By now there is most likely no Gearhead in the World that doesn’t know that we have lost Carroll Shelby. I will not try to add any additional information on his life nor praise his wonderful automotive accomplishments. However, I would like for you to listen to this interview with Carroll done just a year ago as he talks about the Golden Years with Ford and his future as he prepares to “cross over the river”.

We have started on Project Bulls Eye and so far so good. I called around to some friends and found another 14 inch wheel from a Dart with a tire mounted on it. It is a steel radial, I know this because I can see the steel coming out of the tread! That’s ok, it is just a roller. None of the tires are safe to ever drive on the street or over 15 MPH.

With four tires on the ground we decided to wash her off. What a job that was! I don’t think anyone had given the Bulls Eye a bath in decades. It was so bad we used Simple Green for the first attempt. The Simple Green is much too harsh for good paint but on Bulls Eye it was too weak! This will take several attempts to get the car presentable.

We disconnected the fuel line from the gas tank to the fuel pump. We then added a temporary fuel line from a gallon can to the fuel pump. Hooked up a battery, poured a little gas down the single barrel carburetor and cranked her over. The little slant six fired up and idled like a new engine. However, touch the throttle and she would die. A little carb cleaner and letting the engine idle got her running like normal. The transmission seemed to work fine so we shut her down and went to work on the gas tank.

Cost to get the car running: Couple of squirts from a can of carb cleaner and a gallon of gas plus a borrowed battery from one of the other cars. We will buy her a battery of her own once we prove to ourselves it is worth the investment.

As for the gas tank, the first step was to drain/siphon out all the old gas. Since there was already a leak I took the easy but slow route of sticking an ice pick into the leak and letting the old fuel drain into a 5 gallon gas can. Had to empty it twice! With the fuel out I used a little squirt from a can of brake cleaner to remove some grease and residual gas on the tank. Then a little rough sand paper to further clean up around the hole, some epoxy from the parts store and the tank is leak proof!

With the tank repaired it was time to add some gas, reconnect the fuel line to the fuel pump and see if she would fire up. I added two gallons of new gas, proper amount of fuel system cleaner. She fired up on the first lick. However, I believe the carb still needs some attention.

Cost to date:

-Used tire and wheel: $20

-Tube of epoxy to patch gas tank and bottle of fuel treatment: $18.64.

TOTAL: $38.64

]]> http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/2012/05/project-bulls-eye-1963-dodge-dart-gt-part-3/feed/ 0 http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/2012/05/legendary-collector-cars-tv-episode-2-the-henry-ford-museum/ http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/2012/05/legendary-collector-cars-tv-episode-2-the-henry-ford-museum/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 11:07:25 +0000 Richard http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/?p=15960

In our first Episode of Legendary Collector Cars TV we took you to the GM Heritage Collection just outside of Detroit, today we are going across town to Dearborn and the Henry Ford Museum. The two museums could not be further apart in purpose and presentation. The GM Heritage collection is all about GM and its history with a strong emphasis on concept cars. It is private and very difficult to visit. The Henry Ford Museum is open to the public with large crowds and the auto portion of the Museum pays tribute to transportation with an emphasis on cars and not just Fords.

If you want to take in the entire Ford Museum and all it has to offer then you better plan on spending the day. The auto portion will take a couple of hours minimum for an enthusiast but the rest of the Museum will easily fill up the remainder of you day.

I hope you enjoy our second Episode of Legendary Collector Cars TV.

We are always trying a new way to bring our stories to you in the best way we can. Today marks the beginning of Legendary Collector Cars TV. These will not be every day or even every Post but they will provide you with more video and audio of the cars and activities that we want you to know about.

Following up on our previous Post telling you about our visit to the GM Heritage collection we decided to show you the difference between the old format we just posted prior to this Post and the new format we call Legendary Collector Cars TV. We ensure you that these will improve as we get use to the new equipment and format. Let us know how you like it. Is it better than the old style? How can we improve it? What would you like to see us do next?

We all have “Bucket Lists” of all those things we want to do or accomplish before we die. Some are momentous and will likely never be achieved while others are much less so but still very important to us. One such item on my Bucket List was to visit the GM Heritage collection. It is not a museum in the way that the public can visit. It is GM’s special place to keep and protect some of its more historical vehicles. It is also a building in an industrial part that lucky individuals like Katrina and I are ever allowed to visit.

On a dreary Saturday in March we were permitted to join a few select auto enthusiasts on a doors are open tour of the GM Heritage Collection and I was able to make another check mark on my Bucket List.

Below are a very few of the select photos from that visit. I will be bringing you many more over the upcoming weeks with focus on some of my favorite cars in the collection. Several great videos will also help tell the story.

In way of summary let me say that if you are ever given the opportunity to make a visit to the GM Heritage collection most certainly do so. Even if GM is not your preferred brand of transportation you will leave with a much improved perspective of GM and the historical contributions it has made. Competition breeds improvement.

I more than once was standing next to what looked like another production car but for some reason he didn’t seem quite like I remembered it. In every such situation, I was standing next to an late prototype of the production car. It was very interesting to see the minor changes that were made in the cars just prior to the final design getting approval for production.

