Felice Anno Nuovo!

 

Yes, things are a bit different around here! (not just the Italian salutations)

A new year brings all possibilities. We are in the process of revamping the website and it should be up before Springtime. We also have a new flash page that you see when you type www.liclassiccars.com into your browser.

Go immediately to check that out if you haven’t yet seen it! Turn your speakers up loud!

 

For 2007 we have our returning writers that you have come to know and love.

Our Regulars:

  Tom Sebastian and his rich stories of automotive style and adventure!

  Rich Fiore’s Tech Tips column that advances knowledge of all things automotive!

  Lou Refano whose love of cars is evident in every piece he writes!

  Justin Applebaum has taken over the Automat column and provides some youthful exuberance!

Our  Guests:

  Andy Vourlos, another automotive enthusiast with an energetic, no holds-barred flair!

  Joe Gunning - an adventurous sort who fearlessly works underneath cars and writes in a smart style!

 

We hope to add a new one or two along the way (especially female). So if any of you aspiring scribes out there want to contribute, let us know. Well get you involved on a one time, guest, or regular basis.

 

 

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On to business.

 

With the value of collector cars dropping slightly for the first time in years this past autumn, what will 2007 bring?

Barrett Jackson is a harbinger of direction. It has also been part of the cause of price spikes the previous three years.

Will it not set crazy records again this year, indicating that there has indeed been some pullback; or will it be over-priced business as usual that will trend into a real world climb back up in prices?

We shall see.

I predict that even if Barrett has its usual over-inflated prices, that we will not see that this year in the real world prices of cars that are up for sale by individuals. You see, it is only a matter of time before people come to realize that the ever escalating prices of nondescript cars is illogical.

Observe:

1) How long will they pay 50 grand plus for “clone”, “re-creation”, or “tribute” cars?!

These are all terms coined by dealers and investors as euphemisms for fakes. They do this in their attempts to glorify vehicles that are not real R/Ts, SSs, 442s, etc so that they can lure people into purchasing said cars for profit.

I am not into that nor do I understand why people buy them.

You couldn’t sell me a ‘Cuda recreation at any price no matter how nice the car is! I have no desire for a fake.

2) How long will people pay big bucks for the common cars?!

Every “one-of-three hundred fifty thousand made” Mustangs are selling for 20K or more! Why?

You can find another 349,999 of them!!

There is no rarity, exclusivity, or special quality to those vehicles?

3) How long will people pay big bucks for the “trickle down” or lesser models of muscle cars?!

Dodge Darts, Box Novas, and the like. Not to disparage anyone’s vehicle – don’t get me wrong – I like them all. But please! They are not worth big bucks yet people have been paying that just to get in and get a slice of the pie.

Again, don’t get me wrong or take offense – I would love to have a Dart GTS, Nova SS, Buick GS, Mustang GT, Cougar, etc – but I would not pay big bucks to get one. I am not averse to owning them – just at realistic prices.

 

I predict overspending has seen its day. At least in the less than rarified or specialty vehicle market.

 

I hope that I am right. Because if I am; it will mean a return to the days when the common folks like me and most of you out there, can buy a nice car for a decent price, put some bucks into it, and not worry about its dollar value. This will bring back the pure enjoyment of owning these cars without concern over “investment”.

When (and if) those days return... I might have a large fleet that includes cars of all makes and value levels.

That is, if I can find the garage space.

 

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

 

1   Editor’s Introduction

2   Puzzle Fill In Contest

3   Cruise Night Information

4   Guest Writer’s Columns

                        Tom Sebastian

                        AutoMat

                        Andy Vourlos

5   My Car Story

            6   The Archive

7   Editor’s Closing

 

 

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Long Island Classic Cars.Com’s

 

 

 

Submit your entry along with your name and e-mail address to: newsletter@liclassiccars.com

 

This contest is open to everyone! (LI Classic Cars.com paid personnel, regular column writers, and business advertisers are not eligible.)

Winners will be notified by e-mail and/or phone.

Please submit all entries by the 10th of the next month. (ex: for January’s contest the entries are due by February 10th)

No substitutions of prizes will be allowed.

