#mercedes station wagon mods

[gregdotorg]

World of Interiors did a feature on this guy's absolutely swagged out Mercedes snail soupmobiles along the Tangiers beachfront, and ends it with trying to collect a commission from purchases of an acrylic Jonathan Adler snail objet.

This is the future of media.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-20 20 CAR now

CAR

Auto Spies

BREAKING: Uber HALTS All Autonomous Vehicle Testing After Pedestrian Fatality

Nissan Green Lights New 475 HP Z Car To Challenge Supra And Z4

STUD OR DUD? BMW To Debut 410HP M2 Competition On April 25th

Hyundai Takes A Page From The German Playbook: Taking Your N Car To The Track Won't Void Your Warrnty

DRIVEN: With One Foot In The Grave, How Long Will Lexus Hang On To Their Flagship LS Sedan?

Autoblog

Jeep Wrangler won't get those cutout half doors after all

Self-driving car industry faces critical test after first death

Kia K900 revealed in leaked South Korean brochure shots

Ford reportedly interested in Detroit’s infamous abandoned train depot

Ford to launch online car-shopping service

Car Throttle

Leaked Figures Suggest The Grand Tour Has 'Paid For Itself'

Here's A Painful Introduction To The World Of Ferrari Parts Prices

Pedestrian Struck And Killed By Uber Autonomous Car

Try Not To Cry As A Confiscated Ferrari 458 Is Crushed

Say Hello To The ID R: VW's Mad, All-Electric Pikes Peak Car

Electrek

A Tesla Semi electric-truck prototype is travelling across the US – now in Texas

Tesla begins offering 20″ Sport wheels for Model 3, performance model coming soon?

Watch Tesla Autopilot surprisingly handle a construction zone with the new update

Green Deals: Anker Eufy 60W A19 Smart LED Light Bulb $13.50 (Reg. $20), more

Uber self-driving prototype involved in a fatal crash investigated by police

Inside EVs

Watch As Tesla Autopilot Is Tested With Tape Covering Cameras

4 Ways Electric Cars Can Support & Benefit The Grid

Watch How Quick A Gutted Tesla Model S P100D Goes 0 To 60 MPH

5-Year Depreciation Of $27,170 = Used Nissan LEAFS Are A Steal

Watch Tesla Model S P100D Race Modded Porsche 911 Turbo S

Jalopnik

The Bentley Bentayga's Fingerprint Security Box Doesn't Look Like It Fits Anything

Here's The 2019 Kia K9, The Replacement For The K900 You Forgot, Before You're Supposed To See It

Cargo Ship Crashes Into Cargo Ship Sending Cars Falling Into The Water

Meh Car Monday: Ugh, The Mercury Villager, Especially That Nautica One

Comment Of The Day: Well Travelled Designer Edition

Motortrend

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450, CLS 53 Review: Mercedes Maintains the Magic

By the Numbers: Jaguar XF Wagon vs. F-Pace SUV

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Starting Price Dropped to $25,990

Spied! Next-Gen Porsche 911 Turbo Caught With GT2-Style Exhaust

Five-Seat Volkswagen Atlas Concept to Debut in New York

Reddit Cars

I know it's not much, but I managed to find an '00 Civic EX coupe, untainted by teenagers, for 300$!

Matt Hagan and Robert Hight blow the bodies off of their Funny Cars side-by-side

Anyone here just like learning to work on their own cars?

The station wagon is alive and well: Driving the Buick Regal TourX

Still the best burnout on the internet.

Sunday Times Driving

Blight van man: huge rise in theft of vans with ‘smart keys’

Pedestrian killed by Uber self-driving car in America

The McLaren Senna’s active rear wing is incredible to behold

Would you use this new autonomous flying taxi from Audi and Airbus?

The best hybrid cars to buy instead of a diesel

The Car Connection

Self-driving Uber car in Arizona hits, kills bicyclist

270,000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks recalled over wintry market rust concerns

2018 Kia Optima crash-tested, Ford CoPilot 360 safety gear, electric car batteries compared: What’s New @ The Car Connection

2018 Kia Optima modified to ace crash tests

2019 Ram 1500 driven, Ford Bronco teased, Ford goes all-in on hybrids: What’s New @ The Car Connection

The CarGurus Blog

Top Headlines From March 10 – 16

New to the Used Market: Volvo XC40

Half Price Hot Hatch: BMW M135i

Top Headlines From March 3 – 9

Geneva motor show: Five great cars, five years on

The Torque Report

BMW M2 Competition with 410-hp is headed to Beijing

Mercedes-Benz is working on a subscription program

Five passenger VW Atlas concept is headed to New York

2019 Kia K900 revealed as the K9 in South Korea

VW I.D. Pikes Peak electric race car is ready to compete

The Truth About Cars

VW Hopes to Take Revenge on Entire Mountain With I.D. R Pikes Peak Racer

Self-Driving Uber Vehicle Fatally Strikes Pedestrian, Company Halts Autonomous Testing

Atlas, Part 2: Volkswagen Announces Five-passenger SUV for Chattanooga

The Saad Truth About Sex, Cars, and Consumers

Rare Rides: This 1976 Mercury Monarch Is Both Grand and a Ghia

[wisdomofthedicksquad]