Today, we will start with the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn

Michigan. I want to start by thanking Carrie Nolan Media Relations Manager for setting up or tour of this very special collection. It is more than a collection of cars it is a fantastic museum with some extremely rare and valuable items. Although our purpose was to study the cars; and even though we were blown away by the collection of cars, we found ourselves overwhelmed by the entire museum and spent the entire day there!

Today’s post will provide you with insight as to what the car portion of the museum is all about. In future posts we will show you highlights of the entire Henry Ford Museum and more. When we left the Ford complex we had a renewed respect for the Ford Motor Company and saw first hand examples of why Ford was able to survive without Government bailouts. A business model that can put this kind of complex together has the vision, talent and community interest to succeed.

The biggest surprise when entering the automobile portion of the Henry Ford Museum is the selection of cars. My first thought was that the museum will be filled with historic and significant Fords. After all, there is no shortage of Ford cars important to the history of the automobile! There are such cars in the Museum but there are also may other makes in the Museum ranging from Chevys to a Rambler, to a Bugatti and Presidential Limos.

No matter what your taste in cars or mode of transportation you will likely find at least one item on display that will take your breath away and make you just stand there, think back to another time and remember some special moment. I had many such moments as we walked through the collection.

There was the Nash Rambler convertible that was just like my sister’s first car; the Le Mans winning Mark IV; the VW Camper and vintage Holiday Inn room, maybe the most moving was the actual bus that Rosa Parks road on during the civil rights movement. You can even sit in the very same seat (in the front of the bus) that she went to jail for sitting in.

There are many more highlights of this visit that I will bring to you in future posts.

This is a story we all hear about and dream about. I need not say any more just watch this video and try not to tear up.

Project Bulls Eye Dodge Dart GT is under way. We pushed the little girl into the garage and put her on the lift to get a better look at her from all angles. We are still not disappointed but, as usual, there is always more work than you originally planned on. Here is what our first pass around the car included on our list.

1. Although solid, the car will need some patches in the floor pan and trunk area.
2. Some of the trim is missing and some of it is damaged beyond repair.
3. The interior needs a headliner, door panels and the seats are a mixed match pair, the original buckets have been replaced by a, “better for date night”, bench seat.
4. The glass is all ok but a little foggy around the edges on the windshield.
5. The body is straight with few issues, none of them major.
6. The paint sucks.
7. The gas tank has a small leak.
8. The engine looks good but is not running at the current time.
9. We have not yet dove into the inside of anything including the brakes though we know they are functional and appear ok.

First things first will be to repair or replace the gas tank. Next will be to stick in a battery and see if the car will turn over or, if we are lucky, even start. The fluids all seem good and we were told the engine is free and will spin over.

Before the car can move under its own power we must replace the tires and get one wheel so the spare can go back to its nest in the trunk.

Going to a catalog to make repairs will be the very last resort. We are going to be very cost conscious on Project Car Bulls Eye. We will try to source as many items as possible from local used parts sources such as Craig’s list and buddies! Part of this car’s charm will be its patina and new shinny parts have no patina but do have big price tags!

Rather than experiment with strangers’ cars we decided to do our very first Riding Shotgun using one of our own cars. Katrina and I purchased this 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Cale Yarborough Special out of Iowa in the spring of 2005. At the time it was an average quality driver car. It had previously sat for many years having been sold new out of Marshalltown, Iowa and then spending time in areas around Oskaloosa (my hometown) and Ames (where I attended college). Although I lived near by where this car pounded the road back in the day, to the best of my knowledge we never crossed paths until 2005.

Why this Car

We had previously acquired a 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II Dan Gurney car. The Spoiler II has the extended NASCAR nose similar to a Talladega. We were getting tired to trying to explain the differences between a Spoiler and Spoiler II at shows. The solution?

TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE.

The 67 Mustang Fastback High School Hauler “inspired” use to try it again. We decided to build the cheapest cruise night car we could. The only requirements are that we need to get it on the road for minimal bucks and it should be accepted at any cruise night as a cool car. In addition we need to be able to have fun with it while we fix it up over time. Minimal bucks means we are going to be REALLY CHEAP! We also decided that if we get the opportunity we might sell it as soon as it is drivable to someone who would like to finish the car with their own ideas.

With that behind us, we decided that another 1967 Mustang Fastback is not exactly the cheapest way to start an inexpensive cruise night car. Although everything is available for a Mustang by the time you fill out the restoration catalog order form most of us will have emptied the bank account. We therefore began looking around for a cheap two door that is unique and cost less than $1,000. That really narrows the field! We spotted a 1963 Dodge Dart GT with a slant six and push button automatic! It is far from pristine but could be a good starting point and it met our budget.

We realize that this car is not really a muscle car or probably not on the top of many car guys list of must have cars but that is part of the reason it wasn’t real expensive to acquire. As soon as we got it off the trailer everyone said the same thing; “Put a straight axle under the front and install a HEMI!” Hey, it is tempting but such a project does not fit within our budget or game plan.

