Plymouth Roadrunner.

Why don't today's cars have any styling? It's next to impossible to distinguish a Ford from a Chevy anymore.

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An American Classic - RIP Johnny Maestro

STATEN ISLAND, NY--Johnny Maestro, singer for The Brooklyn Bridge and The Crests who
had big doo-wop hits like "16 Candles," "Worst That Could Happen," and "Model Girl," died yesterday at his home in Florida of cancer. He was 70 years old.

Maestro's bari-tenor voice, while strong as he continued to perform even as recently as last year, wasn't as remarkable as some of his peers'. But his career certainly was. Forming The Crests in the early 1950s, Maestro led one of the first successful interracial groups of its kind, breaking down color barriers in the pop genre. His later hit with the Del-Satins and The Brooklyn Bridge, "Your Husband, My Wife," drew controversy for dealing with the issue of infidelity. A New York native who lived in Great Kills and Midland Beach for some 11 years, Maestro was in Staten Island for a Valentine's Day gig at the St. George Theatre in 2009. As a guy who never stopped gigging, Maestro had plenty to say about his own career. He said the following to AWE in a preview of the group's performance: "In the '50s we did sing a lot about romance, love, and angels — and motorcycle crashes," said Maestro. "We'll be singing 'Unchained Melody' here, definitely, and dedicate it to all the young ladies in the audience. We'll also do Jackie Wilson's 'Lonely Teardrops,' and Tina Turner's 'River Deep, Mountain High.' But we do mostly all of our own recordings. I've learned that people want to hear what we're known for."

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Street Rod

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FREMONT, California – A Filipino owner of a 2006 Prius vehicle has decided to have his car checked after seeing a video of a runaway Prius in San Diego County that could easily have ended in a fatal car crash.
Victor Batangas just got back from the Philippines last week. “I haven’t used my car in a month, so when I came back Thursday I saw and read all those recalls. I better bring it in,” Batangas said.
Batangas was referring to the incident that happened on March 9, when according to the Associated Press, a driver named James Sikes called 911, saying his Prius was accelerating uncontrollably. The Prius reached speed of 94 miles per hour on Interstate 8 outside of San Diego. California Highway Patrol officers were able to slow the car and helped Sikes stop the vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating, and Toyota has sent its own investigators as well.
The Associate Press also reports that a Prius collision in upstate New York is also being investigated by the federal government. The driver of the 2005 Prius says the car accelerated on its own, eventually crumpling the front end on a stone wall.
Aside from basic maintenance repairs, service people said Batangas’ Prius had no issues.
Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda, has promised to regain consumers’ confidence in his brand. Toyota is offering 5-year interest-free loans on 9 models and rebates of up to $3,000 on select models. Balitang America

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Tea Party Protesters - (Why I'd Rather talk about Classic Cars)

Protesters shouted the "n-word" at black lawmakers. Witnesses say it never happened.
A gay congressman was called a slur. Yet he was accused of swearing at someone in the crowd before that.
These are the conflicting claims that have emerged from the series of tense encounters lawmakers say they endured with Tea Party protesters on Capitol Hill Saturday, in the final raucous hours before Congress approved the health care reform bill.
Claims that the protesters hurled anti-gay and racist epithets at them tore through the blogosphere in the run-up to the vote and were used to decry the protests, but Tea Party supporters are challenging those accounts, saying they didn't hear them, or at least that those responsible were not part of the Tea Party protest.

Several black lawmakers say that as they were walking by protesters on their way to a procedural vote on Capitol Hill, a group of demonstrators shouted at them and called them the n-word.
"They were just shouting, harassing," Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a legend of the civil rights movement, said.
In addition, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a black congressman from Missouri, said he was spit on by someone in the crowd who was later detained.
Plus someone shouted a gay slur at Frank in the hallway of a House office building.
"Today's protests against health insurance reform saw a rash of despicable, inflammatory behavior," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.
Now here's where those accounts are called into question:
Though the claims of racist epithets against Lewis and other congressmen drew a lot of media attention, witnesses say they never heard such language and YouTube videos have surfaced that show protesters booing and shouting "Kill the Bill" but not shouting the n-word.
Kay Fischer, a protester from North Carolina, said she was watching the black lawmakers walk by and, like Owens, heard nothing of the sort.
Asked about such claims, Emanuel spokeswoman Mary Petrovic noted that the online videos of the incident are under a minute — and so don't show the entire encounter. She and stood by her boss' account.
"He heard slurs," she said.
There's another oddity about that incident. Cleaver's office initially claimed that a protester was arrested after spitting on him, but that the congressman decided not to press charges.
However, U.S. Capitol Police said the protester was never arrested. He was only detained and put in handcuffs, then released.
Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for the Capitol Police, told FoxNews.com the individual was released because Cleaver couldn't identify him.
"There were no elements of a crime, and the individual wasn't able to be positively identified," she said. "(Cleaver) was unable to positively identify."
Asked about the Capitol Police account, Petrovic said it's not that Cleaver couldn't identify the suspect. It's that he wouldn't identify the suspect, because the police would have been "obligated" to make an arrest, which he didn't want.
"He was aware of that obligation and so did not make an identification," she said. "He saw who did it and he could have identified that person if necessary. But he chose not to."
As for the initial claim that the the individual was arrested, Petrovic said staff members mistakenly presumed he had been arrested because he was in handcuffs.
The account of the run-in with Frank gets a little more bizarre.
Though reporters heard someone call the Massachusetts Democrat, who is gay, a "faggot," and Frank and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer publicly condemned the slur, Fischer said the incident was not so cut and dry.
Most importantly, Fischer said Frank was the first to start using salty language.
She said she and a half-dozen other protesters were waiting outside a committee room in the Longworth House Office Building on Saturday for about 45 minutes when Frank finally emerged. He was mobbed by reporters, she said, and the protesters started shouting things like, "Kill the bill." Then she said Frank snapped at them.
"He looked at me and said, 'F--- you,'" she said.
Shortly after that, she said, a tall man with brown hair, who hadn't been chanting with the other protesters at all, walked up and said "fag" to Frank.
This has started to sprout some conspiracy theories.
Fischer said the protesters immediately admonished him and told him not to say things like that.
"I have gay friends. ... There were a bunch of people moaning like, 'Oh God,'" she said.
But she said the guy "disappeared" quickly and that was the end of it.
Fischer said she has no idea where he came from, and alleged he was a plant, though she couldn't prove it.
"I think it was staged," she said.
Frank's office was unable to provide clarity.
Frank spokesman Harry Gural said his office does not know the identity of the man who shouted the slur but said it's "highly unlikely" that anything was staged.
And he couldn't fathom his boss swearing at a protester.
"I really doubt that," Gural said. "I've never heard him use that language with people before."

