Classic American magazine March 2019

DELIGHTFUL DAILY DRIVER 1969 DODGE MONACO

ARIZONA AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS ROMSEY BOXING DAY CRUISE

1956 CADILLAC COUPE DE VILLE

BEAUTY BEAST T 1967 RAGTOP MUSTANG

1966 COUPE

PERFECT CTT PAIR

1957 MERCURY TURNPIKE CRUISER

Ben Klemenzson

Viewpoint

TEMPUS FUGIT… Photograp ph: Matt Woods

T

ime is flying by and here at Classic American we’re already planning the upcoming summer of show coverage and attendance. Big news for the Car of the Year series is the announcement of RH Insurance as new sponsors for the competition, with Kingstown Shipping returning as co-sponsors. Details are still being finalised as to which events will be heats; however I’d like to take this opportunity to thank both Kingstown and RH for their support in making the competition possible again for the coming year. nth’ss magazine contains our usual smörgåsbord This mon of widely differing American vehicles – everything from a Forties Australian-assembled Chevy truck to a magnificent ’57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and a brace of evergreen Mustangs, plus a gorgeous ‘56 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

There’s even a late Sixties Dodge Monaco with a great story of how its owners bought the car while living and working in Canada and brought it back to the UK when they returned! Summer may still seem a long way off, but there’s always time to have a look at the Events pages starting on page 98, which are filling up nicely. And if you are an event or show organiser and you’d like to see your show or event listed, send it in by post, email or fill in the online form at www.classic ssicc-aaamerican merican.ccco om.

Ben Klemenzson, editor bklemenzson@mortons.co.uk

48 on page 60

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Ben Klemenzson bklemenzson@mortons.co.uk DESIGN

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Jonathan Schofield, Paul Fincham CONTRIBUTORS

Steve Biddlecombe, Nigel Boothman, Simon Browse, Paul Bussey, Jon Cass, Richard Coney, Huw Evans, Keith Harman, Richard Heseltine, Jim Maxwell, Tony Oksien, Des Penny, Mike Renaut, Matt Richardson, Will Shiers, Jonny Smith, Matt Woods

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o 1969 Dodge Monaco History of Hamtramck 1966 & 1967 Mustangs 1956 Cadillac & 1957 Mercury 1944 Chevy Ute Chevy Bel Air Discoveries Road Trip Arizona Auction Action

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W W W. C L A S S I C - A M E R I C A N . C O M DELIGHTFUL DAILY DRIVER 1969 DODGE MONACO

ARIZONA AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS ROMSEY BOXING DAY CRUISE

1956 CADILLAC COUPE DE VILLE

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Classic American

News

H & H HEADLINERS

H & H’s recent online auction offered some fascinating and unusual vehicles for fans of American cars. We look at two of the most interesting offerings that went under the hammer…

SnakePit. Not for the shy and retiring!

SNAKEPIT CHARMER

The chance to own a Barris Kustom doesn’t pop up every day; however, this incredible George Barris creation was up for grabs at H and H’s online auction.

It features six Cobra-Ford 351 V8 engines, 12 Holley carburettors, two automatic transmissions, two fuel tanks, 48 exhaust pipes and with all those mechanical bits working in concert, the SnakePit was designed to put out 2000 horsepower and reach a top speed of 300mph!

Built in 1975, it took Barris nearly four years to build and cost $100,000, which is around £1 million in today’s money. Someone got a real bargain, as it hammered for £50,625!

COME DRIVE WITH ME

The unremarkable 1985 K-car based Chrysler ‘Woody’ Town & Country wagon was chosen

precisely because of its mundanity for Frank Sinatra to drive, or be driven, around Palm Springs incognito.

H & H may have been over-egging it a bit when claiming it was “hailed as one of the 10 most important cars owned by Frank Sinatra alongside his Lamborghini Miura, Lincoln Continental and Dual Ghia…”

However, its celebrity value is indisputable, as it was driven by Sinatra and his family accountant, Nathan ‘Sonny’ Golden, for the first six years of its life and had the accompanying paperwork to prove it, including an old US Certificate of Title signed by Frank Sinatra and warranty documents in his name.

This particular example is a very well-specified example, with notably heavy window tints.

It features a 2.2-litre turbo engine, automatic transmission, air

conditioning, two-tone leather trim, powersteering, plus automatic windows, mirrors and seat.

Frank’s chosen model also has cruise control and a stainless roof rack.

Throughout his life Sinatra was said to be a loyal Chrysler man, and reputedly got his first break in the music industry not because of his voice, but because he owned a Chrysler!

The car is rumoured to be the last vehicle Sinatra owned and offers a fascinating insight into the cost of fame.

