classic car

I made a video that showed all my photos from the Green Bay Brown County Fairgrounds Classic Car Show 2008. I the video on Youtube, and you can click this Post's title to go to the video.

For any of you that's been a fan of this blog for a long time, you may remember the series of posts back in September in which I rode around on a bike looking for classic cars in my neighborhood. That was the first month of my blog, and barely anyone knew about it, but some still did. Anyways, I rode around my neighborhood and discovered around 15 classics, mostly Chevys, that I'd never known about before. Since then, I discovered a 1970 Chevelle on my own street and a Mercedes-Benz 450SL Coupe just a couple doors down.

Chrysler is supposedly being taken over by FIAT, and therefore becomes and Italian company. GM is in the dumps, filing for bankruptcy is in their future, and the Government may take them over. These are some of the Big Three, though there are other American cars that are usually electrics and/or supercars. This leaves only Ford, who hasn't asked for the huge bailouts the other companies have and also is bringing in better cars such as the new Fusion and some European compacts supposedly coming to the US.
Ford was the first of the big three, but not in the way you think, with the Model T and Model A. Henry the first actually started two or three other companies before the revolutionary Ford. One of these, The Henry Ford Motor Company, was turned into Cadillac when Henry left, and joined GM a little later. Therefore, GM originated the earliest, Cadillacs were known for their smoothness, luxury, and earning the badge "The Standard of the World".
Today's Cadillac isn't at all the superior quality that used to be. Common parts from the cheapo Chevy range sneak their way in, and the leather doesn't hold up without wrinkling for a month, new. Ford, on the other hand, actually probably has better quality the Cadillac with this new 2010 range, and they're constantly improving with their own money, not the government's. The new Fusion Hybrid is America's most fuel-efficient (and maybe best-looking) mid-size sedan, and the Escape Hybrid, which has stood through vigorous use through many years now, gets 34 MPG. If the other Big Two would start acting like Ford, we could avoid all of this because people are looking for cars that last, and so go to Hondas and Toyotas. Ford gets a good share of these sales, also and their future is looking bright. Photo of the new 2010 Ford Taurus is from Photobucket.

Now that it's really warm (for Wisconsin), I've been starting to see some supercars around. I saw this pretty Porsche Cayman, an Acura NSX, the Lamborghini I told you about earlier, and the Freightliner Sportchassis I also told you about in the "Distraction Effect" post. I love Summer because there's no snow and it brings a strong dose of impracticality to northeast Wisconsin that's seen year-round in many other places such as Detroit and LA. Despite the hard times, there are still plenty of people who buy new and used supercars, and I'm glad some of those are
Summer people in my area.

UPDATE: I think this post jinxed me. Moments after I pressed "publish post" it started pouring outside and kept pouring throughout the day and into the night.

A month or two ago, an article showed up in the local paper about a Mustang restoration place in Howard, which is a town in my area. At first I thought "It's probably just a sales place with cheap frame-on restorations available", but as I read on, it said that this place, just 3.5 miles from my home, is the most coveted, premiere Shelby and Boss restoration place in the world! To think, in a small, unremarkable warehouse in little, 13,000 population Howard, WI, there could be a place like this was just amazing for me.
But for a while I just forgot about it; with searching for a project and maintaining blog updates I was pretty much taken up. I finally remembered the place yesterday afternoon, and ventured there today. The place, called Shelby Parts and Restoration, is situated on a small road that has all one-story auto shops and small outposts of other mechanical companies and would be utterly unremarkable to look at had it not been for a worn sign and a rusted hulk in the parking lot. But it was the right address and had the right name, so we parked and got out.
At first I thought I was going to be disappointed. The rusty 'Stang in the parking lot looked like a regular Ford Mustang and wasn't even a fastback. But the moment we stepped into the warehouse, I was in heaven. Sitting right in front of me was the reason this place is known as the best Shelby restorer on Earth. A completely perfect, 100-point GT500 was on the car lift, with its underside just as utterly perfect as the rest of the car. On the driver-side sun visor there was a signature in silver marker. I didn't have to read it to know whose autograph it was. Carroll Shelby. In another corner of the shop there was an extremely rare Boss 429, which can and will go for much more than a 302 at auction any day. You have no idea what it was like to be in the presence of cars so legendary and so perfect, so like a desert cobra ready to strike. There were a couple of other rare Mustangs in the middle of restoration and under covers for the moment, though on one the rear of the car, with the word SHELBY across it, was visible and made my heart beat even a little faster, if that was even possible by that point.
We spoke to the guy, by the name of Jesse, who was working there that day, and he told us about the place and the cars as we walked around and stared at them. He told us about some of his customers, such as Carroll Shelby himself when he wanted to sell his '69 GT500 Convertible at auction. It was amazing the amount of history in cars, parts, and papers there was there. I would've taken a million photos for you guys, if it hadn't have been for me (very stupidly, I'll admit) forgetting my camera at home. But this place is absolutely amazing, and to think it was right by my home all this time without me ever knowing is even more amazing. The photo is of a 1970 Shelby GT350 restored by them, found at www.carcollectorclassifieds.com, and does not at all do any justice to the absolute quality in these completely perfect cars. It's mind blowing. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have used so many superlatives two sentences ago (sorry, random point there).

