Website Reccomendation – The Unmuffled Auto News

December 26, 2016December 26, 2016 zoomvroom Car Culture, Car Reviews, New car info, Random, Website Reccomendation

Buy a New Acura NSX, Get a Custom Film!

Hey everyone! Sorry that it took me such a long time to put this post up, but school was especially stressful this semester. I’m glad that the semester is over, and that I’ll have more time to give the blog more attention. Look forward to more posts in 2017!

I have to admit, the 2017 Acura NSX is quite the looker!

The interior isn't bad, either. — The interior isn’t bad, either.

Did you know that Jay Leno’s 2017 Acura NSX is #0003? I’m sure you knew that already, right? Why am I talking about this? Well, you and I both know that Jay Leno has one of the most amazing car collections in the world. What makes his NSX really cool is you can watch it’s creation in Acura’s new campaign video called “NSX Originals.”

If and when you drop at least $157,800 on a 2017 Acura NSX, you’ll receive a personalized digital film that matches the exact specifications and serial number of your NSX! Seriously, how cool is that? Pretty damn cool in my book. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough for you, Acura will give you a customized 1:18 scale model that is identical to your NSX! Now, how cool is THAT?

You can immerse yourself in some amazing films of the twin-turbo, V6, hybrid NSX on the microsite (http://www.nsxoriginals.com/acura/en/). You can also watch the build of Jay Leno’s pretty slick NSX at: https://youtu.be/2KzAeU67SXw

According to a release from Jon Ikeda, Acura’s VP and General Manager, “The Acura NSX is a bespoke supercar inspired by an original concept and this campaign speaks directly to that heritage.”

What’s in these films? You can see some behind-the-scenes action of the NSX being built at Acura’s state-of-the-art Marysville, Ohio plant, which highlights the seven key manufacturing periods of the NSX. You might be wondering what those are. Let me tell you. They include: precision robotic welding, space frame construction, a zirconium bath, paint robotics, the three-motor sport hybrid power unit, custom hand assembly, and the rolling dynamometer.

I bet that there won’t be a dry eye in the house when you show your car friends the birthing video of your car!

Also, it’s best to keep that custom scale model out of reach of the kids (or grandkids) – I’m sure that they would LOVE to play with it! Hide it or risk an almost certain, “sorry, I just broke it.” I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the adults are going to want to take the full-size NSX for a spin. But hey, it’s your supercar after all!

Here’s my two cents on the 2017 NSX: After years of teasing us with various concepts, prototypes, and general speculation, the NSX has made a return. The original Honda/Acura NSX was the car that sent Ferrari, Lamborghini, and just about everybody who made supercars scrambling to the drawing board.

The 2017 Acura NSX is what Acura wants you to think of as a “usable supercar.” It’s jam-packed with the hottest technology out there. It’s definitely state-of-the-art, but according to just about everybody who’s reviewed it, that’s not what it is. It’s certainly fast, good-looking, and everything else you want a supercar to be, but a supercar is not designed nor intended to be a car that you can drive every day. While I certainly understand Acura’s point of view, Acura should have followed the original NSX’s footsteps. The 2017 NSX isn’t going to send anybody scrambling to the drawing board. Sticking to the tried-and-true supercar formula brings money in.

I think that the 2017 NSX will sell relatively well, but only time will tell. It’s got some stiff competition, what with the Lamborghini Huracan, Ferrari 488 GTB, Nissan GT-R, and Audi R8.

Does this mean that I don’t like the 2017 NSX? Far from it! I think it’s a fantastic piece of engineering, and certainly a novel idea. Sure, it’s got a lot more computers to save your bacon every day of the week, and twice on Sunday, but every supercar out there is that way. It seems to be a fantastic car. It’s definitely not the car of the future, but it’s one of the faster ways to get to the future. I think it’s safe to say that some of the technology on the 2017 NSX will trickle down to other Acuras in the next few years.

February 2, 2016 zoomvroom Random, Website Reccomendation

A Big Change!

Hi wonderful readers, over the past few weeks, I’ve slowly been upgrading my blog. I just took a huge step. I am no longer at unmuffled.wordpress.com. I am proud to say that my new domain name is theunmuffledautonews.com. Please go there! More upgrades will be coming shortly, but I want to keep those a surprise until they happen!

Does anybody have a moving truck so I can move all of my blog items to a nice new office? If you do, I’ll hire you.

In the meantime, please alert me to anything that is preventing you from reading my posts, commenting on them, etc. I will fix it ASAP, but I can’t fix something I don’t know is there!

