MarrsCars

I use my seatbelts 100% of the time even if I am just driving across a parking lot, no joke. If a passenger refuses to wear his/hers then there is no ride for them. My car came with lap belts only so I updated to retractable 3-pt front belts and generally don't carry people in the back (still fitted with lap belts only) except around town but not at any speed such as highway driving.

Just a quick correction that the "crosshead" or "self centering" screw was invented, or rather marketed, by Henry F. Phillips of Portland, Oregon after taking ownership of the design from it's original inventor who failed to find any interest for the idea. Phillips also invented the crosshead screwdriver to go right along with it as a means to speed up assembly line work. The first use was in the US in 1936 actually. Paul Brong Machine Works has a direct connection and is still in business and claims to still be using some of the original prototype screwdrivers even today! BTW, did this car sell and what is it's status today?

The cars that were on bedroom wall posters when I was a kid were things like the Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Testarossa, Lotus Esprit, Delorean, Vector, etc., yet my interests today are almost exclusively early 1960's European cars and earlier American with some (many) exceptions of course. Speaking locally, Pacific NW and USA, I can say that the cars those of us in the MBCA own are all quite pleased with the market over the last two years and it continues to rise for other "good" cars. I don't mean just the finest of the finest like a Gullwing or a Duesenberg, but any honest car with no stories to tell and records continue to bring the good money.

I just dealt with this yesterday on the Benz. My alternator light came on but, contrary to what you might expect, the light would dim at idle but stay bright under load. That told me the belt was likely loose as the lower RPM of the alternator spinning allowed it to grip the belt, but once speed built up it lost friction and would not charge. I tightened the belt, but also noticed that my positive battery terminal had slight surface oxidation, which can also interfere with charging cycles, so cleaned that with a wire post brush. I also found a wire with it's sheath splitting so I fixed that with heat shrink. After these fixes my battery was again receiving proper charge. This is my check list: * Check V-belt for proper tension. * Test battery at rest with multimeter, DCV using 20v+ setting. * Test battery after starting and running. * Check and clean battery terminals. * Check connectors at back of alternator, clean and apply dielectric grease. * Check an clean ground cables (any and all you can find). If none of these make a difference you can check the brushes on your voltage regulator if it's the removable, internal kind, just pop it out from the back by swinging it out after removing the two screws, but if it's built in to the alternator or a separate unit you may have to have it tested by pros. You can buy the voltage regulator by itself, buy a rebuilt alternator or buy a new alternator.

Elizabeth, first of all, congratulations on your big day! I'd like to suggest that you add the state you are located in as well, since this forum has members from around the US as well as many other countries. Good luck on your search.

It's one of my favorites too, and poor Edd never makes a dime for his time, lest nearly al the cars would be at a loss. The margins can be laughably slim at times, yet Mike is always thumbs up and "we just sold anuvver great motor!" I also enjoy the playful banter, no fake anger and drama. I will admit to having actually learned a couple of maintenance tips from the show, useful ones at that!

Well, using Wheeler Dealers as an example being an hour long show, they can only hit the highlights of a refresh not a full resto, so it would have to be highlights only. It may seem counterintuitive to skim over a car like this in only one episode, but a show has to make money from advertising so they need viewers, changing the formula every show helps to better ensure success since you don't have the risk of scaring of viewers who may not like a particular marque or even the personality of an owner. At the end of the day this is a business for the producers so they need to maximize the chances of success in the marketplace, and that rarely meets the expectations of people like many of us who would be quite content to sit on a upturned bucket next to a buddy doing a brake job, sharing some beers for a couple of hours.

Is this for a single episode ala "Overhaulin'" or for a full season where they only work on this one car and the owner is in every show? If the owner gets screentime there should be compensation involved, which may be very minimal for a one off or fairly substantial for a series. There are many variables, and reality TV pays much less than network fiction, etc., but if the owner is one of the "stars" then that is an odd formula to work out as far as pay to the owner yet then charge him for the work. As an aside, production companies are not usually affiliated with a network, they are stand alone entities who sell their projects to the network. I don't want to be a naysayer, I wish Derek and crew great luck and success, just helping to keep my pals here informed as well. (Source: I've negotiated several TV contracts for clients in the past and have worked in entertainment for 20-years.)

Nice to find a car I had never heard of before, thank you! I do take issue with the statement made in the article you linked to, it said, "Once done, the car was prepared for the Geneva Auto Show, where it completely stole the stage. Against competition from Jaguar and the spectacular Lamborghini Miura, the Bertone special was seen as the most compelling." I think this may be because the article appeared in a Porsche enthusiast magazine rather than based on general public consensus if you compare it to period pieces written about the Miura especially. I'm no Porsche hater, I've owned one and have considered others quite recently, so take my opinion for what it's worth.

Most series shows on television do cover the full costs as part of the production budget and/or via sponsorships. What network is this show affiliated with? Is it being filmed for a series or is this a pilot that is being made to shop to networks in order to get a series made? My guess is that this is a pilot or pitch project by independent producers that is not yet funded so they needed to figure out a way to get cars at no cost so they can film their show and then show it to networks in hopes of getting a series. Otherwise there is no reason to charge the car owner anything. Can Derek or anyone with direct knowledge give us more info on the show itself?

