Hemmings Classic Car June 2024

“Dad scribbled a pencil down to the eraser by filling the ginormous Mercury with options…” EXCEPT for his first car, a used 1958 Chevrolet Impala, my dad was a Ford Man. Evidence of this started when the Chevy was traded in for a used ’63 Falcon Futura Sprint, which in turn was part of a trade-and-finance deal to secure a brand-new 1968 Shelby G.T. 500 while he was nearing college graduation. Less than 11 months later, the Shelby was a bargaining chip to land Dad in a new 1969 LTD, loaded with every option save one. Dad wasn’t bashful about buying upmarket, either. The LTD gave way to a 1973 Mercury Marquis Brougham that resided next to Mom’s Ford Maverick. Here again, Dad scribbled a pencil down to the eraser…

VETERAN READERS OF our sister publication Hemmings Muscle Machines should be familiar with Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania’s Ed Pienta. His 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS–best described as a modified example that was built, body-off, and assembled with a non-stock 427-cu.in. big-block V-8 and a host of aftermarket speed parts–was featured in the magazine’s September 2005 issue. Demonstrating an appreciation for bonestock performance cars, Ed later undertook the multi-award-winning restoration of his 1971 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30, the process of which was outlined in the January 2012 issue. With that much heavy metal under his belt, it stands to reason that Ed’s latest project would likely be in the same vein, another iconic GM muscle car from the golden era of big-block power. Instead, Ed’s cast his knack for turning out stunning restorations on a…

THE MOTOR BUG BIT ME when I was 11 years old. I was tearing apart lawn mower engines in hopes of building anything that gave me powered mobility. While other kids in the neighborhood were ripping around on Tote Goat minibikes or store-bought go-karts, I had to rely on a passel of rusty hand-me-down tools and a discarded, horizontal-shaft, 2-hp Briggs & Stratton. Alas, behind the plank seat, that little engine chugged and moaned atop its mower deck, spinning blades and all. The heap was a threshing machine on wheels that soon threw a rod, died, and was abandoned in a deserted cow pasture down the road. A year later I was spending my after school hours bent over the fenders of a friend’s 1957 Ford Crown Victoria. He was…

I WAS MOTIVATED to send this comment after reading the Reminiscing story of Darrell Farlough and his 1973 Chevy Nova in the January issue. I believe I may be about 10 to 12 years older than Darrell but my experiences with the exact same engine (the small-block 307-cu.in. V-8) in my 1969 Camaro are nearly identical. I purchased it in 1972 with 18,000 miles on the odometer and it was my daily driver until it went under a three-year restoration in 1988, at which point the odometer showed around 135,000 miles. Like Darrell’s Nova, my Camaro had only the usual mechanical items replaced over those years. The original 200-hp 307, three-speed automatic transmission, and drivetrain are all still running fine to this day. Unlike Darrell, I never had the time (or…

1965 FORD MUSTANG The early Mustang will always have a large following because it was so right from the start, having nearly universal appeal. This restored 1965 coupe turned heads with its “show-quality” Guardsman Blue paint over a blue-trimmed white vinyl interior. The automatic-equipped Ford received some new sheetmetal and many correct replacement parts in the course of its rejuvenation. Its engine compartment looked particularly nice, the original two-barrel, 260-cu.in. V-8 bearing the right stamps and stickers. The undercarriage also looked show-ready and fresh bias-ply tires blended correct looks with ride comfort. For a non-performance version, this well-presented pony car brought a muscular sum. Reserve: $44,000  Selling Price: $50,400  Recent Market Range: N/A 1972 CADILLAC ELDORADO In dollar-per-inch terms, few cars offer as much value as the early-1970s Cadillac Eldorado.…

This world we inhabit is replete with stories about people whose first cars were from the past, and which they relished, drove happily and sometimes, forgot quickly when a more desirable car rolled into sight. “My first car was …” is a frequent quotation in stories like this one. Here, however, we’ve got a decidedly different outcome. It’s a case study of a guy whose entrée into the world of old cars was spectacular. Not everybody finds an ironclad automotive icon on his first shopping trip. Yet this piece of history–a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, with nearly every factory option, and one of just 16,155 produced in the glowing classic’s inaugural year–is still in the hands of the man who bought it 55 years ago, when it was being cast aside.…