The Trans Am racing series from the late 60s and early 70s featured the new Pony cars that were just hitting the market back then. This included the Mustang, Camaro, Barracuda, Challenger and Javelin. There were a few others such as Porsche and the ocassional Firebird. These were the cars designed for the young and the Trans Am race cars looked JUST LIKE the cars they dove on the street. The racing series was emensily popular with some of the best race action anywhere. The following is a short clip but it tells it better than I~

Baldwin-Motion’s Joel Rosen partners with DeNooyer Chevrolet’s Performance Division and Redline Motorsports to build and market 2011 MOTION 427 and 454 Camaros.

More than 40 years ago Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen, a young Brooklyn dyno-tuner, hot rodder, street racer and national record holding drag racer, turned a simple 427 Camaro engine swap into an empire. And catapulted Baldwin-Motion and MOTION into internationally respected performance brands. Working with Baldwin Chevrolet, he was the most
prolific builder-marketer of modified new big-block Chevys during the Supercar ‘60s & ‘70s. He backed up Phase III models with written money-back performance warranties! He’s now passing the torch to Howard Tanner, a young dyno-tuning specialist and speed shop owner.

“It’s Déjà Vu all over again,” said Joel Rosen, quoting the legendary Yankee, Yogi Berra. “We have re-launched the Baldwin-Motion and MOTION brands again, this time capturing the true spirit of what we did in 1967-1974: Market built-to-order, dyno-proven and warranted SS & Phase III 427 & 454 Camaros, crafted by a high-tech dyno shop and available exclusively from a single authorized Chevrolet dealer.”

Specially prepared 427 and 454 engines power the latest iterations of the legendary Baldwin-Motion Fantastic Five: 2011 SS & Phase III Camaros, dyno-rated at 525 (SS-427) to 800 horsepower (427-SC Supercar). Howard Tanner is President of Redline Motorsports, a speed shop specializing in fuel-injected vehicles in Schenectady, NY. He and his team are the builders. Dan Carlton, General Manager, DeNooyer Chevrolet’s Performance Division in Albany, NY is handling client contact.

DeNooyer Chevrolet, owned by second-generation Chevrolet dealer Jim DeNooyer, is the highest volume Chevrolet dealership in upstate New York. As a young, hands-on car guy, DeNooyer was into hot rods, customs and drag racing. He later moved up into fast boats and has held speed records since the 1990s. Sons, Joel and Tom, also high-performance enthusiasts, handle day-to-day operations.

“It’s great that the folks at DeNooyer Chevrolet and Redline Motorsports have embraced the Baldwin-Motion heritage of using the latest GM 427 and 454 high-performance factory engines in their new MOTION Camaros,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, Product Integration Manager, General Motors Performance Parts.

Tanner is a highly skilled engine calibrator and dyno-tuner as well as an experienced builder of large-displacement GM vehicles, including Camaros and Corvettes. Carlton, a respected racer, successful GM of luxury brand dealerships and former Chevrolet dealership principal, has years of experience selling both imported and domestic high-performance vehicles. He is a former New York State Ice Racing Champion and currently competes in sports car, ice racing and Modified motorsports.

Every MOTION Camaro will be built to order at Redline and tuned by Howard Tanner on its DYNOmite 1,400 horsepower Eddy Current Load dyno. A full dyno report as well as official Baldwin-Motion documentation will go with each car.

Sanctioned, serialized and signed by Joel Rosen, each 2011 MOTION SS & Phase III Camaro will be delivered with custom MOTION VIN plates and complete documentation. To prevent future cloning of MOTION Camaros, Rosen and Carlton will be establishing a confidential MOTION Registry detailing VINs, vehicle specifications and original purchaser data.

In 1967-1968, Baldwin-Motion marketed its full line of 427 Chevys under The Fantastic Five banner. Advertising and marketing materials, as well the windows at Baldwin Chevrolet, screamed The Fantastic Five. And, that’s how they’re launching the new line of 2011 MOTION Camaros.

The 2011 Fantastic Five: SS-427 (525 HP), Phase III 427 (600 HP), SS-454 (550 HP), PHASE III 454 (625 HP Torque Monster!) and PHASE III 427-SC (800 HP Supercharged Supercar). Complete details can be found at http://www.officialbaldwinmotion.com/

“I like to think of our 2011 SS and Phase III 427 & 454 Camaros as “modern MOTION mythmakers!” said, DeNooyer’s Carlton.

