American Car News American Car Parts and American Car Service

With new car sales sliding by 28.2 per cent and truck purchases plunging 29 per cent, Chrysler recorded the biggest downturn of the Big Three automakers for the month of July, compared with the same month last year. And the group’s sorry performance came about despite an announcement at the end of July stating that loss-making Chrysler Financial was pulling-out of the consumer leasing business from August 1, prompting a four-day flurry of last-minute sales.

Chrysler Financial is said to have been losing an average of $5,000 on every full size truck it took back at the end of its lease. For customers who still want to lease, Chrysler is offering $2,000 towards third-party leases. A cartoon in Automotive News, the US trade magazine, has a Chrysler dealer changing a sign outside his showroom from “Lease Buy” to “Please Buy.” The once-hot Chrysler 300C sedan seems to have had its day; July sales were down 57.6
per cent on 2007.

July was bad news for the Big Three. General Motors saw a sales slump of 26 per cent (Chevrolet’s decline was 24.8 per cent despite a very healthy 78.6 per cent boost in Malibu sales). Nobody wanted the Chevy TrailBlazer SUV; showrooms saw jaw-dropping 72.8 per cent. Ford meantime saw a 13 per cent jump in sales, helped by excellent Focus results and a positive contribution from the Lincoln MKS, but dragged down by massive downturns in SUV and pickup business.

Ford’s “bad boy” was the Expedition, recording a sales decline of 57.5 per cent.

IT’S LIMO ONE!
So who will the passenger be?

Chris Doane’s spy shot of a part-camouflaged Cadillac “heavy” is almost certain to be of the next US Presidential limo. The beast is said to be based on a truck chassis, feature armour plating that includes eight-inch-thick doors and diesel powered … for political correctness? The limo will make its first official public appearance January 20 when the next President of the United States --- whoever that may be --- is inaugurated

HUMMER TO BE THE GULF STATES’ OWN GAS GUZZLER?

Talks are taking place that may lead to Gulf-based investors buying the Hummer SUV brand from financially-troubled General Motors. GM has been looking around for a potential buyer for some time and in early August was known to be in discussion with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, already owner of the UK LDV and Russian GAZ automotive brands via his Russian Machines group. Hummer, it seems, will be sold to the highest bidder.

GM will not say who the prospective Arab buyers are, but regional managing director Terry Johnsson says that two Gulf-based investors have “raised their hand.”

CHEVY’S OFF-THE-SHELF BURNOUT MACHINE

THE NEW ZR-1 VETTE

GM engineer Sam Abuels buries his right foot in a classic pavement pounder to demonstrate the awesome capability of Chevrolet’s new ZR-1 Corvette. Right off the showroom floor, the ZR-1’s supercharged LS9 will deliver 638bhp and 604ft/lb of torque. That means this is not just the fastest Vette ever, but also the most powerful. The guys at autoblog.com have put up a video so you can see and hear this awesome machine: burning rubber – click and enjoy. Also, the new Vette handles well enough to have toured the Nurburgring in 7:26:4 seconds last year. Fancy a ride? Try Vette at the ‘ring and find out what it was like Mike Collins

A British aficionado of French comic book character Tintin, business analyst Barrimore England-Davis, will set out in October on a 5,000-mile drive across Europe and North Africa to recreate the character’s journey in Herge’s 1939 story The Land of Black Gold. And as part of the project, which will involve crossing the Atlas mountains and the Sahara desert while handing-out clothing and school supplies to poor families on the way, Barrimore will depend on an ex-military M38 Willys Jeep --- just like Tintin. Barrimore rebuilt the Jeep himself and had it sprayed fire-engine red --- just like Tintin’s. Tintin’s dog Snowy accompanied him on the journey in the book, so Barrimore will also take along a dog of the same name… but he’ll be of the stuffed variety.(And will somebody tells the news agency that disseminated the story to the British press that it’s a Willys Jeep, not a Willey’s jeep)

