I have read many of these articles... looking for the "why", but never find it. I am strongly attached to the automotive world but am also from the land of "order".... so I maybe that explains it.  ... View more

Great story. Had and/ or was around people with several of these. I did own a 1960 CarryAll with windows and 3 rows of seats (a Suburban). The thing I always remember is the "big old" boxy shaped filler panel that fits between the rear of the hood, front of the door and wiper grill area. Had them from at least '60 to '66 or longer? Check it out at your next car show if you see one, and sure to open the hood for a better view! ... View more

Are you saying that these bikes are great bikes or just historically interesting? Their automotive counterparts from that era, and basically the same companies, were;   German... very expensive to fix mostly due to inherently over-complicated design. Japanese... prematurely burning oil and horrendously bad rust problems. British... hard to believe would these would ever be trusted to start on command.   Are these bikes better than or different than the cars or the same era? I would think not. The drawings are all very well done.  ... View more

Have pulled many dashboards over the years in automotive... and 42 years in my own repair shop. If you don't think they are nearly all a nightmare, then I would have to wonder exactly what you were working on.  I had said for (many) years that the dash should be made in two or three sections with an easily removable top or windshield filler plate (which some cars do have).  On small aircraft you have a pressed firewall which is fairly heavy aluminum, roughly 1/8". It holds the engine mountings and is (obviously) extremely strong.  Why not make the basic dash parts this way, then fit them on locator pins, and secure with flange washer nuts like a steel wheel? This would help with structural integrity, too. The driver's side could stay the same or similar and then add a removable center and right side section. It could be configured in roughly a 40-20-40 set up.  Imagine your next heater core, evaporator core, HVAC blower or blend door motor replacement! Pull off some trim, loosen the stud nuts and remove the panel. Reassemble and torque the plate to specs. Sounds too easy to me.  Design and production could not really be that difficult to do, right? There are currently many hidden parts behind the dash that routinely fail after 8-10 years and WILL need service (not so much in the older cars.   ... View more

And why would you be restoring this old thing? They sure didn't seem to be "special" when we were working on them years ago! Cool to drive when new... maybe for some, but "special"? Just the Lambda fuel injection alone is a nightmare. The owner drove it and then abandoned it in place. The next logical step was to either keep it maintained and current (on the road) or just crush it. Restore it? Why would you EVER do that to THIS car? Please let me know if I am missing something here? I think the memories of one's youth are what someone may want to restore, not the car. ... View more

We have several similar places here in Southern New Jersey. One is chock full of old Corvettes (which, of course, the uninformed will think are worth a ton of money!). That's not a slight, just an inside reality that most of the long time car guys will definitely get. I find it so interesting but am really not inclined to stop in and ask....why? I am certainly bold enough but just want to leave the pile of dreams sitting there behind the fence. I really liked the "abandoned" pictures like that "not so old" Grand Prix. The hood has been removed so that is a clue. But I, possibly like the photographer, don't really want to disturb the cars. I do want to know the "why" but sometimes the right thing to do is just counter-intuitive, right?  A very cool look at something most of us would have never, ever seen! Thanks ... View more

So many potentially dangerous tools out there. Table and radial arm saws seem like the worst to me. If you treat them all with the same respect that any seasoned shooter has for firearms then you should be fine. ... View more

Yes. I agree with Nobody57. No rear differential? NOT really in good shape at all? ... View more

I read that entire article while trying to remember if I had even seem one on theses in my many years in the auto service business.... much less worked on one.   I was already with a final analysis... and then I read the last few lines...you got me. My original underlying thought was that they would reject it, out of hand, for leaking oil on the golf course! ... View more

