Classic Cars - Elegant, Stylish, And Oh So Sweeeet

Classic cars are one of the most collected and coveted items in the market today. And they should be: vintage automobiles are not only great pieces of art; they could also be fully functional. Road-driven classic vehicles may even be more scene-stealing than brand-spanking-new sports cars. If you have already seen a fully restored and shiny Shelby GT-350H or a 60's Thunderbird on the road, you probably know what I'm talking about.

What is a Classic, Anyway?

The definition of what is a classic car is often contested. The Classic Car Club of America indicates that the last year for the 'authentic' classics is 1948. Still, other experts maintain that the term classic is applicable to all cars that are 12-years old or older.

Some would even create a classification. A popular one is as follows: 'antique' for automobiles manufactured from the very beginning of car production up to 1916; 'vintage' for vehicles manufactured from 1916 to 1924; and 'classic' for those made in 1924 up to the not-so-far past.

I would not take a stand as to what the proper definition of a classic car is. Let's leave that to car philosophers and historians (or for a more proper term, car geeks). There are many more exciting aspects about collecting classic cars that you should know.

Classic Cars Define Generations and Genres

If you are a fan of James Bond films, you might have been awed by the luxurious and sexy cars that Mr. Double-Oh-Seven has driven. From sleek Alfa Romeos to classy Aston Martins, the spy we all loved wouldn't be what he was without these cars.

And if you have eagerly followed Mr. Bond's pursuits, you can see that the cars he used are those that defined a certain era. You can see him use big cars with round edges during the 60's, long, pointed-edged cars during the 70's, and of course, macho black sports cars during our present day

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What made those cars cool wasn't because they are simply made 'cool.' It is because they carry with them great stories and pieces of history. That is also the reason why it is thrilling and fulfilling to own a classic car. And the feeling of fulfillment multiplies tenfold if you collect these cars. Wouldn't it be sweet to ride in wheels that a popular spy once drove?

Owning a Classic is No Picnic

But before you head off and click your fingers away to the first site that offers classic cars for sale, be sure to know that with a great car comes great responsibility. Almost all of these classic cars are already used (and sometimes abused). It would be almost impossible to find one in a perfectly mint condition. What you will probably see are second-hand (and possibly even third- or fourth-hand) vehicles that may need a lot of work

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Keep in mind that owning or collecting classic cars does not stop at buying them. It is a must to invest some time and money in restoring a car back to its vintage beauty. Otherwise, it will just be another piece of junk lying in your garage.

Thus, you need to be prepared to submit that vehicle to a paint job, a car parts installation (seats, carpets, steering wheel, suspension...), and if you want to drive around, a good engine. And it won't stop there: classic cars need a lot of loving and care. You need to maintain its elegance by cleaning, waxing, and polishing it regularly.

It might be a little bit troublesome, but the rewards are great. Aside from having one great scene-stealer, a well-maintained classic car increases its value as time goes by. So once you are tired of riding that vintage Benz, you can sell it and gain profit. You won't have a hard time looking for buyers too, since there are tons of car collectors looking for a great deal

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There's a Classic Car Lover in All of Us

If you are a car lover, a sentimental generation and genre fan, or simply one who would like a cool ride, buying classic cars is your best choice. Not only do you get a moving, breathing, and funky piece of art, you also get a really valuable property. Buying, restoring, and maintaining a vintage car may be a daunting task, but it sure is worth it.

Crazy 'bout a Mercury

So I figured it was about time that I posted a picture of my latest project, a 1962 Mercury Monterey Custom. This was one of the top-of-the-line models that Mercury produced that year. In fact, the only other model above this one was the ultra rare S-55. My Monterey is equipped with the 330 horse 390 big block with a Merc-o-matic transmission. Other options include factory air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes. The Monterey needs a few things, like a tune-up, and I need to look at the brakes, but overall it is in pretty good shape. The '59 Caddy taillights don't look too bad either.

Behold Das Boot

This is the largest 2 door car that I have ever owned. You could literally lay four adults side by side in the trunk! Moonshine anyone? For all you Mercury lovers out there here is a video that I ran across. Enjoy!

Selling the Kitchen Sink

This recession that the U.S. is currently in is kicking my ass. To make matters worse all signs are pointing towards a "double dip". That's right folks, prepare for round two. Due to an on-going pay cut at work and continuing increases in insurance, food, gas, etc, I'm selling everything that's not bolted down, cars included. Sadly my '52 Olds, "The Super", went on the chopping block. My newest ride, a '62 Mercury Monterey, is being spared that same fate for the time being. This is mostly because of my continued selling success on eBay, but also due to the fact that I purposely disabled it to keep myself from selling it easily. Before The Super drove off into the sunset, I did manage to polish it up pretty good. But don't just take my word for it, check out the following pictures for yourself.

Your looking at about 2 days of wet sanding and compound buffing.

After the buffing I washed The Super again and then let it dry overnight. The final day was spent machine waxing the entire car and then detailing it out.

On the day I took these photos I drove The Super around town and boy did it ever attract attention! People really seemed to notice this beautiful old car, that or they thought I just stole it! Now that the exterior was all detailed out and the interior refreshed, I felt the time was right to sell it and decided to list it on craigslist. Although this is a great advertising venue, you sure do get some interesting characters calling you, along with the usual B.S. As it turned out, the first person who actually managed to show up to look at The Super bought it on the spot. Apparently nobody told the buyer that we are in a recession... Hey, it looks like I can keep the kitchen sink for awhile longer!

