1970s Chevrolet Monte Carlo “Custom Cloud”

Posted on by
2

My fellow editors spotted this car in a random driveway while we were cruising around one night. Since I had my camera and took a picture, I get to write about it. The car was not immediately recognizable and the guys spent several minutes speculating about what it might be.

As it turns out, this odd-looking vehicle is actually a very rare luxury car called a Custom Cloud, which was built on a 1970s Chevrolet Monte Carlo chassis. In a lot of ways, this car is similar to the Stutz Blackhawk, only with a more down-to-earth price.

Continue reading →

1970s Champion TransVan

Posted on by
3

Nothing says “mid-1970s” like a compact motorhome built on a full size van chassis. I spotted this retro camper and unfortunately did not have my real camera with me. So I have just one photo of this groovy cruiser.

TransVan was a line of Class B motorhomes produced by Champion in the 1970s and 1980s. You could get a Dodge-based model with a 360 V8 or a Chevy-based model with a 350 V8. They came in 17, 19, 21, and 23 foot lengths with two different interior configurations each. This particular one rides on a Chevrolet G30 chassis with dually wheels in the rear.

Continue reading →

2014 Arizona International Auto Show

Posted on by
Reply

Going to the Arizona International Auto Show with my friends has become an annual tradition. This show travels to over a dozen major US cities and always comes to Phoenix for Thanksgiving weekend.

Last year we did something a little bit different. Instead of walking the floor and looking at all of the new models, we stayed outside and went on a bunch of test drives instead. That was so much fun that we did the same thing again!

This year, I drove 7 different vehicles in one day. I tried to pick some cars that were different from my usual go-fast machines. Here are my impressions of the cars I drove this year:

2014 Kia Sorento SUV

I drove the Optima Limited with the 2.0 Turbo last year and was thoroughly impressed with it. Rather than take it for a lap of Phoenix three years in a row, I picked something completely different: a V6 crossover SUV. One thing I really liked was the panoramic glass roof. It had excellent visibility, especially for the rear passengers.

Continue reading →

Severed in the Southwest 2013 Video

Posted on by
1

Once a year, the Severed in the Southwest car show rolls in to Castles N Coasters in Phoenix. The show is a playground of trucks, cars, lowriders, classics, and features a good mix of street and show vehicles. This year, Generation High Output was on location to capture the action at the 2013 show. Check out the video below: