Owning a black and gold car the JP Lotus is one of my favorites.  The Black and Silver of Dale Earnhardt was just a classic combination of mean looking car and even meaner driver. It was the equal of the skull and cross bones only on a car.  Finally the Penske cars of Mark Donahue and Sunoco. Not only did the Yellow and Blue look good but the detailed hand painted pin stripes just were classic be. It in a Camaro, Mclaren or 917-30 ... View more

This is an absolute home run. This is the kind of image vehicle people will pay more for and earn GM the ROI back on their investment to drive prices down so they can make profitable EV vehicles at lower prices.   The only real problem is Hummer is going  to set the stage for Cadillac and their EV models.  It they are going to face a tough challenge to top Hummer. Anything less will be seen as a disappointment.  If anything it has made the Tesla Truck look like a Fisher Price project in styling. ... View more

Even we Fiero owners for the most found these a novelty or just a bit odd.  I had a local dealer that sold these. They moved few.  Most of these trade at lower prices. Not a big market for them and restoring one can be easily more than it is worth.  These are cars best left to those with the acquired taste for something a bit different and return on investment is not a concern.  You want a better rebodied option. Look for a Mera. It is the dealer sold 308 look alike. They are doing well value wise if clean and still are very popular with few in supply. Get a clean 88.  ... View more

Models were where most of started. I just found a box of cars I built as a kid and plan to put them in a display case.  I still love to work on a model now and then but today they are very difficult to find locally and the $5 kits are $25 today. It is sad at these prices even if kids were interested they just could not afford them.  heck I am about to start on a Lego Lamborghini. It has a working gear box and AWD. Price $400.  With $500 play stations and the rest it makes it expensive to be a kid anymore. These prices when I was a kid could get me a real car lol!   At least many kits have been reproduced so you can find most of any at a reasonable price to build vs an original kits collector price.  ... View more

Ed Cole the father of the small block Chevy should be at the top of the list here.  It is the single engine that changed the entire industry and even our sports and hobbies.  The light castings, valve train and 1 HP per cubic inch were all milestones that today are still being used.   While today’s Chevy engine is different than the 55 V8 it still holds to the same engineering and it shows it is still relevant 65 years later.    ... View more

I don’t break parts! They break me! ... View more

These were utterly forgettable cars. The rusted out and were not cheap to repair. Just one of many low spots in the 90’s ... View more

I’m not telling him anything. He has a collection many would give a body part for.  When you own a Miura, F40, 8 Pantera’s, a 60’s GT 40 and a newer GT, a smattering of Maserati's along with a number of very impressive cars. All are drivers and first class cars.   The man is living out his dream and God bless him.      He shares the cars at shows and events and that is what is cool.  ... View more

I actually have a friend that was looking to buy a real  Bizzarinni but not a brochure .    I would look up Automobilia Magazine. They present companies and auctions that are more high end and would better reach people that could or would be interested in such an item and have the money to buy it.    Might keep in mind while this is a very rare and cool item that that could also be a problem. Supply is low but so is the demand. I have a Tucker ad from a large paged automotive publication from Detroit. It is very rare and cool but not really worth much as few people are looking for Tucker Ads.  Just something to consider if finding a buyer becomes difficult.    ... View more

Saturday nights were the night to be out.  We used to go to the hang out spot Winks Drive in and rule the place till closing around 12:30 and then some of us would go home and some would go to race. We had a number of 8-9 second street cars in the area back in the 90's that made it interesting.     You never knew from week to week who or what  would show up here. We had one guy haul in a aluminum 409 one week. Another a guy drove in with the original Old Reliable from Grumpy Jenkins from 1962. Another week Grumpy's Toy Vega the car the created the modern Pro Stock class came in. Good times.    Today most of the people are getting older and by 9:00 PM they all leave to get home before dark. It is kind of sad that I am in my 50's and I am the kid.     Even back in the more outlaw days in the early 80's we would get run out of the impromptu meetings at plazas and were considered more outside the law than cruiser. Those were days of memories. Muscle cars were clean and cheap and we had all sorts at our disposal be it a 64 GTO, 68 SS Chevelle, 67 Firebird 400, Grand Prixs oner a 69 428 HO and a 63 With a RA IV 400 in it. All were clean and we were only 18.    ... View more

