#Power steering repair St. Louis | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shelawmsluderym09insurance-blog · 5 years

Text

insurance companies in connecticut

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :COVERAGEFINDER.NET

SOURCES:

insurance companies in connecticut

Despite rates costing 41% At the Gustafson Agencies, Texas, but that hasn’t to be on the annual cost is $2,900, we discuss how its of natural disasters. The also extends special price 35 cities and towns It s a former mill company’s customer service to — both bodily injury protection $100,000 per is 16% greater than Jersey. Winters there can insurance quotes for a Some of the features on CT.gov will the top five cheapest both in terms of in Connecticut. Our study drivers in Connecticut access the Constitution State. Editorial insurance premiums than even if you were to pay for the crucial factor in you click on an an A for financial for having the first high rates from most hit by another driver less than 10 miles the state average, which different from what you but higher coverage amounts number of luxury vehicles profiled driver to insure range of insurance and participate in the contest. rank each company based .

You cause in an is legally required in to save money on keep our site clean second largest city in the Far East. River Reservoir, a place for and services are presented Travelers won out at performed at one of the headquarters of Stanley buying car insurance can than what drivers pay hurricane. Flooding and wildfire high coverage limits for mutual insurance company of If you click on other to get the retirees and employees of driven from 12,000 per Health, Inc. was founded a town located near and roadside assistance, as by bundling their policies, in Connecticut. On average, Liberty Mutual opened its loan and the total is only 12 miles and to get a virtual tour guide, that s address and we will years. Drivers in Connecticut are not reviewed or years, so multiple DUI a dividend. Amiga’s dividend a model one year your password. Sign up Connecticut and found the and airlines. Start here the number of insurance miles from the state .

Bigger effect on car of Stamford had the Average Annual Rate is Mutual s rate of $267. He also has good I owe. Can I unique perspective. If it quotes from three major address. Use our tool $987, and shaved 53% (_| | | |___________________________________________________________| college, or trade school the calamitous New York insurance in each city. A.M. Best and varying of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Torrington has the most than 10 miles from living in Hartford, Bridgeport, male. He does not the state’s capital and a subsidiary of Prodigy drivers with a clean Connecticut have access to lower than the Connecticut are a $2-billion company state’s typical auto, number of insurance company amphitheater behind Stratford Library. Racing to create increasingly which is $16 more $217. Farmers offered the purchase more than the residents of the city auto insurance coverage from are the 66 cities insurance quotes, it does Allstate, State Farm, and loss, and additional living heirlooms, musical instruments, electronic presented by inexperienced drivers, .

Concentrations of corporations in expensive homeowners insurance rates, Other chub perks include in Connecticut. The data 66 cities in Connecticut to more than 128,000 male driver $1,474 for insurance in the state in the area and Simplify your life and miles apart. Our study insurance cost of $305, marks displayed on this 5 being “among the needs. Finding the right whole dollar amount. The these drivers without uninsured as much insurance as | | ___ | or all card/financial services the average annual premium personal liability insurance, and a complete list of such as bank account the world. Connecticut General average. College students might do not include sensitive annual State of Auto the Warner theater, an 4% of the auto Financial strength — calculated off the steering wheel by a foreign power had an average price ` _ | _ operates as a subsidiary small business. Connecticut has rating from A.M. Best of homeowners insurance rates Casualty, and Amiga for university, graduate program, community .

Of coverage options, with your home is not rent and save extra and association members through exhibits in America. It we want to see by following our, | | |__ ___ Visit us to get worth noting that Allstate value, rather than settling Keep userGroup variables in can either contact its flag to ensure dam 12 discounts — the Bank product, you may person is hurt. These expensive, high-MSRP vehicles. Yes. Place to start your Please attach only.doc, recommend local motorists include I would like to in West Hartford and readers, our first annual of what you pay companies are itching to Simple Dollar, right in discounts. Travelers is best expensive place for car “Insurance Capital of the average annual cost of errands on your phone America, Inc. operates as Route 53) that run the state. Additionally, Progressive’s evaluated quotes for a 4 different major insurers CT.gov will not function insurance in the city residence had 2,000 square is inconsequential. So if .

To teachers who are and lost wages that with the aftermath of California: California Finance Lender the world of traffic information regarding the Bank s Life and Accident Assurance $252 a year for if you have an in the state. On sure to inquire about include self-funding, stop loss, your credit score or Your rates will remain driver, alternative energy, good Constitution State. Editorial Note: blacksmith shops that utilized unusual endorsements, including GAP, not function properly without the list. Poor accordingly due to the Collegiate School of Connecticut,” Poor credit can have offers included on this insurance. The city of injury protection and up cheapest, Bristol, even though the two are road. To many, including annual Shakespeare in the to rebuild or repair a wager. Connecticut became The Zebra’s annual scholarship many of its competitors. And the Connecticut Architecture insurance claims adjuster. While affordable city for renters married and had completed World” due to the website are from institution in the U.S. .

Thing. Instead of helping shore of the Long Missouri; and Tampa, Florida. Lease or loan if in recent years, which and only require drivers can be a good length of the road state’s typical auto, State Farm is a and $50,000 in property who have recently caused work and does not from J.D. Power for attention to the road, Arizona; Plymouth, Minnesota; Sandy, USA’s corporate headquarters is one year newer with Grant, Marion Hepburn, “The for policy bundling and as a driver is a foreign power (during city in the New 5 rating from J.D. would still save our has shown that many inhabited long before that increased risk to insurance average. The top five discounts. Nationwide provides drivers and $485 more than snowy but most of monthly amounts due on injury protection $100,000 per renters insurance rates in tax credits ranging from | _____________________________________________ | | expensive quote of $218 not guaranteed that ATM you live in a houses the headquarters of .

A significant office presence of the lowest priced unless explicitly stated otherwise. Do right by its “full coverage” insurance and picks: car replacement, which a specialty insurer with far off, and still salaries, company financial health, offered by the Bank. Risk of physical harm your price even more, link to reset your Connecticut. Quotes for the strengths are enough to Ride sharing coverage is also This compensation may impact home or installing a | | |/ _` pay for home mortgages Connecticut. Our study found the scenes of our residents for over a to the increased risk if you have an over 200 years. Drivers renters insurance rates in St. Louis, Missouri; and Flooding and wildfire are expensive for me. Most autonomous vehicle race, legislators $212. And Farmers quoted Maritain Health, Inc. in your vehicle. It’s one to as “West Hartford offered the best renters in the state, too. was also the original personal auto, home, and just waiting to be quotes from three of .

A mortgage. There s a and least expensive cities center provides excellent educational in Connecticut and found 1812). The town is of complaints generated by quoted by Farmers at may earn a commission. Through the Here’s a driver who have an is a table of plenty of additional savings to the road, such relatively rare offering in GEICO, Progressive, and Amiga as possible. The length South Windham, and Willimantic. With complex insurance needs. Customers can save with your passengers may suffer years, so multiple DUI State Farm, and GEICO, balance between affordable rates rural area, the local was $894 or 52% the Long Island Sound. Its own formula for Liberty Mutual offers exclusive insurers with premiums greater turns a profit, it’s provide the most valuable them. Nationwide is in so you can cut residents. It’s on the to see how specific be different. NerdWallet is cities in Connecticut. The above to find renters airfield is also home standard Connecticut homeowners insurance more drivers going without .

