Wow!
What a month January was! The weather was so warm (probably a record) with many
days in the 50’s, even a few 60 degree days! There were several days that I saw
classic and exotic cars out cruising – even a convertible or two!
Well,
we are still in the middle of the winter...let’s see what February brings.
Hopefully it is mild also!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Did you enjoy the insanity…I mean spectacle,
of Barrett-Jackson a few weeks ago?
Huge
price records set yet again. Always a fun viewing experience and a great place
to sell your car, but you have to be nuts to buy one there! Except of course if
you don’t mind paying 2-3 times what it is worth in some cases!
What
cracks me up every year, are all the guys out there in the real world, “Joe
Shmoes”, who think that their car is now worth what one like it sold for
at Barrett-Jackson! Get off it!!
If
you want to truck your car on out to Arizona, pay for all the expenses, and let
the “money is no object” cowboys bid on it….you might get the same
dollars [if your car is in PERFECT shape, not what you think is perfect shape!]
otherwise you ain’t gonna get close to that money in the real world bub!!
So,
to summarize;
Not every Chevelle SS is now worth $60,000
Not every Z28 is now worth $78,000
Not every 442 is now worth $56,000
Not every ‘Cuda is now worth $90,000 or up!
Not every Mustang is now worth $50,000
Not every Street Rod is now worth 100K or
higher!
Not every Hemi car is worth more than most
houses!!
Hope
that clears things up and sticks in the heads of the Numbnuts out there who
think their number 3 condition muscle car is going to fetch them a huge
“Barrett-like” price.
Sorry.
All that had to come out.
___________________________________________________
We
would like to mention more car clubs that have listed on our site recently. As
the hobby continues to grow and bring in both older and younger enthusiasts,
there is no shortage of clubs and organizations to fulfill anyone’s tastes.
Some of these clubs have been around for many years, while others are
relatively new start-ups. Check them out in our CLUBS section!
Also,
remember to check our EVENTS section for show, cruise, and event listings! As
of this writing over 200 events are already listed for the upcoming 2006 car
season!
If
your club and events are not listed on Long Island Classic Cars.com get them
listed soon! People are making their plans on where to go and what shows to
attend. Don’t be left out or late to the party!
Bow Tie Boulevard Camaro Club. Club is open to all makes and models of Camaros: custom, stock, and modified.
They are a relatively new & growing club that helps out in the community and has fun together! New members welcome!
East End Hot Rods. This club also provides events to help out local charities and people. They are into muscle cars, street rods, and classics of all makes! A non-profit club with free membership!
Long Island GTO Club of NY. A great club for all you “Goat” lovers out there! An official GTO Chapter that is an active car club with many events, tech sessions, and trips throughout the year.
East End Hot Rodz Car & Truck Club. Another club out east. These folks offer a laid back and fun group that likes to cruise. A new club that is welcoming new members.
___________________________________________________
GUEST WRITER(S) COLUMN(S)
Lou Refano pens a feature about a
now famous “Tour Bus”. You may have seen one of these recently during Speed
Channel’s presentation of the Barrett-Jackson auction. Lou once again delves
deep into his resources to come up with a timely story. So sit back and get an
education on this interesting vehicle. Plus enjoy a little “Honeymooners”
nostalgia.
We
have another returning writer this month! Joe Gunning is back, along
with a feature about a car that may hold some surprises for you! Very
interesting story….and clever! “Would you believe……”
Rich’s Tech Tips has some more critical
information about tune-ups in his continuing series. The man is gifted and
very, very thorough! I think he should be teaching this stuff someplace! He
explains things better than anyone else I’ve ever heard! Not only does he help
you understand it all - he gives you the
why’s and how’s of it too!
In
this month’s “My Car Story” we have something incredibly unique for you! (Once
again). Wait until you see this!
Al & Carol LeGrow own this amazing 1931
Ford Double A Dump Truck Street Rod. I can’t tell you enough to describe it
adequately. Read about it here, and hope that you see it in person one day.
It’s an absolute knockout!!
And
we’re off ……..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE FOUR
MILLION DOLLAR BUS
by Louis
Refano
The
scene is
Norton: Hey Ralphie boy, you sounded all excited,
what did you want to show me?
Ralph: Norton, wait till you see this...you just
won't believe it pal. Its right around
the corner here...
Norton: Wow, that is HUGE!! What IS that?
Ralph: Norton, it's the vehicle of my dreams, a
great big GM bus!
Norton: Boy, Mr. Marshall at the Gotham Bus Company
must have hit it big in the stock market!