In the event of prize choices, winner will be given the opportunity to select the one they want.

All decisions are final and are made by the paid personnel of Long Island Classic Cars.com

Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of contest end or forfeit the prize to the runner up.

 

A few simple rules:

1) Think!

2) Print out and e-mail or mail in the form, or just submit your written answers ... winner will be randomly (name blindly chosen out of a hat!) selected from all correct answers received!

 

Here is the puzzle for our January “Puzzle Fill-In Contest”!!

 

 

 

 

                                         ___________________________________________________

 

 

 

    “EXTRA EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!”

 

 Here’s the latest on cruise events…

 

 

 

2007 Current Cruise Happenings:           

 

 

 

SUNDAYS:          *AM Cruise* Ocean Pkwy, Captree Beach Parking Lot through May, then at OBI.

                                   Public gathering.

 

 

I also heard that the Tuesday night K Mart show in Levittown has MOVED to the Ruby Tuesday's parking lot across from the old Grumman factory on Rt 107. Can anyone confirm this is where it will be for 2007??

 

 

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GUEST WRITER(S) COLUMN(S)

 

Tom Sebastian strays from his patented “...from this....to this” format, and delves into his personal views of “classics”. As always, he is provocative, humorous, and quite insightful. This is a brilliant article and I encourage you to read every bit of it.

 

Justin from AutoMat gives some good advice on what to expect when undertaking a restoration or simple “fix-up” project. There is always more than you bargained for!

 

Andy Vourlos hits close to home for all of us regarding the winter blues and putting away our vehicles for the season. A nice story that you can picture in your mind and ‘feel along with’ from experience.

 

In this month’s “My Car Story” we have a beastie of a Jeep! This mammoth is raised, altered, customized, enhanced, modernized, and just about every thing else you can think of. Courtesy of the skilled and crazed, no holds barred mind and talent of Joe Santiago!

 

 

Enjoy…

 

 

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  Tom Sebastian

 

 

A Snob[1] Looks at the Classics…

 

            The Test of Time vs. ‘The Shock of the New’

 

With the new car purchase, personality plays little role.  The primary emphasis is to show off the new wheels, some possible shortcomings in regard to tastes, and maybe a thing or two about his or her bank account.  But the thrill will last only so long as it is new, and ends abruptly the instant the ‘newer, improved’ version of the vehicle makes its appearance on the scene.   At that point, the game is up. 

Just when you drive up to the first street light with that fancy new Corvette and two more of the exact same thing pull up along side of you, you know you’ve been had.  (But, chances are, he who is attracted to car lots with 5,000 models exactly like his, is not in it for the artistic statement.) 

 

The classic enthusiast, by contrast, forces the observer to look inside the car:  ‘Who drives such a car?’  (It even works even better with women – a little known secret among women looking for an ‘edge’.[2])   Voilà la différence:  The driver becomes part of the equation.

 

A friend, who had no particular interested in cars, slammed on the brakes when she saw the 56 T-Bird in a restaurant parking lot.[3]  She did the same thing several days later when a white, MGA convertible came out of a side road (scaring the &^%$#@! out of me). The brand-new Lexus right behind it…?  The new Infinity that preceded it?  Nothing.  Never saw them.  And when she and a girlfriend were meandering through a suburban mall, she noticed a great looking sky blue, 1950’s vintage pickup truck.  She asked her friend if she wanted to wait around to see who owned it.  (See what I mean?  The owner becomes a factor.)  While I can’t prove it, since I wasn’t there, I would venture a guess that the testosterone-laden, extended cab, ’05 Ram Truck which may have been parked right next to it with the brooding hunk in the driver’s seat would have gone unnoticed.  Likewise for the burly, black, Cadillac Escalade Extended Cab on the other side - just not enough interest aroused to wait around to see who owned it.

 

It’s hard to say what a classic really is.  For some cars you might even ‘know it when you see it’ but in most cases, only time will tell.  When the first Ford Thunderbird came out, everyone liked it but none could have predicted the cult status that 2-seater now has.