When Rosen and MOTION LLC’s Larry Jaworske and Joel Ehrenpreis re-launched the Baldwin-Motion and MOTION brands in 2005, they set a new standard for 1969 “continuation” Camaros. The Launch Edition two-seat SuperCoupe, powered by a front/mid-mounted, fuel-injected 540-inch aluminum big-block, won the coveted GM Design Award at SEMA 2005 and set a record at Barrett-Jackson in 2006

“We produced extremely expensive, coachbuilt Camaros between 2005-2009. This time it’s different. Our new MOTION 427 & 454 Camaros are much more affordable and drivable, starting at under-$80,000, and will be hard to beat on the street or at a show. I’ve ordered the first one (#001), a limited-production, 800-horsepower supercharged Phase III 427-SC Supercar,” said Rosen.

2011 BALDWIN-MOTION CAMARO PROGRAM CONTACTS:

BALDWIN-MOTION WEBSITE:
http://www.officialbaldwinmotion.com/

MR. MOTION: Joel Rosen, 1-800-866-3172

Mrmotion@myacc.net

# # #

Martyn L. Schorr
PMPR, Inc.

MLSchorr@Verizon.Net

You will see some of your favorite pony/muscle cars doing four wheel drifts on the track, girls in bell bottoms, an AMX Pace Car, and lots of vintage race cars.

If you were there this will make you smile. If you wish you could have been there this will make you drool.

We absolutely love the old Trans Am series and hope to see it expand in its new format with the new Mustang, Camaro and Challenger.

KEEP WATCHING THIS SITE FOR SOME EXCITING NEW TRANS AM RELATED NEWS.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you remember all the squawk over the New Millennium back in 1999? It seemed no one believed the World would survive the changing of our calendars to the year 2000. All of our computers were predicted to spit up little micro chips and die; airplanes were going to fall out of the sky and our new computer driven cars would stall at the tick of midnight. Didn’t happen!

However, the New Millennium did bring some changes to our car world over the past 10 years. We witnessed the rebirth of the Camaro and the Challenger. You can now go to your local new car dealership and purchase a new muscle car with over 500HP! We almost, and still may, loose one or two of the Big 3 car manufactures. Some of the cars we loved have already died. There is never going to be another Oldsmobile 442, Pontiac GTO or Trans AM. Even some of what is left at GM and Chrysler will likely still go away.

What about the car hobby? In 2000 did you ever think Rat Rods would be the hot collector car? Did you think a Barrett Jackson car auction would be broadcast live on TV for 5 consecutive days?

What will the new decade bring?

I don’t have a crystal ball and no special insight to the collector 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. My Top 10 Collector Cars for 2010-2020 is for the average car guy and is just a guess on my part based on what I want. These are the cars the average Joe will purchase and can afford. 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.

Top 10 Collector Cars for 2010-2020

These are not presented in any order. I believe the economy’s questionable condition will have a major impact on our hobby for at least the first half of the decade. Most of us will be focusing on cars that can be driven and used. Few of us will be investing large sums of money in things we can’t use and have fun with. I also believe that there will be a change in what is cool to own. We have seen the development of the Rat Rod rage, station wagons are hot, trucks are rapidly growing in popularity, our population is aging and the price of cars will drive most of us to look for something that is unique and priced right. 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.

It is a simple law of supply and demand. If we can’t afford a numbers matching Hemi powered 1969 Dodge Daytona with its extended sloped nose and gigantic rear wing, we will need to look else where. Because more collectors want these cars than there are cars the price goes up until the demand and price balance out. That leaves the rest of us looking for alternatives. Fewer collectors have yet to start salivating over these cars so the prices have stayed down slightly. That’s why we will be looking for them to go up in the next 10 years!

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 when compared to other collector cars out there today. If you see 10 first generation Camaro at a car show today you will be lucky to see one of the second generation. 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: Just like with the muscle cars of yore, the pickup for everyday use may be leaving us. The Government and gas prices may just put these out of reach for daily use. As they disappear our love will return to the older versions we grew up with and the hot rod movement will again be reborn.

