Earlier this week we stopped by Walden Speed Shop to observe what makes these world-class metalcrafters tick. Greeting us at the entrance were a beautiful ‘27 T-Bucket with a Buick Nailhead 425 and a partially built ‘36 Ford smuggling an L92 crate motor between its bulging fenders. A gorgeous collection of vintage gas station signs hung like tapestries of automotive art signaled good things in store. Continue reading and view more photos on MotorMavens!

This week’s ebay Motors Showdown really hit a chord with people. Even with our ongoing commenting issues (now even I can’t comment, and yes, we are working on it) we got a HUGE response on this one. At first it looked like the IROC was gonna walk away with it, but then the Fox body rallied, and in the end this one is just too close to call!

Looks like the 1988 Camaro IROC Z-28 got bid up to $4,550 with the reserve still not met before time ran out. The 1989 Mustang GT auction still has three days to go, with the bid currently at $2,550. But any way you look at it, both of these cars offer a big bang for the buck. And we’ll definitely run more Mustang vs. Camaro shoot outs in the future, cause they are a of of fun!

The green category seemed a little subdued this year, and there were a lot of cars we’d already seen during previous visits to SEMA. Still, that didn’t stop us from finding some real standouts in the zero-emissions, electric, hybrid, and alt-fuel divisions–showing that green performance is still alive and well. For one thing, there was the Corsa Motorsports hybrid-electric LMP1 car, which will be running a full series in the American Le Mans Series this year. And the Progressive Automotive X Prize contingent was out in force, vying for the $10 million prize in the race to build marketable ultra-fuel efficient cars–we thought the Saba Motors electric roadster was one of the coolest rides in this section. The LPG-powered ‘56 Ford pickup was an absolute knockout with its candy paint, copper-lined engine compartment, and propane-powered 460 big block. That all-electric 1976 Porsche 912 took a more subtle approach to vintage green, looking refined and flawless following its concours-level restoration and EV drivetrain conversion. Then finally there was Factory Five’s new electric hot rod, a total show-stopper that handily lived up to the hype that’s surrounded it in recent months. Vote on your favorite SEMA green car, below!

Ok guys, time for a 3rd gen vs. Fox body showdown! This 1989 Mustang GT looks to have been nicely redone and it’s a 5 speed to boot. The 1988 Camaro IROC Z-28 is unrestored and has some fading paint, but this is slightly rarer car, too, with the L98 5.7 liter TPI (which was only available with the automatic). And of course both come in a killer black/grey color combo. So, which would you choose?

Ah, motorsports–it’s so much more than racing these days. The motorsports contingent is always huge at SEMA, and it’s one of those categories that can literally go from A to Z: there are so many variations on automotive competition that there’s no way you can expect to capture a representative cross-section. That’s okay–it just allows us to focus on what we find cool, with shameless subjectivity. In the interests of inclusiveness, we’ve tried to hit as many of the hottest motorsports series as our five entries will allow. NASCAR is represented by the new Nationwide Series Mustang, running Ford’s all-new Roush Yates FR9. Then there’s the 2010 Camaro’s debut entry in Formula Drift, which will definitely be on our radar in the coming season. Chris Rado’s insane Time Attack Scion carries the torch for that genre. SCCA is represented, albeit in vintage form, by Bob Boileau’s multiple-championship-winning Civic. And the Traxxas short-course race truck rounds out the motorsports fleet for off-road racing. Um, yeah, we totally skipped NHRA. And a bunch of other stuff. Oh well, time to hit the polls!

With the Mustang, Ford is in possession of a very valuable property: a modern car with soul and character. Think about it: the vast majority of car companies these days make all of their models with uniform styling features. It’s even hard to distinguish between different cars of the same class these days.

It’s for this reason I’ve developed a bit of a soft spot for this retro macho machine, especially the hotted up versions that companies like Shelby and now RTR are putting out. The Mustang is a car that hasn’t forgotten what it’s about and is the only pony car in the US which has had a continuous production line back to the 1960s.

I also love driving Mustangs… I have to admit it. The raw experience appeals to the masculine side of my personality. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Rod Chong

Rum runner? Given the location – Dobson, North Carolina – the black paint and the hop-up parts, that’s certainly a possibility. From the seller’s description:

1940 Ford Standard Real moonshine car. This Black 40 is a rare find can be seen in NC. This car has new paint and new Hot Rod Interior. This car has a FLATHEAD engine with headers along with 3 carbs & aluminum intake. Edelbrock Heads help make this car a real find. Original 1940 NOS Running Boards. Three on the tree just like Henry wanted it.