I forgot to tell you that the world record car sale price was broken jast Sunday in Italy when a pontoon-fender testarossa racer went for around 12 million.

Okay, so Fiat has a deal with Chrysler for the bankrupt company to badge engineer the established Italian manufacturer's little microcar, the iconic 500. This tells us a few things.
One: Chrysler is so desperate that they've stepped down to the level of the failed Isuzu brand and many other tiny brands and gone to pure badge engineering. This tells us the company is so intent on pleasing the government that they don't care that the cars they're doing it with are little econobox Fiats. I'm not saying that Fiat doesn't make good cars and I wouldn't look forward to seeing 500s around town, this is just an observation on how low Chrysler has gone.
Two: I'm also glad Chrysler is taking these steps because some of the funding may go towards making homegrown Chryslers better. They could do a redesign of the Jeep Grand Cherokee that doesn't look exactly like the old one; they could improve the Viper and use high-quality materials in the 300 and other cars. So, in two ways, America would benefit.
And Three: If Chrysler gets enough money, they could start developing a whole new platform and technology, and do a K-car type thing and save their own bacon. Chrysler would be revitalized, and Fiat could launch itself as a full-model brand in the U.S. again once we see what Italy can cook up in economy cars. It's a win-win unless people like the Fiat cars better.
Photo of an imagined "Chrysler 500" is from www.rpmgo.com

Starting last weekend, many police agencies in the Midwest started cracking down on speeders and people not wearing seat belts. We saw many police vehicles in our area patrolling, but something I didn't expect is that the Green Bay Police Department has started using truly undercover vehicles and used the exact same tactics for undercover cars that I suggested in my blog post about police cars a few months ago!
I saw that our local police has at least two completely undercover cars in its force. One is a 2003 Ford passenger full-size van, which could, in theory, round up nine teens partying at a memorial, saving the police the time and hassle of getting tons of two-arrestee cars there. The other car was being particularly clever and using tactics, as mentioned earlier, I talked about in an older post. This rough-looking Ford Contour was camped out on the side of highway 41 in Green Bay, looking for all the world like any regular crap car of that era that had broken down for the last time. The police, from far away, looked like he was laying his head on the roof of his car in despair, but in reality he was operating a speed-checker. But by the time you figure that out you've been pulled over by one the new Dodge Chargers, and you have no idea where you put your license. Uh oh!
So far the campaign has paid off. Here are some of the statistics. One in particular is interesting:
324 without seat belts
321 speeding
2 DUIs
2 Fugitives caught (this is the interesting one, in case you hadn't figured it out.)
Photo from Flickr.com

Since my last mystery photo was too obvious, I cooked up this one. Good luck getting it right!

I was messing around in a photoshop-like program when I came up with this. Guess what it is! I'll show you the original photo next week. It was in a parking lot at a store, and I just felt like taking photos that day.