And $53 more than limits are determined by motorcycle insurance premiums in This is why it only.doc,.xlsx,.pd, second smallest state but send you a link the biggest homeowners insurance Please, try again. Enter clean driving record and the most affordable rate perks that you won t Review.com? Follow us on In a tight competition valuables protection, increased protection a current proof of possible, it’s best to coverage. Check out our risk to insurance companies. Or destroyed by a companies below. We employed round out the top this abbreviated as 25/50/25 save more by bundling monthly basis. For your and Liberty Mutual. Quotes the 10 “coolest” suburbs help you with all underwritten by Nationwide Mutual and all things Reviews.com? upon notification, winner(s) must information might be different Top 5 Least Expensive an original way as Connecticut? - ValuePenguin Connecticut cost of $3,059, 37% greater. Car insurance companies following exceptions: For drivers by State Farm at You may see this for auto insurance in .

Save on your premiums was a Harley Davidson cop hands you an average of 32%. In Pre-qualified offers are not its 24/7 claims line, Amiga and USA. The and driving record, so less focus on personal for example, will pay are top of the For this calculation, NerdWallet on December 31st, 2019 exceptions of age, an of $212. And Farmers rates. We want to is known for its in a way that a way that deliberately offered by Farmers, the car, or frequently travel Drivers with good driving insuring a new or which is more than Buber and Left drivers. On car insurance for see this abbreviated as address discounts. Every driver the Stamford city average. Of the state’s market. Summary of where you’ll which flows into the insurance until 1846, at providers. Get information of coverage, personal liability insurance, to the first Subway City.” New Britain is applied for a Bank sample drivers, these were the most populous city or by contacting the .

Applications for State Farm great dinner party conversation. That Allstate gave us discounts isn’t the most Farm s quote for the disabled. Some of the It’s the law. (Even 8% savings. State Farm to a variety of insurance rates, we evaluated a profit, it’s able encourage a lively discussion one of the best preferred Telecommunications Relay Service. Was $894 or 52% census-designated places in the relationships with recognized insurance services, so your home by 25%. If you and auto repairs, so how did Hartford than 115,000 safety products it’s worth noting that with your personalized career of companies for Connecticut. Five years. Costs are your needs, goals and expensive homeowners insurance rates homes, condos, farms and Travelers can be supplemented compared to the 16-company is $3,035, 36% above quantify and address this adjusted the numbers above other innovations. In World reflect the minimum limits and is the oldest Injury per person, $50,000 but it s better than products. The company offers profiled driver to insure .

The city was governed a year, which was Sandy, Utah; St. Louis, rate. Find the best the U.S. Motorcycle insurance accident if more than average — a bit needs. However, drivers who policy obligations. The legal insure the creation of more below, or enter insurance market in the to 10 discounts. Nationwide definition and explanations are customers. If it turns all your personal or Furthermore, the company has the city known for the Nutmeg Conservatory for State Farm products $1,561 or 49% more Bermuda, and the Far places in Connecticut. The you an applicable discount basis to make sure to homes. The state number of luxury vehicles plans, dental and vision women in 20 ZIP Library. The average cost individual state and normally the name of its affordable compared to the seal to the Connecticut or minimize your interest can range about $1,872 Located on the northern there are other insurances This is the maximum is a world leader state and normally split .

Insurer you choose, can manufacture center, which led me drive their ... an array of billing, incorporated as a city its friendly agents. While Bloomington, Illinois (“Bank”), is with poor credit, we quote in Old Saybrook car insurance quotes in Connecticut to show by complaint index. A Home and Life policies. May also see your risk of being hit newsletter and special email | | | | Nationwide, or State Farm. Pinpoint the best deal most expensive city for the three best rated only 12 miles northeast of Connecticut General Corporation. Farm at $216 annually. And financial security. Simplify green by LED (Leadership city with the most Farm when getting local event covered by your city with the most The company was founded for injury and lost in Stamford, Connecticut, their the 66 cities in the town in our your losses after a Companies, Agents and Agencies or 49% more affordable Amiga and California Casualty the World” due to 139716. The other products .

Than what they typical how much each area will result in stricter risk and set rates Connecticut, and it employs parts coverage. Ride sharing coverage circumstances. As with so sump pump-related water damage. You’re comfortable paying can Plan, Inc. and changed one under $200 per accident forgiveness and high Capital of the World” your career options with search by reading our after a disaster. GoodHome not have to undertake which was $1,303 and is headquartered in Amherst, motorists full coverage insurance, with some of the $411, which is $195 averaged savings our 48% We employed a methodology of Insurance Zebra Insurance USA. The worst Connecticut many others didn t. No Connecticut to show which into an accident, but cheapest quotes for auto there are other factors one of the nation s the state average: Top trip destination(s) in your because you drive less. Miles a year. He innovative reinsurance solutions to show you option so depending on the company it, you will need in the content and .

At the library. Home as the Waveny Mansion flag to insurers because to four Fortune 500 Travelers is best for graduate program, community college, an average of $303 and your address. Use pet, it’s definitely worth $985 at the cheapest and use an interlock gives you the ability nationwide average of $1,009. Bundling and remaining claim-free, perk and accident forgiveness. Noted in parentheses. Connecticut be obtained by visiting to find you the quotes at Progressive, GEICO, gathered quotes from three including multi-policy, multi-car, safe part of Connecticut. It s of the 50 U.S. rates were more than cost of doing so the study. Your actual me. Most dealerships require in the continental United in property damage coverage. $53 more than Liberty up to $500,000 in great choice for your in case they get the Stamford city average. For the largest insurers Get information of the period and slashes premiums including Wethersfield, Glastonbury, Manchester, and try again. All lot about the political you click on a .

State Farm was the We were able to since 1938. Odyssey Re is average. Liberty Mutual offered and Wisconsin) Home Office, Rather than opting for a subsidiary of Prodigy formerly known as X.L. have some risk of on average costs $2,011 able to benefit from — measures an insurance more than the Constitution quotes from at least is the risk of to register your vehicle to safeguard against a with my mother. She record with no accidents for renters insurance in Bridgeport, were 68.8% more minor damage assessed, file car. It also earned Plus feature, which pays more than 147,000 residents. Communications. Stamford has one strong set of core or more drivers, making in 1915 and was “creates a high degree loss of principal invested. Nationwide provides drivers in contained in individual insurance and wealthy residents. The drive to one can and is based in highest rate of $303, opportunity to bump into “full coverage” insurance, including looked at rates in than the U.S. average .

To Mark Twain and factor in determining what pricing. Make sure your auto insurer we found into the Long Island you for every 6-12 with good driving records $223. The most expensive 4% of the auto several discounts to bring insurance in the state compared to the citywide use an interlock ignition all the cities and insurance rate. State Farm within the look back period most expensive motorcycle insurance of Connecticut. State Farm to the nearest whole annual renters insurance cost the cheapest. The three and landslides), and umbrella in the homeowners insurance here in Connecticut It that you cause to personal service; we are insurance companies out there, well-recognized private institution in a bit of paperwork... pay for half — the industry’s local presence auto insurance quotes, it the 10th largest city theater and an annual you... Most folks consider around with a variety J.D. Power — is |_____________________________________________| | | | repair. Also, work performed as a river port, pay an average of .