Facebook is ideal for small entities who need a free means by which to disseminate information, either to the general public or their page's members, depending on what settings they have chosen. Once an organization is well funded and can afford a forum of their own, that is generally better for reasons made clear already. There is a benefit to having a Facebook presence even if you have a forum in the sense that younger people may only find out about your group from a post on Facebook that has been "shared" with them or a friend's page. You see, that exponential and instantaneous "viral" spreading of info is what makes Facebook useful for certain things, like anything use the right tool for the job.

Here's a tutorial from when I did this conversion to my headlights on the '62 Benz. I found mine locally at a VW parts shop. The job was incredibly simple and actually enjoyable, remember to not touch the halogen with bare fingers or get any kind of oil or grease on them or they may burst when lit. Use a cloth or totally clean gloves to install. Click the link at the top for "Sealed Beam to Halogen Headlight Conversion" and it will scroll down to the article in question. http://marrscars.com/Tutorials.php Note that most of these have a flat face to the main lens whereas original sealed beams had a domed face. They do not look OEM but I rather like the appearance.

I've seen those kits before but never with the added front and rear fender kits too. That was a real commitment in time, effort and money just to be kitschy. Here's something similar, but perhaps less successful in it's final form.

(I'm hitting the imaginary "Like" button for this thread.) How cool that Clive Cussler chimed in on the comments for that article. That caused me to do some research and I found out he operates the Cussler Museum in Arvada, CO. It's always so much fun when one story leads to another that leads to yet another... almost like an adventure novel.

I love those movies, watched all three back to back at one point last year. You might enjoy seeing what actually has and hasn't come true from the films as described here: http://gawker.com/5667202/11-things-from-back-to-the-future-ii-that-actually-came-true-and-3-that-havent-yet

It isn't legal unless you have permission. It is also illegal to reproduce a page from a book, and most Kinkos (now FedEx Office) or any other copy store, will NOT copy any copyrighted material, but if you insist they will have you sign a form they retain stating that you have permission from the company, thus accepting legal liability. I have done this dozens of times, and have even had them call a movie studio while I was there to make sure I had permission to copy a script that had their header. The same goes for most libraries as well, they will, or at least are supposed to, refuse to reproduce copyrighted material, that's actually the whole point of a copyright! The Warhol soup can thing is a separate issue also as both news reporting and Parody in art or comedy are exclusions to copyright laws and are protected out of deference to our Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press (in the US of course). Glad to see this came to a happy end in this case, and much respect to Barry Wolk for obtaining the artist's rights before moving ahead with the work to his own home. You are a gentleman by any measure.

Good luck to you and I hope this works out well. The '37 Cord looks like a great choice too! Please let us know how Filmcars works out, in my experience film car companies do not rent to private individuals, unless they supply the driver as well or the car will be used for display only, so if they operate differently it would be good to know as I often refer folks to picture car services for display needs.

You are 100% my friend, and I do realize there were very early electric cars as well, I should have qualified my statement a bit better. Your clarification is much appreciated!

I thought of this thread today while out for a drive and saw a Tesla Roadster, the first one they made that was based on a Lotus Elise. I believe this company will stick around and grow into something very mainstream so this car will very likely be cherished by collectors in the future for it's spot in automotive history as the first widely available electric car, an appreciation for the model it's based on, and the factor of being the first Tesla.

Some cars almost are expected to be chopped, early Bentley's come immediately to mind, but personally I'd rather have the original sedan that the factory workers touched with their own hands than a significantly altered car. As far as establishing the facts around a chopped car, why not document the build on this forum or a blog, etc., and there will always be a record that this car was altered, while also making a great read! If its your keeper and you want a chopped car I say go for it. I don't see much difference between an original owner who had his car customized in era and a contemporary owner who might alter his car to taste. Celebrities get off easy here, they can add bull horns or chrome paint and people go crazy for it, but the every man gets the sideways glance at best.

This is how auctions have worked for decades, the details are in the fine print for anyone to read, and it's advisable to read those details anytime you are making a financial arrangement with any business not just an auction house. Brick and mortar auction houses have higher operating expenses than online only ventures, and they have to make money somehow and that's via commissions, and those commissions are disclosed. If you can't find the info you need on the site, call and ask or email them, it's not a secret, they are happy to tell you. Most often registry fees are for real costs related to people showing up and to help keep down the number of looky-loos that car auctions attract, and are sometimes welcome but otherwise disrupt the purpose of an auction, to do business. There are other options if an auction setting doesn't appeal to you, but I see no conspiracy here.

I believe this may be the link Steve intended. http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/overview.cfm?SaleCode=MA14

Unless I am mistaken the wire info only allows someone to send money into his account, an outside source can not initiate withdrawal. It's not as though he supplied them with his bank login details, just wire and routing info. I side with the others, do not send passport info.

I visit my family back in Indiana in the fall when I can make the trip out, so my plan has been to convince my parents to load up the RV and make a journey out of it with a trip to Hershey. May not be this year but it's something I have been thinking about. Please lock the backdoor to my head on your way out Mr. Mindreader.

Results are now posted, the Duesenberg sold for $2,090,000.