June 30, 2015 zoomvroom Car Culture, Movie Cars, Random, Website Reccomendation, World News

How a Gargantuan Caterpillar Mining Truck is Built

There’s no need for an assembly line with this behemoth. It’s so big that it is literally assembled on-site.

Everything about this mining truck is massive. It’s got 4,000 horsepower, the engine displaces about 6,500 cubic inches, the entire truck weighs more than a million pounds, and it can carry 400 tons. Colossal doesn’t do this thing justice.

Caterpillar shows us just what it takes to build this mammoth machine. It all starts at the plant in Decatur, IL, but the whole thing isn’t assembled until they get out to the job site.

I’ve attached the video. It’s certainly worth about three minutes of your time. Let me know what you think of this cool timelapse video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAVYizVoLww

May 13, 2014 zoomvroom Car Culture, Website Reccomendation

The Best Places on the Internet to Showcase Your Ride

As summer rapidly approaches, many of us who have classic cars, whether they be hot rods, muscle cars, whatever they may be, want others to see their cars. Sure, there are cruises, parades, and driving your ride around. But, if you want a LOT of people to see your car, put it up on the internet. I’m not joking. If you have, for example, a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that you think others way outside of your state should see, put it up on one of the online car communities listed below for you. Even if you have a brand new Mustang GT500 and you want the world to see it, drive it and put it up on the internet! Cars are meant to be driven. It’s what they like to do. Cars aren’t meant to sit around in your garage waiting for some new parts to be installed, or wait for you to be driven. Cars enjoy being driven. Fast cars enjoy being pushed to their limit, whether it be on a canyon road, or down the dragstrip. Drive your car the way it’s meant to be driven! If you’ve got a classic musclecar, do burnouts, launch it down the quarter mile, do whatever it was meant to do. Have fun with it. Make a day out of it by driving it to work, pick the kids up from school in it, enjoy it. Otherwise, it’s not meant for you.

Back to the original point of this blog post. There are plenty of online car communities and forums on the internet that are just dying to see your ride. Here is a list of the best online car communities.

eBay Motors is a great place to get parts for your car, talk with others on how to fix or modify your car, and share stories with your car. The website even gives recommendations on what parts your car will need. It’s intuitive, fun, and time consuming. Using hashtags will help you find other garages similar to yours. The stories of how the owners got their car(s) and what they did to their car(s) is just an added bonus. http://www.ebay.com/motors/garage
My Classic Garage is one of the other awesome sites out there. My Classic Garage is a cloud-based tool for classic car collectors. I can’t say enough good things about it. Many major classic automotive dealers are on My Classic Garage, which makes it fun to look through all of their cars for sale. Plus, the Classic Trivia game is a lot of fun. You can find my very own My Classic Garage page as Curbside Motorsports. http://myclassicgarage.com/
Hagerty Car Insurance, believe it or not, has a place on its website where owners can share their stories. It’s pretty neat that an insurance company does that. And, no, the stories are not about how the owners got good insurance quotes! The stories are about how the owners found their car, restored their car, etc. Hagerty gives monthly prompts for you, but you are always welcome to tell your story without using a Hagerty quote. Tell your story at http://www.hagerty.com/yourstories

Those are the three big, good online car communities that I would recommend, and if you belong to another one that I didn’t mention, please tell me what it is, and I will gladly do a Part II of this blog post!

January 7, 2014 zoomvroom I Challenge You!, Website Reccomendation, World News

Tell Nissan What to Do With That 1996 Maxima from That Great Craigslist Ad!

For those of you who missed that awesome Craigslist video ad that was filmed and edited by Luke Aker of Ikonik Films, for his rather heavily used 1996 Nissan Maxima, you can watch it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr6FklMc6B0

After that, continue to read my equally amazing post! Nissan USA re-purchased the car from Luke Aker for $1,400, and they want to know your opinions on what to do with the car. Yep, that’s right! Nissan is letting all of the people who read Motor Authority to tell Nissan USA what to do with the car. Do you want to put the high-performance, high-tech GT-R engine, transmission, and AWD into the car? Do you want to restore the car to Concours-levels of restoration and have Nissan USA tour the car? Should it be donated to charity as-is? Should they light it on fire and hurl it across an empty field? Put on your thinking cap, and think of the most awesome thing Nissan USA could do to the car?

Submit your suggestions for Nissan in the comments section of the Motor Authority article. Nissan will pick its favorite handful of suggestions, which they will have Motor Authority put up on their website for a vote. The favorite vote will decide what to do with the car.