Mike Collins’ CACKLING ON

I said previously that Dave West runs cacklefest.com, but that honour belongs to Ron Johnson, and it really is an incredible site, especially for front-engine nostalgia nuts. Check it out, but you’d better have a few hours to spare as more than fifty diggers are featured with historic photos and stories about them and their restoration to modern cackle cars. Tony Nancy’s fabulous Pink powered AA/FD is one such beauty, seen below in action at Pomona in 1970

Sadly Tony passed away in 2005 after a long illness, but one of his last projects came to fruition at the 2003 California Hot Rod Reunion when his immaculately restored first, last and only front engine Top Fuel dragster led the way for 32 cars at the legendary Famoso drag strip. Photos courtesy cacklefest.com

Meanwhile, Dave West’s site is hotrodswest dedicated to John "Zookeeper" Mulligan, and tells the story of the incredible reproduction of Beebe & Mulligan’s historic Fighting Irish car. This site is also full of historic photos, and there are many showing the amazing attention to detail that went into this recreation.

This shot from Dave’s site captures the power, but to hear Fighting Irish in action, click here Beebe & Mulligan AA/FD March Meet 2007 ---- the sound is incredible!

TV Tommy Ivo’s Showboat and the Wagonmaster are one and the same car, but inadvertently, I previously led you to believe that Showboat was coming over in station wagon form. Sorry ‘bout that folks. In fact, what we got at Goodwood was not the original Showboat, but a recreation Tommy built for Ralph Whitmore’s American Car Collection, where both cars have been on show at the same time!

Click transformation and you’ll get to see both cars in action along Tommy explaining how the Showboat became the Wagonmaster. His expression “letting your alligator mouth overload your humming bird rear end” when talking about his offer to rebuild the car is an absolute gem.

Even though it was a “no go Showboat,” just the sight of those four injected Buick engines made the car a favourite at Goodwood, especially among fans with cameras

During the NHRA nitro ban in the early 1960s TV Tommy smoked the whole quarter mile. The right hand engines powered the rear end and the left hand two powered a reversed rear end at the front. Complex engineering, or pure hot rodding, either way Showboat was the most successful exhibition drag car ever

The view from TV Tommy’s hot seat: four injected Buick engines to keep under control and a face full of gauges to monitor! Mike Collins pics

After the Daytona 500 the Brickyard 400 is NASCAR’s biggest event, with more than 200,000 fans cramming the stands at Indy and millions watch on TV as cars race side by side at speeds over 200mph – but sadly not this year. The Goodyear tyres couldn’t survive for more than a few high-speed laps before going bang; worse than that, they were literally peeling off on pit road! Eleven times the caution flag flew at the Brickyard --– six of ‘em when NASCAR flew competition yellows so teams could change tyres before they blew! The longest green flag run was only 13 laps!

Matt Kenseth’s right-rear tyre blew on lap 47, destroying a huge chunk of his Ford.

He finished 16 laps down in 38th in a heavily-taped car. When NASCAR threw the final competition caution on lap 150, Jimmy Johnson took two tyres only after changing all four and racing to the front on previous stops. It was the right call, and when the green flag fell on lap 154, his Chevrolet held off hard charging Carl Edwards’ Ford over the final seven laps to win his second Brickyard 400 by .333 seconds. Johnson said he hadn’t like the situation, but commended NASCAR for “calling a safe race." Mike Collins

Strangely, a couple of weeks after the Brickyard 400 debacle, Goodyear came up trumps when the Nationwide series cars ran on the Montreal, Canada, road course. For the first time ever NASCAR points racers got to do it in the wet! The race was red-flagged on lap eight because of rain, with all teams made to change from slicks to grooved rain tyres. Eventually, poor visibility caused the race to be called when more cars were wrecked under caution than during the race! Canadian Ron Fellows took the yellow flag win in Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Chevrolet 48 laps into the 74-lap event. Mike Collins

When American Motor City boss Tony Finch visited LA recently one of his pals recommended a visit to the Surf City Garage, and his mind-blowing photo shows it was the right thing to do! Founded and owned by long-time muscle car fan Tim Miller, [who also markets a range of car care products of the same name], his Huntingdon Beach facility features more than 100 superb specimens. Sadly, this very special "garage" is not open to the public, but you can take a virtual tour of Tim's collection by clicking on Wow!! And you save the airfare!

