Miles=smiles! ... View more

Working at a Chevy dealer in the 70's I recall seeing Vegas on the showroom floor with visible rust. Yikes! ... View more

Four words.: "They're only original once". ... View more

I learned years ago even the metal in vehicles can and will absorb odors. As a truck dealer in the 90's we discovered a product used by funeral homes to remove odors from a hearse. Very expensive and very effective. You can fill in whatever blanks you need in your head to imagine the odors needing removal both in a hearse and in some trucks. ... View more

As a former truck wholesaler who has had hundreds of vehicles detailed, the shops I utilized understood sometimes the guts of a vehicle need to come out of it and into the open air where both sides of carpets can be cleaned and pads can be cleaned and or replaced. I once bought a Volvo 760 wagon which was owned by a dog trainer. We had to literally disassemble the entire interior of the car including door and read side panels. We stopped at the headliner. They were filled with dog hair and likely everything else associated with raising/training animals. This was in the mid 90's and that detail then was $350. Quite fair I think considering a normal detail then was $100-$125 give or take. ... View more

I have successfully mounted my shop vac on a set of wheels you can buy at your local home repair box store. The wheels are for the bottom of a Rubbermaid "Brute" trash can. They are pricey but solve the issue and can handle some serious weight. The frame is a composite material and it is easy to attach your shop vac directly to the base. ... View more

How do you get the car into the shower? ... View more

Successful lemon law! In 2013 we purchased a new Cadillac XTS Platinum at the San Diego Auto Show. This is the first year of the CUE system. When the car arrived it only had one key fob. The dealer ordered another and at 800 miles the new fob arrived. Programming had become a significant operation now and the car was needed overnight. We picked the vehicle up and to our surprise the memory seat would not function. Long story short, ten fobs can be programmed into the car's ECM. Only 1 & 2 will operate the memory seats. The new fob was considered (by the car at least) to be fob #3 so it would not operate the memory function. Unfortunately during the process of deleting all fobs and reinstalling them the CUE system inadvertently was fried. Took a while for a new one (again 1st year of CUE) The car was never the same after the incident. Phones wouldn't stay paired. Doors would lock by themselves with the key fob in the car. That happened on a vacation in Napa, CA. Luckily my wife had the extra fob in her purse. The car never left us stranded but it became irritating to drive and the fear that something might happen to strand us at a most inconvenient time was always in the backs of our minds. $72K for a Caddy in 2013 was alot to pay and it should function as inteneded. We lemon lawed the car after 47 days in service for the same issues and received all our money back. We test drove a 2014 "V" model to replace it but wasn't impressed. First time to lemon law a car and hope it is the last. Our 2017 XT5 went 54 consecutive days in service waiting for a front axle assembly but you can't lemon law a car for parts availability. Interesting. ... View more

IMO most new vehicles look pretty good and stylists have convinced the bean counters what works and not to cheap out on the important factors. For me stance is number one followed by the correct wheel tire combo. Almost any vehicle looks terrific with the correct stance along with a proper wheel and tire combo. There are always going to be exceptions to the rule however looking back to the pre-80's vehicles take any domestic vehicle you wish. Add the right wheel/tire combo and set the stance at the correct height and you have an instant "cool" factor which can't be ignored. ... View more

The 260Z from June to September of 74' had the bigger bumpers of the fuel injected 280Z but still had carburetors. U.S. emission laws back then (and maybe today too!) went into effect in September of each year and Nissan (Datsun) introduced their new lines in June of each year. There are models across the Datsun line which were only produced for those three months which have minor difference from there predecessors and their future brethren. I would think the three month model would be a rare item. As a parts manager for Datsun back then we sold more 280Z emblems to folks with the carbureted 260Z's than I care to think about. The 75 and 76 Z's were virtually identical except for the models produced between June and September of 74. ... View more

Especially love the SC400's with their V-8's! ... View more

I was stationed in Japan in 1967-68. The lead guitar player in our band(that's right, a band. We worked at the EM Club 7 nights a week, four hours a night at...hold on, here it comes...$1.50 an hour!) had a 360 van!. I'm not sure of these rules still exist but back then in Japan cars were categorized for road tax purposes. Anything 360 cc's and below escape the road tax and the annual inspections. The front floor of the van had bottomed out so many times you could see pavement through the from floor! We drove it anywhere and everywhere. A fad of the time was to chrome plate the entire hood on the 360's. I had a Mazda 360 pickup but that's for another day. ... View more

