if you are going to get brand specific, what about the designer of the hemi? you know, the engine that put the ford's and chevy's on the trailer when used at Nascar? original design in the early 50's, still around now. got one in my ram 4x4 ... View more

i too started my interest in cars via models. built a crap load. me and my buddies would get together and trade parts. built AMT, Revel, Monogram and Jo-Han. the Jo-Han hearse kit was a favourite. i found that the lady from the king kong kit with some arm adjustment, was the right scale and size to fit in the casket. i was a "different" child. still am. i still have most of my 60's kits ... View more

sam, many great suggestions. i started by getting my hands on an almost free 49 plymouth. with the use of a motors manual i tore that car apart bit by bit and reassembled it. i learned, a lot. get good tools, not chinese made, the only time you will need metric is if it is a modern vehicle. i do not believe corvair used metric fasteners. you may not find the car of your dreams immediately, but getting a modern cheap wreck to learn on would be very valuable. you may be able to pick something up at a salvage yard for scrap value, who knows. yes read, everything, voraciously! people often abandon "free" lawnmowers or other small engines at curbside. grab a couple, learn on them. they take up much less space in the garage, and are still a valuable learning resource. service manuals are often posted online. do not be scared away by potential expense. people often nibble away at a project for many years, spending money carefully and in the right places. learn to refurbish, and not replace. ... View more

Sajeev, just saw this. i ALWAYS start a standard tranny vehicle with the clutch pedal on the floor, it was the way i learned to drive, thanks for info ... View more

best American car? yes, big yes, hell yes! never seen one in the flesh, but some day.... do the museums include free drooling rags for us peasants who can only dream?? ... View more

i too have a box of trashed tools. any time i need a special wrench or tool i go digging in it. you dont have any trashed tools. go to a garage sale or auction. lots of homeowners buy crap tools, and they can be a good source as well. i have a small collection of one-off special made weirdly shaped wrenches, repurposed screwdrivers, special driver for that special fastener that retains the headlight switch in the dashboard, etc. too bad there is no way to post the odd photo by commentators. could be interesting to see some of what has been made. ... View more

i have tried using sandwich bags as has been suggested, and for certain items, the only way to go. for lots of small stuff, not. at my age i have lots of empty pill bottles, plastic lids that lock. peel off the lable, and use painters tape to id contents (eg horn mount bolts), easier to search through than baggies. the other good suggestion i saw was to re-install the fasteners into whatever threaded holes they came out of, especially when they all have different lengths, eg a water pump mounting. PS anybody need pill bottles? LOL ... View more

that is so ironic. i love looking at vintage photos like this. that is a 46 to 48 plymouth behind the ford, followed by a 50 plymouth and finally maybe a 50 cadillac? cool street scene, not just for the Dean factor. i wonder what the ford was hauling on the trailer? ... View more

i have had people suggest contaminated fuel before, but always assumed with todays ethanol "contaminated" fuel, water would not be an issue. any idea why possibly faulty injectors would work well for several weeks and then not function correctly. the old girl does have over 345,600 kms on it. (thats 214,700 miles). would a computor from a 97 ram318 automatic work? i do have a good one of them. ... View more

i am a mopar man, but must admit the C6 tranny is a great, dependable tranny. the wife drove a 78 mercury marquis one time. i decided to change the tranny fluid due to discolouration. drop the pan and find a small mound of aluminum shrapnel. no sign of where it came from. oh well, eh? button it back up, new filter and fluid and drove it until she rusted out. tranny never gave a sign of issues. ... View more

vintage flat tappet engines need zinc in the oil or you will wear out the camshaft. period. by vintage, i refer to virtually all standard production auto engines prior to the 1980's. These older engines need certain additives which are no longer found in modern oils due to concerns for catalytic converters. Todays engines use roller tappets for reduced internal engine friction and slight improvements in mileage. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2012/10/18/tech-101-zinc-in-oil-and-its-effects-on-older-engines   https://www.motorists.org/blog/warning-if-you-have-an-older-vehicle-choose-your-oil-carefully/   note that the last linked article indicates that there is ONE only synthetic which contains zinc. All the others do not. The oils they suggest can be hard to find. I found this stuff easily:   https://lucasoil.com/products/hot-rods-classic-cars/hot-rod-classic-car-10w-30-motor-oil   that is what I run in my 74 superior, 77 superior and my 47 plymouth coupe. ... View more

i live in the boonies. had a dodge half ton since 1984. pickups only make a statement when you personalize them. they are too handy for hauling stuff, including my 24 foot 1969 travelux trailer, furniture, junk, cool car stuff, basket case motorcycles etc. pipe for the well i hauled in my hearse, but the guy at the pipe shop refused to load it for me.....strange duck that one ... View more

i would take the Packard. todays cars are, by and large, boring, ugly, grey shapless lumps in appearance. the Packard exudes class, and distinction, and can never make you look hard for it in a parking lot ... View more