BardQuest characters' cars

Ari: Prius

Demyan: Sterling’s truck or hot rod with flames

Fergie: Jeep

Linnie: that Subaru that looks like an outback with a pickup bed

Loren: he used to drive a well-maintained old pickup truck but now drives town & country mini van

Kallista: Lincoln (“it’s expensive but it’s not Ken Nunn expensive” -Aren)

Vedas: reliant K, reliant robin, or station wagon with wood siding

Theo: Shitty Car Mod souped up old sedan on Tall Wheels (purple and gold) subwoofers included OR something sexy like a Cadillac

Blanche: Tesla, Maserati OR motorcycle w/side car

Aidan: cherry red convertible Miata

Lix: Suburban

Hyacinth: Jaguar

Razi: Honda Civic

Esperanzo: Kia Soul

John: Smart Car (tall men stuffed into smart cars is great physical comedy) OR a Lexus

But also picture him driving a limousine but nothing but rodents in the back, the car is mostly for himself

August: One Of Those Nice Volvos

Steelboots: restored old Nice Car like a model T or something

Ruah: bicycle

Fillip: beaten up sedan with a million bumper stickers, like you see in Bloomington

Blondie: something Mercedes-adjacent—Chrysler 300

[itsworn]

Mopars, Monterey, and Mecum

Every August, the collector car world descends onto the Monterey Peninsula for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, arguably the world’s most prestigious car show. What started out decades ago as a car show on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links is now a week-long series of car-focused events, spanning informal car shows held in several communities, a vintage car tour, track days for vintage racers at Laguna Seca, and the antithesis of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Concours d’LeMons, a celebration of the world’s worst automobiles.

For those looking to acquire a classic car, there are auctions held by RM Sotheby’s, Gooding and Company, Russo and Steele, and a name familiar to the readers of Mopar Muscle that follows the auction scene, Mecum.

While its Monterey event doesn’t attract the same number of cars as its Indy and Kissimmee events held earlier in the year, but with its emphasis on its strength, American muscle, it’s a growing event for the Wisconsin-based auction house. It stands in a bit of a contrast to the RM Sotheby’s, Gooding and Bonhams sales in Monterey with their emphasis on prewar classics and postwar European exotics, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercedes-Benzes, and other marques you’ve likely never heard of.

This 1-of-36, 426 Hemi/four-speed Super Track Pack 1969 Dodge Super Bee wasn’t the most expensive Mopar sold at Mecum’s Monterey auction. But it may have been the most impressive, selling at $121,000, almost right in the middle of its $115,000 to $130,000 pre-auction estimate.

We’re breaking down our coverage, focusing on the interesting Dodges, Plymouths, and Chryslers that crossed the block, those that sold, and others that caught our eye but didn’t meet the reserve. Some of those, with Mecum’s “The Bid Goes On” program, may have found new owners days, weeks, and even months after the August event.

Overall, the market remains strong for American muscle cars, but as you’ll see, there were several cars that in our estimation, based on condition and history, were well bought. Another trend we noticed is that there were several Vipers from all years on offer, starting at around $30,000. We think that this may be the performance car value of the decade.

So here’s our roundup on the noteworthy Mopars, what they sold for (if sold and we’re listing a few that didn’t) along with our comments. (Pre-auction estimate refers to what Mecum believed that the car would sell for, with the low figure being close to what the reserve price is likely to have been set.)

Dodges at Mecum Monterey

The highest price for a Mopar muscle car at Mecum Monterey was this 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A. One of 2,399 built to satisfy SCCA’s homologation requirements (one for every two Dodge dealerships), this car crossed the block at $132,000, far exceeding its pre-auction estimate of $80,000 to $100,000. An extremely well-documented car. With two broadcast sheets and three two-barrel Holly carbs, this represented the epitome of Mopar small-block performance when the E-Body Challenger was introduced for the 1970 model year.

If you like your Mopars big and powerful, you can’t do much better than this 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer convertible, which found a new owner at $130,000, just under the low side of its $135,000 to $165,000 pre-auction estimate. This first-year Forward Look ragtop was equipped with the 325ci Hemi and was fully equipped with virtually every factory-installed option and was just the ticket if you couldn’t quite step up to the plate to order a Chrysler 300 Letter Series convertible.

The Gen III Hemi engine is now finding its way under the hood of many classic Mopar muscle cars, and for Monterey, Mecum offered this 1970 retro mod Dodge Challenger built by PDT Motorsports. A modern-day cruiser with a 425hp Hemi backed with a five-speed manual transmission, equipped with air conditioning, it’s certain to give its new owner a great driving experience? What we didn’t like were the gauges lifted from a 2010 Camaro. With so many options available, we ask, “why?”

This documented Hurst-built Super Stock 1968 Dodge Dart, dubbed the “Demented Dart,” has been on the auction block several times in recent years. It was a no-sale at Monterey, topping out at $95,000, far short of the low side of its $170,000 to $200,000. We’re at something of a loss to explain why this car has failed to move on to a new owner. It’s probably a combination of too high a reserve combined with there not being two motivated buyers at the same time looking to add a Hurst Hemi Dart to their Mopar muscle car collection.

