NOVEMBER 2014 FALLEN STARS: BETTER THAN A DAY AT THE BEACH
Ask a typical car guy whether he’d rather go to the beach or look over acres of project cars and the answer will always be…look over acres of project cars.
This same answer will apply on the coldest day in winter too.
NOVEMBER 2014 STARS OF THE SHOW–THE NON-DENOMINATIONAL SIDE OF CAR SHOWS
Cars shows can be brand specific, age specific, country of origin specific or even function specific.
Those shows with defined terms mean they’ll be all Corvette, all Mopar, all British, pre-war or all hearse.
NOVEMBER 2014 MSCC STARS IN TRAFFIC–REMNANTS OF A KINDER, GENTLER SEASON
November is officially the end of the line for the car guys who live in less hospitable climates.
The old rides get put away for a winter of rest and the owners can only think about next year country.
They’re a little like the Chicago Cubs.
Gerard Blommaert covered the topic of salvation very well in his own words; “I like to create.”
We saw a great example of his talents when we spotted his custom 1950 Pontiac Chieftain at a summer show.
Gerard’s ride is old school cool and, even better, he put it together on a reasonable budget-also an old school hot-rodder approach to builds.
Gerard started his project after he spotted the Pontiac at a wrecker’s yard in 1992. The Poncho had already been cannibalized by the time Gerard found it and it was missing many parts.
The old Chieftain was close to a date with the crusher but Gerard had a different plan for the old warrior.
Gerard knew he would not be able to restore the car back to its original form, but he likes to blaze his own trail in life and he put his own unique stamp on the car.
Gerard wanted to improve its performance and ride, so he bought a 1980 Olds to use its frame under the car. He actually bought three cars to use as parts donors and kept his investment at 200 dollars per car.
The ’80 Olds frame needed to be stretched a foot to accommodate the Chieftain body and the Poncho’s floor was stretched 7 inches to make a perfect fit. The old Pontiac body was also channeled to fit on the new frame.
Gerard was able to use a 350 Olds engine from one of the donors and eventually his 600 dollar investment in three salvage cars paid off handsomely for Gerard. His stylish front seats were donated by a 1980 Cadillac Eldorado and add serious comfort to his trips in the Chieftain.
Most old school customizers would applaud Gerard because he has incorporated the best features of other vehicles at a reasonable price. The front bumper came off a 1956 Olds and was narrowed 5 inches to fit the Chieftain, while the rear bumper is pure ’55 Pontiac.
The roof line was chopped 2 inches because Gerard wanted a one piece windshield and he could fit a 1953 Chevy windshield with the chop. He has added an air ride into the mix and Gerard echoed the sentiments of many car guys when he said; “I’m still working on it.”
However, Gerard has driven his custom Poncho thousands of miles because he believes you build them to drive them. He and his wife Laurel travel with the Pontiac to shows all over western North America and it will never ride on a trailer down the road.
Gerard is a cancer survivor and he appreciates the fact he can enjoy roads trips with Laurel in the Pontiac. He told us he “doesn’t pansy it and it is a nice highway car.” Gerard gave a somewhat qualified answer when asked whether he drives it at a good clip on the road; “Are the police watching?”
He did say the car is comfortable at 70-75 mph (110-125 km/h) on the highway and that speed will not draw attention from law enforcement on most major freeways.
The final word on this unique custom ride has to go to Gerard, the Pontiac’s very entertaining owner; “Anything like this is an individualistic thing.”
The basic philosophy of a true old school custom guy.
Jim Sutherland
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MSCC NOVEMBER 2 STAR OF THE WEEK:’40 DODGE—THE OTHER HOT ROD FROM 1940
The 1940 Ford is the default position for pre-war hot rodders for many reasons.
They built a lot of them and a fair number of ’40 Fords came with factory flathead V-8s.
’40 Fords also had an intangible cool factor that attracted car guys like moths to a light.
The biggest sins four-door sedans ever committed were found in the two extra doors.