As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced that both Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet for the duration of the 2008 season. This began at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, and, following five events over this distance most people are happy with the resulting close racing and less parts attrition.

Five times and defending NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher remains undefeated over the new distance and took the number one spot at the latest event with a stout 3.81 and 316.67miles an hour over 1000ft!

In the final, Schumacher’s Army car ran 313.88mph and 3.854 to win his fifth consecutive and tenth event of the season. The Army car also ran 3.80 and 316.90mph at Seattle, but that was daytime and not so exciting to see! Schumacher also owns the fastest-ever top fuel speed of 337.58mph and is second quickest at 4.428seconds.

Hopefully the NHRA will manage to resolve the safety problem and eventually return to burn up that quarter mile; for now their quick fix seems to be working. Mike Collins

This 1953 Olds Feista, one of only 458 produced and with just 36,600 miles on the clock, was recently sold at a Pebble Beach auction for $165,000 --- of which $150,000 went to a local medical centre. The one-year only model had the 170hp 303ci Rocket engine, Hydra Matic trans and power brakes, steering and seats. It also used the same futuristic wrap-around windshield as the ’53 Buick Skylark and Cadillac Eldorado, but boasted exotic two-tone paint, custom leather interior and trick spinner wheel covers. Back in 53 the car cost around six thousand dollars. Pic courtesy the Snohomish County Herald

Talk show host Jay Leno’s amazing Tank Car turned more than a few heads at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance – he listed it as a 1953 Chrysler!

Before Jay owned this machine, originally built by Randy Grubb as a show car was known as the Blastoleene Special; Jay prefers to call it the Tank Car, and he also likes to drive the cars he owns so he had to change a whole bunch of stuff to make it road worthy; including huge trusses alongside the cockpit to stop the vehicle from being torque twisted when he hits the gas pedal! Apparently Jay bought it because he was tired of people asking why he didn't have a proper hot rod in his garage! Any two-seat car that boasts 1792ci of V-12 Chrysler-built tank engine is a hot rod by any definition. Originally the machine had around 800hp from a pair of huge carbs, but Jay wanted “a little more ooooff, a little more power” to help get him over the hills! Also he wasn’t too thrilled with a gas mileage of two to three mpg, so he called on legendary turbo wizard Gale Banks to change things… and what a job the man did.

What looks like a pretty stock tank engine, albeit chromed up, is actually a hot rod put together by Gale Banks. The maestro installed a pair of Champ car turbochargers which are visible, but hid the electronic fuel injectors and fuel lines to help retain the machine’s antique look. Jay had also replaced the original three-speed GM bus trans with a newer double-overdrive six-speed Allison transmission to help provide the added performance desired. Before its conversion the machine turned 3,500rpm cruising at 70mph; now that speed is attained at 1,200rpm, with the engine pumping-out an easy living 1,600hp and more torque than you can ever imagine to pull Jay over those hills with ease. Apparently the mileage has also improved!The car weighs five tons, has a 190-inch wheelbase and is close to 28-feet long yet Jay complains “there’s no room in it!” Wanna hear and see the mighty machine in action? Tank car will take you to it – you’ll have to watch a tv ad’ for the Escalade hybrid first as GM sponsor the site, but it’s worth the wait as Jay’s Garage has some amazing machines to say the least.