This was the first step to shut down Pontiac back in the 80's.  Many do no know that Pontiac was on the bubble not Olds as they had the strong selling Cutlass Supreme RWD.    Pontiac went to the G body to extend the Bonnie while they started to phase out models. Or at least that is what GM had planned.    Pontiac on the other hand got aggressive and put out the new Firebird,  the Fiero and followed with the very popular Grand Am. Olds on the other hand come with a crappy FWD Cutlass and then slapped the name on several other crappy FWD cars.    Pontiac also went to Canada to bring in the Parisian to bring back the large RWD sedan.    There were a ton of politics going on at GM at the time and they really hurt themselves more than the competition.    Chevy came back and killed the Fiero and left Pontiac with mostly restyled Chevy's.  By the time Lutz arrived it was already too late to save the brand.    Many forget that what really set Pontiac apart was the engineering and their own power plants. They did things and offered things Chevy never had and once it was gone Pontiac was just a label.    The Fiero was the last real full Pontiac. It was only sold by Pontiac, It was built in Pontiac and if it had a 4 cylinder it had a Pontiac engine.    As for the 84 they never offered Skirts. You may have an older model or a Parisian skirt.  ... View more

Here is the deal on the Viper. It is a cool car and holds some value.  But a Cobra it is not. Cobras are much more rare. Most were raced and many were well used up. For a long while people avoided them because they were hot noisy and worn out.  On the other hand the Viper is still easy to find and most were driven on weekends and wiped clean when put away. This will hold values in check for a good while as supplies are still matching demands of this model and it is not like you turn one down you are not going to find another.  But on the other hand the let’s more people able to afford a Sports  car that is very different and still draws a crowd. To me that is greater than becoming a investment car that could get so expensive you become afraid to drive it with less than Nick Mason money.  Also no real crazy expense if you drive it with 30k maintenance and pulling an engine.  I just with It had two more pistons for a less flat sound. ... View more

Q ... View more

I have used gritty tooth past to remove glaze on v belts and pulleys.  Thin coating and make sure to shut the hood before starting.  It has removed stubborn noises permanently.  ... View more

I saw this car several years ago at the Glenmoore concours. Not only was this car a challenge to restore due to the age but it also had the added elements from Tom that were one off and also the accident damage. It was a real mess after the crash.   ... View more

Folks lets get some facts in the way here vs just what we think.    https://www.mobil.com/lubricants/-/media/project/wep/mobil/mobil-row-us-1/files/mobil-1-product-guide-rev-31.pdf   The listing here has the parts per million zink and phosphorus.  Don’t assume Diesel oils are safe as many no longer are.  As for pollution out the tail pipe forget that. These additives are being removed as in new cars they can damage sensors and converters. On older cars that is not a factor and you also are not killing Bambi.  I am using the 15-50 racing Mobil One that still has save levels for flat tapper cams.  Like I said in my first post people like to argue oils like politics and religion. The difference with oils are they have specifications that removes opinion so no matter the brand learn what the numbers mean and what they are. Most MFGs show the specs on the oils and if contacted will offer a recommended oil.     ... View more

Turbocharging was not really spectacular till about 20 to 25 years ago.  Often the early systems were not durable or had the technology to live along life or engine durability.  Coked of bearing lines, non cooled housings, bad oils, systems bolted on engines with out proper engineering improvements etc.  These thinks kept me from being a Turbo supporter.  Over time automakers started to build these engine of the proper materials. They finally got the cam timing and computer tech that could better deal with issues associated with turbo engines. Finally we got Mobil 1.  Yes I hated turbo engines from working on a number of the till 2008. I then bought a LNF 2.0 GM 4 in my HHR SS as a daily driver. I then installed the GM tune and added 55 more HP on pump gas. I was nearly 300 HP at 315 ft lbs on 24 pounds of boost. If only this vehicle had RWD as traction was difficult with FWD. I drove this combo daily for 10 years and loved it.  Todays turbo engine are so much different and better engineered today. They are more durable more powerful and hold little lag.  The addition of Direct Injection has given us higher compressions and more boost but even more efficiently. My 2.0 got 26 city 32 highway driving it like I stole it.  I was not an HHR fan, FWD fan or turbo fan but halter one drive to took the chance and loved the SS as a hidden performance car in plain sight. It would run 13’s in the quarter mile and 160 mph plus if you were insane enough to. No I am not that crazy.  Like stated traction was difficult in the fwd. I had set off the traction control even rolling at 55 mph. I thought something broke when the waste gate popped and the light came in lost traction.  Today Turbo’s are wonderful things.  Note my 20 was faster than my 68 SS Chevelle in stock trim.        ... View more

