AUTOCRAZED

Gibb Chevy's at 2009 MCACN

2009-11-24T19:33:00.014-06:00

Thanks to Toby Carl, my Press Liaison from MCACN for bringing me over to meet Nancy Gibb, whose father was the owner of the legendary Gibb Chevrolet in La Harpe, IL, which is near the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River and SW of Chicago.

The dealership prospered through Fred's business smarts, after initially selling Kaiser-Frazer's. When the performance era was at full throttle in the mid-to-late '60's, Fred Gibb was able to secure COPO versions of Nova's and Camaro's due to his strong relationship with Vince Piggins of Chevrolet Motor Division, including the infamous bad boy ZL-1's. He operated the dealership from 1948 until 1984. One of those ZL-1's recently sold for over $1.2 million!!

Below is a picture of Nancy with her mother Helen, Fred's widow and in-front of a 1-of-50 COPO Nova SS with a 396 CI. The Fathom Blue (only one of four colors offered) Nova is radio delete, has an original 17K miles, albeit 1/4 mile at a time. The car is totally stock and the only item needing attention was the seatbelt retractor floor mount, it being a little scuffed-up. The steeringwheel hub still has scratches from the clamped-on tach. The car was a real beauty!

Gibb Chevy had customers from all over the US and competed in High Peformance sales with the likes of Nickey Chevy in Chicago (about 120 miles away), Yenko Chevy in Canonsburg, PA, Berger Chevy in Grand Rapids, MI and Baldwin Chevy in Long Island (Baldwin, NY), who happened to have Motion Engineering located next door. Gibb held their own when competing with the big boy High Performance dealers and sponsored several drag teams into the early '70's. The Gibb roster of drivers included Ray Sullins, Herb Fox and Jim Hayter. A World Championship came with the racing investment!

You will not meet a finer fan of her father's business than Nancy Gibb. The stories she has and how the records were kept of the COPO models are remarkable. There was just not enough time in the day and I had to stop myself from selfishly taking all of her time. The Gibb Chevy's are rare, but even rarer is the conversation with Nancy and her stories, which add to the value of those redlight racers.

See the wiki url on the ZL-1 Camaro, as pictured above. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camaro_ZL-1

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2009 Muscle Cars And Corvette Nationals Show Rocked!

2009-11-24T11:01:00.005-06:00

The 2009 MCACN Show really rocked. The shows promotion lead was Nickey Chevrolet vs. Mr. Norms Grand Spaulding Dodge! A big SHOUTOUT and thanks to Craig and Toby for their consideration and generous time. I will be updating with pictures, interviews and thoughts shortly. Some great guests attended included Jim Wangers, Mr. Norm and Nancy Gibb, while the roster of cars started with "Hemi Under Glass" and included the plethora of Vettes, Stangs, Shelby, Cobras and muscle!

Hang in there for more information and again, next years version promises even more!

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Autocrazed Best Chevy Impala's List of All-time

2009-11-04T11:05:00.009-06:00

With the current Chevy Impala more-or-less running it's current program to end-of-life and the Holden Caprice model coming over as cop car only, I thought the time is right to reflect on the Best Impala's of All-Time according to me! I love those 6 taillights in the back letting everyone know that you splurged for the best that Chevy had to offer!

Here you go:

1965 Impala: Over 1M sold with a strong Cadillac look that offered great powertrains including the 409 & 427! The SS models were extremely popular and even with Mustang in-market, still sold lights out!

1962 Impala: Smooth lines, crease on roof for convertible look and the 409 SS models for the full year.

1960 Impala: Gone were the '59 cat's eyes look and 3 taillights on each side letting you know that it was an Impala. The 348 was a nice upgrade to the 283 and the Bright Blue color was the best offered in '60.

1969 Impala: The last of the SS models with coke bottle styling and strong front & rear bumpers. The beginning of the end as intermediate size takes over in popularity!

1996 Impala SS: The last year of the full-size model after coming back in '94. The best year of the 3 with firm bucket seats & tach. typical of GM to offer their best in the last model year!