Seller’s asking $49,500. More pics at Hemmings

The $5.5 million BIN is a bit steep, but there is a lot of cool documentation in the ebay auction, so check it out! Think it would make a good investment? Via Jalopnik

Everybody who’s ran hot laps in a video game has wondered how their skills would translate to reality, and that’s why the latest video from Ford’s Mustang ‘10 Unleashed campaign is so fun to watch. Ford held a competition to find the best Need For Speed gamers, had the top four practice driving a Mustang in the game, then took them to a track to see who could come closest to their times in a real car. From the clips of them practicing virtually—um, and why the hell are they playing with controllers instead of wheels?—I was thinking the poor Ponys selected for this stunt were going to wind up in the crusher, but the Ford folks wisely chose to do this on a course without barriers.

I’ve found it a little funky-looking in some of the renderings and photos that have been circulating, but when I saw it in person in the Ford booth at SEMA, the new Nationwide-Series Mustang just looked plain mean. Plus, this is seriously historic: while Mustang has dominated a ton of other motorsports series, it’s been largely absent from national-level stock car racing, so its entry into NASCAR is a pretty big deal. And moreover, the rear sheetmetal, even though it’s a NASCAR-mandated template, looks better than the factory Mustang’s 2010 back end. The Nationwide Mustang will be running the new Roush Yates FR9, an all-new beast and a complete departure from the 351-based motor that Ford’s been running in NASCAR since ‘91. More pics…

Continue reading "The New NASCAR Mustang at SEMA" »

This little number was residing over at the “Green Car” display area, in which the Ugly Prius, and the Electric Porsche 912 was also on display. So you are wondering, why is a tricked out 1956 Ford Pickup hanging around with electric and hybrid vehicles? Two Words; Liquid Propane. Read more after the jump!

Continue reading "Propane Powered 1956 Ford F-100 Pickup by Steve’s Hot Rod Shop at SEMA!" »

The Blue Oval was a major sponsor of SEMA this year, and while their booth was in the same primo spot that it always has been, it seemed that they pulled out all the stops for their display this time around. There was just so much going on here: there was a double Mustang giveaway, including both a 1967 and 2010 GT500; there was an off-road driving simulator that gave you a chance to take the Raptor for a virtual test drive; there was a temporary tattoo parlor where you could get your Ford branding of choice stamped into your flesh; there were interactive demos of Ford engine internals, and display motors ranging from the venerable flathead V8 to the Roush-Yates NASCAR 358; there was the Galpin Auto Sports live build of a ‘69 Mustang, which took place over the course of the show and included installation of a fuel-injected Ford Racing 392 putting out 550 hp. Mustangs were of course huge this year, with the 2010 redesign and all–but there was also a ton of Fusions, Foci, Fiestas, trucks, Lincolns and concept utility vans–and like a lot of the automakers this year, Ford gave a nod to its performance history, including in its lineup such heavies as the GT-40 and the 427 Fairlane Thunderbolt. The booth was overall very splendidly done, and it was always absolutely swarming to the extent that getting decent footage of the booth in its entirety could only be done after hours. Click below the jump for a ton of pics, along footage of both the booth as a whole and the Galpin Mustang build.

Continue reading "Ford At SEMA" »

I’m one of a number of people who just doesn’t quite get the ‘10 Mustang. It’s not that it’s awful, it’s just that I like the ‘05-’09 better. Well, this year’s SEMA show, with all its awesome ‘10 Mustang builds, has done a lot to help the new car grow on me–and it certainly doesn’t hurt the cause to see one tricked out as a badass drift car. According to the guys at the Falken booth, Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Mustang is the only 2010 currently in Formula D, and the car is expected to run a full season next year. Under the hood is a Whipple-supercharged 4.6L Aluminator v8 by Ford Racing, putting out 680 hp and 650 lb-ft torque, mated to the same 4-speed gearbox they run in their NASCAR program. I’m thinking that Hankook Camaro had better watch out! See more pics below the jump.

Continue reading "Vaughn Gittin Jr’s 2010 Formula Drift Mustang" »

Best of Show, the award for “outstanding achievement in design,” went to this incredible Ring Brothers ‘64 Fairlane in the BASF booth. The car is powered by a Roush 427, rolls on Forgeline 3-piece wheels, and sports a carbon fiber hood, front and rear bumpers, side air intakes and deck lid spoilers. This was one of the hardest cars to photograph cause it was always mobbed. More pics and a quick video after the jump!

Continue reading "SEMA Best of Show: Ring Brothers ‘64 Fairlane" »

…Yeah, they’ve also got a Challenger widebody kit that extends the front fenders 3″  on either side, and parts that’ll dress up your plain-jane C6 Corvette as either a Z06 or a ZR1. And can you name any other booth at SEMA that has a new Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, and Corvette? Talk about covering all your bases. More pics below the jump!

Continue reading "Classic Design Concepts Claims First 2010 Mustang Shaker Hoodscoop" »