#he has a pristine working t model ford

[sans-guy]

What's your take on Mafiafell Sans?

big monster man kill me

in all seriousnesses i Love anything to do with prohibition era it's all so fascinating to me

the music, the dress, the way people used to talk and ifkd literally everything. my own sona's story is gonna based around that time too so. sfsg.

[luxekook]

bangtan host club ❯ part i

❯ pairing: ot7 x reader

❯ genre: ouran au, college au, crack, smut

❯ summary: when you had decided to take summer lessons at your college, you hadn’t factored in the impending presence of seven insufferably attractive and arrogant boys… the bangtan host club. 

❯ word count: 2.1k

❯ warnings: 18+, cursing, suggestive language, terrible pet names, excessive dramatics

❯ banner by: maggie @kimtaehyunq​

a/n: while this fic is loosely based off of the anime version of ouran highschool host club, it is set in university - meaning that all of the boys are of age (at least 21 years old)

host club members

❯ Kim Namjoon as “Kyoya Ootori” ❯ Kim Seokjin as “Tamaki Suoh” ❯ Min Yoongi as “Takashi ‘Mori’ Morinozuka” ❯ Jung Hoseok as “Mitsukuni ‘Honey’ Haninozuka” ❯ Park Jimin as “Hikaru Hitachiin” ❯ Kim Taehyung as “Kaoru Hitachiin” ❯ Jung Jungkook as “Haruhi Fujioka”

Taking summer classes had never been on my agenda, my studies having been mapped out in detail since the day I arrived on campus three years ago. And then the university’s president suddenly has this utterly groundbreaking epiphany and adjusts the curriculum to “ensure that all students will leave Bangtan University well-rounded”. 

Screw that. My ass is already well-rounded enough, thank you very much.

But despite my best efforts (i.e. begging President Kim to make an exception followed by crafting a petition that gained over ten thousand signatures), I have found that there is no avoiding the dastardly new physical education requirement. And since my schedule for my upcoming senior year has been planned and set for literal years, I’ve been forced to enroll in the sole summer physical education class offered at Bangtan University - Introduction to Weight Lifting.

I wish I was kidding.

To say that I am dreading the start of class tomorrow would be an extreme understatement. I’ll be lucky to escape this summer without physical injury or the loss of my dignity. Athletics have never been my strong suit, and I’ve only entered our campus gym to go to the smoothie bar.

Groaning at just the mere thought of working out and being graded for it, I trek down the streets of outer campus towards the library, swearing under my breath and sweating profusely.

It’s a blazing hot, blue-skied Sunday in July. Typically, I would be lying on a beach somewhere with a drink in my hand, soaking in the warmth of the sun with joy. But instead, here I am, sweltering and desperate for air conditioning after my ancient window unit wheezed its final breath last night. The comfortable chill of the library is my only hope aside from my landlord who promised to fix my air conditioning by tomorrow.

My frustration builds as I turn onto the block lined with imposing and picturesque estates in which the upper echelon of Bangtan University resides. I’d bet the very last ice-pack in my freezer that these houses have unfailing central air.

I pick up my pace, worn Doc Marten platform sandals slapping against the hot pavement. The pristine mansions seem to mock my distress as they exude the coolness of unbothered wealth. Despite there being no Greek life here at Bangtan University, the lack of letters emblazoned on the numerous estates I pass does not symbolize a lack of status. 

This block is home to the athletic teams who throw massive parties whenever they happen to be in the off-season. It’s also home to the legacy clubs - the exclusive groups of current students who are relatives of past alumni.

And last but not least, this block is home to the infamous Bangtan Host Club, a small group of idle rich boys with exceptionally good looks and a penchant for entertaining. 

The aforementioned group’s house comes into view as I draw nearer to campus. The host club’s mansion sits on the corner lot right across the street from campus. Typically, students are wary of such proximity - but not those boys. No, they’re un-phased, throwing massive parties every weekend without fail and without repercussion.

During my first semester, I had been confused as to why their parties had never been shut down; but now I know better. The host club’s president Kim Seokjin is the son of none other than the fucking president of the university - the very same man who damned me to my weight lifting fate.

In fact, almost the entire host club is related to someone with influence - either at the university or within the surrounding community. The only exception to the wealth factor is Jeon Jungkook, who attends Bangtan University on a scholarship not unlike myself.

About 99% of the university are host club stans. As for me? I don’t subscribe to that bullshit. And I do mean literally ‘subscribe’. They have newsletters, merch and everything. I would say I don’t understand it at all, but a small part of me does.

They’re fucking gorgeous. Like I’m talking Tom Ford at New York Fashion Week gorgeous. Armani catalogue centerfold gorgeous. Goddamn Sports Illustrated Men’s Swimsuit Edition gorgeous. 

In fact, I’m pretty sure Kim Seokjin actually does model in his spare time. With his long limbs, broad shoulders and pillowy lips, Seokjin certainly has the features for it. My freshman year roommate bought so many posters of Seokjin from the host club’s merch website I think I could identify him from a hundred yards away in the dark. 

“Hey!” The bellow emanates from the porch of the host club’s house and jolts me from my memories, “Hey, princess!”

I let out a snort. Whoever that pet name is directed at needs to shut that down immediately. I mean, ‘princess’? In this economy? Please. I need off this block ASAP.

“Hello? I’m talking to you, angel!” 

The voice sounds closer now, and my eyes squeeze shut. Oh god, this person cannot be talking to me, can they?

Princess? Angel?

The sheer absurdity pushes me onward, and I do not spare a single glance in the direction where the inane greetings originated. Alas, I barely make it two feet before a tall figure screeches to a halt in front of me, panting like he had just run a marathon. 

I blink as I take in the very boy who just crossed my mind a minute earlier. Kim Seokjin looms over me, chest heaving and smile gleaming.

“Cupcake, hello!” his smile grows wider, “Why didn’t you answer me? I was talking to you.”

My brain is trying to wrap itself around the unfathomable phenomenon I’m currently witnessing. The host club president is beaming down at me like I’m the last custom Rolex ever made. His white t-shirt that probably costs more than my rent stretches across his shoulders in a way that has to be illegal. 

A bead of sweat drips down my back between my shoulder blades. I don’t have time for this attractive detour; I only have time for a long sip of iced water and a seat under an air conditioning vent somewhere deep within the recesses of the quiet library.

“Were you?” I shrug, looking over his illegally broad shoulder and plotting my escape, “I didn’t realize, considering my name isn’t princess, angel or cupcake.”

I inwardly cringe at my tone. I have a tendency to be irritable when the weather is hot, and it seems like today is no exception.

Seokjin stares down at me, his cocky expression wavering for a split second before snapping back into place. “Well, tell me your name then, sunshine, so that I may cordially invite you to the host club’s latest summer extravaganza!” His dark brown eyes sparkle as he remains seemingly impervious to my building ire, beaming down at me.

“No, thank you,” I shake my head decisively and attempt to sidestep around him. 

None of my friends are on campus for the summer, and there is no way I'm going alone to a party full of strangers. That just screams bad decisions, just like the time I willingly ate the dining hall’s “Mystery Meat Special” during my second semester.

Seokjin cuts off my path yet again, and my scowl intensifies as I glare up at him, “Could you move, please?”

Seokjin gapes back at me, “D-don’t you want to come to our party?” I stare at him with eyebrows raised. He continues at a higher decibel, “Don’t you know who I am?”

The nerve of this boy. My eyes scrunch shut as I send a quick plea to anyone out there in the universe to send me patience and then internally count backwards from ten. 

“Yes, I know who you are, Kim,” I finally say, completely exasperated, “And no, I still don’t want to go to your party.”

Seokjin is gobsmacked, looking like he’s seen a ghost as he stands before me open-mouthed. For a second, I allow myself to indulge one more time in his attractiveness, my eyes wandering along his toned torso, his muscular arms, his high cheekbones, his messy brown hair. 

And then he bounces back, snapping his fingers, “Aha! I know what this is. You’re playing hard to get! Okay, I can play along with you, sunshine.”

It’s my turn to gape at him this time, watching as he mumbles to himself about how I must want him to beg for me and how he would just love to do so. I’m about to put a stop to this madness when he spreads his arms wide and announces loud enough for the entire block to hear, “Sunshine, please, attend our party! My heart longs for your presence, and I will only be happy if I can have your arm in mine next Friday night...”

I’m honestly beginning to worry about the boy in front of me. Is he completely unhinged? Am I being Punk’d right now? 

Seokjin prattles on, “So, my sun, my moon, my stars, will you please do me the honor of joining me for a night of fun courtesy of the host club? No guest has yet to be disappointed and—!”

I finally just reach up and cover his mouth with my palm, steadfastly ignoring how plush his lips feel against my skin. “Kim Seokjin!” I hiss, “I promise I am not playing hard to get. I simply do not want to go to your party. Now, please, for the love of god, let me walk by you in peace.”

Loud bursts of laughter sound immediately after I finish speaking, and I whip around to locate the source. Two boys jog over to where Seokjin and I are standing on the pavement. Their laughter doesn’t subside with their approach. If anything, it grows louder.

“Oh, come on, pres,” the pink-haired boy who I know to be Park Jimin jeers, his melodic giggles punctuating each word. “Is this how you plan on handling your first rejection?”

My eyebrows pull together in confusion as I turn to face Seokjin, only to find him lying dramatically on the lawn in front of his house with one arm throw over his face.

“Go away, Jimin,” Seokjin groans, ripping out a handful of grass and throwing it at the other boy. Obviously, he doesn't calculate for the wind and sputters when the grass blows back in his face.

“Boss, you’ve really hit a new low,” the blue-haired boy - Kim Taehyung - grins as he looks back and forth between me and the over-the-top performance happening on the lawn. All Seokjin does in return is flip Taehyung off, seeming to have learned from his grass-throwing lesson.

Well, there’s no need for me to stay a second longer within this realm of crazy.

I turn on my heel and head off towards the library, renewed in my desperation for the relief of blissfully cold air.

Alas, I don’t get too far before the two boys with colorful hair are in front of me - each with an arm thrown over the other’s shoulders. 

“Well, well, well… I must say,” Taehyung drawls.

“You’re quite an intriguing little thing,” Jimin cocks his head, looking me up and down. I try in vain to steel myself against the heated assessments both boys are giving me.

I’d heard a lot about these two - most of it being completely outlandish and borderline unbelievable. Do they really do everything together?

It’s as if that thought is written all over my face as the smirks grow on the faces of Jimin and Taehyung. “If you don’t want to come to our party for Jin-hyung…”

“Will you come for us?” Taehyung finishes Jimin’s thought, and I am almost certain that he intended for that question to be as suggestive as it sounded.

Before I can even attempt to answer, Seokjin launches up from the ground and barges in between the two boys. “Yah! That is no way to speak to a lady! Have I taught you nothing? Don’t you fools remember lesson number fifty-two on being a good host?”

“We didn’t say anything inappropriate, pres,” Taehyung shrugs, looking pleased with how riled up the older boy is growing. His pink-haired counterpart grins, “If anything, you’re the one with the dirty mind, twisting our innocent words into such filth.”

It’s as if Seokjin is struck by lightning - his shock turning him pale as a ghost before the redness overtakes him. I cannot tell if it’s due to embarrassment or anger. All I know is that I need to bounce.