1961 Impala: No more fins and the introduction of the SS! Only a few 409's trickled out. The bubbletop Bel Air's get all the cred now, but I'll take the Impala!

1966 Impala: For those who missed the '65's get a refresh and nearly 1M sold again! Caprice starts to steal volume.

1958 Impala: The one that started it. Richie driving one in American Graffiti! The 1st real big-block in the W-348. Too much chrome but looked the part!

1977 Impala: First year for the new down-sized model and had special rear glass on coupes. Hugely popular, but the body style stayed way too long!

1972 Impala: The last of the convertibles before become solely the domain of the Caprice. Losing it's cache' to Caprice and relevance as a model inside Chevy.

No honorable mentions as the '59, '64, '67-'68, '70-'71, '73-'76 and '78-later were nothing special.

The Impala is still popular with car lovers and the values for a vehicle which sold in the millions is remarkably high!

Images courtesy of Wikipedia Public Domain.

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The Best of Ford's All-Time

2009-10-28T13:06:00.004-05:00

I like to ponder all manufacturer's different models they have made over the years and Ford certainly has produced it's share of landmark vehicles over the past 100 years.

The following is Autocrazed All-Time List of Most Relevant Ford (Not Lincoln, Mercury or PAG) models in order of importance:

'65-'66 Mustang: The first niche' vehicle produced in such volume to create a category (Pony Cars) and drive consumers of all demographics (moms, dads, grandparents, kids) to want one!

'08-'27 Model T: The Tin Lizzie showed the world modern manufacturing, allowed Americans to see the US and created demand for new found freedoms.

'49-'50 Ford: The company was fading fast as post-war pent-up demand slackened, all manufacturers released new models and Ford needed a home run to save the company. A bit leaky and squeaky, they looked all-new and ahead of the competition.

'86-'91 Taurus: The car that saved the company again with over 2 million sold and jelly-bean styling only a President could love.

'58-'61 Thunderbird: The Squarebird added 2 seats to the very niche' '55-'57 T-Bird's and by doing so added considerable profits and defined personal luxury for years to come!

'91-current Explorer: No car defined the SUV market in-volume during the go-go '90's like the Explorer. Seemingly every class of American had one from the Hamptons to Seattle. Hauling kids, boats and soccer gear in 4WD style was done in an Explorer, displacing the minvan along the way, until the Firestone tire issues and high gas prices killed the golden goose.

'27-'31 Model A: The Flathead V8 in all it's glory. Future rods and family haulers alike bought during the Depression when other makes struggled. A legend to this day!

'48-current Ford's F-Series: It has reminded users for 3 generations what a pickup truck is meant to be and how lasting they are built. Something about "Built Ford Tough!" Still the volume leader in US Sales.

'92-Current The Crown Victoria: Keeps chugging along as the companies cash cow and used by fleets of taxi's and cops across North America. Pure profit for the company, even with some bad pub about rear-end crashes and mods to improve safety, it is the defacto public service vehicle. It has replaced the Checker as the icon for cabs.

'60-'63 Falcon: On the heals of the Edsel failure comes a compact car that is such a success that GM has to engineer a competitive car (Chevy II) because the Corvair sales were so comparatively small!

Honorable mentions: '77-'79 T-Birds (true volume), '55-'57 T-Birds (a '50's icon), '83-'86 (the first new aero-look) T-Birds, '70-'71 Torino (short-lived style & value leader), '79-'93 Mustang (kept the lights and fought the Probe to survive), '81-'90 Escort (Ford's first world car and FWD), '05-Current Mustang (the one everyone still wants after nearly 50 years), & '39-'48 Fords (new looks pre-war and most desired woodies today).

There you have it! The Autocrazed Most Influential Ford's Ever Produced!

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Rename Todays Racing Events with Past Legends of Racing

2009-10-17T11:35:00.005-05:00

It seems to me, that all forms of racing are struggling with the economy and the loss of their fans, the significant cutback by automakers & parts providers in dollars of support, along with their personnel, and by upwardly cost spiral of technology.

