Any Car Guys Here?

[gypsy jim]

And I certainly don't want to exclude girls. I'm a newbie here and besides a few knives I also have a 1967 Camaro convertible. RS/SS, 350/295, 4 speed, ps, front discs, AM/FM, pwr. top, fold down rear seat. She needs a refresh (paint, top, interior) but it's not in the budget right now. Mechanically she's OK but some upgrades are in order. Not going for the 100 point car. So show me your cars. Thanks!

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I love classic cars - but I have neither the time nor the money to own one! It is amazing to me how popular the cars of my youth have become - especially the convertibles. I practically gave away a 1969 Buick GS350 (hardtop) that had belonged to my sister and was handed down to me in the late 1970s. I beat the heck out of it and then sold it for $600 in around 1980. I wish I had it now! The same goes for my brother's 1971 GMC Sprint. After he was done with it, we used it as a farm truck for a few years and then sold it for less than $1000 at around the same time.

[espn77]

I have a 1969 gmc. Sold it yesterday.

[Steve Warden]

Nice!!

My first car was a '67 LeMans, the poor man's version of the GTO.
Corvette Red lacquer with the black top. Vinyl was gone so just painted it black. Set off with Crager SS mags.
Sold it when I got orders for Germany.

Man, I miss the chrome and rumble of the muscle cars!!

[jmh58]

[mrwatch]

My son has a very specialized auto detailing business for exotic imports. To bad I can't share most of the pictures he has sent me. The Mercedes 300Sl gull wing coupe is killer. I did see it in person. As for my first car, a 1953 Buick Special 4 door straight 8 stick. The rods knocked and you could watch the street go by under your feet. other wise I drove my moms 1955 Caddy with a Eldorado engine with 2 4BBls. or dual quads out of the factory.

[mrwatch]

A man I know traded in his Chevy Volt for a new Bolt. Totally electric. He let me drive it in the low range. Took a little to judge when to let off the gas so it would stop even with the stop signs. never touch the brakes!

[fergusontd]

This is my new ride a'17 Ram Bighorn. However the driver is an old classic, needs body work, engine overhaul and a paint job!

[carrmillus]

.........I've got a '56 t'bird for sale!!....too old to get in and out of it anymore!!........... ..................

[tjmurphy]

.........I've got a '56 t'bird for sale!!....too old to get in and out of it anymore!!........... ..................

WOW!! You selling the Bird?? Trade some CAMILLUS knives for it??

[carrmillus]

.........I've got a '56 t'bird for sale!!....too old to get in and out of it anymore!!........... ..................

WOW!! You selling the Bird?? Trade some CAMILLUS knives for it??

...t.j., have you got $35,000.00 worth of Camillus knives???......... ...............

[Paladin]

I'd love to have that 'Bird!
My 1st car was a 1947 Chrysler business coupe. No back seat but an extra large trunk, or turtle as we called them back then. I could sneak a lot of boys into the drive-in theater in that thing. It would also tote several coonhounds with no problem. Had a 'fluid drive' transmission. Horribly slow on the take off but pretty good on the top end. I traded it for a 1937 Desoto and $50 cash, junked the Desoto out and bought a 1951 Ford. The rest is history as they say!

Ray

[carrmillus]

I'd love to have that 'Bird!
My 1st car was a 1947 Chrysler business coupe. No back seat but an extra large trunk, or turtle as we called them back then. I could sneak a lot of boys into the drive-in theater in that thing. It would also tote several coonhounds with no problem. Had a 'fluid drive' transmission. Horribly slow on the take off but pretty good on the top end. I traded it for a 1937 Desoto and $50 cash, junked the Desoto out and bought a 1951 Ford. The rest is history as they say!

Ray

.....I hate to get rid of it, ray, but the time has come!!..I'm too old to keep it up, and scared to drive it anymore!!...... ............

[tjmurphy]

I think you're short-selling the T-Bird at $35,000. You are probably looking at double that.

[gypsy jim]

.........I've got a '56 t'bird for sale!!....too old to get in and out of it anymore!!........... ..................

I love baby birds. I can sympathize about getting in and out. My car is low to the ground also and at 63 years old it matters so I put a tilt column in a couple years ago. It helped a little. Funny thing is my only son, 20 years old, could care less about that Camaro and was embarrased when I picked him up in high school. It requires shifting, no ammenities, navigation, it stinks, no cup holder, it's old.

