The Enquirer - Time for Toyota's NASCAR initiation

The Enquirer - Time for Toyota's NASCAR initiation:

"Toyota will make its highly anticipated NASCAR debut tonight in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. There are two Camrys in the 21-car exhibition event, including the one Dale Jarrett will start from the pole after winning a blind draw.
'I'll be glad to finally get into those race conditions to see where we stack up and see how we can compete,' Jarrett said. Because the Shootout is an all-star event for 2006 pole winners and past event winners, Jarrett and Brian Vickers are the only drivers from Toyota's seven-car fleet participating.
'It's the first entry of a non-American manufacturer, so it's going to be a historical day,' Dodge car owner Ray Evernham said."

2007: This Ain't Your Daddy's NASCAR

2007: This Ain't Your Daddy's NASCAR:

"CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Buckle up, race fans, for a season that promises to be like nothing ever seen before.

With the mandated Car of Tomorrow, changes to the Chase for the championship, Toyota's arrival, ESPN's return and the introduction of former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya, 2007 will prove this ain't your Daddy's NASCAR.

Indeed, this season will be a pivotal one for NASCAR, which looks to rebound after a mediocre 2006 that saw television ratings slip and made many wonder if the sport had reached its plateau.

But NASCAR chairman Brian France hasn't strayed from his belief that all is well in his family-owned business.
'We're in a very strong position,' he insisted. 'We are still the No. 2 sport on television. Promoters continue to enjoy great ticket sales throughout the year, and I know 2007, with all of the things that are going on, will make for an exciting season.'"

Journal Gazette | 02/10/2007 | NASCAR spreads global wings

Journal Gazette 02/10/2007 NASCAR spreads global wings:

"I feel your pain, Bubba. While you were off drinking another Bud (’cause, you know, that’s Dale Jr.’s fave), somebody swiped your “3 Forever” flag, made Ken and Barbie the first couple of your sport and turned all your favorite races into the USG Sheetrock 400.
Sorry, Bubba. But NASCAR – and by that I mean, your NASCAR – is dead. Or to put it another way: “NASCAR es muerto.”
Brush up on your Spanish (and Japanese), because the sport’s goin’ international, and there isn’t a thing you can do to stop it. Juan Pablo “Hut” Montoya, F1 glamour puss, is coming to Nextel Cup as a sort of life-imitates-art Jean Gerard from “Talladega Nights.” Toyota, having tested the waters in the Craftsman Truck Series the past few seasons, is jumping into Cup, too. Old-school types are all up in arms about it, particularly the Toyota part."

Classic Driver Dealer: Oakfields - Classic Driver - MAGAZINE - features

Classic Driver Dealer: Oakfields - Classic Driver - MAGAZINE - features:

"Click on the Oakfields website and two startlingly different feature cars stare back at you from the home page. First, an MG SV – in fact, a whole group of SV 4.6 Coupes and SV R 5.0 Coupes, including the very last SV ever to have been built at the MG Sport and Racing facility. These high-performance, track-bred rarities with V8 power are described by Oakfields as a heavenly means of getting to deathly dull business meetings.

But the second feature vehicle offers an alternative way to spice up meetings: the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter AMG VIP provides accommodation for the meeting itself. With a luxurious cabin containing four, electrically-operated leather seats facing into the central area and such essentials as Hi-Fi and sound system, video and TV – plus an integral bar – you get all the best aspects of a VIP office inside a high-performance, diesel-powered AMG Sprinter.

“The AMG is one of three built for the Sultan of Brunei,” explains Oakfields supremo Ian Donaldson. “He ordered them to watch camel racing in air-conditioned luxury. New, the vehicles cost over £300,000 from AMG.” "

News - SilvertonAppeal.com

News - SilvertonAppeal.com: "Classic cars make a pit stop in Silverton


Sheldon Traver / Appeal Tribune

BY SHELDON TRAVER
Appeal Tribune
February 7

Car show at The Oregon Garden draws auto enthusiasts

On Saturday, there was just enough color in The Oregon Garden's J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Pavilion to attract a crowd.