So with all of the that, the combined racing business cannot surrender and needs to market!!

One of my ideas is to bring in, "The Legends of Racing!" and rename some of the races with their sponsorship, such that they introduce the great ones of racing to fans, viewers and sponsors!

Imagine the following:

The Dan Gurney 500 by Autozone at Road America

or

The AJ Foyt 24-Hours of Daytona sponsored by Firestone

or

The Rick Mears 300 at Sears Point (Infineon) sponsored by Tide

or

The Don Garlitz Summer Nationals at Indy Raceway sponsored by Flowmaster

These are all hypothetical, but remember how PGA Golf events included a famous entertainer sponsor in much of the 60's and 70's? The same thing can be done with racing, in order to bring back the magic that legends in racing can provide. A way to bring traffic and handing the baton to new fans while sharing stories on the greatest who ever sat behind the wheel.

C'mon racing! Step-up and be creative before you lose your base!

Hemmings Mags: Muscle Machines vs. Classic Car, a Critique

2009-10-08T10:07:00.002-05:00

Within days of each other this week, I purchased the November issues of two Hemmings magazines that I have enjoyed for years and keep the back issues when done. Hemmings Muscle Machines and Hemmings Classic Car use nearly identical formats for layouts and have trusted writers who have been in the journalism business for years and you can see the integrity and quality of their writing. The thing is, Classic Car so disappointed me this month and Muscle Machine was an absolute delight. Normally, both publications are in the middle of the needle with me, as I also read Collectible Automobile, AutoWeek, Automotive News, Mopar Muscle, Automobile, among others. I do also purchase and read the Hemmings monthly magazine, which is the bible for the restoration business, but many of the articles are edited versions of what appears in Classic Cars, Muscle Machines and their other fine magazines.

Anyway, in typical fashion, let me start with the negative, which is Classic Car. Even with great writing, the articles/stories fall flat for me. Richard Lentinello's piece on doing auto repairs to his fleet of cars over his vacation, Pat Foster's monthly article on ways to constantly praise AMC and any family variations until Chrysler purchased them. He needs to expand his over-the-top praise for Rambler and I know he has a special spot for the Independents, but you would think the buying public made all the mistakes and not AMC for their eventual demise!! Jim Donnelly's article on Reading, PA, was beyond boring and the hodge-podge of automotive industrial giants who all had a cup of coffee there, made me glad that I was nearly 1/2 way through the magazine! I kept waiting for it to get better, then I get hear second-hand stories in David Schultz's article about mundane pieces of history. Please put these things together! This is a car magazine, not the daily paper with a sport section, business section, etc.. (Pat Foster does site another article about the Whippet)! Lastly Jim Richardson's article made me glad I only purchase and not subscribe, because I can skip a month now and not feel bad, as I want my time back after reading his article on innovations that was like talking to someone you only wanted to cordial with and say hello and are stuck for 30 minutes thinking of an escape plan that includes hostages. To Classic Car's defense, the articles written about various cars highlighted, including the Barracuda Buying Guide, the Original Owners were very readable, while the Restoration story, albeit dated and 40 years to complete was thorough and a tad boring. The article on the '50 Chevy was nice and could have used less dude-like comment from the owner and the articles on the Lycoming engine and "Mechanical Marvels" standout as informative. Most other pieces places in the magazine were good, but I would appreciate the addition of a recent auction outcome, such as in the Muscle Machines and Hemmings. So, bottom-line, the authors who have two cents and a pulpit to use, wasted it on me and should write not only to the Depression-Baby readers, but Boomers and Gen-X'ers who are moving in to the hobby. You gotta keep us interested and just take a gander (old word from another generation) at Classic Machines.