Seen parked-up on Lord March’s estate during the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, and snapped by Mike Collins, was this kooky little short-bed pickup, packing a Woody 45 “registration plate.” OK, so it’s a golf buggy.

Talk about chalk and cheese. After Jay Leno’s Tank Car, the Goodwood golf buggies are more than just a breath of fresh air – they’ve actually got room to move! Built by ModelTec (which also produced the amazing Wacky Racers cars for the Festival of Speed), production of the buggies began late in 2005. Each buggy took at least 70 man hours to make, ensuring the specifications of the Woody fleet remained consistent. Based on the Brakenvan, a 1934 design by Lord March’s grandfather, the Woody has been transformed from a regular Yamaha buggy into a custom ride to be proud of -– well almost.

Forty-five of the machines are electric, running six 8-volt batteries which power the Yamaha D-C 48V to a maximum speed around 15mph. There’s even a four seat Woody --- petrol powered to pull the extra load around Goodwood’s spectacular golf course. Unlike Jay Leno’s monster machine, there’s actually room to move inside the tiny truck with space for quiet a bit of junk in the pick up bed and there’s even a wicker basket come ice box to keep to keep the champagne chilled. With the swoopy two-tone paint, dinky wheel spats, cream rag top and woody quarter panels these trucks are quite something. Almost.
I mean those chintzy seat covers might add genuine 1930s-style but some tuck an’ roll black leather would’ve made the Woody look tougher. That said, there’s little chance of me being let loose in one at Goodwood, so chintz it is Mike Collins

In their wisdom, Ford’s design gurus have decided that from the 2010 model year the Mustang will carry a sharper Pony in the grille. Since 1964, when the Mustang first broke loose, there have been a few changes to the horse, but this is perhaps the sharpest and most radical yet

Vic Outen, who has died aged 85, was perhaps the man most responsible for the banding together of British hot rodders and (particularly) Ford V8 lovers into fledgling national clubs and organisations in the early sixties. It was in 1960 that Vic replied to a letter written by Brian Coole of the Highwayman Rod and Custom Club and published in the UK Stock Car Racing Magazine asking to hear from like-minded rodders and drag racing enthusiasts

Vic’s response was to lead to the formation of the original British Hot Rod Association, a UK-wide club umbrella body to which existing local clubs could belong. By 1962 the BHRA had evolved into an RAC-affiliated national club able to organise sanctioned drag racing in addition to regular social meets and car shows.

Vic must have been one of the first British members of the American National Hot Rod Association, having, it is thought, joined in the fifties, when he was the proud owner of a 1936 Ford V8 Model 68 cabriolet. In 1962 he became a founder member of the UK Ford V8 Register and in 1969 the first English member of the Early Ford V8 Club of America.

During the early 1970s Vic served on the committee of the British Drag Racing & Hot Rod Association (as the BHRA had become), responsible for maintaining contact with other drag racing bodies around the world. Vic continued this work until his retirement in the mid-seventies. Other UK clubs which Vic joined and played a role in were the Pre-50 American Auto Club, the Classic American Auto Club GB and the Early Ford V8 Club Regional Group UK 127.

Bitsa News

Lincoln’s big three-rows-of-seats crossover vehicle, based on MKT concept shown at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, is set to be launched as a 2009 model and will retain the MKT nameplate

Delphi, the big auto parts manufacturer that used to be part of General Motors and still relies on GM as its biggest customer, lost $551 million during the second quarter of this year, compared with $821 million for the same period in 2007. Revenue declined by 13.3 per cent -– largely due to a 28 per cent decrease in business from GM

Coming Events

(With thanks to Classic American Magazine, from where most of these dates have been taken)

September 4-7
European Finals Drag Racing Championship, Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough, Northants (Contact 01234 782828 or www.santapod.com)

September 5-7
Bomber County Cruisers 10th American & Classic Car Show, Laceby, near Grimsby
(Contact Neil on 07778 003229 or www.bombercountycruisers.co.uk)

