Rare Bird.. Er Cat 1981 Mercury Cougar XR7 (Craigslist)

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1981-Mercury-Cougar-XR7-01-whiteThe Mercury Cougar had a very strange 5th generation.  Only being around for the 1980-1982 model years it was short lived but included a sedan and for a its last year a wagon (spotted one a while back).  The car as a whole along with the 94hp I6 six on this XR7 pleased no one.  Ford knew this and abandoned the whole situation by dumping this setup for another design also on the Fox platform.  The next Cougars and Thunderbirds launched the Ford aero models. Continue reading →

1986 Zimmer Golden Spirit Neoclassic Car

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zimmer-golden-spirit-frontHaving written about nearly every other type of neoclassic car, I was excited to see my first Zimmer at the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. Like other neoclassic cars, the Zimmer combines the reliability of a modern, fuel-injected powertrain with classic styling. The prominent waterfall grille, exposed headlamps, full-length running boards, and bustleback style rear end are all design characteristics of pre-war American cars.

While there have been many companies that produced cars in this style, Zimmer was one of the most successful. Founded in Florida, the company built over 1,500 cars during their peak years of 1978-1988.

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Hot Rods of Barrett-Jackson 2015

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Just take one look at the Barrett-Jackson catalog and you’ll notice that there are plenty of Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Camaros, Corvettes, Chevelles, and Impalas in lovingly restored condition. That’s great if you like mass-produced cars, but does little to tickle the fancy of hot rodders.

If you are of the “built not bought” mindset, you will appreciate the ingenuity of cobbling together a car from whatever parts can be sourced or scavenged. With that in mind, I present 3 awesome hot rods that I saw at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2015.

1932 Ford Custom Roadster “Dicey Duce” – Lot #376.1
Sold for $25,300

bja-2015-dicey-duceThe Dicey Duce is exactly what you want in a period-correct hot rod! This 1932 Ford is powered by a Grancor Flathead V8 engine coupled to a Granatelli 3-speed manual gearbox. It has a Grancor intake manifold, MSD ignition, and an electric cooling fan. A few other upgrades make this nice to drive such as a rear coilover suspension, steel braided brake lines, and a dual exit exhaust system with muffler bypass outlets.

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Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2015 Review

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barrett-jackson-2015As I was going to the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2015 auction, a thought occurred to me: I have been going to this event for over 10 years! During that time, I have seen the auction grow and change with the collector car market.

In case you are not familiar with Barrett-Jackson, their annual Scottsdale auction is THE collector car event of the year. It’s like the Super Bowl of cars – no other auction has more cars, more attendees, or more media attention than this one. For car guys, visiting is a sacred rite of passage to worship at the altar of speed. It’s hallowed ground, like the Bonneville Salt Flats or Daytona Beach or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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The “Arizona Rattler” 1983 Camaro Z28

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DSCF3331 (Copy)Every year I go to Barrett-Jackson, and I bitch and moan about how there’s always a hundred first generation Camaros and never any good third generation models. Well this year I was pleasantly surprised by two very clean examples. This is the more extreme of the two and the one that has history rooted in our great state. Continue reading →