[Brian Battaglia]

Had this one for 30 years..1967 Mercury Cougar, first year of production and motor trend car of the year

[knife7knut]

I can sympathize with the difficulty of getting in and out of a car.My 1994 Firebird I bought new hasn't been on the road in several years for that very reason.Even my wife's 2009 Pontiac G3 is difficult. I really prefer driving my 1955 Pontiac wagon as it is a dream to get in and out of. I sold my 1957 Pontiac last spring to finance a roof for the house.My wife owns a very nice 1972 Thunderbird but hasn't driven it in about 12 years. Need to get it out and sell it.
I've always liked having something just a little different when it comes to cars and have had many over the years.Here are a few pics of them.
1994 Firebird
2009 Pontiac G3
1955 Pontiac Safari
!957 Pontiac Safari on trailer saying goodbye.
1972 Thunderbird(70,000 mi Arizona car)
Others I have owned over the years.
1978 Mercury Bobcat w/ a 302 V-8
1977 Pinto Cruisin' Van(actually I had 3 of these)
1991 GMC Syclone pickup(one of the fastest cars I've ever owned)
1982 Mustang GT my first new car. My son got it back from the guy I sold it to and is currently restoring it.
1954 Chevrolet custom(chopped top Olds powered circa 1974

[knife7knut]

Page two:
My 1964 Austin Mini Cooper wagon with highly modified 1340 cc motor.Would do around 110 mph.
My 1960 Chevrolet sedan delivery;my first wagon.
My 1968 Chevelle SS with a blueprinted 365 hp 327 engine and custom paint done when car was new by a good friend.
My wife's 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix Special Edition.
What my Mustang looks like today.

[Paladin]

Page two:
My 1964 Austin Mini Cooper wagon with highly modified 1340 cc motor.Would do around 110 mph.
My 1960 Chevrolet sedan delivery;my first wagon.
My 1968 Chevelle SS with a blueprinted 365 hp 327 engine and custom paint done when car was new by a good friend.
My wife's 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix Special Edition.
What my Mustang looks like today.

Ray,
When you say your engine was 'blueprinted' just what does that mean?

Ray

[knife7knut]

Ray,
When you say your engine was 'blueprinted' just what does that mean?

Ray

The term,'blueprinting" was used by engine builders back in the 1970's to indicate that an engine had been taken apart and any deviations from standard be brought up to specifications. Usually consisted of measuring the volume of the combustion chambers in the cylinder heads and if necessary reducing them to the stated minimum(more compression)to obtain the maximum amount of horsepower. This applied to all parts of the engine. It was done to engines that were mostly designed to run in the Pure Stock classes at the drags. A lot of factory engines were out of tolerance due to mass production tolerances and these procedures just fine tuned the specifications.Amazing how much of an increase in horsepower you could get and still have a "stock" engine. The engine in my Chevelle was built by a gentleman who campaigned a AA fuel dragster and specialized in such engines. I swapped him a complete paint job on his dragster for the work.

[Paladin]

Ray,
When you say your engine was 'blueprinted' just what does that mean?

Ray

The term,'blueprinting" was used by engine builders back in the 1970's to indicate that an engine had been taken apart and any deviations from standard be brought up to specifications. Usually consisted of measuring the volume of the combustion chambers in the cylinder heads and if necessary reducing them to the stated minimum(more compression)to obtain the maximum amount of horsepower. This applied to all parts of the engine. It was done to engines that were mostly designed to run in the Pure Stock classes at the drags. A lot of factory engines were out of tolerance due to mass production tolerances and these procedures just fine tuned the specifications.Amazing how much of an increase in horsepower you could get and still have a "stock" engine. The engine in my Chevelle was built by a gentleman who campaigned a AA fuel dragster and specialized in such engines. I swapped him a complete paint job on his dragster for the work.

Thanks for that little tutorial, Ray. It is a term I heard often back in the day but I always hated to show my ignorance and ask.

Ray

[fergusontd]

Knife7knut, Maybe you could explain ported and polished also. ftd

[jmh58]

Ported/polished refers to the intake/exhaust ports on the heads.. Ported means to enlarge/reconfigure the ports and polished is to polish smooth remove any burrs, imperfections of the ports.. Smooth, bigger ports mean the fuel moves smoother and increases the horsepower.. Hope this all makes sense!! John

[gypsy jim]

Knife7knut, that '55 Safari is a great looking car. Cooler than a Nomad.