South Hill Customs

Atlantic City Car Show 2012

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:34:00 +0000

After a weekend of cleaning up the mess in the garage (a lot of it was from my recent Nerf modifications), I am ready to kick things off with my annual pilgrimage to the Atlantic City Car Show on February 24-26, 2012. More later...

Dodge Macho Power Wagon

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Alright all you MOPAR fanatics, now is your chance to get your hands on one sweet truck. Up for sale is a 1978 Dodge Macho Power Wagon, 4x4, with a big block 440.
The ADULT TOYS by DODGE were designed to be noticed. The MACHO POWER WAGONS were the most outrageous of all the Factory Built toys. Sporting big tires, black and yellow accents, roll bars, and massive POWER WAGON callouts, MACHOs were easy to spot.

For Sale! Call 732-668-5576
$12,000 obo

Nerf War

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000

There are a many thing that can delay the restoration of a car. Lack of funding, loss of enthusiasm, and the cold winter weather have all plagued me recently. But these are not the current issues I face with the restoration of the '66 Chevelle, no, there is something else. WAR. A Nerf War. OK, lets be honest, the war hasn't really started, just a few little outburst in the kitchen or living room, and the kids have the upper hand with the best firepower. So, I've focused my creative talents for the time being on modding a Nerf Alpha Trooper CS-18 into something like what you see below. Why? Well, it keeps my creative/artistic side happy, it's cheap, and it's fun. I picked up a bunch of cheap parts off of eBay, like a stock, extended mag, red dot scope, and even made a suppressor from some PVC and a little JB Weld. I have plenty of paint, so I'm going to have fun giving it a realistic or "steam-punk" look. I even picked up an Orange Mod Works kit to pump up the power. I think when I'm done, even Terry Crews will be impressed....

Best eBay Item Ever

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:21:00 +0000

I spend a lot of time browsing eBay and Craigslist, looking at the prices of vehicle that I already own and trying to gauge the value of some of my project cars. Occasionally I even find that great deal. Well, today I looked up the '66 Chevelle just for fun, and found a guy who is trying to sell a very nice and expensive Pro Touring 1966 Chevelle convertible. His buy it now price is a whopping $75,000 but his item description has got to be one of the best I have ever read. Check it out...

"OK, let me start off by saying this Chevelle is only available for purchase by the manliest of men (or women). My friend, if it was possible for a vehicle to sprout chest hair and a five o'clock shadow, this Chevelle would look like Tom Selleck. It is just that manly.

It was never intended to drive to the mall so you can pick up that adorable shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch that you had your eye on. It wasn't meant to transport you to yoga class or Linens & Things. No, that's what your Prius is for. If that's the kind of car you're looking for, then just do us all a favor and stop reading right now. I mean it. Just stop.

This car was engineered by 3rd degree ninja super-warriors in the highest mountains of Japan to serve the needs of the man that cheats death on a daily basis. They didn't even consider superfluous nancy boy amenities like navigation systems (real men don't get lost), heated leather seats (a real man doesn't let anything warm his butt), or On Star (real men don't even know what the hell On Star is).

No, this brute comes with the things us testosterone-fueled super action junkies need. It has a 701HP engine to outrun the cops. It's got special blood/gore resistant upholstery. It even has a first-aid kit in the back. You know what the first aid kit has in it? A pint of whiskey, a stitch-your-own-wound kit and a hunk of leather to bite down on when you're operating on yourself. The Chevelle also has an automatic transmission so if you're being chased by Libyan terrorists, you'll still be able to shoot your machine gun out the window and drive at the same time. It's saved my bacon more than once.

It has room for you and the four hotties you picked up on the way to the gym to blast your pecs and hammer your glutes. There's a tow hitch to pull your 50 caliber anti-Taliban, self cooling machine gun. I also just put in a new windshield to replace the one that got shot out by The Man.

My price on this bad boy is an incredibly low $90,000 but I'll entertain reasonable offers. And by reasonable, I mean don't walk up and tell me you'll give me $50,000 for it. That's liable to earn you a Burmese-roundhouse-sphincter-kick with a follow up three fingered eye-jab. Would it hurt? Hell yeah. Let's just say you won't be the prettiest guy at the Coldplay concert anymore.

