Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i Classic American

Those nice folks over at RH Insurance are sponsoring a prize for the star letter in Classic American magazine. The prize, which is valid for 12 months after the competition has closed, is a contribution of up to £100 towards the premium for the insurance of one specialist vehicle courtesy of RH specialist vehicle insurance. All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is send us a letter, or an email. For full terms and conditions please visit http://mrtns.uk/starletterterms…

If there was any enthusiast totally enthused with and inspired by the Corvette model, then it would have to be Jeff Shadbolt; his commitment and passion for them knows no bounds. He has even established his own club, CAPS (Corvette Appreciation and Preservation Society) but more of that later. His interest in the model started from a very early age and would lead him and business partner and long time friend Craig, into establishing Essex Corvettes, based in Mountnessing. The company specialised in importing Corvettes, ostensibly from the USA, and then selling them. Essex Corvettes was active for several years before Jeff and Craig embarked upon new projects and the company ceased trading. “I owned my first Corvette, a lovely white 1980 C3, in the early Nineties,” remembers Jeff. “In…

Wow. Sensory overload. Drift cars sliding at high speed at ridiculous angles in clouds of tyre smoke, Formula One cars, rally cars and NASCARs bouncing off their rev limiters while doing donuts and burnouts, the spectacular Red Arrows performing aerobatics overhead and stunt cars and bikes doing things that they shouldn’t really be able to do. Plus of course, racing cars rocketing up the narrow hillclimb at breakneck speed, some noisily and some with an eerie whoosh. Welcome to the Festival of Speed, whose theme this year was ‘speed kings’. There was no shortage of those as it was almost impossible not to bump into world champions and high fliers from one branch of motorsport or another. If I listed them all here there would be no room for anything…

Vendor: Simon Martins, Lowestoft, Suffolk Telephone: 07872 076079 Price: £24,995 This month’s Drive-Buy feature car is an absolute gem, having been restored in the US to an excellent standard. There’s a great deal of documentation which comes with the car too, with details of much money spent over the years, including a letter describing just how good the bodywork was prior to restoration, detailing the very good condition of all the floor pans. It’s also a matching-numbers car, with confirmation that the 324cu in V8 was rebuilt, along with the Hydramatic Jetaway automatic transmission. The bodywork is certainly very straight indeed, with good panel gaps and the doors open and close with a quality ‘clunk’. The front and rear bumpers have almost certainly been rechromed to a good standard, so…

Green light record for Big Daddy Over in Florida, late July saw Big Daddy Don Garlits, (now 87 years old), set a new quarter-mile record for an electric-powered dragster. Swamp Rat 38 is Garlits’ second electric-powered car, Swamp Rat 37 setting a new record back in 2014 at 7.25 seconds at 185.65mph. This time, the aim was to break the 200mph barrier, and for that the new car was built as a stripped-down version, with a weight saving of 1000lb. Plenty of fans flocked to Palm Beach Raceway to witness the attempt, and although a new record was set at 7.235 seconds at 189.04mph, the 200mph barrier, for now, remains elusive. However, with battery technology improving all the time, it can only be a matter of time before Garlits adds…

Steve Norwich I like Fast N’ Loud but these Bullitt episodes were very disappointing. Nearly as bad as them doing up a ‘Scout’, whatever that piece of rubbish is, in the following episode. I would rather watch them lose $100,000 repairing another written-off Ferrari! Wayne Norris Give GMG some credit, the Smokey and the Bandit episodes were brilliant. Adrian Green Wayne Norris I agree with you totally. The show’s great and the Smokey and the Bandit show they did was brilliant. Aaron Kaufman made a mistake leaving the show. His show is boring and not in the same league, compared to Fast N’ Loud. Gordon R Dennett Adrian Green agreed, I couldn’t sit through Aaron’s show. I watched the Fast N’ Loud episode, it wasn’t a bad re-creation and Chad…

When we think of ongoing projects, a timespan of six months to a few years seems quite typical. Everyone wants to work at a pace they’re happy with - after all, a full-time job and everyday life often results in that stash of parts and a stripped shell filling your garage for longer than was intended and all too soon the summer sun has begun to disappear. Ed Jackson was in no particular rush to complete his stunning ’71 Plymouth Fury Sport. In fact, when he first bought it, he only really intended to keep it a year or so, spending as little money on it as possible to keep it running. We should point out this was back in 1988, so you could say those initial plans disappeared some…

It’s believed that the earliest known use of sex in advertising took place in 1871 when the Pearl Tobacco label revealed a female figure, lightly draped and unclothed from the waist up, rising from the waves. A few years later W Duke & Sons inserted trading cards featuring sexually provocative starlets into cigarette packs. Duke grew to become the leading American cigarette brand by 1890. By the time the automobile was invented, it didn’t take long for those in the advertising business to adapt this general marketing technique into the promotion of cars and/or car parts, as by then it had found that the addition of the female form to the marketing was a successful formula. In a nutshell, it was believed: sex definitely sells! This series of images focuses…

The Stars & Stripes show has been running for 31 years now, which is quite an achievement for any car show, particularly an American one. Classic American’s parent company, Mortons, bought the show last year and this was the second year that Mortons’ show division has run the event, with help from longtime organiser Stuart Holmes. While there are relatively few big American car shows in the north now, it seems the Stars & Stripes show has adopted the mantle of the biggest event in the north and as such pulls in attendees from all over the country, including Scotland, the Midlands and the North East, as well as folks from down south and east coast counties like Cambridge. It wasn’t hard to spot one Scottish contingent (Kevin Badcock, John…

It doesn’t matter whether you’re someone who used to attend Santa Pod Raceway in years gone by, and like to enjoy the nostalgia trip, or you just want to go see some killer cars battling it out on the strip; Dragstalgia seems to get better with every passing year, meaning it’s a firm fixture on our calendar, and it really ought to be on yours too. The weather may not have emulated the California scorcher experienced last year – clouds threatened rain over the weekend – but fortunately most of it fell during the hours of darkness, and apart from a later start on Sunday morning, there was plenty of strip time for everyone, with some memorable runs for more than a few racers. Nostalgia fans were treated to plenty…

It’s the excellent overall condition of this Olds which is so impressive. Whoever views it won’t be disappointed. The original specification cross-ply tyres have been replaced in favour of a set of brand new 225/70-R15 BF Goodrich Silvertown whitewall radials, which is a wise move to optimise overall handling qualities. In a nutshell, it would be difficult to spend any more money on this car. Just about everything has been replaced, rebuilt, refurbished and retrimmed, so no concerns about the running gear, body/paintwork/brightwork or the interior. All you need to do is simply add fuel, drive and enjoy!…

Welcome to the 2019 Classic American Glovebox Guide! We’ve put this gloveboxsized handbook together so you can keep it in your glovebox or office drawer, with the specific idea of it being an invaluable resource for any American vehicle owner. And we mean any American vehicle owner – whether it’s a Model T or a brand-new Cadillac, you’ll find valuable and useful listings in here for any American car, truck or other type of vehicle. We’ve had excellent feedback since the first one a decade ago and it makes sense to keep it continuously updated as new businesses start and others disappear. There are two types of listings: alphabetical and by business type, so whatever you’re after, you should be able to find it quickly and easily. Classic American is…

Snow foam that is! Meguiar’s has just introduced a new premium car wash called ‘Ultimate Snow Foam’ that it claims is engineered specifically towards car enthusiasts looking for a snow foam to use along with a foam cannon and pressure washer. Ultimate Snow Foam, with Xtreme Cling foam, is the perfect way to obtain a swirl-free wash that won’t damage wax protection. The formula contains a specialised Xtreme Cling foaming action that delivers an intense foam that sticks and clings to painted surfaces gently loosening road grime, dirt and contaminants. It is fine-tuned to carefully and thoroughly clean coated, waxed or sealed finishes, while preserving protection and leaving a brilliant, swirl-free shine. It can be used in one of two ways: either as a pre-wash prior to using a traditional…