Ralph: Oh, no, pal, it's not a work bus...those
things I drive at work are just plain old run-of-the-mill. But this bus is SPECIAL...this is a GM
Futurliner!
Norton: You mean to say that this is the BUS OF THE
FUTURE?
Ralph: That's right, pal, the future...MY future.
Norton: Hmmm....for a bus of the future, it looks
like it's got a lot of rust from the past.
Paint's worn out too, and the front end's crooked...
Ralph: Oh yeah, well, it needs a little fixin' up
here and there, the chrome is a little dented and some rats ate through the
driver's seat, but who cares about all that?
Once I get it all fixed up it'll be worth a fortune...at least FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS!
Norton: Whoa, that's a pretty penny, Ralph.
(Just
then
Ralph:
Ralph: It's an INVESTMENT
Ralph: Well that shows what you know! With this bus I'M DRIVING TO THE FUTURE!
Ralph: Oh you're a riot,
------
Hey guess what Ralph? Your bus just sold for four million
bucks! 
Now
the previous story was fiction, but this is not: an actual GM Futurliner bus
was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson, and when the gavel hit the podium and the
guy yelled "SOLD IT! SOLD IT! SOLD IT!", the final price was $4.1
million (sometime later when the final bidder had difficulty with the
financing, the second-high bidder took the prize for a cool $4 million even,
plus an 8% commission to B-J for a total drive home price of $4,320,000).
For those of you who missed the B-J auction
on Speed Channel, and even for those who did witness the madness and are
extremely curious, what is this beast they called a GM Futurliner, and why did
it fetch the record auction price?
Well
there's no denying that this "train on wheels" was a significant part
of the General's history in the '40s and '50s, and one of the most intriguing
transportation designs ever built.
It all started with Charles
Kettering, the former chief engineer and Vice President of GM. In 1933, inspired by the Chicago World's
Fair, he came up with the idea of a traveling road show displaying the latest
scientific and technological advances of the time. In the years before TV, the internet, and
school assemblies, this "Parade of Progress", as it was called, would
bring educational exhibits to towns across
By December 1941, the Parade of Progress had
been viewed by 12.5 million people in 251 cities. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the
Parade of Progress was shut down during the duration of World War II, and the
busses were put into storage until 1946, when several of them were shown off in
a parade in
In 1953 GM refurbished and restyled the 12
Futurliners (creating the Second Generation Futurliners). The First Generation busses had bubble canopy
tops like fighter planes; these looked futuristic but basically created a
sweltering greenhouse for the poor driver...and there was no tinted glass or
air conditioning! So for the Second
Generation conventional roofs and green-tinted glass were installed along with
Frigidaire A/C. Another unusual feature
of this bus is dual side-by-side front wheels.
Each wheel has its own set of brakes, brake drums and bearings.
Two
massive 16 foot by 5 foot doors opened to expose the display housed
inside. A 16 foot lighting panel was
attached to the top of the overhead doors and a large light bar rose from the
roof another 7 feet above the bus for additional lighting. Electricity came from a massive twin 6-71
200KW Detroit Diesel generator. The
public got to see animated technology displays similar to the kind of stuff you
would see at Disney's EPCOT center. If
you were alive in '54 you could have seen exhibits trumpeting amazing science
gizmos of the day such as jet engines, "microwave" cooking, and stereophonic
sound (alas, no 3-D television or wallpaper that glowed in the dark...sorry
Ralph).
So what was it like to drive this beast? Well, it probably made your old International
school bus feel like a Jaguar XJ12.
Nearly all of the Futurliners had power steering pumps that failed
because of the tremendous force required to turn the front dualies. They also suffered from poor brakes, and
after one of them rear-ended another, drivers were instructed to stay 300 feet
behind. Of course, with their relatively
small 302-cubic-inch GMC 6-cylinder engines, and Hydramatic trannies with 24
forward gears, you couldn't go above 40 mph, so slamming on the brakes was
probably not an issue. And of course you
would use enough gasoline to make the Esso Tiger giddy, so it was good to have
those two 45-gallon tanks on board.
Another
design quirk was the position of the driver's seat. The seat and steering wheel were centrally
located behind the windshield...no passenger seat alongside, but twin guest
seats behind. And to get to that
driver's seat you had to walk up a staircase, to almost the top of the
bus. When seated the driver's eyes were
approximately 10 feet above the ground.
Between the driver's head being so close to the top of standard highway
overpasses, and the road so far down below, it must have felt like a theme park
ride!
