Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Classic American

Welcome to the January issue of Classic American; although we’re putting this together in November, you won’t be seeing it until the middle of December/ beginning of January. Now, you’d think everything would be slowing down by this time of year, but actually things are super-busy here at Classic American towers, with things only slowing down a bit after Christmas up until Good Friday, when the show season gets under way all over again… This month is ‘loosely’ a station wagon special; I say loosely, because we’ve included a few ‘wagonesque’ vehicles that, strictly speaking, one might not even categorise as wagons, but more as commercial vehicles, such as the ’59 Buick ambulance, the Chevy 3100 panel van and the military-use ’41 Ford wagon. We’ve also got our final show…

Karl Baumann, whose coverage of this year’s SEMA show for Classic American starts on page 75, owns a 1970 Charger and he’s been trying to purchase a new grille for the car for a long time. This much-sought-after part has been on back order with Classic Industries since he first looked in November 2016, but after stumbling across the OER display he managed to get some background on the delay and more. “I did all of the basic testing and scrutinising,” says Craig Maiorana of OER, “so basically what I did was, as my vendor sends it back to me, I address the points that need to be changed and fixed…I had a car up on two jack stands at our shop for well over two years because it was…

Chevy is releasing two limited edition Silverado pick-ups for 2020 which were announced at the Texas State Fair in September. The Midnight Edition is an off-road-focused rig that is available on the LT and Custom Trail Boss trim levels. The Midnight Edition is a monochromatic all-black exterior including the grille, badges, bumpers, side steps and exhaust tips, contrasted by red recovery hooks. Because it’s based on the Trail Boss, it also comes with a two-inch factory suspension lift and the Z71 Off Road Package with Rancho mono-tube off-road shocks, along with an automatic locking rear differential, skid plates, 18-inch black painted wheels and Goodyear Duratrac off-road tyres. The Custom Trail Boss Midnight Edition can be optioned with either a 5.3-litre or 6.2-litre V8 teamed with a 10-speed automatic, while the…

This month’s instalment of American automotive weirdness has a decidedly British and wagon-like twist. It also encompasses more than one car, but there is a common denominator: the Willys Jeep and its Ford-made sibling. Scroll back to the end of the Second World War, and austerity measures ensured that there wasn’t an end to the ‘make do and mend’ mentality. Quite the opposite. Few people could afford a new car, not that showrooms were well-stocked anyway. As factories returned to ‘civilian’ manufacture, raw materials were allocated to firms which exported their wares; accordingly, there was little in the way of available stock at home, which ensured that used cars were highly prized; even an old banger that you otherwise wouldn’t look sideways at. The mid- to late-Forties did, however, witness…

ACCEPTABLE IN THE EIGHTIES Dear Classic American, I write in response to your editor’s viewpoint article in edition no. 343 regarding ’80s, ’90s and Noughties cars. While I concur with his viewpoint that many ’80s onwards “classics” are maybe a frightening proposition to many owners due to their complexities, not to mention some models’ challenging looks, what needs to be taken into account is that these cars are the only affordable entry into classic American ownership for many people now. Gone are the days of being able to pick up a vaguely decent C3 Corvette for less than £10k, or any number of varieties of Mustang. By their very nature, desirable classics are now well out of reach for many enthusiasts, because of their higher price. If you want a…

It was on Monday, November 25, 1968, when Richard Petty made the announcement that he was switching from Plymouth to Ford. At the time this news sent shock waves through the sport of NASCAR stock car racing. The Petty organisation had been racing Plymouths for 10 years and done their share of winning, actually dominating at times. There had been some friction between Chrysler and Petty towards the end of the 1968 season, since Richard wanted to be able to race a Dodge Charger 500 for 1969. As the unsuccessful Road Runner was going to be a carry-over from the ’68 car, Richard knew the Charger had a better shape for the super speedways. However, Ronnie Householder, the top racing guy at Chrysler, told him: “No, you’re a Plymouth man.”…

So much more than just a convention or car show, SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Market Association) is definitely one of the most important annual car events on the calendar because it’s so huge and because it’s where the automotive world gets together; it’s also a big indicator of where any branch of the automotive world is headed. Because it’s in Las Vegas, SEMA obviously has a strong US bias; however, it’s relevant to every American classic owner because of all the new restoration products and techniques put on display at the show. We all know Edd China, so we’ll start with his uniquely British take: “I’ve been a few times, but this is my first year with a car on display,” he says, referring to his infamous ‘sofa car’. China…