I know that I usually don’t talk about things from another car enthusiast magazine, but this just sounded like too much awesome to resist!

My idea for the Maxima? Restore it to brand-new condition and then put GT-R running gear in it. But, they should make it RWD for pure burnout factor!

Tell me your idea, as well as posting your idea on the Motor Authority article.

You can post your ideas on the Maxima at: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1089244_nissan-bought-the-maxima-from-that-brilliant-craigslist-ad-now-tell-them-what-to-do-with-it?ref=chrome-app

November 12, 2013 zoomvroom Biographies or "the who" in the auto industry, Interviews, Website Reccomendation

Alive at 25…And Beyond!

Jerome Cobert is an all around a great guy. Currently, a Berkeley police officer with a cheerful and outgoing personality, he also runs the Northern California branch of Alive at 25. I interviewed him, and he graciously gave me all the information I could possibly need. Thanks a lot, Jerome! Enjoy the interview!

A number of years ago, Jerome was a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to Sonoma Valley High School. He knew that there would be enforcement, but he also wanted safety for those of us who were driving ourselves to school, and are younger drivers. While attending a nationwide conference for cops, and he learned about Alive at 25 through the Colorado State Patrol. Eventually, Jerome got permission to start the program in Santa Rosa, CA. Jerome started this amazing program in 2006.

The purpose of Alive at 25 is to try to change driving behaviors and get younger drivers to be involved in less risky driving behavior. Ultimately, it will reduce collisions and citations that young people are in. The class is offered at the Contra Costa Community College or the Los Medanos College.

How can the class/course help me with my driving skills , you ask? Excellent question. The class helps young drivers to identify and hone their driving skills by having participants examine why they partake in risky driving behaviors and the civil, criminal and emotional repercussions of their actions. The course content includes a review of current traffic laws, problems with driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs, teaches defensive driving techniques, and has the participants make a commitment to change. This is all accomplished through the use of a wonderfully creative curriculum that includes consumable workbooks, group discussions, videos and case study.

Jerome loves the Alive at 25

program, and knows it to be crucial in keeping new drivers safe. Jerome finds the most enjoyable part of teaching the Alive at 25 program is the rewards; seeing students come to the realization on their own that they should reduce their risky driving behaviors and take the task of driving very seriously. Group discussions are a great way to get to know the students, and he loves the positive feed back that he always get from the students. He has even been approached a number of times in the community from former students who told him how much impact the course had in changing their attitudes to driving.

Class size varies, with Jerome teaching small private classes of 12 students and helped as many as 31 court ordered students through on time (those are the procrastinators). Typically student enrollment hovers at 25 students. A larger class makes for lively group discussions!

Alive at 25 is designed for students ages 15 to 25. I think that it has the most impact when a student has had some driving experience.

Where can I find out more information on Alive at 25? You can learn more about the Alive at 25 Program at our website, www.cobertsafetyprofessionals.com.

A few details in Jerome’s words: “All of our instructors are current or retired law enforcement officers who bring a lot of credibility with them to the classroom. They have all both enforced traffic laws and reported to serious traffic collisions. These instructors have all attended an intense training course to earn their National Safety Council Certification to teach this course. I love teaching the Alive at 25 Course and I know that all of my instructors do as well. It is truly a very rewarding experience to know that you may be helping to save the life of a young person. As I said many times, traffic collisions are the number one cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 25. I can’t tell you how great it makes me feel when at the end of the class, students share with me their commitments to changing a driving behavior.

As far as the future, we are hoping to reach more communities with both Alive at 25 and our 8 hour course called Attitudinal Dynamics of Driving. But let’s save that topic for our next interview. Thank you Candler for the opportunity to be interviewed by you and be included in your very impressive blog. Keep up the good work young man.”

No, Jerome, thank you! It was an honor to interview you about your amazing course, and I hope to conduct another interview soon about Attitudinal Dynamics of Driving. I learned a lot about Alive at 25, and I am looking forward to seeing Jerome and my faithful readers at least one of the Alive at 25 courses! Remember, check out Jerome’s beautiful website that will give you all the information you need (not like I didn’t cover everything!) to register, and other things. Thanks again, Jerome!

October 15, 2013 zoomvroom Car Reviews, New car info, Website Reccomendation, World News

Is the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport a V-E Day for Caddy?