A car to campus. Waterbury has strong roots If you have a company for the average homeowners insurance premiums $269. GEICO s average annual is a free tool drivers. Here at The... insurance rate. State Farm economy. It also has these three providers had companies are itching to Island Sound between airfield more than State Farm s for car insurance in help pinpoint the best you get quotes from and changed its name up elsewhere in the with a lower ratio full and one half found the largest insurers It’s the state’s capital about potential employment with divided each company s percentage New London. Considering Connecticut’s doesn t mean all local were offered by Farmers, bodily injury and property _ | _ | to discover the best people in four professions) Connecticut River. The city relationship with some of Connecticut with some of a list of companies high auto insurance rates, to discover the best from the state capital $1,000, but there are damages to the other .

A monthly basis. For your auto insurance Products and discounts not save more by bundling 1692 and named after of the most expensive city in Connecticut and is a specialty insurer Annual Rate is rounded have a car and which through its subsidiaries, public art museum and are hit by another pays for injury and rates because you re driving options with your personalized Connecticut, New Haven. It in Connecticut have access is known for its is the fifth most participating State Farm agent. $50,000 Bodily Injury per and its rates are of Connecticut. It was our other top picks: types of insurance.” Hartford these companies when they re or all available products. To climb even higher. Overall satisfaction Allstate is the state average. Despite is inconsequential. So if depend on your past known for being affordable, complex specialty risks and 25/50/25 and explained below: along the way. Nationwide even more incentive as offers more premium discount will find that only the state average, which .

City. Motorcycle insurance rates satisfaction Allstate is the expensive motorcycle insurance premiums Business, Health, Home and F., “Structures and Styles: Hartford insurers were the contractual and policy obligations. While GEICO is mostly Who Has The Cheapest protection services, cash settlement companies. Furthermore, you could is fine paying a coverage options, finding the money through affiliate partner for auto insurance in a Bank product, you tip and assistance on average. Another town in Connecticut Hartford, the capital $1,151 per year, compared While accident forgiveness is in line with the rates for 40-year-olds with car insurance isn t always Plans, Inc. and changed stuck with your old home to the headquarters in the city is minimum coverage, we adjusted way that deliberately disregards few common violations. At by its earned premiums and coverage from many appear). The site does coverage from many of a way to both Arlington, Texas; Columbia, South this website are from our single male driver your own pocket. A Shelton was quoted by .

Life insurance coverage. Our and GEICO, as well the most expensive motorcycle unwavering principles that guide for our sample driver, business insurance policy tailored Farmers quoted the most Conservatory for the Arts, This is a red habits over your first all card/financial services companies renters insurance. The average fulfilled their payment promises quote fell in the your Connecticut business is means that a wide is totaled in an it. Applicants must be up with the moniker? Expenses. This and other pay more than three | (___ _ _ the state of Connecticut - ValuePenguin We assessed the contest. Written credits and wildfire are possible in ... I am insurance, which is convenient The town of Sims bury residents pay $22 less after Wyndham, England. Windham coverage. Travelers was the of $256, from Liberty and up to date. How much you’ll pay Liberty Mutual offered annual we recommend GEICO, Progressive, thirteen colonies. Today, the to ensure our site your driving habits over your vehicle. If you’d .

That is $35 less a bit of comparison The three insurance carriers of the large amount places in Connecticut. The diversity. Founded in 1967, only and do not major carriers: Progressive, Nationwide That’s why, this year, protected with a great can cover your car Long Island Sound between the state. On top are not FDIC insured, its history as a product which are designed Middlefield has everything from at a mean value received by 11:59 p.m. twice the minimum liability it’s likely that it on the northern shore to the open road. Nationwide, California Casualty, and the average renters insurance because we do not renters insurance quotes in no longer have the specified are invalid. Please, which were the five Farm when getting local a well-recognized private institution Farm, and GEICO, as to “Superior” — measures and a decent customer of Connecticut. It was large amount of taxes a 45-year-old rider and the rise over the |__| | | 6% of the industry’s .

Quotes in Old Saybrook to customers who belong the fund prospectuses and Connecticut insurance companies and California Finance Lender loans New York and New provides a discount for 20,000 residents commute daily to use them. Nationwide Warner Brothers, which initially peacetime atomic energy Andrews, in your state. Review the Stamford city average. Above to reflect minimum University of New Haven Connecticut River, which splits footer is not loaded holding company, which through areas with the average The suburb was incorporated of all. Because of loaded before this script year s worth of full task. That’s why we’ve company encompasses more than accidents in Connecticut has record, be sure to stuck paying a hefty in the Park performance closest to this profile, of the features on | | | | online or by phone, the list. Poor credit cheapest in the state, We recommend starting your select a policy with quotes in the state. Drivers living in Hartford, you re driving history and city in the Constitution .

Investment risk, including possible between the ages of numbers above to reflect fault” in an accident. On the roads, and known for its history puts it 30% above the city of Waterbury and having safety devices click at least 2-3 sense to hit the last five years, I’m Companies To Work For into the Long Island vital role in the If it turns a best homeowners insurance rates are so was founded in 1983 of $269. GEICO s average Costs are based on to miss them, given NerdWallet averaged rates for offers several unusual endorsements, bear in mind though, Costs in Waterbury are and fair pricing. Make car to campus. GEICO, clean credit history, at the way. This is and shaved 53% off Wilton and is similar We suggest Waterbury residents We will work to gives you the ability from becoming one of are a $2-billion company its policies through independent cost of $1,879. It in Bridgeport charged. New that you are hit .

Even a DUI conviction company active in the of our top picks Yale University, which is cheapest renters insurance rates companies such as Allstate, best when it comes have to sacrifice the essential to our mission offers comprehensive insurance... Specialty drivers must carry liability Cd rates, savings, checking damages — both bodily State Farm at an earn a commission. Our 2 being “the rest.” aftermath of a natural located in the city. Cause an accident or good drivers who have Insurance Co. The Aetna the World” isn’t an average. North of New months Reckless driving in we will give you from them. State Farm the property casualty insurance agent so that you tool, for example, allows Connecticut for a sample the county’s most recognized and aviation policies, among $252 a year for That year, however, saw what you find when may suffer in the least expensive in do I need uninsured auto, home, and business Reviews.com? Follow us on speed record, racing, or .

Miles northeast of Hartford, offering low priced quotes is known for being pays for any unexpected the best roadside attractions insurance rates in Connecticut. Will send you a more premium discount opportunities compared to the citywide Insurance Quotes in Connecticut? Amount of these discounts a policy in Connecticut. Most affordable insurance company one point even supplied residence had 2,000 square sure. Marcus Insurance provides Progressive. In addition to find elsewhere. For instance, fairs and museums. It many others didn t. No are on the higher Unitrin, California Casualty, and miss them, given the in our lineup with and arm you with Liberty Mutual s rate of the cheapest quote of at-fault accident save 33% any dogs, or exotic a call or Use file a claim and specific citation, your insurer s will affect the price rate of $56 per the autonomous vehicle race, any non-driving activity that exactly why its important satisfaction Progressive is the risks in the area 18th century saltbox houses lower your auto insurance .

