Wednesday, January 31, 2007

future gallery post

Motown Misslie, a legendary car, fastest 1971 Prostocker, 9.48 sec





http://www.quartermilestones.com/raymann.htm for excellent dragstrip photo's of the 60's and early 70's

Paid a buck a pound to lighten factory Ford race cars

Ford’s Stock Vehicles Department/Experimental Vehicles Garage, now there's a name to contradict itself, read all about the Ford Factory Race Mustangs evolution here http://www.cartechbooks.com/vstore/showdetl.cfm?st=0&st2=0&st3=0&CATID=21&Product_ID=2553&DID=6

Letters to the editor, razzing the Buick crowd

This is funnier if you learn that Bob Mazzolini is the owner of the largest Mopar Performance distributorship on the west coast, and took the time to hassle the Buick crowd in this letter to Muscle Car Review in a 1987 edition. http://www.bobmazzoliniracing.com/

The historical Chrysler factory warranty of Ford cars

The Tiger was an upgraded sportscar model from the base Sunbeam, made by a British company... Alpine. The company was a subdivision of the Rootes group which Chrysler bought and then had to warranty the Ford engine and trans. Now that's got to be unique among the big 3. http://www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Tiger

337 speed records, the Granatelli's and the Studebaker Avanti, 1964

One of a kind factory Hemi station wagon

Good racing movies, thanks Laura

I was emailing Laura and realized I could only recommend 2 racing movies, the rest were mediocre or I need to watch them again to make sure I would recommend them to someone whom I wanted to regard my advice as solid and trustworthy.

"The Worlds Fastest Indian" with Sir Anthony Hopkins, terrific story of struggle and triumph of the most stubborn and cool motorbike speed record guy I've ever heard of. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/

"Madison" with Jim Caviezel and Bruce Dern. Story of a Wisconsin town that owned a hydroplane, and once was a significant part of Hydroplane racing history. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206113/

Audi TDI

DAY SEVENTEEN

You know how i've been banging on about the so called prototypes at Daytona,
today Patrick from the excellent blog,motorsport ramblings,has been writing
similar things,comparing the Le Mans cars with the Grand-Am ones
and he makes some good points,especially about the quality of racing!
you can read it here,

being a painter of course the aesthetics are important to me,here is the Audi TDI from the 2006 American Le Mans series.acrylic on paper 9x12" sold

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Record setter, cool car guy, Don Garlits

I used to watch a LOT of drag racing, all of the 1996 and 1997 NHRA top fuel and funny car championships particularly, and during those seasons a lot of car show programming was getting onto cable tv, the Speed Channel or ESPN 2 I think... getting back on topic, Big Daddy Don Garlits was a feature of one of the show, and the show would spotlight whichever car or truck Don would choose as his "pick of the week".

At the time I had a 69 Superbee, and remember how Don told about the features of the car and how they came about due to the NASCAR evolution of the racecars in 68-69. He pointed out the slight ducktail on the rear edge of the trunklid, the smoothed rear window (in contrast to the 69 Charger's), the wide hips on the sides of the car above the rear tires, and he might have talked about the down force caused by the upward sloping gas tank that used a airflow dynamic to cause suction under the car.

All 4 of these had an additive effect of increasing traction by pushing and pulling the rear of the car down onto the tires for designed aero effects that were incorporated into the looks of the car, while increasing traction. Nice detailed description from the expert that was there from the pioneering days of drag racing, and still is the most recognized drag racer, record setter, PR personality, and frankly- all around nice guy. He is now part of the contributing writers for Hemmings Muscle Cars, that I subscribe to and recommend to you as well, and he's a very good writer.

I won't be filling pages, which would be easy, telling you his current and historical racing life, but want to show a few things you may not know about him, and the Dodge truck that bears his name. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a thing on the net... big surprise since I try for the rare and unusual that you are more likely to be interested in. But I'm going to keep trying, and wanted to post about that truck. 1996 full size Dodge, with an animated looking rat waving a finish flag, if I remember correctly.

By the way, just to blow your mind, http://www.garlits.com/ had a few items that really are knockouts.

Born in 1932.

In 2001 (at 69 years young) he returned to racing, and ran a top fueler at 4.720 and 303, then was also voted the #1 drag racer of the last 50 years, in 2002 he pulled a top fuel race car of his out of his museum... museum.... for pete's sake he used a museum piece for this next one.... and nailed a career best 318 mph and 4.76 second pass.