SUN, FUN AND SWEDISH DELIGHTS… Dear Classic American, My reflections on this year’s Power Meet are as follows: it was pretty much business as usual. We attended both events again this year and the Power Meet in Lidköping is in its third year at the new venue. It’s well organised and its confidence appears to be growing and it’s become the top mid-summer show for the best American cars in Sweden. The highlight of the show was a mega lineup of 14 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertibles... only in Sweden! There were meant to be another three cars, but they could not make it. The runway was awash with a sea of chrome-encrusted cuties. Interestingly, the Swedes are not into Corvairs, Vegas or Pintos, plus the baby Thunderbirds are not…

Although this 1954 Chrysler is Peter Rickinson’s first American car, he’s no stranger to classics: “I’ve always had old cars, mainly Fifties and Sixties Rovers such as P4s,” explains Peter. “Then I went on holiday to Cuba and that fired up my imagination about owning an American vehicle, but I quickly realised trying to import one from Cuba would be a nonsense, even if I could find a car that still had its original engine. Later I had some time off work following a hip replacement and had time to peruse classic Americans in print. I decided I most liked the postwar cars up to about 1956, after that they became a bit too flashy with the tailfins. I also wanted something with a straight-eight engine and fairly simple mechanical…

Body: ■ 1971 Plymouth Sport Fury two-door hard top. ■ Honda Milano Red paint. ■ Vinyl roof. Engine ■ Rebuilt Chrysler Cordoba 400cu in big block, mild competition cam. ■ Edelbrock inlet manifold. ■ 750 Holley carb. ■ Thrush headers. Front suspension ■ Uprated torsion bars and front sway bar from Firmfeel Inc. ■ KYB shock absorbers from Just Suspension. Rear Suspension ■ Retempered leaf springs with extra leaf from GMB Springs, Sheffield, with poly bushes. Brakes ■ New disc, drums and brake calipers from Rodley Motors. ■ Original radiator recored by European Radiator Services, Sheffield. Transmission ■ Transmission rebuilt by Martin Lowe Transmissions and fitted with Kevlar bands. Steering ■ Stage one steering box from Firmfeel Inc. Interior ■ Original seats re-covered by MB Trims. ■ Door cards -…

GTO 1964-1974 – Data and ID Guide Author: Peter C Sessler Published by: Car Tech ISBN: 978-1-61325-363-2 Price: £19.99 Data and Identification Guides for American cars are primarily intended for those enthusiasts who are either intending to buy one or are already lucky enough to have an example. They are essential reading for those with a vested interest in determining exactly what they are looking for or may already have. It’s important to know how original a specific car is, how it differs from its factory-fresh configuration, how rare or desirable it is, and, ultimately, how much it is worth. That said, a book which provides all the data one might reasonably need about a particular car is also a good source of information for fans of that marque in…

The CCCUK (Classic Corvette Club UK) once again returned to The Sharnbrook Hotel to enjoy not only the 2019 Corvette Nationals, but also to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the club itself. This year’s Nationals was co-ordinated by Mike Lacey, Ross Thornhill and Colin Morton, and the layout was pretty much the same as usual with plenty of cars parked in the top field and dotted all around the front of the hotel. This meant that individual generations couldn’t all be parked together, but that’s a small price to pay for being able to hold your annual event at a hotel owned by a most enthusiastic fellow ‘petrolhead’, on-site overnight accommodation for long-distance attendees and a function suite - all sorted then! “Corvettes started arriving from around mid-afternoon on Friday,…