However, the focus wasn't the flowers, it was the Buicks, Chevys, Fords and other automobiles that colored the inside of building. Hundreds attended The Garden's First Invitational Car Show to admire and dream about cars of a bygone era.

Most of the 34 cars at the show were from local Silverton Flywheels car enthusiasts, but visitors from as far away as Portland and Vancouver, Wash. were on hand to see the waxed and shined restored coupes, trucks and roadsters.

For 12-year-old Jarrid Hughes of Newburg, the Orange '69 Camero was the best in the show."

The Hutchinson News, Hutchinson, Kans. | Local News

The Hutchinson News, Hutchinson, Kans. Local News: "Classic cars, memories on display at show
By Amy Bickel
The Hutchinson News

abickel@hutchnews.com

Maybe it took a smitten couple to the drive-in movie.

Or maybe it dragged Main Street on a Friday night.
Either way, the 1955 Chevy Sedan has stories - including one that involves a teenager and his love for fast metal.
However, it wasn't until two years ago that Arlington resident Mike Baughman got his hands on the classic car, nearly 30 years after he graduated from high school.
But let's start before that, with the teenage kid whose after-school hobby developed his career as a mechanic - a kid whose first car in high school was an old Camaro.
Then he bought a 1957 Chevy, fixing up the piece of driving history. He's been working on old cars ever since."

The Daily Times - www.delmarvanow.com - Salisbury, Md.

The Daily Times - www.delmarvanow.com - Salisbury, Md.: "Classic cars, motorcycles to be auctioned off in OC
By Patrick Gavin
Staff Writer

OCEAN CITY -- Want to make your first million bucks? Auctioneer Larry Makowski thinks attending the first Ocean City Collector Car and Motorcycle Auction might be your best move.
The Roland E. Powell Convention Center will host a unique car show and auction today and Sunday that Makowski and his partners hope will be the city's signature winter event.

Unlike most other auto shows, car buffs are invited not only to drool over the assortment of vintage, classic and muscle cars, but bid on many of them as well. Among the cars rolling off the auction block will be a 1925 Ford Model T Fire Chief Buggy, a 1968 Chevelle Supersport and a 1973 Dodge Challenger. A 1956 Ford Thunderbird featured in a soon-to-be-released film and a rare 1968 Chrysler 300 Convertible -- of which only 2,000 were made -- will also be auctioned. "

Motorsport.com: News channel

Motorsport.com: News channel:

"Hot Rod Reunion - Fast Five with Ted Harbit
Racing series NHRA
Date 2007-02-05

'Fast Five' with Ted Harbit
Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion Honoree built and raced cars for a half-century
*Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion: June 15-17, National Trail Raceway, Columbus, Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- (Feb. 5, 2007) -- Teacher. Coach. Builder. Racer. Winner. Studebaker lover. That's Ted Harbit, an Honoree at the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 15-17 at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio.
Harbit raced his 'Chicken Hawk' 1951 Studebaker and won the Stock class at the NHRA Nationals an incredible seven times in 11 tries. A retired teacher and basketball coach in the Frankton, Ind. school system, he has raced continuously in cars he's built himself for more than 50 years. Ted retired from class racing after the '72 U.S. Nationals and drove the Studebaker occasionally until 1987 when he decided to see how fast it would really go. With twin turbochargers and twin four barrel carbs, he's turned a best of 10.07 at 137.8 mph. In the Studebaker Drivers Club publication, Turning Wheels, Harbit explained why he still uses a Studebaker engine. 'My own experience has been that it is not necessary to go to expensive extremes to develop over 500 HP in a Studebaker V-8. . . and that the engine is so basically sturdy that one need not fear immediate disintegration when higher horsepowers (sic) have been developed.'"