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 be obtained cheaply, stand out in a crowd and can be made to go like crazy. Talk has revolved around these cars for a long time. 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.

These cars are not unlike their Mustang and Camaro pony car competitors but they will always be cheaper. However, there are some very limited and special edition models that will bring big money but if you hurry you will still be able to pick up some real deals early in the decade.
4.   Rat Rods: This version of the legendary Rot Rod will continue to grow in popularity but the rusted out hulks that are a danger to anyone on the road will disappear.

The most popular of the Rat Rods will become those that have morphed into the cartoon version of a Hot Rod.

They are the ones with a Out House where the pickup bed once was or the big plastic rat crawling out of the gas cap or with vice grips for batter clamps. The imagination and creativeness will expand into some very unique and will crafted hill billy Hot Rods.

5.  Traditional Hot Rods: This will be the positive movement away from the Rat Rod back to a hot rod that is met to be driven. These will be reproductions for the most part but 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 mechanicals 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. 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.

How boring would it be with nothing but Chevelles or Camaros every time you went to a car event? The Talladega and the Torino were really starting to take off value wise just before the economy went into the toilet and I predict they will respond very favorably once the economic sunshine returns.

8.  1967-1971 Plymouth GTX: Roadrunners get all the attention but the GTX was an upscale car.

I think as our population gets older you will see more emphasis on creature comforts and possibly even a movement where the automatic transmission is more popular than the 4 speed! Certainly, as we drive these cars more the desire to have air conditioning will out pace the desire to have a six pack.

All Mopars were so hot in the last decade I do not believe there is a good value out there in the next. We could see their values retreat as the other cars increase.

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

Again, 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:This is probably cheating but I think the concept is valid. There are more GTOs and SS Chevelles out on the street today than there were in 1970. Everyone put the right badges and stripes on and they become a clone or tribute car. Well, back in the day the hot set up was the SS or GTO with all the badges taken off. The sleeper was king of the street.

I think we will see more of the less expensive versions of the Le Mans, Chevelle, Camaro, Satellite, and similar cars restored to a plain stock appearance with the big motor and 4 speed hidden inside. More dog dish hubcaps and fewer 22′ billet wheels. I also lump the traditional street muscle car into this group. These are the nice street cars in primer that look mean but not fancy.

Being different, being driven and being built for reasonable cost will rule in the next decade.

Well, there you have it, my Top 10 Collector Cars for 2010-2020! What do you think? My guess is that no later than June of 2010 I will think this list is stupid and be compiling a new one. I sure would like to hear what you think, comment below or send me an email.

What’s better than a COPO?

Now, if you were really cool in 1969 a regular COPO wasn’t enough, you wanted a Yenko Camaro with the big 427. Bright yellow with black stripes would be a good choice of color. Then what did you do? You tweeked it, you wrenched on it some more and then went to the drag strip.

Here is the ultimate in street legal Camaro. It is a 427 Yenko Dragster with Cliff Ernst name on the side. Sit back turn up the speakers on your computer and listen to this special Chevy sing to you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What is it?

This is a 1969 427 ZL-1 COPO Camaro from the Ciff Ernst Collection. You can see the complete collection on our Museum Page. This is car number 60 out of only 69 built. I is painted Fathom Green with a Black interior.

The COPO Package included the all aluminum 427 430 HP engine, ZL-2 Ducted Hood Assembly, Heavy Duty Radiator, Transistor Ignition, 12 bolt 4.10 Posi and optional M-22 HD Transmission.

This option package added approximately $4,500 to the base car! No wonder there were only 69 built.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Motorbooks has published a great book by Darwin Holmstrom titled Camaro Forty Years. It is a combination coffee table book with wonderful David Newhardt photos with great historical info on the Camaro. Some call the Camaro a Pony Car but it is a Muscle Car in the right trim levels. Although most of us will want to focus on the early 1967-1969 years of the Camaro the book does a thorough review of all years of Camaro including the smog sleds and the new Camaro that hasn’t even been sold yet. There are even photos and references to the first Pony Car, the Mustang. It seems the Mustang has always been the Camaro’s chief rival although the GM internal struggle with the Firebird was no small conflict.