This one ticked all our boxes, a 2005 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Yellow Fever Edition. A rare Ram, one of 500 built for 2005, number 138, and was one of just 200 of the 500 built with the standard cab. With 500 hp and sitting on 22-inch wheels, this truck could go from 0-60 in under five seconds, pulling .86g on the skidpad. This one seemed to sell at a market-correct price, for an example with less than 1,500 miles on the clock, selling for $56,100, at the high end of its $40,000 to $60,000 pre-auction estimate.

While one Viper sold for less (a Banshee replica built by West Coast Customs), this 18,575-mile 1998 Dodge Viper GTS coupe was our pick as an affordable snake that could double as a daily driver. The Cobra coupe-inspired bodywork looks as great today as when it was driven off the showroom floor. With subtle modifications, like the Venom-style front fascia, the Viper is a performance car bargain. Where else can you buy a car capable of 185 mph for just $35,200 (pre-auction estimate was $40,000 to $50,000)?

Plymouths at Mecum Monterey

Yes, we know what you’re saying, this isn’t a Mopar, but this 1967 Ghia 450SS is. Underneath the Giugiaro-designed Ghia bodywork, based on a previous Fiat design (how ironic is that?), beats the heart of a 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, a 273ci, 235hp Commando V-8. This Ghia 450SS was one of just 52 built, all delivered by a single dealer in Beverly Hills owned by TV producer Burt Sugarman (Midnight Special). The first 4500SS was sold to Sugarman’s friend, Johnny Carson. It carried a pre-auction estimate of $200,000 to $225,000 but stalled at $110,000.

The most expensive Plymouth to sell in Monterey was this 1 of 548 1970 Cuda convertible, with a 2018 no-expense-spared restoration. A 383, four-barrel car, its been treated to a number of sympathetic performance upgrades and the red exterior is set off by the beautiful white interior. When we look at something like this, selling for $96,250 (pre-auction estimate $80,000 – $100,000), we think we’d be hard-pressed to restore a car to this level, at this price. On the surface, this would appear to the case of a car well bought.

Another 1970 Plymouth Cuda convertible, this one that started life as a 383 car, but was rebuilt as a Hemi tribute car marked a notable no-sale at $75,000, falling far short of its pre-auction estimate of $125,000 to $150,000. This one, a former Mopar Muscle feature car, has a highly modified 426 Hemi, bored .030 over with high-performance internals. With only 14 1970 Hemi Cudas built, the tribute route remains popular, but might the seller have been better off financially, going for a more correct restoration?

If your tastes run to prewar Mopars, woodies, and barn finds, then you could have driven home in this 1941 Plymouth P12 Special Deluxe Woody station wagon, a no sale at $72,000, not reaching its reserve with a $90,000 to $110,000 pre-auction estimate. So much rarer than its Ford competitor, this beautiful Plymouth spent hidden in a barn for 47 years before undergoing a nut-and-bolt restoration that was able to retain all its original wood body. Three-row seating cars like this were the SUV and crossover vehicles of their era.

One of the Friday feature cars, this numbers-matching 1-of-410 Hemi GTX hardtops built for 1968, Plymouth’s attempt to build a gentleman’s muscle car. This car, with a pre-auction estimate of $80,000 to $100,000, sold for a very reasonable $68,200, making it a best buy among Mopar muscle cars at this year’s Monterey event. Its Burgundy Metallic exterior with matching Burgundy interior with Magnum 500 five-spoke wheels, looks every inch the upscale muscle car and represents a great value for its new owner.

You could’ve driven home from Monterey in this freshly restored 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, but it went unsold at $35,000 (no pre-auction reserve was given). The 1970 Mopars B-Bodies received a one-year-only restyling, which looks great on this Road Runner in Plum Crazy Metallic paint with flat black accents. The Cragar wheels give it the proper period-correct look. Restored just 500 miles ago, it features the standard-issue 383 V-8 backed up with an upgraded four-speed manual transmission with overdrive.

Chryslers at Mecum Monterey

The most expensive Mopar sold by Mecum at Monterey was a classic, prewar 1932 Chrysler CP8 convertible. This particular example, which carried a pre-auction estimate of $150,000 to $200,000, was hammered at $159,000. In 1992 it was an AACA National First Place winner and had only 150 miles since a body-off restoration. With its rumble seat, it represents elegance at a time during the Great Depression when most Americans wondered where their next meal was coming from.

This 1961 Chrysler 300G two-door hardtop was one of our favorite Mopars at this years’ Mecum Monterey auction. Its $88,000 selling price was just below its $95,000 to $115,000 pre-auction estimate. Why do we think the 1961 Chryslers are so cool? One word, AstroDome, referring to its revolutionary electro-luminescent, globe-style instrument cluster. With its four-place interior featuring four bucket seats, the Chrysler letter series represents a different era of glorious excess, loaded with chrome and in their last year, over-the-top fins.

Another pre-war Chrysler came in the third spot, this one a 1931 Chrysler Imperial CG roadster. At $82,500, this one moved to a new owner well below its pre-auction estimate $150,000 to $175,000 showing a continued softness in the pre-war marketplace for all but the most blue-chip, investment-grade classics. This one carries coachwork by LeBaron and is one of an estimated 100 produced in 1931, representing a time in Chrysler history when its Imperial luxury cars competed directly against Cadillac and Lincoln

The only no-sale among the five Chryslers offered by Mecum in Monterey was this 1953 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon, that stalled at $20,000, falling short of its reserve (there was no pre-auction estimate for this listing). While some characterize Chrysler styling from this era as dowdy, there is something stately about this two-tone longroof. Just one of 1.399 produced, you can be certain if you showed up at your local Cars and Coffee-type event, you will be unlikely to see another.