In a museum car.

Because he's that freaking good, and this was at the NHRA US Nationals.

Kinda makes you want to be that effing cool when you retire don't it? That's just inspirational.

He's got grandkids for krineoutloud, and did 323 mph in the Gator Nats in 2002. Think that over. First guy to manhandle a dragster to 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270. Pioneer is putting it mildly, trail blazer of the 1320 is more apt.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Garlits

He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1989 as the sole representative of drag racing. Probably for the redesign and paradigm shift of the top fuel dragsters layout, which he realized made more sense to drive if you're not going to die from an engine explosion when the motor's behind you instead of just in front of you. When you're doing better than 200mph, all the broken parts and flaming fuel just want to clobber and burn you in the original slingshot design, Don redesigned the way all dragsters are built by getting the engine behind the driver 'cause it's just better to be upwind of all that destruction 'ya know... moving away from it instead of into it.

In 1987, Garlits' record-breaking 300 m.p.h. car, "Swamp Rat XXX" was inducted into, and enshrined at The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Best part, he fired it up and gave them a cacklefest of one... at the Smithsonian.

A great dragster website, "We did it for love"

http://www.wediditforlove.com/sitemap-free.html

Daytona 3

DAY SIXTEEN

After yesterdays pathetic effort,i had to try again,especially after i discovered those silly Grand-Am cars look better in the dark!

Ganassi Riley-Lexus,Pruett,Duran and Montoya,acrylic on paper 6x8"

Monday, January 29, 2007

For Lamborghini news, and great looking cars

http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/News/index.html

The Muira, my favorite, has set a record sales price for Lambo's, $675,000. Nothing about why, strange for a news page, but the previous record was for a one owner, 18, 900 mile primo condition Muira. It was 1 of 21 made for the US that year, and factory air conditioned.

Frank Sinatra, gave away this Lamborghini Muira, that the factory made to his detailed wishes

http://www.lamborghiniregistry.com/News/Sinatra.html Nothing but the very best, and he gave it to model Gloria Kent who traded it in on a new Countach, hopefully after a few years of loving it.

Frank showed up to the Lambo factory himself, with a lot of leather, and asked for the factory to put that in the car. Nice stuff.

Nothing on Google about her, or wikipedia.

The 67 Vette first owned by astronaut Gus Grissom auctioned in Mar 2006, didn't sell



http://www.kruse.com/news/2006_0220_GrissomVette.asp

pictures of this, just beautiful
http://www.kruse.com/auctions/detail.asp?CONSIGN=808&MAKE=Chevrolet&AUC_CODE=MIAMI06&AUC_BREAD=Miami%202006&SEARCH_NAME=Chevrolet&PAGE=1


results page
http://www.kruse.com/results/return.asp?MAKE=Chevrolet&AUC_CODE=MIAMI06&AUC_BREAD=Miami%2C%20FL%202006&YEAR=2006&RESULTS=1

Daytona 2

DAY FIFTEEN

OK,i did a grand-Am car...just about...and i'm not proud!

This is the winner of the Daytona 24 hours,Chip Ganassi's Riley-Lexus...good on Pruett,Duran and Montoya,during a virtually trouble free run,they led 468 of the 660 laps.
acrylic on paper 6x8"

Sinatra's owned a couple of station wagons,

Now,
1985 automatic Chrysler LeBaron, that the London Autotrader is trying to sell for 20,ooo pounds. I read somewhere that his wife bought it for him to drive incognito.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/33552.html



Then
1998 Auction house Kruse International reports that Frank Sinatra's 1973 Pontiac Grand Safari wagon was sold at their Auburn Spring MotorFair auction for $9,600. Supposedly a Sinatra favorite for hauling friends and gold clubs around.
From: http://www.stationwagon.com/sw_news/sw_news_1998.html

1 of 1 Hemi car

A Belvedere I stationwagon, ordered to use as a tow car for a drag racer. I noticed that guys who put together the list of rarest musclecars didn't mention it. Hmmm. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2007/01/rarest-musclecars-hmmm.html#links

http://www.yearone.com/leader_ads/ronzello.html

Last years Barrett Jackson auction lists this result, but it may not be the station wagon.
979.1 1966 Plymouth Hemi Belvedere I , 2 Door Post $71,280.00
http://www.classiccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4603