2019 AUGUST 18 CROMER CARNIVAL AMERICAN & CUSTOM CAR SHOW Carnival Field, Runton Road, Cromer. From 10am onwards, free entry. Tel 01263 570223 for details AUGUST 23, 24 & 25 KNUCKLEBUSTERS AT THE BARNS. Event Description: Hot rods, customs and rockabilly will all be appearing at Stonham Barns later in the summer as the famous Knucklebusters at The Barns returns. Over 500 vehicles are expected at the event over the August Bank Holiday (23-25 August) which took the place of the Nationals Association of Street Clubs Street Rod Nationals rally which took place in Trinity Park, Felixstowe, every year until 2017. The mid-Suffolk hot rod and custom car show will feature an amazing array of customized vehicles. Fans at the custom car show will be enjoying an entire weekend at…

There aren’t any real bad points with this Olds, just a few minor niggles, and it’s definitely a potential award winner. If you look very closely, there are a few miniscule blemishes on the paintwork, notably the odd chip here and there. For some reason the steering column wasn’t painted when the rest of the interior was repainted. The white paint has slightly yellowed compared to that of the dash, but it’s not really an issue. Both front quarter-light windows show a tiny amount of delamination. Ideally, the new cross-ply spare should be replaced with a radial tyre.…

ACCESSORIES AMERICAN AUTO MAGS 3 Foxes Hey, Delamere Park, Cuddington, Cheshire CW8 2UU 01606 888324 www.americanauto mags.com AMERICAN CLASSIC DIECAST Suffolk 07754 341647 www. americanclassic-diecast.co.uk ANGLO AMERICAN OIL COMPANY 58 Holton Heath Trading Park, Holton Road, Poole, Dorset BH16 6LT 01929 551557 www.aaoil.co.uk AUTOMEC EQUIPMENT & PARTS LTD 36 Ballmoor, Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham MK18 1RQ 01280 822818 www.automec.co.uk BALLINGLEN TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS LTD 18 Rhosnesni Lane, Wrexham LL12 7LY 08448 221454 www.smart components.co.uk BATTLE ORDERS LIMITED Chaucer Industrial Estate, Dittons Road, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6JF 01323 488445 BITS 4 OLD KARS 02380 849311 steve@bitz4oldkarz. com www.bitz4oldkarz.com BROOKLIN MODELS LTD Unit 3A, Pinesway Industrial Estate, Ivo Peters Road, Bath, BA2 3QS 01225 332400 mail@brooklinmodels. co.uk www.brooklinmodels. co.uk CAR BUILDER SOLUTIONS Redlands, Lindridge Lane, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0JJ 01580 891309 www. carbuildersolutions.com/uk CHRONOS…

A-Z GUIDE 28 STATE CARS Palamino NW Ltd, Unit 10 Swordfish Close, Burscough, L40 8JW. 28statecars@gmail.com www.28state.co.uk find us on Facebook, Ebay and YouTube 51ST STATE AUTOS 3 The Grange, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 3QF 01992 651704 www.51stateautos.com 5280 CLASSICS Six Speed, Addington Business Park, Verney Road, Addington, Bucks MK18 2JX 07933 252101 www.5280classics.com A602’S Herefordshire www.autoramashow. com AARON RADIATOR 54 Whitehorse Lane, London SE25 6RQ 0330 202 0180 aaronradiator.co.uk ABBEY MOTORISTS CENTRE 51 Cartersfield Road, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1JD 01992 701201 www. abbeymotoristscentre.co.uk ACADEMY INSURANCE SERVICES LTD 7 Bridge Cross Road, Burntwood, WS7 2BU. www. academyinsurance.co.uk ACE AUTO ELECTRICS LTD Unit 7, Anchor Business Park, Liversedge, WF15 6AU. 01924 410700 jordan@ aceautoelectrics.co.uk www.aceremapping. co.uk ADRIAN DROMEY Lincolnshire LN13 0JP 01507 211599 ADRIAN FLUX INSURANCE SERVICES East Winch Hall, East Winch, King’s…