When Mt. Seokjin finally erupts, I slink away and practically jog across the street to campus. Ah, free at last...

a/n: this is part one in my host club series! originally i was going to make this a giant one-shot but i figured i would just break it up into smaller pieces so that i could get some content out uwu

© luxekook do not repost, edit or translate

[amortm]

      *  𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒  𝐔𝐏  ,  pretty  kitties  !   i'm  terribly  sorry  abt  my  absence  on  the  dash  alongside  you  angels  ,  &  trust  that  i’m  fully  embarrassed  of  my  slow  ass  ,  but  i  finally  typed  this  baby  out  ,  &  i  can’t  wait  for  y’all  to  meet  my  love  ,  𝒋𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔  !

*  ╰   it’s  an  absolute  dishonour  to  meet  you ,   julianna  /  jules  .  at   twenty - one  ,  you’ve  disgraced  the   peralta   family  name  &  failed  to  carry  on  their  legacy  as  an  elite  .  as  a  result  ,  they’ve  requested  that  we  at  the  academy  do  our  best  to  rid  you  of  your  venality  ,  & seeing  as  though  they’re  worth  86m  ,  we  dutifully  obliged  .  while  your   pleonastic  &  inexorable  attributes  have  always  promised  failure  ,  it’s  your  spar  with   pride  &  ghosting  your  breakout  acting  role  after  you  found  out  your  daddy  secured  it  for  you   that  got  you  committed  .  before  we  take  possession  of  you  ,  it’s  imperative  that  we  know  that  you  are  a   cisfem  who  prefers   she  &  her  pronouns  ,  &  you  resemble   diana  silvers  .  your  birthday  is  on   april  26th  ,  making  you  a  recalcitrant  taurus  ,  &  you  were  transported  to  us  all  the  way  from   vail  ,  co  .  at  the  present  time  ,  you  work  off  campus  at   seaside  florist  .  go  ahead  &  purchase  that  extra  large  suitcase  ,  disgrace  .  you’re  going  to  need  it . 

your  name  /  age  /  pronouns  /  timezone  /  etc  .

hiya  loves  !   i  go  by  blue  &  she  /  her  pronouns  ,   i’m  9teen  ,   &  i’m  a  pst  baby  !   i’m  one  of  the  six  lovely  admins  @  #unholy  ,   &  they’re  all  superstars  ,   so  imagine  my  daily  awe  !   anyway  ,   i’m  beyond  excited  to  finally  get  the  ball  rolling  ,   &  share  the  dash  with  you  babes  !

 muse  inspo  .

noora  sætre  ,   the  goldfinch  ,   ella  of  frell  ,   neil  perry  ,   charlie  dalton  ,   claire  saffitz  ,   monica  geller  ,   carla  lalli  music  ,   mia  thermopolis  ,   adam  parrish  ,   blue  sargent  ,   anna  ou  !

 character  details  :

    💐 :   sweetly  judgmental  ,  adoringly  vindictive   /   vindictively  adoring  ,   witty  ‘n  gritty  ,   bitingly  tender  ,   expressively  stubborn  ,   softly  feral  !

    😈 :   hershey’s  chocolate  ,   brooklyn  pizza  ,   baguettes  ,   collector  edition  copies  of  wuthering  heights  ,   selfies  ,   her  mom  ,   richard  siken  anthologies  ,   twilight  (  #teamedward  )  ,   crowded  movie  theaters  ,   english  gardens  ,   the  air  in  new  york  ,   the  air  in  vail  ,   snowboarding  ,   her  hair  ,   hot  chocolate  (  no  whipped  cream  ,   half  a  bag  of  mini  marshmallows  dumped  atop  )  ,   andrew  garfield  ,   her  discover  weekly  playlist  ,   german  shepherds  ,   harry  potter  ,   lord  of  the  rings  ,   comedies  ,   horror  movies ,   nude  lipstick  ,   chocolate  chip  toffee  cookies  with  sea  salt  drizzled  on  top  ,   mamma  mia  franchise  ,   dissertations  ,   driving  ,   any  typa  jacket  /  coat  ,   being  the  big  spoon  ,   her  father  ,   coca  cola  ,   lilies  ,   disney  t - shirts  ,   her  father’s  films  ,   take  out  ,   farms  ,   italy  (  every  single  crevice  of  it  )  ,   the  plaza  hotel  ,   mint  chip  ice  cream  ,   hats  ,   trains ,   monthly  horoscopes  ,  ancient  history  ,   greenwich  village  ,   maggie  rogers  ,   mating  ritual  ,   vampire  weekend  ,   mitski  ,   the  wombats  ,   magic  bronson  ,   jade  bird  ,   hockey  ,   pretending  to  be  a  fairy / witch  /  mermaid  as  a  child  ,   naruto  ,   avatar  the  last  airbender  ,   stepping  over  state  /  country  lines  ,   hot  water  with  honey  ,   amazon  prime  !

    👿 :   the  marvel  franchise  except  for  the  captain  america  &  thor  trilogies  ,   coffee  &  tea  ,   shorts  ,   sweet  potatoes  ,   layovers  of  any  length  ,   socks  ,   soy  milk  ,   her  arms  ,   chihuahuas  ,   a  song  of  fire  &  ice  novels  ,   super  fudgy  /  rich  cake  &  brownies  ,   cooking  for  herself  ,   being  told  what  to  do  ,   being  wrong  &  having  everyone  know  it  ,   people  who  are  rude  to  employees  ,   bad  tipping  ,   margaret  atwood  ,   her  first  grade  teacher  ,   plastic  coke  bottles  ,   too  much  pepper  in  a  dish  !

 upbringing  &  family  life  ,  life  before  the  academy  ,  etc  .

     julianna  rachel  peralta  was  born  to  a  beauty  -  charmed  family  of  three  ,   with  a  new  yorker  mother  &  italian  father  birthing  the  healthiest  &  happiest  girl  parents  can  dream  for  .    her  mother  ,  susanna  ‘ susie ’  peters  ,   was  coined  the  model  that  pioneered  90′s  fashion  ,  a  la  kate  moss  ,   &  met  julianna’s  father  ,   elio  peralta   (  think  the  francis  ford  coppola  of  this  verse  )  ,   whilst  she  was  briefly  on  set  for  jack  to  see  friend  fran  drescher  .    their  love  stemmed  from  there  ,   after  she  made  a  mocking  comment  &  he  overhead  &  mocked  her  in  return  for  it  ,   &  the  whirlwind  romance  that  captivated  their  world  for  the  next  few  years  led  to  miss  jules  being  born  .    neither  of  her  parents  desired  marriage  from  each  other  ,   rather  believing  that  their  love  knew  no  bounds  ,   even  those  of  matrimony  ,   but  never  did  it  dim  the  bond  held  between  the  small  family  of  three  .    once  jules  was  in  their  arms  ,   they  relocated  from  new  york  to  colorado  ,   into  the  quaint  town  of  vail  ,   surrounded  by  pristine  mountains  &  crystalline  air  ,   where  susie  &  elio  found  a  pocket  of  indisputable  peace  after  a  small  winter  trip  in  their  first  year  of  romance  .

        it  was  there  that  jules  grew  up  ,   &  there  that  the  love  of  her  parents  faltered  .    her  mother  missed  the  world  of  fashion  ,   the  rhythms  &  rhymes  of  the  space  she  knew  as  well  as  in  maintaining  the  fame  that  spotlighted  her  so  ,   while  elio’s  passions  for  turning  out  film  after  film  dwindled  .    &  when  the  offer  from  vogue  came  in  ,   waxing  poetic  about  a  fresh  position  as  a  fashion  editor  ,   both  she  &  elio  knew  that  their  paths  would  veer  .    their  love  was  no  less  ,   but  integral  factors  of  their  relationship  were  now  fractured  ,   &  they  each  desired  after  different  things  .    this  was  all  said  to  julianna  ,   in  soft  tones  &  with  assuring  words  .    yet  ,   never  was  it  promised  that  everything  would  be  the  same  as  it  was  ,   for  the  truth  was  in  something  unsaid  .    susie  moved  to  new  york  ,   while  elio  &  jules  stayed  in  that  mansion  in  the  mountains  ,   &  all  was  as  fair  &  well  as  it  could  be  ,   with  julianna  staying  with  her  mom  during  the  fall  season  &  discovering  every  little  piece  of  italy  in  the  summers  .    christmases  &  hanukkahs  were  always  shared  in  vail  ,   &  susie  tagged  along  european  dives  when  her  schedule  allowed  for  it  .    it  was  as  if  their  relationship  &  subsequent  uncoupling  were  trivial  details  no  one  could  bother  to  account  for  ,  until  ,   in  the  worst  spot  she’s  ever  seen  her  mother  ,   it  came  out  that  elio  peralta  found  a  new  woman  to  share  a  life  with  ,   &  that  their  new  life  together  would  be  housed  in  the  same  home  that  susie  &  elio  specially  chose  &  ,   in  emotional  terms  ,  truly  built  themselves  &  carved  their  family  in  its  foundations  .    it  was  a  betrayal  of  the  deepest  caliber  ,   &  from  there  the  small  peace  that  still  was  at  the  core  of  their  little  family  was  forever  severed  ,   &  it  became  obvious  to  jules  that  those  few  years  were  lucky  .

     she  was  thirteen  when  famed  actress  lily  taylor  (  aka  jennifer  connely  lmao  )  moved  into  her  family  home  ,   bringing  her  adopted  eleven - year - old  twins  with  her  .    in  a  sense  of  loyalty  to  her  mother  &  her  own  hurt  over  the  despair  that  her  father  caused  their  original  trio  ,   jules  was  heartily  &  positively  prepared  to  hate  the  new  additions  to  her  family  with  a  vindictive  fidelity  .    her  plan  was  promptly  overturned  ,   however  ,   when  she  spent  day  upon  day  with  her  new  fam  &  steadily  allowed  them  into  her  heart  .    this  ,   of  course  ,   was  paired  with  doubtless  guilt  ,   spurred  on  by  her  own  mind  whenever  she  flew  to  nyc  to  see  her  mother  ,   but  soon  enough  this  was  caught  by  each  of  her  parents  ,   &  susie  was  insistent  in  her  assurance  that  whatever  frigidness  she  still  held  for  elio  &  his  new  beau   (  which  julianna  didn’t  bother  to  correct  with  wife  )   ,   it  in  no  way  extends  nor  should  be  mimicked  by  her  .    elio  ,   in  turn  ,   was  quick  to  promise  to  jules  that  his  love  for  her  mother  flamed  in  his  heart  to  this  day  ,   but  each  of  them  are  happier  living  their  lives  in  the  lifestyles  they’ve  chosen  ,   with  the  people  they’ve  chosen  .    

      there  really  wasn’t  anything  to  do  but  swallow  their  words  ,   &  live  by  the  sentiments  they  expressed  .   jules  was  both  a  mama’s  &  daddy’s  girl  in  one  ,   so  to  take  their  words  as  fact  was  an  ignorance  she  allowed  herself  ,   even  when  the  hurt  look  on  her  mother’s  faced  inevitably  shone  through  in  hidden  moments  .

     but  when  jules  turned  seventeen  ,   susie  fell  in  love  with  a  musician  /  designer  named  tommy  lever  she  met  while  interviewing  his  collection  for  vogue  ,  &  the  two  fell  deep  ,  far  enough  to  sway  susie  into  moving  to  brazil  during  the  spring  season  ,  away  from  her  beloved  manhattan  loft  ,  to  be  with  him  in  his  home  (  the  link  is  crucial  to  his  characterization  lmao  ,  as  lenny  kravitz  is  essentially  tommy  lever  )  .   when  she  can  ,  jules  visits  as  often  as  she’s  allowed  (  always  )  &  has  gained  a  room  herself  .