There’s no gray area in this arena because car guys either love or hate more-door cars.
Fortunately, Kyle Hanger is a huge fan of unloved four-door sedans.
Kyle’s quest began, innocently enough as a search for a winter driver. They’re called beaters for a reason because the owners don’t care about the car so they expose them to a winter beating on icy, salty roads.
Kyle started with that in mind but then this ’73 Torino 4-door sedan turned up in a search: “I was looking for a daily driver and I picked it up for 600 dollars. The owner was going to fix it up then she decided she was going to scrap it but I like vintage stuff so anything old really works for me”.
Normally that’s the beginning, middle and end of the winter beater story but this old Torino was something more to Kyle so he started on the rehab for this unloved old Ford: “It was originally gold so I replaced the quarter, door and fender. I bought a parts car, a ’75 Gran Torino that gave up an interior and did some work on the suspension and brakes”.
Kyle wanted to take his Torino to another level but reality set in when he took it to a few shops for estimates on a paint job: “The first shop wanted 4000 and the next one wanted 3000”. Those numbers convinced him to leave it in primer gray for the foreseeable future but he does have solid future plans his ’73 Torino.
Kyle bought the car for practical reasons but that doesn’t automatically eliminate the fun factor with his 41-year-old car as he explained: “It’s really fun in winter because it responds well and that 302 is pretty good on gas. It rides really nice and I never plugged it in all winter and there was only one day when it didn’t start”.
That’s all you can ask in 2014 from a car built during the waning days of the Nixon administration.
This Torino is currently in mid-project/daily driver phase but Kyle has a well-defined game plan for his old ride: “There’s no trim on it now and it looks more like a rat rod right now but I want to put that back on and paint it again and add things like dog dish hub caps and take it back to stock looking. I prefer original to modified cars”.
Kyle’s winter driver has added another dimension to his world because old cars inspire nostalgia and he’s heard a number of memory lane stories: “I do get a lot of stories from people when they see this car because it reminds them of their past. I get a lot of offers to buy it too for a lot more than I paid for it but I wouldn’t sell it”.
His reasons are honorable and understandable because every true car guy bonds with their ride and he explained it this way: “I went through high school in it so I have to keep it”.
How many car guys regret not having that kind of foresight?
Jerry Sutherland
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We spotted Lynn Flewitt’s car at a local car show and realized we better get the story behind the car because it was a long way from its home.
We have learned one hard and fast rule at MyStarCollectorCar:
Do not wait when you have an opportunity to interview a car owner-especially somebody who lives hundreds of miles away.
Obviously, a well-preserved 1969 Dodge Dart 340 with a factory four speed is already a good story out of the chute. It becomes a great story when it still has its original owner and 45 years of history with him.
Lynn obtained a bank loan to purchase the car from the dealership and was able to negotiate the sticker price down from a little under 4000 dollars to 3000 cash back in ’69.
In recent years, Lynn was able to show the car to his banker from that era and prove that it was still a good investment after all these years. His former banker agreed with him.
It was a sizable investment at the time, but it was clearly a great investment because the Swinger is now priceless for Lynn. It holds the key to countless memories, including use as a family hauler for his kids in the early years.
The Dart was stored from 1977 until 2008 when Lynn and his wife Marlene decided to restore the car back to its original glory. The rear quarters were gone and the interior required work, but they gave the Dart a brand new lease on life.
Lynne wanted to preserve as much of its originality as possible so the seats were left alone, save for the tops of them because of weathering over the years.
The engine was also rebuilt in 2012 because Lynn and Marlene wanted to hit the road in a big way with the Dart. They headed west for 5 weeks and then east for another 5 weeks in 2013 for a total of 16,000 miles on the road trip in their Dart.
They also made things even more interesting when they decided to haul a 17 foot hybrid fold-out holiday trailer behind the car. Their journey included the Roger’s Pass through the Rocky Mountains, a road well-known for its steep grades.
The little Dart did very well as a trailer hauler and Lynn recalled he was able to maintain a good pace through the mountains, although he did have to drop down to third gear a few times along the way.