Somebody please explain this on-line "sight unseen, no inspection, no documentation" car buying thing. Having spent a lifetime in the automotive world, I just don't see how anyone with real life experience could do ever do this? Obviously, we are not talking about a high end, early Corvette.... with a fully documented restoration from a well known specialty shop. But this seems like just throwing your money into the air with fingers crossed? I am really thinking about the people who get screwed in these deals.   In my opinion; Stay closer to home and don't buy ANY car online. Network with fellow enthusiasts or people who know the business. Look into more traditional means of finding a decent used car. Do the research, set a price in your mind, rent a car trailer and plan a road trip with an experienced friend. You will have more fun and a better outcome than doing these crazy, blind deals with "unknown" sellers. Everyone gets a little nutty (myself included) at a "too good to be true" deal. Try to resist that urge and go back to what will make the whole deal fun. Isn't that what we are doing here at HDC?  ... View more

Worked on every one of them... including what I would consider the REAL Grand Am.  The Pontiac and the T-bird S/C could easily be made roadworthy today, but the Riviera was a really nice car and the best of this group to run and drive dependably (although I personally never saw it with the "T" type motor upgrade). Seems GM did a "similar" deal with the Supercharged FWD Bonneville SSEi. If not, you can rip me in an angry rebuttal. My buddy was one of the highest rated techs in the Lincoln-Mercury Dealer world here in Southern NJ and we worked back and forth for many years. The Mark VII was an electrical nightmare from the jump, which includes the suspension. The ride when new was "luxury solid" and performance was really good too, but the warranty problems and related stories were some of the worst I have ever heard. I am sure any Lincoln-Mercury factory trained tech from that era could confirm that. Remember that electronics at the time were generally very rudimentary and even undependable with many production cars. ... View more

Had several of the "baby Corvettes" in the shop over the years. As I remember, it was basically like an Opel Kadett with the bigger motor ( 1.9 ?) and a very different body! I loved the rollover headlight setup but somehow was never too interested in "how" it worked? It was very basic and way cool with a handle or lever under the dash? Somebody out there must know how it worked, right? ... View more

I think that the issue of affordability gets in the way, keeping our fellow automotive enthusiasts from enjoying the "high end" auction world. I really do know the feeling and this is not a critique, but just a alternate approach. There was a time when us "commoners", with or without big $$$, could even get to see these vehicles. Try to forget about the crazy prices and just focus on what you would like to see in person one day! We must try to keep the fun and most positive aspects of the HDC alive. Collections? O.K. but not what most of us are doing? I am from the Auto Repair world and was raised on BIG BLOCK cars burning the tires off, with the occasional Pro Stocker doing a wheel stand. Also loved and actually worked on the old XKE's in Butter yellow or British racing green and chamois colored leather interiors....and don't EVEN make me get the MGB/GT out again!   Stay positive until we can all get out there again. ... View more

The bottom line for me is.... who would ever have the time to go through all of that? I have read many of your stories of your old car adventures, but just reading that article nearly wore me out. Having been in the business for approx 50 years, it is hard for me to understand the "junk yard dog" side of thinking. We were all about production... fixed correctly and out the door... next! I do have one old friend who always had a couple big dogs tied to old Harleys or one particular 1962 Vette convertible. We drove that car through a half dozen small block transplants over several years. The dog chains eventually reduced that one to raw fiberglass. Everyone who ever saw that car would invariably comment about how much it could be worth! Of course they were either not in the car world or just totally delusional.    > ... View more

Used duct tape on 3/8" universals of all kinds and to hold sockets on semi-permanently for years in the automotive world (approx. 50 years?). Best use was long reach-ins with a long 1/4" set-up under dashes and in the dash/ heater core/ HVAC plentum areas. The blue "painter's" tape is crazy useful for many, many things, even painting! We need to mention packing tape as a quick and willing assistant with many jobs.   ... View more

One of the funniest, if unintentional, sentences ever written. Check the end of paragraph 3 "kind of like pulling a moose head off the wall of a hunting cabin and slapping it on the front of a Jeep" ... View more

IMO... The 1958 Chevy interiors were some of the best ever. I had a few plain Janes but the Impala was some of the best design work ever... inside and out. Look at a full blown Impala (maybe w/continental kit?) up close and personal at a car show some time. It is simply beautiful and still remains my favorite of all time. The grill seems to say "I'm happy to see you" and never gets old.  Too bad they apparently had not even thought about corrosion in the 50"s or 60"s. ... View more