SPORTS RODS: ROAD-RACING V-8 HYBRIDS!

Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by MartynL

Rod & Custom historian, Pat Ganahl blogs about the birth of hot-rod-engined Imports, also known as California Specials: SPORTS RODS: ROAD-RACING V-8 HYBRIDS! In the 1950s, imported English Allards, could be ordered with American V-8 engines – Ford Flatheads to Caddys and Chrysler Hemis – while MGs, Austin-Healeys and others required hot rod surgery to replace anemic four-bangers with V-8s. Plus, there were limited-production domestic Kurtis 500-S sports cars available with as much V...

VENTURA NATIONALS: RODS, CUSTOMS, BIKES & GUITARS!

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by MartynL

While he wasn't ready to spike-up his hair and tattoo a car club logo on his chest, Car Guy Chronicle's contributor, Jim Palam, was more than willing to motor South on Highway 101 and immerse himself in the cuffed-denim and octane-fueled culture of the 18th annual VENTURA NATIONALS: RODS, CUSTOMS, BIKES & GUITARS! There are lots of things that go together well – like bows & arrows, macaroni & cheese, Batman & Robin. But for those of us with octane in our veins, the rhyth...

PORSCHE: WERKS REUNION MONTEREY 2021

Posted on September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 by MartynL

Having recently joined the Porsche owner’s ranks with his ‘Poor Man's' 914, Car Guy Chronicles’ Jim Palam took a Friday-the-13th detour from Car Week events in Monterey and headed to Seaside to catch the air-cooled action at the PORSCHE: Werks Reunion Monterey 2021. In the wide-wide-world of sports cars, Porsche is the one enthusiasts call The Perfect Athlete. Built with the promise of perfection, performance and reliability, over two-thirds of all Porsches ever built are still on the r...

BONDED GOODS: ASTON MARTIN DBX

Posted on September 3, 2021 by MartynL

The fabled British automaker's first sport-ute - BONDED GOODS: ASTON MARTIN DBX - will definitely leave you shaken and stirred, blogs Road Test Editor Howard Walker. There'll come a time when Bond, James Bond, will need to hand back the Walther PPK, the MI6-issued Omega Seamaster and the License to Kill. He'll get hitched, settle down, and no doubt have a couple of rug-rats with Moneypenny. The current 007, Daniel Craig, is 53 for goodness’ sake. Arthritis and AARP are surely just around t...

PEBBLE BEACH 2021: CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

Posted on August 28, 2021August 29, 2021 by MartynL

CGC’s Jim Palam spiffs up for the 70th Anniversary of the premier venue for the best-of-the-best classics and specialty vehicles with new gear, classy cards, a black mask and a snazzy haircut. In the process, he coins a new word to describe MONTERREY 2021: PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE: Automotacular! There are a number of judged automobile events that capture the undivided attention of the automotive press and the pulsating hearts of automobile enthusiasts – and then, there is the prestigio...

RANGE ROVER SPORT: SVR ULTIMATE EDITION

Posted on August 25, 2021 by MartynL

Bespoke treatment turns Land Rover’s most popular vehicle into the most luxurious, most powerful model in its portfolio of legendary SUVs - RANGE ROVER SPORT: SVR ULTIMATE EDITION. Special Vehicle Operations has launched a special edition Range Rover Sport SVR with spectacular new solid glass flake paintwork options for the first time. Featuring a selection of exclusive paint color combinations and tailored interior detailing by the SV Bespoke vehicle personalization team, the 575 horse...

MONTEREY 2021: ROLEX MOTORSPORTS REUNION!

Posted on August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 by MartynL

Jim Palam set his GPS and focus on WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as he headed out into a dense morning fog to capture the action and excitement of Monterey Car Week's largest event – historic car racing at MONTEREY 2021: ROLEX MOTORSPORTS REUNION! I consider myself a good driver but I was unusually nervous heading into a heavy fog shrouding the long, ridgetop South Boundary Road that leads to the admissions checkpoint at Laguna Seca. The unforgiving fog was one thing, but the realiza...

MOTION 482-INCH VETTE: THE BEAST FROM BALDWIN

Posted on August 4, 2021 by MartynL

The most powerful Phase III Corvette built in 1969 - MOTION 482-INCH VETTE: THE BEAST FROM BALDWIN was close, but not a true Baldwin-Motion car. It was a 600-horsepower Vette built on a brand-new Stingray from Reedman Chevrolet, supplied by purchaser David McCaughey, a returning Vietnam vet. After serving a couple of tours in Vietnam in 1968, McCaughey returned home to Southampton, PA and gave serious thought to buying the car he had been dreaming about for the past year - a super-perform...

ELKS LODGE 613: GROOVIN’ IN THE GROVE

Posted on August 1, 2021August 3, 2021 by MartynL

This annual gathering of car enthusiasts - ELKS LODGE 613: GROOVIN' IN THE GROVE - reaps big rewards for Santa Barbara area veterans and their families. CGC's Jim Palam brought his support and camera to capture some of the good things that can happen when Car Guys with a Cause gather in The Grove! The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was founded in New York City in 1868. Part of their stated mission is "To inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity – and to...

PONTIAC GTO: AMERICA’S ORIGINAL MUSCLE CAR

Posted on August 1, 2021 by MartynL

Musclecar Maven and Hagerty contributor Scott Oldham blogs about 15 facts you might not know about PONTIAC GTO: AMERICA’S ORIGINAL MUSCLE CAR. In the early spring of 1963, during a “what if” session at GM’s Milford, Michigan, Proving Grounds, a small team of Pontiac engineers led by John Z. DeLorean realized the 389-cubic-inch V-8 from the full-size Bonneville would fit easily in the new midsize Tempest. A week later, they were doing burnouts in the first prototype, and the car widely acc...