By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Carlisle is known for putting on some of the most massive car shows in the East–hell, in the whole country–and last weekend was one of its most anticipated events, the Performance & Style show. CarDomain member Matt Hoover was there, and he shot us a whole gallery full of gorgeous photos. The show focuses heavily on the tuner, sport compact, and mini-truck segments, but it’s definitely a something-for-everyone kind of event–so head on over to the Events section and check it out!

Paul Balze, AKA FuryPaul, sent me a bunch of pics and a description of the retro dealership at this year’s All-Chrysler Nationals.

Last year, the folks at Carlisle Productions decided to add something new to their ever-growing All-Chrysler Nationals: The Retro Dealership display. A vacant former dealership located outside Gate 1 was transformed into Beeney Motors, ready to show off all the new 1967 models. Vintage dealership promotional materials were placed around the showroom, along with a period-correct candy machine, and the picture was completed with the addition of several "brand new" 1967 Mopars inside the showroom and outside as well. "Used" pre-1967 cars were parked outside and the service bays were dressed as if the crew had just left for the weekend.

The retro dealership was so well-received in 2007 that they decided to do it again this year, changing over to 1968 models. The windows were decorated to promote the "new" Charger and Road Runner, and this time they were apparently directing any participants with 1968-model Mopars to park at the dealership (my ’68 Fury is far from mint, but they said to park there anyway).

The restyled-for-1968 B-bodies were well-represented, with several Chargers and Road Runners displayed inside and out on the lot. Other standouts were a Hemi GTX convertible, a 383 Dart GTS, the restored Speedwin Automotive LO23 Hemi Dart and the original, George Barris-customized ’68 Dart convertible from the "Mannix" TV series. A nice assortment of Barracudas could be found outside, as well as a few C-bodies.

More pics after the jump, or you can check out all of Paul’s pics at Flickr. Oh, and if you missed them the first time, check out our pics from Carlisle in the Events section.

Continue reading "Retro Dealership at the All-Chrysler Nationals" »

Carlisle hosts the biggest single-make car shows in the world, and its All-Ford Nationals this year were huge, with thousands of cars and trucks in attendance. It was 97 degrees and humid, but that didn’t stop throngs of blue oval fans from coming out to show off their rides and swarm the massive swap meet and vendor area. Cars at the All-Ford Nats can best be thought of as divided into two major categories: Mustangs, and Everything Else—there really are that many ‘Stangs that show up for this! I snapped as many of them as I could, and hope to have done justice to this massive event. Check out all the photos in our events section, and click here for my compiled blog coverage of the All-Ford Nats!

Dan Lee’s 1953 Ford pickup is a real standout for the work that’s gone into it, and for the sheer variety of sources for its parts. The motor is out of a ’79 Ford truck, bored and stroked to 434 inches. It’s running Ford Australia heads and gets 10.8:1 compression over the stock engine’s 8:1. A 5.0L Mustang computer governs its fuel injection. Dan originally bought the truck in Riverside, CA—it’s made quite a journey, in more ways than one, to get to the point where it is today. Awesome work, Dan!

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Decades before the likes of Mitsubishi and Mercedes started pretending they’d invented the idea, Ford successfully manufactured and marketed its motorized retractable hardtops. The Skyliner was offered in 1957, 1958, and 1959, with each model year getting a complete cosmetic redesign. Despite the roof mechanism’s reputation for complexity and unreliability, the gorgeous examples I saw at the All-Ford Nationals didn’t seem to be having any problems. See the whole gallery after the jump!

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I counted ten of the Starsky and Hutch mid-70′s Torinos at the All-Ford Nationals this year, hanging out in their very own special section. Seeing them all together makes you realize that, even for rides purpose-built as replicas or tribute cars, there’s ever-so-slight variations paint-shade, markings, etc. With his ’73 Ian Rosen seemed to be going for hardcore authenticity—his car even got hired as a promo vehicle for the Toronto and Montreal premieres of the Starsky and Hutch movie in 2004. It’s got a 351 Windsor a Carter AFB 9600 carb and Flowmaster duels. And the Starsky and Hutch badges on the dash are a nice touch! More after the jump.

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Lloyd Brown had never entered a car in the All-Ford Nationals before, so he was stoked to win first place in Mach Mustangs with his 100% original 1969 Mach 1. It’s an older restoration, with a 351 Windsor topped by a 600 cfm Holley 4-barrel and the original shaker hood scoop. And yep, that paint is a factory color: Gulf Stream Aqua. Congrats on the win, Lloyd!

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Ah, the Carlisle swap meet. It’s just huge, and I could easily spend a whole ‘nother day here just sifting through the piles of junk. But one thing that surprised me was the sheer number of sellers looking to get rid of whatever heap of dinosaur bones had been festering in their barns or backyards. This ’49 Ford was actually one of the cleaner ones, with a sandblasted frame and a rebuilt motor, and all the pieces basically there, just apart. Maybe you’d prefer a rusty Model A ($3900 down from $4900), a nice T-Bird on a trailer, or a true Rustang with no floorboards, trunk, or motor. And can you believe the prices on the windshields of these diamonds in the rough? The seller might’ve had some luck if he knocked off one or more of those zeroes. I think I’ll stick to my golden rule of never paying more than 500 bucks for a car that doesn’t run!

Noel Clemmer decided his 1930 Model A needed "a rest" so he built this 1947 Ford roll-back to haul it around on for awhile. The rig’s drivetrain comes from a ’94 Ford ambulance with a 7.3L diesel, and to accommodate the ’47′s snub-nose, Noel had to move the engine 6 feet back and convert it into a mid-engined truck. The Model A runs a flathead V8 from a ’51 Ford truck, two Holley carbs, a trans from a ’39 Ford, and a rear end from a ’48 Mercury. Built as a tribute to Noel’s dad, who died in 1957, the Model A is emblazoned with the logo of the senior Clemmer’s bodyshop. The best thing about this kind of setup? I’m pretty sure Noel only had to pay the hefty registration fee for one vehicle. I didn’t see any show-field sticker on the Model A!

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Lisa Sams first saw a Mustang highway patrol car at Carlisle in 1999, and was instantly hooked. She got her first one that same year, the black ’89 Florida State Patrol car in the background (vinyl decals removed). Then she got the ’91 Georgia State Patrol car shortly thereafter from a private seller who’d picked it up at a state auction. This car’s special-service package is 100% complete and functional: it’s got the heavy duty alternator, silicone hoses, transmission cooler, oil cooler, extra fan, and reinforced seats and floor pans required for a high-speed pursuit vehicle. And all the cop gear that got stripped off before its sale had to be painstakingly re-aquired and hooked up: it now has a working lightbar, rear deck lights, PA system, radar unit, and Eyewitness Video System—that camera they use to get all those "unbelievable police chases" you see on TV. Lisa says she has to put covers on any markings that identify it as a police vehicle when she’s driving on the highway—and she’s forbidden from driving it at all in Georgia—but it’s worth it, she says, because most of these old pursuit cars get turned into racecars or trashed, and a few of them deserve to survive intact. I think the Krispy Kreme box is a nice touch, don’t you?

Continue reading "Fords At Carlisle: The Fuzz" »