Saturday, October 08, 2016

March 1965 Dodge launched the Go Go package for the Dart


Go-Go Dart GT's were sold in 8 of the western states and built in the LA plant till the end of April 1965.

It had the 10.5:1 compression 235 HP 273 with a 4-barrel AFB carb and came with the choice of an Auto or 4-speed and a 7.25 rear, finned rocker covers, chrome air cleaner and dual point distributor.




https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5818244170.html









http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/65-dart-gt-go-go-edition.203872/

"...you could actually order your 1965 Dart with the Go Go package, which included 13-inch Cragars".

https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/1965-literature-for-your-car.425731/





https://www.hotrod.com/articles/link-to-the-past-1965-dodge-dart-gt-convertible/

1965, and Dodge was trying to get interest built up, and off the Mustang.


the 1964 Charger Show Car. This car was based on the Polara, and was supposed to be 426 wedge powered, but, they knew no one would be able to tell it was only a dressed up 383.

http://hooniverse.com/2014/10/10/hooniverse-obscure-muscle-car-garage-the-1965-dodge-dart-charger-273/

on October 20, 2016 on NBCSN, 14 1st place winners will get an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami for the Homestead race, where they each will try powering up the a 67 Hemi Belevedere in a key-turning ceremony.


It's a replica of the No. 43 Plymouth Belvedere in which Petty scored 10 back-to-back wins during the 1967 NASCAR stock racing season and captured 27 of the 48 races held that year is the grand prize.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Petty’s historic season, someone is going to turn a key, and win a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere that mirrors the No. 43 car, right down to the 43 that was hand-painted onto the replica by the artist who painted the original.


http://www.jacksonmg.com/blog/a-throne-fit-for-akings-car/

AJ Foyt, remarkable career as a driver

He's the only driver to have won the Daytona 500, 24 hours of Daytona, Indy 500, and 24 hours of LeMans.

And this may seem trivial, but he won with both Firestone and Goodyears on the same car. That is pretty cool, and can't be replicated now I bet. Too many sponsorship rules

Unlike GM execs who seemed to have kittens whenever a woman was used in advertising, Chrysler was all for using models to sell a few cars.


In an attempt to stamp out cramped compacts, break the sedan-buying habit and eliminate Dullsville, Dodge announced the great Dodge Rebellion, and hired Pam Austin to be the spokes model


Company executives believed that by late 1967 Pam Austin the sex symbol was overshadowing the cars, their new features, and her role as Dodge Girl.

So they went in a new direction and began a new ad campaign: "Dodge Fever" would rule advertising in 1968 and Austin would be replaced by Joan Anita Parker.
 Before Ms. Parker became the Dodge “Fever Girl”, she previously acted in a number of stage productions and had a supporting role in the movie Batman.

During this era, one of the best things that could happen to an aspiring young actress was to get a leading role in a television commercial. The representatives of the Dodge advertising campaign were seeking a young woman who was personal, talented, intelligent, and attractive. The candidate had to quickly grasp what was expected of her and could be someone that worked well with other people while carrying out her part for introducing the new Dodge line of vehicles. When the casting call opened, over 400 candidates were present for audition.


 By the end of the model year 1969, Ms. Parker decided to move onto other aspiring challenges and

Shortly after they found gold with the Dodge Fever Girl, Joan Parker got tired of all the running around and endless meet and greets. She married an L.A. real estate agent and moved there.

By 1970, Ms. Cheryl Miller became the new Dodge girl.Cheryl was born and raised in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California. In 1966, she graduated from UCLA with a master's degree in music. She also studied voice, classical guitar, and composition at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was also the actress in a television series called Daktari.
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public4/rebellion.cfm
http://www.motorcities.org/Story/Remembering+the+Dodge+Fever++Material+Girls+br+By+Robert+Tate-306.html
http://phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com/2014/05/dodge-promo-gals-gallery-of.html

Australian businessman Jim Byrnes has the largest restoration business in the world, and was smart to establish it in the Philippines for the cheap labor and metal hand craftsmanship


“I’ve been a collector for 40 years, but six years ago I sold a company for $100 million and started investing seriously. If I buy the right cars, they’re a currency hedge; if the currency is down in one country, I’ll buy there. If it’s strong in another, I’ll sell there.”

Byrnes explains that seven to 10 years ago it was not economically viable to restore most E-types, due to the cost of the parts and the small matter of 3,000 hours of work.