      after  that  ,   however  ,   the  cycle  between  her  various  homes  continued  ,   well  into  her  slipping  teendom  ,   &  when  the  prospect  of  college  crunched  down  on  her  ,   the choice  seemed  inevitable  .   nyu  gained  a  classics  &  theater  major  for  its  class  of  2019  (  she  skipped  the  third  grade  ,  a  fact  she  didn’t  stop  bragging  about  at  that  age  )  ,   but  in  her  senior  year  of  university  ,   the  walls  came  crashing  down  .

 what  sin  are  they  categorized  under  ?  why ?

jules  belongs  to  the  sin  of  #pride  through  &  through  .   after  all  ,   if  there  was  one  damning  trait  to  send  her  straight  into  the  pits  of  burning  infernos  ,  her  prideful  sense  of  self  would  be  it  .   that’s  not  to  say  she’s  arrogant  (  nor  am  i  saying  she  isn’t  )  ,  but  it’s  more  that  she  can’t  take  being  undermined  or  allow  the  supposed  undermining  to  go  unpunished  .   she  has  a  great  deal  of  #pride  in  her  own  self  worth  &  capabilities  ,  though  she’s  usually  loathe  to  make  it  known  in  plain  terms  ,  &  if  she  feels  attacked  in  that  manner  ,  she’ll  completely  close  up  .   this  often  ,  as  you’ll  surely  be  able  to  tell  ,   beckons  problematic  shit  .

 what  got  them  sent  to  the  academy  ?

      during  jules’  senior  year  at  nyu  ,  she  was  contacted  by  her  agent  (  shared  with  her  father  )  &  offered  an  audition  for  a  leading  role  in  a  major  hollywood  studio  film  .   throughout  the  years  ,  she  dabbled  in  theater  &  attracted  a  starring  role  or  two  along  the  way  ,  especially  in  school  productions  ,   but  the  plan  for  success  was  always  envisioned  after  college  .   when  she  got  the  call  ,  however  ,  she  handled  it  with  a  happy - go - lucky  fuck  it  sort  of  approach  ,  &  a  week  later  ,  when  she  received  the  good - bearing  call  ,  there  was  no  backing  out  ,  or  so  she  thought  .   tentatively  dropping  out  of  the  semester  in  which  she  would  graduate  ,  jules  modeled  the  next  few  months  of  her  life  around  the  film  ,  happily  doing  so  .   

      yet  ,  the  first  week  into  rehearsals  brought  down  a  cloud  so  dark  she  thought  she’d  choke  under  it  .   she  overheard  a  few  producers  on  their  lunch  break  ,  talking  about  this - & - that - esque  bullshit  ,  but  just  as  she  was  passing  ,  one  of  them  made  a  comment  about  the  peralta  girl  ,  &  how  hollywood  legacies  are  the  roaches  of  the  industry  .   how  directors  from  the  middle  ages  should  just  stick  to  ruining  things  behind  the  camera  ,  not  forcing  a  disaster  in  front  of  it  .   

      that  day  ,  jules  walked  out  of  set  &  never  took  a  step  back  in  .   effectively  ruining  her  future  career  in  the  process  ,  she  ghosted  all  contact  from  the  production  &  even  went  as  far  to  jet  off  to  brazil  to  regenerate  with  her  mom  as  an  escape  .   she  couldn’t  even  pick  up  where  she  left  off  during  the  semester  ,  &  simply  had  to  sit  back  &  witness  her  classmates  of  four  years  graduate  without  her  .   her  parents  were  furious  ,  but  the  only  thing  she  gave  in  return  was  a  steely  silence  ,  refusing  even  turn  a  glare  to  her  father  .   now  ,  she’s  been  shoved  into  the  hands  of  the  academy  ,  biding  the  days  until  she  could  return  to  nyu  in  the  fall  .  

what  do  you  think  they’ll  struggle  with  the  most  at  the  academy ?

tbh  ,  the  biggest  issue  for  jules  is  the  resentment  curling  at  her  core  .   at  her  father  ,  the  film  ,  the  academy  ,  herself  .   right  now  she’s  just  in  a  foul  mood  &  sick  at  being  forced  into  glitterati  rehab  ,  but  her  #pride  won’t  allow  her  to  fail  ,  even  if  she  wishes  to  do  it  just  to  spite  everyone  .   she  is  a  people  person  ,  however  ,  &  will almost  definitely  warm  up  ,  even  if  it’s  just  for  appearances  sake  .

extra  details  :  links  you’d  like  to  incorporate  ,  wanted  connections  ,  literally anything  else  you  want  to  include  ,  etc  .

wanted  connections  will  be  coming  soon  !   for  now  ,  please  enjoy  this  authentic  video  of  jules  chillin  in  her  fav  corner  of  the  world  ,  aka  italia  ,  taken  by  her  bff  eli  😔✌️

[robertkstone]

2018 Woodward Dream Cruise: Cruising With Ford/SVT’s Hermann Salenbauch

When you cruise Woodward in a brand new Wimbledon White Mustang GT convertible with “10,000,000th Mustang” emblazoned on the doors, everyone leaps from their curbside lawn chairs or swivels in their passenger seats to grab a snap of this milestone-mobile. Not too many vehicles hit eight-digit production figures, and those that do tend to be workhorses or commodity cars, not iconic sporty cars. One driver yelled “who do you have to know to get to drive that?!” The answer: Hermann Salenbauch. He’s at the wheel—literally and figuratively. The German-born BMW engineer was lured to Ford in 2001 by the irresistible prospect of serving as chief engineer of the fifth-gen (S-197) Mustang. The pony car was well known even in Germany, having made a big impression on young Hermann ever since it first appeared in Goldfinger. These days he serves as Director of Ford’s Advanced Product Creation and Global Performance Vehicles—a title sufficiently lofty to get him the keys to the 10M Mustang with 41 miles on the odometer. We’ll add 8.6 more idling up and down the curb lane of Woodward Avenue in an hour-and-a-half-long photo op during which we also snapped some shots of cars that piqued Hermann’s interest.

More 2018 Woodward Dream Cruise coverage:

Cruising with Fiat-Chrysler/SRT’s Mark Trostle

Camaros, Mustangs, Mopar, and More: 2018 Woodward Dream Cruise PHOTOS

1965 Volkswagen Beetle

Hermann’s family actually drove lots of Fords growing up, but they were all German Fords so we had no luck finding a 17M Taunus, Euro Granada, or Consul convertible, but the first car he owned was a 1967 Beetle convertible. It came in that light yellowy beige, which he garage-painted violet. It was a little rusty and he wasn’t a welder, but he was pretty facile with fiberglass, so he managed to thwart the TUV safety agent’s rust-probing pick with a few well-placed and well laid-up layers of plastic to keep it on the road beyond what the safety commission probably would have permitted. His handiwork also managed to net him double his money when it came time to sell a few years later!

1986-1990 BMW E30 Convertible

Hermann’s career started at BMW, where one of his more proud achievements was the slick convertible top mechanism on the E30 3 Series. It was the first to use an over-centering mechanism to press the rear of the top to the rigid tonneau cover, negating the need for a rear latch. The setup also had the effect of keeping the fabric very tight along the top of the roof where others frequently bowed in the wind. During that model run an electric top would be offered, but it was a snap to raise and lower manually as well. Another cool BMW-era story Hermann shared: While developing the E32 7 Series, quite late in the program the decision was made to widen the car 30mm right down the center so as to better accommodate BMW’s first V-12 engine. Indeed the car ended up 45mm wider than its predecessor.

1994-1998 Ford Mustang (SN-95)

This “Fox 4” Mustang is the one that Hermann emigrated to Ford North America in order to replace. By the time he arrived, meeting crash safety standards had stretched the nose enough to give the car an almost front-drive appearance. His primary objective in the redesign was returning that iconic sense of long-hood/short-deck, big dash-to-axle pony proportion to the car. This gave it the proportional look of the ‘60s Mustangs that made an impression on Hermann in Germany, where so many military folks left them behind. It’s only natural then that the designers seized the opportunity to paint a mildly retro design on this better proportioned canvas.

2011-2012 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500

As the driver of this GT500 convertible rolled past, snapping shots of our 10M ‘Stang, Hermann complimented him on his choice of a great engine. Salenbauch has fond memories of working with Carroll Shelby while bringing back the Shelby Cobra name. This later model GT500 version of the S-197 Mustang he came here to oversee was powered by a brand new all-aluminum 5.4-liter engine that shared some DNA with the one in the mighty Ford GT. It featured plasma-transferred wire-arc sprayed cylinder liners, which won a design innovation award. The engine was lighter, more powerful (550 hp/510-lb-ft), and efficient enough to drop the gas-guzzler tax levied on its predecessor. Hermann long advocated to officially sell the Mustang in Europe, but it wasn’t until the current model that this wish came true.

1978 Ford Bronco XLT

Broncos are hot on the Avenue this year as the world awaits a highly anticipated new Ford Bronco. Seeing this one all hiked up on big knobby tires got us talking about Raptors. Hermann recounted the genesis of the current Raptor. “Mark Fields told me we could do two high-performance vehicles—one car [the Shelby GT500] and one truck.” The team considered another rear-drive, lowered, high-performance Lightning model, but aimed instead for whitespace with an ultra-high-performance off-roader. “What about that Ranger Raptor?” We asked. “Oh, I’ve got one in Dearborn if you want to come have a look at it.” But basically he explained that the Ranger Raptor was conceived to give markets that don’t get any F-150s (most of the world) a halo performance truck. “Don’t you want to compete with the Colorado ZR2?” Not necessarily. His team is not yet convinced the U.S. market needs two Raptors. He did indicate that, despite Ford’s close relationship with Multimatic, that company’s slick spool-valve shocks used on the ZR2 have yet to win him over. “I wouldn’t trade our Fox shocks for those.”

1954 Dodge M37

This pristine, vastly-better-than-new example of the type of military trucks that were prevalent in post-war Germany caught Hermann’s eye. Built from ’51-’68 these post-war workhorses were based on the WC series trucks Dodge built during WWII. Power usually came from an inline six-cylinder side-valve engine.

1946-1948 Lincoln Continental

“Now THAT’S a luxury car,” Hermann exclaimed as we passed this very rare (on Woodward) example of a bona fide “Full Classic” car, as recognized by the Classic Car Club of America. It also ranks as the last car produced and sold by a major American automaker with a V-12 engine. The 4.8-liter flathead Lincoln Zephyr V-12 provided whisper-quiet, turbine-smooth power to this elegant, stately design penned by Eugene T. “Bob” Gregorie.

1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Police Cruiser

If Andy Griffith had gone bald and lived to cruise Woodward this year in his trusty old squad car from the second season of his eponymous TV show, he’d have surely been pointing at the 10,000,000th Mustang just as enthusiastically as this guy is.

1977-78 Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon

What better vehicle for the Woodward Dream Cruise than a Pinto Cruising Wagon!? That is indeed the nomenclature Ford used for this “sedan delivery” panel-wagon-with-portholes. The design was meant to draw a coolness connection between the somewhat unloved Pinto and the custom van craze that was sweeping the market in those days. Period ads showed the Cruising Wagon and an Econoline van in matching striped livery with the porthole windows in back and a tag line “Two Much!” That this would-be shaggin’ wag’n was parked under the Bra-vo intimates sign was icing on the cake…

1968-1971 Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce

Hermann’s eyes lit up when we passed this sleek, spare, Italian beauty nicely enhanced by the removal of its bumpers and fitment of Minilite or Panasport wheels. A friend of his in California has an earlier example of this car.