I was never much of a 911 fan. They to me were just a better VW and I just did not get the excitement.  But then I got to drive one from San Diego to San Francisco up Highway 1 and back on highway 5.  At that point I got it. This car is about more than looks and taught me what to look for in a great handling vehicle.  I was used  driving vehicles with high limits on handling but they made you work for it and you felt every mph of the drive.  The 911 is a car that will let you look at the speedo and shock you that you are 25 mph faster than you thought, The 911 make driving feel slow even at higher speeds.  I find this in a number of vehicle today as many mfg find better shocks vs heavier springs are better for handling.  ... View more

The car just never got the heritage or the emotional attachment of a Ferrari, Corvette or Harley.  This was the better built Ferrari but like so many vehicles from Japan there is little emotional attachment outside a smaller group of enthusiast.  It will remain a solid investment due to the low numbers vs higher demand but I doubt we will ever see Ferrari prices.  What the Automotive world thinks means nothing here it is the general public. You need buyers from outside the true enthusiast to drive an icon.  Say you own a Ferrari at a party and people gather. Say NSX and people will what is that ask do you have a photo if they are not car people.  It is a shame as the car deserved better.   I feel if Senna had not died he would have put this car better in the view of the average public. It would have been fun to see him race one in IMSA. Even the IMSA racing program helped the Fiero in spite of the damage GM inflicted with under funding the car.  Even a movie could have helped. Look at the Delorean that has reached icon status do to Back to the Future. ... View more

Cars like this just never had that it factor. Like many items from Japan they bring us much reliability and engineering but they lack that emotional connection many have with many vehicles.  Honda built a better Harley yet it is still not a Harley. The NSX was a better Ferrari but never was a Ferrari.  Lexus for sure built some great cars but for the most part they were just a better Buick. The LF-A was the better GN but it will never be a Grand National.  ... View more

Well the case for a TRX is there is no case for one.   Let’s look at this rationally.  Do the big HP numbers really make this a better truck? No. In dirt and snow or off road it is only going to be able to put part of that power down to the ground. As for price only a few can afford or would pay that much for a truck. Is this truck going to save FCA? No as PSA is already wondering if a merger is the right bathing for them. Is this truck going to help DCA meet future regulations no.  Now for all the reasons above that is why this is a cool move. It is moves from desperate companies that are willing to take chances to boost image and profile. We saw Pontiac take chances over the years to boost the brand when it was struggling and it helped. On the other hand we saw the Avanti come and not save its company and the same for the AMX..   To be honest I see FCA going out in a bang here as we will not have these cars long and we may not Ave FCA long if they do not merge well.   So boys smoked as long as you got em!   ... View more

Don’t forget Mercury trucks. ... View more

The real joke is emissions testing here in Ohio is a joke. They only require it in a few counties. I guess air does not travel over county lines.  They also just check to see if you have a code. Now here is where it gets interesting.  Ohio got the settlement money from the tobacco industry. So that money was applied to pay for our emissions testing. Yes it is free. But!   Might want to note that those who passed the law to use the money to pay for the testing are the same people who are invested in the company doing the testing.  Nice scam if you can set it up and they did.  Might not Ohio’s largest city Columbus is in Franklin county. Guess who is exempt from testing?  ... View more