Our goal is to first get this little girl running and diagnose what critical safety items are required. We will then give her a little makeup and hopefully somewhere along the line we will find her a new home with a guy or gal who wants an old car to drive and attend a cruise or two. She will be perfect for a Saturday night cruise into the nearest A&W or DQ with the family for a nostalgic night out.

Our budget for the first phase is to be able to sell her to a new owner for $2,500 and we will post every expense we spend on the car.

We found a reasonably good car for a hell of a good price. We will not be going crazy on improvements or modifications. We are sticking with the low buck High School days look that is fun, safe and cheap to drive.

This Project Car will be known as “Bulls Eye” because this little Dart is right on target for what we want to do!

Follow this project right here. We will give you regular updates on what we find and what the ultimate result will be.

Not long ago Katrina and I were showing our 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Cale Yarborough car at the NASCAR race in Bristol TN. On Saturday there were no planned activities so we thought it would be a great time to see some beautiful TN back roads on a sunny spring day. Then we had a brilliant idea; let’s get some ice cream! It was nearly 80 degrees out and we were in spring fever mode.

Our first thought was to look for a Dairy Queen which is our first choice for a collector car ride to get ice cream back home. I pulled out my “smart” iPhone and looked to see what was around us. The nearest DQ was over 10 miles away which wasn’t that bad but the “Ice Cream Store” showed up on the list and it was half the distance. Since there was a lot of Bristol race traffic in the area we decided the Ice Cream Store was for us plus it sounded like a nice quaint old school ice cream shop.

We plotted a route to the Ice Cream Store on the iPhone GPS and off we went. Just getting out of the Bristol Speedway camping area proved to be a challenge. The Highway patrol and track officials were already setting up special traffic patterns to get attendees into the track on Sunday morning and that was the opposite direction or our intended path. Plus GPS does not know when local officials decide to close streets and make all traffic lanes flow one direction.

All worked out and we finally got the car, the GPS and ourselves all headed in the same direction. All was well and then the “smart” phone told us to make a right turn followed by a left turn. Ok, no problem. No problem even when we did this a few more times and the roads kept getting smaller and smaller. We now knew the Ice Cream Store was not closer than the DQ! We were going deeper and deeper into residential areas; certainly not where an ice cream store should be located.

Then it was back to a highway and all seemed well although the area was far from economically vibrant. About this time we saw some fire and smoke blowing across the road and “the smart GPS lady in the box” told us to turn NOW. We did, right into the smoke cloud. As we passed through I happened to spot a road sign that said “No Outlet”. That is a fancy term for Dead End, You’re Screwed! In the distance we saw some rather tall flames. They were coming from a pile of leaves and other yard waste but it certainly was on some fireman’s radar….I hope.

Well, I may not be a marketing genius but I do know that no one would put up a quaint little ice cream store at the end of a dead end residential street in the poorest part of town they could find. Curiosity had the best of us by this time so we continued on down the very narrow and winding country street. Suddenly, the smoke cleared and our mystery was over and so was the likelihood of getting any ice cream very soon. There in front of us was a rather neglected house with about a dozen white panel trucks parked all around it. We had indeed found the Ice Cream Store…it was the home to a bunch of street driven, music playing, bell dinging, oil dripping, slow moving ice cream trucks that make dirty little children run for blocks to buy a 4 month old half melted popcycle!

We sat there and laughed for a while and then decided to see how smart our “lady in the box” could be. Could she find us a Sonic? They have great malts! I did a search, accepted the nearest results and the smart iPhone lady in a box directed us in a similar path down the dead end street and through the smoke. We went through someone’s backyard around a swing set, made a couple of completely legal and one illegal “U” turns, passed through an abandoned industrial park and then, suddenly there was a traffic signal.

We made a left turn at the signal, spotted the Sonic and sped to our destination. It was a fun excursion but reminded us not to take directions from an unknown voice from a smart phone who is likely not all that smart. Next time we will just go to the DQ!

We just returned from the March 2012 NASCAR Race in Bristol TN. It was a wet but wonderful weekend in Bristol. We have been to the races at Bristol several times and it is a race track you have to put on your Bucket List. We have always done NASCAR races but after this weekend the track let us camp with our motor home in the drag strip facility and we now have the Drag Races added to our bucket list. Thanks to the wonderful folks at the Bristol Speedway, Tim Lopata, Doug Shillinger and Jason Thompson the Aero cars had a great display for the Food City folks at their Hospitality Area.

There were 14 Ford products in attendance and 7 Mopars. In addition, there were a few hot rods and a lot of race cars. We always enjoy visiting with all the other Dodge, Plymouth and Ford/Mercury owners but this year was really special. Eddie and Lenny Wood (Wood Brothers Racing) again stopped by and spent 3 hours visiting with all of us and providing autographs to anyone who asked. They are as down to earth as any NASCAR stars we have ever met and we enjoyed our time with them immensely. One very special moment was when Eddie was reunited with his very first car a 1971 Mercury Cyclone GT. He spent a lot of time talking to the current owners and looking the car over. It is in great shape.