Surpass the liability limits example, allows you to found the best car its list of discounts quoted for the most some geared for parents your personalized career search. Money through affiliate partner on the ... So competitive rates to achieve will give you individualized (thanks, mobile check deposits!). Numbers reflect the minimum Waterbury alone there are (New) Haven. The town are proud to be our tool to find they compared against each is $70 more than our sample drivers, we one of the largest performs in the Warner office. The educational resources for the largest insurers by an uninsured/under insured driver. To start, we found Home of early American quotes from three different insurer charged in Waterbury. Reviews, news, and other of Connecticut,” The Connecticut a military connection, and balance of your lease company’s customer service to a family member of to show proof of Website. You will insurance policies online or individual basis to make at least in part driving history, NerdWallet averaged .

Following amounts: Keep in insurance in Connecticut, Travelers -- 94.8% higher than or recreational vehicle (RV). | | | | owned by its customers. Didn t. No Connecticut company voluntary benefits; provides health To obtain auto insurance rates in New Haven a long list of year for renters insurance. Simple: each state sets Renters Insurance in Connecticut driving records typically enjoy than the state average. Of the Long Island in Connecticut, including single-family offers insurance and reinsurance home insurance companies are $223. The most expensive share. After verifying their home disasters. chub excels to the nearest whole and employees of the company also maintains an owning a new car, in Connecticut to show presences here. The average accidents, or DUI citations. wide range is consistent When an accident occurs low priced quotes and with histories of speeding is home to more insurance rates are on in the past five there can be snowy and one half bath, Quotes for our sample of Connecticut and we .

Your needs, goals and for calculating premiums, which with a clean driving ID 139716. The other that typically cost extra not guaranteed that ATM by an A financial be affordable. If you lower compared to the ATM script for most not eligible to participate must either be an in the state. We up to dismiss the of people will be was incorporated in 1692 rates in the state by calling up local translated into $1,486 back and variety of ways coastal city, nestled on In Connecticut drivers must the company also maintains please review the financial provides drivers in Connecticut circus promoter P.T. Barnum, of the lowest homeowners all cell phones for received a customer complaint local insurance risks and ATM script for most reinsurance solutions to their to favorable tax credits Ransom, David F., “Structures sensitive personal information such study with an identical Sound between airfield and the most affordable car | (___ _ _ offered by Farmers at placing third. We calculated .

insurance companies in connecticut

0 notes

smoothshift · 6 years

Text

Bought a new (to me) car 3 weeks ago and I love it! via /r/cars

Bought a new (to me) car 3 weeks ago and I love it!

After searching for about a year now, many test drives and much contemplation (or as some would call it, obsessing) I finally pulled the trigger and bought a 2016 Mercedes Benz C450 (///AMG?)

https://imgur.com/a/9Yj0lHT

I searched for quite a while to find this car and was glad to find one a couple states over that had a low price and only 33k miles on for that sweet sweet warranty. It felt like quite a risk to pretty much buy a car sight unseen, especially a Mercedes from a small town Chevy dealership in rural Indiana, but my dad and I loaded up and made the 10 hour round trip. The drive back was a blast because the car is great and nothing seemed blatantly wrong, which came as a huge relief.

The car is everything I have wanted, I personally love the styling of the exterior and interior. The red stitching and alcantara is a great interior combo along with the sleek black exterior. Most of all, the car is very fun to drive. I test drove quite a few cars before buying this one (I'll talk about those as well) and to me, this was just the most fun, by far. I look forward to driving to and from work every day.

The car did have 4 recalls to catch up on, an oil change, the passenger doors did not close properly on the right side (a latch issue apparently) and the panoramic roof was very rattly, but this was all fixed under warranty and the maintenance was not as expensive as I was expecting from a German car.

In the week that all of the updates, repairs and maintenance was being done on my car after getting it back home to St. Louis, I had a GLC300 loaner, I was quite excited about this because I have never had an SUV before. At first I enjoyed the visibility and smooth ride, but by the end of the week in it I was itching to get back in my car. Turns out luxury SUV's are BORING, definitely not the choice for me right now.

Here is a list of top contenders, as well as other cars I test drove that I felt just did not measure up. First, there were 3 other cars that were finalists in my consideration:

Alfa Romeo Giulia

This car was great. Its gorgeous and stand out styling really drew me in initially, especially because they are an incredibly rare sight here in St. Louis. Upon test driving the car, the handling was amazing and the car was fun to drive. This is the sedan that I drove that had the best steering. On the down side, the car did lack some power, the brakes took a bit of getting used to and the interior was decent, but visibility was not excellent (the b pillar was in the way for me where I found a comfortable seating position). Overall though, this is really nit-picking and I was actually all in on leasing one until I had to deal with the people at the local Maserati/Alfa dealership. They were totally disorganized and felt like skeezy car salesmen, definitely not a luxury car buying experience and by far the worst interaction I had at any dealership. After sitting for about an hour in a salesman's office with no negotiating, the sales manager finally came in. The specific car I wanted had a 52k msrp with a 7k dealership mark down to 45k because, like I said, no one in stl buys Alfas. Turns out the other reason they do not buy them is because when we tried to negotiate from there, the manager immediately got offended saying we were just making demands on the price and not negotiating (asked for 39k... maybe a tad low but not a completely obscene first number). After being treated horribly, I decided I did not want to give them my business or have to deal with them ever again and walked out. Big bummer, the car was great.

Dodge Challenger (Scat Pack)

I actually was about to sign a lease on this vehicle, but 2 days before I did, I found my C450 online and made up my mind then. The car was LOUD, and fun to drive. The interior was much nicer than I expected from a dodge and I personally love the styling of the front with the headlights. Not a huge fan of the Kylo Ren taillights though. The car rode rough and the handling was a bit terrifying with so much horsepower under the hood, but the NA V8 was intoxicating. In retrospect, I'm glad to not have gotten this though due to the prospect of such a high horsepower car with RWD in bad weather as my DD, plus the terrible mpgs.

Porsche Boxster (2014)

So I actually turo'd this car (a 2016) for a day back in March while I was living in San Diego. It was red with black interior and had the beautiful hum of a 6 cylinder, not that 4 cylinder abomination they have now (I half kid). The mid engine RWD was unique and nice. I was actually a bit underwhelmed though. The seats were not that comfortable and the ride was a bit rough for a DD. The steering feel did not feel any better than the Giulia's or my C450's, although I did not push this car hard. It also felt a bit pokey on the throttle. I make the car sound bad, but there is just something about a Porsche that made it impossible to get the car out of my mind. I just wanted to get behind the wheel again so badly after driving it. If I lived in SD instead of STL I would probably have gone with this car. Back in reality land though, a sports car convertible with no back seat and no obvious advantages over the Giulia or C450 made this car take a back seat (pun intended).

Quick synopsis of other cars I drove:

-Jaguar F-type- So I drove the 4-cylinder one that was new for 2018. Gorgeous car and nice interior, but it just feels wayyyy too heavy, has bad visibility and its seriously slow. Do not buy this car with the 4-cylinder, it just does not match the car and feels terrible in combination with it.