There's only 500 miles on this four-wheeled hellcat from Planet Kickass. Trust me, it will outlive you and the offspring that will carry your name. It will live on as a monument to your machismo. Now, go look in the mirror and tell me what you see. If it's a rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double, then contact me. I might be out hang-gliding or BASE jumping or just chilling with my ladies, but I'll get back to you. And when I do, we'll talk about a price over a nice glass of Schmidt while we listen to Johnny Cash.

On a serious note this Chevelle has a Fresh 540 Big Block making 701Hp, Art Carr 700r4 transmission, Moser 12 bolt rear. The wheels are Billet specialties 18". Wilwood 4 piston Brakes front and rear. The audio system was 15K alone. One of a kind Tru Technology super billet amp, alpine processor and head unit, Focal front and rear speakers with custom sub woofers mounted in the center console. The whole car has been custom built and is a one of a kind. Over 160K has been invested into this beautiful 66 chevelle.

Thanks for looking."

2012 Camaro Super Bowl Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Zach Borst, a 26-year-old filmmaker from Long Island, N.Y., wrote, produced and assembled a one-minute ad about a graduate getting a Chevrolet Camaro as a gift for a Chevrolet competition. When you see it, you'll realize why Chevy picked it to air in the upcoming Super Bowl to an audience of 110 million people.

Barrett-Jackson Live!

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:11:00 +0000

Live stream of the Barrett-Jackson auction from Scottsdale, AZ.

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Barrett-Jackson 2012

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Well, it's my favorite time of the winter season, the 2012 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction from Scottsdale, Arizona. From January 17-22, 2012 Speed TV will be covering the event live (program schedule here) and hosting the Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game. The game starts on the 19th, and features prizes including $500 gas cards, iPad2s, and even a 60" 3D LED LCD TV! I will try to provide a live stream of the coverage here.

Here is a brief slide-show of some of the featured vehicles this year...
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2012 - A New Year

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Well it's 2012 already, and I've got to be more productive on the '66 than I was in 2011. I did go and work on the '69 Stingray with Dave this past weekend, and we were able to get it running, finally. After many unsuccessful attempts at starting the Corvette, we determined that the fuel pump was not working. So we replaced it with another used one, that didn't work, and then got a new fuel pump that did. Then we had a few fuel leaks to sort out, and a carb or two later...we almost got it. The vintage Holley still needs to be dialed in, as well as the timing, but it did start and idle with no smoke!

I started restoring a nice steering wheel I picked up for the '66 Chevelle, which also came with a column. I disassembled it, and built a nice new column with the parts I had already acquired to make it a floor shift car. Now I just need to prime and paint it.

I found this video to motivate me...

Roadster Shop '66 Chevelle at El Toro from Illking on Vimeo.

Dave's 69 Stingray

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:37:00 +0000

I have been helping out my pal Dave down at his garage on his 1969 Corvette, which he and his brother have had off the road since about 1975. It is a 11:1 350 hp/390tq small block with a 4 speed and side pipes. We have been putting the engine back together and are in the process of getting it running. Together with our neighbor Gary, we almost had it, but we flooded it. We pulled the plugs and are going to try a different carb, and hopefully we will have it this week.

Wagon getting a Back-Half

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:55:00 +0000

I stopped by to see Tommy "Lawn Dude", and to check in on his progress with the 80 Malibu wagon. He has decided to clean up the rear end and do a little back-half, including new mini-tubs, a new fuel cell and some sheet metal work on the race car. During the winter off-season, he will also add a few new bars to the roll cage, including a halo hoop to the front roll cage. We also talked about re-painting the car "Blitz Black"...just need to get the body work done first and find a garage big enough to paint the wagon.

Sandblasting

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:48:00 +0000

I reached out to my pal John to see if I could sandblast a few parts over at his awesome garage. I'll have to throw a pic up of the garage artwork next time I get a chance. He has a HUGE sand blasting cabinet that I'm using to clean up a few of the smaller parts, such as the hood latch and bumper brackets. I might even try to fit the front core support in there and see how that comes out.

Rear Window - done!