So what became of these mammoth contraptions
that toured
For all the info you could possibly want on the
"Red Elephants", including the design history and the details of the
ones still in use (including one that's a customized motor home!) go to
www.futurliner.com for all the great stories and pics; it's an invaluable resource
on one of the most significant vehicles ever produced.
Specs:
Length:
33 feet
Width:
8 feet
Height:
11 feet 7 inches
Wheelbase:
248 inches
Engine:
GMC 302 cubic inch 6-cylinder
Horsepower:
145
Compression:
7.3:1
Torque:
262 ft-lbs. @ 1400 rpm
0-40
mph: any day now
Sources:
www.futurliner.com,
www.autoblog.com, Joel Dirnberger (www.joeld.net), The Honeymooners-Executive
Producer Jackie Gleason
(Great and timely article Luigi!) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What do Carol Shelby and
Maxwell Smart Have in common???
By Joe Gunning
Carol Shelby the man behind the AC Cobra, The Shelby Mustangs, and Don Adams (Agent 86, Maxwell Smart) both have a piece of history in making the Sunbeam Tiger. Carol Shelby was approached by Rootes Group to take the Sunbeam Alpine with a 1494cc four cylinder engine a British sports car similar to the Triumph and MG of the day to make it into an off the shelf race car.
Ivan Garrad and John Panks of Rootes Group met with Carol Shelby to see if there was room in the little sports car to fit a larger power plant. Carol charged ten thousand dollars to make the prototype in his shop. The prototype utilized a Blue Oval 260 V8 with a T10 transmission and Salisbury rear end. The car was shipped off to England. Once there, the car left Lord Rootes the chairman of the company head over heels in love with the car. He presented it to the management and engineers of the company and made an agreement with Ford to buy 3,000 of the small blocks. The Sunbeam Tiger was in production from 1964 to 1968.
James Bond 007
with his Aston Martin and the Man from Uncle,
Napoleon Solo and his custom Piranha sports car were no match for a new
spy that was coming to a TV set near you. The air waves were just waiting for a good spy sitcom.
In 1965 a
red sports car rolled onto our television screens…..
This new spy with his economy V8 sports car for less than $3,400 is the one and only Maxwell Smart in his Sunbeam Tiger. They could have given him a Corvette, Jaguar, or Mercedes SL, but they let him roll in an economy sports car. Today the Sunbeam Tiger is still a bargain in the collector car market. What if I told you you could buy an original AC Cobra for $5,000 to $25,000? This is the going rate for a Tiger today. Wow! Carol Shelby’s stepchild - a piece of Ford history! There were two models of the Tiger; the earlier version was the Mark I and they come with the 260 V8 and the VIN # starts with B382. The Mark II basically had a 289 V8 and VIN #s starting with B382100. The Mark IIs made were less than 600 out of the 7,000 Tigers that were made.
. 
If you can’t afford an AC Cobra or even a Shelby Mustang; the Sunbeam Tiger is a great collector car. Carol Shelby has one in his collection and it is one of his favorites. You can not ask for any better endorsement. I first came across the Sunbeam in 1980 for less than $300 and fell in love with this outrageous off the shelf rocket. Go out and find one - I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
(Joe – never did I think of
Shelby & Smart together. What a combination!) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
By Rich Fiore
TUNE UP OR TUNE OUT - LETS NOT " DWELL" ON THIS !!
Ok so the holidays are over and the car season is still in hibernation as we
twiddle our thumbs. Maybe its time again for some theory to keep our car
craving juices flowing as we await spring. Last month we talked about
the true definition of what a tune up really is. That being all of the
adjustments and replacement of serviceable components. This month lets take a
closer look at those ignition points again and what their setting ( dwell ) is,
and its effect on engine performance.
As I had stated last month; points ( prior to 1974 ) were a necessary item
for replacement since they are a wearable item .... specifically the rubbing
block and contact surfaces. When a new set of points are installed, the proper
way to adjust them is with a dwell meter. Some might use a feeler gauge and
hope for the best but this leaves too much room for error
The dwell angle is simply the number of degrees of distributor rotation while
the points are closed ( some think its while the points are open ... not the
case there Bubba ) . As I mentioned last month this is the time period when a
magnetic field is built up in the primary side of the ignition coil. It takes
time to build up to full strength. When this full strength is achieved the coil
is said to be "saturated”. At low speeds there is no real problem to
accomplish this. At high speeds dwell adjustment is much more critical.