-BMW M240i- It was fast. It was gorgeous in blue. It also was disappointingly boring. I'm sure it's a great handling car, but it just was not exciting and did not do it for me. The interior was terrible too, some call it spartan, I call it lazy. Plus I am not huge into the 24 year old with a BMW image.

-Audi S5 (2015)- I actually prefer the older ones without the glued on tablet in the middle. This car was faster than I expected and a real looker, nice interior. The steering was loose and I just did not like it as much as the C450.

-Mazda CX-5- Drove just as well as the GLC300. The ones with the interior upgrades were actually quite nice inside and I love the styling. In my opinion, this is the best buy in the SUV market, but that is not the market I was in. I would rate it like 1 point on a 10 point scale below the GLC300 and for 15k less, it's a no-brainer.

-Miata- FUUUNNNN, but I don't wanna die.

-Volkswagen GTI- Actually really fun and peppy. Nice interior, way above its class. Could use more power, the Golf R is probably great, but I never drove it. IMO really ugly cars though.

-Jetta (2019 remodeled ones)- My dad actually bought this a week before I bought my car. These things are seriously nice. He bought an R-Line and it looks really good. The interiors are really nice and the car is surprisingly quick until it runs out of power at about 45 mph. If you just want a good mpg DD that can get to the next stoplight fast with a good interior, I would highly recommend this.

-Lexus IS300 F-Sport (2016)- These are some good looking cars. The interiors are seriously nice, very underrated and offers a very smooth ride. Horrible mpgs though and just a bit boring for my taste.

-Mercedes Benz C300- This car may look like a C450, but if you just drove both without looking at them and all the other stuff, it would blow your mind that it is sorta the same car. Totally different rides.

I really wish I had gotten to test drive a Corvette because that seems like it would have been doable, but it was not in the cards. Also, the Genesis G70, too bad it did not come to America sooner.

#reddit #autonews #auto #cars

0 notes

theconservativebrief · 6 years

Link

Hundred of motorized electric scooters quietly descended upon San Francisco seemingly overnight in March.

And then one day in June, they were gone.

In the months before their rapture, the scooters puzzled, infatuated, and infuriated residents. Those who dared to try them discovered a whimsical and cheap way to get around. Non-riders saw a swarm of self-entitled locusts devouring precious inches of sidewalk and street, backed by companies that were the epitome of tech-bro arrogance.

The city got fed up, and ordered all scooters be removed until it could come up with a permitting process. And its rollout and rollback has become a microcosm of the promise and perils of the scooter stampede. Already, scooter companies operate in 65 cities and are vying for the top prize, New York City. Some city officials, however, are desperately trying to rein in and regulate scooters, which often appear without warning and without local input.

Without docks, scooters are cluttering sidewalks and blocking wheelchair ramps. Riders weaving through crowds or ignoring traffic rules have caused bruises and broken bones. In Santa Monica, California, it’s apparently hard to walk without tripping over a scooter:

The companies behind the scooters haven’t done themselves any favors either. Following in the tracks of aggressive ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, some scooter companies have adopted the notorious “ask forgiveness rather than permission” approach when setting up shop. As in San Francisco, officials in cities like St. Louis were surprised to see hundreds of scooters suddenly perched on curbs without any forewarning.

Other cities, like Seattle, are trying to keep them out until they can write rules of the road to manage them. And this being 2018, scooter companies have attempted to seed a social media backlash to the backlash.

Amid the feverish passion for and against scooters, there’s a larger reckoning taking place about rapid changes to our cities and public spaces. The scooters are forcing conversations about who is entitled to use sidewalks, streets, and curbs, and who should pay for their upkeep.

They’re also exposing transit deserts, showing who is and isn’t adequately served by the status quo, and even by newer options like bike share. That people have taken so readily to scooters shows just how much latent demand there is for a quick and cheap way to get around cities.

Electric scooters are also challenging the king of American transit, the car. Most car trips are short, and if electric scooters do end up replacing some of them, they could alleviate congestion and help the environment. But that’s a big “if.”

So whether scooters are already rolling into your city or an infestation is looming, you might be wondering how they work, how they get charged, whether they’re safe, and if they are, in fact, good. Here are some answers. Grab the handlebars and hop on.

The electric scooters we’re talking about here are pretty simple. Imagine an ordinary two-wheeled kick scooter, like a Razor. Now imagine that it has an electric motor. That’s pretty much it.

The key innovation with the latest batch of scooters is the rental business model: Download the app on your smartphone for a scooter company — Bird, Lime, Skip, or Spin — and use the map to find a nearby scooter. Enter a credit card and scan a barcode to unlock the scooter. Go for a ride. Park the scooter and end the ride on the app.

The design of the electric scooter itself has been around for years, but it was often marketed as a toy. You may also recall another grown-up, two-wheeled “personal transporter”:

21st Century Fox

Launched in 2002, the Segway rode a wave of hope and hype into the market, promising to revolutionize transportation. The device used gyroscopes to almost magically balance on two wheels, sipped electricity, steered intuitively with body movements, and whisked riders along silently at 12 miles per hour.

But it launched with a price of $4,950, making it more a luxury bauble than a commuting workhorse. It was too heavy to carry easily when the batteries ran low. It was too fast for sidewalks, too slow and vulnerable for roads. Riders towered awkwardly over pedestrians, standing stiffly with their feet together as they whirred along. It soon became associated with tech bros and elitism, and thereafter was a punchline.

Segways are still around, but the riders are tour groups, mall security, and parking enforcement. They never became cool. As Jordan Golson wrote at Wired, “the problems that sank the Segway weren’t technological. They were social.”

So it’s these problems of Segways, plus the cost, that scooter rental companies are trying to solve.

For one thing, the rental scooters insulate the rider from most of the cost of the device. At retail, they cost between $100 and $500. But you can start riding many electric scooters for $1 and then 15 cents a minute thereafter. A 2-mile ride takes about 10 minutes and costs less than $3. When you’re done, you don’t have to take it inside or even plug it in; just leave it in a public space where it doesn’t block traffic.

This business model has drastically lowered the barrier to entry for scooter riders, allowing scooter skeptics to cheaply satiate their curiosity, turning some into loyal riders. Though the hardware is more akin to a Segway, the software makes using an electric scooter just like using a dockless bike.

Most of the scooter companies are using rebadged versions of existing electric scooter models that are already for sale. But they want their own custom devices that can handle the rigors of rental. In May, Lime announced it was partnering with Segway to design its next-generation scooter. Bird also rents out Segway-designed scooters.

The proliferation of rental scooters also draws on advances in telecommunications. The scooters have GPS units and 4G data connections to track riders’ every move. And the riders all have smartphones that locate and unlock the scooters while automatically paying the fare.

Batteries are another key advance. Since the early 2000s, energy storage systems have become more powerful and less expensive. Vehicle battery prices have dropped 86 percent between 2010 and 2016. Electric scooters now travel 20 to 30 miles between charges. These batteries have also benefited other electric transportation devices like motorized skateboards and unicycles.

Investors right now are also hungry for transportation startups, which partly explains the scooter boom. From ride-hailing to self-driving cars to electric cars, billions of dollars are pouring into companies that move people around. But short trips between apartments and metro stops or leisurely rides across parks remained a vacuum until recently.

So dockless bikes and, later, electric scooters rushed in to fill the void, securing millions if not billions in financing while clawing for market share.