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:23:00 +0000

I think that I have finally finished all of the sheet metal welding now, including the new rear window channel. I now have to finish all the rest of the mock-up, and make sure the panels fit, the gaps are aligned, and start hammering out any other dents and dings. If the weather was warmer, I'd be able to shoot some epoxy primer on it, but I guess I'll have to wait.

Rear Window

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:13:00 +0000

No, I'm not talking about the classic movie, Zach and I have been creating the patch panel for the rear window of the 66 Chevelle. It may have taken a lot of test fitting, but I think we got a nice panel piece to fit, and I almost have it welded completely in. I ran out of welding gas...figures. Tomorrow I am running down to IWS to get a new tank of Argon/CO2, and will finish up the last major patch panel on the car. The photo here is just what was cut out, prior to the new piece. I have a few small pieces yet to do, they shouldn't take long.

New Chevy Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:03:00 +0000

I recently came across this new Chevy Commercial, "My Dad's Car", and was touched. I found an extended version, and though I'd share it here...

Wheel stand of the year!

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Tommy stopped by to tell me about Marc's amazing wheel stand at the Englishtown Mean Street Top Street Shootout last week....check this out. The announcer said it was the best wheel stand he has seen this year.

66 Chevelle Mock-Up

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:15:00 +0000

Now that I have most of the welding done (I still need to tackle the rear window), I started to mock-up the body panels and all the large pieces. I needed to make some room in the shed anyway. The new hood has taken me a bit of time to get aligned,as well as the fenders. You figure this 45 year old Chevy has been off its frame and apart for nearly 16 years, and I know it had it's share of fender benders. Surprisingly, the most difficult thing about putting the bumpers on was trying to find some 7/16" bolts and nuts. Other than that, the bumpers fit to the frame without much of an issue. The front bumper has a bend or two, but they are both going to be replaced anyway. I even took the fuel sending unit out of the tank, and installed the gas tank. I'll replace that now, because I know it isn't going to work if I don't. Finally, I removed the rear 1/4 window on the left side, which will need to be cleaned up and installed later.

Chevelle Fender

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 03:06:00 +0000

Wow, there was a lot of work to do on the left fender! I started this morning by continuing on the same fender I started on Thursday, by repairing a few small patch pieces before I got to the lower fender patch. I welded on a new nut for the missing front core support, and then cut out all the rust and inner brace work that was rotten. The photo shows just the rough fender welds on the patch panel, I later ground them smooth and started to work on fabricating the inner brace work. I also had to tap a few screw holes on the body that the fenders mount to. That fender has been on and off probably 10 times today! I still need to weld up the brace and trim it up a bit so that it fit perfectly...hopefully tomorrow.

Welding Sheet Metal

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:33:00 +0000

I've been making progress on the 66 Chevelle over the past week or two, but I haven't taken many photos. I got the left quarter panel on, the drivers door fixed and have moved on to the left fender. I swapped one of the 71 Chevelle's 18" Coys on to see how they would look....not too bad. The backspacing is good, although the rear sits a bit high due to the extra lift from the anti hop bars on the top trailing arms. I might have to shorten the springs or remove the Lakewood pieces altogether. I also cut the left quarter to match the wheel moldings so it would look nice.

I pulled the driver's side window out so that I could weld up the holes in the door, but left the passenger's side glass in for now. I also noticed that the fender emblem holes were not the same, obviously someone swapped in a fender from another car, but Zach helped me weld up the old holes and carefully measure and drill out new holes. When I finish this last fender, I'll finish drilling out the screw holes for the wheel moldings (only did the left rear so far) and then on to the last weld....the rear window.

Fall E-Town Swap Meet and Barrett Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:18:00 +0000

This weekend is the 35th Annual Fall Englishtown Swap Meet & Auto Show, so Tommy and I spent the day in the rain looking for good, wet deals. I was able to score 4 dollies to roll the Chevelle around for only $40...an excellent deal. I also picked up a bunch of parts for the 66 that I ordered from Ground Up.

It also is the Barrett Jackson auction live from Las Vegas. I'll see if I can find some time to watch and play along with the Hagerty Fantasy Bid, and maybe get lucky.