 

Some cars bomb big time soon after their debut. Think: Falcon and Edsel – and the 4-seater T-Birds that followed on the heels of the original.  But some people are absolutely passionate about these cars now.  Ralph Nader – the bloke who is believed to have, single-handedly, knocked the Corvair off the production lines -- is actually guest speaker of honor at Corvair club meetings these days.  His pronouncements on the lack of safety of that car helped lead to its demise, yes -- but, also, to lower production numbers than it otherwise would not have had.  This, in turn, led to more interest in -- and value for -- the car he helped squash.  Go figure.

 

History – or as we snobs call it, provenance, plays a major part.  Jimmy Dean got killed in his road racing Porsche and now people scramble to rebuild them.  Sal Mineo, his co-star in East of Eden – who also died tragically young – was spotted and photographed, in his 2-seater T-Bird.  That didn’t hurt either legend, himself or his T-Bird.

 

Someone commented on the new Mustang that “…this is the car we’ll be taking about years from now – just like the original; the one we’ll be fixing up in our garage…”

Well, maybe.  But a teenager could actually work on the original without recourse to the high-tech training and computer-assisted analysis that the current model requires.  Still, it is more interesting than recent variations of the Mustang theme. 

 

And that thought makes one consider the evolution of style.

 

Every car company seems to produce a recognized, definitive model at one point or another in its history.[4]  For the T-Bird it was the ’55-’57 2-seater models.  But even that is subjective… I know someone who actively hunts down those monstrous 70’s versions of the car, the model I would have thought to be the worst of the breed.  And, as mentioned already, the early 4-seaters are taking on a life of their own -- and are as high on the price charts as those ‘early Birds’.  And, of course, this goes without even mentioning the in-fighting among stylists and aficionados regarding any version … best colors, best engine, whether that port hole/continental kit was a blight or not, etc, etc.

 

When America first started going classic in a big way,[5] the ’57 Chevy ruled the roost.  

Soon, the 55’, ’56 – and even the behemoth ’58 joined the ranks.  And they are all quite different.  The ’59 bizzaro-tear-drop model would have been everyone’s pick for a part in another Spaceballs odyssey.  Not any more.  And, with the introduction of fab 409 engines, even those rather banal, 60’s models took off.[6]

 

Most companies haven’t been that lucky.  As per the Mustang, they go in spurts, with real classic designs followed by efforts (usually of the ‘money-saving’ variety) that just fail to ring anyone’s bell.

But sometimes, out of nowhere, people take another look at a car that the critics once canned, a magazine specializes in it and, Voilà, the model is resurrected!  The early 5.0 Mustang comes to mind.

Then of course, there’s the real issue of, “What’s your classic sure as hell ain’t mine!”

The latest generation of auto aficionados -- 20-somethings with their first good job -- doesn’t know or care about early Mustangs or Jaguar E-Types.  And that’s because they didn’t grow up lusting for them.  They took their hot dates out in Hondas or a Nissan or a Celica.  So those are the cars on their minds when they hearken back to their ‘glory days’.

One item that is hot right now is the 5^th generation Honda Civic (of all things…).   But that car is actually not a bad choice.  Other than the very first version (which is historically important for leading the Japanese invasion that knocked Detroit off its high horse in the early 70’s), the next 3 generations seemed to be in some transitory phase as, indeed, they were.  But the Gen 5 Honda is one, cool car!  It looks definitive.  Before that, it was a box; after that, it was something entirely different – A Honda trying to be a Camry, or something.

The proof of that is to see how many companies have tried to copy it:  the Mazda3 hatchback, variants of the Ford Focus and VW Golf, the proposed Audi A1, and the steroid-laden BWW Z3 hatchbacks are examples of outright design theft.  And the new, VW Sirocco looks like the Honda stretched out!

 

The Corvette is another interesting model to follow.