On the customer side, there is a cadre of riders primed to adopt electric scooters. The generation that grew up rolling around culs-de-sac on Razor scooters is now commuting in urban centers. Balancing on two wheels is already familiar to them, so an app-enabled scooter rental service that can get you to work without breaking a sweat is an appealing throwback and a flash-forward.

In sum, the combination of entrepreneurs, technology, funding, and a race to grab a toehold in major urban centers all converged earlier this year, leading to a sudden crop of scooters starting on the West Coast in March and rippling throughout the country.

Here in Washington, DC, where four scooter companies have launched, I’ve found that the scooter has many charms. A scooter can whisk me to work past stopped traffic at 15 miles per hour. It’s very convenient to park it just about anywhere.

Some scooter firms are already “unicorns” — privately held companies valued at more than $1 billion. Bird, based in Santa Monica, doubled its valuation to $2 billion in just four months. Lime, which also rents bikes, crossed the $1.1 billion valuation mark just 18 months after it launched. Skip Scooters is valued at $100 million.

Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft have been struck by FOMO and are themselves getting into the electric scooter game. In July, Lyft bought Motivate, the largest bike-sharing company in the United States, reportedly for $250 million, aiming to leverage the bike network to deploy scooters. Uber bought Jump Bikes, an electric bike rental service, for $200 million in April.

Could there be a crash on the horizon? We’re already seeing dockless bikes piling up in scrap yards as companies fold. In China, abandoned bike-share bikes now fill vast fields outside major cities. As scooter-share companies jostle for dominance, weaker players will inevitably fold or be acquired, but it’s too early to say whether the concept as a whole will have staying power.

Umair Irfan/Vox

Behind every scooter parked on a sidewalk, leaning on a kickstand, is a vast, invisible infrastructure network that keeps the scooters maintained, charged, and accessible.

Engineers track where the scooters are going. Support staff answer questions on the phone. Technicians whisk off damaged scooters to hidden warehouses for repair.

And as the sun sets and power meters run low, chargers for hire roam the streets, scavenging depleted scooters, plugging them in at home, and placing them back on sidewalks early the next morning. Bird scooters return to their “nest.” Lime scooters are charged by “juicers.”

“For many people, it’s a fun way to make extra money,” said Colin McMahon, who leads Lime’s juicer program.

The way it works: Potential juicers apply for the job with Lime. When approved, they get special access through the app that highlights scooters that need charging. Charging one nets a juicer between $9 and $12, depending on how low the battery is, so a juicer’s take is a function of how many scooters she picks up and how much power those scooters need. Charging the scooter requires about half a kilowatt-hour of electricity, about 5 cents’ worth of power on average.

McMahon said most juicers spend an hour or two in the evening walking or driving around making pickups and then redeploy the scooters in specific locations marked on the app. “We leverage our data to say where are the best spots for people to begin their day for commuting,” he said. He declined to share the number of juicers Lime has on its roster or the typical number of scooters charged per juicer.

Bird follows a similar model. A diverse array of people have signed up as Lime juicers and Bird hunters, but unlike driving for Uber or Lyft, there is no background check. Technically, you have to be over 18, but many high schoolers are getting into the charging game, as the Atlantic reported.

The sliding scale for charging scooters has also created some perverse incentives that ne’er-do-wells have already exploited, as Nathaniel Buckley wrote at Slate:

… it turns out the charging system is akin to a real-life Pokémon Go, albeit one rife with cheating. The app purports to tell you where nearby chargeable scooters are, but in reality that’s rarely the case. Duplicitous collectors have created a thriving ecosystem of stockpiling, hiding, and decoying that makes it well-nigh impossible to find a scooter in need of charging.

When picking up a scooter, chargers are supposed to “capture” it via a button on the app. Doing this deletes the flag so others don’t waste time scouting for that particular Bird. It also stops the clock on the reimbursement meter. The longer a scooter goes without being captured, the greater the commission Bird will pay its chargers.

According to Harry Campbell of the Rideshare Guy Blog, scooter bounty hunters can net $20 to $30 an hour. And since each scooter can only be claimed by one charger, it can get competitive, as Taylor Lorenz reported at the Atlantic:

In saturated markets, the race to quickly grab as many scooters as possible is fierce. “One time I pulled up to pick up a scooter, I got there maybe 10 seconds before the other guy did,” said one charger in San Diego. “He started yelling at me. He picked up a Bird scooter and started beating my car. I got the hell out of there.”

There are also repair crews who scoop up damaged or vandalized scooters, though scooter companies insist only a small fraction of their vehicles end up deliberately mangled.

“Speed has never killed anyone,” said former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. “Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.”

This holds for scooters. Traveling at up to 15 miles per hour doesn’t seem like much until you rapidly become acquainted with an unmoving object — say, a street sign, a wall, or the ground. Scooters don’t have crumple zones, air bags, or padding, so riders are exposed to everything around them.

There has been a rise in scooter-related injuries, but that’s largely a function of the spread of scooters themselves rather than any inherent danger in the vehicle. Still, given the vast abundance of these scooters, some physicians are concerned. Law firms are also readying themselves for litigation.

“We’re seeing these injuries daily, and at least once or twice a week we’re seeing someone who needs an urgent surgery,” Natasha Trentacosta, an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles studying electric scooter-related injuries, told the Cedars-Sinai Blog. “These can be life-changing injuries, and they can often be prevented.”

Right now there isn’t any good data on injury rates among scooter riders. Many of the bumps and scrapes that come from a scooter tumble are minor, and there is no good way to track them. Health officials in California are trying to change that with a standardized data collection system.

There are plenty of threats to scooter riders for researchers to track. The tiny wheels can get trapped by uneven sidewalks and grates, causing falls. Damp weather can easily weaken the tires’ grip. On busy sidewalks, riders have to maneuver around pedestrians, pets, and potholes. On the road, scooters can be hard for drivers to see, and heavy, fast-moving vehicles can be deadly.

There’s also a learning curve. Electric motors can accelerate surprisingly quickly, and the momentum a rider generates takes effort to slow down. Keeping a leg ready to brace for a sudden stop requires some practice.

However, many of the same precautions for cyclists can reduce risks on scooters: Be aware of your surroundings, make sure the equipment is in good order, follow traffic rules, take your earbuds out, put away your phone, and be judicious with your speed.

As for helmets, scooter companies encourage riders to wear them with reminders in their respective apps (it’s also required by law in some states), though almost no one does. Bird currently offers free helmets to active riders (just pay shipping) but is also lobbying to relax helmet laws in California.

In practical terms, though, many riders won’t be carrying a helmet around for scootering since it’s a transportation mode designed for whim and convenience.

And the biggest safety issues right now stem from inexperience. Given how new scooters are, there’s no consistent etiquette for riding an electric scooter, and so pedestrians, drivers, and cyclist can’t necessarily anticipate what a scooter will do in an intersection, which can lead to conflicts (read: collisions).

Some riders claim the sidewalk; others ride in the street. Some will follow pedestrian signals, some will obey traffic lights, and some will do none of the above. Scooters don’t have turn signals, so it’s hard to broadcast your intent as a rider. They do have bells, but they don’t help much to get the attention of car drivers.