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Health Care Reform Passed. Will Government Control of our Cars be Next?

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to sign the main health care overhaul bill Tuesday in a White House ceremony.
He'll deliver remarks on his signature domestic priority and plans further comment on health care at the Interior Department after the signing.
Later, Obama meets with two senators to discuss the START nuclear arms reduction process. He will also have a closed-door session with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo).

The House of Representatives passed the health care reform bill Sunday night with a 219-to-212 vote. With the Senate already having passed the bill on Christmas Eve, it now stands ready for President Obama to sign into law, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
Many challenges remain, though. Attorneys general in 12 states have said they will challenge the constitutionality of the health care bill. Moreover, Democrats still want to make changes to the final bill after the fact.
The House has already passed this package of fixes – which would rein in some of the special deals made with senators last year. Now the Senate must pass the same package of fixes before Mr. Obama can sign them into law. To do that, the Senate will have to turn to the contentious and time-consuming process of reconciliation.
But the outlines of the bill are now clear. Here is the Monitor's comprehensive look at what is in the health care bill and how it might affect you.
Join the healthcare reform discussion on Facebook
Health Care Reform Bill 101:
Introduction: What the bill means to you
Part 1: Who must buy insurance?
Part 2: Who gets subsidized insurance?
Part 3: What's a health 'exchange'?
Part 4: How long will reform take?
Part 5: Who will pay for reform?
Part 6: What will it mean for business?
Part 7: What does it mean for kids and families?
Part 8: What does it mean for seniors?

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1957 Ford Thunderbird
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Classic Car replacement parts.

The antique auto parts form one of the major parts of accessories and attract teeming car lovers from all seeing the world. Many auto parts suppliers have fluctuation of auto parts for the buying and selling purposes. Several of them specialize in selling exclusive parts of machines, which are rarely found in the general markets. The mechanical kits are available eclipse complete needed parts that are usually imperative for the repairing the sweat, or chunk senescent parts. The parts of the garage that are normally kept for sale are rubber moldings, clips further fasteners, Window channels, electric parts, brakes, wipers, fuel and cooling system components and gaskets etc. Here are some of the suggestions for people further car owners interested to buy antique auto parts. Woolcock Antique Auto Parts Inc provides with reproduction parts for Ford and Mercury models of cars and trucks. They also specialize network selling distant items such since window anti - rattlers, emblems, interiors also specialized parts. This supplier further stocks effect a wide range of southern fenders, doors, besides running boards for auto restoration purposes. Woolcock Suppliers can serve located at a wrecking corral that is half show north of London. Interested customers can grasp there through Bessemer Rd, London Ontario. They deal in providing the auto parts for the car models coextensive Ford Galaxie, Fairlane, Falcon, GMC, Chevrolet, Thunderbird, besides Buick and Chrysler. Bob’s Antique Auto Parts specializes notoriety Model T parts besides accessories. They have parts through particular car models uncommonly, but excel fame serving the persons with Map T of Ford. The site contains the information about whole enchilada the available auto parts with the supplier along with its catalog. The catalog can again be ordered online which is free of cost. The auto parts that are available at this shop are mostly American made. The auto parts enhance the overall perspective of the antique car. Bounteous people owning an antique car look visible for attractive and durable auto parts that can beautify the interiors. The idea slow buying an antique car is that, leading exploit is low. Then good amount is spent on buying the antique auto parts. The conspicuously commonly available antique auto parts are rotors, rebuilt starters, condensers, rebuilt generators, ignited gears, spark Plugs by special tidiness only, distributor drive gears, voltage regulators, coil brackets, possibility noise suppressors among others. These items start in the category of ignition parts. The items that fall under the switches are foot starter, push button starter, headlamp n. o. s and reproduction, stoplight, nut blower, heater control, fog unclouded and turn signal flashers 6 & 12 volts-the race items are peerless of the interesting items, which are available in arresting designs of classic and old style. These contest items give the antique enjoyment to the auto parts. Some of the very much common ones are lantern, horn, transmission, blower, fog light and air conditioning. Prerogative short, the dealers of the antique auto parts are well pro stifle all the items that are required by the antique car owners. They suppliers usually have a good knowledge about the likes and dislikes of the buyers. Hence, they keep their outlets updated with thoroughgoing the necessities and ante up the best benefit to all their customers.