 The post 2018 Woodward Dream Cruise: Cruising With Ford/SVT’s Hermann Salenbauch appeared first on Motor Trend.

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[itsworn]

Racing—and Hot Rodding—was Hot at the 2018 NHRA Hot Rod Reunion

Sweet 16 is a special year, generally accompanied by a special party. This year was the 16th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance, and the weekend proved to be one wild Sweet 16 party. For the first time in several years the entire weekend remained dry; nary a drop of rain would fall. That’s the good news; however, temperatures soared into the mid-’90s with humidity to match, providing track temps approaching 150 degrees. The track was hot and so was the drag racing, ranging from AA/FD (aka Nostalgia Top Fuel) and AA/FC Funny Cars to super stocks, gassers, 409s, and jet dragsters. This Father’s Day weekend is truly a celebration of speed and innovation.

Fry-N-High: High Speed Motorsports and Mendy Fry began the weekend as number-one qualifier and never looked back. Fry posted low e.t. in every round of Top Fuel while systematically knocking off the competition, but that makes it sound easy. The HRR win involved flawless car prep, including going to a back-up motor. In the final round Fry staged next to Jim Young in the Young Guns rail. In an amazing drag race, Fry edged past Young with a 5.720/252.05 to his 5.841/256.26. High Speed Motorsports rolled out of town toting the weekend gold and the 2018 points lead.

The “nostalgia drag racing” term is difficult to define, particularly in the fuel classes. Nostalgia may be the emotion that initially sparked the movement more than 30 years ago, but the cars, teams, and drivers are doing much more than stirring memories. While the cars resemble the cars of the 1960s, they are in fact faster and safer than true vintage dragsters. Perhaps AA/FD continuation cars would better describe these incredible racecars. But call them what you like, for 2018 the racers put on one heck of a show, with intense competition right to the final rounds.

It was Great in ’68: Joe & Bob Walden built this super-sano ’48 Fiat and campaigned it in 1967-1968. The car was parked after blowing the motor in 1968 and remained in the Walden Brothers welding shop until 1997. The new owner updated the car with a 427 Chevy and raced it several times before selling the car. The car is remarkable because the paint, lettering, and decals were all applied in 1967-1968, making this one pristine survivor. Today Bill Lininger of St. Marys, Ohio, owns the car.

Likewise the gassers, super stockers, and altereds provided monster wheel stands and blinding burnouts, much to the joy of fans seated in the vintage covered stands of Beech Bend Raceway. The fact that drag races have been held here, uninterrupted, for more than 60 years only adds to the ambience.

Righteous Rambler: AMC introduced the new two-door 770 hardtop in 1964, and while most of us have long forgotten these cars (they only sold 20,868 of them), seeing one today is a reminder of the clean and simple styling that defined all cars in 1964. Under the hood a 287ci V8 that cranks out 198 hp, but there was an optional 327-4bbl/270hp motor. This 18,000-original-mile, Frost White example looks great with a set of Cragars and a simple silver stripe, making this AMC Classic 770 cooler than a Kelvinator.

But there is so much more going on at the Reunion, as this truly is a gathering of the faithful, the hardcore racers and longtime hot rodders. The Reunion brings us back to a time when drag racers and hot rodders were closer neighbors in the hot rod community. The Reunion is a place to meet legends, old friends, and make new ones.

Bad Bird: Two Pontiac guys, Eric Larson (driver) and Mike Garblik (engine builder), campaign this re-creation of Farmer Arnie Beswick’s 1971 Pontiac Trans Am Funny Car. The body was cast from the original molds, while under the hood the blown alcohol/nitro-drinking Pontiac motor is good for time slips in the low 6s.

It helps that Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a serious car town. The Corvette factory is based there, and alongside the assembly line you’ll find the National Corvette Museum. This year the Honoree Reception was held there. A collection of hot rods and Cackle cars was on hand to spice things up, and attendees could also tour the Museum, a tour worth taking. Famed drag racer Larry Lombardo served as the Grand Marshall for 2018 and attended the banquet to help usher in the 2018 Honorees, Jay Howell, Bo Laws, Ed Miller, Joe Williamson, and Greg Xakellis.

Simply Cool: While it is fun to pretend that back in the day everyone was driving a radical hot rod, the truth of the matter is there were a whole lot more mild customs with warmed-over motors parked at the local service station. This timeless ’50 Ford sports a bull-nosed and louvered hood while rolling on red steelies and wide whites. Add a picture-perfect stance and this proves you don’t have to work hard to be really cool.

As the sun dropped in the sky, the racing came to an end, and the final two Hot Rod Reunion traditions would bring the event to a close. First, long time NHRA drag race announcer Bob Frey stood at the starting line for the annual and somewhat sobering reading of hot rodders and racers who have left us in the past year. Unfortunately, that list seems to get longer with each passing year. But the spirit of the Hot Rod Reunion is to remember the past and the present, and after the reading the track was once again filled with nitromethane fire and fumes with the Cacklefest bringing another Reunion to a close.

Blue Suede Pickup: Now this is our kind of hot rod hauler. A bed full of tires, a windshield full of “kill stickers” from drag races past, and great door art. It appears the Model A pickup is a support vehicle for the large contingency of Geezer Gassers on hand for the weekend, but the tech stickers in the windshield tell us this hauler sees some track action, too.

For West Coast hot rodders Father’s Day weekend has long been about a gathering of the roadsters. For many back-east hot rodders, Father’s Day weekend means a special gathering at Beech Bend Raceway Park for the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. We’ll see you there next year.

Austin Action: Clyde Moore’s Insta-Gator ’48 Austin is always a crowd pleaser, launching hard with wheels in the air. The Mobile, Alabama-based gasser relies on 422 ci of small-block Chevy to provide sub-6-second eighth-mile passes.

Bucket Blender: Hot rods by definition are a combination of parts old and new. Jeff Crouch did a great job mixing parts on his ’23 T-bucket. The paint scheme is somewhat contemporary, but that flathead is definitely a mix of old and new. Edelbrock heads are traditional, while the EFI induction is totally modern, and that Chevrolet water pump is a mix of old and older. The end result is an outrageously cool T-bucket.

Super Sled: Nick White’s timeless ’50 Mercury stopped us in our tracks. Don’t let that perfect profile distract your eye. Sure, the top chop is obvious, but how about the frenched headlights, rounded hood corners, rounded door corners, shaved door handles, Appleton spots, and the shortened trim? They all combine for a timeless lead-sled look, and then, just when we thought we had found all the custom touches, we noticed the reworked front-wheel openings.

The Jet Set: This Florida Institute of Technology-sponsored jet dragster is piloted by Elaine Larsen and is just one of several jet dragsters in the Larsen Motorsports stable. Weighing in at just 1,145 pounds (the car, not Elaine) helps explain why jet cars often exceed 300 mph in the quarter-mile. This dragster has FIT students working as interns, and as promised, the program will really “get them into racing.”

Young Guns: Jim Young and the Young Guns dragster qualified second and found their way into the final round to take on number-one qualifier Mendy Fry in the High Speed Motorsports car. It would prove to be one fantastic race. Young left first, but near mid-track the car began to skate toward the wall. Young kept the car in his lane, never lifting and managed an event top speed of 256.26 mph on the way to runner-up for the event. This is exactly the kind of drag race that keeps us coming back to the Hot Rod Reunion every year.

Brilliant Bird: By the mid-1960s color was king. After a simple de-chroming you could create a great custom with masking tape, multiple colors, and custom effects. This thought was not lost on Eddie and Sara Rochelle. Their Portland, Tennessee-based ’62 T-bird is beautifully painted in Watson style using metalflake, candy, pearl, scallops, and flawless design. A pearl white interior and proper stance complete this time warp.

Rat Infested: Mike Kalinowski drives the Unfinished Business Austin, and he drives it hard. “One Angry Austin” is part of the Scots Hot Rods gasser group, so you know each pass begins with a monster burnout provided by a monster big-block Chevy under the hood.

Ramblin’ Rebel Reaper: OK, back in the day there weren’t a whole lot of American Motors-powered gassers. That said, it would appear a 401ci AMC mill can provide more than enough power to plant Don Moyers ’40 Willys coupe on the back bumper. The Mentor, Ohio-based gasser is famed for hangin’ them high.

Grand Marshall: Larry Lombardo was the 2018 HRR Grand Marshall, and this ’61 Corvette is the car that started it all. Lombardo was drag racing this car before he had a legal driver license. In 1968, at just 19 years old, he went to the Nationals and became F/S National Champ, and went on to win National Stock Eliminator, beating out Dave Duell and the famed Drag-N-Wagon in the final round. The car was built in his dad’s Amoco Service Station, Joe’s Amoco, with the engine by Roger Sinistri and tuning by Joe Lombardo. Larry’s colorful racing career includes driving for Bill Jenkins and opening his own race engine shop, to mention a just a few.

A Finer Starliner: The early 1960s brought the most beautiful hardtops ever produced. All of the Big Three automakers featured thin C-pillar cars, and this 1961 Ford Starliner is a fine example of the breed. The car is period-perfect due in large part to the elevated stance that was so popular in the 1960s. A big 390 provides the power.

Group W: The 348-409 class was back for 2018. Comprised mostly of 1958-1964 Chevrolets, the class is actually open to any car powered by a W-motor. This good-looking ’62 Chevy wagon launches hard on the way to a low 12-second pass.

Phenomenal: Street or Strip: Ed Kasicki’s Phenomenon ’33 Willys is powered by a 400-inch Chevy small-block fed by dual 750 Holley carbs atop a 6-71 blower. The car runs high 8s in the quarter-mile and is a beautifully prepared racecar. Not wanting to limit his hot rodding to just racing, Kasicki keeps the coupe registered and insured, and has been known to drive into an occasional cruise night around his home town of Aurora, Ohio. That must turn a few heads.

Pusher Man: Bob Lathery has had a string of traditional hot rods over the years and rolled into Bowling Green this year behind the wheel of this traditional ’62 Chevrolet stepside hauler. Moons and wide whites set the mood; the truck was later used to push one of the vintage Cackle cars.

Custard Stand: The original Mr. Custard A/G Anglia was destroyed in 1965 at Ohio Valley Raceway, another victim of the gasser wars of the 1960s. Butch’s Rod Shop recreated the car as seen here in 2003 with a 413ci Chevy hooked to a Powerglide transmission. Irvin and Gina Johns are the current owners.

Never Throw in the Towel: Did we mention it was hot all weekend long? But the good news is we had no rain. However, when temps soared into the mid and upper 90s, drivers found shade any way possible.

Straight-Axle Altitude: Gassers vary in many ways, including ride height, as illustrated by this trio of street-going gassers. Bruce Bursten’s Hilborn injected ’57 Corvette rides at 1960s gasser height, while Kevin Doolittle raised his 427/Hilborn injected ’55 T-bird a little more. Finally, Ray Thenot topped them all in his big-block-powered, nose-high ’55 210. All three cars have chrome tube axles and wheelwell headers.

Straight A: If you’ve been studying hot rods for a long time you recognize “the right stuff” as it passes by. Gary Brock’s Model A coupe combines proper parts with righteous proportions. From the bias-ply tires to the Deuce frame and Y-block power plant the car is mechanically dialed-in. The appearance package involves a Deuce grille, a subtle single row of louvers on the one-piece hood, a hammered lid, and mile-deep paint. We’d give this hot rod coupe straight As.

Recycling Facilities: The swap meet at Beech Bend is always worth the walk. It’s consistently filled with real hot rod goodies, racer stuff, and even the occasional complete vintage race car. A good part of the swap meet is in the shade, making this a very cool place to look for cool parts.