The final Chrysler listed by Mecum was a modern Mopar muscle car, this first-year 2005 Chrysler 300C. While some might see this as nothing more than a used car that sold for a stout $13,750, it represents the rebirth of V-8-powered, full-sized Chryslers, one of the few good things to come out of the failed DaimlerChrysler “merger of equals” that almost succeeded in destroying the marque. This one looks almost brand new with just 28,921 miles and was sold with the original window sticker and bill of sale.

Mopars at Mecum Monterey 2018, The Results

The post Mopars, Monterey, and Mecum appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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[savetopnow]

2018-03-20 17 CAR now

CAR

Auto Spies

BREAKING: Uber HALTS All Autonomous Vehicle Testing After Pedestrian Fatality

Nissan Green Lights New 475 HP Z Car To Challenge Supra And Z4

STUD OR DUD? BMW To Debut 410HP M2 Competition On April 25th

Hyundai Takes A Page From The German Playbook: Taking Your N Car To The Track Won't Void Your Warrnty

DRIVEN: With One Foot In The Grave, How Long Will Lexus Hang On To Their Flagship LS Sedan?

Autoblog

Jeep Wrangler won't get those cutout half doors after all

Self-driving car industry faces critical test after first death

Kia K900 revealed in leaked South Korean brochure shots

Ford reportedly interested in Detroit’s infamous abandoned train depot

Ford to launch online car-shopping service

Car Throttle

Try Not To Cry As A Confiscated Ferrari 458 Is Crushed

Say Hello To The ID R: VW's Mad, All-Electric Pikes Peak Car

[Community] BOTB TV Ep17 - VW California, bacon butties and the latest car news

Of Course A Hayabusa-Engined Toyota Starlet Is Awesome

The Current A8 Will Be The Last Audi With A W12

Electrek

Watch Tesla Autopilot surprisingly handle a construction zone with the new update

Green Deals: Anker Eufy 60W A19 Smart LED Light Bulb $13.50 (Reg. $20), more

Uber self-driving prototype involved in a fatal crash investigated by police

Tesla’s massive virtual power plant with Powerwalls in Australia at risk under new government

Tesla now accepting Apple Pay for Model 3 reservations along with Model S and X down payments

Inside EVs

4 Ways Electric Cars Can Support & Benefit The Grid

Watch How Quick A Gutted Tesla Model S P100D Goes 0 To 60 MPH

5-Year Depreciation Of $27,170 = Used Nissan LEAFS Are A Steal

Watch Tesla Model S P100D Race Modded Porsche 911 Turbo S

Cupra e-Racer Is An Electric Touring Car With 670 HP

Jalopnik

The Bentley Bentayga's Fingerprint Security Box Doesn't Look Like It Fits Anything

Here's The 2019 Kia K9, The Replacement For The K900 You Forgot, Before You're Supposed To See It

Cargo Ship Crashes Into Cargo Ship Sending Cars Falling Into The Water

Meh Car Monday: Ugh, The Mercury Villager, Especially That Nautica One

Comment Of The Day: Well Travelled Designer Edition

Motortrend

By the Numbers: Jaguar XF Wagon vs. F-Pace SUV

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Starting Price Dropped to $25,990

Spied! Next-Gen Porsche 911 Turbo Caught With GT2-Style Exhaust

Five-Seat Volkswagen Atlas Concept to Debut in New York

Volkswagen Previews I.D. R Pikes Peak Race Car

Reddit Cars

I know it's not much, but I managed to find an '00 Civic EX coupe, untainted by teenagers, for 300$!

Matt Hagan and Robert Hight blow the bodies off of their Funny Cars side-by-side

Anyone here just like learning to work on their own cars?

The station wagon is alive and well: Driving the Buick Regal TourX

Still the best burnout on the internet.

Sunday Times Driving

Pedestrian killed by Uber self-driving car in America

The McLaren Senna’s active rear wing is incredible to behold

Would you use this new autonomous flying taxi from Audi and Airbus?

The best hybrid cars to buy instead of a diesel

Driverless buses planned for Gatwick airport

The Car Connection

Self-driving Uber car in Arizona hits, kills bicyclist

270,000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks recalled over wintry market rust concerns

2018 Kia Optima crash-tested, Ford CoPilot 360 safety gear, electric car batteries compared: What’s New @ The Car Connection

2018 Kia Optima modified to ace crash tests

2019 Ram 1500 driven, Ford Bronco teased, Ford goes all-in on hybrids: What’s New @ The Car Connection

The CarGurus Blog

Top Headlines From March 10 – 16

New to the Used Market: Volvo XC40

Half Price Hot Hatch: BMW M135i

Top Headlines From March 3 – 9

Geneva motor show: Five great cars, five years on

The Torque Report

BMW M2 Competition with 410-hp is headed to Beijing

Mercedes-Benz is working on a subscription program

Five passenger VW Atlas concept is headed to New York

2019 Kia K900 revealed as the K9 in South Korea

VW I.D. Pikes Peak electric race car is ready to compete

The Truth About Cars

VW Hopes to Take Revenge on Entire Mountain With I.D. R Pikes Peak Racer

Self-Driving Uber Vehicle Fatally Strikes Pedestrian, Company Halts Autonomous Testing