Let me say, that in both cases, I read both magazines, end-to-end and with Muscle Machines, I wanted more! I was sad it was over! Great writing from Terry McGean on Pontiac's demise and our mutual-wish for GM to find a way to bring it back! From there, Joe Oldham's article on Nunzi is a classic and I smiled throughout the read! Ray Bohacz's article on his love of license plates was a new take and had me hooked to see where he was going with it and how he finished it in Kansas. Lastly, Jim McGowan must know me personally, with his article "Stupid is as Stupid Does". The rest of the articles on the Cheetah, the various cars such as the Tempest Wagon, the 428 CJ Mustang, '63 409 Chevy Buying Guide and the restoration information, especially the radio conversion where well-crafted and enjoyable. Missing is the standard article from Muldowney or Garlitz and not sure why they were left out this month.

So...both fine publications with dedicated reader(s) like me and some input on how to make the most of $5.00 investment in the future. If you only have half-a-sawbuck, spend the money on the Muscle Machines and skip Classic Cars for November issues!

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New Holden Caprice Cop Car Should Include El Camino

2009-10-05T21:16:00.004-05:00

So GM officially announced the new Chevy Caprice Police Car based on the Holden model that is now the Pontiac G8. I understand why they have the vehicle and I believe they should offer the Ute version that was to be the G8 ST. I stated a year ago that resurrecting the El Camino name and product would bring back some magic. SSR came and went and not only are there SS fans, but farmers and fans of a car/truck style. Seriously, there are some hard core El Camino fans out there and if Chevy/GM doesn't step-up, then Ford ought to and bring back the Ranchero!

GM is the closest to being able to do this, as the ST had already been federalized!

So I ask, if GM can afford to bring a low margin fleet product cop car to market given their limited resources, why not bring the Ute version as well and have an El Camino in 2011?

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Go Like Hell, The Story of Ford GT at Le Mans

2009-07-10T19:56:00.005-05:00

Image courtesy of Go like Hell and the WSJ

Image courtesy of Barnes & Noble

Okay, the octane must be getting to me! I have come across 3 reviews on the new book by A.J. Baime called Go Like Hell, on the story of how Ford shocked the racing world and especially Ferrari and won the then most prestigious of races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I have to go and get this book and devour it like a '68 Charger with 426 Hemi devoured Sunoco 260 from the blend pump!!

Even the Wall Street Journal gave rave reviews! Amazon had 19 reviews already with an average of 5 stars, the highest!

Here are a few links and after I "race through" the book, I will of course provide my comments.

Just some things I picked up in the reviews include the fact that the Ford racing team averaged 133 MPH for the whole race, including pit stops and finished 1-2-3 in 3-punch fashion to Enzo!

http://cars.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/GoLikeHell.htm

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Go-Like-Hell/AJ-Baime/e/9780618822195

http://www.amazon.com/Go-Like-Hell-Ferrari-Battle/dp/0618822194

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204261704574274562661445936.html

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Big Old Convertibles

2009-07-08T15:51:00.003-05:00

I did not realize how much I love big old convertibles until I went a suburban cruise night and parked near some drop-tops that brought back memories of my childhood and having 6 people in the car with the top down.

Parked next to me was a survivor '69 Bonneville with a 428 and ~30K original miles and original owner. Nearby was a mint '65 Satellite and a '72 Impala. Too bad all the convertibles are meant for only 4 passengers these days and no large families of 6.

Stories to tell the kids about barges without tops and when air conditioning was a rare option.

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Clunkers for Cash, aka CARS

2009-07-08T15:47:00.004-05:00

Here it is folks, the official website for Clunkers for Cash:

http://www.cars.gov/

Please read the fine print and hurry in to buy! If you buy in the next 30 minutes, you could possibly receive a pocket fisherman! But wait there's more....

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Pontiac 1926-2010, RIP

2009-07-08T15:32:00.003-05:00

Pontiac joins the ranks of Plymouth, Oldsmobile, DeSoto, Studebacker, Rambler, Nash, Hudson, Willys, Edsel, Crosley, Geo, Merkur, Kaiser-Frazer, and Packard next year as another great marquis disappears! Who will be next? Mercury?

Autocrazed!!