71 Chevelle Fixed

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:01:00 +0000

I fixed the 71 Chevelle's rocker arm last Sunday (it took a while to find a parts store that had a rocker arm), but the electric fan was bothering me. I felt it was vibrating too much, which is how it rubbed a hole in the radiator. So, I purchased a new 16" fan from Jegs, and it seems much smoother now. The car has plenty of power and drops down in passing gear and goes real nice now. I just made sure the cable was adjusted when I was under the hood installing the new rocker arm.

I stopped by Tommy's this evening, and he reminded me that this was Drag Week...how did I forget that? BangShift.com has been posting lots of videos, and I hear that Hot Rod will be posting live video. I did find this video I liked...

Broken 71

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:40:00 +0000

I came home from dinner with the family last night in the 71 Chevelle, to the sweet smell of coolant in the air. Seems my radiator and the fan shroud rubbed together and made a little hole.... so I spent most of today trying to find a radiator repair shop open on Saturday. Luckily, Jim's Radiator Service in Point Pleasant was able to fix me right up, and before long, I was back on the road. Thanks Jim!

But no, the story doesn't end there. We drive on down to Sonic for a victory dinner, and on the way home there comes this terrible sound, backfiring through the intake. I limp it home, and tear into it, only to discover a broken exhaust rocker arm, snapped in two. Seriously, and I was only doing like 30 mph. I can't seem to catch a break today...so I'm going to bed and will deal with this tomorrow.

Zach Works!

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:46:00 +0000

Here is actual proof that Zach was working on the Chevelle! Of course it was a staged photo, but he did help me align the quarter panel so that I could weld it in. Thanks Zach!

Depth of Speed...A Pinch of Salt

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0000

I found this video, Depth of Speed, and thought you might enjoy it. Josh Clason takes us to an American automotive mecca and the Bonneville Salt Flats. Land speed racing has gone hand in hand with Bonneville as many travel to Utah in hopes of setting the next great record. But beyond the competition has been a strong degree of camaraderie where the ultimate goal lies beyond the record books.

Driver's Quarter

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:25:00 +0000

So I finally got back out to work on the 66 today. Tommy stopped by and helped me mark off the quarter panel on the driver's side, and I was able to cut out all the rust. The new panel looks as if it will fit nicely, although I first have to create a few outer wheel house edges to replace the rusty original. I'm not buying a $85 panel that no one will ever see, when I can fab and weld in some new steel. I have most of it finished, and even POR-15'd it to protect it.

Zach and I went over some of the molding pieces, and determined that the rear window molding is good, the front has dents in 4 of the 5 pieces....damn. That's about $150 if I can't fix it. We also decided to fill in the holes on the rear valance instead of using the rear emblem and moldings....it just looks cleaner. See here...

Driveway Sealer and Natural Disasters

noreply@blogger.com (jmasperi) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:05:00 +0000

It has been an absolutely crazy week here, and it all started off with a simply little oil change on the 71 Chevelle. As you may or may not know, they have recently removed zinc from most engine oils because newer cars do not require it like my old small block Chevys do. So, I purchase a $20 bottle of special zinc oil additive, 5 qts of oil and get a K&N filter from the local parts store (at and amazing discount of only $2.43!) So, I'm feeling really great about getting a high-tech filter so cheap and getting my "special" oil and treating the Chevelle right.....and then the filter craps out and I get a 4 qt oil slick all over the driveway. I am so aggravated I throw the filter and dent the garage door.....what an idiot. I spent most of the day cleaning up the huge mess which looks like the Exxon Valdez ran up my driveway. You think a oil spot is bad, try 4 quarts. Not to mention that I needed to go and purchase more oil, another filter, and try to find more zinc additive because I still needed to do an oil change.

So, next day or two of cleaning the driveway, results in me filling all the cracks and re-sealing the driveway. I'm feeling good that it is starting to look good (I even get a neighbor asking me who re-did the driveway and if I could fix hers). You know how it always seems to rain just after you wash your car, and you figure that you're jinxed.....well no sooner do I seal the driveway and we have an earthquake. Seriously, an earthquake in New Jersey? No damage to the driveway though, and a few rain free days would be great to help it cure. Of course not, we have the hurricane Irene heading straight up the east coast this weekend, and know I know it's all because I spilled oil in the driveway. Gotta be a connection.

So far the 71 Chevelle is nice and dry inside, hurricane Irene is going to be my true test. I need to get back to work on Zach's 66 Chevelle.