It was a given cars could and should be more efficient and cleaner. But the way all this was executed was in a fashion that forced many Americans into horrid vehicles for nearly two decades and at a price to consumers that many can’t afford.  In fact if you look today these laws have driven the truck and SUV market while killing the sedan and coupe market.  Americans as a whole have not loved small FWD cars. They bought them as automakers forced them into them. Then it happened they started to migrate to trucks in the 80’s and soon after the SUV. People like and want the size and utility. They like a full frame vs a small car that had a small trunk and struggled to carry 4 people in any comfort.  My father owned a new Chevelle every year and never needed a truck as his car did it all. The roof was heavy steel that could carry plywood. The trunk carried a ten speed bike. The interior carried six people.  These laws also forced automakers into a time line that forced us into years of carbs that were horrid before the automakers went to a better fuel injection that did not work right till computer tech was available to deal with it.  As with government this whole process was the cart before the horse. You can promote improvement but you can’t force it with out a cost and we all paid the cost. Just look at the late 70’s and much of the 80’s and the forgettable throw away cars.   I see California doing the same mistake on the EV models by forcing them again. The Automakers are doing much to make them appealing to all but they still have a ways to go. If they can make them affordable and appealing by 2035 is still a guess for the average buyer to suffer. Then they have to worry about where the electricity will come from.  This whole thing needed to be done together and not a force idea of political force. You didn’t  see congress telling NASA how to get to the moon did you? That program worked well as they worked together.  The future is going to be a train wreck as the far left has taken to the New Green Agenda that fails to take consideration for the consumers while saddling them with the cost and liabilities of the results of their plans.  Today emissions is a political tool and we saw it 8 years ago when the EPA took it upon themselves to decide the laws passed by Congress and Senate were not written to their standards and the reinterpret them to their own causes. They decided that if you raced a Mustang never driving it on the street you could not modify it at all. SEMA pushed the RPM act to prevent these Renegade activist from taking the law into their own hands. Depending on the election we will see more of this and it will cost us much of our income and it could cost us out hobby.   The day is coming Pebble Beach may not happen as they prevent any internal combustion in California for any reason. You may like to wax your car and in many places that is all you will be able to do as they will prevent any ICE from being run.   I work in the performance aftermarket and I am on the front lines of this. I have met with senators and even a governor over this and most support our hobby while others don’t.   Not saying how to vote but if you love your automotive hobby you had better know where the people you vote for stand.   We all want clean air and today it is as clean as it has been in nearly 150 years. But like everything else we need to all work together and guard against activist from dominating the scene. There is room and time for all of us.  The only thing that bailed us out was electronics and automotive computers. That was the difference between a 180 HP Corvette to the ZR1. But look at how many years and poor vehicles we had to suffer to get there.  All that needs to be said is Lean Burn. Anyone who experienced that in the 70’s knows what that mean.           ... View more

Except for the Chevy truck they are all money pits.  GM for years have had the best winter beaters. They are cheap to buy used, cost little to fix and there are tons of cheap parts for them.  You don’t have to have 4x4 to drive in snow.  Some of the prime winter beaters have been the Vega, not pretty and uses oil but always would run. You use used motor oil in the engine. Chevette. Will run for ever and if the timing belt breaks easy and cheap to fix.  Cavalier will run for SAE for Cobalts and the HHR.  The S10. Will run for ever and tons of parts. If you just have to have 4x4 they have that too.  the Barrett’s and Grand Am were honorable mentions.    ... View more

Thanks for the photo. I have been wanting to see what they looked like.  I am still waiting for mine! Maybe today is the day? ... View more

It’s called Hollywood.  I find it ironic one of the most accurate movies in relation to a car was My Cousin Vinny.  When Marisa presented the evidence in court on the GM cars and the rear suspensions I was thrilled they got it right.  ... View more

It is sad that there is just no market for these UTE vehicles in America. I loved my Big Block 1972  GMC Sprint SP.    But the small trucks of the 80's killed the ute that was just holding on. Now it is to the point even the Pontiac ST was going to cost as much as a full size truck.    I did have a ZQ8 Sonoma that really was close. It was small and drove more like a Z/28 than a truck. It just lacked power with the 4.3. If it had an engine like the LNF Turbo 2.0 from today it would have been a perfect vehicle.    Today I am in a Canyon Crew Denali and to be honest I love the truck. Even sitting high up I added a read sway bar and it handles very well for a truck. Not ZQ8 like but very good.    Economics, market demands and available platforms just limit what is available. This is just part of the market. It is cool someone is offering kits to do this so at least some can live the dream.  I would love to see a Camaro based model.  ... View more

The main problem with this segment has been it has lost its exclusivity. Due to low volumes and cost the Lincoln and even the Cadillac cars have been too much Ford and Chevy Vs being Cadillac and Lincoln.   Mix that with an unfriendly sedan segment anymore and that kills the deal. This formula will still work on a SUV or CUV but not cars.  Discounted Luxury is going next to EV products at GM and it will be interesting to see if it works in setting Cadillac apart till the EV tech spreads.    ... View more

He will be missed.    It is just sad he was lost too soon as we were cheated out by his vices. We lose too many great artist this way.    I am just glad to see he and Sammy got back on good terms for the last year.    I still remember Running With The Devil lead in blasting going in and out of the high school parking lot in my 63 Galaxie. It may have looked like Andy Griffiths police car but with a set of Ansen black spokes and Van Halen it was hell on wheel.      ... View more