Atlas, Part 2: Volkswagen Announces Five-passenger SUV for Chattanooga

The Saad Truth About Sex, Cars, and Consumers

Rare Rides: This 1976 Mercury Monarch Is Both Grand and a Ghia

[savetopnow]

2018-03-20 14 CAR now

CAR

Auto Spies

BREAKING: Uber HALTS All Autonomous Vehicle Testing After Pedestrian Fatality

Nissan Green Lights New 475 HP Z Car To Challenge Supra And Z4

STUD OR DUD? BMW To Debut 410HP M2 Competition On April 25th

Hyundai Takes A Page From The German Playbook: Taking Your N Car To The Track Won't Void Your Warrnty

DRIVEN: With One Foot In The Grave, How Long Will Lexus Hang On To Their Flagship LS Sedan?

Autoblog

Jeep Wrangler won't get those cutout half doors after all

Self-driving car industry faces critical test after first death

Kia K900 revealed in leaked South Korean brochure shots

Ford reportedly interested in Detroit’s infamous abandoned train depot

Ford to launch online car-shopping service

Car Throttle

Try Not To Cry As A Confiscated Ferrari 458 Is Crushed

Say Hello To The ID R: VW's Mad, All-Electric Pikes Peak Car

[Community] BOTB TV Ep17 - VW California, bacon butties and the latest car news

Of Course A Hayabusa-Engined Toyota Starlet Is Awesome

The Current A8 Will Be The Last Audi With A W12

Electrek

Watch Tesla Autopilot surprisingly handle a construction zone with the new update

Green Deals: Anker Eufy 60W A19 Smart LED Light Bulb $13.50 (Reg. $20), more

Uber self-driving prototype involved in a fatal crash investigated by police

Tesla’s massive virtual power plant with Powerwalls in Australia at risk under new government

Tesla now accepting Apple Pay for Model 3 reservations along with Model S and X down payments

Inside EVs

4 Ways Electric Cars Can Support & Benefit The Grid

Watch How Quick A Gutted Tesla Model S P100D Goes 0 To 60 MPH

5-Year Depreciation Of $27,170 = Used Nissan LEAFS Are A Steal

Watch Tesla Model S P100D Race Modded Porsche 911 Turbo S

Cupra e-Racer Is An Electric Touring Car With 670 HP

Jalopnik

The Bentley Bentayga's Fingerprint Security Box Doesn't Look Like It Fits Anything

Here's The 2019 Kia K9, The Replacement For The K900 You Forgot, Before You're Supposed To See It

Cargo Ship Crashes Into Cargo Ship Sending Cars Falling Into The Water

Meh Car Monday: Ugh, The Mercury Villager, Especially That Nautica One

Comment Of The Day: Well Travelled Designer Edition

Motortrend

By the Numbers: Jaguar XF Wagon vs. F-Pace SUV

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Starting Price Dropped to $25,990

Spied! Next-Gen Porsche 911 Turbo Caught With GT2-Style Exhaust

Five-Seat Volkswagen Atlas Concept to Debut in New York

Volkswagen Previews I.D. R Pikes Peak Race Car

Reddit Cars

I know it's not much, but I managed to find an '00 Civic EX coupe, untainted by teenagers, for 300$!

The station wagon is alive and well: Driving the Buick Regal TourX

Still the best burnout on the internet.

Cadillac set to put super-sexy Escala concept into production in 2021 - Roadshow

[Road and Track] Analog Cars Are More Meaningful In a Digital Era

Sunday Times Driving

Pedestrian killed by Uber self-driving car in America

The McLaren Senna’s active rear wing is incredible to behold

Would you use this new autonomous flying taxi from Audi and Airbus?

The best hybrid cars to buy instead of a diesel

Driverless buses planned for Gatwick airport

The Car Connection

Self-driving Uber car in Arizona hits, kills bicyclist

270,000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks recalled over wintry market rust concerns

2018 Kia Optima crash-tested, Ford CoPilot 360 safety gear, electric car batteries compared: What’s New @ The Car Connection

2018 Kia Optima modified to ace crash tests

2019 Ram 1500 driven, Ford Bronco teased, Ford goes all-in on hybrids: What’s New @ The Car Connection

The CarGurus Blog

Top Headlines From March 10 – 16

New to the Used Market: Volvo XC40

Half Price Hot Hatch: BMW M135i

Top Headlines From March 3 – 9

Geneva motor show: Five great cars, five years on

The Torque Report

Mercedes-Benz is working on a subscription program

Five passenger VW Atlas concept is headed to New York

2019 Kia K900 revealed as the K9 in South Korea

VW I.D. Pikes Peak electric race car is ready to compete

Next-generation Nissan Z pegged for 2019 debut

The Truth About Cars

VW Hopes to Take Revenge on Entire Mountain With I.D. R Pikes Peak Racer

Self-Driving Uber Vehicle Fatally Strikes Pedestrian, Company Halts Autonomous Testing

Atlas, Part 2: Volkswagen Announces Five-passenger SUV for Chattanooga

The Saad Truth About Sex, Cars, and Consumers

Rare Rides: This 1976 Mercury Monarch Is Both Grand and a Ghia

[itsworn]

Car Craft’s Top 25 Picks From the 2017 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals

For many attendees, the annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals has become a yearly pilgrimage. Filling up the Stephens convention center in Rosemont, Illinois, minutes from O’Hare Airport, people travel from literally around the globe to be here. For most of the year leading up to it, managing MCACN member Bob Ashton is out locating a few great cars to invite. Well, more than a few; a lot of really great cars.