Signorello Distribution to Unveil Their Newest Custom Car at the 36th Annual Detroit Autorama - PR.com

Signorello Distribution to Unveil Their Newest Custom Car at the 36th Annual Detroit Autorama - PR.com:

"Detroit, MI, February 07, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- Signorello Distribution is set to unveil their latest custom car creation at the 36th annual Detroit Autorama which is being held March 9 – 11, 2007 in the heart of the city that put cars and hot rods on the map - Detroit, MI. This year's show car is a custom one of kind hand built 1970 Dodge Super Bee created and built by President and Co-Owner of Signorello Distribution, Michael Signorello. Michael has built numerous award winning cars in his career but this Dodge Super Bee is unlike any he has built before and shown in the Autorama. “This car has a few tricks under the hood and I think it will surprise people,” said Michael. Signorello Distribution built the car to help promote the Jax Wax Family of Car Care products which they distribute throughout Michigan and Canada. While at the Detroit Autorama, visitors will be treated to product and detailing demonstrations on the Super Bee and after the show the car will go on tour with the company to various automotive events around the country. What makes the Detroit Autorama the center of the car building universe is that they will have over 2500 custom cars, trucks, motorcycles and special exhibits and over 300,000 people in attendance over the three day period. They also have the oldest and most prestigious award in automotive building, The Riddler Award, being hotly contended for. "

FayObserver.com - AP Article Page

FayObserver.com - AP Article Page: "Bruce Suggs preaches the gospel while he burns rubber.
Suggs is the pastor of Crystal Springs Chapel and the owner of Suggs Auto Sales, a body shop that restores classic cars and modifies them into hot rods.
'We can fix anything but a broken heart, and we can take you to the church that can take care of that,' Suggs said.
Most people will know Suggs' company as Christ First Customs, the name he uses when he competes in shows. Suggs' show truck is a 1940 Ford F100 painted red with yellow flames.
On the back of the truck are three crosses with the words 'Covered by the blood of Jesus.' Near the exhaust, 'Make a joyful noise for the Lord' is written on the truck. People shoot more pictures of the words than the truck, Suggs said.
'It really opens up an avenue like never before.'
After spectators approach the truck, Suggs hands them placards with photos of the truck. On the back is a testimony that uses auto restoration as a metaphor for Jesus.
'Some people think you can't be a Christian and enjoy things like this. But you can,' Suggs said. 'Everything we do belongs to the Lord.'
Making hot rods complements his responsibilities as a pastor, Suggs said. When a church member needs help, Suggs can drop what he's doing. Suggs owns the company and he doesn't need permission from the boss to leave work.
But otherwise, Suggs is working side by side with his employees. His sons-in-law Jonathan Barefoot and Mike Francis work at the shop. Another employee, Cliff Boahn, is a church member who works part time."

Austin show to feature custom cars, hot rods

Austin show to feature custom cars, hot rods: "The 33rd annual Austin Custom Car and Hot Rod Show continues through Sunday at Austin at Palmer Events Center.
The show will feature the General Lee from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' movie and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle assault vehicle. In addition, the latest custom cars and hot rods, including mini-trucks, pro street machines, antiques, restored cars and classics, will be on display. "

Roadster show is a celebration of 1932 Ford hot rods

Roadster show is a celebration of 1932 Ford hot rods: "Don’t think that Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, didn’t have big things in mind when they combined the mechanical ingenuity of the first mass-produced, affordable V-8 with a stylish and aerodynamic body to produce a family of Fords in 1932. They could never have imagined how big it would become.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the 1932 Ford, the iconic symbol of American hot rods. Ford Motor Company is launching the anniversary festivities in a huge way, with a display of the 75 most significant ’32 Ford hot rods of all time. The display will be part of the 58th annual Grand National Roadster Show, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious hot rod and custom car show, held in Pomona, Calif., January 26-28.
The 75 most significant ’32 Ford hot rods were selected by a committee of automotive and hot rod experts who selected the 75 from a list of 474 nominees.
The Deuce 75th Anniversary exhibit will be staged in its own 42,000-square-foot building on the grounds of the Los Angeles Fairplex. At least 60 of the 75 ’32 Fords will be on display in person. Eight from the list have not survived. The exhibit has been specially designed to allow show goers an unobstructed view of each of the display vehicles and all 75 cars will be honored with large-format placards featuring essays written by well-known authors and historians Pat Ganahl and Greg Sharp along with many rare photographs.
A special multi-media program featuring rare historic images and film will play on a large-format screen in the center of the building."