Eos or Metropolitan, Two Cuties

2009-07-08T15:14:00.005-05:00

Eos Photograph courtesy of VW and Metropolitan image courtesy of wikipedia public domain

Is it just me or is the cute-as-a-button 2009 VW Eos Cabrio the Nash Metropolitan of this millenium? I can see Nancy Drew graduating to the Eos for her next movie!

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Tony George Fired! Hallelujah!!

2009-07-08T14:38:00.002-05:00

Time for tears of bricks as Tony George was finally relieved of his family position at IMS! The guy ran the sport into the ground and made it so it could not weather economic storms, as all the fans have gone away after a decade battling car owners at Champ Car.

See ya later Tony and don't let wall at the short chute hit you on the way out!

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No Better Model Number Than the "500"!

2009-03-08T23:10:00.005-05:00

Time was, the most important number used on the various models of vehicles released by the automakers over the past 50 years was the "500" (five hundred). Many believe that "500" was related to the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 races as being the top milers. Hence, the 500 on a model was the top version.

Surprisingly, the use of "500" reached its zenith in the mid-60's with all of the Big 3 assigning it to a trim level on multiple makes.

For review, here is a sampling of models with 500:

Ford:

Galaxie 500

Torino 500

Fairlane 500

Custom 500

Shelby Mustang GT500

Chevrolet:

Corvair 500

Dodge:

Monaco 500

Coronet 500

Charger 500

Other brands used the numeric nomenclature to signify the price point and model positioning such as Dodge using 330 and 440, along with AMC using 220, 440, 550, etc up to 990. Of course Cadillac had the Series 62, Olds had the 88 and 98, Buick had the 225 and don't forget Pontiac's T-37. Even Plymouth had the V100 Valiant. But rarely was a model series higher than the "500" (except Corvair and AMC).

In today's world of 3-Series, Alpha-Numeric models such as LX450 and XC60, along with recent Pontiac models of 2000 and 6000 in the 80's, those numbers just don't resonate like "500", which still has that certain cache'.

Here's to remembering the "500" in it's heyday, the races from which its number begot and to seeing it resurrected again.

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Gearheads and Treehuggers Unite!

2009-03-07T11:26:00.003-06:00

So many believe that there is no way that treehuggers and gearheads can co-exist, but I think otherwise. Personally I have the license plate on my minivan that is an environmental awareness plate and a portion of the price is used for state-level environmental programs (at least I hope so!).

Check out this link at treehugger.com, a Discovery company (courtesy of my sister) and it's latest on new electric and hybrid technologies, among other stimulating topics. http://www.treehugger.com/cars_transportation/

The future and all of its unknowns requires a perspective bringing in all viewpoints and sure some "treehuggers" want to abolish the use of vehicles and bring us back to the stone-age, while others are pragmatic in understanding that we cannot turn the clock back. New technologies are upon us and the future in automotive propulsion will be different in ten years than it is now. The changes will affect Big Oil, consumer habits, energy consumption, technology at the material, chemical, electrical and mechanical levels. The challenges are many and being righteous while having heads firmly planted in the sand will not move us directionally to overcome those challenges!

There is room for both and the need for both, Gearheads and Treehuggers!

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Danica Patrick Bikini-Clad for SI...More Proud of Her Body Than the Body of Her Work?

2009-03-05T16:36:00.008-06:00

Okay, first Danica posed on the beach and now on and in cars, including a Shelby. Is she really that hard-up for money or winning her first race last year was not enough?

I don't understand why she would lower herself to pose for pictures?

So call me a cynical prude? Maybe she is more proud of her body than her body of work!

See more pictures at this link: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/danica-patrick-and-shelby-cobrasports-illustrated-swimsuit-ar70366/picture285120.html

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Pro Athletes and Vehicle Stories

2009-03-05T16:01:00.004-06:00

Image courtesy of

Instead of going to Disneyland, many pro athletes are talkin' smack on their wheels following the winning of championships and new player contracts. Some are also upside down in their commitments due to the economy.

Here are a few stories of celebrity and sport interest:

*From Forbesauto.com Link: http://www.myride.com/lifestyle/nfl_stars_go_retro-4298-page1.html Good to see football players love the old cars as much as the new ones. Check out this Yenko Chevelle owned by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu.

