Oh yeah, that is one nice Challenger! How does that 340 run when the outer two start coming on?  ... View more

There is a car museum in Tifton that sells. I was there trying to test "up" to a higher position in an effort to keep from being downsized. After the test I decided to stop in and see what they had. If I wasn't faced with not having a job in a couple of weeks I would have made three purchases; A Sublime Green Challenger T/A which they had for $30k, a Panther Pink AAR Cuda for $28k, and a '71 Roadrunner (383 auto, console, red w/ white roof strobe, and white interior) for $8.5k. One more, they a a white '58 Impala SS 348 Tri Power 4 Spd for $11k. That was back in '04  ... View more

Let's see. A '68 Cougar (which I have). I always wanted a B5 Blue '69 Superbee like Dad's (came close-I had a B5 blue '69 Sport Satellite). I also wanted a Ferrari 308 GTB (red of course like Thomas magnum's), and  Lambo Countach.  ... View more

Oh well, I missed it. I also forgot to celebrate 2/89 at the end of April this yr. ... View more

I was also not a fan of the Mustang II until a friend built the 302 in his with real compression, an older Cobra high rise intake, headers, and a mild cam. I then fell in love with it. You have to look at that car for what it can be instead of what it is.  ... View more

I agree with you about people wanting to better themselves. On the other side of that argument, I have been downsized no less than three times in 20 yrs. Twice, I have went back to school to "diversify" in an attempt to find another direction. The blanket statement of people stagnating is kind of a farce. Does anyone else remember when people  like our parents were able to work at one company fresh out of high school or college and work their way up through the ranks? I do. You will never see that these days. Wanting to better yourself, or not stagnating, shouldn't be an excuse for people sending ALL kinds of jobs overseas so that the stock will sell at a penny more per share.    That's an easy thing to say until you have been on the receiving end of it, brother.  ... View more

I don't think the 340 powered version is worth $86K. Now the Hemi Six Pack (yes that's right both those terms on one engine) 6 banger would be closer, but I still can't see either one commanding that kind of price. I find it interesting that the author claims that 240 horse from a 340 during this era was disappointing. If they were going SAE net then that's actually not bad when compared to the 275 GROSS hp claims from the higher compression versions. And again, the author needs to check his knowledge at the door. There were never less than 4 barrels on a 340 period!!!! High compression, low compression, the 340 was a performance small block and as such, had a four barrel with the exception of the six pack version that went into the T/A Challys, and AAR 'Cudas. 2 barrels from the factory? You are either looking at a 318 or a 360. The 340 came with either a Carter AVS (early), Carter Thermoquad (later), or a trio of Holley two barrels. ... View more

It seems more like the pinnacle of mundane. I would argue that tey look the same from a styling standpoint because one manufacturer made a car look a certain way. It sold well. And other manufacturers told themselves, "We need our (insert car name here)!" I may be in the minority, but I would say it's more of a lack of imagination. ... View more

These are things learned over time WAY after the time that they were installed on the assembly line. Some of it was from rodders of they day. Some was from my own experience, and some was talking to my friend's Dad who ran Cleveland engines on the dirt tracks (he was a WEALTH of knowledge on Cleveland engines, from the first Clevelands to the taller deck 400s and 351ms, he really knew his stuff and wasn't greedy with his knowledge).   T. Meyer has all sorts of stuff for the tall deck Cleveland engines, including stroker kits, higher compression pistons, etc. ... View more

This just happened to me yesterday on the way home from work with a guy in an Infiniti G35 that had the rear camber set so negative that I am sure the setting was "rear tire obliteration". That and the giant coffee can muffler that made the six cylinder go from sounding good to the equivalent of an automotive fart every time he hit the gas just made me want to get around him that much quicker.  ... View more

A little history on that one. It was the 400 Cleveland, and then there was the 351M. Most people looked at the valve cover tag which said 351M/400 and that's how the 400 Cleveland became the 400M. The "M" didn't come into play until Ford used a 400 Cleveland block with a 351 Cleveland stroke which became the 351 Modified Cleveland the first year and was eventually shortened to 351 Modified which also by way of association got applied to the 400 Cleveland.    But.....Yes, it is the the same engine dumped in pickups, etc. What caused them to be so lazy was SEVERELY retarded cam timing happening incrementally every year until they were discontinued. Use a "early" 351 Cleveland timing set and it becomes a completely different animal. I had a 400 Cleveland in a '77 LTD II that with a mild cam, extrude honed (by my friends circle track racing, machine shop having dad), and a recurve of the distributor (oh yeah and an early cleveland double row timing set) that would break the tires loose at 35 mph. It was made even better with a mild port job on the 2v smog heads. Not a bad engine. Just kind of misunderstood. ... View more