 

The latest design… the C5 style (essentially the same as the C6 to my eyes) is already close to 10 years old now.  That car, too, seems to have reached a ‘definitive design’ stage.[7]  The C4 that immediately preceded it suffers from the awkwardness that the 4^th generation Civic does:  It even looks like it’s in transition… Proof that the Darwinians were on to something, at least in the automotive domain: the existence of the half-formed creature of a master designer, be it Detroit or Tokyo. (That other Designer, however, has yet to show us any missing links that led to ‘us’ truly)

 

 

            ‘The Wave’, Value vs. Interest, the Non-persistence of Memory, and Goin’ Fishing                                                   

                                                     

As with the big wave in the grand stands that moves uniformly around the stadium as the fans rise in sequence, so goes the value of the car – no matter how great the car.

 

Nothing can stop the wave, but if you can guess where along it you are for any model at any one time, you sure as hell can surf it!

 

The original 1964 Excalibur was an interesting attempt at remaking the fab, 1928 Mercedes SS.  But no one much cares now.  Worse yet, few will buy it as a collectible.  Additional remakes of the car looked cheaper and gaudier with each attempt -- until it finally looked like some crazy Arab Sheik might step out of it!  So the originals suffered for the mistakes of the remakes, and the Excalibur remains buried deep in the dustbin of automotive history. 

 

I have this theory of value I call: the Lazy ‘J’ or the Slanted Fish-Hook Theory.  (OK, so I am not likely to be solicited by the Chicago School of Economics any time soon.)  The model doesn’t work for all cars but it seems to work for most.  Dig:

 

The original hardtop T-bird came out under $2700.  That would be represented by the point of my fishhook (the left-side tip of the J tail).  Since no one was into the idea of ‘classics’ at the time – a car that goes UP in value – no one bought the car for any other reason than to drive it.  Sure enough, as you planned for a growing family -- or a Corvette – when the time came time to sell, you’d be completely ignored if you didn’t offer it at a depreciated price.  That sale would come somewhere down in the hook, representing something less than what you paid for it. 

 

But then: Ford switches to the 4-seater in ’58 and the critics are peeved. Buyers take note and new interest is refocused on the vanishing 2-door version.  Costs level off and depreciation stops.  This represents an early turning point – the bottom of the hook -- and the beginning of “the collector mentality”. 

 

Then comes the ’59 Thunderbird and critics are even more peeved.  Serious, embarrassing questions are asked to Ford CEO’s to which they have few, good answers.  (Like, “Why can’t you meet the needs of the new, ‘teen-age generation’, with their surging hormones and expendable cash?  Is this clunky 4-seater the best you can do for us??”)

 

Diminished availability + rising demand = Guess what?  That long -- and rising -- angle of the fishhook, and the long, upward stroke of the letter, J.

 

The art here, of course, is to figure out where the car is on that hook, the best place to grab one being at the bottom of the hook just before the rise.  What happens after that rise is anyone’s guess.  I used to think that the flat top of the capital ‘J ‘ was realistic: a leveling off – an optimal value. But I was proven wrong on too many cars.[8]  But the fishhook pointing forever upwards didn’t seem right, either (though, it seems that way these days for American muscle cars). 

 

Take another example, the Jaguar E-Type.  In the early 90’s the E and many other car values were driven to new heights.  But then values decreased; and now, they are heading back up again.  So, for that car (and others) there were two opportunities to grab it at a good price – and there are probably more opportunities ahead. The guy who risked first blood, buying before the 90’s, probably did quite well.  Series 1 Jag convertibles were going for as little as $7000 in those days.

The real fun is trying to figure out what will be the next classic.  This is where paying attention to Gen X’ers, Y, Echo – whatever – pays off.

Don’t laugh when you see everyone with backwards pointing baseball caps jump into a Subaru WRX.  If you have some extra garage space, go out and get one!

 

The big winners, then, are those who keep their future classics from the very beginning when they were first offered as new cars.  But the bigger winners are those who purchased a good version at the bottom of the hook, just before the aftermarket explosion when the value skyrockets past the initial cost of the car.