WhoWon.com ... The Internet Source for Motorsports News and Information

WhoWon.com ... The Internet Source for Motorsports News and Information: "CLARENCE, N.Y. -- The Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to announce its return to Western New York’s Lancaster Raceway Park Sunday, July 29, as part of the 2007 PMRA tour.

Lancaster Raceway Park, situated in Clarence, New York, is a one-eighth mile drag strip operating under International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) sanctioning. Many of the New York-based PMRA competitors consider Lancaster their home track, and have raced at this Niagara Frontier facility many times.

'This will be a great event for our fans,' said Lancaster Raceway Park's Jim Reid. 'We are always trying to bring in the best of shows, and believe the PMRA will offer top-notch racing. The PMRA Pro Modifieds give our fans a chance to see local home track stars. We expect to see fans at Lancaster that we haven't seen there for years.'

This PMRA tour stop will be the third annual visit at Lancaster.

Lancaster has a long tradition in motorsports. With both a drag strip and a paved oval track, Lancaster has presented the best in racing to fans of Western New York and Southern Ontario.

Joining the PMRA Pro Modifieds at Lancaster Raceway Park will be the Can-Am Stock/Super Stock Series. This popular grass roots drag series, which features competitors from Ontario and New York, was formed in 1996, and continues to grow each season. The participants, known for their awesome wheelies, are fan favorites wherever they appear."

The Dodge Viper, Part 4

Viper GTS-R
Using such production engine components as the block, cylinder heads, and crankshaft, Team Viper engineers were able to extract up to 750 hp from the normally 450 hp second generation 8.0 L V10 engine. The chassis was re-engineered from the ground up by British sports manufacturer Reynard Motorsport's Special Projects Division under chief engineer Paul Brown, losing much of the Roadcar's heavy tubular steel and fibreglass structure in favour of lightweight carbon fibre components.

The car made its competition debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona with Canaska Racing in 1996, then the 24 Hours of Le Mans, when a GTS-R finished tenth overall in its very first run for glory. The next year, Team Viper (who now switched services to Oreca) switched to the GT2 class and proceeded to dominate, winning five titles in the FIA GT Championship between 1997 and 2002. Oreca switched to the prototype class in 2000, but customer Vipers continued to be the most competitive in the series.

In 1998, Team Viper returned to Le Mans to set new track records in practice. When the checkered flag dropped on the 24th hour of the longest day in racing, Viper GTS–R racers finished first and second in their class to become the first American car to win at Le Mans in three decades, and the first–ever production–based American car to grace the winner's circle.

In addition to the race cars, Chrysler built 100 street-legal 1998 GT2 Championship Edition Vipers, which were rated at 460 hp (343 kW) and 500 ft·lbf (67 N·m) of torque. Named after the GT2 categories it competed in, it was aesthetically similar to the GTS-R with its paint job, aerodynamics package, and visual options in order to publicize the Viper's achievement in the FIA and Le Mans. Also in 2005 LeMans Series season two Viper GTS-R cars were entered by the privateer team Paul Belmondo Racing.

The Dodge Viper, Part 3

The Dodge Viper underwent a major redesign in 2003, courtesy of DaimlerChrysler's Street and Racing Technology (SRT) group. The new Viper SRT-10 was heavily restyled with sharp, angled bodywork. The engine was enlarged to 8.3 L which, with other upgrades, combined to increased output to 505 hp (375 kW) and 525 ft·lbf (711 N·m) of torque. The chassis was also improved. It became more rigid and weighed approximately 80 lbs less than the previous model. The cornering was exceptional, rivaling or surpassing many other supercars from Ferrari and Porsche. An even better chassis and engine were planned for the car, but Chrysler feared that the Viper's price would reach $100,000. Even if that were the case, the Viper's price would still undercut its rivals significantly. The initial model was a convertible. In 2004, Dodge introduced a limited edition Mamba package. Mamba edition cars featured black interiors, with red stitching and trim and saw their MSRP price rise by roughly $3000. 200 Mambas were produced.