When Cadillac introduced the 2nd generation CTS back in 2008, it blew the wheels off of the competition. It was just that good. It remains that good to this day, but it also happened to snare Motor Trend’s 2008 Car of the Year award. That’s some pretty prestigious territory. Caddy didn’t rest on their laurels for long. They took the V8 engine out of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, detuned it to 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque, and shoved it into the CTS. Thus, the CTS-V was born. The CTS-V was good enough to win multiple comparisons against the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and even the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG. All of those cars that were defeated have been significantly updated and/or redesigned since 2009, but the CTS-V remains a high-water mark for GM. Cadillac even added a coupe and a station wagon version for both the CTS and the CTS-V in 2011, and all of the CTS iterations are true champions. For us mere mortals that want better fuel economy than 12 or 13 mpg, then the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport might be the ticket to success.

When Cadillac started designing the 3rd generation CTS for 2014, their goal was to make the car leaner and meaner. What they meant by that was make its dimensions larger to better compete with the BMW 5 Series, Acura RLX, Mercedes Benz E Class, and the Jaguar XF. They also had to make it lighter. That’s when forged aluminum and high-strength steel come into hand. The 2014 Cadillac CTS is reportedly lighter by up to 350 pounds in some versions. But, I want to talk to you about the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport, which is the car that is a step below the still-available CTS-V.

Cadillac has said in multiple press releases that they will use V6s whenever possible. Not only are they able to cram more technology into the V6 engines, but the V6 design reduces weight. But, won’t BMW and Mercedes-Benz have V8s in their 550i and E550. Won’t Cadillac be bringing a butter knife to an RPG fight? Not necessarily. The 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport’s twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 makes 420 horsepower, versus 400 horsepower (probably much more than that, according to dyno tests) for the Bimmer, and 402 for the Benz. However, torque is down a bit, compared to the competing V8s. The CTS VSport’s engine makes 430 lb-ft of torque, while the BMW makes an astonishing 450 horsepower, and the Benz makes 443 lb-ft. But, the CTS has a better power-to-weight ratio, with 9.5 pounds per horsepower. This will make up for any power deficit. The BMW makes 10.9 pounds per horsepower, and the Benz makes 11.3. Cadillac also has a new turbocharger intercooler plumbing, which pretty much eliminates any turbo lag.

Cadillac claims a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds out of the 2014 Cadillac CTS VSport, but Motor Trend got 4.7 seconds. It’s not a bad thing for an auto magazine to be a bit off the time, because the engineering team has been developing the CTS VSport for a couple of years now. Cadillac also got a quite respectable quarter mile time of 13.1 seconds at 108.4 miles an hour. That won’t catch a Corvette, but it will embarrass a Ford Mustang with the V6. The 0-60 time and quarter mile time are enough to send the Germans hustling to the drawing board. The standard Brembo brakes will out stop a BMW 550i or a Mercedes-Benz E550, with a short stopping distance of 103 feet. That’s good enough to out stop a 2014 Corvette Z51. Put the CTS VSport up against an Infiniti Q70 (previously the M37/M56), and it’s pretty much even. Motor Trend tested a M56 last year and got 4.8 seconds to 60, and it then went on to blast through the 1/4 mile at 13.1 seconds at 108.1 mph. Remember, these are all in controlled, nearly-ideal settings. DO NOT attempt this at a stoplight! I don’t want you to reenact the rental-car bashing scene from Days of Thunder! As awesome as that was, Ford and Chevy paid a lot of money for those cars to be thrashed like that. You’ll be paying that amount of money for repairs!

Also new is a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission also found in the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Range Rover Sport, and many other cars. It senses corners up ahead, using the sonar sensors in the front bumper, as well as the adaptive cruise control radar box. It then downshifts or upshifts at the appropriate moment, and supposedly does its job quite well. GM added a function to the transmission called “Performance Algorithm Shift,” which basically renders the steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles useless.

There are a couple of different trim levels offered for the CTS VSport. There is the CTS VSport, which is a perfectly luxurious car in its own right, starting off at $59,995, and that mode has a large number of options. The VSport Premium trim tacks $10,000 to the price, bringing the price up to $69,995. When I “built” a car on Cadillac’s website, the 2014 CTS VSport Premium that I optioned came in at $71,745. Granted, that’s when it’s got the optional high-performance brake pads and sport seating package. If you decide to buy a VSport, I recommend getting it with the following options: Analogue gauges (you’ll have a display that you can personalize in between the speedometer and tachometer), no sunroof, and a quite presentable interior. You’ll also want to get the optional high-performance brake pads (Brembos). All of that will ding you a grand total of $60,005. Not bad, considering you can smoke a BMW 550i for $5,675.