There are no bad cars at MCACN. The best of the best originals, the best historical examples, the best modern and accurate restorations, and some of the best stories all come together. Bob made a great statement in the annual program about how our cars erase the political, religious, color lines and gender lines that fissure modern culture. As the unifier in these somewhat turbulent times, there is a level appreciation for the finished and found, the rarest and “realest”, and more. But then Ashton goes and finds area managers from every interest and discipline who get cars for every category’s subcategory.

There were many special groups of cars from 1967, 1972, Formula Firebirds, Kar-Kraft Fords. There are Saturday morning unveiling of the latest restorations just like the original new car shows used to do. There are seminars and concerts, judged awards, and special displays. This is the greatest musclecar show on the planet. Period. You need all two days, always the weekend before Thanksgiving, to see it. So hopefully you enjoy these picks, but you really should come next year. Oh, and Ashton, you owe me a pair of shoes…

Car Craft Giveaway Car: 1969 Swinger in the Barn Finds section Tom Ellie brought his find from St. Petersburg Florida in, the original 1969 “Swinger” 340 Dart GTS. Really long-time readers will recall this machine from almost 50 years ago, when staffers like Terry Cook built this thing. That it survived so intact and in its original custom paint is pretty incredible, and it would be a hard decision whether to leave it be or restore it. Back in 1969, the Dodge was given away at the NHRA World Finals in Dallas to contest-drawing winner 16-year old William Outlaw (yes, correct). His mother accepted it for him, as his father Odis was over in Vietnam at the time.

Coolest Ex Car Craft Cover Car: 1970 Hemi Challenger This real Hemi Challenger showed up on our cover back in October 2013, after it had been stored but undriven for decades. Here it is, brought back to like-new condition by restorer Ward Gappa (left). The owner, Lowell McAdam (center), was very happy to have acquired this car, which has 98% of its original sheet-metal, a completely original Hemi driveline, and excellent documentation.

Nicest Engine without a Car: Malcolm Durham ZL1 With a lot of first-gen Camaros on hand, this engine was one of the most notorious. East coast racing hero Malcom Durham, known back in the day as the “D.C. Lip,” was a prominent player in the FX, Funny Car, and early Pro Stock wars with his Strip Blazer Chevrolets. It is believed he raced a blue 1969 COPO Camaro that is now known in the hobby as ZL1 #42, and Jeff Stranak has the rebuilt engine on a stand on display.

Nicest Car Without A Body: 1953 Corvette Cutaway You want to talk about cool Corvettes, this one is an engineering sample showcasing details for the newly-released Corvette from when GM’s huge Motorama displays were happening. This is the lowest Corvette chassis number in existence, and when owner Ed Foss had it restored, a half-body was added to make it into a cutaway. Yes, it is a six-cylinder, but let’s be honest- who wouldn’t want to find this thing stashed away somewhere no matter what kind of cars you were into. And it drives, too.

Coolest Old School Racing Hero: Tom Tignanelli Some people will remember Tom Tignanelli’s Detroit-based “UFO” drag cars- mainly Funny Cars that ran in the modified division on gasoline. Collectors Clark and Collene Rand had Tom’s old 1965 altered wheelbase Plymouth on display following its fresh restoration, and Tignanelli himself also came to MCACN this year with a load of experimental parts like titanium torsion bars and stories about his work in Chrysler’s legendary “skunkworks” the Woodward Garage.

Nicest One-of-None Car: 1967 Hemi Belvedere 1 There are exceptions to every rule, and this 1967 Belvedere 1 with Hemi power certainly fits the bill. In 1967, the Hemi option for Plymouth was specifically noted to only be available in the GTX. However, it is documented that four were installed in the basic Belvedere 1 model for drag racers like Judy Lilly. This car, however, was not raced, and features 100% of its original paint, very original interior, and original Hemi driveline. Now owned by Frank Karabetsos, it was in the Vintage Certification program.

Best Collection Overall: First Gen F-bodies The choice was a given based on the 1967-1969 best-selling model. Selection was a challenge when you consider that while both the 1967-1969 Camaros and Firebirds are plentiful, choosing ones that will fit into a couple of rows of “the best” meant hard choices. In fact, most of the Z28s were in another area. So here is Bill Jenkins Indy Nationals-winning L78-powered Super Stocker, the Penske-Donohue Trans Am champion, Pete Estes’ one-off 1968 Z-28 convertible (shown), and a row of documented 427-CI supercars from Dana, Nickey, and Yenko. The Firebirds were highly-optioned Trans Ams and deluxe models, led off by Truman Fields’ notable NHRA record setter barely seen in the left foreground. The guitars were used as eye candy around several display areas.

