Category Archives: Site News

Radwood Announces Southwest Show for Arizona on October 14th

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RADwood began in California in 2017 as a car show that celebrates the raddest generation of cars of the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, RADwood has attracted national attention with shows in SoCal, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, LA, South Florida, and more. Now for the first time, Radwood is coming to Arizona with their inaugural Southwest show on Saturday, October 14, 2023.

RADwood embraces the era of digital dashboards, TURBO engines, and over-the-top cars. Both import and domestic cars and motorcycles are welcome, as long as they are manufactured between 1980-1999.

RADwood events became part of the Hagerty family in 2022, adding to an impressive portfolio of events that includes the California Mille and The Amelia Island Concours.

The event is more than just a car show. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their finest 80s and 90s attire, and that includes roller blades and BMX bikes.

Pre-registration for the Arizona event is $35 for vehicles and $25 for motorcycles. General spectator admission is $20 per person in advance, kids 12 and under get RAD for free! (Entry for General admission will be $25 at the gate and day of). Event to run rain or shine.

The event will be held at Radford Racing School in Chandler from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

Radford Racing School
20000 S Maricopa Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226

For tickets and additional information, please visit: https://www.radwood.com

RML Short Wheelbase Pays Tribute to Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB

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There are a lot of folks in the world who would love to own a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. The problem is that only 176 examples were built. These cars do not come up for sale very often and when they do, the prices are well into the $5-8 million range.

Have you ever wondered what a modernized version of this legendary GT racer might look like? Well, UK-based RML Group has done just that. They have created the RML Short Wheelbase, a 21st-century version of the famous high performance road car.

Inspired by the 250 SWB, the RML Short Wheelbase is a bespoke, ultra-low volume car executed to the highest possible standards. The car is limited to 30 units worldwide, each one finished to the customer’s precise requirements, and priced at $1.35 million pounds plus taxes.

So what do you get for your money? You get a car with a 485 bhp Ferrari V12 engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with open gated transmission, for pure driving enjoyment.

This magnificent engine is packaged in a carbon fiber body that blends classic form with contemporary function. Though it has the look of a vintage racer, it does not require a specialized mechanic to adjust the carburetors every year.

The car features ample leg and headroom even for 2m (6 ft) occupants. A hidden navigation system, air conditioning, and modern stereo with smartphone connectivity and Apple CarPlay are also standard on the RML Short Wheelbase.

I saw this gorgeous blue car on display outside the Portola Hotel during Monterey Car Week 2022. It looked absolutely stunning under the cloudy Monterey skies. It is amazing how a few small changes like flush mounted glass, deleting the split chrome bumpers, and current lighting and wheels can really modernize a car.

For the lucky few who will own one of these cars, they get to enjoy an amazing car that is a capable driver as well as a piece of art. Without having driven it, I think that this car is more comfortable, more reliable, and also more affordable than the real 250 GT it is based on. That makes it a winner to me.

“Green With Envy” – 1994 Mercury Cougar – AZ Facebook Marketplace

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Being able to make the most out of what you have. Modifying something to make it more fun and unlocking some kind of hidden appeal. There exists very few rear wheel drive, two-door cars that are still within the reach of someone looking for a running car that can provide cheap thrills. It appears that the lesser of the MN12 chassis still flies under the radar.

Yes, the questionable green-on-green color scheme is a throwback to malaise domestic market. But if you’re willing to look past the color and aerodynamic treatment that quietly echoes the old fox-body Cougar’s design you will find an interesting package: The same IRS found in it’s chassis mate the Lincoln Mark VIII. This time in iron instead of the Lincoln’s aluminum construction. The 4R70W 4-speed automatic, which is a huge step forward for reliability from the old AODs that the previous 5.0L cars were saddled with. As well as a 205hp SOHC V8 that is one of the better-sounding engines after maybe the 5.0L HO itself.

There are junkyards full of PI-headed Panther cars for those looking for more power, however living in a world where Toyota has been churning out a 14-second v6 Camry for at least a decade it seems a moot point. That being the case, why would you even bother with this car? Because there is an element of cool that cut springs, Flowmaster rumble and rear-wheel burnouts that can’t be replicated by a Camry. Even the fastest Tesla just doesn’t have the same old school charisma found just under the unassuming and obnoxiously green surface.

In a previous life it may have shuttled grandma to Bingo night, still bearing the permanent UV scar in the dash from where the fit-over sunglasses used to rest following a cataract surgery. Maybe it still smells a little like Chanel no. 5 and Metamucil farts, but that’s not anything a set of test pipes can’t fix.

Beware of cat.