You can check out the 2014 Cadillac CTS webpage at http://www.cadillac.com/cts-sport-sedan.html. Enjoy noodling around on the website and building your own CTS VSport. Build one to your desired specifications, and then tell me how much it cost! I’ve also attached a couple of pictures, from the requests of a couple of readers, so enjoy them.

June 29, 2013 zoomvroom Website Reccomendation

Thank You For Getting Me This Far!

Get it? You should. Like miles on a car.

While I was checking out my site stats on WordPress.com, I found out that I now have Followers and subscribers. That is exciting news. I REALLY wanted to share this with you. Why? Because you helped me achieve nearly 16,000 views here. Not in one year, of course! But that many views for two years is pretty darn impressive, right?

I’m proud that I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am, and I’m especially thankful that you, my faithful readers, helped me get to where I am.

Thanks for helping me get to where I am! I always knew that my faithful readers and subscribers were awesome! You are my superhero readers!

June 14, 2013 zoomvroom Car Culture, Field Trips, Out N' About, The History of Autos, Website Reccomendation

Coverage from the 11th Annual Peggy Sue All-American Cruise!

Every year, the Peggy Sue All-American Cruise and its related events take over sunny Santa Rosa, CA. Restored cars, hot rods, low riders, raised Jeeps, and antique American cars are all part of the mix. We have entered our 1950 GMC 100, “Betsy” twice. It’s always been a lot of fun for me to see all of the classic cars in the parade or the massive parking lot where they are displayed! This year, one of my good friends joined me in watching the classic American cars cruise around downtown Santa Rosa. Revving engines? Check. Drunk people yelling at drivers to “Step it up, dude!”? Check. Squealing tires? Check? The smell of burnt brakes? Check. Annoyed and overworked event staff? Right on. I know that you are getting bored reading my words about what was going on. I’ll cut to the chase: It was a LOT of fun, and you should join me next year. Enjoy the pictures.

I don’t know what this Chevy Nova had under the hood, but it sounded NASTY! Many of the cars at the parade were either restored to Concours-levels or were built for the drag strip. This one was built to rule the streets.

This 1959 Chevrolet Corvette is a rare “Fuelie.” Instead of a carburetor, it has a primitive version of fuel injection. This particular example was restored to a “Level 1.” Level 1 means that it is virtually perfect. That it is.

This 1966 Chevrolet Biscayne is a powerful, efficient, and stylish family sedan from the muscle car era. It has a 327 cubic-inch V8 engine and a two-speed automatic Powerglide transmission. It’s lovely.

I find it nice that the interior of the same Biscayne matches the exterior of the car. Even the steering wheel has chrome on it!

Same car. This is the model designation. The car is a barn find from somewhere around Redwood City, according to the owner. He restored it himself, and he did a very good job of it!

For those of you old enough, you should remember the aero-wars days, when big engines and aerodynamics were all the rage. The 1971 Plymouth Roadrunners and Superbirds were the car of choice for many famous NASCAR drivers. Richard Petty left Ford in 1969 to go to Plymouth. He did so much better in a Plymouth Superbird that Ford built the Torino Talladega as a response. This particular Roadrunner has the 440 Six Pack (a 440 cubic-inch V8 with THREE two-barrel carburetors!), which was just one step below the mighty 426 Hemi engine. It is painted in the iconic Lime Green that is popular with automotive restorers.

This Corvette is one of the nicest Corvettes that I’ve seen in a LONG time! It is painted Aqua Blue and Snow White, with a matching interior. It has the 283 cubic-inch V8 and a four-speed manual. It is a 1956 Corvette. The only shame? That it’s far too nice to tour Route 66 in.

Sorry about the fingertip on the top of the camera view. The sun was shining and I REALLY wanted to tell you about this truck! It’s a 1965 Chevy K10 with the optional 327 cubic-inch engine and a three-speed manual. It is built to tackle any trail, and take anything that you want with it. It may not be stock, but it looks like it will outrun just about any Jeep from the same era off-road.

Remember the Chevy Vega? If you don’t, it’s okay. The Vega was powered by a 305 cubic-inch V8. It was relatively powerful and fast, but it was a minor disaster for Chevy. This Vega is a 1974 model. It wasn’t the nicest car there, but it was one of the newer cars there.