Lets say you have a 6 cylinder engine running at 400 RPM. The ignition system
must produce 20 sparks per second to fire all of the cylinders. ( Pretty
quick eh ? ) The dwell again at this speed is not all that critical since
there is plenty of coil saturation time. However if the engine is at 4000
RPM roughly 90 MPH ( not on Long Island ) this would mean 200 sparks per second
to fire all cylinders. Freakin’ warp speed here Scotty. Dwell at this speed
would be much more critical. If dwell were reduced slightly the engine would
misfire since the coil could not properly saturate.
Although dwell is not that critical at low speed, the point gap can
become important when cranking. During cranking there must be sufficient point
gap or the points will arc excessively and the engine could be tough to start.
If the engine is operated with too little gap at low speeds, the points will
deteriorate rapidly. Also an arc can continue across the points wasting
energy for coil saturation. This again means a misfire.
Dwell angle can also affect the ignition timing. The points rubbing block can
wear if there is no lubrication on the distributor cam. When the rubbing
block wears, points don't open as much, dwell increases, and this causes the
timing to be late. A thin film of the proper grease should be applied at the
time of point replacement. Many companies used to supply a small capsule with
the new points ( I thought this was cyanide to be ingested after many futile
attempts at setting the points ). Speaking of setting the points, its easy to
remember what happens to dwell relative to point gap: smaller gap makes larger
dwell. Sooo class ... larger gap makes ______________.
Some high performance rides utilize the dual breaker point setup. They provide
a longer dwell period at high speeds than what is possible with a single
breaker point set. The longer dwell again permits greater coil saturation which
means a greater secondary voltage. ( More power Scotty ) You won't run out of
spark so to speak. Plus increased dwell is accomplished while a normal
point gap is maintained.
So here is how it works: One set of points is the make set and its
function is to close the primary circuit and begin the dwell. The other set is
the break set and it opens the primary circuit collapsing the field and
inducing the coil secondary voltage. Both sets of points are connected in
parallel. It is set up where there is an overlap of distributor cam rotation.
So where you may normally get around 32 degrees of dwell with a single set of
points, a dual set could achieve between 36 and 40 degrees. Dig it?
So that's basically it when it comes to your breaker points and their theory of
operation. Next month we'll "advance" ( if you know what I mean
) to the next subject and look at a few more wonderful things in your ignition
system.
Meanwhile
keep cruisin ... the rides breathe well in this cold weather.
Quick and Dirty: When was the last
time you put a dwell meter on your ride and checked for distributor bushing
wear?
Rev that puppy and look for no more than 3 degrees of dwell
variation.
(Rich you must be 2nd only to Scotty in your mechanical versatility and information!) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Al
& Carol LeGrow: 1931 Ford Double A Dump Truck
"Al’s Dream”
This one-of-a-kind truck started life out very differently in both circumstances and appearance compared to the vehicle you see here now. It was a work vehicle way back when. Plain and simple. Nothing fancy nor special about it. Over the decades it kept on being used as a work vehicle. Eventually it finished its days and was sitting on a farm in Wantagh, Long Island.
One day while I was
driving home from a friend’s house, I noticed it sunning itself on the side of
an old barn. “WHOA!” I thought to myself. “I’ve got to check this out.” So I
backed up to the farmhouse, got out of my pickup, went up to the door and
knocked. An elderly lady came to the door and greeted me. I told her that I
noticed the old truck on the side of the barn and was wondering about it. She
said that she didn’t use it much any longer since her husband passed away. She
said “I would like to get rid of it.” I asked her how much she wanted for it
and she replied, “Nothing, just take it away.” I was very happy to oblige. She
said to come back on Saturday and she would have the papers ready for me.
I arrived that morning with a few of my friends and all of our gear to tow the truck away. The truck was sitting in the driveway ready to go and she said to me, “You don’t need all that stuff! Just jump in, start her up, and drive away!” She had the papers in the kitchen and bill of sale, and said I had to pay her one dollar to “keep it legal”. What a deal!!
That was March 22nd, 1968. I drove it home and continued to drive it for the next two years with nary a problem.
I then proceed to make a street rod out of it. I disassembled it and sold off the parts I wasn’t going to need. In fact, all the parts were either too big or too heavy for a street rod, so I ended up with just the cab! Down to the local junkyard I went to pick up some chassis parts in order to build a lighter chassis that the cab would fit on. After completing that and setting the cab on it, I realized the rear end was too close to the cab for a pickup bed or anything else that knew of. “Now what?!” I thought.
I had hit a speed bump.
