Greetings to all!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and that it was relaxing and spiritual. My family and I enjoyed Christmas immensely! It is my favorite time of the year. I got a few nice goodies to suit my automotive yearnings! They should hold me over until the season starts around here. Did Santa bring you anything car related! Did anyone out there get a new “baby” (ie: vehicle) this year? Let us know!

We are about to start the coldest and snowiest two months of the year. As you all know, once that road salt has been put down with the first snow (back in December), that is it for taking the cars out until the Spring rains come and wash it all away. So we all start looking around for some other type of “fix” for our “habit”. I hope this issue of the Newsletter (and the next several ones) can satisfy at least some of your need!

Several people have commented that they feel the car buying and selling trade has cooled off a little compared to the last several years. Well, before we make any conclusion about that, let’s see what happens come Springtime. If we see the big bounce back and rush to get cars, then we will know that everything is still going strong. If there is a slowdown in buying over the action of the last two mega-years, that will bear itself out. We will report on that in later issues. If anyone wants to write or comment on this we would love to hear your opinions.

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We have had so many happy users and advertisers that have called or written us notes to thank us for the website or comment on what we are doing. We thought we would share some of their sentiments. Here is some feedback from a few of our users and visitors! (As copied directly from their e-mails). As always, your input is valuable to us. We read everything that is sent in.

Wow! Cool site. Long Island needed this! Im telling everyone about it!

Mark

Uniondale, New York

………thanks so much for your site it looks great.

Anthony Abiuso

Camaro Crazy

Hi. Thanks for the ad. My car sold from your site! You can mark it as SOLD! Thanks.

(Name withheld by request.)

Please remove my car from your listing as it has been SOLD.

I can't thank you enough for the advertising and will recommend this site to others in the future. Sincerely,

Jody Calandrino

1964 Corvette Stingray Coupe, White

Hi Pete

My 31 Ford modified roadster has been sold. Please post SOLD on the add or remove it completely.

Sold it for close to the asking price

Thanks

Bob

And, among other cars…my 71 Super Bee sold through the site also!

Hi Pete

Your site looks great and thanks for including us.

Hope it works out and grows.

See you next year

Hank

Pete..

Awesome site this is so perfect for me! Something like this was needed! It’s gonna be a homerun for you!

I will definitely be advertising with you!

Phil

Abro Motor Trans

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We would like to welcome aboard our new advertisers!

Phoenix Interiors Located in Franklin Square, NY, these fellas certainly know their way around upholstery work! With dozens of award winning custom and stock interiors, they not only have the expertise you need, but also the creativity you seek! They perform repairs, restorations, and customizing of interiors, tops, seats, and more for cars, motorcycles, boats, and every kind of upholstery need you may have. Give them a call, you will find that Jimmy is a welcoming guy who can answer all your questions and provide the quality service your vehicle needs and deserves. Tell ‘em Long Island Classic Cars.com sent ya!

Gullwing Motors Inc. The crew at Gullwing Motors are currently celebrating 27 years in business. They are your complete source for automobile repair and restoration, specializing in imports such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Jaguar, Audi, Volvo, Porsche, Rover and Rolls Royce, to name a few. Customer service is their highest priority. They have been serving the Long Island community since 1977. Their Mineola based workstation houses a New York State inspection station, body shop and repair garage. Ask for Louis or Steven and tell them you heard about them through Long Island Classic Cars.com. They also have a nice selection of classic cars for sale! You can view most of them right here on liclassiccars.com

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GUEST WRITER(S) COLUMN(S)

In this issue we are graced by three writers who are contributing some insightful and humorous features for your enjoyment and edification! Take the time to read each of these articles as they are all quite unique. Here is a bit about each one of these fellas.

One new contributor is Marty Himes. Marty is the proprietor and caretaker of The Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia in Bay Shore, NY. Marty was a racecar driver in the Tri-State area for decades and has a wealth of information and history that has been lovingly and painstakingly preserved for us and for future generations. Marty will be submitting articles that deal with racing heritage and events. He welcomes calls and visitors!

We are very happy to have back a returning columnist; Tom Sebastian. Tom always has a feature that is feisty and sometimes even a little off-the-wall. But that makes it fun reading! His latest musings are no exception.

And welcome to another newcomer, Gerard Borgo. Gerard will be writing the first segment of “My Car Story”.

We plan on “My Car Story” being a monthly featurette. So if any of you have an interesting tale to tell, send it in!

Gerard has been involved in collecting and working on cars since his teens. He is accomplished in many aspects of repair and restoration work, and has turned one of his cars into a national champion! His collection includes AMC, Chrysler, and GM products. So no one can say he isn’t well rounded!

Away we go……..

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Marty Himes

July 25th 1959: Lime Rock Park Connecticut Formula Libre Race.