Another highlight was an autograph session with some of thy Cup drivers. Katrina grabbed our “autograph helmet” and was able to get autographs from Jeff Gordon and Joey Lagano. Unfortunately, she also got Kurt Busch’s.

Just outside of our display area the new 2013 Ford NASCAR race car was on display next to the 2012 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers number 21. It was a great opportunity to compare the current NASCAR race car with the new one. I am excited about seeing these new cars on the track next year. They don’t look 100% like street cars but rather more like race modified street cars. I like what I saw.

Unfortunately, we did not get photos of every car on site but just missed a couple and we apologize.

After the show on Friday most of the cars headed south to Sevierville for more fun on Saturday including time at a show, cruise through the beautiful Tennessee hills and informal gathering with food at the famous Floyd Garrett Muscle Car Museum. For a few of us the draw of the Bristol track was too strong and we stayed there to attend the race on Sunday. The Speedway also invited us to display a few of the cars at the track’s Thank You Party for Season Ticket Holders before the race.  It was a terrific event with NASCAR drivers such as Jeff Burton and the eventual race winner, Brad Keselowski, attending. They spent quite of bit of time talking and answering questions from those in attendance. If you were quick you could even get an autograph. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and we had wet drizzle all morning. However, those cars and spectators who showed up had a great time and were the real diehards.

We were showing our 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Cale Yarborough car. It is a 428 CJ with Ram Air and C6 transmission; one of only 22 ever built. Since Saturday was kind of a down day with no activity for the show cars we decided to exercise the 428 some on the streets of Bristol. We had a great time and turned some heads. In one way it turned out to be another highlight of the trip but not for the reason you might think. Check back later this week and we will tell you the story of when to ignore a GPS.

THANKS AGAIN TO THE SPEEDWAY, TIM LOPATA, DOUG SHILLINGER AND JASON THOMPSON FOR MAKING THIS ANOTHER GREAT WEEKEND FOR THE FORD FOLKS!

Rick sent along the following information and photos of what has to be a wild ride.

The car is a 1971 Pinto that is now a little more of a Stallion! The heart of this hoof beat is a very nasty 782 HP Cleveland that we also did a piece on a while back; Check it out by Clicking Here. Here are some pictures of what the Cleveland looks like as it’s being installed into Rick’s beautiful but far from original 1971 Pinto.

The Cleveland is mounted 4 1/2 ” farther back then the 302 that was in there before the heart transplant. That required the drive shaft to be shortened 4 1/2″.

The car with driver weighs in at 2750 lbs. That Rick predicts will translate into 8.75 E.T. @ 154 MPH.  We will be waiting for the actual time slip! If I know Rick, come hell or high water he will keep tweaking until he gets there if not on the first pass!.

The car will still look like the picture provided here but will have a Snorkel Hood like the Vega in the back ground.

Rick, keep us uptodate on your progress and let us know what else is in the garage.

We keep you posted on our Project Cars but there is a lot more going on out there. We like to have you update us on what is in your garage and what you are working on…or have just completed. Here is a recent contribution from California.

Rick Schutte found this 1967 Ford Fairlane GTA Convertible in the back yard of a guy in the desert town of Victorville California. It had been sitting there since the 1980’s and  had eroded into a pretty bad condition. However, upon investigation Rick discovered the original engine and transmission were still in the car. His wife told him, “ you have to save it.” Lucky man to have a wife like that! He double checked the numbers to make sure they were matching and offered the guy $1800. The seller said he had never had that much money in his hand at one time and the deal was done. The couple aired up all the 30 year old tires and pushed it up on the trailer. Their neighbors saw them pull up the street with the less than perfect convertible and thought he had lost his mind. He assured his them that it would not be sitting in the front yard and told the skeptics to just wait and see; a little time, money and elbow grease and she will come back to life.

First thing Rick and his wife did was remove all the cob webs and nasty critters hidden in her recesses…a few black widows but no scorpions or brown recluse. Then he took his time dismantling it; floor boards were bad, small rust spots on doors and rear fenders, trunk was good and frame sound. The dismantling was followed with welding in all new floor boards, new metal in the corners of doors and rear quarters.  The original 289 was pulled and a “virgin block” that had never been bored or rebuilt was discovered.

It was bored 10 over, balanced, a bullet proof 347 Stroker kit, nice cam, Ford GT heads, Eldebrach intake, Holley 4 barrel, and headers completed the build. The GTA 289 is now pushing horsepower up around 375-400. The C4 tranny was sent to Ford to be rebuilt and repainted. An upgraded shift kit with a  heavier Torque converter to handle the new horsepower was installed. The rear end is a Ford 8 inch with 311 highway gears. These are  great on the freeway and with California gas prices they help with gas mileage. Rick installed all new brakes; the Fairlane GTA’s came with Dual Caliber Front Disc Brakes. To complete the job he also installed new brake lines, Vacuum booster, master cylinder, rear drum brakes and cylinders, etc. For the suspension upgrades new shocks and bushings, new steering arms and bushings were added and she rides really nice. Can’t have all that power running through dirty liquids so a new gas tank and a new radiator were included.