*Another story coming out of New Orleans is Duece McAllister, the Saints all-time rushing yardage back owes Nissan $6.6M. Wow!!! He gets cut by the Saints and now has to go Chapter 11. http://ballhype.com/story/nissan_deuce_mcallister_owes_6_6_million_on_car/ These players have the worst financial advisers.

*Good to see that another athlete in-need selects the most expensive offering from GM for winning the super Bowl MVP. Santonio Holmes picked the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum valued at over $85K as the prize. http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/03/gm-hands-out-mvp-car-on-the-dl/ Perfect over indulgence for the times. Couldn't ask for a minivan and donate it to charity or something!

*Reggie Bush and his infamous girlfriend Kim Kardashian sold their cars recently on eBay. just wondering if the backseats were cleaned first? http://www.upscaleswagger.com/2008/12/03/reggie-bush-is-selling-his-limited-edition-mercedes-benz-on-ebay/

*Someone named um.... Paris Hilton was able to score a pink Bentley Continental GT for Christmas. She must have had a great year selling Mary Kay cosmetics to her friends in Hollywood? I thought you were only allowed to get Cadillac's if you were top seller? http://www.topspeed.com/cars/celebrity-cars/ke229.html

Enjoy the reads.

Autocrazed!!

So What Are The Impacts of Latest EV's on Pollution?

2009-03-05T15:09:00.004-06:00

So, the automotive industry is pushing ahead after GM introduced its EV1 over a dozen years ago. With all this push to Electric Vehicle (EV), Hybrids, etc... Do we know how we are going to manage the pollution to create and produce the product, let-alone what to do after the vehicles have worn-out and now comes the time to discard/recycle?

The most recent study I could find was from 1996, which might as well be 1896 because of the changes in the landscape of technology, mining, recycling, legislation and such. Can you sleep at night knowing that EV's might provide as much or more pollution than gasoline vehicles? The 1996 study states that EV produces less overall pollution than gasoline, with cautionary language on handling.

So, how about someone (academics/government/industry) update this study??? The automotive industry is now fast moving towards alternative propulsion and everyone needs to know the consequences!!

The link to the study: http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/B/239.pdf

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Hybrids 101

2009-03-04T12:07:00.006-06:00

Image courtesy of Ford Motor Company

The March 2, 2009 edition of Automotive News, published by Crain Communications, does a great job of spelling out the differences the new alternative-powertrain solutions to be used in vehicles over the coming years.

They nicely breakdown battery-powered vs. plugin hybrids vs. fuel cell.

Automotive News is a subscription-based publication, but the story alone is worth the consideration for an annual spend. Where else can you get a pure automotive perspective, as to who is doing what technology, why one is better than the other and timing on the technologies, wikipedia? Not!!

See the link: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090302/ANA03/903020311/1186 or http://www.autonews.com/section/TOC or http://www.autonews.com/hybridguide

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Avoid the Book "The Ultimate Encyclopedia of American Cars"

2009-03-03T10:22:00.005-06:00

My sister was kind enough to get me a "book about cars", to add to my ever growing collection. She knows like everyone else that I am close to, that I will never be dissatisfied with a car book.

That is until today!!

The book she bought is titled The Ultimate Encyclopedia of American Cars by Peter Henshaw and published from Chartwell Books from the UK. That should be a clue right there about part of the problem.

Some Brit is writing about American cars and he has no knowledge or appreciation for the subject. It is like me writing a book on Winston Churchill. Do you think the Brits would be okay with that??

The book is beyond inconsistent in its presentation, has factual errors and Helen Keller must have been the proof-reader, as the book is filled with mistakes. I sent an email to the publisher to return and get a newer version or another book and no reply after 3 weeks!

So, here are a few good examples:

Page 48, in the heart of the chapter on Buick is a stand-alone image of Starsky & Hutch version Gran Torino circa 1976. Huh?

The author includes four pictures of various 1958 models and none of the GNX or T-Type Regal, newer model Lucerne's, Reatta, Sport Wagon's and so much more.

