Author Archives: Trevor Freeman

About Trevor Freeman

Trevor is a real gearhead who loves everything from classic American muscle cars to high-performance exotics. When he's not reading about cars or taking photos at a car show, he's probably out cruising around. He is currently working on restoring a 1980 Chevrolet Monza hatchback.

Mr. Gasket 1966 Chevrolet Suburban ‘Lime Crush’

Posted on by
Reply

One of the more eye-catching vehicles I saw at SEMA 2013 was this 1966 Chevrolet Suburban at the Mr. Gasket booth. Nicknamed “Lime Crush,” this vehicle is the perfect southern California hot rod/surf wagon.

This classic Suburban was built by The Roadster Shop in Mundelein, IL. You may remember them as the same guys who built the C1RS Corvette and other fine custom cars. I love their work, and this vehicle is no exception.

Under the hood is a GM ZZ454 crate motor that very likely cost more than my first year of college. Dyno information wasn’t available, but a ZZ454 in stock trim makes 440 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque – which is plenty enough to get things movin’. The whole engine is decked out with Mr. Gasket accessories including carb, intake, valve cover, and exhaust gaskets, Mr. Gasket thermostat, PCV valve, and more.

Continue reading →

1967 Chevrolet Camaro Restomod by Ultimate Auto

Posted on by
Reply

If the above photo doesn’t stop you in your tracks, you had better check your pulse to make sure you’re still alive!

This sizzling hot 1967 Chevrolet Camaro was on display at the BASF booth at SEMA 2013. The car was built by Ultimate Auto in Orlando, Florida. Nicknamed “Ultimate Sixty Seven,” this car looks absolutely stunning in BASF R-M Carizzma “Ruthless Red” paint.

Continue reading →

Ringbrothers 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 “Afterburner”

Posted on by
1

There are a lot of hot rod shops all around the country that build show cars for SEMA, but none of them grab attention quite like the Ringbrothers. Based in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Ringbrothers was founded by brothers Mike and Jim Ring.

They’ve made a name for themselves as world-class car builders, and I had the priviledge of checking out one of their creations at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. This is their take on a 1964 Ford Fairlane 500, which they have nicknamed “Afterburner.”

Continue reading →

1974 Toyota Corona 2000GT Hardtop Coupe

Posted on by
2

While wandering around at Cars and Coffee a few weeks ago, I spotted an odd-looking car with its rear view mirrors attached to the front fenders. “Oh yikes, this thing probably belongs to some weeaboo guy who gets a raging boner from reading his collection of Initial D mangas” I thought to myself. But as I got closer, I could see that this car was not some wanna-be drift machine covered in JDM stickers. No, this car is the real deal.

I’ll admit that when it comes to vintage Japanese automobiles, I know next to nothing about them. However, I know just enough to recognize that this right-hand drive Toyota Corona 2000GT is a very unique automobile here in the USA. Having spent a couple of hours researching mid-1970s Toyotas, I can now proceed to share with you some information about this car.

Continue reading →

1973-1979 Bitter Diplomat CD

Posted on by
4

At first glance, I thought this car was a Lamborghini Espada, or some kind of Maserati, or perhaps even a DeTomaso? As it turns out, it is actually a very rare and short-lived car called a Bitter Diplomat coupe.

The idea for this luxury gran tourer came from Erich Bitter, a German racing driver turned entrepreneur. He started Bitter Automotive in the early 1970s and set about manufacturing passenger cars.

Continue reading →

1982-1986 Toyota Supra Mark II

Posted on by
Reply

The 1980s were a gold rush of Japanese sports cars making their way to the United States. Manufacturers were importing cars such as the 280ZX and 300ZX from Nissan, the RX-7 from Mazda, the Mitsubishi Starion, the Isuzu Impulse, and the Subaru XT. Perhaps one of the most memorable Japanese cars of the decade was the Toyota Supra.

This two-seater sports coupe is pretty much a direct descendant of the Toyota 2000GT I covered recently. It has an inline-6 cylinder engine, rear wheel drive, and a long, sloping front with a hatchback roof. Toyota produced the second generation (or Mark II) from 1982 through 1986. They were badged as “Celica Supra” at the time, becoming just “Supra” in 1986 with the introduction of the Mark III Supra.

Continue reading →