There is just something very special about a vintage Alfa Romeo F1 race car… No carbon fiber, no electronic gadgets, just pure race car.
Vintage Alfa Romeo F1 Race Car
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Category Archives: Cars
1958 Jaguar – at Cars & Coffee Upstate
1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet
This weekend I visited my friend Cator’s fabrication shop where he keeps his 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet. We were done working on one of his other hot rods trying to wire up a Hemi with fuel injection when I asked to uncover the Merc and take a few pictures
According to Cator, these are very rare cars to begin with – only about 1200 of these two door, two-seater, convertibles were sold. Cator went through great lengths to make this awesome ride a reality and boy does it pack some serious heat! Given it’s rarity, I am sure many folks reading this post will have something to say since this car is far from stock. Then again just like me, Cator built this car for his personal use and enjoyment.
The black paint is flawless and shows the amount of work that went in the bodywork to make it look this smooth…
Yes, this 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet is powered by a seriously hot Chevy 350 with triple carburetors. Cator built this car before we had a chance to convert him to fuel injection! That is why his current hot rod will be powered by that late-model fuel injected Hemi. But I digress…
The spring loaded star was a little off center because I bumped it when I took the car cover off…
The grill and bumpers are all original to the car. There is some serious bling going on here!
My iPhone did not do this amount of chrome justice – the smooth black firewall and all that chrome is stunning…
The engine is mated to a GM transmission and this runs to a 9″ Ford rear end with a solid axle.
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- Air ride suspension…
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- Suicide doors…
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- Fully operational canvas top…
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- Special trick Mercedes star…
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- In the weeds…
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- Fully lined canvas top…
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- Rear of the top…
This Merc is fully decked out with an air ride suspension. Check out how low to the ground it can be lowered! It is also equipped with a nice AC system that blows very cold air! The interior is outfitted with plenty of leather. And, the canvas top is fully lined – the top’s frame is completely hidden from view and according to Cator, makes the ride very quiet.
I need to get Cator to bring this bad boy to Cars & Coffee. I’ll have another set of pictures soon…
LSx in a Honda S2000
I found today’s picture while randomly surfing the web: an LSx in a Honda S2000. Holy crap on a Ritz cracker. Damn! This is what I am talking about.
Don’t take me wrong, Honda’s S2000 is a mighty special machine it its own right. I know; I own a pristine example. The F20C engine is – in my opinion – the only “true” engine on the S2K revving all the way to an astonishing 9000 RPM’s. As good at the F20C is however, torque is not exactly what I would call one of the S2K’s stellar features. Instead, one has to keep the engine high in the rev range to enjoy a spirited ride. And when I say “spirited” I mean this as a kick-in-the-ass kinda ride. It is awesome.
But… What would make this ride even better? Turbo? Supercharger? Meh. Boring…
If you are going to do it, do it right. Just like the photo above. Now we are talking! I have no idea if handling would go to hell with the extra weight of the LSx lump but note that even with an LSx the majority of the engine is still behind the front axle plane. The dude that owns this blue S2K certainly did a top-notch job. Note how incredibly clean that installation is. Very hard to do.
No. I am not proposing cutting up my very special S2K. She stays stock. But… Who knows. Finding a high mileage, decent body would be an excellent platform for something like this. Wow. Possibilities are endless!!
Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
Fifty some years ago, the Ford Motor Company decided to build the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner. This beauty had a fully retractable hard top (eat your heart out BMW!) that folded itself in a very complicated way into the trunk.
Well, turns out tonight I was watching the six o’clock local news and they ran a story on the retractable top Fairlane. The story talked about how the International Ford Retractable Club had its 2013 National Convention here in Greenville, South Carolina. As expected, the inept reporter from Channel 4’s staff conveniently talked about everything but where the cars were on display. A little Googling solved the problem: the cars were on display at the local Hilton.
Since today was the last day of the meet, I decided to jump in the S2K and head out to the Hilton’s parking lot. Sure enough, a few of these timeless beauties were still on display. Oh man! What a treat. I took a few photos which I have added to the following gallery. If you are on my mailing list you might want to visit the site: the photo gallery does not transfer to the email. Take a look and make sure to click on the photos – they will open to their full size!
Some priceless gems, don’t you think? The turquoise 1959 is very impressive, with the entire top mechanism in full display. The trailer queens were equally amazing. Several others were safely stowed in fully covered trailers. Some parting notes:
- I thought the “Air Conditioned by Ford Select Aire” emblem was pretty awesome. Most intriguing, the emblem only appeared on the passenger’s side.
- How about the “Continental” kit affixed to the rear of the car with the spare tire mount. I bet it took some getting used to the fact that an extra 2 or 3 feet worth of chrome is behind the trunk.
- The paint colors on these cars is just so awesome! Just imagine what these beauties looked like back in the day with their bright paintwork and gleaming chrome.
- Fender skirts… Chrome… Body colour dashes… Fender Fins… All centerfolds in their own right – classic automotive porn at its finest!