Frank reportedly spent the last 10 years of his life being driven around Palm Springs in this undistinguished (and

unexpectedly domestic) Town & Country turbo charged, two-tone ‘Woody’ estate car, to avoid being recognised!

Again, someone got a real bargain, as this immaculate wagon sold for just over £5000!

Last hurrah for the ‘Woody’ by 1985.

Sinatra’s registration document.

Heavy tints disguised occupants.

6 classic-american.com

CAR OF THE YEAR SPONSORS Classic American is proud to announce that Kingstown Shipping and RH Insurance have agreed to sponsor this year’s Car of the Year series. The competition kicks off with the first heat at the Surrey Street Rodders Wheels Day

show on Good Friday, April 19, and several heats will take place over the summer up and down the UK at the biggest and best American car shows. Full details will be revealed next month, so watch this space!

Kingstown team at NEC Classic Motor Show 2017.

WEBCON FOR WEBER CARBS Now you can give your classic American V8 the power it really deserves with a Webcon Turnkey Weber performance kit. Supplied fully assembled with genuine Spanish Weber IDA or IDF carburettors, throttle linkage, fuel rail and manifold, Webcon kits are

Legendary quad 48IDA kit.

jetted for a stock engine and can be supplied rejetted to suit most popular engine mods and upgrades. Webcon is the world’s largest stockist and supplier of Weber carburettors, performance kits and spare parts, and can offer a huge range of performance options for American V8 ding the engines, includ y quad 48IDA legendary To order, kit shown. s or for more information, contact Webcon in any of the following ways: phone 01932 787100, e email sales@ we ebcon.co.uk or vis sit the website ww ww.webcon. co o.uk

classic-american.com 7

Classic American

News

NAIAS 2019 HIGHLIGHTS Our man in America Huw Evans reports from this year’s North American International Auto Show, held for the last time during its traditional time slot in January; there may have been fewer debuts than in the past, but it still delivered plenty of pizazz…

1. 2019 RAM Heavy Duty Following on from its updated little brother (the RAM 1500 was coincidentally crowned this year’s North American Truck of the Year just prior to the opening of the show), the latest RAM Heavy Duty is designed to further enhance the capabilities of its predecessors while adding additional comfort and convenience features.

Centrepiece to the new RAM HD is the optional high output 6.7-litre Cummins inline-six turbo diesel, which is rated at 400bhp and a staggering 1000 lb ft of torque. Lighter engine internals and cylinder head shave around 60 lbs of weight from the engine, delivering better efficiency and overall performance. A second, standard output version of the Cummins turbo diesel, rated at 370bhp and 850 lb ft of torque is also offered, as is a 6.4-litre HEMI petrol V8, rated at 410bhp and 429 lb ft of torque.

RAM HDs powered by the high output Cummins turbo diesel come with an Aisin AS69RC heavy-duty transmission designed to handle the engine’s stout torque output. Trucks sporting the standard output Cummins engine come with a reworked 68RFE six-speed automatic, while HEMI engine HDs get a TorqueFlite 8HP75 eight-speed automatic.

New frames, upgraded brakes, a retuned suspension as well as stronger front and rear axles and an optional (and class-exclusive) Active-Level rear air suspension to facilitate easier trailer hook-up and towing add further capability.

Other features of the 2019 RAM HD include greater use of higher strength steel in the body, as well as a revamped interior, with a redesigned instrument panel and an available 360-degree camera system to provide better visibility when manoeuvring with a trailer.

8 classic-american.com

2. 2020 Cadillac XT6 For General Motors’ luxury brand, this year’s Detroit show witnessed the debut of the XT6 crossover utility. Given that Cadillac didn’t have three-row seating in any of its SUVs bar the flagship Escalade, the XT6 is designed to a fill a gap in the line-up, giving something to compete against the likes of BMW’s X5 and Audi’s Q7.

Under the skin, the XT6 is closely related to the GMC Acadia and is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 rated at 310bhp and 271 lb ft of torque and teamed with a 9-speed automatic transmission.

The absence of features such as Super Cruise (found on the CT6 sedan) and powertrain electrification indicate that this is largely a stopgap model. The XT6 will be offered in Sport and Premium trim levels with AWD available on later as an option. This latest Cadillac crossover will be manufactured at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant and be available for order this spring. GM says more details, including pricing, will be announced closer to the start of production.

3. 2020 Ford Shelby GT500

No stranger to making a big splash at NAIAS (witness last year’s reveal of the 2019 Bullitt, as well as the original long-lost 1968 movie car), Ford didn’t disappoint at the 2019 event by lowering its new super Mustang, the Shelby GT500, down from the ceiling.