The new Viper SRT-10 Coupe (no longer called the GTS) was introduced in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show as a 2006 model. It shares many of its body panels with the convertible but takes its side and rear styling cues from the Competition Coupe (see below). The new coupe looks much like the previous Viper GTS and retains the "double-bubble" roof shape of the original, along with the original GTS's taillights as well offering the original Viper Blue paint scheme with white stripes (referred to as GTS Blue) for an added homage to the original Viper coupe. The engine was also certified by the SAE to produce 510 hp and 535 lb/ft of torque. It is important to note that the engine makes the same power as before, only the numerical value of the power was changed. Unlike the original coupe, the chassis was not modified. This made the new coupe heavier than the convertible, and thus slightly slower in low speed acceleration. Handling and high speed performance were improved by the coupe's stiffer frame, reduced drag, and increased downforce.

It has been confirmed officially that the 2008 Viper will get a 90hp bump up to 600hp and a 25lbft torque bump up to 560lb-ft from a displacement increased up to 8.4 liters (510ci/8354cc), better flowing heads with larger valves and dual throttle bodies. The development of the engine was done with help from McLaren Cars and Ricardo. Changes outside of the powerplant are minimal, but still influential. The T56 transmission has been replaced with the new Tremec TR6060, and a revised shifter has been paired with the new gearbox. Shifts are claimed to be 18% quicker (faster than the Corvette Z06). The Dana M44-4 rear axle from the 2003 model now has a GKNVisco differential that greatly help the tires in getting grip under acceleration. One last performance upgrade was the removal of run-flat tires; the new tires remove most of the minor flaws of the early gen III models and should give the Viper nearly unmatched handling on any circuit. Another notable change is the reworking of the exhaust system, previous third generation Vipers had their exhaust crossover under the seats which resulted in a large amount of heat going into the cockpit, this was done initially to help improve the cars exhaust note, since the first 2 generations of Viper, which had no crossover, were criticised for their lackluster exhaust notes. For 2008, the Viper exhaust will utilize a new exhaust system with no crossover, reducing the heat that enters the cockpit, but still produces an exotic sound.

The third generation Viper has been sold in Europe since 2004, the first model to be sold as a Dodge, as part of Chrysler's new sales strategy for the European market. It's however sold as the "Dodge SRT-10", as the Viper name is a registered trademark in the UK.

Performance:

(2003-2006)

0-60: 3.8 sec.

0-100: 8.36 sec.

quarter mile: 11.7 sec. @ 123 mph

top speed: 196 mph

slalom: 72.4 mph

skidpad average g: 1.05

The Dodge Viper, Part 2

Second generation models increased engine power, improved suspension, and reduced braking distances; the 1996 to 2002 Viper GTS had a 450 bhp (336 kW) engine, which could complete the quarter mile 0.7 seconds faster and increased top speed by 35 km/h (22 mph) or so. A number of third party firms have modified the car to boost performance.

A coupe model, called the GTS, was also introduced in 1996. An interesting feature of the coupe was the "double bubble" roof contours; two small humps to accommodate drivers wearing helmets. Indeed, the Viper's performance has made the vehicle popular for both amateur and professional racers. Vipers can be seen participating often in drag racing, road racing and drifting. The GTS, like its predecessor, was chosen as the pace car for the 1996 Indianapolis 500.

Dodge contracted French racing team Oreca to build a racing version of the Viper known as the GTS-R in the FIA GT Championship's GT2 category, where they won the series in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002 (the last two with Larbre Competition). The car also won its class in the Le Mans 24 Hours from 1998 to 2000 and took overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Dodge would celebrate by releasing a special edition model with the winning car's livery.

In the first six years of production almost 10,000 Vipers were sold. The second generation Vipers were exported to Europe, where they were sold as Chryslers.

The 1999 model was the last Viper that had forged pistons. Subsequent years had lighter-weight, hypereutectic pistons similar to other sports cars, as well as improved exhaust systems. 1999 saw the introduction of the Cognac Connolly package, which saw cars with distinctive Cognac colored interior, special leather and interior trim. Also in 1999, the American Club Racing (ACR) model was introduced. This model featured suspension and engine enhancements focused on maximizing performance in road racing and autocross environments. Horsepower was bumped to 460 bhp in these models. Continuing chassis refinements, ABS braking was introduced in 2001. In 2002, the end of second generation production was celebrated with the release of 360 commemorative "Final Edition" models. These models were painted red with white stripes, paying tribute to the famous race-winning Oreca cars.