I usually spend most of my time with such books looking at the photos and reading the captions. This was still a highlight of this book for me but the text has a way of sucking you in. I learned a lot about the first generation Camaro. I have never owned one of these cars but have had friends who did, or do and have always lusted after a 1967 Z28 or a 1969 Hugger Orange SS 396 RS. I thought I knew a lot about these cars until I read this book. It is both entertaining and informative.

Although I never owned the first model of Camaro I have owned my share of the later versions, all Z/28s. My very first new car was a 1970 model Z/28. I was shopping for a little luxury car with full power, automatic and air to replace a 1967 427 Corvette that had side pipes and radio delete. It also had 411 gears, 4-speed and obviously no air. It was a blast to drive and obviously a real muscle car. However, it took its tole on you during long trips. I drove 700 miles non=stop one time and thought I was deaf when I got to my destination. It took a day before I could hear normally again. With the new car I wanted to sit back and cruise in a powerful car but one with all the amenities.

My mistake was stopping by the local Chevy dealer and letting him convince me that I should drive a new Z/28. He knew what he was doing. I absolutely loved that car. It remains one of my favorite cars to this day. I still don’t know why I don’t have one in the garage today. Maybe this book will get me motivated to look for one.

Holmstrom even gets into the rare cars and engines often overlooked in such books. He talks about Smokey Yunick’s Hemi. Not a Chrysler Hemi, the Chevy Hemi! On pages 102-103 he says:

“The heads featured modified hemispherical combustion chambers; like Mopar’s 426-cubic-inch Hemi engine, these heads used a semihemispherical design rather than a true hemispherical design……The design increased top-end horsepower, but with a corresponding loss in torque, lead to a peaky power band that compromised overall on-track performance.”

The book also describes some of the successes and behind the scenes exploits of the Trans Am race teams. Rodger Penske was the man behind what was arguably one of the most beautiful race cars of the day; Mark Donahue’s Sunoco Camaro.

There is not enough space in this Blog to tell you everything I liked this book. Jump over to our Product Review Page and read more and see more photos. If you like this book you might also be interested in the other reviews of books on the Camaro.

This guide is one of the better ones I have read. It still isn’t something you pick up to escape from reality but when you are in the car mood but don’t want to work in the garage this is a good substitute. It is the Camaro Restoration Guide 1967-1969 by Motorbooks and written by Jason Scott. He claims to be little more than “an avid Camaro enthusiast.” Based on this book that is like calling an Olympic Gold Medalist a couch potato.

If you have not yet purchased your Camaro, Chapter 2 is worth the $29.95 list price of the book. It is chuck full of codes, data and info on how to read all the various identification plates on the cars. If you have ever looked at a car you were interested in purchasing and weren’t sure if it was a clone or real you know what I mean. Best advice, do your homework before you start to look. This book will even tell suggest trouble areas for you to look for on the Camaro.

This restoration guide is much better produced that a lot of them I have read. There are amble photos and diagrams but best of all they are clear and legible. Much better quality although they are still in black and white. I much prefer color photos which are much easier to identify and color is important when restoring under the hood.

If you have a 1967-1969 Camaro, buy this book. I just wish they had something this good for our odd ball Fords! If you don’t own a Camaro but want one, buy this book. If you don’t own a Camaro, don’t want one, why are you reading this?

Katrina and I visited with the thought that this was going to be a little boring looking at all these silly little cars but truth be told we had a blast and will go back. Honestly, I do get a little tired looking at GTOs, Road Runners, Camaros, and Mustangs. You won’t find any of that here but if you really are into cars you will love the eclectic mix of European vehicles on display at this museum.

This is just a little too strange for me! It is about as small as you can go. Could you imagine a freeway full of these things in rush hour traffic? I do have a question for the designer though. Where are the headlights and brake-lights suppose to go? Would you need a seat-belt and shoulder strap in this? The Feds would have a nightmare trying to regulate this into production.

Now I remember these. My buddies and I use to pick one like this up and set it in front of the door at the bowling alley. It belonged to my Dad’s Boss. Dang good thing he never figured out who kept doing that.

No longer able to take the wife and kids to the river for the weekend? Try this little combo out. Might have to leave the wife or the kids at home not sure they will all fit in the car at once. May be they ride in the boat.