Ford says the new GT500 will make “more than 700 horsepower,” and will dash from 0-60 mph in the “midthree second range,” but so far has yet to reveal actual horsepower and torque figures or performance stats.

The engine is a 5.2-litre dual overhead cam V8 similar to that used in the current Shelby GT 350, but without its flatplane crankshaft. Unlike that

engine, however, this one’s supercharged, using a version of the same Eaton positive displacement blower found in the Corvette ZR-1.

Clearly aimed with extended road-race track duty in mind, the GT500 also sports a beefed up cooling system, a specially designed oil pan to ward off fuel starvation during high g-turns and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shift feature (a manual will not be offered). The GT500 will also feature specific drag and track mode settings, stronger rear end and large diameter exhaust system. It goes on sale this fall, with more details expected to be revealed closer to that on-sale date.

4. 2020 Ford Explorer Another very significant introduction for Ford in Detroit, was the redesigned 2020 Explorer.

A perennial bestseller since it first went on sale as a 1991 model, the 2020 model breaks with current mainstream SUV norms by reverting to a rear-drive architecture, with a longitudinally front-mounted engine. That engine is either a 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder rated at 300bhp, or a 365 horsepower 3.0-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, both of which are teamed with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

A hybrid powertrain will also be offered on the 2020 Explorer that will combine a 3.3-litre V6 with an electric motor (and offered on a new Police Interceptor derivative),

though so far, Ford is remaining coy on the details. Moving the Explorer back to rear-drive (AWD will be available) might seem a tad risky in the current climate, but makes it more suitable for police use and will likely deliver superior on-road handling and traction compared with many front-drive architecture based competitors Offered in five distinct trim levels ranging from base through volume XLT, Limited, sporty ST and luxury Platinum editions, Ford says the US base price will start at $33,860.

Expect the full range of active safety and connectivity features including onboard 4G WiFi and an available large digital touch-screen for controlling Apple CarPlay and Android functions.

classic-american.com 9

Classic American

News

Fancy renting a Mustang?

WOULD YOU LEND YOUR CAR TO A STRANGER? The latest trend in ‘digital sharing’ platforms offers classic owners the opportunity to hire their cars out… Risky proposition or lucrative opportunity? Mike Renaut investigates…

H

anding over your classic car’s keys to someone you’ve never met before sounds like a terrible idea, but it could in fact be a lucrative decision. We’re wasting thousands every year on cars we rarely drive, according to a survey by car-sharing marketplace Turo. Its poll of 2,000 UK motorists found the average driver spends 456 hours behind the wheel each year – that’s just under nine hours per week. For the remaining 8,304 hours the car sits idle and a quarter of Brits leave their car unused for three days each week. Turo offers an Airbnb for cars.

Turo’s UK director, Xavier Collins, said: “I think we’re starting to see a trend in consumer behaviour as they look to the sharing economy to provide them access to resources they require, but don’t own.

Turo democratises car ownership, offering anyone the opportunity to hire out their own car or rent someone else’s.” However, half of the UK population won’t allow anyone else to drive their pride and joy because of insurance.

Collins continued: “We understand owners’ concerns. We set up

10 classic-american.com

comprehensive insurance cover available on Turo, from small city that gives each host the security cars to large 4x4s. Classic cars and peace of mind to put their car currently make up a small number on Turo. with 44 pre-1990 cars listed – “The average host can earn more many in the London area. £595 a than £500 a month. The average day gets you a 1970 E-type, Jaguar trip earns an owner £130 with 75 XK150 or ’79 Aston Martin V8. per cent of the For £395 per trip’s cost paid day there’s a direct to the car DeLorean on owner within offer, while five days. If an £350 gets you owner rented a ’65 Mustang, their car just or it’s £270 per five days a day for a 2015 month, they Camaro. would earn Hirers are approximately carefully £7,800 a year; screened and enough to there’s up to cover typical £20 million repayments, of liability road tax and insurance, but insurance.” your car needs Turo’s insurance to be MOTd partner Allianz with under It’s car rental, but not as we know it! covers all 130,000 miles vehicles rented by its pre-approved users with customers choosing the car to fit the occasion or journey. There are currently 850 makes and models

and tyres that are not more than six years old.

Also worth noting is that if your car breaks down through mechanical problems you are liable for repairs

and the associated costs – which presumably also includes covering the lost earnings for Turo.

Many of the classic cars we own and admire have quirks that will be alien to modern car drivers; would you trust someone else to know your Chrysler has left-handed wheel nuts on one side? Or remember to individually lock all four doors and the boot of a Studebaker? Do you really want someone attempting rush hour city traffic in your column-shift, twospeed, vacuum wiper Impala? Those tempting potential profits must be weighed against possible damage to original interiors or paintwork.