Many of us dream of purchasing a classic car in America and bringing it back to the UK. But then we’ve all heard stories of cars being over described and not looking as good as they did with a Malibu beach backdrop! Can you guarantee you won’t be disappointed? Perhaps not, but there are things you can do to lessen the risks. Before you’ve even made an offer on a car, check its history. It is good to not rely solely on emails and messages; phone the seller and satisfy yourself that they actually own the car and that it’s in the condition they claim it to be. Get a sense of their honesty by asking questions and get lots of photos, including the underside and any other specific areas…

The 27th Mopar EuroNats at Santa Pod Raceway is extending into a four-day bash, with entrance available on Thursday, July 30; however, although there will be no entertainment, food outlets or racing available, there will be toilet and shower facilities! By starting earlier this should allow longer racing time for Friday, July 31, with the track opening from 10am to 7pm, allowing a further two hours of racing. There is a small extra charge for Thursday admittance of £5 when booking in advance, or £10 on the gate, to cover expenses. The 2020 show will be highlighting and celebrating 50 years of the 1970 model cars, with a strong emphasis on the Barracuda and Challenger E-bodies. The organisers would like to see as many 1970 cars at the show including…

General Motors’ Chevrolet brand has revealed details of its new Corvette C8.R race car. The C8.R will be Chevrolet’s first mid-engine race car to compete in IMSA’s GTLM class and represents the first clean sheet race car design since the C5.R debuted back in 1999. It will make its racing debut at Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 25, 2020. Based on the regular eighth generation mid-engine Corvette Stingray, the C8.R has a high level of commonality with its street-going counterpart. Some unique features of the C8.R include a single, centrally mounted radiator in the front luggage compartment area and ultra-bright racing headlights located where the radiators are incorporated on the street C8. In order to comply with IMSA engine displacement rules, the C8.R will feature a 5.5-litre, naturally aspirated…

There was a time, back in the late Eighties and Nineties, when traditional American station wagons were decidedly uncool. If you were a modern family on the move, your choice of wheels was either a Minivan or an SUV. Today, both these types of vehicles have become so ubiquitous on North American roads that if you drive anything else you are essentially making a statement. As far as station wagons go, they are almost non-existent in the North American market today. The last truly traditional American wagons were the B-Body Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, Chevy Caprice Estate and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, which bit the dust after the 1996 model year. Since then, the soft roader onslaught has meant that just about any manufacturer, even some European and Japanese makes which…

To say that Ian McCallum has an avid interest in military vehicles would be an understatement and would not even half describe his passion for the subject. You see, his 1941 Ford C11AS station wagon is the 25th military vehicle that he has restored and, according to his wife, it will be his last! Ian is totally absorbed in military vehicles and is currently the chairman of the Norfolk Military Vehicle Group, a post he has held for the last seven years, although he has been active with the group since 1990. We’ll begin by taking a look at exactly what a Ford C11AS station wagon is, before delving into its most interesting history and subsequent restoration. Utilising the 1941 11A chassis, running gear and seven-seater station wagon body, only…

Mark Simon has been an American car fan for decades now and he’s owned no fewer than 11 impressive classics from the States in that time. But, until recently, he could never count a station wagon among them: “Back in the day, I was into kit cars and started with a Spartan running a straight six,” Mark remembers. “I moved on to a six-wheeled Hustler running a Mini engine - it was different, but resembled a mobile bus shelter.” A brief move towards the VW beach buggy scene came next, before Mark turned his attention to American metal. As we pointed out, that list of American classics he’s owned is impressive, to say the least. Beginning, modestly, with a 1983 Fiero, Mark’s also had the pleasure of owning a ’76…

“UTILISING DC HIGH-POWER CHARGING CAPABILITY MEANS YOU’LL BE ABLE TO RECHARGE 58 MILES OF RANGE IN JUST 10 MINUTES AT A HIGH-POWER CHARGING STATION, A NETWORK OF WHICH IS GROWING EVERY DAY...” On the eve of the 2019 LA Auto Show and also at this year’s SEMA show, Ford unveiled its Tesla challenger in the shape of the Mustang Mach-E. While the choice of name has drawn considerable criticism (some pundits decrying using the Mustang name as a cynical ploy to help sell a vehicle that not many people actually want) there’s no question that the Mach-E does represent a clean break from Ford’s previous electric vehicle endeavours and a move toward something far more dynamic and exciting to drive. Five trim levels When it goes on sale as a…

