Showing posts with label Classics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classics. Show all posts

Monday, November 10, 2014

1971 Chevy “Pushmi-Pullyu” Found on eBay

Like many children, I was enchanted by the movie Doctor Dolittle. No, not the one with Eddie Murphy – what do you take me for? I mean the '60s version with Rex Harrison and Samantha Eggar! It was a great movie full of music, stunning locales and fanciful creatures. One of the latter was the aptly named Pushmi-Pullyu: an alpaca with two heads, one at either end of its body.

"What does this have to do with cars?" you groan impatiently. Well, I'm getting there.

A Kansas motorist owns what appear to be two very special 1971 Chevy Kingswood station wagons. Why are they special? Because each has been cut in half behind the front doors and stitched back together, end to end. The result is a sort of automotive Pushmi-Pullyu.

Why would anyone want a car that can be driven both backwards and forwards without having to look in the rear view mirror or turning around? I don't know, I would have thought why would anyone build such a car would be the more pertinent question.

Regardless of either of these two questions, you can own this piece of...uh...automotive exotica for the low, low price of US$9,000. Not bad, though you can pick up an unmodified '71 Caprice sedan with similar mileage for less than US$1,000.

Though I suppose you can't drive that in reverse while facing forwards. Well, maybe with a couple of hockey sticks and a rear view mirror taped to a baseball cap. You wouldn't draw as much attention as the two-way Chevy, though. Well, that is until you inevitably crash.

What were we talking about again?

By Tristan Hankins

Link : ebay

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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Video: 1964 Chevrolet Cheetah a.k.a “The Cobra Killer”

When Carroll Shelby unveiled the legendary Cobra racecar, in 1962, American road racing changed forever and the Corvette's domination went up in flames. Seeing this, Chevrolet was in need of a "Cobra Killer". Racecar builder Bill Thomas and designer Don Edmunds were commissioned for the task and this is how the Chevrolet Cheetah came to be, the car that in 1964 could reach a speed of well over 200 mph (320 km/h). Check out the video after the break for more details.

Thomas, who was also known as "Mr. Corvette", used a Corvette small-black V8 as the donor engine. He increased the displacement to over 6 liters and fitted it with Rochester Fuel Injection, which he himself had developed.

Maximum power is said to have been around 520 hp, which was phenomenal in those days. The innovation didn't stop there, as Mr. Thomas used an advanced spaceframe chassis, seen at that time on European racers, and managed to distribute the weight almost perfectly between the front and rear axles (48:52 front/rear).

Unfortunately, just as the Cheetah started to rise as a true "Cobra Killer", Thomas' shop burned to the ground. Shortly after, Chevrolet had a change of heart and decided to drastically reduce its racing program, so the Cheetah's career came to an abrupt end.

By Csaba Daradics


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One-off 1932 Talbot 14/65 Boat Tail Tourer to be Auctioned in December

Unique cars are a joy to own and highly valued by collectors. When you're not lucky enough to simply win one (see here), there's always a chance that some owner might decide to sell. That's the case with this 1932 Talbot 14/65 Boat Tail Tourer, which will go under the hummer by Historics at the Brooklands auction on December 4.

This here example began its life as a saloon car, but after some thirty years a boat builder was commissioned to fit it with a custom wooden body. Entirely hand-built, the Boat Tail Tourer's new exterior was crafted from 3"x1/4" planks of noble Honduran mahogany, while the interior was clad in black leather with art deco styling cues. Like many cars of the era, the Talbot gets a bench seat covered by a removable wooden hatch.

Under all that wood, the car features a steel chassis and is motivated by a six-cylinder 1.7-liter engine. Considering how rare it is, the car is pitched at an affordable £20-30,000 starting price, but that doesn't mean it won't end up selling for six figures.

By Csaba Daradics


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Friday, November 19, 2010

Insidious Dodge Challenger is One Mean Looking Mopar

Now here's something any Dodge fan would be happy to have in their garage. This heavily customized 1970 Challenger is up for sale, and boy is she a beaut'. Designed and built by Dave Salvaggio in 2007, the "Insidious" Challenger is one very special piece of metal. What started life as an otherwise unremarkable slant six has had a full reworking inside, out and under the hood, transforming it into a real show stopper.

In terms of the exterior, the door handles, roof rail moldings and other trim pieces have been shaved off. The wheel arches have been re-contoured and new, flush fitting glass has been fitted. The grille and taillights are scratch builds and the hood, bumpers and front fenders have all been reshaped or replaced. The fuel filler cap was also relocate and the whole car finished in black pearl overlaid with olive and sandstone pearl.

Underneath the hood is a 426 Hemi crate engine from Mopar Performance with custom headers, custom exhaust and a Hillborn EFI unit. This is mated to a Tremec TKO 600 transmission and is said to be good for over 575 hp (429 kW).

To reign in all that power the chassis has been reworked and now incorporates four-wheel independent suspension and coilover springs. The whole thing sits on Symbolic TS15 20-inch wheels clad in Pirelli P-Zero tires, 245/35/20 at the front and 275/35/20 at the back.

Inside, the vinyl and polyester carpeting of the original have been replaced with leather and Wilton Wool. An Alcantara headliner has been fitted and the seats covered in Spinneybeck leather with suede inserts. The piston grip shifter, Tuff steering wheel and dashboard are also covered in leather.

The interior is rounded off with green-gold inserts on the doors and steering wheel, aircraft-style gauges by Classic Instrumentation and a Pioneer DVD sound system. All in all a very smart and well maintained machine that is on sale at R & H Collectibles of Ohio for US$159,000.

By Tristan Hankins

Link: RH Collectibles


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