Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i Classic American

The link between fashion houses and the motor industry has resulted in several intriguing collaborations, witness the Gucci AMC Hornet Sportabout. This specially tailored Cadillac, by contrast, was aimed squarely at those in a higher income bracket. Unveiled among the marble and crystal splendour of the Grand Ballroom of the Beverley Wiltshire Hotel, Los Angeles, in late 1978, the Gucci Seville was trumpeted as being the ultimate in uberluxurious transportation, with bold talk of 2500 being made. That never happened. The conversion was dreamed up by Palm Beach-domiciled Dottore Aldo Gucci, one of three sons of company founder, Guccio Gucci. He said at its launch: “I have strong feelings for this car, because it is fundamentally different from anything I have designed in my life. This Cadillac is another stone…

Every year the German town of Schwetzingen, 10 kilometres south west of Heidelberg, plays host to the Classic Gala International Concours d’Elegance. Immaculate ‘concours standard’ cars from all over Germany are on show in the magnificent castle grounds over the first weekend in September (see our report on page 46 of this month’s edition). In the 12 years that the event has been running, however, the number of exceptional restored and original condition classic American cars has increased every year, and last year saw a US Classic Car Concours section with some stunning Corvettes, Cadillacs and Mustangs. Chevrolets of all eras were present, and some full-size Fords, but it was the 1973 Buick Riviera GS boat tail hardtop owned by Andreas and Patricia Müller-Witt, of Hagenbach, near Karlsruhe, that stood…

At first glance, Mark Todhunter’s ’71 Trans Am looks every bit apristine, stock example of a classic ‘F’-body Pontiac – exactly as it rolled out of the factory. A closer examination however reveals that the car sits a little lower and is fitted with modern high-performance low-profile tyres on some very convincing reproduction Rallye II alloy wheels. The shaker hood spells out ‘455 HO’, denoting that it is a 1971 model, and its V8 burble is characteristic early Seventies Pontiac muscle. The interior has the Trans Am trademark machined aluminium dash with Rally gauges, including tachometer and a leather-wrapped, three-spoke ‘Formula’ steering wheel. The seats look stock, but they are in fact Recaro bucket seats which have been expertly coloured to the correct blue to match the rest of the…

Let’s just admit it - there are some parts of a restoration that most of us are a little too intimidated by to tackle. These are the kinds of tasks which you only get one chance to do right and if you mess up it means a lot of wasted time, money and materials. Paint is an obvious one. Installing a new vinyl top is another. What’s a bit scary about installing a vinyl top is that it’s a pretty big piece of material which must be properly positioned, not just left and right and fore and aft, but also the seams must run straight and parallel with the car. The scary part really is that once it’s down, it can’t be repositioned, so the very first portion of it…

Details of this year’s groove fest in the shape of The Trip Out have now been released, with yet another venue move, though staying in the east of the country in Suffolk. The dates are August 17-19 at the old USAF station, Debach Airfield, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, IP13 60S. We haven’t been along for a couple of years, and it’s true that The Trip Out has a strong custom motorcycle attendance, but cool cars are welcome too, especially hot rods, customs, cool classics and custom vans. You can go along in anything of course, but modern stuff may be restricted to campsite parking only. Having said that, The Trip Out is a fun Sixties/ Seventies party weekend, with lots of great bands, DJs and other fun stuff. Check out…

You might have seen in last month’s issue our feature on Aaron Reed’s cool 1935 Ford pick-up that we shot in California. In the text we mentioned that he was debuting a very cool 1932 Ford Sedan hot rod at the annual Grand National Roadster Show at Pomona in January. When we saw the Deuce at Bear Metal Kustoms hot rod shop, it was still very much a bare shell with lots of work to do. In fact the build went right down to the wire and was barely finished before Jason Pall and crew loaded it up and took it to Pomona. Anyway, it turned out great so we thought you might like to see a picture of the finished article. Aaron is a great guy who drives and…

There are rarer cars than the Italo-American Murena 429GT, but not many. A mere 10 were made, after all. There are prettier cars, but few grab your attention in quite the same way. There are faster cars, but few are so entertaining as this 7033cc monster. This was a machine built with the late Sixties Jet-Set in mind; one that could match most pure-bred exotica in terms of acceleration, but also accommodate more than one passenger, not forgetting their luggage; maybe even the kitchen sink. It’s compelling, that’s for sure. All of which seems a world away on a wet and windswept day in the environs of the former RAF base at Jurby on the Isle of Man. It isn’t the perfect locale to be indulging in seven litres of…

Based in Spring Green, WI, Ringbrothers has rocketed into the top ranks of American car builders over the past decade, winning numerous design awards including the Chevrolet Best in Show award at the 2014 and 2016 SEMA Shows, back-to-back Goodguys Street Machine of the Year awards, multiple Mothers’ Shine awards, countless magazine covers and several builds commissioned by OEMs. Founders Mike and Jim Ring also design and manufacture some of the most detailed billet interior and exterior parts that money can buy, beautifully designed with architectural lines and incredible craftsmanship, all made in the US. Each piece of automotive jewellery that leaves the facility gives buyers an opportunity to make their very own Ringbrothers-inspired cars that truly stand apart. For more info see: www.ringbrothers.com  #Ringbrothers #RBSEMA2017 #Clem101…

Danny Koker, otherwise known as ‘The Count’, is the larger-than-life owner of Count’s Kustoms in Las Vegas and star of the hugely popular fly-on-the-wall TV show Counting Cars. Danny, who confesses to being ‘a lip-flapping dude’, looks more like a member of a Seventies rock band than a custom car and motorcycle builder with his bandana, ponytail, tattoos, dark sunglasses and sleeveless shirts and jackets. That’s because he loves the Seventies - he’s lead singer in his own Seventies-style rock band and has his own rock club and tattoo shop. A hugely likeable and charismatic character, he even walks the walk and talks the talk of a Seventies rock star as he saunters around his shop calling folk “brother, man.” The show, which first aired in 2012, follows The Count…

Car of the Year is the only concours competition of its kind in the UK aimed specifically at American vehicles, which can be either original or restored, but must be stock (or as near as stock) as possible. Over the summer Classic American attends seven American car shows all over the UK, selling magazines, back issues and subscriptions. As well as all this, these shows are covered editorially to provide content for Classic American, but most importantly each show is a‘heat’ of the Car of the Year competition and a winning car is picked at each show, with the winner receiving a cheque for £150 and a rather smart-looking unique hand-cast brass trophy. There’s no entry procedure, any American vehicle at any of the heat events is eligible. Each of…

The Midland American Auto Club now has 210 members with 23 new members being added last year. It’s a very healthy club with a good active membership which is in part down to the relaxed attitude the club takes towards itself, its members and the American car, truck and bike scene in general. “It’s a hobby, let’s not forget that” says chairman Joe Keenen, who founded the club with the current secretary Kieran Mullen 17 years ago in 2001. Every year the Midland American Auto Club hold the All-American Car, Truck and Bike show at its own showgrounds in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath. “It’s slap bang in the middle of Ireland,” said Nick Stratta, “so it’s ‘American Car Central’ in Ireland. We get cars and trucks coming from all over –…

Since 2011, automakers in North America have had to contend with the toughest Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards ever seen. First proposed by the George W Bush administration and then enacted by the successive government under President Barack Obama, the current standards called for all vehicle manufacturers of cars and light trucks in North America to achieve a fleet-wide average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon US by 2025 or face very significant penalties. Since 2011, we’ve seen quite significant changes in the way cars are designed and manufactured. We’ve seen an increase in the likes of smaller displacement engines, direct injection technology, cylinder deactivation and turbocharging, not to mention the growth in multi-speed transmissions, lighter weight materials and new construction techniques (mixed material high strength steel and…

Paul and Matt Buck seem to have the kind of father-son relationship that many of us would regard as ideal. Who better to have as your chief ally in a life of mucking about with old cars than your own offspring, or indeed your dad? They have a few classics between them and share the ownership of two: a 1966 Mercedes SL ‘Pagoda’ and this fabulous 1955 Ford Thunderbird. We’ll let Matt explain how the T-bird entered their lives. “I first saw it when I was driving to work back in 2013,” he says. “It was on display in the front of a garage owned by a private individual who kept a team there to prepare classic racing cars. I first sat in it a little while later when I…

The hand of fate often plays a part in our lives when we least expect it, and this is exactly what happened to Mark Witham when unexpected circumstances led to him being the proud owner of a 1965 Buick Riviera. It was early 2001, and Mark had just lost his job. Not only did he have to contend with this situation, which coincided with a house move, he also had to endure a serious health issue. At the time Mark owned a 1977 Lincoln Continental which he decided to sell in case he didn’t get another job quickly. In the event, he got another job within two weeks and recovered his health fully. Mark then decided he needed something positive to focus on, and did what a lot of us…

There can’t be many people out there who can say they ended up buying a ’69 Ford Galaxie because a deal on a Mk5 Cortina fell through, yet for 48-year-old Gary Radcliffe, that’s exactly what happened. The lost opportunity to buy that Cortina may have been a shame initially, but with the money still burning a hole in his pocket and a rare chance to get hold of a ’69, two-door Galaxie instead, things couldn’t have worked out much better! Now, Gary’s been a Ford man pretty much all his life and since he began his driving career, he’s always owned rear-wheel-drive Fords, so the intended purchase of a Mk5 Cortina a few years back should have come as no surprise. From a Mk1 Escort as his first car, he…

