This is where you can find info related to Muscle cars! If you are a motor head, you've come to the right place. I'll do my best to provide you with interesting info, photo's and stories on all things Muscle cars and Bitchin rides!
This Impala was my sister's husband's car. The previous owner of the 1964 Impala before my brother-in-law, was his dear friend who unfortunately passed away and my brother-in-law bought the car. Click on the pictures for larger views.
The Impala was very nice, but, has now moved on to a new owner...hopefully she isn't sporting a bobble-head and ball-fringe!
This Impala Sport Coupe even has the tissue holder!
It is a great car.
I will soon share with you, pictures of my sister and her husband's Camaro restoration. It's a beauty too!
Ok people, this car has to be regarded as one of the most beautiful, iconic cars of all time. This post is one my sister can appreciate, she LOVES Jags.
Introduced in 1961, it has been lusted after ever since, appearing on teenage boys (and girls) bedroom walls, mens garages, and in movies like Austin Powers, where it served as the international man of mystery's Shaguar. (If you are not familiar with the term shag, you better grab your Funk & Wagnalls!)
It's been over 30 years since the XKE went to cat heaven, but, it's spirit lives on in a new breed of sleek Jaguar coupes and convertibles.
The latest Jaguar XK-Series maintains classic design cues like the oval grille, but adds a thoroughly modern all-aluminum body and high-tech features designed to better defend Britain against German competition.
After viewing such luxury and sleek beauty, I don't need a drink to unwind....I'm totally intoxicated just from the pictures of these Jags.
The Thunderbird, such a classy car. My father loved his T-Bird and to this day he still gets lusty-eyed when anyone mentions that car.
I remember it well. It was a deep teal metallic blue with a white Landau top. My sister who is 2 years older than I, used to ride in the back seat with me. The white upholstery curved around in the corners and I remember watching my dad prop his hand up on the tip of the steering wheel with a cigarette burning between his fingers and the left arm perched out the window. My dad was very handsome and I was too young to notice, but I'm sure he turned many heads as he drove that gorgeous car.
I'm not sure when he sold it but I imagine it had a lot to do with the fact that he had 4 kids and lived in suburbia Los Angeles with a mortgage. It must have been a sad day when he had to climb in behind the wheel of our new station wagon!
Dad never has heard how the mysterious dents and scrapes appeared on the lower left drivers side under the door, but I know how they got there! My oldest sister got to drive the T-Bird from time to time and one night when she had permission to go to the drive-in was when those now infamous dents and scratches came to be.
For those of you too young to know about drive-in theaters, well, you missed a pretty cool era. The theater was set up in a series of rows with gradual curves that faced the huge screen where the movie was projected onto. On each row there were concrete ovals that had a metal post where 2 speakers were mounted with a cord so you could pull up next to the post, grab your speaker and place it on your window, that's how you listened to the movie. The cord was only a few feet long so a person needed to get as close to the post as possible.
I'm sure by now you are starting to understand those scratches. My sister was being careful, as careful as any 17 year old is when she has a car filled with her girlfriends, at the drive-in, looking for cute guys. Well the T-Bird was low to the ground and the concrete oval that the speaker post is mounted to was a little more than curb height, she got too close and screeeeecccchhh, crrrruunch, grrrind....the beloved 1965 Thunderbird mistress was no longer pristine!
My sister's only saving grace is that my father used to have cocktail time and I think he might blame himself for the dents. Either that or my oldest sister was his favorite and she just got away with it! Whatever the case may be, the dents are never mentioned when the T-Bird is talked about.
To this day I have a little chuckle when I hear the song Fun, fun, fun by the Beachboys. Listen to it and you get a pretty good idea of what went on that night at the drive-in!
ArrrrrrrrG! More snow! Now you can all see why I am hating winter and wishing for summer! I took this picture today, January 26, 2009. It was a balmy -12 degree's while I was taking the pic. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, but if my family didn't live here I would be soooooo gone!
I was amazed a few days back when I came across a post in a forum where someone was actually asking where they could find snow tires for their beloved muscle car! Is it just me or do other people think it's simply insane to put snow tires on your classic car and attempt to drive it in winter weather conditions?!
Personally, I won't even take my Cougar out in the rain, so I can't fathom taking a risk of driving it in the snow, and furthermore, what a disgrace to put ugly bland snow tires on anything as gorgeous as a classic car!
This should just make you smile. If your heart is not feeling a bit lighter after watching this video then I would suggest you seek therapy right away!
Now go out and make it a good day. I'll be back with car info.
1967 Ford Nite Mare FastBack. This is the car that Eleanor wants to be when it grows up. A serious Hand Built Custom Pro Touring Mustang. This is a Joint effort from two of the Top restoration Companies: Custom Classic Restorations in ILL and Billups Auto Body in Oklahoma. The two shops worked together for 10 months to produce this truly incredible Pro Touring Mustang. (source- Custom Classic Autos)
Visit their site. I've placed a link in the brackets above. These cars are very expensive, but, WOW are they ever beautiful!
Yesterday I whined about winter being too long, well since I have no influence over Mother Nature I decided to spend some time daydreaming about buying another muscle car...of course buying one would require money and since I haven't won the lottery, a new anything is pretty much staying a daydream, for the moment anyway!