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Classic Car Restoration can be expensive

 A common pitfall owners of classic cars fall into is over spending on their car.



A certain car might be purchased due to sentimental memories. They may have had their first date in these kinds of cars. A grandparent might of owned a 57 T-bird owned and owning one brings back a lot of memories. Emotional spending can be a real issue when it comes to restoring your classic car.


It's not uncommon for a  hot rod owner to spend $75,000 to $150,000 on a show car. Recouping these expenses will be nearly impossible for most owners.

Many owners just accept this fact and try to enjoy their car.

One Classic car restorer recently confessed he  doesn’t know if his Ford pickup gets 2 miles to the gallon when driving on the highway or in the city. Looking at the gleaming black rebuilt 1940 truck, he simply shrugs his shoulders. “When you spend five years of your life rebuilding something like this, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

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The Ford  Mustang, was introduced in April 1964 with the usual fanfare from Detroit. The original Pony car  was built on the compact Falcon’s platform and came with a Falcon suspension. It had the same soft springs and four-wheel drum brakes.  The '64½ was actually considered a '65 by Ford, but collectors use the terms to differentiate changes made by Ford after mid-August 1964. At this time there were engine changes, the Mustang switched from a generator to an alternator plus interior and exterior color revisions.
The car was 181 inches long.  It was originally offered with three engines—a 170 C.I. six cylinder, a 260 C.I. 2 bbl V8 or a 289 C.I. 4 bbl V8 and came with a three-speed, four-speed or automatic.
In ’65 the 170 six and 260 V8 were dropped for a 200 six and a 289 2bbl V8.
A GT package available on the two versions of the 289 4bbl V8's tightened up the suspension. The High Performance 289 helped straight-line fun with a gross HP rating of 271, probably about 200 net.
In ’65 the first Shelby prepped Mustang, the GT350, became available.  The early Shelbys were the most race-like of the Shelby Mustangs.  In later years they were done in house by Ford and and lost some of their sporting edge.  Shelby built an average of 2,000 cars a year from 1965 to 1970.  The '65 Shelby GT350 came with a 306 HP version of the HiPo motor.  In '66 a 400 HP supercharged version was also available.


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The 1982 Corvette was the last year to feature the classic "Shark" body style. 

Vehicle Production and Base Prices
Car Type Production Price
2-door coupe18,648 $18,290.07
Corvette Collector Edition Hatchback6,75922,537.59

The Collector's Edition for 82 had a list price of $22,537 which was the first year a Vette cost over $20,000.
Engine Specifications
Type ohv V-8
Displacement, liters/cubic inch 5.7/350
Bore X stroke, inches4.00 X 3.48
Fuel managementCross-Fire Throttle Body Fuel Injection
Horsepower @ rpm200 @ 4,200
Torque @ rpm, pound-foot283 @ 2,800
Published Performance Numbers
Acceleration200 hp, 2-speed automatic
0-60 mph, second7.9
0-100 mph, second24.8
1/4-mile, second @ mph16.1 @ 85

Due to federal regulations, HP continued to be low for all production cars. The Vette made up for the low HP with an impressive 283 lb of torque.

The 82 featured the Cross-Fire Injection" TB system.


1982 Corvette Cross-Fire Injector The 1982 Corvette engine bay did offer a glimpse into the future. A new fuel delivery system called "Cross-Fire Injection" made it's debut. Sometimes called "Throttle Body Injection", it can be thought of as a combination of a carburetor and fuel injection. The new system enabled the engine to be rated at 200 hp and still satisfied the increasingly stringent anti-smog regulations. A new electrical fuel pump integral to the gas tank was part of the system. 






 My 1982 Corvette

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More Cars and Coffee Classic Car Pictures

1966 Caddy





















Classic Chevy




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March 6, 2010 - Cars and Coffee meet in DFW



The first Saturday of the month is Cars and Coffee in North Texas.






It was a brisk overcast morning but still a great day to show off your car.
I arrived about 45 minutes before the official start time and found the parking lot already 1/2 full of cars.
I parked my 1982 Corvette in "Vette Row" and went over to the coffee stands to get a refill.










This mid 50's VW bus was one of the more interesting cars at the show.

 

 


This ought to be a great year on the car show circuit.

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