Gearworld’s Best of 2011: Supercar of the Year

Going through all of the glorious supercars of 2011 was no easy task, especially since it felt like every random country of the world was developing their own supercar. Each vehicle we came across deserved to have their time to shine on the list for best supercar of 2011, but as time went on, it was clear which ones stood out above all of the rest.

A couple of the supercars on the list shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially since they were created by one of the top supercar makers in the world. Then there are the relative newbies to the group that have received enough recognition to warrant praise from the average car enthusiast, but the final vehicle would probably not be recognized by many and its home country may actually cause ridicule to ensue. The end result, however, was enough to give it a spot on our list.

Read More

Found in a family members garage rafters when cleaning, a rare 1968 Scat Pack Super Bee light sign, for sale on Craigslist

Aprox. 55" wide, 35" Tall, 8" Deep
Aprox. 6 lbs
Plastic with cardboard back.
Original hanging chain attached.
Original 2 prong electrical cord attached.
5 original light sockets attached.
original Dodge Dealer Lighted Scat Pack Super Bee Sign. I found this while cleaning out a garage of a family member who had it stored in the rafters. As you can see from the photos, all the light sockets work (non original bulbs) and the plastic does not have any burn marks! Everything is original including the hanging chain.

Read More

Car collector extraordinaire Bruce Meyer defines the acronym CSX as Carroll Shelby Experimental

That is what I thought it was too, but after reading Shelby Cobra Fifty Years, the author Colin Comer, expert in Cobras, defined CSX as Ace car company 3rd series (a =1st b=2nd c=3rd) S was for Shelby, the customer... and X was for export.

So, what is the right definition? I'll have to get the Shelby company, or the SAAC to let me know, and settle this.

Read More

Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage

Named for a storied auto-repair shop on Detroit’s legendary Woodward Avenue, Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage originates in the Motor City, for people who live for cars everywhere.

http://www.vinsetta.com/

here's my opinion of it after watching it:

Started with a look at Bruce Meyer's cars, and some other collector guys with a LeMons Caddy and Bobcat, then a discussion on what is a car person/guy, a dialog with Courtney and Auto Week editor, in a E type Jag.... which the editor calls a Drophead Coupe. Get off your high horse, it's a convertible you egotist. Why are so many editors full of themselves? Ditto Jag owners.

Then a self promoting Auto Week dream week rundown of what the lucky 20 will get to do if they win.

Every moment of the show has a music bed soundtrack as if the watcher can't get enough music, or needs a sound bed to get them through the show. It's too loud. It's not necessary. It's annoying.

Every 5 minutes is a commercial, and self promoting commercial among others. So half the 30 minute window was commercial or self promotion.

So, in a nutshell, mediocre to annoying. Better than Hot Rod TV, but not by much. It's no wonder so many of us keep watching British Top Gear

Read More

Hot Rod Delux turned up a great stroy this month... a found duece had unexpected history, on El Mirage, and a timing tag turned up!

I just keep getting Hot Rod Delux, it never seems like Hot Rod and Car Craft, wasting our money on endless pages of ads and warmed over articles on rebuilding engines and transmissions... they stick to old photos, cool old cars, and lots of interesting stuff turns up... like this duece.

Lewis McMillan bought this one at the LARS (LA Roadster Show) in 1978, and had no idea it had dry lakes racing history. (I label dry lakes racing as "dry lakes racing, LSR, racing. LSR" in the post labels)

He shipped to his home in Lexington North Caroline, and stored it away til he could get to it... 24 years later when he'd collected all the parts he wanted to add, like a Halibrand quick change, boxed frame, etc

Speaking of cool parts, those headlights are 1943 Seagrave fire truck lights!

So when he dug into fixing up the car, he discovered a matchbook with a guy's name on it, and it turned out to be the guy who raced it in 48! Arvel Youngblood. The new and old owners met and Lewis learned about the car... somehow a friend of Lewis found the timing tag and reunited it with the car. Awesome.

Read More

Mary Ann Foss and Black Magic (58 Pontiac), they won the 1964 D/SA title

Long story short, a mother of 4 kicked butt on the track! If you have the 1964 Nov issue of Hot Rod, go to page 72. If I remember, I will scan that and post it here.

Image from http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?action=openalbum&albumid=9980177328148

Read More

The Salt 2 Salt Studebaker set some records at Bonneville this year, with an interesting 182 cu in v8

photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/70716191@N00/sets/72157627367551319/ where they have a gallery of Bonneville photos or go to their home page (the home of the 1953 Studebaker coupe that established the records in: XO/BGC, XO/BFALT, XF/BFALT, XF/BGALT, F/CGALT, and F/CFALT )  for links to many years of Bonneville galleries http://www.salt2salt.hutman.net/

The trick of getting such a small displacement is using a tiny one year only block, and the crank from another model year to get the right numbers.

Read More