Details are important and that philosophy carries over to the re-chromed bumpers, window frames, light trim, door handles etc. New headlights and lamp lenses were also changed out.

The interior includes all new door handles, all dash and speedo bezels were re-chromed and even a  new quartz clock. All new Parchment upholstery, door panels, carpet, even the Lear 8 track tape player was rebuilt with new speakers. A new white convertible top, motor, lines and cylinder were included plus the top frame was refurbished. All new window, door, trunk, hood and top seals.

Tires and wheels make a car and Rick choose to go with 15 inch Torque Thrust Rims and TA white letter radials, always a good choice on vintage iron. Only thing more important that tires and wheels is the paint and body. Rick choose to go with black lacquer paint with white GT stripes. The Fairlane has correct GT hood scoops with all new trim and even includes the working turn signals. The perfect final touch is the correct and restored California Black License Plates.

This Fairlane was originally white, with white Parchment interior but Rick states that he just had to paint her black! The whole project took a little over a year to complete, but the fresh 1967 Ford Fairlane GTA Convertible draws a lot of attention and trophies at Car shows.

He says it has been a lot of fun bringing this sweet bit of American history back to life. Now she is back on the road with a little attitude. If you are ever in the High Desert area of California keep an eye out for Rick Schutte and his wife in there beautiful GTA Convertible.

Tell us what you are working on!

We ocassionaly get calls with people who have rare cars they want to sell. Sometimes we can help suggest a buyer, other times we might be interested and still other times it is such an interesting car we like to share it with all of our readers. Here is one such car. I have seen one at a couple of shows and they are certainly interesting to the muscle car crowd. Here is the info that was supplied by the owner.

This is a Rare Canadian Muscle Car. It is a 1965 Acadian Beaumont Sport Deluxe which was built in Oshawa Ontario, Canada. GM of Canada documentation says only 23 of these Acadian Beaumonts were built with the L79 ( 327 ci/350 hp) option. Although it is built on the American Chevelle body it is considered to be the Original Canadian GTO. The owner’s research says there are only 6 of the original 23 built that are still in existence.

This is one of the rarest Muscle Cars ever built. Production Numbers:

-1965 Chevelle L79 = 6,021

-1966 Nova L79 = 5,481 1965

-Chevelle Z16 = 206 1969

-Camero  Zl1 = 69

-1966 Acadian Canso L79 = 85

-1965 Nova Body style 1965 Acadian Beaumont = 23

This Chevelle Body Style car has been in many invitational Classic Car Shows including: Medowbrook Concourse  De Elegance, Feature Car at the Sloan Museum, Invited to the Muscle Car Show in Chattanooga Tn, Canadian World of Wheels, Detroit Autorama, and many more  car shows plus a article written about it in Muscle Car Enthusiast Magazine.

The owner has not only one of these rare machines but also owns a total of 2 of the 6 remaining L79 Beaumonts!

Here is a chance to own your own rare Canadian Muscle Car and stand out amoungst the other Chevelle and GTO owners. The owner wants to sell one or both to a Classic car Collector.

 More information and pictures can be found by contacting Joe or Susie Lizon at jslizon@yahoo.com or call 248-701-4396.

Since we are about to have our Barn Find Project AMX back on the road I thought is might be time for a little history lesson. Many car enthusiasts think of the American Motors Corporation (AMC) as builders of little economy cars. Some of you younger guys probably don’t even know that AMC ever existed! It’s true they focused on small well built, safe and sane economy cars but they when they didn’t they went all out.

In 1968 they jumped into the sports car world to challenge Chevrolet and the Corvette with their AMX. It was a two seat version of the Javelin poney car. The following video briefly tells the story of the 24 hour speed records set by Craig and Lee Breedlove, and other co-drivers. It is an amazing story and one even more outstanding when viewed within the context of the small AMC.

We are going to start off with TWO cars both owned by Robert Pegler of New Zealand. Robert has visted with us on a couple of vistis to States over the past few years. Although these cars are being built in the US I am sure they will soon be tearing up the streets of New Zealand.

According to the team at Impatient Creations, Robert will be orchestrating this special build from New Zealand where the car will be delivered. One car is the rare Talladega SuperSpeedway car; the second is a equally rare Dan Gurney Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II. The original engine was long gone, so the opportunity to build an incredible Resto-Ride presented itself. Robert wants the exterior to look like Cale Yarbrough just stepped out of his race car, but run better and retain a comfortable interior. Robert selected a new 4-cam 4.6 Fuel Injected engine with stacked DC&O injection system, 6-speed transmission, and comfort fitting seats.

These cars are valuable and rare as originals but when one presents itself a less than restorable it makes for a terrific platform for a wild driver. Like the old saying goes: “Anyone can restore a car, it takes a real man to cut one up.” I am anxious to see this car hit the streets here in the states before it heads downunder.

The second car is a Talladega and will be a great garage mate to the Cale Yarborough race car clone. It will be done up the same way but as a David Pearson Talladega! The car below IS NOT Robert’s car but was the inspiration for his creation.

As found, the project Talladega had been sitting for many years and in need of a lot of work.

The body did appear to be very solid and a great starting point for a project meeting Robert’s plans.