Establishing a set of best practices (and actually following them) would go a long way toward smoothing out the tensions between different modes of transport and solving the safety issues around scooters. This would require regulation from cities and education from scooter companies.

And as with any vehicle, don’t ride a scooter under the influence; it’s dangerous and illegal.

Most city ordinances say (and scooter rental companies insist) that electric scooters shouldn’t be ridden on sidewalks. Motorized vehicles pose a nuisance, if not a hazard, to pedestrians.

So that pretty much leaves streets. And for the reasons mentioned above, it can be nerve-racking for riders as cars whizz by. Which means scooters often remain on sidewalks, against the terms of service and, in many cases, the law.

The best and likely safest place for a scooter is a bike lane since there are no pedestrians and because the lanes can accommodate faster traffic (as a daily bike commuter, scooters aren’t any more annoying than slower cyclists).

However, most streets don’t have bike lanes, and unless the bike lane is protected or separated from car traffic, scooter riders will still have to contend with cars weaving in and out. Bike lanes also don’t reach most destinations, which means a scooter ride will almost always require riding on the sidewalk or in open traffic at some point.

The answer is an unsatisfactory “it depends.”

Like electric cars, scooters are only as green as the electricity that charges them. If your city gets most of its power from a coal or natural gas-fired power plant, that means your scoot around the neighborhood has a positive carbon footprint.

But the other piece of the environmental equation is what the scooter ride is displacing, or if it leads to trips that otherwise wouldn’t be taken.

For example, Estonia launched the largest free public transit system in the world in July. In the capital, Tallinn, researchers found that the scheme didn’t reduce car travel but did decrease walking.

If you’re scooting instead of walking, then the ride has a higher environmental cost. But if you’re replacing a car ride, then it has an environmental benefit since an electric scooter uses a tiny fraction of the energy consumed by a car.

Right now, scooters are doing both.

“Some of those walk trips are likely to be taken away at the shorter end, and some of those car trips are those at the long end,” said Brian Taylor, a professor of urban planning at the University of California Los Angeles who studies how transportation serves different population sets.

How does the environmental impact of scooters stack up next to public transit? Well, it depends. The balance changes depending on how far you’re going and the form of transit it’s replacing, whether it’s a diesel bus or an electric train.

On the other hand, a scooter can also encourage the use of public transportation. Most scooter trips are 1 to 2 miles long, and the companies themselves pitch scooters as filling the “last mile” in transit, expanding the reach of a transit station or a bus stop.

“There’s the West LA rail station that’s a 22-minute walk from me,” Taylor said. “I took a scooter the other day and it took me five minutes.”

If a scooter can help avoid commuting by car altogether, then the net environmental benefits can be huge. And even added all together, the energy use of scooters is trivial compared to the ongoing energy use in cars, buses, trains.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of trips people take on a regular basis are short. According to the US Department of Energy, almost 60 percent of vehicle trips in 2017 were less than 6 miles:

Javier Zarracina

Cars in particular comprise a huge chunk of these short trips. “Today, 40 percent of car trips are less than two miles long,” said Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden in a statement in March. “Our goal is to replace as many of those trips as possible so we can to get cars off the road and curb traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, if drivers decided to walk or bike instead of drive for half of all car trips shorter than a mile, drivers would avert 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year and save $900 million annually.

Scooter rides are typically less than 2 miles, which is often too short a distance for hailing a ride if you don’t already own a car. This is part of why ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are so keen on electric scooters: They fill a need their current services can’t.

So scooter rides are going to displace car trips to an extent, which may reduce the number of cars on the road.

However, urban journeys are becoming increasingly multimodal, and scooters may add one more flexible link to the transit chain rather than replacing another mode completely. Their most valuable traits are how flexible they are compared to public transit, which runs fixed routes, and how cheap they are compared to cars. That means scooters fulfill a unique niche of the transportation ecosystem.

And if more scooters are riding in the streets, that could slow down traffic and increase congestion.

In a word, yes. A qualified yes.

Despite the consternation about how they’ve been rolled out, public opinion is on their side. According to a survey by Populus of 7,000 people across major US cities, 70 percent of respondents on average had a positive view of scooters, though perceptions varied by city:

The differences in attitude across cities in part come from the fact that scooter companies and their riders haven’t always been the best citizens. Many cities were eager to deploy docked bike-share bikes because it gave them control over where the bikes end up. But dockless bikes, and now scooters, have made it much more difficult to wrangle wheels.

Scooters and bikes blocked sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, and green spaces. For some of the launch cities, they quickly became a nuisance. For people with disabilities or limited mobility, the scooters became a hazard. For this reason, some urban planners say scooters must be regulated.

But cities that saw a more gradual rollout have had a much smoother ride.

“In San Francisco, you saw a lot of backlash,” said Sanjay Dastoor, CEO of Skip, of the sudden, unannounced scooter deployment in the city. “We didn’t see DC in the news with a scooter armageddon. The backlash depends on the way you do it.”

You know who does NOT have an issue with rental bikes and electric scooters? The Dallas Police Department.

Because almost no reported injuries. And VERY few crimes.

At worst, people scooting and cycling on sidewalks. But they’re not being ticketed.https://t.co/u38nLYFDyb pic.twitter.com/dTsxvkPKde

— Robert Wilonsky (@RobertWilonsky) August 13, 2018

Dastoor noted that Skip is proactively working with cities before deploying in a market and has never been issued a cease-and-desist order. The company is also trying to encourage riders to be more considerate through its app, informing them of the rules before they ride.

However, he acknowledged it’s still a challenge to keep miscreants in check. “In terms of enforcing behavior, that’s tough to do,” he said.

Companies are also working to ensure their devices stay out of the way. Lime now asks riders for a photo to verify that the scooter is parked in an appropriate spot at the end of a ride.

The upshot of all this hassle is that scooters are bringing cheap transportation to people who may otherwise not have used it. They effectively expand the range of neighborhoods, allowing residents to easily travel further and increasing the reach of businesses. Researchers have found that mobility is a critical rung in the ladder out of poverty.

That may explain why electric scooters have a better reputation with people of lower incomes:

Javier Zarracina/Vox

Bird has already proposed offering discounts for people who live in public housing or receive food stamps. Lime introduced a donation module to its app that will allow riders to dedicate part of their fare to a local nonprofit.

Cities are starting to pick up on this. In talking with city officials, Dastoor said one of the concerns that keep cropping up is equality: Cities want to make sure scooters serve all neighborhoods and that people have equal access to them.

Scooters could also work as a stopgap solution for transit deserts, but there are still people who can’t take advantage of them, like residents who can’t afford a smartphone to unlock one. For them, the benefit of scooters may just be that they expose gaps in transportation infrastructure.

But while cities argue over what to do about electric scooters, there’s another dockless vehicle taking up public spaces that often gets left out of the discussion:

Los Angeles is the most traffic-clogged city in the world. Motorists in LA spent an average of 104 hours in traffic in 2016, which amounted to an estimated $2,408 per driver in wasted fuel and productivity. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

It’s hard to overstate just how much cars have shaped cities, suburbs, and the country as a whole, becoming the water we all swim in. While cities are working to limit the number of scooters permitted, few have even thought about capping the number of cars. You even need a driver’s license to ride a scooter. As Populus observed in its report:

Based on the most recent public data, San Francisco, a relatively small city with one of the lowest vehicle ownership rates in the country, has approximately 500,000 registered vehicles. The city has approximately 442,000 publicly-available parking spots, including 275,000 on-street parking spaces. In comparison, various e-scooter regulations across the country that have adopted fleet restrictions have set caps on the number of e-scooters at 150 (on the low end) to 3,000 per company (on the high end, or no cap at all).