Choosing a location where workers are skilled and dedicated, but labour rates are a fraction of those in the world’s main centres of classic car enthusiasm, meant that Byrnes could get his burgeoning collection restored well but cheaply, commissioning restorations in batches for economies of scale. So he sought out a tax free zone, former Clark Air Force Base in the PI.

With labour rates of up to £100 per hour in the UK and most of Europe, and not much less in the US, five years ago a car bought for £25,000 would cost about £225,000 to restore, he says – but it would only sell for £125,000.

The company's chief executive, Jason Lemberg, came to BMT after running the restoration department at Symbolic Motors of California, where his restorations twice won “best in class” at Pebble Beach.

“The workers have a real passion and attention to detail,” he says. “There’s a worldwide shortage of good metalworkers and the locals are incredible.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classic/inside-the-worlds-largest-classic-car-restorer/

Thanks Steve!

update July 2018 https://petrolicious.com/articles/transforming-a-garage-in-the-philippines-into-the-worlds-largest-restoration-shop

Friday, October 07, 2016

here is the preview for the new Clarkson, May, and Hammond car show! The Grand Tour GT, or is it, GT, The Grand Tour? You look at their logo, and tell me it's not something like that

Larry Chen did a really cool interview with BJ Baldwin over at Speedseekers, well worth the time to read, and learn what goes into making it in the sport of trucks, both Baja and Dakar

Dennis Hopper, director/writer/co-star of Easy Rider was on British TV selling Ford cars. (sellout with a career failure late in life)



The 1999-2000 Cougar wasn't too bad... and a couple years later just before killing off Mercury and the Cougar, they added superchargers

Hey... where did everybody go?

I was taking a moment to kick back and enjoy other peoples blogs, and discovered it has been a long time since I did that. And a lot of bloggers and car and bike website people have given up.

I went to Lowtech, who was doing over 150 posts a year, now does about 15.

So I looked over at the blogorama list of recommended sites at Lowtech..

Speedseekers                                Still posting
Le Container                                 Still posting
The Selvedge Yard                       Still posting
THE LAST DON                         only 3 posts this year
Working Class Kustoms               Still posting
Wheels Are Everything                Still posting
Flake Kings                                  Still posting
Stylish Kustoms                            Still posting
ScooterMcRad's Whatchaworks   similar to lowtech, was over 150, now, barely 11 a year average
PLANET MOTHERFUCKERS   Gave up in 2014
OldGoldGarageCo                        Gave up in 2015
The Digital Milk                           Gave up in 2014
Autoculture                                   Gave up in 2013
Los Boulevardos                           one post this year. Probably gave up
Sugar City Speed Shop                 not even online anymore
Kustomgonzo                                not even online anymore
Smokin Blog                                 Gave up in 2015

So, 1/2 the sites in LowTechs Blogorama gave up. Lowtech either doesn't notice, or doesn't care that it's favorites list is only 1/2 alive.

What happened? Did the glam wash out when Jesse James packed up and blew away like a tumbleweed to Texas, and the other chopper show American Choppers shut down due to bankruptcy? American Hot Rod shut down either due to bloatation or when Boyd died, but once the Discovery Channel shows ended, so did a lot of blogging.  Maybe it's just coincidence, but when the inspirations and constant attention to the tv show world went away, it looks like the bloggers packed it up and went away too.



cool guy with a good reason to collect the Ford economy cars... and I applaud his collection!

A kid and his car... bought at age 16, now he's 19, and the car is fixed up terrific!

the Bernina Gran Turismo is the Swiss Alp hillclimb we've never heard of

still looks cool, 45 years later

LA International Airport has a parking lot just for the airline industry workers that live in RVs, in the few moments they are in LA, and not off to parts unknown



http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/opinion/long-term-parking.html

An employee parking lot turned motor-home park made up of pilots, flight attendants and mechanics.

The lot was created at least a decade ago as an airport-sponsored program offering airline employees a place to rest before heading to their next destination. Today, however, the airport is actively seeking ways to re-appropriate the space where the community is situated and has slowly, and steadily, reduced the number of its residents.

The next destination for many of the lot’s residents is unknown. As a result of pursuing their dream of working in the aviation industry, with its transient lifestyle, many of the parking lot’s residents are estranged from their families. They are largely a community of people living alone, together — and most now consider the lot “home.” 

Miss Superbee.. how is it I've never heard of or seen her before?

