By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

Pete Kapiris is a name that you’ve probably heard if you are a follower of doorslammer drag racing. Kapiris has been a long-time standout in the Aussie Top Doorslammer class, which are very similar to American Pro Mods. Until just a few years ago, the Aussies were the quickest ‘slammer pilots in the world. With Pro Mod rules being loosened here in the states, that gap has all but closed.

We found a post on an Aussie drag racing site featuring the freaking awesome 1958 Chrysler Saratoga Top Doorslammer that Pete Kapiris’s shop has just finished prepping and he just started testing. This monster is definitely a runner as the team laid down a 6.20 lap on the first day of testing! The national record for the class is down at the bottom of the 5.80s, but a first day 6.20 is nasty!

Murray Anderson built the chassis and Kapiris just kind of fell into the Saratoga body. According to the story, Anderson had finished this chassis for another customer who pulled out of the deal half way through the process. He told Kapiris it was available and voila! He now has one of the most distinctive doorslammers on the planet!

Hit the link below to see more photos of this truly evil car!

Source — FastDoorslammers.com — Kapiris Brothers Racing Batmobile

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

First things first, Lister Corvettes are not really Corvettes at all. The name came from the late 1950′s when the Lister chassis started making their way to US shores from Europe and racers began bolting in hot small block engines from Chevy Corvettes. This in-car video shows a 1958 Lister Corvette that is packing a 600hp small block. It’s awesome and shows that driver Ed Dellis has some skills to keep it on the track!

Crank up the speakers and really pay attention from two minutes on when Dellis starts letting the car eat. It’s sideways more often than straight!

By Dan Strohl

Hemmings

It’s not unusual for auction houses to pull cars from the docket prior to the actual auction, but two rather high-profile cars were pulled from Barrett-Jackson’s lineup this week, and the company has been none too shy about saying why.

The first, lot 1258.2, a 1958 Chevrolet Impala that the auction house previously advertised as once owned by Buddy Holly, was pulled on Wednesday because questions arose about whether Buddy Holly really did own that particular Impala. Continue reading at Hemmings

Icon: an image or representation. American sports car icon: a first generation Corvette, red with white coves, thank you very much!

55 years after the concept was first unveiled at Motorama in January, 1953, the Corvette is still America’s most beloved sports car. Through six generations, more than a million Corvettes have been delivered to lucky owners. While there have been faster, better handling cars, the first generation Corvette has retained a place in hearts and minds as the favorite.

It’s actually the second design of the first generation that is best remembered. Corvette production vehicles debuted with rocket taillights, mesh-covered headlights, side-curtains and a “Blue-Flame” six-cylinder engine. Instead of axing the dismally selling vehicle, Chevrolet opted for a sleek restyle in 1956, featuring the historic option of color-contrasting exterior coves, which helped increase sales five-fold. Continue reading…

Continue reading "Driving an American Sports Car Icon: the 1958 Corvette" »