Most Expensive Car not in Attendance A certain 1970 Hemi Challenger Convertible was drawing a lot of comments from people. This picture shows a 1970 Challenger R/T Hemi convertible whose asked-for number was a big $1,795,000. They were accepting trades for other cars, but we were fresh out of prewar Bugattis…

Coolest Show Car to drive for fun-1967 Camaro SS This car had the largest accumulation of trophies at this year’s event. It is all painted up nice and shiny in bright orange and has a chromed blower sticking through the hood like some ‘80s trailer queen. Well, this thing goes when Duane Waldrop hits the loud pedal on this car, as seen by his handout. The car runs on E85, sort of like an alcohol funny car.

Best Musclecar Equalizer Event: The Pure Stock Drags This trio of monsters is part of the action when the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race happens in Michigan each summer, and they all look the part of stock street vehicles. Seen here are Steve Hodges’ 1970 4-4-2, Dan Kruger’s 1968 Hemi Charger, and Dave Hemker’s 1970 Buick Stage 1.

Biggest Muscle Wagon: 1964 Impala 409 Under restoration by Keith Curry is this 1964 Impala station wagon. While you can hot-rod these things, nothing extra is needed when it first came down the assembly line with a 425-HP 409 dual-quad engine and factory four speed driveline. Most of these things got crushed, so we are looking forward to seeing this one when its finished.

Best E-Body Shaker: The Swiss Connection The Wellborn Musclecar Museum sponsored this display of Shaker Mopars, and this restored 1971 Challenger was making its first public appearance in the USA. Ordered new by a woman from Switzerland, this is a heavily-optioned 1971 Hemi / four-speed, with a formal rear window, spoilers, and colored rubber bumpers. Despite all this, the car ended up being road raced in Europe with a front air dam and wide wheel flares. So if you think running the Matterhorn on a Ducati would be a handful, trying this with a nose-heavy Hemi machine required skill and a little madness.

Coolest team effort: Ford Drag Team display Organized by noted collector Bob Perkins, this was likely the largest group of cars from the original Ford Drag Team assembled since 1971, and certainly the largest in a show arena. Two 427 SOHC Pro Stock Mustangs, two Cobra Jets Mustangs , the rare 428 Torino that debuted and is seen here, a “Going Thing” promotional Mustang, and a tribute Torino plus Bob’s well-known glass house trailer full of rare memorabilia. Perkins is second from right here, and Torino owner Dave Steine is seen at the left.

Coolest Mustang: Shelby GT500 Paxton Supercharged Kevin and Winona Suydam had two very impressive cars to unveil, a 1968 “drag package” Yenko Camaro and this beast that most people never knew existed, the 1969 GT500KR experimental test car equipped with a Paxton supercharger. Though a handful was built in the GT350 racing era, this one bolted atop a 428 is incredible, and the paint is a legitimate special-order color. Kevin stands with the screaming yellow zonker after the unveiling cover came off on Saturday morning.

Coolest Nifty Fifties Car: 1958 Packard More supercharged cars were in the Studebaker invitational this year, following up on the blown Larks from 2016 with a group of late 1950s speedsters. One car that really drew attention was this very rare 1958 Packard Hawk, which came from the Studebaker factory that year with a McCulloch supercharger. If you are not familiar with this design, which featured EXTERIOR leather armrests, don’t feel bad; only about 900 were built. This was the last year to ever see the legendary Packard nameplate.

Coolest Mod Wife: Sharon Jones We sort of did this for fun, as a number of the ladies dress up in ‘60s fashions for the event. Sharon and her husband Ron had their deluxe 1969 Coronet 500 in the South Oak Dodge display. This car had been dragged out of a hometown field in rough shape and Ron constructed it as an OEM-looking rebuild for her, adding a Mercedes electric sunroof and a Hurst four-speed shifter through the console to the automatic trans. With a nod to hipster fashion, Sharon dressed up as part of the 1969 advertising campaign, which was likely approved by Dodge Sales VP “Crusher” Bob McCurry and his he-man crew over lunch-time martinis in late 1968. We were digging it…

Coolest Corvette for a Car Craft guy: 1965 L88 experimental This being the Muscle Car & CORVETTE Nationals, there are always exceptional ‘Vettes on display, and this was one or our favorites. Looking suspiciously like a body in white rarecar project, we learned it was just that, and for none other than legendary developer Zora Arkus-Duntov. He used this car to test big-block racing packages, including the very-first L72 427 and L88 427 extreme racing development. It had a string of first-ever notations a mile long, and was modified regularly between 1965 to 1967 when the so-called C2 Stingray models went out of production.

Best-known Celebrity Musclecar Enthusiast: Jason Line 1970 Buick GS Most people know Jason Line from the NHRA Pro Stock class, but not so many know that he has a wheels-up 1970 Buick GS he runs in Stock Eliminator. A while back, he bought a rough-but-rare real 1970 GS Stage 1 convertible and chose this event to debut it to the public after a lengthy restoration. He is seen toward the back of the group here with a big crew of his restoration guys and their better halves. Why Buicks? We know Line understands power-to-weight ratios, and 455-CI Buicks had the lightest long-blocks coming out of the OEMs in the era. That they are timeless in style doesn’t hurt, either.

