Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Classic American

Time is flying by and here at Classic American we’re already planning the upcoming summer of show coverage and attendance. Big news for the Car of the Year series is the announcement of RH Insurance as new sponsors for the competition, with Kingstown Shipping returning as co-sponsors. Details are still being finalised as to which events will be heats; however I’d like to take this opportunity to thank both Kingstown and RH for their support in making the competition possible again for the coming year. This month’s magazine contains our usual smörgåsbord of widely differing American vehicles – everything from a Forties Australian-assembled Chevy truck to a magnificent ’57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and a brace of evergreen Mustangs, plus a gorgeous ‘56 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. There’s even a late…

Now you can give your classic American V8 the power it really deserves with a Webcon Turnkey Weber performance kit. Supplied fully assembled with genuine Spanish Weber IDA or IDF carburettors, throttle linkage, fuel rail and manifold, Webcon kits are  jetted for a stock engine and can be supplied rejetted to suit most popular engine mods and upgrades. Webcon is the world’s largest stockist and supplier of Weber carburettors, performance kits and spare parts, and can offer a huge range of performance options for American V8 engines, including the legendary quad 48IDA kit shown. To order, or for more information, contact Webcon in any of the following ways: phone 01932 787100, email sales@webcon.co.uk or visit the website www.webcon.co.uk…

As I write this column, the annual North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit is once again under way. Since 1987 this event has been held every January, with the halls of Cobo Center in downtown Detroit filling up with the latest and greatest the automotive industry has to offer. This year’s event, which ran from January 14-25, was no exception. For domestic automakers Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors, NAIAS represents their hometown parade – the chance to show the world what the Motor City has to offer and in 2019, the likes of the 2020 Ford Explorer, Shelby Mustang GT500, Ram Heavy Duty and Cadillac XT6 were top billing. Yet in recent years, NAIAS appears to be struggling, which is a great shame, especially for an event…

When Andy Sanders and his girlfriend Kate – now his wife – went to live in Canada for a year back in 2006 they quickly realised they would need transportation. “We went out from the UK on a year-long working visa,” remembers Andy, “and soon needed a car to drive about in. I saw this 1969 Dodge Monaco Brougham hardtop on eBay. It had belonged to two old ladies from new, then to a guy named Tommy who lived near us in Vancouver. My friend Nick had a 1969 Chrysler Newport and I’d always admired that car, so I became the Monaco’s third owner for $2000. My first car was a two-litre Austin Montego, but my second was a black 1978 Trans Am. When the engine blew in the Pontiac…

Chris How has always had a love of cars. His father was a car fan too and drove Jaguars for as long as he can remember. His son Dan is also a car/truck devotee and the enthusiasm definitely seems to have rubbed off. “When a friend from my school days decided to purchase a 1968 Ford Mustang around 12 years ago, we flew to California to check the restoration progress and I sort of got hooked on American cars!” remembers Chris. “Months later, when he allowed me to drive the car, I knew I had to own one myself. My friend talked me into purchasing a 1968 Dodge Charger as a film mate for his Mustang.” While Chris has owned his immaculately restored Dodge Charger since 2009, he has always…

The first generation model was launched back in 1950, successfully introducing the idea of a two-door with hard-top styling to give the impression of a convertible. The same concept had been tried before without success, but it seemed Chevrolet had timed things just right on this occasion. Sharing certain metalwork with its contemporary Styleline and Fleetline models, the original Bel Air had more in common with its convertible Styleline sister, although it was that perfectly proportioned, low-slung coupe roofline with its unique three-piece rear window which really made the Bel Air stand out and would start the ball rolling for what would soon become an American icon. Mention the name Chevy Bel Air and more often than not, it’s the legendary ’57 model that most will conjure up images of…

GREENLIGHT HOLLYWOOD A-TEAM VAN Alongside Dave Starsky’s Ford Torino and the Duke brothers’ ‘General Lee’ Dodge Charger, B A Baracus’s customised 1983 GMC Vandura van has to be one of the most cloned vehicles ever. GMC supplied the production company with several examples during the TV show’s five-year run from 1983 to 1987. As with the Starsky & Hutch Torino, the conspicuous gun metal grey and black van, with its dividing red graphic stripe and roof-mounted spoiler, red turbine alloy wheels and substantial bull bars on the front, seemed an inappropriate choice for undercover use. Nevertheless, the van quickly became a character in its own right, appearing in multiple episodes with a variety of internal configurations and both with and without a glass sunroof – sometimes in the same episode!…