Great story. I love the second gen 'Stangs. Always have. ... View more

Same thing happened in my hometown of Danville, IL when the GM foundry in Tilton closed.  ... View more

You aren't sounding like a dumb @#$, Rob. Asking questions in my opinion makes you smarter than the average bear on the internet. To answer your question, yes the are. It's kind of weird to see the valve layout if you're used to Windsor, Chevy or Mopar wedge heads, but they breathe pretty darn good. Even the early 2v heads would run pretty good (I got my butt handed to me in my '79 solid lifter 327 Camaro by my friend who had a '71 351 2v Cleveland that he built using the 2v heads). I have pretty much given up on the Aussie heads in favor of the earlier 2v head that doesn't have the thermactor hump in the middle of the port.    I had a set of emission era 2v Cleveland heads WITH the thermactor hump. And to be honest, once milled, and with a little intake port work, they ran pretty good. Not 4v good, but better than any factory Windsor head I have used.    The 4v heads will run really good on the street despite what a lot of neigh sayers claim. I just don't think they would do too well on a 4000+ lb car. I think the smaller ports and valves are more in order. ... View more

I just used the Felpro part number that was the stock replacement. I did take it as an opportunity to get out my grinder and open up the ports to match the gaskets. It may seem frivolous on a 3.8 Ford V6, but it did actually make a difference. That was especially true in the case of the '88. ... View more

Great article. I have had two cars, both 3.8 NA thunderbirds blow head gaskets. Neither one had the usual tell-tale symptoms of milkshake oil or coolant. What they DID do was run normal on the temp gauge and then suddenly spike over to hot for a couple of minutes only to return to normal. A compression test on both revealed the problem. Aside from that, no symptoms. No head cracks just a wet gasket. I did not refresh either head as they were within runout tolerances, and both cars ran on trouble free for yrs.  ... View more

My Dad just got rid of a '78 Highboy shortbed. I love the late 70s Ford trucks, but there is no way on God's green earth that I would pay that much for a second gen Bronco. Ever........   By the way, that's a great truck. ... View more

I just checked a labor dept. report. It seems that the casting facilities are still in operation state side. But upon further investigation, I found that they did nix 270 jobs all the while claiming that they want to retain the togetherness of the car culture. I wonder how the near 300 people that lost their jobs feel about that one. ... View more

I knew that they became part of a conglomerate, but had no idea that they shut down their casting facilities and moved them overseas. WTF? Does nobody realize that when you let your manufacturing leave that sooner or later the other jobs tend to go that way too? "Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for welfare states a plenty". Ridiculous! ... View more

I love the 3000s. It is a little uncommon to see one as a barn find, but what a great one to find. I really enjoyed the video. Those were an engineering marvel at the time with all of the advanced things like the active downforce, 4 wheel steering, and super car performance. I always wanted one. And that's coming from a muscle car guy.  ... View more

First off, great story! The photo journal really brings in the emotional attachment we get to cars. It's especially true when it is connected with a loved one.    Getting it running shouldn't be that hard. Pull the plugs and spray in some fogging oil where the plugs go to lubricate the cylinders and free up the rings. Do it daily for a week. Then, instead of using the starter, slowly turn the engine by hand. i would probably drain the tank and pull it, or replace it completely along with the tank pickup. A new fuel filter, and a carb cleaning/rebuild. Drain the oil and replace it along with the oil filter. I would then get an oil pump driveshaft that attaches to a drill and run it to "charge" the oil system (right before you attempt to start it). Oh yeah, and fresh spark plugs.   I think if you do those things it will be good insurance that your engine will not only start, but also will keep you from damaging an engine that hasn't started in years. The only reason I bring that up is from the comment you made in the video that people said to "fill the tank and let 'er rip". That advice, as you alluded to in the video, is not the best.   That van is an awesome keepsake as well as a terrific time capsule back to the 70s when the custom van craze was at its peak. Great story. Keep us posted on the journey of bringing "Sir Duke" back to life.  ... View more

The window vent shades I ordered for my wife's Fiesta. I thought that it was Summit that listed the part wrong as I received a set for a hatchback even though they were listed as for the sedan. So....Summit took them back very quickly without hassle, contacted Weathertech, and Weathertech told them they were correct for the sedan. After several emails with attached photos, Weathertech finally caved and sent me what they had listed as for the hatchback. If you guessed that they fit my sedan, then, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, you area winner.    While it wasn't exactly painless, Summit went out of the way to make it right, as did WeatherTech. I have no idea if they ever changed the part numbers, or flip flopped everything to make it the right part for said applications. Also, as many have noted, keeping a cool head made for a much smoother line of communication.  ... View more