Gas Glasser: Steve Norton’s ’56 Corvette is the latest gasser to roll out of Randy Riall’s shop, Rods by Rowdy in Floyd Knobs, Indiana. The dual Edelbrock carbs feed a hungry rat motor with spent gasses exiting in the wheelwells. While this copper smoothie is a street-going gasser, rumor has it there will be some dragstrip action in the near future.

This One’s for Dad: The drag racing community lost a long time T/F driver and builder Dan “Digger Dan” Horan Sr. in 2016. However Dan Horan Jr. had been piloting the family T/F rail for years, along with some great Nostalgia Funny Cars. This year Dan Jr. rolled into Bowling Green with a brand new fuel Funny and took it to the winner’s circle on its first outing. Lettering on the car includes, “A Tribute to Digger Dan Horan.” Dan Jr. later commented, “This is a pretty emotional win on Father’s Day weekend.”

Simply Sanitary: The 1941 Willys coupe is arguably the best looking Willys ever built (although the ’40 split-grille car sure is pretty, too). They were basic econo-cars when built in 1941, and today simply giving the car a clean shave and a proper stance results in one wicked hot rod. We offer Jake Richey’s O.D. coupe as graphic proof.

Cackle Pusher: The Cacklefest, which is simply a festival of nitromethane, is big at Bowling Green. What makes it extra cool is that one side of the track is lined with crank-start cars, while the other lane is filled with push-start dragsters. Often the push vehicles are as interesting as the dragster it aims to start. Here the Hundley & Boggs dragster is pushed by a very cool hot rod truck.

Ceremony: As the sun dropped, the Cackle cars were rolled into place. After a very hot weekend of great racing, it was time for the annual closing ceremony under cooling evening skies.

Big Daddy: The Holley NHRA Hot Rod Reunion has developed traditions within the salute to traditional drag racing. One of the best traditions is having Big Daddy Don Garlits push started from the big end and stop at the tree to provide the final cackle of the weekend. It is a fitting end to a great event and one we look forward to every year. Big Daddy is still the King of AA/FD.

Closer: As the weekend draws to a close Saturday, hot rods of every description head toward the gates. This ’55 Chevrolet is a fine representation of the real hot rods that come to watch real drag racing. If you have never experienced the Hot Rod Reunion, mark your calendar now, Father’s Day Weekend 2019. As they used to scream out on the local AM radio stations, “Beeee Theeerrrreeee!”

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Car Craft’s List of the 27 Coolest Things at the 2018 Mecum Auction in Kissimmee

In the background, the hammer falls Wayne Schemekle’s unrestored 1970 Boss 302 Cougar Eliminator sold for $121,000

Cars of every shape and size show up at collector auctions, and there were more than 3,000 of them at Mecum Kissimmee, which has become the season opener for the winter auction circuit. Starting in Florida makes this a somewhat different audience than some of the more westerly auction venues, as the Orlando area as a popular destination for snow-weary northerners, as well as international travellers, have an opportunity to bid on some stellar cars. Indeed, with the event book-ended through a couple of weekends, you could find ample things to do with the family and still get your fill of car action.

Even if you are not looking to find that car of your dreams, there is a lot to see. After all, the cars themselves are on display where you can see them up close, and the field isn’t limited to pristine restorations. There are street rods and hot rods, drag cars and street machines, oddball station wagons, and low-mileage highway cruisers. There are deals to be had if you are patient. The auction venue itself is an indoor stadium called the Silver Spur Arena, but the overall Osceola Heritage Park has space for the thousands of cars, Dodge’s Hellcat-based thrill ride, a special event-oriented midway, and the so-called ‘glass house’ where the most valuable vehicles were usually on display. This year, that building included a number of great vintage drag machines, ultra-low-mileage original muscle cars, and a mixture of exotics led by Bugatti and Ferrari. For many, Mecum’s season-opening event is a wide-open chance to enjoy great cars, whether you are a big roller, a budget chaser, or just someone who appreciates the faster things in life. Even the sold cars often end up back on display, and huge tents are erected to allow a leisurely walk through to see the cars. There are also media presentations on big-screen TVs throughout to keep up with what is on the block, and Mecum publishes catalogs for some of the collections. This year, we also saw a great wooden racing boat collection, road art that included the never-used stock of an old sign company, a bi-plane, motorcycles, and some other surprises. Go to mecum.com and sign in (it’s free) for the full results.

Sudden Death 1975 Mustang II If there was one car this year that typified the Car Craft mystique, it was this legendary Motor City street machine built by Pro Stock racers Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush (yes, youngsters, Roush was all about drag racing in the ‘70s). The Mustang II design was lamented by many, but once a Pro Stock suspension design, cage, and set-back Cleveland-based engine were installed, this silver beast was notorious on the streets of Detroit, with the name Sudden Death coming from a HOT ROD article by the legendary Gray Baskerville. Twin-turbos were too much for it, so it got parked in the ‘80s, but current owner Tom Tate found it and redid it like it was back in its heyday. On the block Thursday, the bidding reached $47,000, which did not meet the reserve, so Tom kept it. The internet was buzzing on this one, though, and since Mecum offers sellers a second chance to run the car through later in the year, we may see it again.

1965 Z16 Chevelle Kayo Erwin of Tennessee is a long-time collector who brought a number of cars that had been in his collection for decades. One was this low-mileage, restored RPO Z16 1965 Chevelle. As some people may know, these were image cars for Chevrolet, released to prime the pump, so to speak, for the upcoming 1966 SS396 package. This is why only 201 were built that first year. The beautiful car took home a winning bid of $280,500.

1972 Mr. Norm GSS Dodge Demon The Demon name has been brought back by Chrysler/FCA recently, but the original small-block version had its own version of ‘serious.’ Mr. Norm’s Grand-Spaulding Dodge in Chicago released an exclusive edition that featured the 340 Six Pack that had been used only on the 1970 Challenger E-bodies Trans-Am packages. These A-bombs rarely show up for sale, and this one was in pristine shape with A4 Gunmetal Gray paint. From the Wayne Scheeckle collection, and $62,700 later on Friday afternoon, it belonged to someone else.

The ZL1 Camaro Offering Topping the million dollar mark for muscle this year was a pair of ZL1 Camaros, both with original ZL1 engines. One was sold new through the Fred Gibb franchise itself, and the other was a reassignment from Chevrolet after Gibb frantically called Detroit when he got the first invoice. He had been told the sticker price would be about 4500.00; instead, when the first truckload arrived in LaHarpe, Illinois that February, each car had a retail of over $7,000! It was the only time Chevrolet is known to have taken pre-ordered cars back, and they were reassigned cars to other dealers directly from Norwood. Only 69 ZL1 Camaros were built, and they rarely show up with real 1969 blocks in them.

Landy’s Dodge The Mecum auction publicity department worked hard to promote the exclusive drag cars owned by Nick Smith. These were the cream of the crop for the years they raced, and none was more known to the Mopar faithful as the 1965 Dodge Coronet raced by Dandy Dick Landy. Featured in a monster wheelstand in a full-color CC center spread that year (and on Kissimmee-area billboards in 2018), the Landy machine is considered one of the best preserved of the batch of cars built by Chrysler as ‘AFX Dragsters’ that year. It climbed to a cool $500,000, but Nick (seen at left with his crew) decided he would keep it. Vintage drag cars have cooled recently.

That Boss 351 Another car from Wayne Schmeeckle’s collection was this 1971 Boss 351 Mustang. The final Boss package released in that era, this was a dealer demo that had been sold with less than 1,000 miles on its odometer. In fact, it has been driven only 823 miles since new and had an MCA Thoroughbred Gold award to prove it. When the hammer fell, this incredible survivor was sold for $192,500.

Thrill Rides by Dodge Sometimes you want to take a break from the action, and lots of people were walking over to the Dodge display to get a fast and sideways blast in a new Challenger or Charger. The track layout changes based on space, and this year was a water-assisted tire-churning kick through a chicane, immediate heavy braking, a hairpin turn-around, and 100 feet of hard acceleration. Dodge gets your info, gives you some free swag, and thrills you with a seasoned driver at the wheel. This is free with your admission into the venue; just do it before the line gets too long.

The Absolute No Reserve Offering On several days throughout the auction, groups of cars were offered with no reserve price to begin that day’s bidding. The early birds who were on hand for the day’s start found out quickly that these were all solid cars, and most of them sold at close to market value. They included Hemi Mopars, Shelby Mustangs, and more. This 1970 W30 Olds 4-4-2 hammered a big $99,000 final bid on Saturday morning.

Gas Ronda’s 1965 Mustang Among the cars in the Nick Smith Collection was this original 1965 A/FX Mustang. Painted Poppy Red with correct lettering, this was one of the cars created under contract with Ford for NHRA-legal racing. Ronda actually had two of these SOHC-powered cars, as the first one assigned to him was wrecked in pre-season testing. He then ran the season in this car, which had originally been built for show use. It’s new owner won the auction with a final bid of $324,500 on Friday.

Celebrity Drivers Don Garlits, Bruce Larson, and Al Joniec (shown with the Cobra Jet Mustang he won the 1968 NHRA Nationals in), were among those seen as part of Mecum’s action this year. Larson was there with his 1962 Ford (yep, the guy known as Mr. USA-1 once worked at a Blue Oval franchise), Garlits did some color commentary, and Joniec drove the legendary Rice & Holman-backed machine across the block.

1962 FX Fords So few of these cars were built, and fewer exist now. We are talking about the very first embers of Total Performance for drag racing, the 1962 Ford Galaxie lightweight. Nick Smith had one of the four that were not rebodied as 1963 models, while a very young Bruce Larson personally went to Detroit and got lightweight parts through Ford to uphold the brand’s honor in the mid-Atlantic and northeast regions. This included the first 2×4 intake released to the public beyond Dick Brannan’s experimental stuff. Selling the car for the widow of a close friend, Bruce was happy to have it hammer home at $66,000, complete with a near-priceless book of paperwork.

Daytona 500 Camaro Pace Car We all know about the Indy Pace Car program with the orange and white packages, but how about this 1969 Camaro dressed out for the 1969 effort at Daytona. Produced during the third week of October 1968, the NASCAR pace cars first saw official duty at the 1969 Daytona 500, and they were used through the season at various other tracks, receiving new lettering for each race. All of them were returned to Chevrolet Motor Division at the end of the 1969 season, intended to be sold to the public. Based on its unique optioning, it is believed this was one of the ten cars from that program, and owner Joe Cheek had a buyer for it through the Bid Goes On program about an hour after the car did not meet reserve on Friday. The Bid Goes On option lets buyers make a higher counter offer to Mecum, who checks to see if the owner is interested. If so, the money changes hands and another car is sold!

1970 Hemi Coronet R/T Hardtop This big, bad Dodge was a personal favorite, and I had chatted with long-time owner Chris Coulson many times during the last two years. The first 1970 Hemi exported to Canada, and the only one in this body design to feature the four-speed, 4.10 Dana Super Trak Pack option, this Plum Crazy purple Mopar climbed to a final hammer of $143,000. Mecum had promoted the car at both MCACN and in the event advertising, and my (possibly biased) opinion, it was a great buy on a unique performance car. I wish I had the $144,000 to try for this one!

The Happy Days hot Rod Ok, so maybe its not as cool as some of the musclecars up for sale, but this little machine would be cool just to take to cruise night. With some possibility of even George Barris having been involved with it, it was still a movie-level build and not really detailed. It was graced with signatures of many of the Happy Days TV stars including ‘the Fonz’ Henry Winkler, however. Frankly, when the bidding topped $80,000, we are of the belief the owner would have been wise to send it a new home.