This is a little larger than most but it is wind powered and you make your own wind! Don’t think you will need an air-conditioner in this car but you probably need a strap around the chin for your hat.

At the museum you will also find some race cars, some beautiful roadsters and lots more for more photos check out our On Tour page. If you go to the Museum you will even see one of the largest vehicles I have ever seen but I am not going to spoil it for you, go visit and see it for your self.

To see more from the Lane Motor Museum Click Here.

You love cars, you think yours is one of the best and you want to see it in a magazine or on TV, right? If you love your car you have that dream. When I was in high school I would sketch hot rods, customs and Detroit Dream Cars instead of listening to the Spanish teacher. I always dreamed of owning the cover car on Hot Rod and enjoying all the glory that went with it. I also nearly flunked out of Spanish!

When I got older and actually had a dollar to spend on a car I realized how difficult and expensive that dream would likely be. However, I still worked on my cars, took pictures and sent them to magazines hoping to see my car show up some day in one of the Bibles of our hobby. Nothing happened. Then one day it all changed.

Yesterday we just finished shooting a Flashback episode for Muscle Car TV. It is the fourth one I have been involved with! We have also managed to be featured in 4 different magazine features and some other TV shows as well. What’s it like? How do you get your car on TV or in a magazine? I can only tell you what we did and it may or may not work for everyone.

First of all let me tell you about the shoot. The guys from RTM Productions who shoot Muscle Car, Andrew, Moe and Rocky were all terrific. There was never a time in the day that wasn’t fun. And I do mean the day; a full eight hours of filming the car and doing the interview will end up being 3 to 4 minutes on the screen! Some shows and some magazines will take a very short time to shoot your car and others will take hours. Some will want you to drive the car for action shots and others will take a hand full of shoots in an hour and be done. Some will mount cameras on your car (be careful with this one, damage can occur) while others will want fancy backdrops and studio lighting. I have never had two photo/filming shoots go the same but I enjoyed them all.

There is always the stranger who comes up and wants to know what movie you are shooting and asks if anyone famous is in it. I tried telling one guy I was Chip Foose and we were doing an Overhaulin filming. He went blank and walked away. I guess he didn’t see the Muscle Car license plate on the car.

Ok, a photo shoot for a magazine or a TV show is fun but how do you get to that point? Watch TV and read magazines. What do you see and what do you want to see? I know this will tick some of you off but your everyday tri-five Chevy, your Corvette or your Mustang probably just isn’t ever going to make it. To make it with one of these cars means you have to have the best of the best and there is a huge pool of cars to choose from.  I love all these cars and have owned more than one of each, but they, excuse the phrase, are as common as birds in the spring. I have had more than one editor of a magazine say “How many times can I photograph another Mustang (or insert your car here)?” In other words your car must stand out from the crowd and provide a high level of interest to the reader/viewer.

If you are Chip Foose or other well known designer/builder or just have a big wad of cash you can build a car, take it to the major shows, win some prestigious awards and you can be in a magazine. If you are like me, this approach won’t work. I am not a Foose and I don’t have a wad of cash.

What’s the answer for us? Look for something different that you can be passionate about. When I read a magazine or watch TV I want to see something I have never seen before or something really rare and unusual. I want to learn something and I want to be entertained.

My wife and I did not start out to find cars to be in magazines or on TV. We went out looking for rare cars that were not mainstream. We wanted something we could really get into that was affordable and you didn’t see 14 more just like it when you went to a car show.

We both love NASCAR, we both like history and we are both cheap. Our criteria brought us to the Aero cars of 1969, the special built cars for NASCAR Super Speedways. These cars primarily consist of the 1969 Dodge Daytona, 1970 Plymouth Superbird, 1969 Ford Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II. Now, unless you have been sleeping under a tree for the past 15 years you already know where the prices of the Mopars have gone, through the roof! The Blue Oval cars are much rarer and only a small fraction of the price of a Mopar or Bow Tie car.

Consider this, there are 10 to 15 Daytonas and Superbirds still on the road for every Talladega or Spoiler II; in 1969 the Talladega won the NASCAR Championship with David Pearson at the wheel and 69 is the only year Richard Petty drove a Ford in NASCAR and he finished second in the points; third and fourth in points were also Blue Ovals.