"  amp up to 11" Why not make 10 louder, and make it the highest number? These go to 11. Great Spinal Tap reference. Your cool quotient just went up a couple hundred. ... View more

Breakfast in bed? Must be nice. I got to hear my wife tell my stepson who is grown and out of the house, "You do realize that Al is your stepdad right?" To which I replied loud enough for him to hear over the phone, "If you have to remind him just tell him not to worry about it. Just let him remember this moment when he asks for my help." I did, however, get a full day of playing guitar, recording, and generally interrupting everyone's day as my day of celebration without so much as a complaint. That s saying something recording a 50watt Marshall halfstack at full roar. ... View more

That was one tough 10 bolt! The one I had in my Camaro survived quite a few clutch dumps with traction. Never hiccupped. ... View more

You learn something new every day. A gearset would ease my mind if I were in the market. Good info. ... View more

I have a similar story with my '69 Sport Satellite and '79 Camaro. Both long gone but for the pictures. Great story.  ... View more

Wow! Being from the U.S., "somewhere south of Kentucky", I really enjoyed the article regardless of whether or not it was from overseas. Does this somehow mean I am going to lose my mid 60s full size and pony car ownership cards?    There weren't any shootings for anyone to lose their minds over. I know. Let's lose our minds over a harmless article with some witty ads from European manufacturers. Good Lord it's no wonder I don't do many forums. ... View more

Thankfully, I am just about at that place where I will no longer need to buy parts as the car was pretty much done when I got it. It has just been the fiddly parts that I have had to get. I am still scouring Ebay for that rear bumper but doubt I will get another score like I did when I got the tail light slats for $42. Time and patience will tell. ... View more

I can see the market segment they are targeting. That being said, I will just keep a stash back when I finally DO have to replace the straight 6 in my '95 so I don't have to resort to a truck that's really not a truck. I didn't get the L6 for economy. I got it for longevity and towing power. It has both. Economy is for my wife's Fiesta which I use for the commute most days.   If I were in the market for a small truck, I would gladly buy something that was equipped like the original Ranger. I had one. It was a great little truck. Durable, peppy for  the engine it had (2.9 V6 5ps 3.73 gears which I am sure helped with the grunt), and fun (4wd). I don't see any of those things, with the exception of possibly fun, but......With fwd and a cvt transmission, I am betting it is nowhere NEAR the fun I had in my 4wd v6 Ranger, with nowhere near the durability (perimeter frame, ibeam front suspension).    I keep trying to find things to like about it, and then I find out about more of the design and it just turns me off. It's almost like this is designed for the segment that my segment makes fun of. I could really see my younger brother going for this. He already wears glasses with no prescription, skinny jeans, and has that Japanese cartoon haircut. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, I just don't quite understand him...or his glasses. ... View more

I would have to see the actual design, but I have NEVER been a fan of CVT transmissions. They have never really proven themselves reliable. Of course at the loads this will likely carry, it probably wouldn't be an issue. I think a manual trans and an automatic (real auto not the dual clutch things they seem to be putting in everything) would be a great option. ... View more

They are still available if you get the Ford XL. ... View more

I just priced it, you can still get a full size Ford in Xl trim without all of the bells and whistles for around $28k (standard cab short bed). ... View more

Point taken.  ... View more

Update:   I received a return email from the new Mustangs Unlimited a.k.a. Top Flight Automotive. While they do not have a big comprehensive list of Cougar specific parts, they have all of the same accounts with the repro companies and stated that they are more than happy to do special orders, so all is not lost. They also stated that they are in the process of trying to see what sticks, what does or doesn't sell, etc., to make sure that they don't take the name the way it sort of went previously in the end with the original company which is understandable. I know the original owner had gotten sick, and the people he put in place in his stead just ran it into the ground. ... View more

Yeah, I had to do a 2" drop in the rear to get rid of that stance in my '95. Felt like I was constantly driving down hill. ... View more

Yeah. That is CRAZY!!!! But....as long as there are guys willing to spend that kind of money, they will gladly keep charging astronomical prices. I just looked at what an XL costs to order, and even THAT is above the inflation rate by 5K. ... View more

