Blog

1957 Bel Air 4-Door Sedan: Black Beauty

Mar 18, 2016

How a childhood dream brought a ’57 Bel Air 4-Door Sedan home to Norway

The original owner of Black Beauty, Mr. Anton L. Carlzon of Flint, Michigan, ordered the car the year he retired from General Motors. He followed it down the assembly line as it “got it all together”. Equipped with the 6-cylinder Blue Flame engine and a Powerglide transmission, the Bel Air 4-door sedan was sold via Summerfield Chevrolet in Flint, MI, on July 18, 1957. It bore the plate number KR1535.

1967 Camaro RS Convertible

Mar 18, 2016

This ’67 Camaro RS Convertible went from rust bucket to show-stopper, in twenty-five years flat.

It all began with a phone call from my friend Dave. He wanted to talk about the possibility of restoring a 1967 Camaro RS convertible for a family friend of his. His friend, Karl Becker, had purchased a well-used, but original, ’67 Camaro RS convertible from a retired airline pilot in Miami. The car ran, but needed a total ground-up restoration. I told him to have Karl bring the car by my shop so we could see what we were up against.

The Most Collectible Corvettes

Mar 18, 2016

The Most Collectible Corvettes. As we all know, not all cars are made the same. Throughout GM’s history, they have always tried to spike up the offerings of their cars with special editions, unique options, or something special with low production numbers. All of this has spurned on a customer’s desire for one of these “limited” cars. The Corvette is no different. For Chevrolet’s flagship brand, it started in 1953 with only 300 cars produced to compete with the European imports. And, GM was one step ahead by using movie stars to help promote the Corvette and to test the waters for future production. That strategy obviously worked. In 1954, 3,640 Corvettes rolled of the assembly line – over ten times the 1953 production. GM felt they had a hit, and from what I see now, they were right on!

Bill Stroppe's Boss 'N' Bronc

Mar 18, 2016

Bill Stroppe was one of America’s greatest race car builders. He won the Carrera Pan-American Road Race with Johnny Mantz in a Lincoln, the USAC stock car championship and the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb with Mercury and Parnelli Jones, and became the god of offroad racing in the Baja with Ford Broncos and again, Parnelli Jones. He built now famous drag racing cars including the Ford Thunderbolt, A/FX Mercury Comet, and the 1968-1/2 Cobra Jet Mustangs. In addition to that, he fabricated 650 special Baja Broncos for Ford to sell at dealers from 1971 to 1975, and was known to build a special car for a celebrity or a friend from time to time.

Mustang Special Service Package

Mar 11, 2016

The Mustang Special Service Package was originally known as the Mustang Severe Service Package, and was conceived for limited use by the California Highway Patrol in 1982. Released as a limited law enforcement option package in 1983, it was renamed the Special Service Package (SSP) and utilized by more than sixty local, state and federal agencies during its 1982-’93 production run. Based on the “GL” or “L” (’82-’84), then the “LX” (’85-’93) model Mustang coupe, the SSP package contained unique standard and optional items not available on retail models. Approximately 15,000 SSP Mustangs were built by Ford from 1982 to the end of production in 1993

Hobbies

Mar 11, 2016

Here’s an interesting discussion – hobbies. Since you’re reading this, classic cars are obviously one of yours. Are they at the top of your “hobby list”? Meaning, out of all the things you’re interested in, do they hold the Numero Uno spot?

Oil Pump and Pan Installation

Mar 11, 2016

Tools: standard socket set, standard wrenches, long screwdriver or pry bar, gasket scraper

Cost: approximately $50 for pump, $50-$250 for pan

Tinware: pan and pump, oil pan gasket, gasket sealer

Tip: When working with an engine on a stand, make sure it’s on a flat level surface and the rotation lock pin is in place.

Performance gains: Swapping on a high-volume oil pump and an aftermarket pan can produce up to a 10-15 hp gain on some engines.

Lug Nut Removal Tip

Mar 10, 2016

At the Drive-in

Mar 4, 2016

Yes, I know it’s still winter and drive-in movie theaters are probably not on your radar– well, yet anyway. How did I possibly get onto this subject you ask? I recently went online and checked out one of my old haunts– the 99W Drive-In, in Newberg, Oregon. Of course, being in the northwest, their marquee currently reads “Closed for the Season, see you in 2016”. I’m sure you’ll find most of the drive-ins across the country shuttered ’til spring, unless you happen to live in a southern clime. Here in Florida, they seem to operate year ’round. Spring will be here before we know it and it’ll be that time again; time to polish up your old Chevy and take your favorite date (or, the whole family) to the big screen under the stars. This has always been a summer tradition for my wife and me. It’s always a special treat waiting for dusk, watching the kids play on the swings in front of the screen, and hitting the snack bar before the big show starts.

El Camino Timeline - Changes From 1959-1987

Feb 26, 2016

The El Camino was introduced on October 16, 1958 to compete with Ford’s popular Ranchero. While the El Camino was radical in design, it was a new play on an old idea. For years, farmers in Australia had been using vehicles called Utes to tote goods and equipment back and forth from farm to market. Allegedly this came about in the 1930s when a woman wrote a letter to Ford Australia asking for a vehicle that could “carry them to church on Sunday and take the pigs to market on Monday.” This simple request eventually led to Ford’s creation of the Ranchero for U.S. markets, and the El Camino followed two years later.