GrayCav56

An Aston Martin DB4 GT! OK OK......a 1954 Chevy Bel Air 4 door Powerglide. A guy can dream can't he?

Those few times I was allowed to drive to school it was either in my folks' 66 Chevelle Malibu hardtop (230 6 cylinder powerglide) or their 74 Chevelle Malibu Classic coupe (350 2bbl THM 350). The 66 was on it's last legs and the 74 was brand new. For my Junior Prom I took the 74, but for my SENIOR prom I took my brother's 74 Caprice coupe that was in some sort of lime green with a black vinyl roof. I was stylin'! The week before graduation my folks got me a, get this, 75 Cosworth Vega. Hmmm.

OK, so the latest episode was a LITTLE bit less annoying. They rescued a 64 Barracuda from a lady's back yard to fix and flip. This time they at least kept the original motor but added the optional stripe package when they repainted the car. The episode's manufactured drama came when the brand new shop manager inexplicably took great pains to remove the costly back window, only to smash it to bits when a bumper was set ON EDGE, only to fall upon the glass. The story followed the guy as he searched for a replacement, which he found at another yard. More manufactured drama there as the guy would not sell just the back glass..only the entire car. That guy said if he couldn't sell the car he was just going to throw that Barracuda into the crusher. RIIIGHT....He won't take $350 for just the glass before smashing the car go bits. I think they made $125 profit on the car at auction.

Yeah, I gave it a shot, thinking they'd get better, but if you don't know the difference between a Malibu and a Galaxie, if you can't find a REAL date correct 390 in that big yard, if you can't at least TRY and keep it original, you have lost me.

I thought it was a great meeting. I had to mix it in with work, so I collapsed on the couch when I got home last night, but it was a good tired. I agree about hearing first hand stories. Hemmings Classic Car is running a series where folks describe working in the industry "back in the day". That would be VERY interesting to hear, perhaps in a panel discussion format, for next year. You could have one panel consist of designers and engineers, one panel on assembly and factory workers and perhaps a third on dealership management and sales people. Even typing this reminds me of when the local dealers would whitewash their picture windows so you couldn't see the "new" models until the big reveal. Golly how I miss that.

I yanked it off my 69 SS 396 and am now doing the same with my 66 GTO that got the Rusty Jones treatment. I feel for you brother. It is a long, involved and messy process. But when you are done it looks very nice. From what I understand the factory put a bit of sound deadener/rust prevention in and around the wheel wells, but not nearly to the extent of what the Ziebart type rustproofing provided. I recommend working from the outside in. What I mean is that AACA judges do not crawl all the way under your vehicle, rather they get down and peek from a kneeling position. Start removing your undercoating in that manner, working from the framerails in from the sides and the gas tank forward. You can't see above the driveshaft or transmission or above the rear axle from the judge's vantage point, so you could save that for last. My GTO has coating on everything underneath. EV..ER..Y..THING! Pans, frame, fuel lines, brake lines, brackets, back sides of red inner fender liners, you name it. It's a joy to release the beauty of the undercarriage from it's LaBrea Tar Pits. Be advised you may also have some added holes that were drilled to allow for the rustproofing wands, especially in the door rocker panels. If they are there, you may have some other issues to deal with in repairing the damage and repainting. In that case you may determine the point gain is minimal and put your efforts onto discrepancies that can more easily be rectified for the same benefit.

No my friend, YOU said it better, and saved the reader a lot of extraneous words in the process!

In my opinion there is a difference between "overly restored" and "properly built". I would consider overly restored to use items of a quality not available during the original manufacture of the vehicle. I'm thinking stainless steel brake and fuel lines, laser cut parts instead of those stamped out and having the flashing cut off, etc. I guess we are all talking about paint, but it is darn near impossible to find a shop that can repaint a vehicle with the exact type coatings as done in the day. I suppose powdercoating the frame and such parts would fall into the overrestored category for me. To me, properly built means that the car is assembled in the manner envisioned by the designers and engineers. None of them designed in bad panel fit or sloppy wiring runs or orange peel. (Although it appears they designed inaccessible grease fittings, eh?). I don't think that taking the extra time to properly shim a fender or a door, doing a timely wet sand in between coats or ensuring the window felts are "just so" is a bad thing. I personally don't have any problem with adding any factory options that were available, if they are done as the factory would have done them. That being said, it is sad when decent, restorable vehicles with base or low option motors are constantly being rebuilt as clones with Hemi's, 409s or loaded with Yenko cues. I really hope to see some original 6 cylinder AACA Senior Camaro outdraw a Yenko Clone at Barrett-Jackson some day.