Even though I have an auto behind my straight 6, I couldn't agree more. A manual should still be standard, or a lower cost option versus the 20 cagillion forward speed slushbox autos they have now. If your torque curve on a stock engine is so poor that you need THAT many forward gears to keep it in the power band, you need to rethink your engine design. That is ESPECIALLY true with the v8s. They should have a broad enough torque curve to not need anything more than 4 forward with an overdrive top gear being the 4th. I mean the older chevy 5.0s and 5.7s as well as the Ford v8s made little more than 200 horse if they were lucky in the 80s and pulled along just fine with an overdrive auto or 5 speed manual. ... View more

The new Ranger is bigger than my full size '95 short bed.  ... View more

I know I kind of slagged the Maverick, but.....There is a market for it. I couldn't agree more with you on full size truck prices, and to a certain degree, mid size truck prices. They are ridiculous. Of course, you can get something like a single cab Ford XL for a reasonable cost, but finding one on a lot is another story.   The other side of it is that vehicles are priced based on the median income in whatever area they happen to be in. The other thing is that as long as people are willing to pay a ridiculous price for something, it will remain ridiculously priced.    Example: My brother in law got a Ram Rebel for what was a good price maybe three yrs ago ($42,000). What does he do? He sees my nephew's Rebel that has the air lift suspension and decides to buy it for $55K which is considered a good price around here. Of course it's loaded with an h.u.d., the eco torque thing (which I tried to explain to him would NOT give him any better of a holeshot over his previous Rebel due to the due to the added weight-10lbs=1hp), and whatever else is completely unnecessary for a TRUCK!!!!!!!! ... View more

There is still a market for single cab pickups. Otherwise the XL models wouldn't still have them as an option. It's that the "pickup fad" came along in the 90s along with astronomical prices that ended up taking a truck from one of the cheapest vehicles you could buy because it was considered and equipped to be utilitarian, to one of the most "expensive" vehicles you could buy because the "urban cowboy" crowd had to have all the bells and whistles on their rides to impress the young ladies at the "line dancing bars" with a truck that would NEVER be used as a truck. ... View more

A co-worker showed me one, and then I tuned him out when I heard "front wheel drive". No thanks, I'll keep my '95 F150 XL which sold for $14k brand new.    This is for the Metropolitan who might use it as a truck twice a year. This is more like the old 4 cyl Ranger  but without all of the things that gave it the toughness to use like a truck. I foresee this being the new soccer mom ride of choice. ... View more

Or, like the municipality I work for, completely disregard it and then cry poor mouth before extorting even more money from the taxpayers (everything that's wrong in Washington is likely just as wrong in your own back yard).    I showed our director how much money was getting wasted on contracting auto repairs out to a dealership versus letting the four qualified techs they have do the work, and got met with a blank stare, answered with even MORE waste in the form of farming things out, and justified by telling me that "we're not in the business of making money" when I told her that saving money was just as good as making it. ... View more

There is NPD, but like I said, they just don't seem to have it quite together for some reason. WCCC is mainly who I go through at this point. It used to be Mustangs Unlimited, and the West Coast for the REALLY hard to find specific stuff. They are getting more competitive with their pricing. They are also "Cougar guys" so if you have a question that only an experienced Cougar restorer/owner can answer, they should be your first stop on that front. Their used stuff is graded correctly. It's just that Unlimited had some really great prices on repops that NPD just can't seem to match.    So yep, I do a lot of business with Don over at West Coast. ... View more

I enjoyed the Peugeot and Citroen ads most of all. It's the idea of an ad with a sense of humor about the product it is trying to pimp to everyone that is just great. ... View more

A lot of people didn't like them. I thought they looked fine. What I didn't like was that they actually lost horsepower from the 5.0. Then to add insult to injury the first 4.6 2v engines would fall on their faces where the 5.0 was sill pulling hard. Then when you compare the horsepower numbers of said 4.6 to the LT1 and then the LS1 in the Camaros, it just made them unappealing.  My brother in law had a '97. The most embarrassed I ever saw ANY Mustang owner was him when my father in law in his 97 Sedan Deville with the Northstar eat the 'stang for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, and fart out Donnie's pride during the 2-3 shift. If they would have ran like they looked, I think they would have had something. ... View more

They were 400 lbs heavier in fastback trim which would have put them at about the same as the 70s era Camaros. My Stepdad's '71 351 Cobra Jet Mach 1 would haul a$%. As a matter of fact, it would blow his '70 Boss 302 off the road. I drove both. The '71 would kill it hands down.   As far as Eleanors go, this is the only one for me. The '67 in the Nick Cage movie with all of the fiberglass addons and that repulsive hood scoop looks like a submarine with a screen door. ... View more

My brother in law had one as did a friend of mine in high school. Lag was not a problem in either. I think people were just used to the low end grunt of the 5.0 and comparing the two was like apples to lasagna. ... View more