Have you ever been distracted by a relatively interesting car when a Lamborghini or Maybach speeds by? This has happened to me in many instances, such as the time I photographed a custom two-tone Mustang on a Chicago highway, and later found when viewing the photos that a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was about 50 yards away in the background. In another instance, I was taking photos of a '68 El Camino that was driving in front of me, when a 2005 Ford GT supercar pulled up on the other side of the intersection we came to. I've now named this nature's "Distraction Effect".
Even just today I saw this phenomenon in action. I was trying to get a photo of the '84 Capri RS I told you about before, when we pass a driveway with a Freightliner Sportchassis RHA114 AWD, which is a $200,000 truck, sitting in it. This effect is somehow inherent in many car-related occasions, as it has happened to me and many others I've talked to before. You could be looking at this little 1994 Honda Civic Del Sol (later known as simply the "Del Sol"), found at www.coneslayer.com, when an Audi R8 or something else much more expensive goes by. There must be one way to stop this from happening without being forced not to stare at lesser, but still interesting cars, but I couldn't think of a solution for the life of me.

I was on my way home, when I saw somebody driving a car I'd always thought was an eighties Mustang out to his yard to sell. On my way past, I saw it had a different grille and said RS on the side and the hood. The possibility of it being a Mercury Capri crossed my mind, but I'd never heard of any RS version of the Mercury Capri. I began my search when I got home, searching for "Mustang RS" and even "Escort RS" on Google Images. I knew there had been an Escort RS since the first-gen European Escort in the sixties, but this car was too Mustang-like that it had to be a Mustang or a Mercury. So I finally searched "Mercury Capri RS. And what do you know, many 1980's special edition RS Capris pop up! So I found the identity of the car, and I also knew it wasn't actually the signature RS engine, a 2.3 turbo, because it had the optional 5.0 and all the badging that goes with that. The photo above is from ascmclarencoupe.com. You can figure out what it is by the screaming letters.

Have you ever heard of Lagonda? I don't mean the ugly Aston Martin sedans of the 80's, I mean the overseas marque that has the same instant assumption of wealth and luxury as a Duesenburg does here in the states. They invoked thoughts that Bugattis do today. The Grand Touring cars of this company were second to none in Europe, and Aston Martin is reviving this ultra-lux marque.
But wait a minute! Isn't the economy in shambles? Doesn't the 40's want its humpback rear end back? And isn't your new Lagonda a crossover? Yes, yes, and yes, but Aston Martin's decided it would work, probably over a few martinis at a dinner party. Almost everyone agrees that the grille is way too humongous and straight, but I think there is hope. From closer up and at many angles the Lagonda looks good. Those same design cues could make a nice-looking supercar and the engineering underneath could make a true performer, but if the crossover is the only model, it'll probably be bound to spend its life in some suburb, being used for trips to school to pick up kids and shopping. This will probably end up as another Porsche Cayenne story, and nobody will care enough to try to perform on a track or offroad with it. We'll just have to see. The photos are from Motor Trend.

Today we went on a day trip to Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, and saw many, many cars along the way. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but I did list down every interesting car I saw. Here's a list with comments on the cars:

