November 5, 2009
1959 Chevrolet Impala
I recently ran across a great gift idea for the guy or gal who loves classic cars, especially those cars left to rust away in fields, yards or junkyards. The gift is a 2010 Calendar with great photos of rusty cars. Inside the calendar, you can find images (such as the one shown above) of Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Classic Trucks and potential Rat Rods that have been left to rust away. Each calendar month is represented by some of the rarest and most desirable American Cars from as early as the 1920s thru the glory years of the 50’s and 60’s to the muscle car era of the 70’s.
Not only is this a great gift idea (who couldn’t use a calendar) it is also very inexpensive at only $8.95 plus they will even ship it to you for FREE! This is sure to be a gift that classic car & truck fans will appreciated and treasure throughout the 2010 year and beyond. If you are interested in ordering one, you can visit OldRide.com, a classic car website, and get yours today.
October 15, 2009
License plates are fast becoming a hot collector’s item among enthusiasts and plates can date back to the early 1900s. Earlier plates had a porcelain finish or they were made of flat metal. By the 1920s plates were made of tin, steel or aluminum and printed on embossed metal plates. This method of printing plates has remained much of the same up to the present and in the late 70s early 80s plates began introducing reflective sheeting.
Many things are important when collecting plates. Color-origin-age-shape-condition-history. If you are searching for collector plates, you many find plates at your local junkyard or dump, flea markets, garage sales, online auctions, antique stores and swap meets. Another great resource of information about collector plates is the Automobile License Plate Collector’s Association (ALPCA) who are dedicated to the promotion of license plate collecting and research along with the exchange of information and plates as well as the fraternal benefits of sharing a common hobby interest with others throughout the world. There, you can find an online Grading Guide to determine the condition of a collector plate from Mint to Poor. To find out License Plate Values, there is a guide book which can be purchased online which is based upon the work and experience of Bob Crisler it has become an invaluable guide to collectors in establishing prices of collector plates.
June 4, 2009
I recently read this story online and thought it was just cool enough to share. A 1936 Lincoln K Model V12 Limousine is coming up for auction. Why is that so special? Because it was a custom built Model K by Hughes Aircraft. That’s right, Howard Hughes, who reportedly took and converted it into what he imagined a Boat Tail Speedster should truly look like. Hughes, redesigned and restructured the car, which became known as the ‘Aero-Mobile.’
Howard Hughes 'Aero-Mobile'
As an American aviator, industrialist, film producer and director, Hughes was known as one of the richest men in the world and an imagination to top it. This created a recipe to build astonishing machines to help him accomplish his goals and break world records.
While modifying the Lincoln Model K, Hughes reduced the weight of the car by a considerable amount, modified the engine and exhaust system to allow the vehicle to reach in excess of 100mph. The look of the front of the vehicle remained much of the same, while the rear end received a home-made, bolted-on appearance on the back..
The ‘Aero-Mobile’ is equipped with a V-12 engine and recently received a frame-off body restoration which was completed in April 2009. During the restoration, a credit card was discovered in the glove box belonging to Howard Hughes.
The car will be sold at the Leake Collector Car Auction in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 13th, 2009.
March 12, 2009
Historic Cars to be Auctioned
As a rusted out old car junky, I thought I would share this article that I ran across. It would be pretty cool to have this happen to you. A classic car enthusiast, Guy Snelling received a big surprise when he hacked his way into a south Norfolk barnyard only to discover a few hidden classics. Under bushes, weeds and extreme overgrowth remains of about 20 classic cars were found including Singers, Swifts, Morris Minor, Willys Overland, Austin and a Sunbeam. While it took more than a couple of weeks to clear out the wreckage, it was well worth it. Read more about his story here..
February 25, 2009
To me, rat rods are a vehicle of wonder and amazement. Sure, you can take a car and restore it to it’s original image but a true piece of work that really tantalizes the eyes is a fine crafted Rat Rod. A Rat Rod can be defined as a custom car that exaggerates the early hot rods of the 40’s and 50’s that appear unfinished with just the bare necessities to be driven usually combining various parts from different cars to complete the project. A typical Rat Rod consists of vehicles from the early 20’s through 50’s especially pre World War II vehicles and their parts. Customization includes roofs chopped for a lower profile and fenders, hoods and bumpers removed and a rough paint finish usually done in primer or a flat black.
There are those who criticize and believe the practice of modifying rare vehicles and their parts should be abolished and consider Rat Rod a derogatory term, while others who enjoy this type of restoration keep the hobby alive.
Here is my favorite Rat Rod Picture
To view more pictures of Rat Rods or those vehicles that could become Rat Rod Projects visit OldRide.com and view their Rusty Rides section.
For a generic version of how to build your own Rat Rod, plus cool images and information, visit RatRod Stuff
Ratfink Icon
The following websites are a staple in Rat Rod Culture:
The character that symbolized the entire rat-rod / Kustom Kulture scene of the 50s and 60s - Rat Fink
The artwork of Ed Roth
Von Dutch – no not the clothing line, but the real guy himself.
February 18, 2009
In my spare time I love to scour junkyards looking for the perfect finds.
When I can’t make it to the junkyard, I enjoy looking at various junkyard websites…go figure.
Here are some great websites that I have come across
-Old Car City, USA – They sell parts and restorable cars, but I just like to look at the photos.
-Rusty Rides – pictures of classic cars left to rot away or maybe be restored some day soon.
-Rusty Old Cars – a group of people on Flickr that add pictures they have taken of…you guessed it…Rusty Old Cars
February 17, 2009
Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!