In the Cadillac section the author fails to mention that the picture is actually of a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz convertible, not just an Eldorado. On the following page, he calls the car a Cadillac convertible with out stating that it is a Series 62 model. AND, he uses pictures of Cadillacs and other manufacturers taken in England. Like England has the best sampling of American cars??!!

With Chrysler, the author image selection consists of a smattering of late 40's to mid-50's models and then a 1958 300, 1959 New Yorker, 1959 Imperial and a 1970 300. All other images skip to the late 90's. What?? No Cordoba?? No 80's Imperial?? No '70's Newport or even mid-60's Engle styled Chryslers?

I cannot even go on!! Every chapter is this bad. I am not nit-picking here!! This book was poorly planned and written as if the deadline was 24 hours and without conviction or even care for the quality of the workmanship!

This book reminds me of driving my Triumph TR-7 on a rainy day. For every one hour of fun was three hours of pain! Typical Brit!!

Avoid this book as a gift or for your collection! A better book is Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930- 1980 by the Auto Editors of Consumers Guide and Publishers International. Amazon has it and the publisher also produces Collectible Automobile magazine, so the quality and detail are second to none! http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-American-Cars-1930-1980-New/dp/0881764825/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236099200&sr=1-1

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Best of 2009 Chicago Auto Show Concepts & Debuts

2009-02-16T17:30:00.007-06:00

The 2009 Chicago Auto Show kicked-off some great new and exciting wheels. As to the other cool things at the show, I will elaborate in many separate blogs coming over the next few days.

So, if I had to state the three best new concepts or debuts from Chicago, they would be in the following order:

#1 and by a clear margin, the concept Chevrolet Stingray! Wow, does not do it justice!! What a beautiful machine, as you can see by the pictures.

#2 the new Buick Lacrosse. Too bad it's a Buick! I can't see graying baby-boomers wanting that car! The graceful lines and phenomenal interior (Buick has really kicked it up several notches on the interior side over the past few years). This is a young person's car!

#3, The new Taurus SHO. Holy Turbo Charging Batman! The exterior refinement to the standard new for 2010 Taurus, was not overly done and displayed an elegance that says to Audi's, G8's and M5's, "Hey don't think I won't beat you to the next red light!"

Overall, the show was graced with many new concepts and intros and there is good reason for optimism that the auto industry can survive this climate. I wanted to go out and buy allot of what I saw.

More to come!!

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Remember Radio Delete Dash Plates? Their Back....

2009-02-15T19:16:00.003-06:00

A recent article in TWICE magazine, a trade journal for the Consumer Electronics industry, stated that up to 8 model now offer the option of radio and/or CD delete. Among the list are two Nissan, and a Honda.

Remember radio delete plates? It wasn't so long ago that radio's were an add-on accessory, whether factory, dealership or aftermarket. My shiny new golden brown 1983 Mercury Lynx 3-Door, was one such car that came radio delete. In fact, it only came with a rear-defrost, driving lamps and a spoiler on the back. It was a bare-bone 4-speed with no AC or power anything. An aftermarket install of a very nice Alpine AM/FM Cassette did the job for me.

Not surprising that manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce consumer pricing by deleting radios. Look for more things to be de-contented, as it is called now, in that effort to drive consumers to showrooms, much like early-80's when the economy was in similar fits to today.

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Ford's Sync Reduces Driver Distraction Timing

2009-02-09T12:13:00.004-06:00

Ford's release today of a study on Snyc reducing potential distractions down to 2 seconds compared to hand-held devices is another counterpoint to the NSC and it's ridiculous study linkages and need for federal legislation as they propagate the need to eliminate cellular phone use while driving.

Sure a study funded by Ford is going to be suspect and allot can happen in 2 seconds, both cognitively and physically. Be that as-it-may, hands-free usage for calls or multi-media is here to stay and not to be taken away by safety do-gooders who could not find any other way to save lives!