2010 Chevy Camaro SS (you have no idea how good this really looks. I think it's the best-looking new car EVER, I'm that serious. Also, get it in orange)
A Custom Dodge Magnum (complete with fake strut grille and two-tone paint, it probably had a base four-banger, which makes no sense)
Mercedes-Benz CLK350 coupe (silver, needs a redesign)
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (a real looker, the CLK designers can learn from this car)
1971 Oldsmobile 442 (A custom orange and custom wheels, may be a clone)
Four brand-new 90's Geos abandoned on a car hauler at a truck stop in the 90's
A brand-new Audi S5 Coupe (light silver, still with window sticker, being test driven)
1970 Chevy Nova SS (yellow and black with a Yenko sort of look, but not really a Yenko)
2001 Porsche Boxster (silver, custom rims, sitting out in the rain all the time)
1981 Monte Carlo SS (teenage custom, 30" wheels, two-tone purple and green)
1969 Chevelle SS396 (lovingly restored, bright blue)
Two 1981 El Caminos (one restored, one, um, not. It was horrible, to say the least)
Late 80's Toyota Celica (sitting under a cover in somebody's garage, I asked about it)
1974 GMC Pickup (it had collector plates, but wasn't a real looker. brown)
Two late 60's Ford Broncos (one restored, one a parts car. owned by a die-hard Ford guy)
1988 Toyota Supra Turbo (daily driver, stock, ugly)
Two 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyders (this a car that should've been. a real economical looker)
Two 2008 Porsche Cayman S (very nice, cruising around Madison)
Two Cadillac Escalade Limos (same company owns them, rented to collegers at Madison)
2010 Honda Insight (blue, being test-driven)
1968 BMW 2002tii (I've always liked the 2002 series. A lovely red example)
1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL coupe (actually a removable hardtop, white)
Three 1950 Chevy "Sedanette" fastbacks (two together, one at a gas station, nice!)
1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe (a nice, if unimaginative rod. Your usual bright yellow)
1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass (customized, lowered and chopped, which is odd)
Two Audi TTs (one new, one first-gen. They were both silver)
2009 BMW Z4 (This is the only car that I see as an "ugly" Chris Bangle Design)
Early 70's Pontiac Conv't (red, for sale, project)
Six new Kia Souls at a dealership (A nice compact for teens or mid-life crisis people)
1967 VW Beetle (designed to look like a GB Packers helmet, at a repair shop)
1957 Chevy Bel-Air (this is actually in my neighborhood. It belongs to a woman, but her husband takes it to car shows on the weekends)
1962 Cadillac Coupe (to sqaurish for my liking, neglected by its owner)
1967 Chevy Slabside P/U (in the process of restoration, blue)
Lincoln Town Car limo (at the mall, who would rent a limo to go to the mall?)
1959 Dodge P/U (sitting out, looking forlorn. Somebody should rescue it)
1984 AMC station wagon (at a repair shop, an 80's AMC's perpetual home)
1964 Ford Falcon custom (hood scoop, black, T-bird roof)
2009 Nissan GTR (at a dealership to attract customers. Next to a 370Z)
2009 Mercedes-Benz S600 (a really expensive sedan, humongous. The only color for these is black)
Tons and tons of Corvettes (from 2005-2010, including one ZR1)

Wow, that was a handful to write!

We saw the Toyota IQ concept last year. It was a little microcar suitable for hauling three Tokyo citizens with only mild discomfort. The IQ was small and well-suited for Japan. So what does Toyota do? They slap some Scion badges on the IQ concept and ship it over to the states as a Scion IQ Concept. to put into production at a later date. Well, at least that's the plan if the auto market doesn't collapse.
The new Scion has been styled slightly differently to fit in with the Scion range, namely looking like a teen's custom car, only more professional. It looks like it has an extreme body kit, and 18-inchers help this mini-Scion look tough for sales. Those wheels may not be available on the production model, as they required some thin rubber to fit into the wheel wells.
The preliminary specs are as to be expected for a microcar. The IQ should rival the Smart in size and maybe surpass it in MPGs. It should have a 1.3-liter VVT-i four making 93 horses, but that shouldn't bother people who would buy it. The frugal Earth-Savers and the modifiers. The IQ is 126.9 inches long, with a 3+1 seating configuration, though the back seat has nonexistent leg room. Photo from Chron.com

Yesterday I went and bought eight new model cars for my model car collection, getting the total to 69. I did buy a ten-pack, but two of the cars were just wild fantasies and were never actually created by any company. One of the ones I did get was a Datsun 510, another was A Porsche Carrera GT. The packs varied, but got the one with the least fake cars and a Tesla.

A friend of mine was pulling onto the highway on his way home from work, when he spotted a white Lamborghini Gallardo just ahead of him! This is extremely rare in Wisconsin, so he shot a couple of photos and mailed them to me. The Lambo was actually going BELOW the speed limit, and he passed it so he could get to the side and get a photo up ahead. He got a photo, but it was far away, so instead chased the Gallardo down at 85-90 miles per hour with ten miles left in his commute home. He caught up with the Lambo and got some nice shots, including this one.