As shown by the date in the photo, the car was in race trim colors in late Novemeber of 2011. As soon as we get updates from Robert on these two car we will keep you posted.

Now, what are YOU working on?

Is there anyone who is into cars that doesn’t know who Carroll Shelby is? Have you ever met him in person or listened to him give a talk? I have been fortunate enough to do both. Here is a clip of an interview you might enjoy. It is a good overall and brief snapshop of a man who, by anyone’s definition is a Legend.

I don’t have a crystal ball and no special insight to the muscle car market but I do love cars and think I have a perspective that isn’t much different than a lot of the car hobbyist. There are those who collect for investment and there are those who collect for fun and enjoyment. Some like to show and others like to drive. I think we are seeing a return to the driver quality show cars. The economy has brought change to our hobby. It is now often cheaper to purchase a restored car than it is to do it yourself. The 100 point frame off restoration is beyond the reach of most of us and the thought of just looking at such a car without driving it soon becomes unfulfilling and unsatisfying. My Top 10 Collector Car picks for 2010-2020 were for the average car guy and were just a guess on my part based on what I wanted. These were what I thought the average “Joe” was willing to purchase and could afford. In this update I am not trying to predict how to save your 401k with a single purchase. No million dollar get rich quick cars in this pick. The theme remains the same; what do you want to have fun with and still be able to afford.

One thing that is different from two years ago is what I think are a couple of emerging trends. The first is the desire to drive something different than everyone else. This is also reflected in response to the demand vs supply cost issue. More hobbyist, I believe, are moving away from the highly sought after over priced cars such as the 57 Chevy, MOPAR Hemi etc. and moving towards the less common cars like Studebakers (50s low slung coupes) and any non-Chevy GM intermediate like the Buick Skylark, Olds Cutlass and Pontiac Le Mans derivatives. The second is what I think is an increase interest in real high quality drivers. These are not perfect restorations but they are solid high quality drivers. I would even put the lower cost resto=mods into this category. The best part of owning a car is driving it, in 2012 we will be driving our cars more!

Top 10 Collector Cars for 2010-2020; The 2012 Update

These are not presented in any order. I believe the economy’s depressed condition will have a major impact on our hobby for the remainder of this year. Few of us will be investing large sums of money in things we can’t use and have fun with. Since the year 2000 I believe we have seen a turn away from the Rat Rod rage but station wagons are hot, and trucks are growing even more in popularity. The high end museum collectors will still pay big bucks and will be looking for the rare and memorable cars of the past. The rest of us will be looking to have fun and drive the wheels off our cars before the gas is gone and electric outlets replace parking meters.

1. 1970-1972 Chevrolet Camaro: The second generation Camaro has been ignored for way too long. It is a wonderful car and far more refined than the first generation. As with all the cars on this list, they are currently under valued but the prices have increased significantly in the past two years. If you see 10 first generation Camaros at a car show today you will be lucky to see one of the second generation. In my opinion, these cars could easily end up more valuable in the long run than the 67-69 vintage. If you purchase one now restore it to original or make it a pro-touring car just get one of these before the price jumps $10,000 over night, I know I will be looking for a Z28 RS very soon. The Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am sister car also fits into this category.

2. Ford F 100 and Chevy Silverado pickups through the early 70s: Today’s pickups remain very popular and practical. They are far better than old ones. However, just like the modern muscle car is superior to the vintage from the 60s and 70s they build a desire for the old versions, people want one of each!

Older Ford and Chevy pickup have always been popular but now any truck over 30 years old is fair game for the restoration magic and love. Heck, even restore the camper and take your kids along.

3. 1968-1970 AMC AMX and Javelin: I already have my AMX! These are terrific cars, can still be obtained at a reasinabke oruce but I predict that will change in the next few years. These cars are far under rated and in many ways superior to the more recognised brands of Pony cars. A well done AMX or Javelin will stand out in a crowd and can be made to go like crazy. The market is starting to acknowledge their role in the history of having fun with cars. They didn’t make of lot of the AMX cars but they are out there and they have a great reputation on the drag strip. The Javelin was more plentiful and also won the Trans Am series championship twice. Bet you didn’t know that.

4. Rat Rods: This version of the legendary Rat or sometimes called the Rot Rod is going away; the rusted out hulks that are a danger to anyone on the road will disappear. I got to the point there were more Rat Rod Trailer Queens than high end Trailer Queens. Those Rat Rods were so bad they were not even capable of being driven on the road.

This theme of hot rod will morph into the creation of the Traditional Hot Rod.

5. Traditional Hot Rods: I believe this could be a very hot market this year. These will be reproductions made of more junkyard parts and less polished Billet. The owners of these cars will put lots a miles on them every year. Some will be traditional in every way and authentic Hot Rods; others will be recreations with a pro-touring flare. If it looks like it might be at home at a car show, it isn’t a traditional rod. If it looks like it is driven by a high school kid with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve, it is a traditional rod.

These versions will have the old school look but will use some modern mechanical components to make them safer and more convenient.