"The Hemi was available only in the GTX in 1967, unlike the previous year when it could theoretically be installed in any Belvedere. Some sources claim that the Hemi was available across the Belvedere line in 1967 as it was in '66. (One Hemi, in fact, was actually factory installed in a 1966 Coronet four-door sedan!)
A good number of 1966 buyers went for all-go-and-no-show, spending their hard earned cash on a Hemi engine installed in a lowly stripped-down two-door sedan body. To get the same engine in 1967, the buyer had to pay for the fancy GTX body. This situation left many "little guys" out in the cold, hemi wise. Thus, while 1510 Hemi-powered Belvederes were sold in 1966, only 125 were produced in 1967. The availability of the 440 took away some Hemi sales; the lack of a low-bucks body took the rest. This problem Plymouth would address with a vengeance in 1968. (Hint? "Beep-Beep!")
There was, in fact, one non-GTX Hemi-powered Plymouth available in 1967. Not many were seen because it was sold only to select drag racing teams. It featured lightweight front end components and a higher output hemi engine. Although designed strictly for off-street use, some of the cars did, according to some reports, did appear on the streets. "

http://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/1967.html

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Rolls Royce engines were almost art in the design

future gallery link

Convertible 1970 Hemi 'Cuda wallpaper


Ferrari wallpaper



This is a mean looking Jaguar


"Racing is life, anything before or after is just waiting." Steve Mcqueen

Steve McQueen's things were auctioned in Nov '06 by a company named Bonhams
For the auction site: http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r

For the picture of Steve giving the 2 finger salute:

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=3389797&iSaleNo=14037&sServer=http://images1.bonhams.com/&sPath=2006-10/02/94298108-4-1.jpg

1955 "Golden Zebra" Daimler with Zebra skin seats


So the guy running the company listens to his wifes ideas for an interior idea, and she says "Mink is too hot to sit on, use Zebra" and so the guy does that, plus gold plates the trim, and has the instrument panel made of ivory.... and voila the expense report hits the conference room able and he's fired.

He had been renowned for his "Docker Specials" at the annual Earl's Court Motor Show, and his position as the Chairman of the BSA group. The BSA Group seem to have ran the Daimler Benz company and traditional Daimler characteristics had long endeared the marque to the nobility, in pre-war years the company’s products were preferred by Britain’s Royal Family to those of rivals Rolls-Royce.

Created for the 1955 London Motor Show by Lady Norah Docker, wife of the company's chairman Sir Bernard Docker, and cost £12,000 - eight times the price of a Daimler Conquest saloon.

Sir Bernard and Lady Docker took it to Monaco in April 1956 for the wedding of Prince Rainier and actress Grace Kelly, but only weeks later they were sacked from Daimler's board for squandering company cash.

http://www.practicalclassics.co.uk/auctionlot/by-id/751982696/

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=LotDetails&iSaleItemNo=3416992&iSaleNo=14267&sServer=http://images1.bonhams.com/&sPath=2006-11/16/7357745-1-1.jpg#

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/203881/king_of_bling_up_for_grabs.html

The rarest musclecars... hmmm

http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/general/musclecars-rarest.shtml