 

While both of the above cases present some risk.  The first scenario – buying new on the hope that values will rise -- is a special risk.  Buying the F40 Ferrari in 1989 for $1,000,000 on the theory that this was an ‘instant classic’ (an oxymoron?) didn’t work out.  The car lost half of its value in one month.  But those first on the list for Ford’s fabulous GT 40 could, if they wished, resell it for a profit almost immediately after they purchased it.  Buying new can be roulette even for those that do their homework.

 

Now, mind you, when I buy a car, the resale is not what I am thinking of first and foremost.  I have to really want the thing.  But the second consideration is the value of the thing.  I feel better driving a classic that will be worth more when I sell it than when I bought it.  Real estate on wheels; real estate without the tax assessor.   

 

            Vintage Folk or Village Idiots?

 

Vintage people are a little strange, I’ll grant you that…

I distinctly remember one couple coming home in a late October rainstorm – all comfy in their two-tone Camry – pulling up to the guy in his older British sports car in northern New York State, a place where an ill-planned, late October outing can bury you -- in fresh snow.  The cold rain was already more of a thud than a splash that day.  The Camry’s windshield wiper was flawless and couple oozed comfort.  -- May as well have had a wood fire inside.  The other guy, however, oozed something else. His windshield wiper motor from another age was acting the part.  The three tiny rubber blades were barely giving him vision.  Add to that all the unwanted steam filling the window from the inside, that flapping top that must be letting in some of that cold rain, and you could almost read the lady’s lips:  ‘Look at that poor sucker!’  The only thing missing was for him to roll down his window and shake his fists at the firmament.

 

But, hey… in the modern era when the environment is so controlled that nearly everything goes with nary a hitch, isn’t there a place left for just a little adventure?  Isn’t there just a tiny piece of Shakleton’s great adventure to the South Pole in all of us?  Or Stanley in Africa?  Sir Edmond Hillary at the top of the world? 

 

When that couple pulled into their heated garage and walked into their living room, did they even notice a difference?  Were the outside and the inside just one blur with little difference between them?  When the owner of the sports car returned, he had an entirely different experience:  He had made it!  He accomplished something – felt the road, the elements, La Gloire de La Vie!!  (I know because it was me.)

 

When they held a vintage rally through New England recently, one owner had to borrow a newer Porsche to complete the run, his own wheels having given out.  He completed the tour near total boredom because the chance of that car failing was close to 0. 

In a related bit of scuttlebutt, when the great British adventurer, Wilfred Thesiger, heard that a rival was traipsing through Africa with cell phones, he exclaimed, ”Well, you see, that wrecks it!  Then you know he’s in no danger!”

There you have it: life without danger -- some adventure, at any rate – is a life not worth much.

 

I suppose people in my shoes at least try to fit into the 20^th Century British mold of a true gentleman:  “To dance well, dress, well, and play a dangerous game.”  Bond simply had to do more than play a round of weekend golf.  (Although with Goldfinger and Odd Job in the threesome one might deserve a pass… That’s enough already!)

 

And so my friends, you, like anyone else, can don the black tie, and do the country club formal easily enough.  But if you really want to leave them with a whiff of la gallantrie, exiting into the night in your Toyota Camry probably won’t do it.  Nor, for that matter, will the brand new Corvette in a parking lot with 4 more parked near by.  A Beemer?  Depends on the vintage.  A Morgan Roadster… Ah!  Now we’re getting hot! 

 

Next time: 

The Last of the Behemoths – The Extreme End of ‘Grand Touring’

 

 

(Loved the article Tom! You still owe me that test drive!) Pete

 

 

 

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There Is No Rest In Restoration.

   

Written by Justin Appelbaum

 

  There are times in life when an overwhelming desire to return to ones youth comes knocking on the back of your brain. This is especially evident when it comes to restoring cars and trucks; we see it everyday here at AutoMat Co. Youth was a time when responsibility was at a minimum, kids and a mortgage weren’t an issue, and all you needed was your car and stretch of road. It is definitely not necessarily what people like to call a “mid-life crisis.”     

Numerous individuals out there who have loved cars their whole life and continue to love them do not want to be looked at as trying to regain youthfulness, they have always had it, restoration just brings them closer to their youth, and that feeling of freedom. Dropping $250,000 on a Ferrari after never owning a sports car, now that is a mid-life crisis.