September 6-7
North Wales Custom Car Show, Henllys Camping Park, Towyn, on the A54888
(Contact 01268 6604882 or 01745 827392)

September 7
Can-Am Nationals, Avon Heath Park, Brocks Pine, on A31 Ringwood Road, St Leonards, Ringwood, Hants (Contact Steve on 01202 896572 before 9pm)

Midland American Auto Club presents the biggest gathering of American vehicles in Ireland,
Kilbeggan, County Westmeath (Contact Joe on 087 2388400 or Kieran on 087 9864199)

American Car Meet & Cruise, Marsham Market Square, North Yorkshire
(Contact David on 01677 470597 or bellfalcon@tiscali.co.uk)

American & Custom Car Show, Museum of Power, Langford, Essex
(Contact Lisa or Gary on 07935 457835)

September 12 –14
NSRA Hot Rod Drags, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire (Contact 01205 310885 or www.nsra.org.uk)

September 16
Official celebration day for the 100th anniversary of General Motors

September 19-21
Goodwood Revival meeting, Goodwood, Sussex (Advance booking required)
(Contact 01243 755 055 or bookings@goodwood.co.uk)

USA Autumn & Muscle Car Nationals, hosted by the Mopar Muscle Association, Billing Aquadrome, Crow Lane, Great Billing, Northampton (Contact 07974 415946)
or www.moparuk.com)

Steel City Rod Run, Outo Kumpu Sports Ground, Bawtry Road, Tinsley, Sheffield
(Contact Joy on 01709 541116 or youngj246@aol.com)

September 21
Mopar Muscle Association meet, Duxford Imperial War Museum, near Cambridge
(Contact Ivor Hawkins on 01296 730462 or www.moparuk.com)

American Super Stock Final Round drag racing, York Raceway
(Contact www.york-raceway.co.uk)

September 23
Blue Oval meet, Ace Café, North Circular, London N
(Contact Linda on 0208 961 1000 or
www.ace-café-london.com)

September 27
Centennial of the Model T Ford. Henry Ford produced the first example this day in 1908

September 26-28
Ford Paull American Rod & Custom Show, Forf Paull, east of Hull on the A1033
(Contact Phil or Jackie on 01709 542555 or yankscarclub@aol.com)

September 27
Knightcon 08 -- for fans of the Night Rider TV series. Halifax Watermill, Huddersfield Road, Salterhebble, Halifax (Contact Steve on 07833 721950 or www.knightconuk.co.uk)

All-American cruise and Thunderbird Special, Ace Café, London N
(Contact Linda Wilsmore on 020 8961 1000 or www.ace-café-london.com)

September 27-28
American Auto Club GB, 3rd Park-up and Picnic, Wicksteed Park, Kettering
(Contact Kirk on 01440 706175)

National Finals drag racing, Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough, Northants
(Contact 01234 782828 or www.santapod.com)

Public track day / run what ya brung, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford-on-Avon,
Warwickshire (Contact 01789 720180 or www.shakespearecountyraceway.co.uk)

October 3-5
4th Bosworth Bash, Bosworth Water Trust (Contact Kev on 07914 071093)

October 4-19
Paris International Motor Show, Paris-Expo, Porte de Versailles, Paris
(Contact 0033 156 88 2240 or www.mondial-automobile.com)

October 10-12
American & Classic Weekend, Coast View, Torquay Road, Shaldon, Teignmouth, Devon
(Contact 01626 872392)

October 11-12
Public track day / run what ya brung, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford-on-Avon,
Warwickshire (Contact 01789 720180 or www.shakespearecountyraceway.co.uk)

November 4-7
Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA), trade only show, LA Convention Centre, Los Angeles (Contact 001 909 396 0289 or www.semashow.com)

November 21-30
Los Angeles Auto Show, LA Convention Center, Los Angles
(Contact 001 310 444 1850 or www.laautosshow.com)