Barrett-Jackson 2016: 1951 Cadillac Custom Roadster

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Trevor Freeman

This car caught my eye while I was walking around the tents at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale this past January. The window sticker revealed frustratingly few details about this cool custom roadster.

From what I could tell, this car began life as a 1951 Cadillac DeVille and was at some point turned into a chop-top roadster. The engine has been swapped out for a Chevrolet LS V8 power plant with a 4L60E automatic transmission. The interior has been redone in tan leather while the exterior has been resprayed a laser red metallic color. Continue reading →

2016 Arizona Concours d’Elegance Delights Again

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Trevor Freeman

The Arizona Concours d’Elegance returned to the Arizona Biltmore resort for its fourth consecutive year. Our team was on hand to cover the event, which took place on Sunday, January 24th, 2016. We would like to thank the Arizona Concours staff for giving us the opportunity to cover this wonderful show once again.

I have to say that having attended all of the previous events, the fourth annual Arizona Concours d’Elegance was the best yet! What began as a one-day show has now grown into a three-day event featuring panel discussions and special celebrity appearances.

Of course, one must also not forget about the cars! This year’s show featured 99 different vehicles representing all eras of automotive history, from an 1896 Benz Velo to a 1972 Ferrari. There were 16 different classes of vehicles, with a special class featuring the work of Carrozzeria Zagato, the famous Italian coachbuilder and design house founded in 1919. Continue reading →

1959 Plymouth Belvedere w/Dodge Viper V10 Engine Swap

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Trevor Freeman

Off the top of your head, what were some of the top supercars of the 1990s? The ones that come to my mind are: Jaguar XJ220, Lamborghini Diablo, Dodge Viper, and the McLaren F1. While all of them were iconic in their own right, only one of them has fallen into the sub-$40,000 range today: the Dodge Viper.

This depreciation has made the Viper’s V10 engine an attractive option for people looking to do an unusual engine swap. People like the owner of this 1959 Belvedere, for example.

Continue reading →

1986-1991 Toyota Soarer Z20

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Trevor Freeman

The Ford Thunderbird will go down in history as the car that created an entire market segment: the personal luxury coupe. Since that time, many other auto makers have produced their own version of the Thunderbird. Over time, the segment came to be defined by a few characteristics: an emphasis on luxury and the latest technology, powerful engines with comfortable suspensions, and of course, a 2-door, 4-passenger seating arrangement.

Although the American economy went through a recession in the early 1980s, things turned around and the demand for personal luxury coupes was on the rise by the later end of the decade. General Motors had the Buick Riviera, Ford had the Lincoln Mark VII, and Chrysler had resurrected the Imperial name for their 1981-1983 coupe. The United States wouldn’t see the Lexus SC400 until 1991, but this car was its Japanese predecessor: the Toyota Soarer Z20.

Continue reading →

1963 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Trevor Freeman

This car haunted me for years.

Seriously, I saw it at a car show and could NOT figure out what the heck it was! It wasn’t until over 2 years later when I saw a picture of a similar car online and learned that I was looking at an Intermeccanica Italia!

Continue reading →

Barrett-Jackson 2016: 1963 Impala SS

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Cameron Tunstall

To most people my age, the 62, 63 and 64 Chevy fullsize cars are more closely associated with the rap or hip culture and low riders. However this particular Impala is pretty strong evidence to the contrary and hopefully a wake up call that the full size cars can be just as interesting as their midsized brethren when it comes to moving fast.

What I like about this car:
1. 340hp W-series big block. Nice.
2. 4-speed manual transmission, a requisite for hauling ass before drivers got lazy.
3. Paint/interior color. Blue, green and metallic. Perfectly 60s.

What I dislike about this car:
1. As much as I like any 348 or 409, this really isn’t “the” 409 that we all know from the Beach Boys’ song of the same name.
2. I feel for a top trim fullsize, the hubcaps leave a bit to be desired. From what I understand, they’re correct for the car, I just don’t care for them.