Is it just me or are all these ads from manufacturers outside the US? I don't recall any of these ads. Next! ... View more

I especially like the Buick engine chart shown in the article. I have owned several of the 63-65 Riviera's and so many folks at the car shows always thought the Wildcat 445 and 465 emblem on the air cleaner was the cubic inches. Of course it was the torque rating which always confused them. ... View more

Growing up in the 50's & 60's a neighbor had a 64 Skylark 4 door sedan with a factory three speed and the 300 CID aluminum V8. The car was quite quick for what it was. Of course his son and I raced it where ever we went. We were told not to blow it up as retorquing the heads on a rebuild usually led to stripping the threads in the aluminum block. Heli-coils were still new then and untried so we took it easy from then on. ... View more

Buick has the perfect name in waiting with the Electra. A 225, and a 300 model. Mercedes should make all electrics "E" class. Instead of Thunderbird how about Thunderbolt? A nice tribute to the lightweight Fords from the 60's. Maybe a Galax "E" 500 with 500 hundred miles of range? I'd drop the "ER" from Charger to create a Dodge Charge. Possibly better would be a Dodge 440. 440 miles of range or as in 440 volts. Instead of a "Super Bee" one could have a "Super E". Maybe even a Chrysler 300 E. Somebody stop me! In reality, as revolutionary as EVs may be, I think their success will be in creating what appears to be a traditional, existing vehicle into an EV. Nothing better than a good fitting pair of shoes. Familiarity may be the key in the transition from liquid fuels to EV's. ... View more

AMX could easily be "EMX". Agreed...No Gremlins. ... View more

The article mentions a tandem-seat setup but I agree with you. A minimum side-by-side 2 seat model would have been stunning. ... View more

One can certainly see the resemblance of the 1st Nissan MID-4 front architecture to the 240SX series from the 90's. Nissan capitalized on the investment in its supercar. Many Nissan features of the MID-4 snuck into other production models. Of the three, the Yamaha unit is the head turner. I do recall when the NSX first came out. The Acura store was across the street from the BMW store in the auto park where I resided in SoCal. A red NSX pulled into the service drive of the BMW service area as it had just come off the transport. The owner of the BMW facility was out there when I arrived and we both discussed the car as it was impressive.in looks and build quality. All went well until the driver started the car. The sound of the V6 failed to impress those of us used to throaty V8 engines of the day. The BMW dealer looked at me and shook his head indicating a "no". That will have to be overcome he said. A supercar has to sound like a supercar. Apparently we ultimately both would be incorrect. ... View more

These are some of the most entertaining stories I have read. A real page turner. Good Job Hagerty! ... View more

Tom was a sizeable person. It might have done it in 9.5 with less mass on board. I remember those tests. ... View more

Fuel economy in the 50's and 60's? I recall the Shell commercials showing a professional driver in a car with a single gallon of gas mount externally above the hood. These drivers were masters. They treated the gas pedal as if it had a raw egg under it. Some of the mileage claims were pretty far fetched. 45 miles to a gallon in a full size American monster was unheard of yet these guys apparently could do so. The rest of the testing? All in the eyes of the beholder IMO. ... View more

I am likely incorrect but the rear glass I recall from Ford as exotic (for the times) was the rear window of the full sized Ford station wagon. So large and curved the Dodge Deora show truck used it as a front windshield. Frame and all. 60 & 61 Starliner coupes were about as exotic as Ford would get in the rear glass arena. ... View more

As this is about coupes, one understands why the pancake roof 4 door hardtops of full size GM cars from 59 & 50 are not mentioned. Bubble topped coupes models from 61 & 62 are memorable as is first gen Eldorado's and 67 through 70 Coupe De Ville's. Though not GM Chryco had a couple of compound curve master pieces in the first gen Charger and of course the 1st gen Bacaruda. Ford was usually tame with it's back glass however I did like the 67-68 Mustang fastback's with their vertical etch line down the center of the glass. ... View more

We had a 73 Impala convertible and it was a 400 small block. One of the best driving cars we have ever had the pleasure of owning. ... View more

I believe the "427" was born out of the 1962 "406" six-barrel. the 406 wouldn't hold together under Nascar conditions. The 427 side oiler was Ford's answer to that issue. ... View more

Thanks! That explains why our 66 Mercury Park Lane with the 428-C6-9" posi rear end smokes the tires. No ads back then for the 7 liter Merc. All Fords. The quietest quick Ford or the quickest quiet Ford I believe was one of the catch phrases in 1966 for a 7 liter galaxy. ... View more