Coolest AMC: 1969 Scrambler by MASCAR  The crew from Costa Mesa states they have had some unhappy Kenosha campers as word on this project came out – a real Scrambler converted seriously enough to clock 8.50 specs. Truth be told, what remained of the original car likely needed to be rebodied; it was cut on that badly. So they built a hot 401 engine, lifted the scoop a couple inches, blended the Group 1 and Group 2 paint schemes (you know what that is about, AMC dudes) in metallic paint, and bolted on a deck wing to prevent flight at 160+ MPH. The result was a head-turner even in a sea of the rarest musclecars on planet earth.

Most Valuable Available Racecar: 1965 Landy’s Dodge Mecum’s big area has been used to showcase cars for their upcoming events, especially their season opener in Kissimmee, Florida. The racecars collected by Nick Smith will be a highlight there next January, and for the first time, the restored Landy’s Dodge will be offered in public. The king of the 1965 “funny cars,” Dick Landy wheel-stood this Dodge to infamy, and this is the best survivor of the Chrysler program. Oh, you’re a Chevy guy? How about the 1963 Z11 Impala of Frank Sanders, the most original of those cars, and Fords, which were Smith’s personal favorites, will include not one but two original Gas Ronda Mustangs!

Best Survivor Oldsmobile: 1971 Cutlass Dave Belk is a pretty experienced car collector who got wind of a 1971 Olds Cutlass Supreme convertible owned by a woman 20 miles from his Iowa home base. The well-optioned car turned out to be everything hoped for, the equivalent of a 4-4-2 in classy trim with a 350/four-speed/Anti-Spin-type rear end, and less than 40,000 original miles. Carefully cared for since day one by Lonna Rea and her late husband, this silver beauty had single-family ownership until 2017. It is never modified, a cruiser not a bruiser, from the waning days of Dr. Olds performance medicine show. So Belk chose to bring it up to MCACN for Vintage Certification, where specialty judging found it scoring a Legend rating at a very high 92.5% originality.

Best Restored Oldsmobile: 1970 4-4-2 Oldsmobile This was a hard choice, as there were a lot of them here. The Olds we chose was just redone by Magnum Auto for Jeff and Joanna Stolowski, a 1971 tri-color (blue, black top, white interior) convertible with 445 cubes of W-30 under the hood and many options. Its emotional unveiling for original owner Kathy Maddison, who had owned the car with her late husband Keith from new until 2015, was a highlight for the crowd who was on hand as the restored car was revealed to the public for the first time.

Best Oddball Barn Find: Early Logghe Streamliner We will admit, we are always blown away by the stuff that shows up in Ryan Brutt’s Barn Finds and Rare Gems display. There were very cool cars in 2017, like COPO Chevys with documentation, vintage muscle trucks and even an old funny car, but one car that took everybody by surprise was this 1959-era Logghe Stamping Company streamliner. According to research still being conducted into this car’s origins, it was one of only two sports-car chassis built by the brothers for a possible road race effort that were instead pressed into drag strip duty. This may have been because Detroit Dragway was host to the NHRA Nationals in 1959 and 1960. Of course, Logghe later helped Mercury ignite the funny car revolution. Saved from a Motor City-area junkyard, Dragrace Relics LLC, owned by Clark and Collene Rand, will direct its eventual restoration.

Best Oddball Cruiser: 1967 Boss Bird Randy Birchfield built and displayed this 1967 Thunderbird, which obviously has had some upgrades. The engine is a Cobra Jet-type 428, complete with Shaker scoop. The car uses a C6 automatic, features a deck wing, and has flawless “highway star” deep purple paint. The clean execution includes custom Boss Bird lettering. Not something you see every day…

And Best Car of the Event (in you author’s opinion): 1970 RT/SE Hemi Challenger It started with that super-cool Gator-Grain roof and survivor appearance. This Challenger R/T SE with its 426 Hemi engine, four-speed transmission and 4.10 Dana rear is pretty cool, and it was highly optioned. But I needed a story, and this car had it. Original owner, the late Godfrey Qualls, was in the 82nd Airborne and bought this car after a tour of duty for Uncle Sam. He later served the city of Detroit Police as a police officer for 37 years. He ordered the N96 Shaker, and was not happy when his custom $5,272.00 factory build showed up at the dealership without it, and was further told he could not get one on a Dodge, period. So he sued the company and eventually won, getting the parts from Chrysler for the conversion. As you can see, he never put that design on. When off-duty, Officer Qualls established a noteworthy reputation as the baddest Hemi car on the east side of Detroit, parking it during the mid-1970s gasoline crisis. His son Greg and their family brought to MCACN after Bob Ashton, a native of the area, found out this ghost still existed in solid unrestored shape, with dealership plastic seat covers intact and every piece of imaginable factory paperwork. There were a sea of Shaker cars in pristine shape at this year’s event, and a lot of other very worthy cars, but a cop from Detroit with a Street Hemi whose reputation echoed to Woodward and a car that still exists today, unrestored and with his family? Yep, that’s MCACN…

Next year’s dates – November 17-18, 2018

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