Auto Appraisal

11/24/2023

Hold your fin

11/23/2023

11/23/2023

My son (Miles) and I have not only upgraded older cars, but we've built a few later-model Corvettes. He drove this one to his prom. I'm so proud of him because of the things he does for other people and the dignity he displayed during the toughest time imaginable. .

11/22/2023

About 4 or 5 years ago my son and I found a basket-case Corvette convertible. We did all of the work (including the interior) to bring it back to life. I am just too old and fat to get in and out of the damn thing. I sold it and bought the Trans Am we are working on now. I'll post progress pics on the T/A soon.

11/21/2023

It was an era of rapid change in the automobile industry, which continued to build on the previous decade’s growth in automobile design. Even in the United States, the amount of power being generated has increased significantly. The optimism of the 1950s was followed by confidence and a bullish determination to outrun the competition in the 1960s.

Muscle Cars History – When it all Started

The Classic Car Era gave rise to 1960s muscle cars. They developed as a result of the post-World War II boom in consumer spending. It appeared as if the preferences of American motorists had shifted overnight toward larger, faster automobiles. To stem the tide of imported vehicles led by Volkswagen, Detroit introduced the Corvair, Falcon, and Valiant, as well as models from Fiat, Renault, and Datsun (now Nissan).

Muscle Car History the Early Days

Any mid-size car with an especially powerful engine and aggressive styling is considered a “muscle car.” These cars are built for performance on the street or in drag racing. As a two-seater or two-and-a-half seater, it is distinct from the sports car, which was traditionally considered a two-seater or two-and-a-half seater.

In the United States, the term “muscle car” refers to high-performance automobiles made between 1964 and 1971. The term “supercars” was used to describe all of these vehicles at the time. The horsepower race gave rise to the term “Muscle Car.” John Z. DeLorean and the Pontiac GTO have been widely credited. To kick off the muscle car boom, the 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO gave its small-car, big-engine model a distinct identity.

Even though it broke General Motors policy, the project was a smashing success and inspired numerous imitators, both at GM and its competitor’s well-known 1960s muscle car brands like Chevy and Pontiac GTOs, among many others.

People wanted more power and more speed as the national highway system grew and gasoline became more readily available, so they increased the horsepower of their vehicles. Big block V-8s were put on mid-sized chassis in 1964 as a result of consumer demand.

The importance of the youth market was reflected in the general trend toward factory performance. It was a major selling point of the muscle cars of the 1960s that they offered a wide range of vehicles that were affordable to young people, yet powerful enough to compete on the street and the racetrack. By adding more and more powerful engines to keep up with the increased size, options, and plushness in the 1960s muscle cars, affordability was quickly eroded.

The backlash against this price and weight increase led in 1967 and 1968 to a secondary trend of “budget muscle” in the form of stripped, lower-cost versions of these 1960s muscle cars.

Even though the sales of true muscle cars were relatively small compared to the total output of Detroit, they still had a significant value in terms of publicity and bragging rights. These mid-size 1960s muscle cars attracted young customers to dealerships, who then purchased the standard editions of these vehicles. Turnkey drag racers like the AMC Rebel Machine, the Chevrolet Chevelle COPO (Central Office Production Order), and the Ford Torino Super Cobra Jet have been built at the factory. In the face of fierce competition, horsepower soared to a climax in 1970, when some 1960s muscle cars offered as much as 450 gross horsepower.

During this period, the muscle cars’ performance quickly became a liability. The Ralph Nader-led automotive safety lobby had a stranglehold on the sale of powerful 1960s muscle cars, especially to young people. As a result of its efforts to reduce pollution, Detroit had to shift its focus away from power generation and toward emission control. The 1973 OPEC oil embargo exacerbated the situation, leading to gasoline rationing. It was only a matter of time before the market for muscle cars from the 1960s collapsed.

The Clean Air Act of 1970 mandated performance-impairing pollution control devices. The Muscle Car seemed doomed to extinction when Congress passed the CAFE rule in 1978. With rising costs and complexity, the low-cost traditional muscle car seems to have faded into oblivion. Despite this, performance cars began making a comeback in the 1980s. There are still some models of the 1960s muscle cars that are sought-after collectibles, with some fetching prices comparable to those of exotic European sports cars.

