkins “Everything mechanical is new, but when it came to do paint and body we just couldn’t erase all the history.”

These rough and tough working guy trucks were powered a by rear-mounted, horizontally-opposed six cylinder, air-cooled engine that delivered 80HP and 128 ft-lbs of torque with 145 cu-in of displacement.

This wasn’t the only truck that was Corvair based.  We’ll look at the others coming up.

Thanks for reading

Tim

corvair truck

Chevrolet Greenbrier

A Corvair truck could be ordered as a “Loadside” or “Rampside”. The Loadside was essentially a pickup truck with a standard tail gate.

Curb Weight – Corvettes and Corvairs

This is my latest segment.  It will be a frequent blathering of car stuff – current and maybe some old stuff.  I hope you enjoy it.

I’ve visited the Bowling Green assembly plant a few times and it never grows old.  The last time I was there they were expanding the plant to include Chevy Volt production and (not releasable at that time) and this as well:

The new Corvette Stingray will be built at GM’s Bowling Green, Ky., assembly plant, which underwent a $131-million upgrade, including approximately $52 million for a new body shop to manufacture the aluminum frame in-house for the first time.

Check out my post from one of my visits Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant Tour…AWESOME!!

OOOHHH....I'd work there!!!

OOOHHH….I’d work there!!!

I did a post from a car show down on the border and covered a corvair with a Ralph Nader for President bumper sticker which was a hoot. (See it here Corvair – The Last Car .) But one Corvair I haven’t seen in years at a car show  or anywhere is the  Lakewood.

1962 Lakewood

1962 Lakewood

There’s a good reason for this.  These  Corvair station wagons were only made in 1961 and 1962.  Only 33,271 wagons were produced in those two years.  A subset of those were the Monza of 1962.  Only 2567 of those wagons were produced.

A there were a couple of engine the 80 horse power Turbo Air and a 98 horse powered Super Turbo Charge.

That makes me think I need to do post on just Corvairs.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

corvette corvair

FelipeM1000

1954 Corvette dream cars – Corvette Corvair fastback, Corvette Nomad wagon and Corvette convertible coupe http://t.co/OrJk5A2sX1