This year the organisers are looking for eight entrants for the burn-out contest. The first six who sign up and commit to the contest (including participating!) will have one weekend pass refunded to them by Santa Pod. The winner will receive two tyres (sizes available include: 275 x 60 x 15, or 255 x 60 x 15 inches) and a trophy and will be crowned Burn-Out King 2019. The rules are: any rear-wheel-drive American car, truck or hot rod can take part, duration is a timed 30 seconds and the winner is determined by a panel of judges and crowd reaction. Andy Bozwell in his 1966 Nostalgia Dodge Coronet currently holds the crown, with a mega impressive controlled burn-out, the likes of which haven’t been seen at the EuroNats for…

Vendor: David Boatwright Partnership, I Chilford Court, Rayne Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2QS Telephone: 01376 552552 Price: £21,995 This month’s Drive Buy is a Dodge Charger, a 2014 model registered new in 2015 and in virtually stock factory specification. It’s a US export model, which has had one dealer and two privately registered owners. If Darth Vader was in the market for a four-door family saloon with a hint of muscle, then this Charger would probably appeal to him very much. With black paintwork, a black leather interior, black headlining and black dashboard trim and doorcards, it’s never going to show any dirty marks as far as a practical colour is concerned, though you will need to wash the bodywork at regular intervals to keep it looking immaculate. A close…

SNAKEPIT CHARMER The chance to own a Barris Kustom doesn’t pop up every day; however, this incredible George Barris creation was up for grabs at H and H’s online auction. It features six Cobra-Ford 351 V8 engines, 12 Holley carburettors, two automatic transmissions, two fuel tanks, 48 exhaust pipes and with all those mechanical bits working in concert, the SnakePit was designed to put out 2000 horsepower and reach a top speed of 300mph! Built in 1975, it took Barris nearly four years to build and cost $100,000, which is around £1 million in today’s money. Someone got a real bargain, as it hammered for £50,625! COME DRIVE WITH ME The unremarkable 1985 K-car based Chrysler ‘Woody’ Town & Country wagon was chosen precisely because of its mundanity for Frank…

1. 2019 RAM Heavy Duty Following on from its updated little brother (the RAM 1500 was coincidentally crowned this year’s North American Truck of the Year just prior to the opening of the show), the latest RAM Heavy Duty is designed to further enhance the capabilities of its predecessors while adding additional comfort and convenience features. Centrepiece to the new RAM HD is the optional high output 6.7-litre Cummins inline-six turbo diesel, which is rated at 400bhp and a staggering 1000 lb ft of torque. Lighter engine internals and cylinder head shave around 60 lbs of weight from the engine, delivering better efficiency and overall performance. A second, standard output version of the Cummins turbo diesel, rated at 370bhp and 850 lb ft of torque is also offered, as is…

Some 20 or so years ago, Jon Golding finished his first ground-up build for a customer, heralding the beginning of his Southend-based company, Home Grown Hot Rods. We’ve lost count of how many show-winning rods have rolled out of Jon’s workshop since then, but this ’32 three-window built for Pete Tyas remains one of our favourites. Pete owned it for several years and scooped many awards before the cool hot rod was exported to the US and sold. Every now and again it would show up in a US magazine article, still winning awards, sometimes with a few changes, but always recognisable, and unique with its low-slung East Coast styling. As recently as October last year it appeared on the Hemmings website for sale once again, only this time it…

Scroll back to the early Sixties and the American Motor Corporation had a dowdy image. By the end of the decade, however, the last of the true US independents got its groove on. It began offering some of the most distinctive cars ever manufactured, regardless of nationality. The car pictured here wasn’t among their number, but it had a lot going for it, nonetheless. The story behind the AMX III stretched back to the Rogue Sport Wagon concept, a stylish two-door load-lugger which AMC’s design staff desperately wanted to see turned into reality. It never was, as the suits couldn’t see there being any public interest in a sporting wagon, even as a one-off concept car. No matter; Robert Nixon, who headed AMC Styling’s Small Car Studio, went back to…