Performance (GTS):

0-60: 4.0 sec.

0-100: 8.6 sec.

quarter mile: 12.2 sec @ 118 mph / 2000 RT/10 ran 11.98 in magazine test)

top speed: 190+ mph

slalom: 71.3 mph

skidpad average g: .98

The Dodge Viper, Part 1

The Dodge Viper is the most powerful production car made by Dodge. Production of the two seat sports car, the Dodge Viper, began at New Mack Assembly in 1992 and moved to its current home at Conner Avenue Assembly in October 1995.

The Viper was conceived as a modern take on the classic American muscle car. While there are some who insist that the iconic AC Cobra was a source of inspiration, the final version of the Viper was far too large and heavy to seriously claim any direct lineage with the compact and lightweight vehicle. Most saw claims to kinship with the Cobra as a marketing exercise, although Carroll Shelby was involved in the initial design of the Viper.

The Viper was initially conceived in late 1987 at Chrysler's Advanced Design Studios. The following February, Chrysler president Bob Lutz suggested to Tom Gale at Chrysler Design that the company should consider producing a modern Cobra, and a clay model was presented to Lutz a few months later. The car appeared as a concept at the North American International Auto Show in 1989, and public reaction was so enthusiastic, that chief engineer Roy Sjeoberg was directed to develop it as a production car.

Sjoberg selected 85 engineers to be "Team Viper", with development beginning in March 1989. The team asked then-Chrysler subsidiary Lamborghini to cast some prototype aluminum blocks based on their V10 truck engine for sports car use in May. The production body was completed in the fall, with a chassis prototype running in December. Though a V8 was first used in the test mule, the V10 which the production car was meant to use was ready in February 1990.

Official approval from Chrysler chairman, Lee Iacocca, came in May 1990. One year later, Carroll Shelby piloted a preproduction car as the Indianapolis 500 pace car. In November 1991, the car was released to reviewers with first shipments beginning in January 1992.

The first prototype was tested in December 1989. It first debuted in 1991 with three pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Stealth, and went on sale in January 1992 as the soft roofed RT/10 Roadster.

The centerpiece of the car was its engine, with the car claimed as being built around it instead of the driver, boasting very few comforts, which did not even include door handles. Originally designed as a truck engine and based on the Chrysler LA engine, then a division of the Chrysler Corporation, revamped Dodge's cast-iron block V10 for the Viper by recasting the block and head in aluminum alloy, and giving the engine a significant power boost. Some within Lamborghini felt the pushrod two-valve design, while adequate for the truck application for which the engine was originally created, was unsuitable for a performance car and suggested a more comprehensive redesign which would have included four valves per cylinder. However, Chrysler was uncertain about the Viper's production costs and sales potential and so declined to provide the budget for the modification.

The engine produced 400 hp (298 kW) at 4600 rpm and 450 ft·lbf (610 N·m) of torque at 3600 rpm, and thanks to the long-gearing allowed by the torquey engine, provided surprising fuel economy at a claimed 21 mpg US (11.2 L/100 km) if driven sedately. The body was a tubular steel frame with resin transfer molding (RTM) fiberglass panels. Typical of American performance car design, it had a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels; it was also heavy with a curb weight of 3,280 lb (1,488 kg) and lacked many modern driver aids such as traction control or anti-lock brakes. Car and Driver magazine referred to this generation as "the world's biggest Fat Boy Harley", and likened driving it to "playing ping pong with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat." Despite this, in straight line performance, it completed a quarter mile in 12.9 seconds and had a maximum speed of 164 mph (264 km/h).

Suspension on the first-gen Viper was equally frugal, with many front-end pieces coming directly from the Dakota pickup truck.

Performance:

0-60: 4.6 sec.