RAREST MUSCLECARS
# YEAR/MODEL BODY STYLE ENGINE TOTAL MT AUTO
1 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible 426 Hemi 2 1 1
2 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible 426 Hemi 2 ? ?
3 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1 427 2D Coupe ZL-1 427 V8 3 ? ?
4 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Convertible 426 Hemi 3 1 2
5 1970 Dodge Super Bee 2D Pillared Coupe 426 Hemi 4 4 0
6 1966 Dodge Coronet 400 Convertible 426 Hemi 6 ? ?
7 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda Hemi Convertible 426 Hemi 7 5 2
8 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Convertible 400 RA IV 8 4 4
9 1968 Dodge Coronet Convertible 426 Hemi 9 1 8
10 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi Convertible 9 5 4
11 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II Convertible 426 Hemi 10 4 6
12 1969 Dodge Coronet Convertible 426 Hemi 10 4 6
13 1969 Plymouth Road Runner Convertible 426 Hemi 10 4 6
14 1969 Plymouth GTX Convertible 426 Hemi 11 5 6
15 1970 Dodge Coronet 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 13 4 9
16 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda Convertible 426 Hemi 14 6 8
17 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Convertible 426 Hemi 17 7 10
18 1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible 455 17 ? ?
19 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe & Convertible 427 L88 V8 20 ? ?
20 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 Convertible 20 ? ?
21 1966 Dodge Coronet Convertible 426 Hemi 21 12 9
22 1971 Dodge Super Bee 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 22 9 13
23 1966 Plymouth Satellite Convertible 426 Hemi 27 ? ?
24 1971 Plymouth GTX 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 30 ? ?
25 1970 Dodge Super Bee 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 32 21 11
26 1966 Dodge Coronet 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 34 11 23
27 1968 Plymouth GTX Convertible 426 Hemi 36 ? ?
28 1966 Dodge Coronet Deluxe 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 49 31 18
29 1964 Dodge Ramcharger Superstock 426 2D Sedan 426 Hemi 50 ? ?
30 1969 AMC AMX SS 2D Coupe 390 V8 52 ? ?
31 1966 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 2D Sedan 400 V8 W-30 54 ? ?
32 1967 Dodge Coronet SS/B 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 55 ? ?
32 1967 Plymouth Belvedere II (RO23) 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 55 ? ?
32 1971 Plymouth Road Runner 426 Hemi 2D Hardtop 55 28 27
35 1968 1/2 Ford Mustang GT Super Cobra Jet 428 Ram Air 2D Fastback, Notchback & Convertible Fewer than 60 ? ?
36 1966 Ford 427 Fairlane Various 427 V8 60 ? ?
37 1965 Plymouth Belvedere I 2D Hardtop 426 Hemi 63 ? ?
37 1971 Dodge Charger R/T 426 Hemi 2D Hardtop 4 63 30
38 39 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 427 2D Hardtop 69 47 22
40 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi 2D Hardtop 71 59 12
41 1974 Plymouth GTX 440 Coupe 440 V8 79 ? ?
42 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 Roadster Convertible 427 V8 80 ? ?
43 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Coupe & Convertible 400 RA IV 88 ? ?

Ok, so whaty is missing from their list? the 4 door hemi cars, the 4 door police 442's... anything you noticed? Also the number of 1967 427 SOHC Shelby GT 500's, 'casue they used up what was on the shelves then switched to 428's also the S/S Hemi Darts

50 fastest cars from jerks who think they have a copywrite on this info. Like anyone at all can't make a list, mooks!