Dear Classic American, I was reading through the latest Classic American and came across an article by Dave Dingley from Coventry in reference to right-hand drive American cars and I thought of dropping you a line about mine. I have a 2008 Cadillac STS 3.6 luxury sport VVT chrome flair version. I have had the car around 15 months now – it was American-built for the UK market. I am the second owner, it’s done 87k and I use it regularly. It has had a few issues which have been sorted. I’m told that there aren’t many STS around. The car has been looked after by the previous owner. It’s got a few age-related marks, but I find it’s a good car. I’ve had American cars in the past, so…

Dear Classic American, I am a lifelong classic and American car fan who started reading and frequently buying your amazing magazine at the age of nine back in 2002. This is my first letter. What really kick-started my obsession with American classics however, was an old scrapyard near where I grew up down in Smithies, Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Just off the A61: Woolhouse’s All American Parts. This place was an absolute goldmine of American cars and trucks! Back during the cold war, the original owner of the yard was given a government contract to clear out the local USAF bases of all the vehicles which servicemen couldn’t or wouldn’t want to pay to ship back to the US. So his yard was truly a spectacular sight to behold. There were…

If you really, really love American cars of the Fifties, you shouldn’t settle for just anything from that decade. You should consider the models where the era’s adventures in car styling produced the wildest, most exciting results; cars like this pair belonging to Wayne and Lisa Harrison. Wayne has had a series of American classics and since he and Lisa spent a spell living in the Midwest, he’s focused on seeking out quality examples of models he’s passionate about. In practice, this means locating something in the USA in excellent original condition, usually with very few owners and a modest mileage. It’s what we all want, surely? Except Wayne doesn’t just dream about it, he buys ’em and brings ’em over. We last featured one of Wayne’s cars in 2015,…

DAY 4  The trip started well on Saturday with a visit to Turner’s Auto Wrecking in Fresno, California, but since then all I’ve found are a handful of cars and trucks hiding out in Nevada ghost towns. I’m hoping my luck will change today with a visit to L&L Classic Auto of Wendell, Idaho. I last visited the yard 20 years ago, and at the time they didn’t exactly welcome me with open arms, permitting me to photograph just a tiny section of the yard, containing 200 of its 8000 cars. The drive north west takes me through Twin Falls, and over the Perrine Bridge – the eighth tallest bridge in the US. I contemplate flying the newly bought drone under the 146m high bridge, when suddenly I notice BASE…

Each January the collector car auction scene is bursting with action at a number of venues, all located in and around the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. The largest and most attended is the Barrett-Jackson event (West World, Scottsdale) and another high-profile auction is the RM Sotheby event (Biltmore Resort, Phoenix). Barrett-Jackson had more than 1800 vehicles to be auctioned, with total sales of $118 million – it was the company’s most successful auction to date, with a 99.74% sell-through rate. Across town the RM Sotheby auction totalled $37 million in sales, with 85% of all lots finding buyers. Here’s a recap of some of the more interesting vehicles and memorabilia that sold… RM SOTHEBY Biltmore Resort, Phoenix BARRETT - JACKSON West World, Scottsdale "85% OF ALL LOTS FOUND BUYERS"…

Handing over your classic car’s keys to someone you’ve never met before sounds like a terrible idea, but it could in fact be a lucrative decision. We’re wasting thousands every year on cars we rarely drive, according to a survey by car-sharing marketplace Turo. Its poll of 2,000 UK motorists found the average driver spends 456 hours behind the wheel each year – that’s just under nine hours per week. For the remaining 8,304 hours the car sits idle and a quarter of Brits leave their car unused for three days each week. Turo offers an Airbnb for cars. Turo’s UK director, Xavier Collins, said: “I think we’re starting to see a trend in consumer behaviour as they look to the sharing economy to provide them access to resources they…