The Dart also did well when they hit weather in the high 30s Celsius (high 90s Fahrenheit). The reliable road warrior never overheated during the hot spell, even though it had the trailer on behind it. In fact, the entire adventure was essentially a trouble-free run for the Swinger.
The Swinger has a special license plate that reads “Momnme”; short for “Mom (Marlene) and Me”. The car was always a part of Lynn and Marlene’s life as a couple and he wanted to acknowledge the bond.
The 2013 road trip would prove to be a memorable adventure for the two of them and unfortunately it was also their last big road adventure together in the Dart. Marlene passed away in 2014.
Lynn will continue to hit the road with the Swinger because it brings back so many good memories for him.
He can relive those memories every time he gets behind the wheel.
Jim Sutherland
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Ryan Schueltze is a young guy with but his biggest dream was all about old things.
He wanted to own an old ride.
Ford Rancheros aren’t the number one draft choice for old iron but Ryan was drawn in by this unique light truck.
Ryan’s search began a few years ago and he clearly had a defined goal for his search as he explained: “I thought I’d pick up a project for grad”.
Ryan wanted to arrive in style and there is no better way than from behind the wheel of a classic ride. There’s been a trend towards this in the last few years and Ryan wanted a vehicle that put blood and money in the game because he’s definitely a hands-on owner.
Ryan’s search was extensive but he focused on this 1965 Ford Ranchero: “I was looking around for a while saw it sitting there, kept looking and this was still sitting there. It had three donor cars with it. The guy wanted 7500 but he took 7000 for it”. This a six-cylinder, manual three-speed truck so it’s definitely still in stock form and that in itself makes this Ranchero a very unique old truck.
This is a very complete, stock ’65 Ranchero but it did come with a few issues: “It was a lot of work, things like hoses brakes and transmission. Tried a Mustang transmission but it didn’t fit because of the bell housing but I did find another one, the engine was rebuilt and blueprinted and the paint was redone too. The rear end’s still a little rough”.
Ryan admitted that he didn’t drive it as much a few years ago: “Last year (2013) I didn’t drive it too much” but he’s spent a lot more time behind the wheel of his Ranchero.
The experience has been educational for this young owner: “I drive it a lot now and it’s actually pretty good on gas, that’s the bright side of it plus it drives pretty good at 75 miles per hour but the back end starts vibrating at 80”. That’s why Ryan is still in the hunt for a rear end.
There are other upgrades in the future for this ’65 Ranchero as Ryan explained: “I’d like to change out the one-speed wipers because they don’t keep up so I’d like to switch them out and I might put headers on it and swap out the 3-speed transmission for something else down the road but I listen to my Dad on everything because he kind of directs me on this project”.
Ryan is the perfect owner for this piece of Ford truck history because he has a good perspective on this 50-year-old truck. He wants to upgrade in a subtle way to make it a better driver but he respects the integrity of his Ranchero.
The other thing that Ryan takes away from this truck is intangible, yet very real as he explained: “I like the respect I get from owning this truck”.
That’s definitely the most valuable lesson old iron can give a young guy.
Jerry Sutherland
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Chrysler letter cars were built for the brute force, blunt object crowd when they debuted back in 1955.
The C-300 or 300A letter cars were designed to be a strong presence on the NASCAR tracks and they delivered in a big way.
Letter cars were built for speed but these cars were also built for style so the earned a nickname –the banker’s hot rod.
Merv Pidherney is a huge fan of 1950s and early 60s iron so he had to acquire one of these letter cars and he found a Chrysler 300F. The 300F is the Holy Grail of fin cars because this was the first year for the unibody construction in these big Mopars.
These 300F convertibles are rare because they only built 248 of them and most people estimate there are fewer than 100 left in the world. Merv had a pretty simple reason for buying this classic old Mopar muscle car as he explained: “I just liked what I saw so I bought it and hauled it home”.