50 Fastest Muscle Cars

Year/Model ET/MPH ENGINE HP TRANS GEAR
1 1997 Viper GTS 12.05@116 V10 450 six-speed 3.07
2 1966 427 Cobra 12.20@118 427 8V 425 four-speed 3.54
3 1990 ZR1 Corvette 12.8@113.8 LT5 350 375 six-speed 3.45
4 1966 Corvette 427 12.8@112 L72 427 425 four-speed 3.36
5 1969 Road Runner 12.91@111.8 440 Six BBL 390 four-speed 4.10
6 1997 Hurst/Firebird 12.99@103.11 350 350 automatic 3.42
7 1970 Hemi Cuda 13.10@107.12 426 Hemi 425 four-speed 3.54
8 1992 Viper RT/10 13.1@108 488 V10 400 six-speed 3.07
9 1970 Chevelle SS454 13.12@107.01 454 LS6 450 four-speed 3.55
10 1969 Camaro 13.16@110.21 427 ZL1 430 four-speed 4.10
11 1997 Corvette 13.20@109.3 350 LS-1 345 six-speed 3.42
12 1997 SLP Camaro SS 13.20@108.8 350 LT4 330 six-speed 3.42
13 1990 Pontiac Firehawk 13.20@107 350 350 six-speed 3.54
14 1968 Corvette 13.30@108 427 6V 435 four-speed 3.70
15 1970 Road Runner 13.34@107.5 426 Hemi 425 automatic 4.10
16 1970 Buick GS Stage I 13.38@105.5 455 Stage I 360 automatic 3.64
17 1996 Camaro Z28 SS 13.46@106.48 350 LT-1 310 six-speed 3.42
18 1969 Charger 500 13.48@109 426 Hemi 425 four-speed 4.10
19 1973 Trans Am 13.54@104.29 455 SD 310 automatic 3.42
20 1969 Corvette 13.56@111.1 427 L88 430 automatic 3.36
21 1969 Super Bee 13.56@105.6 440 Six Pack 390 automatic 4.10
22 1969 Boss 429 Mustang 13.60@106 Boss 429 375 four-speed 3.91
23 1970 Challenger R/T 13.62@104.3 440 Six Pack 390 automatic 4.56
24 1970 Torino Cobra 13.63@105.9 429 SCJ 370 automatic 3.27
25 1968 Biscayne 13.65@105 427 L72 425 four-speed 3.23
26 1995 Mustang Cobra R 13.67@102.82 351 300 five-speed 3.45
27 1964 Polara 500 13.70@107.37 426 4V 365 four-speed 4.10
28 1996 Corvette GS 13.7@105.1 350 LT-4 330 six-speed 3.42
29 1969 GTX 13.70@102.8 440 4V 375 automatic 3.55
30 1987 Buick GNX 13.70@102 231 Turbo V6 300 automatic 4.10
31 1969 Dart 440 13.71@105 440 4V 375 automatic 4.10
32 1971 Road Runner 13.71@101.2 440 Six BBL 390 automatic 3.36
33 1971 Cuda 13.72@106 440 Six BBL 390 automatic 4.10
34 1971 Corvette 13.72@102.04 454 LS6 450 four-speed 3.36
35 1971 Super Bee 13.73@104 426 Hemi 425 automatic 4.10
36 1968 Hurst/Olds 13.77@103.91 455 W-30 390 automatic 3.91
37 1968 Firebird 13.79@106 400 HO 335 four-speed N/A
38 1967 Corvette 13.80@108 427 6V 435 four-speed 3.55
39 1971 Boss 351 Mustang 13.80@104 Boss 351 330 four-speed 3.91
40 1966 Satellite 13.81@104 426 Hemi 425 four-speed 3.54
41 1969 Coronet R/T 13.83@102.27 440 4V 375 four-speed 4.10
42 1968 Cyclone GT 13.86@101.69 428 CJ 335 automatic 4.11
43 1969 Nova SS 396 13.87@105.1 396 4V 375 automatic 3.55
44 1969 Shelby GT-500 13.87@104.52 428 CJ 335 four-speed 3.91
45 1970 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 13.88@95.84 455 W-30 370 automatic 3.42
46 1962 Corvette 13.89@105.14 327 FI 360 four-speed 4.10
47 1969 Barracuda 13.89@103.21 440 4V 375 automatic 4.10
48 1969 Mustang Mach I 13.90@103.32 428 CJ 335 automatic 3.50
49 1967 GTO 13.90@102.8 400 RA 360 automatic 4.33
50 1970 Trans Am 13.90@102 400 RA 345 four-speed 3.91

Woodies and Teardrop trailers

http://www.oldwoodies.com/index.htm

Mickey Thompson's murder solved by jury

The business partner and motocross race promotor Michael Goodwin, 61, now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. He grabbed a sailboat for the Caribbean just after the murder and stayed out of the US for quite awhile. No physical evidence connects him to the murder committed by two black men who took off on bikes, and have never been seen again.

Trial information from the news says that they shot Mickey several times but assasinated his wife in from of him, before fatally shooting Mickey.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2771478
http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-thompsonverdict,0,3492982.story?coll=ktla-news-1
http://www.canyon-news.com/artman/publish/article_5176.php
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/01/04/goodwin-found-guilty-in-mickey-thompson-murder/

Lambo has bad gas mileage... duh. Still better than my R/T

http://germancarscene.com/2006/10/19/murcielago-quite-thirsty/

Now this guy I like

Germany’s transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee doesn’t agree, saying “I am committed to a reduction in emissions but a general speed limit on open stretches of road does not make sense.”

From http://germancarscene.com/category/miscellaneous/

Friday, January 26, 2007

Daytona 24 hours

DAY THIRTEEN


Daytona,
In yesterday's post i mentioned the baby cars,wich are racing at Daytona this weekend.Do i look forward painting them? They look so silly,enough to make me a grumpy old man,no....in the olden days....here are two beautiful Ferrari's showing off,on the banking in the sixties and seventies.


both acrylic on paper 9x12"

Dakar street scene

DAY TWELVE



my final scene of the Dakar rally (for now)




acrylic on paper 9x12"
The cars are trundling slowly trough a north African village in between racing.



So,what is on this weekend?


Daytona 24 hours,have you seen the cars they race there? more roof than car,
they look like baby cars!

Andros Trophy,oh yes snow!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Carlos Sainz

DAY ELEVENCarlos Sainz,Volkswagen Touareg,Sahara Dessert.
acrylic on paper 6x8"