Turo was unable to provide us with a classic car owner we could put these queries to.

Since most classic cars are used infrequently, many only seeing summer use and covering under 1500 miles a year, this could be a great way of keeping your classic in good running order rather than having it seize up over winter.

See Turo at www.turo.com and if you do decide to rent out your American car, do please let us know how you get on. MR

Keith Harman drums up all the news, views and latest stuff on the hot rod and custom scene…

GOLDEN MILE NEWS Last month in this column we mentioned the new beach race event to be held in North Devon, and no sooner had we gone to press than the dates and details were released. September

21 and 22 are the dates, with the event hosted by the Lundy Flyers Motor Club on the wide beach at Saunton Sands, North Devon.

Billed as a double feature, with different criteria for

V12 Merlin-engined 'Caractacus' ...

each day, Saturday sees the ‘Goldrush’, a one-eighth mile, flag-start drag race on the sand for pre-’55 cars, hot rods, bikes and specials. The runs will be untimed and are purely for fun and bragging rights, with cars classed due to the latest major component, i.e. a Model T hot rod running a small-block Chevy V8 would be classed as a 1955 car, the first full year of production of the engine (or so we understand).

No post-1960 engine upgrades are allowed, and

... has had it's first run on Saunton Sands.

period tyres are mandatory, so no radials, off-road tyres etc. On the Sunday, the event moves up a gear, with the ‘Golden Mile’, a flying mile timed event for period-correct aero-engined cars, which should see some very interesting machinery on the beach. Entrants will get

Home-grown hot rod back in Britain Some 20 or so years ago, Jon Golding finished his first ground-up build for a customer, heralding the beginning of his Southendbased company, Home Grown Hot Rods.

We’ve lost count of how many show-winning rods have rolled out of Jon’s workshop since then, but this ’32 three-window built for Pete Tyas remains one of our favourites.

Pete owned it for several years and scooped many awards before the cool hot rod was exported to the US and sold.

Every now and again it would show up in a US magazine article, still winning awards, sometimes with a few changes, but always recognisable, and unique with its low-slung East Coast styling. As recently as October last year it appeared on the Hemmings website for sale once again, only this time it would

seem it has found a British owner once again as we hear it has returned to these shores.

We don’t know who the new owner is, or whereabouts in the country it now resides, but it’ll be good to see this outstanding and iconic ’32 out and about again.

Back on these shores...

AN AUTO-BIOGRAPHY Or should we say, the fascinating biography of an auto – and not just any auto either, but the story of the Batten Special, a Ford-based roadster with a long competition history. Author Neil ‘Biggles’ Bennett has been the owner of this unique car since the early Seventies, though its history dates back to the Thirties, when it was first built by the Beckenham Motor Company to compete at Brooklands.

By 1935, the power of Ford’s new V8 was already well established, and by taking a 1932 Ford, stripping it and reclothing it as a sleek two-seat roadster, a significant weight reduction was achieved, making it ideal for racing. The car has received many updates and modifications over its lifetime, and Neil has put together a fascinating history of its owners and accomplishments.

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The car (nicknamed ‘Boz’) is no museum piece however, and continues to regularly compete in hill climbs, as well as being a regular entry, and a record holder at VHRA Pendine Sands events. Also included is the history and development of Ford’s venerable V8, still much loved by enthusiasts and hot rodders today. The book is well written and packed with stories and anecdotes, well worth a read. You can order a copy from the website at www.battenspecial.com for £25 including p&p (UK) or a tad more for overseas shipping.

a one-eighth mile run-up, with the top speed to be recorded at the end of the mile, and then registered in the Lundy Flyers’ Book of Speed. The format of the weekend sounds great and refreshingly different, we’re looking forward to further details – as always we’ll let you know via this column!

STROMBERG SIDE BY SIDE New from our friends over at Stromberg is this super trick throttle linkage designed to be used when a pair of Strombergs are mounted side by side on an OTB Sling Shot intake manifold, or any other exotic set-up, such as a Frenzel Flathead Supercharger. The new nonprogressive linkage is made of stainless steel and features four-point mounting for a rigid movement and Oilite self-lubricating bushes.

The two links to the carbs are also stainless steel and attach with Stromberg Linkage Bomb clips. An adjustable lever can be mounted at any point along the back bar for a direct alignment with the throttle pedal. The linkage kit is easy to fit, is supplied with instructions and retails at £110.95 including VAT. Find it at www.stromberg-97.com

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