Big Bad Jav This 1970 Javelin was part of the No Reserve collection and took home a healthy $55,000 Saturday morning. Hard to restore, this SST was a real Go Package equipped version, complete with the optional spoilers, sidepipes, blue paint, 390-CI engine, and four-speed crash box.

Getting The Old Car Back The first car that noted collector Tim Wellborn had ever bought from Mecum auctions was a 1970 LS6 Chevelle. He sold it a couple of years ago, having found another one with lower mileage. A persistent friend talked into Tim selling that one, and, to his surprise, the original black car was among the 2018 catalog offerings. Between doing NBC-SN color commentary on Friday, got the car back for his Alabama museum, noting with a slight grin that he actually purchased it back for a little less than he sold it for.

The 1964 NYWF 427 Galaxie Probably the biggest surprise for some attendee was that this big Galaxie 500 convertible brought $225,500. Powered by the R-code 427 8-bbl package, what made this car special was that it was used at the beginning of the 1964 New York World’s Fair as a display car along with the first Mustang. A convertible with extra chrome and trim. This car was spectacularly restored and is a special piece of Ford history.

Joel’s Crazy Corvette There were some very nice Corvettes here, from high-buck 1963 Z06 tankers to reasonably priced late models. If we had to pick one to take to the Car Craft Summer Nationals, we would have done what collector Todd Werner did and grabbed this documented 1970 Phase III Motion machine. Well-known in the hobby and once a cover car on one of the long-gone east coast magazines, this car featured a radical appearance and equipment thanks to Joel Rosen and his crew at Motion Performance. The car was expertly restored by George Rubistello about 2003. Werner, whose collection of vintage drag cars was featured on our cover a few years ago, added this unique machine to his stables for $104,500.

By the time I get a Phoenix The 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix is a monster Mopar from a time when Detroit was adjusting to the new decade with varying degree of success. The company built fewer than 600 of these cars, and most of those are long, long gone by now. Stylish in a way Chrysler could only have done, this rare example was pretty cool, and it was the only car we saw this year featuring the long-ram intake design, which was coded as D500 on the 383 Wedge. With spectacular paint, a large number of factory options, mostly original equipment, and a selling price of $68,200, this would have been another wild piece to own, if only for its crazy engine technology and unreal body size.

The NOS Old Sign Factory The Flexlume sign company went bankrupt during World War II because the government did not want their neon- and incandescent-lighted advertising signaling to enemy flyers where our cities were. When the company’s assets were sold in 1944, what was left of their old stock that had not been turned to the wartime scrap went into storage for 80 years. On Sunday’s final day, this collection of cool advertising was sold at no reserve. Many were smaller pieces while others, like these never-used Gulf signs, were so large they would need a real gas station to hang up for display. How neat would it be to become the first-ever owner of one of these still-crated old-school signs?

1961 Pontiac Safari Wagon Mecum sold tens of millions of dollars worth of cars here, so relatively speaking, only a few did not meet the reserve. One of them was this very cool 1961 Safari station wagon that was just begging for a Nostalgia Top Fuel car to push around. A single repaint in rare ‘Firedawn Mist’ (a bronze metallic paint), original sheet-metal, great two-tone interior, dealer-installed Tri-power layout on the 389 engine, a power rear window, upscale trim, and complete paperwork rounded it out. It stopped getting action on Wednesday at only $25,000, so the owner understandably chose to take it home.

The Bugatti When money is no object, you have the choice of modern hypercars like this one, a 2018 Bugatti Chiron. Think of this car as having Formula 1 technology in a street car. It makes more than 1,400 horsepower bone stock, goes 0-60 in 2.3 seconds, top ends at 261 MPH (honest, officer, I missed the sign), and really can’t be Car Crafted. After all, the tires are $22,000…apiece! This car, which showed just 249 delivery miles, had a literal million dollars in optional equipment alone on it. Even when the bidding pushed above the $3M range, it did not meet the reserve. How many already-full garages could you buy for $4,000,000? A bunch, but the Chiron was a true spectacle here, and lots of people enjoyed the chance simply see one of these very exclusive cars up close. They took lots of selfies here, too.

1970 Buick GS Stage II This 1970 Stage II Buick GS 455 was one of the No Reserve cars, and it certainly lit our fire. Created by the company’s engineering arm, just two cars received Stage II parts, as GM had gotten very serious about emissions controls before the development onf ths package had concluded. This one held NHRA and AHRA records, as well as cool authentic racing paint and a prototype hood scoop. It hammered home at healthy $115,500 on Friday morning.

His and Hers GTOs This ‘couple’ of red convertibles was offered separately, both beautiful presented and optioned differently. ‘Hers’ was a 1967 with white interior, power seats and top, automatic transmission, and a 2.93 rear gear. ‘His’ was a 1966 four-speed with a Royal Bobcat tune up, 3.55 gearing, Hurst wheels, and day-two Tri-Power. Sold back-to-back, the same buyer took the pair, offering more than $140,000 for the classy lady after laying down an additional $92,400 for the he-man model. We’d drive either. Right, dear?

The Last Auburn Last year when we picked our favorite classic car, the Duesenberg was an easy choice. It was a cool car but, hey, it’s a little pricy like the Bugatti. This year, we picked a classic that sold for a lot less: only $121,000. Auburns were among the best-known models of the ‘deco era,’ but the ravages of the Great Depression spelled their end. This 1936 Model 852 was the final new release by the ebbing Indiana firm- a cabriolet featuring a rumble seat, a Lycoming straight eight, and scads of class. It’s so cool as it sits that it might even be a car we would leave stock…maybe.

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Highlights from the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals!

On the final approach of Chicago’s massive O’Hare Airport sits the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The massive building is host to what many consider the gathering place for the biggest and coolest indoor shows dedicated to the American muscle car. And while the sounds of GE, Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney jet engines blast overhead as they lift Boeings and Airbuses effortlessly into the heavens, the walls inside the convention hall probably contain enough horsepower to blast it off the foundation and into the flight path of some airliner.

The annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, common known as MCACN among its participants and diehard attendees, is the brainchild of Bob and Vicki Ashton. These two, with high-octane leaded fuel pumping through their veins, got the idea years ago to create the ultimate indoor show just for muscle cars, but also the lifestyle promotional marketing items from back in the day. There was a time when corporate America got caught up on the muscle craze and numerous corporations from cereal brands to soft drink companies offered their consumers sweepstakes promotions to win a GTO, Charger, or some other hot car.

Another great aspect of the MCACN show is the paying attendees are there to see the cars and not manufactured celebrities that probably don’t even have a driver’s license. Don’t expect to see WWE/WWF wresters or Disney child stars signing autographs at MCACN. If it’s not part of the muscle car hobby or relevant to the automotive lifestyle and culture, it’ll not be at the show.

Speaking of lifestyles, Bob and Vicki knew that there was more to these cars than multiple carbs, lumpy cams, and wild colors. That’s why there were numerous items at MCACN that conjured up fond memories of our childhood past. From Schwinn Stingray muscle bikes with their Banana Seats and Sissy Bars, to vintage branded racing striped windbreakers blazoned with Scat Pack Bees, Cobras, Bowties, and the iconic Hurst logo, you’ll see these at MCACN.

Rest assured the event organizers are also very cautious not to turn the event into an indoor swap meet and relegating how much space is allocated to vendors. We did see variety of cool items that included everything from rare parts like an early Corvette Fuel Injection set up, to hats and t-shirts with your favorite car brand. After all, it’s the cars that are the stars at MCACN, and that’s what brings the people in from all over North America. Based on the packed isles, MCACN has grown with both participants and attendees.

One of the many features this year was the 50th Anniversary F-Body Invitational that brought in 13 of the rarest and most significant First Generation Pontiac Firebirds and 13 of the rarest and most significant First Generation Chevrolet Camaros in one location and many had never been shown to the public until now. Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 aficionado Jon Mello assembled numerous great examples of factory stock and “back-in-day” owner modified cars and iconic racers. The pedigree and history of many of these cars is astounding.

MCACN also brings together the finest restored and original Corvettes throughout North America. Many of these are top shelf cars that have already achieved the legendary NCRS Top Flight and Bloomington Gold status. As observers of this awesome event, never have we seen more L88 427 Vettes in one place and after a while, we become numb to their uniqueness. That’s okay, we got a grip and begin drooling again.

Ford fans were not left out as MCACN had some great examples of rare Shelby Mustangs and creations from Ford’s pseudo skunk works, Kar Kraft. There were plenty of prime samples of it Kar Kraft’s handiwork on display by the numerous BOSS 429 Mustangs and other vehicles that rolled out of it’s Brighton, Michigan facility. Race fans also got to see a pair a 427 SOHC Mustangs from the original Ford Drag Team that tour dealerships from 1969-1970.

The Mopar Nation was also well represented as MCACN assembled more than 20 of the extremely desirable Shaker equipped 1970-1971 Dodge Challengers and Plymouth ‘Cudas. With their high-impact paint, cools options that included rubber bumpers, spoilers, and rear louvers, the row of Mopar E-Bodies was packed all weekend with attendees try to get a closer look while thinking, “If I won the Powerball, I’d buy the Plum Crazy one!”

While most purists look at the 1972 model year as the beginning of the end for muscle cars, MCACN showed the fans that it really wasn’t true. For GM enthusiasts, the Olds 455 W-30, Buick 455 Stage1, Pontiac 455 HO, and Chevelle SS, all lived to continue the fight. The compression drop may have hurt, but these big block bullies were still capable a killing a pair Polyglas tires in a single evening. Great examples of 1972 models from Chevy, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac showed us it wasn’t quite over.

Also during this year’s event, there were several unveilings (part of MCACN’s tradition and massive crowd appeal) of newly completed cars that had never been seen before in the public. These included a gorgeous 1970 Buick Skylark GS Stage 1 convertible own by former NHRA Pro Stock World Champ Jason Line, a 1968 Pontiac Firebird Ram Air II own by Mark Weymouth, an ultra 1971 Plymouth Sport Fury GT, a pair of original 1969 Ford Mustang Drag Team cars, and much, more. The iron and sheetmetal that we thought were forever lost to the ravages of prior owners came back to MCACN and restored jewels for the audience to see.

The most popular place to hang at MCACN was the Barn Finds and Hidden Gems as Hot Rod magazine’s own Ryan Brutt did a stellar job organizing this crucial part of the show and finding some of these hidden treasures that still had mice and other critters living in them before coming to MCACN.

So, if you’re looking to check out a diverse and over the top car show, head to the Windy City Chicago in November for the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals and be ready to get blown over.

The horsepower wars of the 1960s and early 70s come together in the Windy City every year at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN). If it’s rare, it’s at this show as seen by this original 1964 Chevy Impala wagon powered by a dual quad, 425 horse, 409 and hooked to the four-speed. Now, when was the last time you saw one of these at an event?

Vintage Camaro race cars and unique dealer builds that included Yenko, Nickey, Bill Thomas, lined the rows that stretch across the hall. This example was the first 1968 427 Yenko Super Camaro Yenko built for drag racing. The white exterior and red interior looked great and we so wanted to take this out and tear up the streets of Chicago.

The Mopar diehard got a real treat to see a massive collection of 1970-71 ‘Cuda and Challenger Shaker cars. Not since these machines came rolling off the Dodge Main Assembly line in Hamtramck, Michigan, have we seen such a pristine gathering of exquisite E-Bodies. Under those Shaker bubbles resided 440 Six Packs and the mighty 426 HEMI. The rarest one was this original Shaker equipped 1970 Challenger R/T with a 440 four-barrel.