6. 1966-67 Ford Fairlanes: These are arguably some of the most beautiful designs to come out of the Ford design studio. They are clean, simple and yet very attractive. Engine options were wide and there is no shortage of aftermarket stuff to make them fast. Fords in general (exception being the Mustang and Shelby) are way undervalued when compared to their Chevy and Mopar competitors.

There are lots of Ford loving gearheads out there and they are quietly building there machines.

When you show up with a unique Ford at most car shows there is no shortage of interested folks asking questions and admiring the car. It is about time that these cars get their due recognition.

7. 1969 Ford Talladega: Everything said about the 66-67 Fairlane is true about the Torino and especially the Talladega. These cars are hardly ever seen today but are terrific rides. They and the sister Mercury Cyclone Spoiler and Spoielr II cars are very rare but way undervalued. They are excellent drivers and with a 428 CJ engine are extremely fast. Why so many Chevelles are saved and so few Torinos is beyond me. You Bow Tie guys don’t start to scream and leave the site, we love them all. I am not suggesting fewer Chevelle restorations, just more Torinos. I, for one, just enjoy seeing a lot of variety when I go to a show.

These cars have seen recent increases in value just as some of the more traditional muscle car “must haves” have decreased. It is time to jump on one of these.

8. 1967-1971 Plymouth GTX: Roadrunners get all the attention but the GTX was an upscale car. MOPARS seemed to have gone flat in value. Has hobbyist want to drive their collector car the upscale models from each manufacturer should be more popular.

However, beware most MOPARS may continue to slip in value.

9. 1964-1970 GM Intermediates: This is a broad category that includes the Buick and Oldsmobile intermediate models.

As the population ages more and more of the potential owners will be happy to purchase one of the luxury, air conditioned muscle cars for less cost than a Chevelle SS or Pontiac GTO. These are similar cars but with greatly different personalities and cost points.

Other cars that fit into this category are the 1958-1966 Ford Thunderbirds, 1963-1970 Buick Rivieras and Chrysler 300 letter cars.

10. 1964-1972 Sleepers: As stated previously most of us have far less money to spend on our toys than we did 2 too 5 years ago. I believe this is going to lead to the traditional street look or Day Two look. These muscle cars and their lesser more traditional grocery getter two door sedan versions will be very popular this year. Many will be in primer or appear to be “under construction”. These cars are the muscle car version of the Traditional Street Rod. The GTOs and SS Chevelles bring top dollar because of what they are. The grocery getter versions are more common but provide nearly identical appearance at lower cost. Many times these were purchased new, taken home and modified to out perform the factory muscle car version. This year we will see history repeat itself. I am not saying everyone will be putting the correct muscle car badges and stripes on their cars to make more clones or tribute cars. The sleeper was king of the street back in the day. In 2012 the plain Jane two door will be the car to own. It will be the Day Two car with mags, intake, headers and other traditional modifications done in the vintage style. Owners will not be concerned with owning historically correct restorations. They want a cool look with high performance that is dependable, easy on gas and can be safely driven long distances weather it be on a Hot Rod Power Tour or just a couple of hundred miles to a big show in a neighboring state. Rock chips will be a badge of honor.

Being different, being driven and being built for reasonable cost will rule.

Well, there you have it, my 2912 Update to the Top 10 Collector Cars for 2010-2020! What do you think?

We don’t talk much about the 1968 Cyclone GT 500 because we know so little and there just aren’t any around. It has been a great draw for this site and people seem to really want to know more. We recently received an email from K. Peppers with some information and photos that we thought deserved a little special attention. If you want to know more about these cars we have listed as much as we know on this site. We would also direct you to our sister site www.TalladegaSpoilerRegistry.com where you can view even more photos and register your GT 500.

This car is not for sale so don’t ask.

Peppers states that he is planning on restoring the GT 500 for his cousin whose father bought it new. He hasn’t started on the restoration yet and based on these photos I think he should keep it original un-restored. What do you think? He is going to get a Marti Report before doing anything.

 

Two of the most modified Mustangs to ever come out of the Midwest are brought to you by Auto Kraft in Lincoln, Nebraska. The blue one was built in 1990 By Doug Kielian. It is a 1989 GT with a hand fabricated & widened 3″ chopped top! In addition it has BMW haedlamps, extended rear wing, GT 40 create engine with Paxton Supercharger. Remember this car was built over 20 years ago and was quite a head tuner back in the day!

The new “Kid” on the block  was built by ‘Johnny Sparks’ aka John Heermann. It is a 2011 Ford Mustang GT completely cut apart and fitted with aftermarket sheetmetal of 68 and 69 vintage Mustangs. The sheetmetal was hand fabricated to blend together with the new structure  to represent a look of yesteryears styling with today’s modern high tech features and comfort. It is powered by the new 5.0 Ford Coyote engine with 6 speed. The engine also has a set of Dynatech headers, a JLt cold air intake, SCT Tuner, with wheels and tires from Late Model Restoration Supply,  and engine cover by APR Carbon products.  It is the new head tuner today!

It was a cold today in Lincoln but a good day to play as well, thought you might like to see the two cars together.