From this date forward, road racing in the United States took an unprecedented turn. In an attempt to put some life into Eastern

road racing, which had been unimpressive up until 1959, the United States Auto Club came up with the "anything goes" Formula Libre Race. Now the U.S.A.C. convinced two of its brightest stars, Indy winner Rodger Ward and national champion Tony Bettenhausen, to enter this special event. The result brought together the most unusual lineup of auto racing machines that has

ever run together on the same course.

The track was a 1.5-mile paved up and downhill right and left turn road course. The race had five Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser powered

Midgets from the 1940s; a 1957 Bill Mitchell Chevrolet Corvette Stingray; a 1959 Bocar Chevrolet; a 1959 Sadler F .L.; two 1958 Maseratis; a 3500 GT and a 250 F; two 1959 Coopers; one Monaco and one 1.5 F2; one 1957 Aston Martin DBR-2; two 1957 C-Type Jaguars; two 1959 860 Super Monza Ferraris; two 1957 Porsches; one RSK and one RS; a 1959 Morland and a Testadoro Zagato F2. The race was a 150-miler. Rodger Ward, driving an 11-year-old Offenhauser powered Kurtis Kraft Midget, made everyone take notice when he broke the lap speed record on his qualifying run. This was done without the benefit of a gear box. Midget racing cars use a dog clutch in-out single gear box. All other racing cars use a multigear transmission. Also, midget racing cars always ran on oval tracks and always turned left. So when Rodger Ward outraced all the best sports car drivers and cars, he pulled off something that was never done before. Now you had drivers, car owners and racing fans alike thinking that this was possibly a one time “fluke” and that this would never happen again.

Well it didn’t happen again for another 30 years. Then in 1989, the 30^th anniversary of the 1959

race, Lime Rock Park management decided to re-enact the original Formula Libre Race. To pull

this off, they needed to locate as many of the original cars and drivers as possible. Many of the

original cars and drivers were located. A few of the drivers had passed away and some of the

original cars could not be located. This is where I fit into this story. In 1989, Lime Rock

management and the Atlantic Coast Old Timers Club contacted me and a few other drivers and

car owners. At first I was hesitant about going and had about six weeks to make up my mind.

With about one week to deadline I had still not made up my mind to accept. Along came my

good friend, Jack Majori Banks, a Nassau County Police detective, who talked me into going

despite the fact that I had never raced on a road course track with left and right turns. Jack told

me that if I decided to go he would set up my car. With that kind of deal how could you go wrong?

Jack is an expert on making a racing car handle. He told me to install four new tires and new

brakes on my car. Then he said to bring the car to his garage and he would take care of the rest.

He worked on the car for a few hours, adjusting steering, setting weights, checking gear ratios and air pressure. Now at that point, when I was still not sure that this was going to work, Jack reassured me by saying that all the other cars were going to outshine me in the pits with all their fancy paint jobs and shiny chrome. But he was convinced that I was going to outshine them on the race track. So I agreed to go out and Jack agreed to be my pit crew. But at the last minute Jack found out that he had to work that weekend. I towed the racecar, a 1946 Offenhauser powered Kurtis Kraft #25 Midget to Lime Rock. At that point, the car was 43 years old. Rodger Ward’s car was 11 years old. I arrived at the track sign-in booth, filled out an application and proceeded into the paddock area where all the racing cars get ready for the events. While I was unloading my car, a famous race driver named Gordon Mackenzie (a Jaguar champion driver) introduced himself and we hit it off right away. He asked me if I would like to learn how to drive this track and of course I said yes. Only we did not drive the track, we walked it! As we walked he said “Where we walk is where you drive” and I said “fine”. (Gordon is also a driving instructor for the Skip Barber Racing School)

Eventually all the cars that were in the Formula Libre Race went onto the track for our first practice session. The sports cars went first because they all had starters and transmissions while the midgets went last because they had to be push started. After my first warm up lap we got the green flag to pick up to racing speed. Down the straightaway I went across the start-finish line break for the first right turn known as “big bend”. I was into the turn and looked ahead and who did I see off the track and on the grass but none other than Gordon Mackenzie, my teacher! After the practice run he came over and said, “It even happens to the best.”

After a few more practice runs the drivers and owners had the cars fine-tuned for the big day. It was September 4^th. My car ran and handled perfectly. Except for a minor air pressure adjustment I was ready.

I was chosen to fill in for Tony Bettenhausen, former national champion, as he had passed away several years earlier.

It was determined that I had to start where Tony had finished back in 1959. This was 17^th place. I ended up finishing first in the Midget division and third place overall. Not too bad for my first time on a road course. Thanks Jack!