300Fs were still a real deal performance car because they had the 413 375-horsepower cross ram under the hood. They were built for speed and one of them crossed the line at 144 miles per hour in the annual Flying Mile test run to set the record that year.
That particular 300F was built up from factory but the tweaks like the short ram intake and 4-speed were available on these letter cars so technically it was a factory car. They were built to handle too because the steering and suspension was upgraded significantly from the base Chryslers.
Merv’s car was at a show earlier in the summer and his son was behind the wheel. It was a hot night and the car was chugging along like it wanted to quit and he eased it into a spot at the show. He explained how the car was pulled out for the first time that night and that it needed a little more time to clear out the winter cobwebs. Despite the temperamental entrance, there was an instant crowd around this incredible 1960 300 F convertible.
Later that summer, Merv rolled in behind the wheel of the same car and it was running significantly better thanks to more time on the road and a little adjustment on the cross ram setup. He was far more comfortable behind the wheel than his son thanks to this pronounced uptick in performance.
Merv’s mini dog was the only passenger in his large 300F convertible so the little guy had plenty of room. Merv is inseparable from his little buddy over the car show season and this big Chrysler gives him enough room for a mini-dog run.
These letter cars were designed for the track and Merv’s 300F is no exception as he explained, “It’s heavy but it’s really easy to handle”. You can take the car off the track but you can’t take the track out of the car—that’s the secret to Chrysler letter cars.
Merv is the kind of owner who knows what he likes and he respects the effort to acquire this car so he summed up its future in one sentence:
“I’m definitely not getting rid of it”.
Jerry Sutherland
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Ron Stimson is a patient man.
He has the kind of patience you need to build a perfect custom ride and his 1957 Buick Special Riviera is indeed a perfect custom ride.
Everything about this Buick is the result of a well thought game plan to make this beauty a show-stealer.
Ron chose the Buick because he “wanted something different from the 5-6-7 Chevys”, in his words. He liked their “classier and more elegant” lines, so he chose to go off the beaten path and build a Buick.
Ron spotted the Buick in an ad and told us he “had not really thought about a Buick until I saw the lines and decided I had to do this.”
Ron also decided to go “all Buick” and chose a 401 nailhead from a mid-60s Wildcat donor car as his engine choice. The 400 automatic tranny is also pure Buick and met Ron’s desire to go period-correct with his engine swap.
One can imagine how valuable this combination would have been in 1966 to a car guy who wanted to beef up his ‘57 Buick with a power train from a then-recently wrecked ’66 Wildcat. Ron wanted to replicate that scenario and combination in the 21st century.
Ron is no half-miler when it comes to a project, so his Buick also runs a multi-carb setup “for the look” in his words. Ron assessment is pretty basic; “my setup runs nice”. No small feat when it comes to multi-carbs.
The build took four and a half years and the results are stunning.
The Buick has a few Blue Oval components with its Mustang II front end and Ford 9″ rear end, but in between is pure General Motors.
The front and back seats were donated by a 2002 Caddy Eldorado and the center console is vintage Wildcat. The console tach has been replaced by stereo controls because this Buick also has a 21st century sound system.
The Buick’s interior has been custom-built to an amazing level and incorporates a stylish use of imagination, appearance and pure comfort.
This Buick will also stop on a dime with its four wheel disc brakes while the interior stays cool with its full air conditioning system. Ron lives in an area where hot summers are a way of life and air conditioning is a basic necessity.
One of the unique features of Ron’s Buick are the flat electronic gauges placed in stock holes in the Buick’s dash. They look cool and give very accurate readings of the Buick’s status under power. The wood grain adds an elegant touch to the instrument panel.
We mentioned earlier that Ron was a patient man.
He is willing to take the time to make his vision of the perfect custom ride perfect before it hits the street. Mission accomplished Ron, because your 1957 Buick Special Riviera is a rock star at car shows.
How do we know this fact? Because we had to be as patient as Ron just to get photos of his remarkable car.
There were too many people in the way.
Jim Sutherland
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