Here are a few sites I like to go to when I want to see what's out there and available for my wish-list:
During the winter months, my Cougar goes into hibernation. Even on the nice sunny winter days, I might be tempted to take her out for a drive but where I live those days are rare so she just sits all winter.
Here are some useful tips for winterizing your muscle car...she will appreciate it and reward you with a Summer full of driving excitement, fun and unadulterated pleasure!
The Muscle Car Club, an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of all American muscle cars, offers these tips for the owners of collectible cars and other vehicles that will be up on blocks this winter:
1. Protect your fuel system. To keep the gas fresh and the system safe, add a container of fuel stabilizer to the gas tank, and fill the tank to the top right before putting the vehicle into storage. Take the collectible car for a brief drive before putting it in the garage so the stabilized fuel will circulate throughout the system.
2. Drain the cooling system (including the radiator) and refill it with a rust-inhibiting antifreeze.
3. Change the oil and filter. Make sure the oil contains corrosion protection.
4. Hook up a battery charger/maintainer to keep the battery alive.
5. Protect your tires. If you can’t store the vehicle up on jack stands and don’t want to remove the wheels and tires, let some air out of the tires to reduce strain on the shocks and other suspension components.
6. Protect the paint. Give the collectible car a good end-of-season washing, dry it thoroughly and apply a protective coat of wax. Cover the car with a breathable cloth cover (plastic covers will trap condensation and provide a fertile breeding ground for rust).
7. Protect vinyl, leather and rubber. If the vehicle will be stored in a dry climate, it's wise to apply a preservative to prevent seats, armrests and dash pads from cracking. Likewise, a good coat of rust inhibitor applied to unpainted metal surfaces will prevent rust.
8. Provide critter protection. All kinds of small animals find vehicle wiring, seats and carpet delectable, and they think cars and trucks make a nice den, too. To keep critters out, place mothballs inside a vehicle, including under the dash, and cover the tailpipe. Or, for total protection, store the vehicle inside a cocoon that seals it completely from the elements.
9. Store convertibles with the top up. Convertible tops can actually shrink if they are left in the down position for an extended period of time.(courtesy of Car Accessories Magazine)
I am hoping for Winter to fly by. I'm sick and tired of the snow! As far as I'm concerned, Summer can just drop the standard operating procedure this year and breeze right on in this January!
The Custom Motor Show 2009 is the UK's first American classiccar show open to all motoring and bike enthusiasts!
The Custom Motor Show will take place over the weekend of 3rd, 4th & 5th of April 2009 at FIVE Farnborough, and is open to all motoring and bike enthusiasts. Limousines, American classic cars, custom vehicles, hot rod, trucks, rigs, motorhomes and bikes are all welcome. For more information on this event you can visit Custom Motor Show 2009
Way to go UK!
The site that I have linked above for you is packed full of information on how to register, events planned, entertainment, accommodations, venue details and loads more. Check it out.
I had the deep joy of getting to buy new tires for my Jeep in December, yes, I'm being sarcastic. There was no joy involved in the purchase, but I did learn something.
I had heard of having tires siped but had never taken the time to learn why it should be done or if there was really any advantage to siping. When I bought the new tires for the Jeep at Les Schwab, the salesperson asked if I'd like my tires siped so I did a little research and determined that siping is worth the minimal extra cost involved.
Here's what I learned:
You will experience improved braking
Better traction
Smoother ride
Siping is done by placing a new or used tire on a machine that rotates the tire while making small 90 degree cuts in the tread. These cuts are virtually invisible to the eye, but you should experience improved driving conditions. I sure did!
From what I read, siping will not have an adverse effect on the life of the tire, in fact, some sources indicated siping could extend the life of the tire.
The tread of the tire retains it's strength due to the spiral cutting process used when siping. This process leaves uncut areas keeping your tread strong.
Heat generated while driving is a common cause of wear on tires, siping reduces the heat and its effect on the tire by allowing it to cool. The siped tire runs cooler due to the heat dipersing effect of the sipes. The heat on the tire is isolated into smaller groups and air passing between these areas cause a natural cooling effect. (quoted from Les Schwab Tires)
With the wicked winter diving conditions of the roads in my area of the northwest this winter, I have noticed a huge advantage to having the siped tires, along with the fact that my tires are new traction tires. I'm very pleased with the results of siping and look forward to seeing any improvements in my driving experience this spring and summer.
So that's my info on siping. You decide and I welcome your comments on the subject.
The Lady
extends the window allowed for maximum brakingpower by giving the existingtread a helping hand.
Wow what a winter! I cannot believe it is already January and my blog has been so neglected, but, life has a way of crowding out the things that might not be as crucial in the list of things that need doing. It's all about survival and a pecking order, my blogging fell down the list. I'm determined to allow myself this luxury though so here goes!
Winter hit the northwest with a vengeance this year. The area where I live got at least 4 feet of snow accumulation in the last week of 2008 and the first week of 2009. It was beautiful to look at, but braving the roads in that amount of snow just sucks! I have to say, my trusty old Jeep Grand Cherokee can go almost anywhere if you drive it with a brain engaged. My teen daughter's were very appreciative of the Jeep and they both did a great job of operating a four wheel drive responsibly.
Now that the holidays are over, I am looking forward to a great year in 2009! I hope you all enter this new year with enthusiasm, hope, goals and perseverance.
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