GM ended production of the Camaro and Trans Am in 2002, leaving the Ford Mustang as the last American semi-muscle car (Chrysler ended production of muscle cars in 1974), and the Chevrolet Impala SS as the only other remaining American semi-muscle car from 1994 to 1996.

11/14/2023

Regardless of your political beliefs, it is difficult to criticize the sacrifices made by American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines for their country. Millions of Americans serve in the all-volunteer force for up to a year or more at a time, frequently putting themselves in danger in hostile foreign places. It is a difficult job, and they deserve our respect and gratitude. Thankfully, there are individuals that truly honor these troops. Consider the Classic Glass Corvette Club of Marietta, Georgia, which partially restored Sgt. 1st Class Adam Troxel’s 1980 Corvette while he was stationed in Kuwait for the majority of 2011.

In front of 150 people, including 65 members of the club who brought their own ‘Vettes, Troxel was presented with the updated automobile in the showroom of Day’s Chevrolet in Marietta. Adam’s wife Holly approached her friend and club member Scott Oliver about how best to spend Adam’s $6,000 re-enlistment bonus, unbeknownst to SFC Troxel, who had asked Holly to take care of the brakes while he was away. Scott presented the club with the notion of caring for a soldier, and the club embraced it, jumping into action and utilizing their ties within the Corvette world.

Calvin Cruce, a member of the club, stated, “We jumped on it.” “It was something that we wanted. We simply grabbed up the ball and ran with it. It worked out extraordinarily well for us and for him. Through the contacts of club members and the overall generosity of the Corvette community, we were able to perform a primarily cosmetic exterior and interior restoration.”

In early 2011, Troxel exchanged a Bronco for a Corvette with the intention of restoring its condition, but a nine-month deployment to Kuwait put those intentions on hold. The Corvette spent much time at the home of Carl and Toni Etter, founder members of the Classic Glass group, while he was abroad. Carl’s garage, where he has restored multiple Corvettes, is well-equipped for the task. Calvin Cruce, a club member, stated that with Carl Etter, “We had a lot of experience, all of the necessary tools, and everything else we needed to assemble the car. Without him, it would have been impossible to complete the task.” Members of the club did much more than just replace the brake pads; they nearly overhauled the complete braking system with new pads, rotors, calipers, and lines.

One club member remarked that the interior “looked like a pack of wolves had been let wild in there” before the renovation. The most significant aspect of the restoration was repainting it. Collision Pro, based in Marietta, volunteered to paint the vehicle after being contacted by one of our club’s members. They have a reputation for refurbishing Corvettes. They understand what they are doing. They spent many hours fixing and repainting the bodywork. We could not have accomplished our objectives without Collision Pro. They offered us an absurdly low price, but they wanted to participate in the project. They were excellent.” They chose the Corvette Torch Red of the 2000 model year for the paint job. In addition to benefiting a deserving soldier, the club also benefited from the effort, despite the hard labor and long hours involved. Cruce stated, “We did it because we wanted to.” “It was an act of devotion. I will say that the entire Corvette community with which we interacted stood up and went above and beyond. Without a doubt, we had a great time because we bonded as a group while doing it.

Seeing Adam’s reaction when he first saw the car was definitely worth the countless hours of labor we invested. I can think of at least a dozen individuals who spent countless hours working on the car. Some of them had a mechanical aptitude, but they had never restored a Corvette before, so it was an educational experience for them. It was very enjoyable. It was enjoyable. It was arduous labor. It was occasionally annoying. But the finished result was worth every minute, every scraped knuckle, and every obstacle we encountered.” Many components, supplies, and services were provided for free or at steep discounts. Cruce stated, “I have to commend the Corvette community as a whole for standing up and doing what was necessary to help us make this happen.” “I’ve always maintained that cars bring people together, but the people you meet in the Corvette community are truly exceptional.

07/24/2023

One of the cars I appraised earlier this month. 1923 Ford T-Bucket Roadster. ZZ4 (350) muscle car monster. 2nd owner.