The best part about this 1969 Chevrolet C30 is that it is used a lot. I don’t know how much, but I have seen it at Sonoma Raceway’s Wednesday Night Drags as a tow vehicle. It’s the perfect tow vehicle. It’s got a 350 cubic-inch engine that’s all-original. So is most of the truck.

This rare 1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is one speedy car. It’s all stock, and plenty fast that way. It’s got the 350 cubic-inch V8 engine found in many GM vehicles from 1969-1999. The top speed is 130 mph. This car means business. The lucky driver had to keep the car in first gear. he also kept touching the brakes because the car wants to leap forward. Lucky him.

I’m going to apologize in advance for the direction of the photo. This 1951 Dodge cab-over semi has been so heavily customized that the only thing original about it is the cab. That’s it. The rest of it is custom-built. The truck is a heavy-duty car-hauler with three axles. The engine is a brand-new 6.7-liter Cummins Diesel engine that has two turbos instead of one. Wow!

While motorcycles aren’t as common in the parade as cars, there were still a good three or four. This 1946 Indian Roadmaster has the iconic “shovelhead” engine that many motorcycle enthusiasts favor. This Indian Roadmaster is banana yellow with the “caramel cream” seat. I like old motorcycles like this. Maybe some readers will buy me one…

The Indian logo is still in the original chrome, almost 65 years later. The gas tank can hold 10 gallons. It says that on the chrome gas cap.

I like the way that Indian made the front wheel cover so stylish. I was talking to the owner for a minute, and I found out that he drove it all the way down to Santa Rosa from Healdsburg. That’s not a lot of fun on an old motorcycle, yet Indian motorcycles are built to cruise. I’m guessing that it was probably a comfortable ride down to Santa Rosa.

This 1932 Ford Roadster is a sick hot rod. The lady standing by the car is the owner. The car has a Ford 351 Windsor V8 engine. It has a Jaguar rear end, and a five-speed manual. This car means business. I don’t know what I like more: The mechanical parts of the car, or the exterior? That’s a decision that YOU will let me know in the comments section…

This Ford Bronco looks like it came out of some post-apocalyptic movie. It’s got aggressive tires, a six-inch lift kit, and a 302 cubic inch V8. I don’t know the exact year, but it looks like it’s from around 1967-8. This is one nice Bronco.

This is one of the coolest, most amazing Jeep CJs that I’ve ever seen. And that’s saying a lot. This CJ is stock, and is a 1947 model. Between the drivers seat and the passengers seat, there is a metal rifle/shotgun holder for two high-powered guns. Not that it would be used for that!

How often do you see a stock 1932 Ford roadster? Not at all often! This is a stock 1932 Ford roadster that could sell for upwards of $150,000 in its current condition. It even has the rumble seat and the original interior! It’s beautiful!

That’s all, folks!

If you would like to check out the Peggy Sue’s Cruise website, it is http://www.peggysuescruise.com/home/

March 6, 2013 zoomvroom Car Culture, The History of Autos, Website Reccomendation

History Buffs, Classic Cars, Say Hello!

Chickens and eggs, salt and pepper, cars and guys (and gals), these things all go together! Want to know what brings geeks and car buffs together? Car websites! I guess it’s good that I’m the best of both worlds…I’m excited right now because two of the world’s most successful Japanese automakers recently added websites that can help history-loving car buffs truly enjoy their classic cars! Don’t know who I am talking about? Think Nissan and Toyota. These websites are addictive, educational, and fun. Both websites detail the entire lineup of both automakers. From Day One. What is fun on the Toyota website is the “Select a Body style” button, where you can click pickup trucks, and it will show you every single Toyota pickup truck since Toyota started 75 years ago! On both websites, clicking on a car will bring up a photo gallery, as well as a full list of specs, and the origins of the car’s name. Those unfamiliar with Toyota’s names outside the American market will be pleasantly surprised. For example, would you rather have a Lexus RX, or a Toyota Harrier? I know what I’d choose? If that’s not enough for Toyota fans, you can organize the list into what cars have what engine choices. You can choose from the bulletproof 22R four-cylinder to the tuner-favorite 2JZ inline-six. Nissan’s website isn’t as full of cool tricks as Toyota’s, it does have full lists of the evolution of each Nissan model. Each car has it’s own photo gallery, specs sheet, and a short blurb about the car.

You can get lost in the depths of Toyota’s website from the link below:

http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/vehicle_lineage/family_tree/index.html

You can get lost in the depths of Nissan’s website from the link below:

http://press.nissan-global.com/COMMON/HERITAGE/database/en_index.html