 

  For most people the search begins in the classified section and now largely online.  Occasionally the owner has kept the actual vehicle through the years, maybe it was passed down to a child or relative and they were able to retrieve it and now revive it. Other times one might find a vehicle within a 20-mile radius or have to travel to the opposite side of the country to find just the right project. Locating the car or truck is only the first step of the battle, once the actual work begins the real project starts. Most people do not realize how involved restoring a vehicle is. For the most part when you get a good deal it is because the car or truck has been sitting for a while or has been used regularly but is in poor condition. Good luck finding anything from the 70’s or earlier that has not been in one of the following situations:

 

a) an accident

b) loaded with rust

c) covered in bondo

d) loaded with electrical and mechanical issues. 

 

Or quite possibly every combination of those listed previously. 

 

   

Occasionally you come across a car that has been sitting in a garage or barn for the past 20 odd years and the job becomes easier. Unfortunately situations like this are now becoming few and far between. Some issues mentioned above are remedied easily while others are more involved and costly. A large majority of older vehicles that come through the doors of our shop are rolling accidents just waiting to happen. The car or truck will come in for some upholstery work and we will start going through it and find that the brake lines are cracked, the bushings are dry rotted, bolts are missing or zip ties are used in their place, and wires are fused together and corroded. There are times when we have pulled up carpeting and the floor pans are so rotted out that you can see straight through to the floor! All the while the customer thinks that their vehicle is fine and they can continue driving on the way things are. 

 

  Once on the lift our mechanic is able to go over the vehicle with the customer and point out specific areas of concern. After all what good is a new interior or paint job if the car or truck ends up in a ditch due to a mechanical malfunction? We have even had cars come in and entire body panels were made up of bondo with no metal in sight.

 

  When it comes to the interior a whole new can of worms gets opened. Where does one start when everything needs to be restored and money is an issue? You would not believe how many grown men come in and have to hide or alter receipts from their respective wives or girlfriends to cover up how much they spend on their other love. We even had a gentleman of about 40 come in the other day with his mother who was about 70 to make sure that he did not spend too much money! Not to say that every job is one that will break the bank.

 

       

 

  But back to the topic at hand, where do you begin? Some like to start with the headliner, carpet and seats, while others prefer the seats and trim panels. It really all depends on the condition of what you have to start with. Many pieces can be repaired without being replaced, but sometimes it is actually more cost effective to just replace the part then to spend the time to repair it. This also depends on whether or not the part is able to be sourced. With many classic automobiles just finding parts can be a real hassle. Over the years parts become discontinued and harder and harder to find.  Classic car “junkyards” have been a tremendous resource for those really hard to find parts.

 

  One of the most misjudged costs involved in restoring a vehicle is the actual cost of labor involved. The initial cost of the part being repaired or replaced might not be all that expensive but if it takes 3-4 hours of labor to install it you can very easily exceed the cost of the part in labor itself. You would be surprised at how many people do not understand this basic principle.

 

      

 

  A small detail that almost always becomes an issue is the weather stripping. Most of the time when cars come in all of the weather stripping is original and dried out and cracked.  Basically it does not do its job anymore and water gets into the cabin and that is when rust and mold starts. This can ruin a new interior the first time that you get caught in a brief summer rain shower. Like hard to find interior or exterior pieces; weather stripping can be just as difficult to find and just as costly. A recent example is a 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible where we did a full mechanical and interior restoration and when it came time to order the weather stripping I discovered that there was only one manufacturer in the entire country that reproduces these parts. Not only would they take about 1-2 months to get, but they also cost about $2,000 for just the parts that were needed, not even for the whole car.  On top of that there was no guarantee that they would even fit correctly and it would take some finesse to get them to seal correctly.

 

  Expect the unexpected when it comes right down to it, that is the best advice that I could give. Restoration becomes a process no matter which direction you want to go with the project. Be patient as these things take time, in the end you will be happy!