Ford fans got to step back into time and see the original Ford Performance Drag Team Cars from the 1969 and 1970 season. Factory racer Ed Terry ran this 427 SOHC Cammer engine in his ’70 Pro Stock Mustang and a 428 Cobra Jet in his tamer Super Stocker. Later in the 1970 season, Ford would pull the plug on it’s factory backed NHRA racers leaving them to fend for themselves against the onslaught of Sox, Landy, and Jenkins.

This Kar-Kraft built 1969 “BOSS BRONCO” Prototype was the brainchild of Bill Stroppe to create a high performance Bronco for Ford. It’s powered by a specially prepared 351 Windsor and mated to C4 automatic transmission. A Cougar Eliminator-sourced hood scoop and other unique features made this one cool SUV. If only Ford pulled the trigger and put this into production.

Old magazine project cars never die, they just get passed around like former girlfriends. Our sister pub, Car Craft, ran a sweepstakes promotion back in 1969 with the support of Dodge, Cragar, and a host of other performance companies. In its day, the Car Craft Swinger won class in Stock Eliminator at some NHRA events while doubling as a daily driver. Looking a little rough, we’d have no problem tuning up the 340 with some Viagra and go swinging on Hot Rod Power Tour.

There was a strong contingent of 1967 Z/28 Camaros that included documented and real examples of the earliest Z/28’s from its freshman year. Hosted by Z/28 aficionado Jon Mello, he assembled great examples of factory stock and “back-in-day” owner modified cars and racers that included one of the original Penske Sunoco team cars.

Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since the last Buick Grand National rolled off the assembly line in Pontiac, Michigan. It was and end of era and this was THE last one to be built. Born on December 11, 1987, this Grand National went to a dealer in Springhill, Louisiana were it was kept it in the same condition as it arrived. Affectionately known as “Black Air”, not only was this the last Grand National built, but it was also the GM G-body ever assembled. A moment of silence please…

Where else would you see an original 1953 Corvette cutaway that did the auto show circuit back in the day? Only at MCACN are attendees guaranteed to see cars (and partial ones!) that have been locked away for decades. It’s amazing these cut away show car survived as most were cut up and thrown in the dumpster when the new body styles were launched.

Speaking of Corvettes, here’s the one and only 1965 Corvette development mule for the L88 427. Known as Zora’s #58053, it was used for testing and development for a variety of engine, transmission, brake and suspension packages that would find their way on production and race cars. It was also the first Corvette fitted with the #3878299 aluminum intake manifold and Holley #3418 850 CFM Carburetor.

Former NHRA Pro Stock World Champ and muscle car enthusiast Jason Line unveiled his stunning 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 convertible. It’s one of 126 four-speed convertibles and the only one known to be built wearing that gorgeous Stratomist Blue paint. Knowing Jason, we’re sure it’s 455 has been dialed-in.

It may have been a tribute but we loved this re-creation of Doug Thorley’s Corvair Nitro Funny Car. Powered by an iron blown/injected 427 Chevy, the real one won was the first winner of the new Funny Car class at the 1967 NHRA US Nationals on a 7.60 ET @ 202.2 MPH pass.

Here’s the last Camaro to roll off GM’s Norwood, Ohio assembly plant and appropriately it was a red IROC Z/28. Some key employees of the Norwood plant were at MCACN gave an insightful discussion on when the last Camaro left the line.

What’s a muscle car show without muscle bicycles? These Schwinn “Krate” bikes in their trademarked high handle bars, hot colors, and banana seat, provided a ten year-old the perfect platform to pull their first wheelie while pretending to be Evel Knievel.

The Barn Finds and Hidden Gems at MCACN had the usual collection of oddities. We dug this 1960 Corvette Gasser time capsule with its metallic paint, straight axle, and teardrop shaped scoop. Under the hood a big-block Chevy was bolted-in.

Most Shelby Mustang’s are rare and this one was really rare. Starting life as a 1968 GT GT500KR, it got unfitted with a Paxton supercharger for an engineering feasibility study. As we know, it unfortunately never came to fruition. Ford fans would have to wait until THE 21ST century to get a factory blown Shelby Mustang.

Confused yet? That’s a 1958 Packard Hawk with a Paxton Supercharged 289 under that beautiful scooped hood. Sharp eyes will know it’s just rebadged and re-trimmed Studebaker Golden Hawk with body modifications.

And speaking of Studebakers, MCACN had some great examples of the orphaned brand’s hot cars from the late 1950s and early 60s. We’ve seen these things run at the Pure Stock Drags and they’ll surprise you and the guy in the next lane how quick they are.

The judges at MCACN are going about their business checking out a Fuel Injection Corvette. These guys don’t mess around and check everything from dates codes, stampings, chalk marks, and just about any other item to verify the authenticity of a restoration or survivor.

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Buick Hoard: One Man’s Obsession With the1966 Buick Skylark GS

“I banged a lot of nails to get these cars.” Those are the words of Jim Sheils, a 51-year-old Franklin, Massachusetts, construction worker and extremely focused 1966 Buick Skylark GS collector. How focused? His current collection consists of 23 running GS400s plus six parts cars. Keep in mind, we’re not talking 1965s or 1967s, just 1966 models. “Things become a lot simpler when you stick to one single year like I do,” Jim says.

Born in 1965, Jim’s infatuation with the 1966 GS has nothing to do with his birth year. That would make a great backstory, but it’s off by one year to make sense. Rather, it was his 1984 purchase of a 1966 Skylark convertible that lit the flame. “It was totally loaded with every available option,” says Jim. “It had the 340 four-barrel, power steering, power windows, and everything else, but it wasn’t a GS muscle model.” That means it didn’t have the torquey 401-cube nailhead V-8, which Buick used in the 1965 and 1966 Skylark GS400 before switching to an all-new 400 V-8 engine for 1967 and beyond.

The 401 engines in Jim’s Gran Sport fleet are from Buick’s first-generation V-8 family, which debuted in 1953 at 264 and 322 ci, then grew to 364 (1957), 401 (1959), and finally 425 (1963) ci. Though the engine was modern and innovative in many ways, designers Joe Turlay and Cliff Studaker were forced to work around certain restrictions posed by existing mid-1950’s Buick frame and steering-gear architecture. To fit the space previously occupied by Buick’s inline eight-cylinder engines, care had to be taken to minimize width. This led to arranging the intake and exhaust valves vertically, at a 45-degree angle to the cylinder bores.

The resulting cylinder heads reduced engine width to suit the Buick chassis but also forced the use of smaller-than-ideal 1.875/1.500-inch intake and exhaust valve head diameters (on the 1966 GS400, some earlier engines were much smaller). Buick compensated for the restricted breathing potential by tuning the cam, intake, and exhaust manifolds for torque instead of horsepower. This explains why pre-1967 Buick V-8s are called nailheads, and why Buick advertising and air cleaner lid graphics emphasized torque output instead of horsepower.

If you’ve ever wondered, the Wildcat 445 logo on the standard GS400 air cleaner was a reference to the wall of torque unleashed between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm, not the more conventional horsepower or cubic-inch boasts of other Detroit muscle V-8s.

Jim pointed out that while the 1966 GS400’s 325hp rating (340 with the midyear A9 Quadrajet carburetor option) was generally lower than the same year SS396 Chevelle (325, 360, 375), GTO (335, 360), or 4-4-2 (350, 360), its 445 lb-ft of torque, way down at 2,800 rpm, led the field. By contrast, the 396 rated 410 to 420 lb-ft at 3,200/3,600 rpm, the Pontiac GTO 389 rated 424 to 431 lb-ft at 3,200/3,600 rpm, and the 4-4-2 rated 440 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm.

“Since peak torque hits nearly 1,000 rpm sooner in a GS400, you can really feel the wallop in the seat of your pants, even with the two-speed automatic,” says Jim. “The other GM muscle cars take a few more seconds to come on strong.”

The Buick stylists’ unique take on the 1966 General Motors A-Body combined with the instant action when the light turns green explains why Jim is a Gran Sport fanatic. He also appreciates originality and seeks out one-owner survivors whenever possible. “I’m the second owner of six of the cars in my stash. If you wait and have the patience, these cars will come to you.”

Jim is an active member of the Buick Club of America (BCOA) and serves as a technical director, specializing in mid-1960s Skylarks. Founded in 1966 (there’s that number again!), the BCOA publishes a magazine called The Buick Bugle that’s edited by Texan Pete Phillips. Phillips also snapped the pictures here at the 2016 Buick Bash, a one-day celebration of all things Buick held at Jim’s compound. The 2017 Buick Bash is scheduled for late July. To learn more, write Jim at the66gsnut@aol.com.

Editor’s note: Special thanks to Pete Phillips and The Buick Club of America, Leonard, Texas, buickclub.org.

One of 1,835 GS400 pillar coupes built for 1966, this totally unrestored and original Cream Yellow four-speed was ordered new by Buick employee Cal Hugins. Hugins pulled strings to get its highway-oriented 2.73:1 axle ratio installed on the line. It has only covered 26,000 miles and retains the original 8.25-14 tires.

Though the Skylark catalog said it wasn’t possible to combine Cream Yellow exterior paint with a red interior, again, Hugins’ factory connections—and open checkbook—bent the rules. An austere rubber boot surrounds the factory T-handle shifter, as Buick’s sleek center console was only offered with bucket seats.

This Saddle Mist hardtop was sold new by Clyde Cole Buick in Warren, Ohio, to a steelworker who specified a black bench seat interior, a four-speed, and a factory-installed 3.55 antispin axle. Though he drag raced it, he also cherished it. The exterior paint is completely original.

Despite many dragstrip outings, the totally original interior is well preserved. Collector Jim Sheils says, “I doubt anybody ever sat in the back seat.” This GS has the Carter-AFB-equipped 325hp 401.

In 1986, Jim was a 21-year-old line worker at the Framingham, Massachusetts, GM assembly plant on vacation in California when he spotted this Flame Red GS hardtop. It was sitting in the used car lot of Terry Buick in Huntington Beach, where it was sold new to Alice Terry, the dealership owner’s wife. The reality of shipping it back to Massachusetts was too much for Jim’s budget, but after two decades of persistence he finally acquired the one-repaint time capsule in 2006.

The Wildcat GS air cleaner tin signals the presence of the Q-Jet–equipped A9 401 with 340 hp. (Standard 325hp GS400 401 lids read “Wildcat 445.”) For reasons unknown, the deeper-breathing 401 was only available with the two-speed automatic, not the three- or four-speed sticks. Though Buick promoted the Q-jet upgrade in a full-color midyear GS400 magazine ad—with a close-up picture of the upsized carburetor no less—sales were minimal, perhaps a few hundred.

The Terry Buick A9 GS400 exhibits the unusual combination of bucket front seats and a column-shifted automatic transmission. The D55 center console was offered for $47.05.

In another instance when persistence paid off, Jim spotted this GS400 convertible, one of 2,047 built, at a 1985 Buick show in Vernon, Connecticut. Gently contacting the owner every year since, Jim struck a deal with him in 2015. Before closing the deal, the seller demanded a visit to Jim’s garage. “After five minutes and seeing my sincere interest, the guy knew I wasn’t some flipper or speculator, and he agreed to sell it to me.”