Imagine finishing ahead of Rodger Ward (a two-time Indy winner), Stirling Moss (British champion), Dick Thompson (famed Corvette driver), and Denise McCluggage (noted women’s sports car racer). This could only happen once in a lifetime and it was without a doubt, the most memorable auto race in my career.

I started 17^th, passed 14 cars in 12 laps, and during the race I was never passed by anyone. My top speed was 118 miles an hour with an average speed of 80 miles an hour. There were other noted drivers in the race such as John Fitch (the designer of the Lime Rock track), Johnny Kay (a well known midget racer), and Gordon White (land speed record holder at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah). As well as a dozen other drivers.

The car I raced that day is the famous #25 Gene’sOffy which as of this writing, is 57 years old. The car was built by Kurtis Kraft in Glendale, California. It was the 39^th car built and is still in excellent condition. This car and a host of Lime Rock memorabilia are on display at the museum.

Note: You can contact Marty at 631-666-4912 or visit the Museum’s website http://www.thehimesmuseum.vze.com

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Tom Sebastian

Ménage a Trois (Cont'd)

Hello again!

OK!  I promise to deliver my incomparable experience and expertise on at least one car this time around.  No nonsense this time... None of that, How to Make A Living Selling Exotics stuff.

...Well, just this one, maybe.  Remember I said that if you attempt the business end of exotics, find as rare and unusual a niche as you can in order to make a go of it?  Well, I came across some guy in Georgia who makes a living refurbishing and selling the quintessential Francaise: The Citroen 2CV ! - that tin-can of a car that makes you laugh when you see it! 

(I just slapped myself to get back on track.  I must have advanced ADD or something... Can't seem to stick to one subject.  Anyway...)

Right!  Ménage a Trois!

Now, at the risk of losing the interest of you muscle-car, testosterone-laden heavy hitters with the twin-turbo wet dreams; you hunks with the golden chains rattling to the heavy throbs of that SureFire Vette engine -- that shiny new, Corinthian leather jacket in the passenger seat (Ahhh!  It's him!  Howard Dean's speech writer!!); you slaphappy Viper wanna-owns who cry and do strange things in you pants at the very thought of seeing something like a Saleen Mustang in your lifetime, I simply have to do it.  I do owe a story to my first car:  The One, The Only, The Fabulous Karmann Ghia!

All right, so the total horsepower available in this thing (36) is about what your neighbor's Pantera uses to light the glove box.  No matter.  We're talking CLASS here!  The kind of owner you might want to meet and actually spend some time talking with!  (Sure.  We've all had that wild, 6-minute fling with the dumb blond in the Maco Shark at one time or another in our lives... But we're talking commitment here, guys and gals... Someone with more going on between their ears than Chucky-D and Brit-tan-y! Someone you might even want to bear children with!)

All car companies, successful or otherwise, want a status symbol at some time in their corporate life-span.  Think Avanti for Studebaker, T-Bird for Ford, NSX for Honda. etc.

And so it was that Chrysler, at one time in the early 50's sought out new designs from Italy in an attempt to trump the new Corvette from GM.  (The spies knew it was coming.)  They tried and discarded many designs -- one in particular from the House of Ghia.

Volkswagen, in the same mood and mode as the others, approached the German Designers, Karmann, looking for a new shape to house their infamous power plant.  According to one source, Karmann personnel approached Ghia for ideas.  Voila, the rejected Chrysler design.  (See...! Ménage a Trois!  Germany, Italy, and the USA!  ...And wasn't that worth the wait...)

There's one parked in front of this Florida condo right now... next to the (obligatory) Lexus, the new Jag and the Beemer... So, guess which owner I want to meet?  That's the 'thing' -- to me, at any rate -- about vintage or otherwise interesting cars... One wants to know something more about the owner.  Who is this person?  How did they get hold of this car?  Then you pipe it with, "Let me tell you my experiences with this..." or "I remember that one..." or, "Lucky you!  Air-cooled!"

See what I mean? The automobile as social elixir.

Now, as for the one with the Lexus... Well, we know he's into comfort and likes his driving experience to resemble his living room... 'Nuf said about him.

One more aside.  (Sorry.)

Out there on the Island you have a great little rag called Dan's Papers.  Gives a rather good overview of what's happinin' out there with the rich and famous and, sometimes, with their less illustrious neighbors.  Anyway, for a while -- and I haven't seen his column recently -- one columnist ( -- sorry, memory fails -- ) was writing these great articles about some great cars.  (I realize this is highly subjective.  Let's just say, he was writing about the cars that were truly interesting to moi.)  He and I were right on; simpatico.  For a while.

Then, completely out of character, he writes an article on the Miata(!) and actually praises it.  The %$#@&!! Miata !!  Now what comes to mind when you see a Miata on the road? 

My point exactly!!