Each year the Classic Motor Show held at Birmingham’s NEC provides the setting for the UK’s biggest indoor classic car show, acting as the closing event of the year’s car show calendar. And for us here at Classic American it’s also the grand finale of the Car of the Year competition, this year sponsored by Kingstown Shipping and RH Insurance. As in previous years the Classic American stand was the biggest in the American section and provided the focal point in Hall 5. There were six Car of the Year finalists (one having had to withdraw unexpectedly) and two advertisers’ vehicles, including a stunning Chevelle that was nearing completion by Williams Brothers Racing/ OCS. The engine that had been built for this car was actually on display in the next…

DECEMBER 28 RONNIE ROCKETS Rock ‘n’ roll Jive Video Hops, sounds of the 40s & 50s. Siddal Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Siddal Lane, Halifax, HX3 9JS. 7.30-11.30 pm. No children allowed. Join us on Facebook, Ron Djrocket. email djrocket@virginmedia.com 2020 APRIL 10 WHEELS DAY Surrey Street Rodders’ annual season-opening shindig to raise money for charity and kick off the car show season for 2020. Expect to see Americans, hot rods, customs, British classics, bugs – basically anything and everything interesting on four wheels. John Price on the P/A and there are more traders than you can shake a stick at, including parts, food, bric-a-brac and plenty of activities for kids and all the family. For more information and registration (all show cars must be pre-registered) go to: www.wheelsday.net MAY 3 AACUK SPRING…

Vendor: Robert Gawthrop, Newmarket, Suffolk Telephone: 07979 655980 Price: £17,000 ovno Launched in 1968, the Corvette C3 was the longest-running model in production of any generation, lasting up until 1982. The Stingray name was now spelt as one word, last used in 1976, reappearing in 2014. Many milestones were reached while the C3 was in production. An all-time production record was established in 1979 (53,807) the 500,000th Corvette was produced in 1977, the Bowling Green plant opened in 1981 and a C3 paced the Indy 500 race meeting in 1978 for the first time. Our Drive-Buy 1979 Corvette C3 makes for an excellent example, finished in gleaming black paintwork, with an Oyster interior. It was imported into the UK around 1989 from Florida, and for the last 20 years has…

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Kingstown Shipping & RH Insurance Car of the Year competition, John and Charmaine Miller, whose stunning 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer won the prize after three long days of serious judging. John is the editor of the Pre-’50 American Auto Club’s magazine and is a real enthusiast of early ‘forward-look’ Mopars. With only 10,000 miles on the clock, this Dodge is every bit the survivor car, with its eye-catching tri-colour paintwork and immaculate interior. The drivetrain is a Super Red Ram 270cu in V8 motor and two-speed Torqueflite auto ’box, meaning it’s no slouch either. The only option added when purchased new was the Kelsey Hayes wheels, purchased by the original owner Ronald Kukula in June 1955 when the car was acquired from…

After an absence of a few years the Americana show is back on at Newark Showground – this time with new organisers, namely Ashfield Promotions. Paul Rowley spoke exclusively to Classic American about the event and his plans for the show in 2020: “There’s understandably been a lot of questions about our recent advert for the Americana International at Newark next year: who, where, what, when? So firstly, let’s talk about who. We are Ashfield Promotions Ltd and for many years we ran the Bulldog Bash at Stratford-upon-Avon, until sadly the site was sold. We have many years’ experience in the entertainment and festival industry. We have no connection with the original organisers of the Americana International.” Where? “Newark, the only place the Americana International should be held.” What? “Let’s…

NSRA swapmeet update As we go to press for the January issue, we’re still awaiting confirmation from the NSRA for the date of the very popular Southern Swapmeet. Its website and forum still say merely TBA (To Be Advised.) We have spoken to the guys and girls at the NSRA and they have told us that the NSRA Southern Swapmeet will be held in early March 2020. Once the paperwork has been completed the date will be publicised, so keep an eye out on the NSRA’s website, social media and of course here in Classic American. On a positive note, the NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals will be celebrating the event’s 30th anniversary in 2020... New raceway out west Sorry if you thought we meant somewhere down Devon or Cornwall way,…