Well, I thought TopGear USA was the bottom of the barrel...until now. So we have a guy who is hoarding cars in a fenced area to "someday" get around to restore them. Where have we heard that before? I suppose the good thing is that the desert air is keeping most of them in decent condition. The bad thing is that some of these could find good homes and get back on the road sooner if he'd just market them. The show just seems like rehashed bits from American Chopper, American Hot Rod, Texas Hardtails and a number of other manufactured reality shows. Won't last long in the current format. I suppose the thing that bugs me the most is that they are trying to make the owner seem like a country bumpkin when he is OBVIOUSLY a very smart and very successful businessman. He knows the difference between a complete restoration and the quickie respray they pulled off on the first two cars. They should give the viewers the same consideration. I thought most telling was the 442 Collector who actually came to the auction wouldn't go over the $14,000 bid. Hmm. Makes you wonder about the actual authenticity and condition of that vehicle, eh?

I DVR'd the show...will watch tonight.

I would suppose that some of the judges would be aware of the emissions requirements of the era, but determining if the car was originally a CA vehicle without owner disclosure or sales documents/window sticker would be problematic.

I really liked the DIY shows. I felt that Mark Lambert and Steve Magnante were very easy to watch. Mark had the manner of a great high school teacher and Steve to me seemed like a big brother, both willing to show others how to enjoy the hobby. (I never caught the shows with Ron Ananian). The cars were rebuilt as nice driver quality vehicles and after each episode I ran out to the garage and knocked out a project of my own. Heck, sometimes I WATCHED the show in the garage! I think I viewed the Corvette, Mustang, Thunderbird and Packard series three or four times through. I really miss this show.

Is there a comprehensive index of what vehicles were highlighted in each issue of AQ?

Although I might be concerned about the "mix" of certain options. Some engines with high RPM limits (for the time), say solid lifter muscle cars, were not available with air conditioning. I would be concerned with those types of either/or configurations, but it doesn't appear to apply in your case.

I watched it last night after the NHL All Star Game and before the ProBowl. Pretty much a wasted day. The odd thing is that with the numbers of folks in our hobby, and the MONEY people in our hobby spend, that there isn't a single quality "how to" show on the air. At least not that I have found. DIY used to have Classic Car restoration that was pretty good I thought. Chop Cut Rebuild? Umm not really. Overhaulin'? Nah.

Gotta love it where the bumpers are additional cost items...even on a Chrysler!

Beautiful car. I have a buddy with a similar car and he's trying to find an air cleaner, pilot rays and running board step plates. Any ideas on somebody he should contact?

Jeff, I think worship is a bit strong of a term, although many of us do put our vehicles on pedestals. The benefit of maintaining or restoring a vehicle to factory specifications is that it can be used as a benchmark for future historical research by those who follow us. Future generations can follow the evolution of the automobile through the most rudimentary early models all the way up to those 25 years old. It's true that most cars and trucks are meant as appliances just to move folks and/or gear from one spot to another. But in many cases these cars are much more than that. We see them as embodiments of the combined efforts of many, many people to take an idea and turn it into a reality. We see them as beautiful manifestations of industrial art...some more in the "traditional" beauty mode but others beautiful in the honest way they get about their tasks with minimal fanfare and flash. Some of them are the rewards of a lifetime of toil and savings, such as the gleam in my great uncle's eye when he finally "made it" and purchased his first Cadillac. So I don't think any of us "worship" the vehicles we care for. We do this to honor the designers and engineers, the tool and die makers, the assembly workers and foremen, the executives and marketing types who all came together to create them for us to enjoy.

