Needs more faux wood grain on the exterior. ... View more

Any car from the show "Pimp My Ride" ... View more

@Jasonsrq Good morning, I am the associate editor of the Hagerty Price Guide and can offer some perspective. We do not look solely at auction results to calculate a market range as that is only a small picture of the overall market. We review for sale listings, online auctions (bring a trailer, Cars & Bids, eBay, etc.) on top of traditional auctions to determine our values.   With that said, the 350Z has only recently experienced a modest gain in our guide and the Mecum sales mentioned that I located are not recent enough to have effected our market analysis for the last update which went live on May 1st. Keep in mind that the biggest increase was to the top of the market and we consider #1 cars to be those that are still new in the wrapper with no miles, the average enthusiast does not own a #1 car, heck the average enthusiast doesn't own a #2 grade car by our standards, which is essentially a car that was taken out of the wrapper but still is hardly used.   Hope this helps, if you have follow up questions, or would like further clarification, please let me know. ... View more

@GoFastYes, it was the obvious choice after trial and error with the 256 Indy and 289 engines. But remember, after 1967 they had to go back to a small block and they still won Le Mans in 1968/1969 with the same car. Yes, Eric Broadley from Lola was involved in the early development and they used one of his cars as a test mule. However most resources out there indicate that the Lola influence didn't last long into the program, especially after the project was handed over to Shelby American and Phil Remington got his hands on the car. ... View more

The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. Granted, the concept wasn't that well known, but the expectation of the usage of the name warrants inclusion to this list. The new Bronco being such a knock out just adds a truckload of salt to that wound for Blazer/Jimmy fans like myself. ... View more

I haven't done much in the way of automotive AC work, but I have spent a lot of time in the automotive parts sales business. I would say that more often than not a leak is from an O-ring or at some sort of connection. In my experience and observation, the evaporator is not indestructable but it is fairly uncommon to have go bad. ... View more

Great article! AC can be a complete mystery to most people. Compressed gas is an excellent method to find leaks. Once upon a time when I worked in the HVAC business, that was the go to method to find leaks in a system or to check newly brazed joints for leaks.   One thing I would add is that if you have a low system, never ever, ever, ever, ever use stop leak to "fix" the problem. When the vehicle eventually has to go to a mechanic to be properly fixed, they will not be happy with you and will gladly charge you extra to flush the junk out of the system to get it working properly. Save yourself the money in the long run by just fixing it properly the first time. ... View more

Having experience selling parts in a past life, there are two warranties with the batteries for the most part. There's a replacement warranty where they hand you a new one at no charge, then there's pro rata warranty where you go over the replacement period (usually 1-2 years) and you pay a pro rated amount on a new battery based on how much time is left on the warranty (usually 5-8 years on the pro rata portion).   The important part to pay attention to is fit and cranking power. If you take care of your battery, don't let it draw down to dead, and put it on a trickle charger during long periods of not running, you can expect 3-5 years out of it. You will probably see less out of a cheaper battery from a big box store like Walmart or Costco or a little more out of an expensive battery from say Interstate, Optima, etc.   Based on my experience, there really isn't any massive change in warranty from when I sold parts 10+ years ago to now. At least the ones you get from a parts store. And batteries aren't of inferior quality when you buy one from a parts store. They've just gotten far more expensive for a good one. It is absolutely worth paying the extra money for a good one. ... View more

No offense taken, I am as eager to see what this sells for as well. Whatever this car sells for will likely adjust our price guide for GT350 Convertibles one way or another. We rely heavily on confirmed sales and expert sentiment on these types of rare cars, so this will help greatly with the next time we update GT350 values. ... View more

It is not a Hertz car, but has Hertz Gold colors. According to Mecum, it is an original A/C car. ... View more

I like the 1973-87 "square body" style, but I have a heavy lean towards the 73-79 trucks. I really like the styling traits of them over the 80 and later.  ... View more

Mighty Car Mods just released this video today and it is perfect for anyone looking to get into cars. It covers things such as basic maintenance and affordable, effective upgrades you can do to your car.   https://youtu.be/OM8l6fuzg_c ... View more

I use a conventional oil of my preference in my 69 Grand Prix and add Lucas TB Zinc-Plus to the oil. My local NAPA carries it on the shelf, and since it is a Lucas product, it is likely very easy to come by at any average parts store, so it may be a more accessible option for some.   https://lucasoil.com/products/engine-builder-lubricants/engine-break-in-oil-additive-tb-zinc-plus   For anyone curious, here is a table of Zinc content that they post for average oils and what mix ratios will get you.   https://lucasoil.com/pdf/Zinc_Values_MotorcycleOil.pdf     ... View more

I think anything low power is great to learn on. I learned on a 4-cyl. S-10 pickup. Teaches you a lot about building revs and controlling the clutch release to keep from stalling. ... View more

Hopefully I can help, and I am sorry for your loss. I am the associate editor of the Hagerty Price Guide and get this question frequently.   Survivor cars do not follow the usual condition based formula of the typical price guide as much of the value lies in the preservation of the car. Paint, metal, upholstery and more are only original once and when any of those aspects are restored a lot of that additional appeal and value is lost. A preserved car with documentation (build sheet, original bill of sale, window sticker, etc.) may be in a condition consistent with a "good" or maybe in rare cases "excellent" condition rating per our guidelines, but in the right circumstances have sold for "concours" level prices in the past.   All that said, to establish a solid value, especially for settling an estate, it would be appropriate to seek an appraisal to help further the vehicle's document trail. It is important to keep in mind that if you go down that road, it is important to seek out an appraisal by an experienced individual who is accredited by a well established, and widely respected group like the American Society of Appraisers (https://www.appraisers.org/) or the International Society of Appraisers (https://www.isa-appraisers.org/) just to name a couple. ... View more