The stubby half-console inside another four-speed GS hardtop was one of several center console configurations available. The circular pod is designed to house an optional tachometer. When not specified, a round block-off plate with Buick’s tri-shield logo took its place. Like all manual transmission GS400s, this one is powered by the 325hp 401.

The base GS400 transmission was a Ford-supplied Top Loader–style three-speed stick that was also offered in the GTO. This pristine Regal Black hardtop was bought new by Randall Davis of Georgia, who saved $184.31 by skipping the wide-ratio Muncie M20 four-speed. The front bench seat saved another $47.39 versus buckets. Davis was reunited with his former car at the 2016 Buick Bash. Jim says, “Randall is 77 and hadn’t seen the car in 26 years, but he turned 20 years old in two seconds when he saw the car he bought new in 1966.”

Jim’s lone non-GS A-Body is this all original, 18,000-mile, unrestored Special Deluxe wagon. Though wagons were typically equipped with the base 225ci V-6, this one has the most potent non-GS engine available in 1966, the 260hp 340 four-barrel. Other factory options include the Super Turbine two-speed automatic and upsized 8.25-14 tires. But the real oddball feature is the Rally wheels, which the build sheet verifies were installed at the factory.

Jim handles his own restoration work and will soon revive this ultrarare A9 Q-Jet–powered drop-top. Originally sold by Twin City Buick in Brewer, Maine, it was special-ordered with a 3.90 axle ratio.

These California-sourced hardtops are equipped with automatics, but the red car has the midyear A9 engine with a single Q-Jet. The 1964-1966 dual-quad 425 offered in the Riviera and Wildcat GS never found its way onto the Skylark option list but is a popular and easy swap. Gran Sport Skylark identification is as simple as spotting the exclusive 446 code in the first three digits of the VIN.

Nailhead rebuild parts are fairly common, but good engine and transmission cores are drying up, Jim says. “Street rod and rat rod builders are rediscovering the engine for its unique looks.” The red paint on these Carter AFB–equipped 325hp 401s marks them as 1966 models. Before 1966, the 401 was painted green. Chrome air cleaners and valve covers were strictly over-the-counter Buick dress-up parts. The Q-jet–spec A9 intake manifold is cast iron and very rare.

Though reproduction Chevelle, 4-4-2, and GTO floor and trunk pans are useful in Skylark restorations, so far GS bumpers, hoods, grilles, and trim are being overlooked by the aftermarket. As the popularity of the Gran Sport grows, perhaps more items will become available. Until then, Jim hoards as much metal as possible.

“These parts cars are far too rusty for restoration but are worth their weight in gold as a source for correct fasteners and assembly techniques,” Jim says. Buick only built 13,816 446-code GS400s for 1966, but another 216,374 A-Body Specials, Skylarks, and Sport Wagons were built and shared many parts.

Regular trips to Hershey, Carlisle, and the Buick Nationals since the mid 1980s helped Jim amass a huge collection of spare and N.O.S. parts. “I always pay up for stuff I think I might need down the road. I figure, if I’m there and I have the cash, I’d better grab it. Before you know it you’ve got a ton. I’ve got enough to do 10 cars.”

Jim has a healthy attitude about the muscle car scene: “I may be fixated on 1966 Skylark Gran Sports, but I keep an open mind. There are many Fords, Mopars, Chevys, and Pontiacs I’d also love to own. But this is my lot in life, so far.”

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Gallery and Winners from the 2017 National Parts Depot Ford & Mustang Roundup

While most of the country is in a winter deep freeze, its classic cars holed up in garages, barns, and trailers, down in Florida enthusiasts enjoy year round cruising and car show fun. Part of that fun is National Parts Depot’s (NPD) annual Ford & Mustang Roundup at Silver Springs State Park. This year was the show’s 23rd, and while the day started out rainy and gloomy with temperatures dropping steadily into the 40s all day, dedicated Ford fans and owners turned out in force to celebrate and enjoy their passion for the mighty Blue Oval.

Rick Schmidt, NPD’s chief and part of the company’s founding family, puts on the Ford & Mustang Roundup as the company’s way of showing appreciation to customers and the enthusiasts that keep this industry going. There are multiple awards for different classes and makes of Fords, along with awards and prizes from NPD’s supporting vendors. Read on for a few standout cars and complete show results.

The SVT Mustang, with its turbocharged 2.3 four-cylinder, was the first breath from the slumbering Ford factory performance team. Not many were built, and even fewer are still around today. Now it’s 30+ years later, and Ford has turbocharger fever again with its Ecoboost program.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a new 5.0L Mustang cost just under $16k? This pristine 1984 four-light Fox Body belonged to Victor Dobbs of Moultrie, Georgia.

A great sleeper at the show was Lynn Moon’s 1960 Ford Falcon. It’s got a built 5.0L with E303 cam, dual quad setup, and a TREMEC T-5 five-speed.

Thought all of these had been turned into street rods by now?!

An original 1970 Cougar Eliminator, Phil Elder spiced up the car’s original 4V 351 with a Scat stroker crank, aluminum heads, and hydraulic roller.

The Yellow Mustang Registry (http://www.yellowmustangregistry.com/) was out in force at the show, with a car representing each generation of Fox Body through S155.

Mike Smith’s 1966 Mustang 2+2/Fastback isn’t an original Shelby, but it’s as close to one as any sort of recreation could be. Mike bought the car, and original C-code fastback, in 2009 and spent a year collecting all of the correct parts, including a ’66 date coded motor and Paxton supercharger for his build. The result is this fantastic car. A Navy C-40 pilot by trade, Mike wanted something he could have fun cruising around in. He did all the mechanical work and assembly on the car. Mike’s never chassis dyno’d the car, but back in the day this setup was rated at 380-400 HP, and this one was built to the same specs minus the mechanical cam being swapped for the hydraulic roller.

Eric Hoopers 1967 Ford Galaxie Custom is an original police car, but has a 289 under the hood and not 427 police motor.

On the other side of the Ford police car family is Ron Lamoly’s 1988 Crown Victoria cruiser, originally a Massachusetts State Police car. These cars had special 140 mph speedos to go with the factory installed 351 Windsors that resided under their hoods; making them extra fun on the surplus market after their municipal service was done. Ron stashed the 351 away though and has a 302 under the hood right now.

NPD has an extensive collection of vintage vehicles in its collection, most of them low-mileage unmolested survivor cars. This ’69 Lincoln Continental Mk III only has 3,900 original miles on it, and is 100-percent original with a beautiful red exterior and red leather interior. We hear that French “businessmen” were really fond of black Continentals back in the day.

Another survivor from the NPD collection on display was this not-a-GT 1967 Mustang Coupe. With only 31,700 miles on the odometer, it’s believed the car had to be some sort of special order, as it combined the S-code 390-4V motor with a Traction Lok axle, power steering, power disc brakes, exterior and interior décor groups, and the rarely seen convenience group. Someone wanted this Mustang to look as good as it could perform while also being a fairly luxurious ride to cruise in.

The NPD collection also includes several rare survivor and concept trucks. This 1970 Ford Explorer Custom has a mere 360 miles on it, a “Spring Special” edition, painted in Grabber Blue (Explorer Green was the other option Spring Special color).

Guess it could have an Ecoboost under the hood?

How about nearly identical 1969 and 1970 Mach I Mustangs?

Wayne Vance wasn’t satisfied with the turbo 2.3L under the hood of his 1984 SVO Mustang, so ditched the four-cylinder for a screaming new 5.0L Coyote motor.

NPD 23rd annual Ford & Mustang Round Up Car Show Winners

Balloted Awards                    Name and model

1964-1/2 to 66 Mustang: Jonathan Knoblaugh, 1965 Mustang GT fastback

1967 to 68 Mustang: Terry Darga, 1967 Mustang fastback

1969 to 70 Mustang: Mark Booker, 1970 Mustang Grabber

1971 to 73 Mustang: Steve & Becca Thibodeau, 1972 Mustang Mach 1

1974 to 86 Mustang: Wayne Vance, 1986 Mustang SVO

1987 to 93 Mustang: Wade Smith, 1993 Mustang

1994 to 98 Mustang: Brian & Christie Erickson, 1997 Mustang Cobra Shinoda

1999 to 2004 Mustang: Jeff Smith, 2004 Mustang Cobra

2005 to 2009 Mustang: Charlie Telesca, 2009 Mustang Bullitt

2010 to 2014 Mustang: Jon Kister, 2014 Mustang coupe

2015-Present Mustang: Steve & Jennifer Lynch, 2015 Mustang GT

1965 to 70 Shelby: Paul Prince, 1968 Shelby GT 500

2006-up Shelby: Scott Schuh, 2016 Shelby GT 350

Saleen/Roush: Brian Beaver Jr., 2014 Roush

Falcon/Comet: John Bennett, 1965 Falcon wagon

Cobra Replica: Doug Miller, 1965 Cobra replica

1948-Earlier Ford: Eddie J Wheeler, 1930 Model A roadster

1949-Later Ford: Mike Riley, 1960 Ford Starliner

1962-76 Intermediate: Mitchell Durden, 1965 Mercury Cyclone

Street Rod: Tom Kupstas, 1929 Roadster pick-up

Truck 1948-79: Tom & Gail Westfall, 1954 F-100 panel

Truck 1980-Present: John Macolino, 2000 Lightning

T-Bird 1955-57: Gaylord Rowe, 1957 T-Bird convertible

T-Bird 1958-Present: Charles Hancock, 2000 T-Bird

Cougar: Ray Opthof, 1968 Cougar XR-7

Maverick/Comet: Chip Crenshaw, 1974 Mercury Comet

Best Mustang: Daphne Norris, 1965 Mustang convertible

Best Ford: Henry Boyles, 1969 Bronco

Best of Show: Ronnie Dasher, 1968 Shelby GT 350 fastback

  Hard Luck and Furthest Drive – $100 NPD Gift Certificate

“Hard Luck”: Nancy Tarleton, 2006 Ford Mustang

“Furthest Drive”: Paul Barrieault, ’55 Crown Victoria, traveled from Maine.

  Vendor Awards

Chadwick’s Triple Play, “Chadwick’s Choice” – detailing kit

John Bennett, 1965 Falcon wagon

Eaton Detroit Spring: “Just Because” award – gift certificate for full set of coil springs:

Mike & Kim Moyer, 1960 Lincoln Continental

Heacock Classic Insurance: “Best Preservation” Award:

 – Ford: Chris Dunn, 1960 Ford

 – Mustang / Cougar: Victor Dobbs, 1984 Mustang GT convertible

Powermaster: $200 gift certificate (towards an alternator / starter):

Joy Woods, 1968 Mustang fastback

Scott Drake: $200 gift certificate (towards Scott Drake-branded parts):

Mike Smith, 1966 Mustang Shelby GT 350 clone

Wilwood: Wilwood banner:

Richard Garrett, 1966 Fairlane 500

TMI Interiors: $500 gift certificate:

Juan & Sara Sotomayor, 2001 Mustang Cobra coupe

  Editor’s Choice Awards – TEN / The Enthusiast Network

Classic Trucks magazine:

Henry Boyles, 1969 Bronco

Hot Rod magazine:

Mike Smith, 1966 Mustang Shelby GT 350 clone

Muscle Car Review magazine:

Steve & Becca Thibodeau, 1972 Mustang Mach 1

Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords magazine:

Wayne Vance, 1986 Mustang SVO

Mustang Monthly magazine:

Daphne Norris, 1965 Mustang convertible

  NPD Choice Awards

“Best Mustang”: Edward Baisly, 1968 Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR fastback

“Best Ford”: Mitchell Durden, 1965 Mercury Cyclone

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