0-100: 9.2 sec.

quarter mile: 12.5 sec. @ 112 mph

top speed: 180+ (confirmed by Road and Track magazine / 1992)

700 ft slalom: over 65 mph

skidpad average g: .96

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Viper

www.bumpstop.com

Check out Len's ongoing project and daily driver. It's a 1968 Suburban. Louvered hood and tailgate. 1939 Ford tail lights and wheels. Full air ride suspension with separate systems for front and rear. Chevy 350 4-bolt engine, Weiand manifold, Edelbrock Carb and Muncie 4-speed and much more! I can't complain, he's cruising in style.

Simon Quinten is coming to us from down under (Australia). His customized VW has a 1835cc motor with ported & polished heads counter weighted crankshaft, 40mm Weber and a 2.5 inch exhaust. Its been lowered with KYB gas strut inserts in the front and KYB gas shocks in the rear . It has Porsche 928s front bucket seats , opening rear windows Porsche headlights , 16in wheels , fiber glass guards , whale tail (off a 930 Porsche) , and custom stainless steel running boards. That's one cool Beetle.

Who said customs couldn't include a awesome rig? Check out John's 1999 Peterbilt 379 Model Tri axle Tractor. He wrote us a nice description and we'll let him tell the story.

Motor: Caterpillar 3406E, 550hp, Transmission is aa 18 Speed Eaton Fuller, the rears are Two speed Peterbilt rears 4:11 on the bottom for Pulling heavy loads and 3:73 on the top for Speed.

The Interior consists of all Peterbilt Chrome Gauges and tags, Rosewood & Billet steering wheel, Chrome upper door plate, Rosewood arm rests, Rosewood Emergency buttons including the dimmer lights and windshield wiper knobs...Chrome gear shift cover aftermarket peterbilt seats,carpeted floor, chrome cb cover and microphone, Rosewood speaker grill covers, Clarion Cd player, Clarion speakers, all the swithes on the dash are chrome sticks w red diamond jewels in the ends.

Exterior includes Full stainless steel fenders for 3 axle combo, 18 inch Texas Bumper with swinging License plate bracket Quilted Leather fender covers, 127 inch hood, 6 inch exhaust including the elbows, 12 inch slam visor, chrome windsheild surround 15 inch donaldson aircleaners, stainless steel light bar in the rear, stainless steel box covers, aluminum hydraulic box, and tool box (behind the cab) 5% limo tint all the way around...L.E.D Lights under the bumper, in the air cleaners front and back, in the side and back of the cab, and in the rear light bar... Polished fuel tanks, polished air tanks under the doors, polished grill, all aluminum polished alcoa wheels, stainless steel mudflap weights.... This truck has also won second and third place trophy's in West Virginia and Pennsylvania as a real working class truck........We really like it.

This is Eric's pimped out Blazer. He has a Fosgate RFX 8230 headunit in the front. In the back he has 36 Audiobahn A2800E amplifiers pushing 18, 12" Audiobahn Alum12s (dang, that's alot of woofers). For better performance he has an Audiobahn AEX30 30 band equalizer. Did I forget to mention 18, 1 farad Audiobahn ACAP1 capacitators to feed his amps? This system has peaked at 179.8 db's at the last competition he entered. I say a Boom-Chica-Boom!

See more Customs like this at :
http://www.bumpstop.com/custom.htm

Sleeper Cars

A sleeper (US English) or Q-car (British English) is a car that has high performance and an innocent looking exterior. Sleeper cars are termed such because their exterior looks little or no different from a regular version of the car, but internally they are modified to perform at higher levels, thus they can catch the unaware "sleeping".

Some cars come like this from the factory ready for those who want performance without drama, whether understatedness suits their chosen image or lifestyle, or because they do not wish to attract undue attention of the police. For instance, many high-performance sedans look hardly different from the lower-powered models in the range; for example, the Audi RS4, Acura TL Type-S, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution RS, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Cadillac CTS-V, Volvo S60R, Chrysler 300C SRT8, Mercury Marauder, Volkswagen Passat W8, 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS, Nissan Skyline GT-R, and the Dodge Charger SRT8, among others. Cars with external badging, or other visual elements that give the impression of high performance, are not true sleeper cars.