So if the Fords are rarer, did better in the NASCAR standings and are cheaper why aren’t collectors jumping on them? Is it just because they don’t have a huge wing on the back or even more exaggerated nose? Katrina once owned a 69 Daytona before we got married and she prefers the Talladega for the way it drives. For all these reasons we went for the 69 Ford and Mercs.

We either found very good original cars or did quality driver restorations and we drive the cars. We take them to cruises at the Sonic and trailer them to specialty shows in the region. The result, they get seen by editors and producers looking for something different. These people don’t want clones and they don’t want to do the same make and brand of car every month. I don’t care how nice 24 restored Camaros are; sooner or later you want to see something else.

I remember reading one author stating that if the 1970 Camaro was a Ferrari and there were only a few hundred produced it would be the most sought after Ferrari ever built. His point was over abundance produces boredom no matter how beautiful. I soon began to look at cars a little differently and realized how accurate his statement was.

In summary, if you want to get recognized; build a car unlike everyone else’s; drive it; take it to shows where producers and editors will be; but most of all just have fun with it and enjoy what you have. A feature in a magazine or a shot on TV is great but it is only 15 minutes of fame but enjoying your car can be a lifetime experience.

My dream? I have never had a car on the cover of a magazine. We have to always have a dream.

Legendary Collector Cars are not made in a factory, they are made on the street, at the racetracks and at car shows. They can be Muscle Cars, Sports Cars, Hot Rods, Rat Rods, Classic Cars, Antique Cars, Collector Cars or any other car you love. This page is about our Legends and about making your car a Legend.

Welcome to our first Post. Everything on this site is about participation so jump right in and let us know what you think of the newest craze in the car hobby, Rat Rods. Wipe it down and fire it up, here we go.

What is a RAT ROD? You see everything out there. Some guys make what I call clown cars which are great entertainment but I don’t think they are rat rods. You know the cars I’m talking about, the ones that make you laugh when you look at them real close. I absolutely love these cars. The ones with the little boy radiator ornament that pees on people, the rat sitting on the air cleaner, the vice grips holding something together, stop sign for a floor board or the six shooter for a pistol grip shifter! They look more like the Beverly Hill Billy’s version of a Hot Rod than anything else. No self respecting hot rodder would have ever built a car like this back in the day. Hey, they are still fun, original and I like them!

Some guys build rusted out, no glass, big motor death traps. These scare me to no end. They may be cheap but I would never ride in one or drive one. I really don’t think they should be on the road.

Still other guys (and gals) build cars out of what ever they can find cheap and go fast. I also like these a lot. They are the most like the old Hot Rods of my day. You went to the junk yard and bought stuff and built a car or you went to the junk yard and bought stuff to make your car go faster or look different. That’s what I did and it was fun and cheap.

In my mind’s eye, a Rat Rod is a car built to drive without lots of money spent on it but absolutely safe, dependable, AND it is a rod.

Now, I know of lot of you will disagree and that’s ok. What if they weren’t all called Rat Rods? How about some other definitions so we can start keeping these things straight. We have Rat Rod, how about these and what might they be?

-Retro Rod: a rod done in the old school tradition with good paint, gloss or non gloss.

-Resto Rod: an original rod (pre 70′s vintage) just made road worthy and put back on the street.

-Traditional Rod: same as Retro Rod

-Neo-Traditional Rod: Like a Traditional Rod but with modern running gear such as electronic fuel injection, 700R and disc brakes

-Mod Rod: A glass rod made to look old but with all new mechanicals

-Rust Rod: this is one of those bodies that is too far gone to restore and stuck onto a good frame and running gear.

-Barn Find Rod: Much like a Rust Rod but needs some straw in the back seat and some cob webs on the windows.

-Clown Rod: What do you think of this one?

What do you think?

If you have a topic you would like to discuss, let us know.

Oh Yea, and in a few weeks you will start to hear from “Dear Shifty”. He is kind of a Gearhead’s “Dear Abby”. If you have a question for Shifty send it to us. He will give personal advice as well as advice on your ride if you need it. One suggestion; never follow Shifty’s advice!