junkyardjeff, I have to echo what Matt says. You seem like a pretty level headed fella who might actually enjoy the show circuit. I like it when I get to "talk cars" with folks in my particular class and I learn so much more than I do online or by reading books (although they are helpful as well.) You get to meet some folks who have a lot of disposible income who wrote a lot of checks for their restoration and you meet those who did most if not all of the work themselves. I suppose the majority fall somewhere in the middle. I think the uniting thing is that they all want to continually improve their vehicles towards that "factory fresh" goal. Showing does NOT mean you have to turn your car into a museum piece. Far from it! OK, maybe some megabuck rides do live their life going from climate controlled garage to air ride trailer to showfield, but my cars, like yours, are DRIVEN. I probably put close to a thousand miles a year on my Corvette, and that didn't keep me from getting my Senior at Hershey against some other beautiful machines. I LOVE caring for my car after a nice run, the same way a thoroughbred horse is maintained after a workout.

I too always wondered why we did not release point deductions, but this thread pretty much explains why. Could you imagine the time being consumed fighting back and forth over a one or two point deduction that kept a car from an award being sought? Other marque specific organizations can and will provide more detailed analysis, but then again, we are talking apples and rutabagas. They spend MUCH more time developing exacting standards and likewise spend a lot more time in the judging process. It would just not be practical for a universal make club and judging process like AACA. AACA has a wonderful show/judging process that I believe honestly rewards those vehicles who meet the benchmarks as set forth. Every judging class I have attended has stressed that authenticity and condition are what we key on, and any questions as to said authenticity should be addressed with the owner...who should be prepared to show proof if asked. I have never heard an instructor set forth a "gotcha" mentality.

Beautiful Cutlass. My sister had a similar color 72 Malibu with a white interior. Of course, she always let me drive it...AFTER I CLEANED the aforementioned white guts. It was a very attractive color I must add...a bit out of the mainstream but when it was clean it was stunning.

Any hints for preparing for a GN type show? My Vette got it's Senior Tab at Hershey in 2009, and while I never thought it was at the level of a GN car, the more I am encouraged by others I may give it a try. So, I suppose my questions are...is a Grand National invitation only or do you apply just like any other meet? Is the judging process the same as going for the other awards? (I am guessing the answers are just like the others.) I expect that GN would require me to take it up a notch and be super critical. The car IS nice, and would probably score well at NCRS, but it has a replacement block which kills it in those circles.

Bill, I think you have a wonderful post that shows that grit and determination will get you to the destination you seek. I have been pondering what to do next with my Corvette. She took her First Junior at Greensburg PA in 2005 and her Senior at Hershey in 2009. I'm not sure if she is at the Grand National level...but I'm pretty biased as I know every pore of her body. Rick Race, a noted Corvette Collector made her a Celebrity Pick at Carlisle again this past fall, so maybe I'll give it a shot. Your post has given me the vibe to look into Grand National competition.

I've been brushing, scraping, heating, pleading with and swearing at a lovely mixture of Rusty Jones, regular asphalt coating and road grime on the GTO and I tell ya (as if you don't already know) this is a CHORE to get off. The underside of the Goat is a uniform shade of goo, some hardened, some not. For the most part I suspect it protected the metal, but I am finding some places where it just encapsulated some moisture, causing all sorts of havoc. Ah, fun with old cars from the rust belt.....

I think AACA is one of the few where judges actually DO judge car to sheet rather than sheet to car. I suppose as well, we are limited by our 400 point total from "nit picking" the car to death as well. Other clubs (mostly marque based) have a lot higher starting point, therefore they can afford to take off points for minor issues that would not rise to the level of a multi-point deduction with our system. Then again, this is apples and kumquats. I would venture that MOST of our cars would receive more deductions in a marque event (I know my 66 Corvette would...and it's pretty darn nice), due to the sheer amount of time spent at those types of shows. I guess my comment is that I have no problem with judges making talleys as they go along, but I suppose AACA instituted that policy for a reason.