 

 

(Justin, you pointed out many things people don’t realize when starting a redo!) Pete

 

 

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The Hibernator

By Andy Vourlos

 

 

Ok, show of hands.  How many of us have a ritual for putting our rides away for hibernation after the car show season wraps up in the Fall?  [in case anyone is wondering, my hand is raised].

 

I can recall the first season that I had my Charger. I bought her in February, 1998, just in time to get her spruced up for the 1998 Spring/Summer car show season.  This was the first time that I ever had a classic car that was in good enough condition to show off at a cruise-in or a car show.  Living at my parents made it easy at the time.  After moving three cars out of the driveway, I’d uncover her, pull her out, put the daily drivers back, go off to a cruise-in or show, come back, reverse the process to get her back up in the top of the driveway under 2 car covers, chocked and crook-locked. 

 

Once the Fall came, it was time to start thinking about mothballing for the winter.  Luckily, I had the luxury of my parents’ single car garage to store the Charger for the winter.  Of course, this meant displacing my 64 Valiant to the driveway, cleaning out the garage, and then buttering the sides to squeeze the 18ft, 6ft wide Charger in with a couple inches to spare on either side, front and back.  Docking her was a 2 man process; me at the wheel and Dad calling out proximity warnings.  The Valiant made the garage look like it had space leftover; the Charger looked like it was absorbing it.

 

Winter passing was like waiting for absolution.  Snow would pile up against the garage doors.  I knew the Charger was safe, practically entombed. Christmas would come, and I’d wish the car a Merry Christmas by starting her up (which became a three week ritual).  During all those bleak days, there she would be.  Sitting; waiting.  Oh so still.

 

A few years later I moved out.  It was wintertime, and I had no place to store the Charger, so she remained behind at my folks with the Valiant as company.  It was tougher to take the Charger out then, because I’d have to go to their house, move the fleet, get her out, replace the fleet - repeat.  The Charger began to spend more of her time in the garage with the Valiant outside blocking her in.  Pulling her out and putting her back in each time was still a 2 man job, and for a period became a hassle.  Those who know me remember those few years where the car wasn’t around, and the excuse was, “it’s too much of a pain to get out”.   Sometimes winter would begin for her in September, since she was already in the garage, why go through all the trouble….blah….blah….blah..

 

And she would sit through the winter, as still as she could be. The winds would howl.  I’d sleep at night and think about where she was.  Safe in a garage, quiet, and still.

 

For the second time in my life, I moved.  This time I took the plunge (with the help of my fiancé) on a home with a nicely oversized two car garage.  The Charger finally got the home she deserved, and the Valiant could share in it, too.  Now, in the still of winter, they hibernate together.  She still gets her two covers, and when the urge exists to take her out, its nothing more than a push of the garage door remote for me back her out and take a cruise.  Which is exactly what I did a few weeks ago, for the first time ever, in winter.

 

Ok, we’re not having an exactly normal winter, are we?  Last weekend (January 7-8) pushed 70 degrees, and the weekend before wasn’t bad at all in the 50s.  So, during the post-Christmas/New Year’s depression that many like me go through, I did something I never did.  I fired her up, backed her out, and went for a winter cruise along Ocean Parkway.  I called a friend of mine and he did the same with his ride.  It was chilly by the water, but the sun was shining, and it was just an invigorating way to lead into the New Year. 

 

Much to my surprise, there were other classics running about, their silhouettes unmistakable; the sound of their exhaust intoxicating.  It was a break in the “still of winter”.  A small moment to capture in time. 

 

The Charger is now back hibernating.  Today it was 21 degrees at sunrise, and winter is upon us.  The air in the garage is cold and still.  The time machine sits ands waits as January fades to February, morphs into March, and before you know it, April is upon us and the awakening of the 2007 car season.

 

Enjoy the anticipation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“My wife yes, my dog maybe, my Dodge, never!”

VP, 1997

 

(Andy- a warm and ‘close to home’ story for the winter. Nice, but, Sharon’s gonna be fired up over your parting quote!”) Pete

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

                             Joe Santiago: 1980 Jeep CJ7      

                                                                          

 

 

 

My ride started out as a 1980 Jeep CJ7. This truck has undergone extensive modifications.