A few days later while sitting at a traffic light, next to me was a real dump truck. I noticed where the first set of rear wheels were and voila! I realized I would make a big rig style dump truck out of my short bed pickup. Next step was to extend the chassis to receive another rear end, which we did. Then I had to build an 18” driveshaft to fit between the two rears to make it complete. I utilized 22 gauge black iron for the headboard. The floor was designed like a steel roof deck, light but strong. Next up was the process of designing hardware to raise and lower the bed, open the chute, and lock the tailgate. After a few setbacks, it all worked out nicely.
Next
up were the running boards, fenders, hood and side panels. The running boards
and hood side panels were fabricated from 22 gauge black iron as well. The
aluminum hood was formed over a piece of 6” pipe strapped to a pair of steel horses
and finished in an 8” sheet metal brake. The grill stared its life in a ’32
Ford. I cut it in half and then cut the bottom off. Many modifications were
needed to various parts to make it all fit and work. We also made a lower
intake for the cooling and air-conditioning systems. On both sides of the cab I
installed tanks to look like the big rigs. The left tank is an oil filter and
the right one is an air tank with 25’ of hose if needed.
On the interior, the dash is burled walnut and so are the floor boards that face the road. Global Aircraft Interiors did the work. It also has soft leather upholstery with an ultra-suede headliner, tilt steering column, and a sound system by JBL, Infinity, and Kenwood. The truck has two aluminum gas tanks with a total capacity of 31 gallons and they have a “no-spill” system.
This baby is powered by a Ford 460 and a C-6 transmission. It has front wheel discs, four rear drum brakes, a 230 amp alternator and a 6,000 lb front winch. The truck also has an outside air system and electric hookup. The paint was done by Grover’s Restoration in Hampton, NY. The chrome work is from Nu Chrome in Fall River, MA.
This project began in 1970 and was completed the way you see it now in 2002.
I drive it to shows, events, and cruises. People always crowd around it and are amazed by what they see. I am a longtime member (37 years) of the Long Island Street Rod Association as well as other street rodding clubs. This truck is a great deal of fun and is quite unique in appearance and configuration. Stop by and say hi if you see us out there!
Editors note: This truck has won so many awards, best
of shows, write-ups, and more, that I couldn’t mention them here.
Suffice to say; Al has built a ride that is very well known in
hot-rodding circles across the country.
(Al. From the first day I saw it I was amazed! Thanks
for sharing the story. Incredible truck!) Pete
___________________________________________________
Here is where you can access previous editions of the Long
Island Classic Cars Online Newsletter.
October 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Oct03.html
November 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Nov03.html
December 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Dec03.html
January 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jan04.html
February 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Feb04.html
March 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Mar04.html
April 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Apr04.html
May 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/May04.html
June 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jun04.html
July 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jul04.html
August 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Aug04.html
September 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Sep04.html
October 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Oct04.html
November 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Nov04.html
January 2005
http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jan05.html
February 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Feb05.html
March 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Mar05.html
April 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Apr05.html
May 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/May05.html
June 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jun05.html
July 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jul05.html
August 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Aug05.html
September 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Sep05.html
October 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Oct05.html
November 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Nov05.html
December 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Dec05.html
January 2006 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jan06.html
You can also access the previous
Newsletters through a link on the main page of the website.
___________________________________________________
Wow! As a lifelong Steelers fan I am
delighted that they are once again Super Bowl Champs!
I started rooting for them back in ’72 when I
was a little kid. I liked them because I thought they had the best looking
uniforms and also because they were underdogs at the time. My Dad and I always
rooted for the underdogs. Little did I know that within a couple of years they
would become one of the best teams the NFL has ever seen! Four Championships in
six years!! No one has equaled that, and now, after 26 long years…they are once
again the champs! It’s been a long road back. Enjoy it Pittsburgh - and the
rest of the “Steeler Nation”!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TRIVIA QUESTION: What do the Honeymooners, Get Smart, James Bond, M&Ms,
Carol Shelby, “Scotty” and the Pittsburgh Steelers all have in common? That’s
right! They were all featured in this edition of the Long Island Classic
Cars.com Newsletter!! How ‘bout that for nostalgia! I shoulda’ done the whole
thing in black and white! …. Or black and gold!
Keep an
eye out readers…..the contests return next month! Get ready to send in your
entries and win prizes!
We have
different things in store for you, so check back often!
The car
clubs are also starting to send in their event, meeting, and cruise dates – so
check the website for those as well.
See you
next month!
Pete Giordano
Long Island Classic Cars.com