The 1966 426 HEMI emblem was special.   ... View more

A wind driven wildfire overran my garage back in 2011 and destroyed my Dodge Ram 2500 Quad cab 4x4 Cummins truck. My enclosed auto carrier was also destroyed.   Now with the insurance check in hand, I decided I might not need a diesel truck and bought a top line 2006 GMC 2500 extended cab truck with the 6.0 engine. I found a very good deal for a 28 foot enclosed trailer with the mandatory driver side escape door but it was 1,000 miles away. I finalized the deal and went to tow the trailer home with the GMC. I found the GMC 6.0 had plenty of power but the transmission needed to shift frequently pulling the new 6,000 pound (empty) trailer. That trailer could push that truck around a bit so I decided it was not enough truck to pull the new trailer with a show car inside...plus at least 1,000 pounds of support paraphernalia.    Deciding I needed a larger and heavier truck, I bought a new Ram 2500 4x4 crew cab with the the high output Cummins and traded that GMC to the dealer. The new truck can tow that heavy trailer without the slightest problem of any type...the only problem is that is a heavy truck for picking up supplies at Home Depot.   I still "kick" myself for trading that GMC. I should have bought the Ram and kept the GMC for all of the trips to the store and towing my lighter open car carrier trailer. Mark that up as one of those decisions to sell a truck that I regret. Now I need a lighter truck for the everyday driver. Perhaps it is time to rebuild the 351 in my '91 full size Bronco to use as the everyday truck.   ... View more

I would like to see the return of the 70-71 Monte Carlo SS. Make it a true 2 door hardtop with the a powerful LS engine. ... View more

I enjoy my vintage Corvettes. I have owned some of them for many years and still enjoy then every time I take a cruise, attend car club meetings, or attending a car show. They often are a ticket to meet new friends and they are the reason to take a ride to no where in particular.   Sure older cars have disadvantages. Safety? Reliability? Fuel economy? Comfort? Yes all of these are cons. Regardless, the pros far out weigh the cons.   I attended a certain car show for many years where I met a gentleman who always brought a best in show contender...one of his 20 or 30 cars. Even though I knew my best efforts would generally fall short, I was proud of my car because I built it. I do not have an 18 wheeler to transport my car like he had. I might have even felt a bit superior since I built and maintained my car instead of using a great deal of money to buy my car (which I certainly do not have). Grease under the finger nails, check! A happy vintage car owner, check! ... View more

Wow! I thought I was hoarding parts because I held onto an LS-6 454 intake manifold in hopes of building a 454 for one of my Corvettes as well as four carburetors. An extra air cleaner or two and a few original suspension parts after an upgrade. Maybe a few engine parts that might be useful.   Reading this story makes me feel I am living a  minimalists life.  ... View more

This is not exactly a to do list but rather a how to do list.  I take digital photos from the start of the project until the end. These photos can be easily incorporated into a spreadsheet with instructions added describing the photos. Perhaps my memory fails when a project goes from a day or so to a year or more; therefore, I take a digital photo of the project before I disassemble anything. Then photos as I disassemble the parts. I try to accurately take photos of everything that might be confusing at a later date. Guess what? I have created a reverse photo album of how to put the car back together. Now how did that bracket fit? Let me check. Oh yes, this is how it looked before I took it apart.    These photos and descriptions as well as notes in my spreadsheet record my progress and provide instructions when it is time to reassemble the project.   I can also use the spreadsheet to add new steps for the project as I find necessary. Just expand the rows or columns as required. I use columns to prioritize the steps, add notes, list the work in progress, work completed, totals, and almost anything I feel is important. I track my progress in the garage on a white board and after I go back inside to the computer, I transfer the notes from the white board to the spreadsheet. Just remember to backup the spreadsheet in case the old PC goes belly up.   ... View more

This is a great article. I have not been making a to do list for my current project...maybe the list would be too long. After reading this article, I feel that I need to improve my project time by making a list. I have too many projects but I have decided to concentrate on one at a time.    Project One: This is a really big one, the frame off restoration of my '67 Corvette convertible. This project was started years ago when I was still working for my income and traveling over 50% of my time. It was not helpful that I was required to reserve a flight halfway across the country to put out a fire sometimes with only a few hours notice. Now that I have retired, I can seriously work to complete project one. Project Two: Build a new engine for the '75 Corvette and install the new engine. Fortunately the original engine is in perfect condition so this project can wait. Project Three: Remove the engine from the '91 Ford Bronco which blew a head gasket several years ago. I am afraid the failed gasket might have caused additional damage so a complete inspection and possible rebuild of the engine might be necessary. This should be project two but ATT it is not.    I have been purchasing parts for the Corvette restoration for more years than I want to remember. Fortunately, I have kept the parts in the original boxes or plastic envelopes. These parts were labeled with both part number and a brief description. In order to inventory the parts I ordered (and not buy something I need twice), I entered each part into an Excel spreadsheet. I organized the parts into basic categories; (1) Labels, tags, and decals; (2) Body and interior parts; (3) Engine and transmission parts; and (4) Chassis parts. These parts are organized on 25 feet of heavy duty shelving units with the smaller parts in storage bins. Fortunately (or perhaps not so fortunately the cost), I included the part numbers, number of parts ordered, specific supplier, brief parts description, and cost. That cost part probably will be discouraging but I wanted to keep track of the expenses. I use spreadsheets to track my various projects. At least I know what I have and how much I have spent. I sometimes make spreadsheets to describe the general steps required to complete the project as well as the order in which these steps should be accomplished. Recently, I installed a large white board in the garage so I can track the task at hand and steps to complete that task.   I am far from well organized but I am trying. This article has pointed out some areas in which I need to improve.   Great article.  ... View more