I have owned it for the past 16 years since I bought it from a friend in the Bronx, NY.  Let's start with the history of me and off-road. Ever since I was very young I was always interested in off-road racing. I first started building trucks in the early 80's with my uncle and cousin. My first project was a 1977 Bronco which my uncle owned. We completely restored his truck. Next we did my cousins truck; a 1972 Jeep CJ5.

 

After restoring these trucks I decided to buy my own truck. So I bought the 1980 CJ7. When I first got the truck it was completely stock. After a few years, I started to modify it.

I started by installing a Ford 302 CID and a 4" lift kit. I drove the truck with this set-up for a few years. The next upgrade was what started the main project that turned the truck into what it is today.

 

I bought a new fiberglass body for it. When I got the new body, that's when I decided to build a full competition off-road vehicle. Since I love to ride in the woods and trails, I started to build a Rock Crawler. When I removed the old body, I removed everything. All I used from the original Jeep was the chassis. I built my own 1/4 Elliptic rear suspension with a Ford 9" rear axle. Also the front axle was replaced with a custom made Currie Ford 9" axle. After building the chassis, I installed a new modified Ford 302 engine. This is some of the work done to my truck in the past 9 years since the project started:

  Engine

Ford 302 bore .030

Edelbrock Turker II intake / injector bungs / 1000 cfm throttle body / 30lbs injectors.

Comp Cam shaft with roller lifter and roller 1.6 rocker arms.

S.D.S fuel management system / Mallory Fuel pump, Regulator, and fuel filters / 

Earl's AN fittings and Hoses.

MSD ignition system ( Dist, Rev limiter, Off-road box and coil )

High volume oil pump / Custom 9qt oil pan

140 amp Alternator

Custom high pressure power steering pump

Black magic electric fan

Griffin 3" aluminum radiator

BBK headers and Dyno Max mufflers.

  Drivetrain

Front and rear Ford 9" custom axles / 488 F/R Richmond gears / Detroit lockers F&R / 

Warn locking hubs

Ford NP 435 manual transmission

Dana 300 transfer case with twin stick

All wheel disk brakes

Dual Wilwood master cylinders / External proportion valve

  Suspension

1/4 Elliptic 4 link rear suspension / Reverse shackle spring over axles in front.

2.5 hydrogen fill King off-road 18" travel shocks

Custom High steering and hydraulic ram assist

  Tires and Wheels

39.5x18 boggers / 15x12 trail ready bead lock rims

  Interior

RCI Racing seats / RCI 5 point seat belts

Auto meter gauges

Dual optima batteries Full roll cage

22g Fuel cell

Lexon front windshield

Grant removal steering wheel.

Aluminum dash board

  Body

Fab Tech fiberglass body / One piece front end

PPG Paint

Custom stinger front bumper

Hella lights

Those are some of the things done so far. It has taken me 9 years to build this truck and still not 100% done since I only have one hand. After all my experience with building trucks I finally started my own business in the Bronx called JP'S CRAWLER 4X4. Here I build, modify, and repair all types of vehicles - from motorcycles to boats.

I have been taking the truck to many local and out of state truck/car shows. Now in 2007 I will be competing with this truck in Paragon PA and hopefully other states. I enjoy very much building and racing my toys with my family. I have two boys and a girl who also love racing and building cars. Hopefully they will keep the family business running. Call anytime at my shop: 718-671-2805.

 

 (Holy Shiite what a truck Joe!) Pete

 

 

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    Here is where you can access previous editions of the Long Island Classic Cars Online Newsletter.

 

 

http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/

 

 

                                                 

                            You can also access the previous Newsletters through a link on the main page of the website.

 

 

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That wraps it up – Happy New Year again! (in English this time)

 

I hope you enjoyed this 1^st edition of Volume 5.

Amazing - five years now of Long Island Classic Cars.com!!

 

This should be another great year!

 

È qui a cinque più anni!

 

Pete Giordano

Long Island Classic Cars.com

www.liclassiccars.com