So, needless to say, my dream writer appeared to be irreparably flawed and I was never again in such a great hurry for the next issue of Dan's.

OK.   Back to my first love.

Now remember, the Karmann Ghia is hand made.  Can't say that about too many cars.  And say all you want about SUV's and their drivability in snow.  But for 3 or 4 more inches of ground clearance for those twice-a-year, over-the-top, N'or Easter blizzards, the Ghia was better!   That low center of gravity and rear-engine traction got me, my buddies and girlfriends through innumerable Adirondack-Class snow drifts and far flung ski trips into the far reaches of northern Quebec.

And even when I had it, during it's last year of production (1974*), it still turned heads.  Let's face it:  It was pretty.  It's no wonder, then, that some of the better ones draw up to $15,000 today.

(*Just as the Corvair was pulled to avoid competition for the Camaro - and you thought it was Nader - VW was gearing up for the Scirocco.)

But the biggest flaw was the poor quality of steel -- not even close to that used in the Bug.  So extra care, attention, and money was -- and is -- required for upkeep.  Alas, the three items that I, an immature, struggling student, had little to spare.

So, then.  Who is this car for?

Certainly not for the Pantera owner.   Probably not even for the TR-6 guy.  And certainly not for immature students.

Perhaps for someone's son or daughter after landing that first real job; giving them a first and relatively inexpensive taste for the pleasures and effort involved in owning and maintaining a piece of automotive history -- with a none-too-shabby sense of what fun a sports car can be to boot.

And, hey;  You can bet they'll meet someone more interesting  than they otherwise would in that silly Miata!

Next Time:  We turn up The Juice... Something... well, more 'thumping', for those raging hormones.

And my second car was...

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Gerard Borgo: 1969 American Motors AMX

My car is a 1969 AMX. I purchased it in 1985 from a guy in Copiague, NY. It is originally a Long Island car and has been its whole life. It was delivered new to Ranger Rambler on Jamaica Avenue in Floral Park, NY

The car was in “hurtin shape” when I got it. The interior and body were rough but it had the numbers matching drivetrain.

I had a 70 AMX before this car. My dad was into these and turned me on to them when I was younger. So the car was always in my mind as something I wanted to own. The 70 was a daily driver but it cost too much for gas, so I sold it in 1984.

In ‘85 I got the “bug” again and had to get another one. I found this ’69 car while driving home from work one day. I saw a guy with an AMX stopped and talking at the side of road with someone. I parked and went over to them and asked the owner if it was for sale. He said “No”, but that he knew of one for sale in Copiague and gave me the guy’s phone number.

I called the Copiague guy and made arrangements to go see the car. He had redone the whole body a little while back, and one day was standing in front of the car when a lady from down the street came driving in her car and hit the poor guy crushing his legs against the front end of the car! He ended up in hospital for a while and the car was really banged up too.

The guy told me he thought the car had a bit of a hex on it. Personally, I think it does have a bit of Christine in it. Every once in a while it f#&@s me too. But the more I work on it the more it goes away. Just like Christine.

When I first bought it I had to fix up the body with a new fender, grill, hood, and bumper. I drove the car around occasionally for fun, but basically I started the restoration right away. I started things slowly and worked when I had the time. First thing I did was pull the drivetrain, strip the car, and had it painted. Then I reassembled it. The engine was already rebuilt by the previous owner so I didn’t have to do that.

Then I did the entire interior over to make it as nice as the outside. Eventually I did all aspects of the car including electrical, gauges, mechanical, chrome, brakes and suspension, rubber and seals, underneath, and all the fine details.

I went to 3 national AMC meets in the mid 90’s to 2000. I won Silver in ‘94 in Denver, PA. Platinum in ‘97 also in PA. And silver in Berlin, CT in 2000. Plus many regional AMC shows where

I got gold and silver awards from 1990 to the present.

The car was also in Muscle Car review magazine in the April 1991 issue.

The car is Butternut Beige exterior with a Saddle Tan interior. It has the number matching 390 engine and a Borg Warner M12 automatic console shifted transmission.

It also has factory leather seats, tilt wheel, A/C, P/S, P/DB, and AM/FM stereo with the dashboard speaker only.

It has the factory Mag rims with trim rings and painted center section, along with the redline Polyglass E70-14 tires.

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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

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That about wraps things up for this issue. With Winter dead ahead I hope we can all still get a few days now and then to engage our automotive yearnings out on the roadways. As far as buying and selling goes, if anyone out there makes any interesting purchases let us know. We’ll report in February about what went on at Barrett-Jackson this month and what bearing that may have, if any, on the collector car scene for the upcoming year.

Once again we wish you a healthy and happy new year!

Pete

Long Island Classic Cars.com

www.liclassiccars.com