Other vehicle owners create sleepers by swapping more powerful engines, or other performance modifications like turbochargers, and leave the external appearance exactly the way it came from the factory. Sometimes hints of the car's true nature show if one looks and listens carefully: wider tires, a lower stance, or a different engine tone or exhaust note. Gauges and instrumentation are often kept to a minimum. Some owners go as far as to use weight reduction techniques employed by other performance enthusiasts, such as removing items not fundamental to street racing, such as rear seats, interior trim, spare tire, or even the heater.

In some countries, customized sleeper vehicles (as with other heavily modified street cars) may be considered illegal for road use, because the car's level of performance is higher than intended by the vehicle manufacturer; if the owner has focused only on straight-line performance, the existing braking, steering, tires, and suspension systems may have been rendered inadequate. The emissions control system (such as intake and exhaust restrictions, or the EGR system) is often bypassed or removed entirely in customized sleeper vehicles.

Owners sometimes reduce the evidence that their high-performance car is such by removing characteristic badging and trimmings. Sleeper cars often contain stock body work and wheels found on their less-capable brethren to better blend with other traffic and appear unassuming. Some owners simply like having performance without show, but a more predatory use of the sleeper is in street racing, where it is used to fool an opponent into underestimating a car's performance for the purposes of "hustling". Some have even gone so far as to leave their cars' exteriors banged up and rusting, and sometimes even causing additional rusting with the use of battery acid.

Sometimes sleepers will be cheaper to insure when compared to an equally fast sports car, but some insurance companies may refuse insurance to owners of heavily modified vehicles.

Hot Rods, Part 3

A custom car is a phrase that became prominent in American pop culture in the 1950s, and has enjoyed special interest popularity since that time. It relates to a passenger vehicle that has been modified to improve its performance by altering or replacing the engine and transmission and to make it look "unique", unlike any car that might have been factory finished,always a personal "styling" statement by the re-styler/re-builder.

A development of hot rodding, the change in name corresponded to the change in the design of the cars that were being modified. The first hot rods were made from pre-WWII cars that had running boards and simple fenders that bent over the wheels. These were modified by removing the running boards and either removing the fenders entirely or replacing them with very light "cycle fenders". The purpose was to put the most powerful engine in the lightest possible frame and body combination. The suspension was usually altered to make the car lower; the front was often made much lower than the rear. Much later some hot rods and custom cars swapped the old solid rear axle for an independent rear axle, often from Jaguar. Only rarely was the grille of one make of car replaced by another; one exception was that the 1937 Buick grille was often put on a Ford. The original hot rods were plainly painted like the Model A Fords from which they had been built up, and only slowly begun to take on colors, and eventually fancy orange-yellow flamed hoods or "candy-like" deep arcylic finishes in the various colors.

With the change in automobile design to encase the wheels in fenders and to extend the hood to the full width of the car, the former practices were no longer possible. In addition, there was tremendous automotive advertising and subsequent public interest in the new models in the 1950s. Hence custom cars came into existence, swapping headlight rings, grilles, bumpers, chrome side strips, and tail lights. The bodies of the cars were changed by cutting through the sheet metal, removing bits to make the car lower, welding it back together, and adding a lot of lead to make the resulting form smooth. By this means, "chopping" made the roof lower; "sectioning" made the body thinner from top to bottom. "Channeling" was cutting notches in the floorpan where the body touches the frame to lower the whole body. Fins were often added from other cars, or made up from sheet steel. But in the custom car culture, if you were someone who merely changed the appearance without improving the performance substantially, you were looked down on.

Paint was an important concern. Once bodywork was done, the cars were painted unusual colors. Transparent but wildly-colored candy-apple paint, which was applied atop a metallic undercoat, and metalflake paint, which adds aluminum glitter within candy-apple paint, appeared in the 1960s. These took many coats to produce a brilliant effect -- which in hot climates had a tendency to flake off. Custom cars also continued the habit of adding decorative paint after the main coat was finished, of flames extending rearward from the front wheels, and of scallops and hand-painted pinstripes of a different color than the rest of the car. The latter, most often being of a single coat, would be expected to be of a simpler paint.