On November 26 last year, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced that the controversial Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant would have no products allocated beyond 2019. The decision to shutter the 4.1 million sq ft facility, located at 2500 East Grand Boulevard in Detroit, was met with predictable outrage by local workers, residents and politicians. Detroit-Hamtramck, which currently builds the Buick LaCrosse, Chevy Volt, Chevy Impala and Cadillac CT6, is one of GM’s most advanced vehicle manufacturing facilities and one of only a few that can handle different vehicles on the same assembly lines. Yet, with no profitable SUVs or trucks on its assembly lines and production down to one shift, manufacturing, and flight by residents from older inner-city neighbourhoods to the suburbs. The Detroit–Hamtramck area where the plant is situated (it…

Over the years, Rick Drewery has had the pleasure of owning many classic vehicles, with his main interest being in light commercials and military models. Rick founded the Norfolk Military Vehicle Group more than 40 years ago after placing an ad in a local newspaper inviting prospective new members to an evening get-together at a public house near East Dereham, Norfolk. “From memory, I think eight or 10 enthusiasts attended and I’d also got to know several owners of military Jeeps,” enthused Rick. “The NMVG was established in 1977, is still going strong today with around 200 members throughout Norfolk, and we attend many shows and rallies during the course of the year.” Rick’s last military vehicle was a Dodge, on which he and his son Steve completed a major…

ALL GOOD IN THE HOOD With the back of the front wings already done, it was time to properly align the Impala’s bonnet. The grille and headlamp bowl assembly had been bolted down tightly and last month we’d finally fitted the bonnet edge ‘eyebrow’ trim, so it was time to adjust the bonnet latch for a clean fitment. During its repaint it came to light that one of the bonnet hinges was bent, so this had been replaced. Simon also discovered why the bonnet never wanted to latch properly – because the striker plate on the radiator panel was mounted the wrong way round. Now it shuts effortlessly. Kick panels These are the original Impala panel bases that came with my car (located in the footwells), but needed full reworking.…

2019 APRIL 13 SWEET 16 NO PREP REAL STREETCAR/PRO STREETCAR SHOOTOUT Lancaster Raceway, East Kirkby, Boston, Lincs 07831 650230, Facebook.com/No Prep Drag Racing April 27th - Sweet 16 No Prep Real Streetcar/Pro Streetcar Shootout South Dakota Raceway, Smeatharpe Airfield, Devon 07831 650230, Facebook.com/No Prep Drag Racing APRIL 19 WHEELS DAY Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot, Hants. www.surreystreetrodders.co.uk APRIL 21 YANCS EASTER BASH Held at Fort Paull, Battery road, Paull, near Hull, East Yorkshire, HU12 8FP. Hosted by Yorkshire American Car Club (YANCS) est 1982. Camping from Friday noon till Monday noon. Duke of Yorks bar will be open Fri/Sat night with drink and food at very good prices. Lazy day Saturday some go into Hull or take a run to the coast. Saturday night is party night in the Duke of Yorks…

One of the first shows of the year for connoisseurs of hot rods, Yanks, bikes and kustom kulture is back and better than ever. This year’s Spring Break, which has been held annually at Stonham Barns, Suffolk since 2011, will be welcoming back some old favourites from its ‘early years’ heyday. Now in association with Knuckle Busters car club, the event will see the return of the figure-of-eight grass race track for suitable vehicles to blast around, while the famous Mr D will be bringing along his Slot Drag Racing track for the first time at the event. Founded by Brett Hawksbee, Spring Break will retain its much-loved, laid back, friendly, blow-off-the-cobwebs vibe. This year’s event is expected to be a vintage year for Spring Break – and, hopefully, warmer…

Dean bought his Chevy via the internet from Oregon, back in 2014. “It’s a dumb thing to do some might say, but as it happens I was lucky and the car was almost in ‘as described’ condition with a few exceptions,” he explains. The narrowed nine-inch back end was in fact a ’57 axle, albeit narrowed with an open differential and the ‘strong running 350’ was only mediocre. The Muncie four-speed turned out to be a T10 – beyond that, however, the body, glass and interior are all in good condition. Once it landed in the UK, Dean decided on a few upgrades. First he rewired it with an American Auto Wire classic upgrade kit, which he reckons was very easy, as long as you followed the instructions (it was…