Remember, Oil and grease are soluble in...well oil. A little fresh cheap oil will loosen grease and grime when using a scrub brush. Afterward you can rinse with water and a mild detergent such as Dawn. I also like WD-40. It helps clean and is safe on your hands. ... View more

The 90-95 Corvette ZR1 certainly deserves attention. These cars have the marvelous Lotus designed 32 valve dual overhead cam engine which has proven to be very reliable. Besides why not own a car that set the 24 hour speed record at 175 mph? They are even well within the reach of many owners with prices that can be in the low 30 thousands for a decent one. ... View more

I purchased my truck with heavy trailer towing as a primary concern. The factory installed brake controllers are far superior to the add on units. The factory controllers regulate the trailer brakes almost seamlessly due to their incorporation with the truck. They also inform you if your brake connection develops a problem. Just a thought for anyone purchasing a tow vehicle with trailer towing in mind. Recommended to have 10% of total trailer weight on the tongue. Make sure that the tow vehicle can stand this weight if towing a heavy trailer. My trailer weighs 12,000 so 1,200 pounds on the tongue is heavy for many trucks. Use the correct class of hitch.  ... View more

I tow Corvettes to shows and have installed elevated runners in my trailer to allow opening the driver's door over the fenders and left side escape door ledge. ... View more

Very good advice. I have been trailering cars sometimes over 800 miles to a show several states away for over 20 years...I live in the west so the states are big, especially Texas.   Inspecting the trailer is very important. Many trailers are not used frequently and might have expired license. The lights, trailer brakes and the tires must be inspected very carefully since those are often a problem. I must add that checking the spare tire for the trailer (you do have one don't you?) is necessary and be certain that you have a jack and tools that fit the trailer which are usually different from the tow vehicle.  Check the tire ratings to be certain that you are not overloading them. Air up all of your tires, trailer, tow vehicle and both spares to the maximum recommended pressure. This will help prevent sway as well as provide the maximum load capacity.    Your tow vehicle needs to be rated for more than the expected weight. Borderline might not be a good idea. I learned this from experience a long time ago when a bridge guard rail was the only thing that prevented disaster as the trailer gently struck the railing after a dangerous sway when I was forced to change lanes due to a cow in the middle of the road. My experience is never use too small of truck. I use a Ram 2500 Cummins with the factory trailer equipment to tow a 28 enclosed trailer.  I also have kept my original medium duty open car hauler...sometime an enclosed trailer is not the best option. You need a good brake controller to operate the trailer brakes. Adjust your mirrors to see the lanes beside your trailer if using an enclosed trailer rather than looking directly behind. Your visibility will likely be reduced by the trailer.    Securing the car is vitally important. I believe this article explains that clearly. I have heard many different options but prefer to secure the car by attaching to a rigid sprung portion of the car. Compressing the suspension will relieve some stress on the straps if you encounter some rough road which will tend to bounce the car and place a great deal of strain on the straps. Since I own my trailers, I have installed rigid front chocks attached to the trailer. This allows me to drive the car onto the trailer until the tires are solidly against the chocks before securing the car.    Now remember to drive with care. Especially if you do not do this often. The stopping distance is greater and the ability to avoid vehicles, animals and pot holes are reduced. Far too many other drivers seem not to realize the reduced maneuverability of the truck and trailer and pull directly in front after passing which is an unsafe distance. Finally, meeting or passing large vehicles might cause your tow rig to sway due to the wind from those vehicles pressing against your trailer and tow vehicle. Often you must steer in one direction as the other vehicle is beside the trailer and then quickly reverse steer as the air pressure passes from the trailer to your tow vehicle. Using a tow vehicle and trailer with excess capacity will greatly reduce the uneasy feeling when meeting an eighteen wheeler on a two lane road.   Take care and safe towing. ... View more

I enjoyed the article with some very good suggested checks before bringing that car out of storage. Fortunately I do not have to make the car shuffle quite as much as some since my garage has access for six bays which can store 12 vehicles with none over two deep.   Definitely use a fuel stabilizer prior to letting the car sit for an extended length of time.   I would not advise a trickle charger since they seem to damage a battery if connected for an extended time. The battery tenders are the only good choice to keep the battery charged. I have often found that older batteries will fail even if a battery tender is used. Each cell in the common 12 volt lead acid battery is 2 volts. A battery might be discharge and simply recharged with a proper battery charger. After recharging the battery (if necessary) and finding the voltage drops to 10 volts likely means that it  has a "dead" cell and will need to be replaced. Low priced battery stress testers can be used to determine if a battery will be serviceable after charging it after the winter hibernation.   Many newer cars use antifreeze types which might be pink or orange instead of the common older green or blue types. Most antifreeze types are poisonous so make that taste test a very small one.   Tires deteriorate with age regardless of storing in a garage away from direct sun light. Modern tires have a DOT date inscribed in them. The recommended replacement is anything over six years old. Those 12 volt DC air compressors have a very limited capacity and will take a long time to air up a tire. I recommend at a minimum a small 120 volt AC "pancake" air compressor. You can purchase one for around $100.   Finally rodents can damage various parts and destroy the wiring harness. I try to prevent rodent infestations and check during the storage to be certain that they are being controlled.   Happy summer cruising! ... View more