Nope, the Fast and Furious movies aren't Oscar material, but they're great entertainment. One could easily argue that without the chase scene, Bullitt was a terrible film. I think anyone who has love for the film as a whole is tainted by nostalgia. That in mind, it is no less of a necessary watch as a car person as the original F&F films are. ... View more

I disagree with you there. To anyone under 40, Paul Walker is idolized like McQueen is to older generations. He was a legitimate car collector and enthusiast like McQueen. Most of his collection came up for sale back in January and sold for prices much higher than what average market is. Granted, his muscle cars did not bring the premium that his European and Japanese cars did, because those are not the type of cars his on screen character drove. I don't expect you to understand the draw to Paul Walker, because I am guessing you grew up on McQueen, Burt Reynolds and Paul Newman. Keep in mind that for younger enthusiasts, Paul is the next McQueen. I don't say that to be inflammatory, but as fact, whether or not this is something you agree with. This by no means diminishes McQueen's legacy. ... View more

Admittedly, I am guilty of removing the cat on a few older vehicles I have owned in the past. Mainly as a cost savings move for dealing with a plugged bead type unit. Here in Michigan there's no emissions testing, so there's no enforced penalty for removing it. That said, I agree that there is little to no real benefit for removing it, I think for anyone worried about a restrictive exhaust, changing the muffler will allow for better results, however I think that exhaust technology in general is quite good these days. The only reason to swap a muffler on a new vehicle is for sound purposes. ... View more

This video is a really good starting point and covers most of the bases for your own conversion.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2u7d8kajVI ... View more

@Sajeev has a great suggestion on the YouTube front that I'd like to expand on. If you don't know a direction you want to go in, but just want to gain general knowledge, on how to do simple maintenance or cheap upgrades, then I highly recommend you check out the channel Mighty Car Mods and look at some of their early stuff. It is all simple how to videos and at that time, they did everything in a driveway. Most importantly, they are not afraid to get help when the task is more specialized. A lot of channels do not show this, but they do which I believe sets a great example and earns a lot of respect from me.  ... View more

@Sajeev, I couldn't agree more. The 69 Grand Prix SJ would be my pick. My 69 with a 400 is a potent car, so I would imagine the SJ to be a rocket. Royal Pontiac also did at least one conversion on a 68 GTO, which would be a riot.   https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-269530/1968-pontiac-royal-bobcat-gto/ ... View more

My 8.1L powered Silverado reliably gets 8-9 MPG, but I haven't driven enough in the past month to need refueling. At $1.54/gal where I'm at, I might just top off on general principle.  ... View more

@Pepperallswas pretty thorough.   I will echo his comments on the hood braces on the earlier trucks. They are a must on those trucks, no exceptions.   I have noticed the most common rust spots being cab corners and rocker panels.   Dash pads almost always crack, finding intact ones is an occasion worth celebrating.   I have seen only a couple trucks optioned this way, but a factory tach could be ordered, they took the place of the giant fuel gauge.   My family has had many 454 trucks over the year and here is one interesting thing we've found. There are two different intake port sizes on the trucks, "oval port" and "peanut port". We have found the larger oval port heads on trucks through 1978. These larger port heads respond very well to even mild upgrades. Peanut port heads, we have found on 1978 and newer 454 equipped trucks. In anything other than a stock restoration, the peanut port heads have little to no performance value and are worth their weight in scrap and can't be given away. We've tried. ... View more

I agree with @Sajeev Wheel Vintiques should have what you seek for new wheels. I've had several Oldsmobiles in the past and I think the wheels you are asking for are the SSI as the SSII have clip on centers and the SSI looks more era appropriate with the Magnum 500 look.  ... View more

Another one is that the age limits for cars to enter need to go away. I've noticed in my area that there have been a few holdouts that only let 1970s and older cars attend. I think that sort of thinking will slowly strangle those events out of existence. Even though my car is a 69, I tend to avoid those shows on general principle and would rather have the oldest car at the local millennial meetup.  ... View more

It depends. If your engine was previously rebuilt with hardened exhaust seats, you are good to go. If not, or you are unsure, I would say that it is worth consideration. Now this is just personal opinion, but if you are only driving your Corvette a little bit, I wouldn't worry about it too much and would worry about whether or not your car is getting enough octane in the gas. Personally, I am not convinced that lead additives have enough substitute to really add the protection that leaded gasoline had. The best (but most expensive) answer would be to pop the heads off and have the seats done. I do not use it in my 69 Pontiac and have had no issues. To the best of my knowledge the exhaust seats have not been worked on. But that is a chance I am willing to take with my car and I do put other fuel stabilizers in which may had added benefits that I don't consider.    Please keep in mind that this is one person's opinion, and you are likely to get an answer from someone else saying that you absolutely have to. I think if it helps you sleep better at night knowing your car is protected, then I'd say that is reason enough.  ... View more

Love the 70 Trans Am ad. 70-73, in my opinion are the best looking for the entire model run. ... View more

Couldn’t agree more. While I don’t think they’ve gained widespread collector acceptance yet, I think that day is approaching. Personally, my pick of truck from that body style is the 92-99 full size Blazer/Tahoe/Yukon. I’ve had a couple in the past and they’re great trucks. ... View more

His best way to clear up the question would be to get a Marti Report. If anyone can put this to bed, it would be him, but yes, the swap theory would be most likely. ... View more