A Case of the Shingles

Not too long ago I picked up a new project, a '52 Olds Super 88, which I dubbed "The Super". A lot of work as progressed on The Super, and also a lot of revelations. I can easily say The Super is living up to it's name, namely super rusty! When I first looked it over, the car appeared relatively rust free. It had an east coast undercoating job and the front fenders, door hinge pockets, quarter panels and trunk were mint. Even the spare tire holder was cherry. With a car that rust free, how could I go wrong? Let me tell you how wrong I was...

Soon after I repaired the water pump I decided to replace the carpet and spruce up the interior. No big deal, right? Wrong. I'll spare you the details of wrenching out the coffin-like seats, and get straight to the carpet. The carpet was filthy, way beyond cleaning, and looked as though a small contingency of barn yard animals had slept on it.

The first sign that something wasn't quite right was when I removed the seat belt  brackets and saw these rusty footprints.

Hey look, old school tar floor insulation. At least that's what it looks like...















                                                                              



Then I pulled it up... This is what the previous owner used for floor insulation - roofing shingles! The roofing material worked well, at holding in moisture. Every bit of water that ran under the carpet got trapped under this barrier and stayed there, creating ideal conditions for rust. What was probably put down for protection actually ended up increasing the rate at which the floor pans were rusting!

Behold the petri dish of moisture and rust formally known as floor boards. This looks worse then it actually is... really.

After lots of scraping, cleaning and prep work, I applied a nice thick coat of Por 15. The floor pans had minimal holes, it was mostly heavy surface rust. After the prep the pans still felt stiff and strong. Heck, I figured if they could hold my weight they were strong enough. Once the Por 15 was dry, the floor pans looked great. Rust? What rust?          

 





With the new carpet in place the interior is already looking 100 percent better.

   Here it is all back together and looking pretty sharp.

To completely remove an interior and put it back in is quite an experience. One that I hope not to repeat anytime soon!

Now that the inside was complete, it was time for me to tackle the outside, namely the paint. After a close inspection, it looks like the car was only repainted once, a long, long time ago. Was it lacquer? Was it enamel? Who knows? Stay tuned as I attempt to color sand and buff The Super's paint. This ought to be interesting...

Adding Another Horse to the Stable

The Amberlight Garage is getting full! I went ahead and picked up another ride. The following video might give you a hint as to what it is. Notice the ample use of seatbelts!







Here is a classic radio ad that is actually the year of the vehicle I have. Where were you in '62? Snap on your AM radio and lets go back to a much simpler time...

A Rare Look: Chrysler's Turbo Encabulator

Ok fellow gear heads, here is today's lesson in automotive technology. Surely you remember the following video from your high school auto shop class. There was even a section on this in my ASE certification test!











Word on the street is that Fiat will be incorporating this shelved technology in a future Chrysler model to show case the merged companies combined technological efforts. Along with the launch of this new vehicle the company will also announce their new name, which is purported to be FIYSLER. Stay tuned for more details.

Foghat, War and The Super

Who remembers the song "Slow Ride" by Foghat? When I was growing up it was my neighbor's favorite song. He even had custom license plates that read "SLO RYD" on his lowered '73 Monte Carlo. Another car related song I remember is "Low Rider" by War. Almost everyone knows this song now because of the George Lopez Show. Who else but this comedian would use this classic as the shows theme song? Odelay Esse!



So now that you know a little something about slow and low riders, you're probably wondering what the heck brought this subject up. When I said in my earlier post that I was shifting gears, I wasn't exactly talking about a manual trans, I was referring to my brain, and right now my brain feels like a 4 speed Hydromatic. You see, my latest project had to be low and slow, chopped and channeled, louvered and raked, shaved and frenched, and ooze coolness where ever it went. I'm talking total custom, lead sled, cruiser, bomb, rat rod, rock-a-billy, James Dean, and Hirohata Merc all wrapped up in one car. What kind of car could possibly meet all of that criteria? How about a 1952 Oldsmobile Super 88 four door with a 303 cubic inch Rocket V-8 and a Hydromatic transmission? In a word, no, but it has the potential to be all that... maybe. At least I think so. That, or I've completely lost my marbles and should be reprimanded to the proper authorities. Hey, don't put me in a straight jacket and padded room yet. You haven't checked out my new ride. Welcome to the left turn in the road...

Behold the mighty behemoth know as a Super 88

What I love most about this Olds is the acres of chrome that adorn it's front end. Once polished, you pretty much need welders helmet to look at it. I better start buying stock in Meguiars, as it looks like it will take a case just to do the front. The car has a lot of features that really surprised me. First off, it's a factory 4 barrel V-8 with a Hydromatic transmission and power steering. I was fully expecting a hydraulic ram for the power unit but was shocked to see a recirculating ball power steering box. Who knew they were so high tech in 1952? Other factory oddities include front and rear sway bars, interior hood release lever, hood and trunk lights, 15 inch wheels on a truck bolt pattern, open drive shaft, and a Autronic Eye headlight dimming system. It also has an in-dash tube radio that is the size of a small suitcase and a optional clock that looks like something that should be on a nightstand. 

Now that the Super 88 is resting comfortably in the Amberlight Garage, all that I have to do now is work on it! So much for buying turn-key cars. First up is a water pump replacement and then a complete assessment to determine the car's needs versus my wants. I also registered it for the yearly car show in my town called Show & Go. For those who have never heard of Show & Go, you can read more about this terrific car show here. That doesn't leave me a whole lot of time to get this sled cruise ready, so I better get crankin. There is nothing like a new project to get the old automotive juices flowing again and to use as an excuse to come up with a new project name. After a large dinner of pot beans, ham hocks and a couple of beers I decided on calling it The Super, just because it looks like the type of car that that goofy clay cartoon character played by Eddie Murphy would drive! The fact that "super" is part of the car's name is purely coincidental... I think.