Barclay Center loading dock timelapse, with dual 80,000 pound semi truck elevators, to a 80 ' turntable, to the docks

Thursday, October 06, 2016

the Shell 4000 Cross Canada Rally in 1963, strangely, had a pair of Chrysler 300s in full rally race mode


The Shell 4000 was the worlds longest, most grueling rally in the 60's, and the only FIA sanctioned one in North America.



For the rally cars, Chrysler chose the 413 with 360 horsepower and a simple four barrel carb backed with the Torqueflite three speed automatic transmission. Both cars were two door hardtops and set up by Carl Prueths for rally racing with complete chassis protection using 3/4 inch welded steel plate on items deemed to be in danger including shock absorbers, engine oil pan, the K frame cradle, rear axle carrier and the leaf springs. A roof lamp was mounted providing high power wattage to light up the road ahead and help set up the car for turns. Even the tires and wheels were heavy duty. The 300 usually ran 14 inch rims with nice cushy road tires. These rally 300s came with 15 inch weld reinforced steel wheels with special 9.00x 15 inch Goodyear non expanding braced tread tires imported from Belgium.


The drivers were Gene Henderson with Fred Browne as navigator and the second car had Terry Sumner and Roger Bohl as navigator. Both cars were painted white with blue stripes in the center.

Starting in Vancouver, to Calgary, Regina, Winnepeg, along the north shore of Lake Superior, Chrysler proved that if soundly designed and properly equipped, even a Pentastar Panzer will be a competitive rally car..

http://phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com/2015/01/road-rallying-1963-chrysler-300.html

The rally was annual from 1961 through 1968, then Shell ended it's participation. A similar rally was held again in 1971, 1994, 95, and last in 1997. In 2009, Napa had a 500 mile rally.

That 1st rally even had a V12 Rolls Royce, and it weighed 7000 pounds

http://shell-4000-rally.org/4000_web/other/history.htm
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1967/36/rally-review-canadian-shell-4000-rally
https://revslib.stanford.edu/item/bh132jm2174

In 1967, a Barracuda (340, 4 spd) came in 2nd, and the following year won, the Shell 4000. The 1st time an American manufaturer won the World Championship Rally. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-winner-of-1968-shell-4000-mile.html

Jaguar is going to have a hiring event for US military vets in So Cal

Jaguar Land Rover North America in Irvine will hold an open house Monday for veterans seeking work.

 The company wants to hire 180 veterans in the U.S. by the end of the year.

 Attendees will speak with local retailers, tour the training center and watch technical demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jaguar Land Rover Academy, 9292 Jeronimo Road, Irvine

Made for maximum cargo space within the maximum legal overall length limit, hauling new empty food cans from manufacturer to canneries.

Vintage Indy wheels at the 500

clever and innovative shirt design

GM found the Texas state fair was a good venue for setting a Guinness World Record, pulling the largest-ever flag behind a 2017 Silverado

Cool Buick... I did NOT see that coming


There is something going on with the taillights... I've never seen a Wildcat's tail look so cool.

http://www.wheelsareeverything.com/2015/10/8th-annual-winfield-watson-custom-car.html

Jeez, I just realized, Not many people are even going to recall what a Wildcat was... a big ol Buick, a land yacht eventually, but it began as an Invicta, and died as a Centurion. I've seen about 4 or 5 body and tail section styles, this '65 was the best looking, and the 4 pipes are perfectly located to set off the lines and curves of the tail, the bumper, and horizontal trim around the gas cap. 

Sean's Ranchero

half track Mack crane... first I've ever seen one

cool looking oil dispenser

Good aesthetic photo

pause for a moment, while I offer a toast to Brock Yates

Stalwart enemy of the 55 mph speed limit, creator of the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea-Memorial Trophy Dash (a.k.a. The Cannonball Run), and editor of Car and Driver Magazine....

has went on ahead to make sure the coast is clear for the rest of us to come speeding in, smoking the tires on a sideways slide to a stop, laughing and high fiving, saying "Man what a ride!" 

re-use, re-cycle, re-imagine

Soapbox Derby Tire, Michael Ulman


http://lecontainer.blogspot.com/

I haven't seen a new thing from Michael Ulman in about 7 or 8 years http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2007/03/making-car-and-chopper-art-pieces.html was the first thing that brought him fame on the internet... he is REALLY good at found parts put together to make cycles or car sculptures