We sometimes have historical paperwork and videos donated to us which provide invaluable background context to our collector cars. On our sister site, www.TalladegaSpoilerRegistry.com, we have been providing a series of Ford Intra-Comapny memos regarding the development of the 1969 Ford Talladega, Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II and Boss 429 engine. Prior to jumping into the NASCAR aero wars with the Talladega and Spoiler II Ford Motor Company had already made a lasting racing, “Total Performance”, name for itself around the World when it won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. That effort was beyond any similar attempt by any Ameriacan car company.

This video provided by Mike Teske and Rick Toombs is not the highest quality but it extremely interesting and provides real insider’s look at Ford’s engineering department back in the day. This is the heritage our aero cars are built on!

The next time you are out with your collector car and feel the need to do a burnout or accelerate around some corner just keep this video in mind. I am sure each of the owners/drivers of these high dollar exotics never thought they could wreck their car let alone all their buddies.

It seems that one of these videos or newsclippings comes around every few months just to remind us that we and our cars are not invinciable. Thanks to CNN for bring this to our attention.

I was Car Crazy plus I was a Car Idiot!

Dad’s 1959 Rambler was similar to this picture.

This is an anonymous story on “The Most Idiotic thing I ever did With a Car, To a Car or In a Car!”  Send in your “Idiotic Car Story” NOW.

I am not an angel but street racing is for punks.

Today, I have nothing but the highest disdain for the idiots that street race. I don’t mean the old stop light to stop light stuff we did as kids. Likely this was most often done from a rolling start and lasted a very short distance. When it was done it was often in remote areas without houses or people near by. Unfortunately, today it happens in front of elementary schools or in industrial parks with rows of young spectators. Or even more commonly on crowded freeways and interstate highways. You have seen them, usually small economy cars with loud exhaust racing through traffic. They rush up on cars passing on either side and cutting in and out of traffic like everyone else is simply an orange pylon cone to navigate as fast as possible.

I will admit to being guilty of some stupid actions in my youth. However, today I know what can happen. Many years ago I lost a very young and very close relative to a horrific auto accident that claimed the lives of several teenagers, and I have also seen friends scarred (physically and emotionally) for life from stupid actions in a car. Although I have witnessed terrible crashes and have come close I have never been involved. With all that said, I was an idiot in high school and would often street race down narrow alleys in the dark, speed around city streets and charge blindly through intersections. Although I had my own car, on special date nights I would get the family car. It was a red 1959 Rambler. What it missed in horsepower it made up for in smallness and good cornering.

On one Friday night back in 1964 a friend had his parents 1964 Ford Galaxy 2 door with a 390. I had a special date and my parents 1959 six cylinder Rambler. In those days I liked to play cat and mouse more than drag race. (Remember it was a six cylinder automatic Rambler; trying to drag race anyone would have truly been idiotic.) In cat and mouse you chase a friend and try to catch him or he chases you and you try to loose him. This was real TV type stuff accept no film crew to clear the streets for you. Like I said, I was a real idiot.

Not only were such actions dangerous but what was I thinking; a six cylinder Rambler against a 390 Ford? This should not have been a race at all. That big block torque should have eaten me up. However, I was the rabbit being chased by the big dog so I got to set the path.

The 1964 Ford Galaxy chasing me was like this but turquoise and white top.

On the straights that Ford could haul but I would dust it off in the turns. So, my plan was to turn at EVERY possible corner, the sharper the better and the narrower the road the better so I mostly went down alleys. Every time we got on a stretch of straight he was on my rear bumper.

I began to turn at every alley and looked for the narrowest ones I could find and I began to pull away. Suddenly, there were no headlights in my mirror. My thoughts were typical youthful optimism: “Wow, I am good! Can’t believe I got away from that new Galaxy with a 390.”

I figured I had some bragging to do!

Unfortunately, Monday at school I heard the rest of the story. It seemed that as I, the “mouse“, made my get-a-way from the “Galaxy cat” he got caught by the “black and white dog“! The Sheriff had spotted us and nailed the Galaxy. The “man” with the badge asked the Galaxy driver who he was chasing. With some “man in uniform” coaxing and a promise of getting only a warning ticket he gave me up. When I heard that, I knew I was in trouble, big trouble. I wasn’t worried about the ticket as much as what my Dad would do. I was sure my Dad would not get a call right away. This wasn’t the first time I had been in this predicament. The police knew that for most of us teenage idiots waiting was the worst part so it would be a few days before Dad would get THE call.

Are you like me, the waiting is the worst? I just can’t stand waiting for the call to come so I can get my punishment. I waited and waited but no call; every night when I got home from school I was waiting for the TALK. A week passed and then two. It had never taken this long before. The call never came!

Then I figured it out. We lived in a small town and there were only two other families in town with the same last name. I am sure the wrong father got the call! How cool is that?

I actually got away with that one, but not all of them. More on that on another day.

These photos show the car while it was still under construction. If you want to see more details check out Rad Rods by Troy web site.

This rear view with the spoiler is the way the real Talladega should have looked.

This picture gives you a unique look into the inner construction of this wild machine. Note the Boss 9 engine.