Good news. EV's have a behind the scenes footprint not talked about. Didn't BMW experiment with a converted ICE to run on hydrogen? Tailpipe emissions...water? ... View more

The best of the best of the best? Sure...And someone wanted it. A couple of years back we aw a 65 Riviera Grand Sport bring $200K at a Barrett-Jackson event.. Right place at the right time. Buyer is happy? Hopefully. Seller is ecstatic? Better be. A good deal is two sided. Both parties got what they wanted. ... View more

Sorry. BRING. ... View more

Who knows what it will being? These things are only new once. ... View more

In the mid 60's as a junior in high school my good friend Dan, who was 6' 3" tall, owned a Lloyd. It was very narrow and we could go through alleys slated only for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Travel through town was much quicker utilizing those thoroughfares other vehicles could not negotiate. Funny part? He actually fit comfortably in the car. Several of my classmates owned mini cars in an age filled with GTO's, Mustangs, Chevelle's and the like. ... View more

If you have any old car mags from the 50's kicking around, look in the back pages where Honest Charlie advertised and see the giant wind up key they used to sell for VW's and other mini cars of the day. I'm not mocking the EV platform as I believe we in the aftermarket segment will make this type of conversion more fun than the manufacturer intended but the fake key would add just the right amount of sarcasm to the build. A 66 Chevelle might need two keys. ... View more

Common guys. EV's are here to stay. If anyone can make an EV fun and exciting (many already are just that) it's the hot rod group and aftermarket people. Just think about an EV with a six speed manual! Killer. Talk about sneaking up on your prey. Silent AND deadly. ... View more

Many of the traditional powertrain companies are already working with others to bring EV components to market. ... View more

The only thing missing? The sound! A few years back I created a system that would give V-8 sounds to otherwise mundane vehicles. Others beat me to the starting gate but if there ever was a need for it this project would be it. I still use mine in my Ford van. A couple of 12" waterproof speakers and a sub woofer under the vehicle and plenty of watts behind it and...viola! Instant hot rod sound. Works on golf carts too. ... View more

YES! I want to do the exact opposite...sort of. I have a 2007 E150 SD Van and want to swap it onto a F350 diesel 4x4 frame. Dually? Maybe. ... View more

Think outside the box. The culture in rural areas tends to lean towards self-sufficiency and pride in workmanship. Locations are picked for more than tax advantages and wage compensation. The availability of people willing to produce quality merchandise is as important. No one wants shoddy pieces on their performance machines. ... View more

The dogpile part is OK but unless CA regulators & legislators wake up, there will be little left to regulate in CA. ... View more

What took so long? I would have liked to see them relocate in Texas from CA as we did years ago but any move out of CA if you are in manufacturing makes financial sense. Best wishes to Edelbrock & Comp Cams in their new location. I have used both in many machines over the decades and look forward to continued use of their fine products. Try to find a reasonably priced chrome shop in CA. ... View more

Very limited selection. IF these were the only choices I would have to go with the SS 427 convert. Pretty close to the SS 427 66 Caprice i would really like. All time fav? 65 Buick Riviera GS. ... View more

Let's begin. The greenhouse is what makes the car ugly overall. The presence is there. The grille is eloquent but the rear reminds one of like a 97 Bonneville or the Nissan turtle car. Would Packard make for a new EV? ... View more

Like many out there I am not at all familiar with these diesel engines My question is this: After the bolts have been removed I'm assuming the injector pump is to be replaced. Just what else is going to come out of that hole once the pump is unfastened from the timing gear? ... View more

I recall seeing one of these in 1969 in San Diego CA when they first came available. One of my Navy buddies bought one fully assembled with a top which resembled a touring "T" in purple metalflake. Bruce Meyers lives just up the street from our former home in CA. I recognized the scenery in the pic. Miss the old haunt of my native state but couldn't take the abuse of Sacramento any longer. Moved all 7 vehicles out-of-state.  ... View more

Yikes! ... View more

Have to say, I like the de-badging look. ... View more

Cleverer?? Is that a real word? ... View more

Good News for dhomuth about his AMC trim issues. You can only see one side at a time. ... View more

Wagon's HO! I miss my 69 Buick Special Sport Wagon. (Vista Cruiser's cousin) Can't leave out all the cool US 4 door hardtop wagons from the late fifties & early 60's. Buick, Olds, Merc & ChryCo. ... View more