I shall start this Impala report by saying thanks for all the encouraging words from everyone who has contacted me. I hope you appreciate that this project is very personal to me, and I was always keen to show it in a warts ’n’ all manner, because unfortunately car builds rarely go as fast or smoothly as we see them on TV shows. Having worked in that industry I know how much fudging and clever editing is done! Needless to say in the real world it ain’t so simple. This month we couldn’t get the carpet set in due to the gearbox (and engine) needing to come out when a bent flywheel was discovered. There’s no point in fitting the carpet, centre console and the new shifter kit if it…

NYPD CHEVY TAHOE K9 UNIT Police cars are always popular among model collectors and the industry seems happy to indulge their enthusiasm by producing ever more. This 1:43 scale New York Police Department (NYPD) 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe from the prolific range produced by Greenlight Collectibles is a little different from the norm, being a relatively large SUV converted for police use, rather than the more usual sedan. Although it is a simple model with no opening or operating features it is, nonetheless, attractive, with an array of red and clear roof lights, a pair of roof-mounted communications aerials, neat printed decals, including warnings that dogs are carried. This would indicate that it is a so-called K9 Unit. The smoked glass precludes any detailed inspection of the interior, but what can…

660 Station Wagon Vendor: John Daniel, Brentwood, Essex Telephone: 01245 322546 Mobile: 01277 211768 Price: £8250 This month’s Drive-Buy feature will particularly appeal to enthusiasts who need the stowage space and flexibility that an estate car can provide. Ifyou love originality and provenance – this Rambler Classic 660 will be right up your street! The car has the most fantastic provenance, having had one owner in Texas from new, up until 2014. It was supplied new by Leifeste Rambler of 325 Highway 81 West, New Braunfels, Texas, USA and purchased by Lorenz F Bading, of New Braunfels, Texas on January 27, 1964. Lorenz Bading did all the maintenance and servicing on the car himself and between 1993 and 1995 it underwent much restorative work. The Rambler was imported into the…

Honeywell Garrett, along with custom car builder Roadster Shop, unveiled a one-off, twin-turbocharged 1964 Dodge Polara built for famed motorcycle/car builder Jesse James at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Polara is powered by a 426cu in Wegner Motorsports-built Hemi, with a custom intake manifold and stainless turbo manifold, connected to twin Honeywell Garrett GTX3582R turbochargers. Cooling is handled by a Honeywell Garrett air-to-water intercooler and a radiator and heat exchanger built by Ron Davis. To put the power to the ground, the Mopar utilises a Tremec T-56 transmission modified by Blower Transmission, coupled with a Driveshaft Shop driveshaft and a Strange Engineering rear end. One of the stand-out upgrades on the completely stripped interior is the set of bespoke fibreglass seats mounted to custom bead-rolled floors, complemented…

Alders Automotive have recently become a UK dealer for PML Inc who are based in California and pride themselves on their products being made in the US. This company manufactures a range of high-quality cast aluminium valve covers, differential covers and transmission sump pans. Their valve covers are manufactured with the traditional ‘speed equipment’ look and are available for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, including LS1- LS7s, and Jeep. Their transmission pans are made to a high standard, with cast fins to aid cooling and additional oil capacity, so not only does this product look good, it’s also functional in lowering drive-line temperatures and preventing those annoying fluid leaks due to its ridged cast design. Their transmission and diff covers are available for most American applications. Alders are currently supplying their products…

This month’s column is unashamedly promoting the biggest muscle car gathering in the UK, the Mopar Euro Nationals, and this year is extra special as the show has reached its 25th anniversary. In this day and age, it is a major achievement for an independent petrol heads’ event to have reached such a milestone. The show depends on the folk who attend and through the years many have travelled from the continent - The French Connection Club with Laurent Arnaud in his formidable green Challenger, the 1972 ’Cuda of Foxy and Pascal Sarazzan, together with his late father’s 1971 Hemi ’Cuda, have always been regulars. Attendees from Austria, Belgium, Channel Islands, Netherlands, Scandinavia and even America, have enjoyed our hospitality over the years. When the Mopar EuroNats first started, three…

The German town of Schwetzingen lies 10 kilometres south west of Heidelberg and every year, the magnificent castle and grounds at Schwetzingen play host to the International Classic-Gala Concours d’ Elegance, where hundreds of stunning examples of classic cars from around the world can be seen in what can only be described as a perfect setting. But recently the number of exceptionally restored and original condition classic American cars has increased annually, and last year saw a US Classic Car Concours section, in what turned out to be a potted history of the American automobile industry. After parting with a very reasonable 6 Euros and on entering the palace gardens, one of the first sights to greet the visitor this year was a pair of impressive Pierce-Arrows, a 1935 Type…