Probably one of my all-time favourite wagons is the 1955 Chevrolet Nomad; the Harley Earl-designed two-door wagon is simply a stunning piece of automotive art. From any angle the Nomad oozes panache with its unpretentious smooth lines and is practical yet chic – it manages to keep the styling link with the two-door and four-door saloons beautifully and that wrap-around windshield is to die for! Based on the brand-new for ’55 stylish Bel Air, the Nomad was way ahead of its time, as General Motors threw down the gauntlet to other car builders. From that day on, wagons had to have the appeal of the original base models, yet also be utilitarian while looking sophisticated. The Nomad created its own slot in the market, with the ’55-’57 Tri Chevys giving…

New cars, the final word… Dear Classic American, Just a line to say I have reluctantly cancelled my subscription to Classic American. I ordered a new Mustang in 2016 and so subscribed to Modern American. Upon that mag’s demise I subscribed to, and enjoyed, Classic American. Until now – the bigoted attitude to new American car articles beggars belief. Cheerio! Nigel Cooper Ex-subscriber Very happy new Mustang owner! Okay, we’re not really sure what that’s all about; we haven’t changed the amount of new cars we feature, although there has been an ongoing debate among readers on this topic on these very pages. Shame, you won’t get to read about the new electric Mustang Mach-E that we’re featuring this month on page 64! Which way the Fifties? Dear Classic American,…

Sometimes you come across a car and an owner who could have been made for each other. Kimberley Knapman is a doctor from the west coast of Sweden, though she’s chosen a perfectly colour-coordinated nurse’s outfit for these shots. She’s had a thing for 1959 Buicks for quite a while and found this one on Craigslist, all the way over in California. And if you’re a medical practitioner with a thing for ’59 Buicks, why bother with a regular sedan, convertible or even station wagon, when you could have one of these? It’s an ambulance conversion made by the National Body Manufacturing Company of Knightstown, Indiana. We understand that Buick conversions are more commonly seen from another firm, Flxible (not a typo!) though Flxible itself was swallowed by National in…

The majority of engines make use of a crankshaft vibration damper, which normally consists of an outer metal ring bonded to the main damper body with a rubber insert. It’s used at the free end of the crank to remove the harmful vibration that’s present in an engine as a result of the firing forces exerted on the crank. Where space is limited, as with transverse mounted engines, the outer ring can also be used for the drive pulley; more often it’s for a wide serpentine belt. These dampers need to be checked for condition as deterioration of the rubber can lead to debris finding its way into the timing belt area, with serious consequences. Look for excessive movement/noise of the spring loaded belt tensioner. On externally balanced V8 engines…

1. This is the first Dodge Aspen we have ever featured on the Discoveries page. Introduced in 1976 as a successor to the A-body Dodge Dart, this, and its Plymouth Volaré sibling, sold well initially. However, the cars soon gained a reputation for poor reliability, which put a serious dent in production figures. It would be replaced by the Dodge Aries in 1981. This 1977 coupe, which features a T-top, was photographed in a Texan salvage yard. 2. More than 144,000 Studebaker Champions found buyers in 1951, including this example. It’s been sat in the Georgia undergrowth for decades, and although it looks relatively sound from this angle, in actual fact it has some serious corrosion issues. 3. This 1960 Lincoln Continental two-door has been parked up outside a derelict…

It started early in 2013 with our 1929 Ariel motorcycle which we transported to meetings in a Ford Connect van. We had been talking about changing the van for something a bit more interesting and, having attended American car meets with a friend and his day van, we thought we could combine both vehicle interests by having an American vehicle to transport our British motorcycle. One dull Saturday morning in January, we went on to an American website to have a look at what was available. We initially thought a pick-up would be ideal, but when this Chevy 3100 panel van came up, we knew it was the one. We couldn’t speak to the seller in Florida until Monday but he then sent numerous photos of the van and, even…

There are an awful lot of classic car and sports car owners that champ at the bit for something to do at weekends – somewhere to take their cars and have a chat with like-minded enthusiasts. In recent years we have seen the introduction and success of Breakfast Club meetings at Goodwood, Wilton House, the Haynes Museum and elsewhere. The latest is the Winchester Auto Barn and Drivers’ Club, out in the sticks at Sutton Scotney, seven miles north of Winchester. They sell classic cars and also service, repair and MoT both classics and moderns. They also sell motoring memorabilia. I popped along to their October meet where some 150-ish cars turned up, including several American cars and trucks. Owner Niall Holden and his six-strong team laid on Danish pastries,…