when the authorities "clean up", all they do is destroy history and opportunities. most "derelict" vehicles are still able to provide parts for other restorations. some, like that mopar on the cover, are a candidate for a full restoration. i live in unorganized township. we have no rules, and the last attempt to "organize" a municipality was met, according the news accounts, "by 200 angry shouting residents" at a meeting arranged by the government. thank God for small mercies. ... View more

my 47 plymouth died on the way to st ignace usa car show on the side of I-75 near a sign that said "prison area, do not pick up hitchhikers". i had a nos points and condenser in it and an old coil. must be coil, right, as i had no spark. fortunately a young lady saw me run across the interstate to the opposite lane to hitchhike back to Sault usa and get a coil, gave me a ride to get it. started right up with new, made it 200 yards. after friend towed me to ignace, i spent way too much money on a multimeter to discover the NOS condenser had died after 40 years on the shelf. now a multimeter stays in EVERY vehicle we drive ... View more

i dont care how much bling or features you put in an econobox or downsized car. it aint luxury. a plush leather closet is still a closet. i am somewhat opinionated though. owned a 68 new yorker, 75 towncar, and 88 deville over the years. you would not look stupid being chauffeured in one of those. my current big cars are hearses and you dont want to be chauffeured in one of them, though ROFL ... View more

the 40's mopars are beautiful cars. they do not have the same following as the fords or chevys, and that is unfortunate. anyone who has ever driven these solid pieces of automotive history will immediately appreciate them. but then, i am not impartial as i own a Canadian made 47 Plymouth special deluxe club coupe. yes, thumbs up all the time. they are dependable as well. in the late 90,s i went on a 750 mile round trip with daughter and her hubby. they were driving a minivan with a problematic transmission. wife and i followed them in the 47 so we could pick them up if they broke down. the north shore of lake superior was the route, lots of big hills on that route. ... View more

beautiful car. my folks had a 36 studebaker coupe with a bad starter when i was little. they would park the car at the top of the hill on our street. when they wanted to go somewhere they would pile my brother and i into the space behind the front seat, and mom and dad would push the car to get her rolling, jump in and turn the key. wish i had that car now. maroon fenders and battleship grey body. i do love my 47 plymouth coupe though. ... View more

it is always good to purchase "soon to be" collectibles at the low time in their life value. back in 1973 i loaded up a full half ton of flathead Harley 45 engines, frames, etc several basket cases for $150. still have a running rat from that pile. restoring a WLC now from it. if only i would have had an extra $50 i could of also taken the Indian Scout engine and tranny laying under the bench.......sigh. so folks, you see an opportunity, grab it. if you think wife will object, just remember it is easier to beg forgiveness than get permission..... ... View more

my rusty 1974 superior cadillac endloading hearse, complete with casket. ... View more

one other item, very simple and very useful is a square. the most versatile would be the "combination" square which consists of a 12" steel rule, with adjustable position attachments providing, 90 deg, 45 deg, and adjustable protractor ... View more

i saw one of these 30 years ago or so abandoned in a farmers field near my home, and thought it was just the coolest thing. unfortunately it disappeared from there some years later. you realize that after publishing this story, now everyone is gonna want one..... ... View more

one thing that no one mentioned. for all these cars that feature large in the story lines, what about all the vintage and antique cars that hollywierd has destroyed on screen? same as on TV. i see a movie or program that destroys a vintage vehicle, i never watch it again. why support the idiots. ... View more

agree, if you have difficulty riding your Harley at slow speed, the bike is too big for you, or your skill level needs a good dose of improvement. all these technical assists in bikes and cars (ABS, lane departure, auto park, etc) only encourages idiots to operate a vehicle way past their abilities while messing with their phones. mom and dad piloting the kids in an suv would certainly appreciate the extra safety features though. ... View more

agree as well ... View more

i agree ... View more

i have to agree with a couple other comments. workmanship notwithstanding, proportions are awkward, wheels are ugly, and worst yet, a barn find survivor was cut up to create this. when you own something, you can do what ever you wish with it. for good or bad. ... View more

sam your description of motorcyclists was on the ball. unless people ride they will never understand the feeling of being so alive, free and involved with the environment we travel through as on a bike. in a car you are riding in a cage, watching the world go by, not feeling or participating. that triumph looks like a motorcycle, sounds, feels like a motorcycle and not a sewing machine. what a score, you lucky man ... View more

another oil to consider which contains the zinc necessary for the older engines with flat tappets, is Lucas "hot rod and classic car" oil. comes in several SAE grades ... View more

another issue with the older pumps is that today's ethanol contaminated garbage gas attacks the type of rubber used in the older diaphragms. there are companies out there offering rebuild services and kits to replace the vintage rubber material with an ethanol tolerant material ... View more