 

1966 Pontiac GTO – Barrett-Jackson 2023

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Being an Oldsmobile fanatic, I subscribe to the theory that the 1949 Rocket 88 with it’s 135hp, 303 cubic inch OHV V8 is the original muscle car. To many others the original muscle car is the Pontiac GTO, and I can’t say that I have a good reason to disagree. The formula is simple: Take a mid-sized car and stick the larger engine from the full-size car in it. Add a couple extra go fast parts and a stick shift and you’re literally off to the races.

The Pontiac GTO began life in the early 60’s as a trim model of the Pontiac LeMans/Tempest. Using a creative loophole that circumvented the rule GM had about maximum displacement in midsized cars, Pontiac utilized the 389 V8 and offered it as the GTO option. I think that the Hurst 4-speed manual and tri-power carburetor setup on the 389 is the epitome of factory muscle car, and this 1966 model is the last year you could get this pairing. It was good for a gross rating of 360hp, and that could get you to the end of the 1/4 mile in 14 seconds flat.

Speaking of options, the ’66 GTO was also the first production car with a plastic grill, and this particular model came optioned with a 3.55:1 limited slip differential as well as the “Ride and Handling” package.

The GTO peaked in 1970 with the 455HO model and performance would be downhill until the GTO was relegated to a trim package on what was a badge-engineered Chevy Nova. The X-body platform Ventura took on the GTO name in 1974. An unceremonious end to the spark that ignited the muscle craze, this model would option the car with a 3-speed manual and 200hp V8.

Pontiac would then shelve the name, reviving it decades later for the Holden Monaro imports that lasted a couple years. Say what you will about the exterior styling, even the lesser 350hp 2004 GTO would lay waste to any prior car to bear the namesake. However it only remained in production in the US market until MY2006. Pontiac itself was retired not too long after in 2010.

This particular Goat was retired from the auction block at $66,000.

1984 Chevrolet Corvette – Barrett-Jackson 2023

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The transition from the C3 Corvette of 1968-1982 to the C4 Corvette of 1984-1996 was a bit of a production palpitation for Chevrolet’s flagship sportscar. Model year 1983 essentially didn’t exist and when the 1984 model finally came out it had a modern exterior and interior, new chassis and a novel 4+3 computer-controlled manual transmission with automatic overdrive.

…and also the pathetic Crossfire 350 engine carried over from the C3 Corvette. This 5.7L housed a camshaft that would soon make the 5.0L a serious performer in the third generation F-bodies. It was also topped off with a combined 750 CFM from the TBI units. By 1980’s standards this should have been a recipe for decent power. Instead RPO L83 with it’s convoluted dual-TBI cross-ram was the impetus of the bad reputation that the fourth generation Corvette received.

So how did we end up with just 205hp at 4,300 RPM? Many blame the flow potential of the intake itself, with obstructed peanut ports limiting the airflow to less than 500 CFM before it hit the heads. I would also speculate that the factory 624 heads with their low-velocity ports and primitive chamber design play a large factor in the motors gutless reputation.

That being said I have slowly come to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of the Crossfire 5.7L, even if only for it’s unique intake design and boxy cover. For performance purposes we can be thankful it was only available in the C4 for 1984. From 1985 to 1996 the TPI, LT1, LT4 and LT5 variants would emerge: Engines that would restore the Corvette’s reputation as the ultimate American sportscar. This was the generation of the naturally aspirated, all aluminum, 32-valve 405hp V8. The King of the Hill.

A hill that started as a mound back in 1984 with a paltry 205hp.

This particular 1984 C4 Corvette with it’s 700r4 automatic overdrive and 16,000 original miles finished it’s auction run at Barrett Jackson Scottsdale topping out at $13,200.

1993 Porsche 968 – Barrett-Jackson 2023

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In the US market the Porsche 968 has much less notoriety than it’s other front-engine/rear-drive, water-cooled brethren. It is essentially a final hurrah to the 924/944 platform, but with an updated exterior sharing a lot of design cues from the 928.

The 968’s naturally-aspirated 3.0L inline four was good for an impressive 237hp thanks to a variable cam timing system and some tuning, a 30hp increase over the 944 S2. Keep in mind you were still paying for a Porsche and this car would set you back nearly $40k in the economy of the early 90s, about 3x the cost of a Ford Mustang Cobra.

This particular example seen at BJA Scottsdale came with the desirable 6-speed manual, good for a 0-60 of 6.5 seconds. It was also equipped with power driver’s seat, power windows and air conditioning as well as Moton Clubsport adjustable suspension.

What does all of this add up to in 2023 money? This entry level Amazon Green N/A 4-cylinder that could straight-line with the best of it’s era’s pony cars crossed the auction block at $25,850.