The Sync has an elegant UI and easy to use. Microsoft and Ford's partnership is worthy of consumers consideration. I spent time at Microsoft's tent at CES and demonstrated some of the new stuff coming. Additionally I have driven several Ford vehicles with it installed and found it a joy to use.

Also, let's not forget Chet Huber's baby, OnStar! It too has similar functionality designed to minimize driver distraction and saves loves everyday with it's functionality!

Nice job Ford/Microsoft and GM OnStar!

Autocrazed!

So Long Mr. Lutz, Your Departure is Bittersweet!

2009-02-09T10:48:00.008-06:00

So Bob Lutz announced his retirement today from GM. I am bittersweet over this for a variety of reasons including:

The guy is flat out wrong on Global Warming!
The newer Cadillacs, Malibu, Skye/Solstice and Lucerne are great styles and home runs.
The GTO, Saturn Ion and Impala were busts on his watch.
His book, Guts, is a great read!
Lutz is an ego maniac to the point of arrogance with his comments to design, engineering and business.
Bob Eaton should thank him for the humility he displayed when he was overlooked by Iaccoca to be the replacement CEO and still helped Chrysler move forward.
His collection of automobiles is refined and distinctive.
Sometimes I wondered about his smarts after the whole helicopter incident and flying MIG fighters.
I appreciated his discipline (Marines!) and he never came across as slick or unethical. It appears he lives his life principled and with high ideals.
I wish he could have done more for Chrysler after the Daimler purchase!
Who at GM (if they survive) will carry his cache', vision and execution with metrics?

So bittersweet it will be as the industry says farewell to Mr. Lutz at the end of 2009.

Autocrazed!

Here's Some Muscle I Would Not Pay For

2009-01-27T09:36:00.016-06:00

If I had enough money to own a fleet of vintage muscle cars, there are certainly some I would wait and only buy as a last resort, because the list of what I want is so long and the ones I never liked make me not want to buy them. I of course would take a donation of one or two, etc.... and I know, once you own one, you change your mind. So, here is my list of un-favorite muscle cars, mostly based on how they were styled:

1964-65 Chevy Chevelle: Too Boxy and bland. The SS 396 engine is a great one, but the later years were far better looking cars.

This image is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1967-69 Plymouth Barracuda: The choice between a fastback, slantback and convertible never grew on me, as the early Mustangs did a better job. When the '70 came out, the older models looked like they were from a generations past.

This image is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1969 AMC Scrambler: Glorified Rambler American with a Hurst option and a paint package. I know it went fast for it's size, but it was an ugly car already without the treatment.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1963 Chevy Impala SS: The '62 looked sooo good and the '64 much more elegant than the choppy front and rear treatment of the '63. I know the mighty 409 was there for the taking, but the full-size body style was the worst offered by Chevy in the '60's.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1971-73 Ford Mustang: Too fat and too slow. Much like America living on excess, so did the Mustang and it paid for it in lost sales during that era.

Photo Courtesy of Ford Motor Company

1962-64 Corvair Monza: Great engine and a dated body style that would look far better in 1965. Thanks to Nader, the 'Vair was DOA.

This image is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1965 Ford Fairlane. The 63-64's looked graceful in their style and '65 was a boxier and did not gain style the '66-'67 models with stacked headlights and a look to mirror the larger Galaxies.

Image courtesy New Zealand Fairlane Club

1966-67 Dodge Charger: The sloping roofline looked like it was kluged onto a Coronet. Additionally, the rear window was too large and for the first year, the backseat only sat two. Elegance did not cast it eye upon the Charger until the 2nd generation in 1968.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1962-65 Chevy II and Nova SS: Mirroring the look of the '63 Impala took a great idea and made the design look shabby. These models look especially bad compared to the 66-67 models.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1965-67 AMC Rambler Marlin: Much like the Charger, too large a car to have the fastback look.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

1963-65 Studebaker Daytona: A box with a supercharger in it. Yuk on the styling and those taillights!

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

There you have it! Until proven otherwise, those models will have to wait for me to make room in my garage and in my heart.

Autocrazed!