When Don started drag racing in 1950, he struggled to run 100mph sub-20 second standing quarter miles. In 1958 he became the first man to officially break the 180mph barrier and was running in the ‘eights’. With that terrific speed came danger and as we learned in part one last month, Don was badly burned in afiery accident in 1959 at Chester, South Carolina, something that was becoming an all too common occurrence. Don told me: “Right after the Chester fire I had a face mask made that clipped on to the bottom of my goggles to protect the lower section of my face. Then, in ’62, we started soaking our race overalls in Borax solution to make them somewhat fireproof. I wore those for about a year. Then, the…

Anyone who has restored a classic American car of any type will know of the perils of finding specialist companies that have the knowledge and expertise to carry out work to a required standard. Having found that specialist – paint shop, engine builder or transmission expert – the expense and hassle of having to then move a big American hulk of a car from one specialist to another, often by trailer, can make the job of Yank restoration budget-blowingly expensive. That’s why, when brothers Nic and Dan Williams decided to consolidate their businesses to create OCS Group, they felt they could offer a high-class restoration service which eliminated much of the hidden expense and hassle so often associated with specialist American car restoration. Nic and Dan grew up with American…

Welcome to Classic American’s sixth American & Modified supplement, our 32-page homage to American vehicles with a custom twist. Classic American’s usual fare tends to be unmodified American cars of just about any era, not just classics; however, rods and customs are such an integral part of the American scene, we simply couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this unique and exciting part of American car culture. On these pages you’ll find everything from pick-up trucks to exotic Italian-American station wagons and an in-depth interview with customising TV star Danny ‘The Count’ Koker, plus a show guide to where you can find more of these amazing vehicles over the summer. Let us know what you think, and if it’s something that readers want to see more of, we’ll…

We noticed an interesting announcement back in January regarding a possible new beach race event. It seems a couple of guys down in Devon have received possible permission to hold an event at the three-mile-long Saunton Sands on the North Devon coast. The beach is a long, mile-wide straight at low tide, uninterrupted by soft sand spots or streams, and good enough that military aircraft have landed on it, in fact. It is hoped a two-day event can be organised with the main attraction being vintage aero-engined race cars from the early 20th century, with a ‘street class’ for other machinery like classics and hot rods as well. At present it’s still just a well-intentioned, but great, idea. Let’s hope that it does develop into a tangible event – there’s…

MARCH  Usually in April, but sneaking in early at the tail end of March this year, Surrey Street Rodders Wheels Day is an event that needs no introduction. It traditionally kicks off the car event season in the south and as ever will feature a wide range of machinery on Good Friday. Due to the huge numbers attending, the club have introduced a registration process which is now closed (as of March 1). As usual, Wheels Day will be at Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot, Surrey GU11 1PZ. APRIL  Also way down south, and also early this year, Sunday, April 29 is the date for Victory Wheelers Hayling Reunion. This excellent one-day show has the added attraction of being held right on the beach at Hayling Island, Hampshire. With a funfair next…

“WHETHER YOU'RE INTO RESTO-MODS OR NOT, IT'S HARD NOT TO ADMIRE THE SKILL AND STYLE THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS ONE-OF-ONE SHOP TRUCK...” For the first time in its history, world renowned custom shop Ringbrothers debuted a lovingly restored pick-up at last year’s SEMA Show in its booth. Clem 101, a Ford F100 with extensive body modifications, stunning chrome work and newly engineered Ringbrothers billet accessories, was unveiled by Jim and Mike Ring, who designed and built the vehicle for themselves as a ‘shop truck’. The culmination of a project that began as a rusty 1954 F100, Clem 101 evolved into a 1956 model when the Rings swapped out the ’54 cab for a ’56. The truck’s bed has been custom built from scratch, while its wings were widened three…

BUILT BY: Roadster Shop OWNER: Jesse James RENDERING: Chris Gray Roadster Shop DRIVETRAIN Engine: Wegner Motorsports 426 Hemi with custom intake and Billet Specialties Tru Trac with custom one-off stainless turbo manifold Forced induction: Honeywell Garrett GTX3582R standard and reverse rotation turbos with Honeywell Garrett air to water intercooler Transmission: T56 by Bowler Transmissions Rear end manufacturer: Strange Drive Shaft: Drive Shaft Shop STEERING Type: Rack and Pinion Manufacturer: Maval Steering Column: IDIDT INTERIOR Seats: Custom moulded fibreglass buckets by RS Gauges: Classic Instruments A/C System: none Fabrication: Custom floors and trans tunnel with deep draw panels and bead work WHEELS AND TYRES Wheel manufacturer/model: Forgeline Roadster Shop OE1 Front wheel size: 19x10 Rear wheel size: 19x12 Tyre manufacturer/model: Nitto NT505R Front tyre size: 285/35/18 Rear tyre size: 345/30/19 EXTERIOR…