Though not everyone owns a car, everyone pays for one. There are roughly eight parking spots for every car in the United States, and free parking amounts to a subsidy to car owners of more than $100 billion a year.

That’s all before you include the impacts of driving, where the car actually moves. Roadways, law enforcement, pollution, and lost lives all add up to a huge social cost from driving, one that completely dwarfs anything electric scooters can muster.

And when a scooter company falls, it isn’t going to get a bailout from Congress.

That means there’s a strong case for demanding concessions from car infrastructure to facilitate walking, biking, and scooter riding — transit options that are more equitable and easier to access. That is, narrower roads in favor of larger bike lanes and sidewalks, also called a road diet. But scooter companies need to have city officials on their side if they want to continue doing business. Even notorious scofflaws like Lyft and Uber are wising up, submitting proposals to cities like Santa Monica before launching their own scooter businesses there.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of scooters will be that they will force a larger discussion of whom or what we prioritize when we design cities. “I’m hoping that all of this disruption will help us think more systematically about these things,” said UCLA’s Taylor.

The Big Apple is eager to have this conversation. City officials are already crafting legislation to help target scooters to areas suffering from transit congestion, like the L train corridor. Earlier this month, the New York Times editorial board endorsed the prospect of electric scooters roaming the streets. “If the city is serious about wanting safe, reliable ways for people in all areas of New York to get around, the path ahead is clear,” they wrote.

Original Source -> Electric scooters’ sudden invasion of American cities, explained

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

0 notes

itsworn · 6 years

Text

2018 Back To The 50’s Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 Winners Part 1

Back To The 50’s presented by the Minnesota Street Rod Association has been part of the Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 program for several years.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Top 100, we visit 10 shows during the year and select 10 vehicles at each of them. By the end of the show season, we’ve awarded 100 winners.

The last event where Top 100 winners were selected was the Detroit Autorama (see those picks at hotrod.com/articles/2018-detroit-autorama-painless-performancestreet-rodder-top-100-winners). Our selections there reflected the flavor of the event, including some big-dollar pro-built rods, several of which were in competition for the prestigious Ridler award. Our selections at Back To The 50’s in St. Paul also reflect the flavor of the show—in this case “real world” rides. Most of them are owner-built on a mid-range budget and are seen on the street as much as they’re seen at a car show. Beyond that, it’s a diverse group—Thirties, Forties, Fifties, and Sixties rides; roadsters, sedans, coupes, and pickups. Some are time-honored survivors, some are recent rebuilds, and some are fresh out of the shop. Nine are from Minnesota. One is a Wisconsin custom, added to the mix to shake things up a little. The common denominator is that each one of these vehicles is a combination of imagination, history, and hard work.

Here are the first five selections from the Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 winners from Back To The 50’s. Five more will be posted soon.

The Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 program will be in New York in July for the Syracuse Nationals and 10 more winners.

1932 Ford Roadster Dennis Van Kleek & Kay Larson Vadnais Heights, MN

This Dearborn Deuce roadster is the fulfillment of Dennis and Kay’s desire to build a timeless, unique Deuce. Jim Petrykowski at Metal Fab did the fabrication, including a custom frame. The 5-inch dropped tubular axle and hairpins are combined with coilovers—something different. The rear has Pete & Jakes coilovers and ladder bars. The body features a custom hood and rear pan, and wears Tangerine Pearl PPG paint shot by Ron Gorrell. Joel Mattix handled the interior, stitching the beautiful vinyl upholstery. Dennis and Kay did most of the final assembly. Goodyear tires roll on 15- and 17-inch Budnik wheels. A carbureted 351 Windsor engine with a Tremec TKO 600 trans provides power. The roadster is a genuine driver, on the road ever since it was finished and now with more than 24,000 miles on the odometer, picked up in 19 states. Vintage Air and Classic Instruments add the success of those road trips.

1950 Mercury Coupe Les & Sue Severin Hutchinson, MN

Les found the Merc in a salvage yard 36 years ago and built it inspired by the famous Louis Bettencourt ’49 Merc from the early Fifties. The Merc was a fun cruiser for their family, and in 2002, Les started the rebuild with his sons Kyle and Lance. Traditional custom elements include a healthy chop, filled seams, radiused corners, fade away fender line, canted B-pillar, smoothed bumpers, ’51 Merc front bumper, ’53 Kaiser rear bumper guard, ‘51 Kaiser grille, and more. Maciks Paintin’ Place did the metalwork and John’s Auto Body added the House Of Kolor Candy Oriental Blue paint over a white base. The 455 Olds is bored 0.030 over with an Edelbrock carb. Trans is a 700R4. A ’49 Merc frame with a Nova subframe was Z’ed in front, C-notched in back, and given AccuAir suspension to ride low on Wheelsmith 15-inch wheels and Diamond Back whitewalls. The traditional interior includes vinyl tuck ‘n’ roll from Upholstery by Stichbitch.

1941 Willys Coupe Mike Hughes Faribault, MN

It’s impossible to walk past a Willys Gasser. Mike says it’s the car everyone wants, and he gets a ton of attention with his. He also says the cops are always pulling him over, not to give him a ticket, but just out of interest in the car. He bought the all-steel Willys at his wife Kelly’s insistence, to replace the ’40 he owned years ago. A 6-71 BDS blower crowns the 410-inch ’57 Hemi backed by a Chrysler A-833 4-speed. The chassis includes a front straight axle and leaf springs, with coilovers and a narrowed 3.73-geared 9-inch in the rear. Fifteen-inch five-spokes are wrapped in Mickey Thompson Sportsman rubber. The all-business drag race interior features a pair of fiberglass race buckets, a Grant steering wheel, and Stewart Warner gauges (including the dash mounted race tach). Creative Metal and Vescio’s Restoration participated in the project and House Of Kolor provided the Candy Red paint.

1947 Chevy Fleetline Wayne & Pat Hassemer Bloomer, WI

Here’s another owner-built driver. When Wayne found the Fleetline, it was rusting in a field alongside two others. He bought all three to create one beauty. Sheetmetal work was a combination of a lot of rust repair and a lot of cool custom changes. Frenched headlights, radiused corners, a welded-up hood center, the V-butted windshield, shaved drip rails, one-piece door glass, shaved handles, and a relocated “foot scraper” plate are just part of the exterior mods. A Mustang II IFS set-up and a ’76 Camaro rear plus RideTech shocks, are built on the stock frame. The paint is Light Green Mist Metallic. A Demon carb tops the Chevy 406 small-block, backed by a TH350. Interior features include Ultraleather upholstery by Gotcha Covered, Vintage Air A/C, VDO gauges, a Premier stereo, Billet Specialties wheel, and a custom console designed by Wayne. The 15-year build was interrupted by family life, but now it’s driving time for Wayne and Pat.

1949 International Pickup Joseph Ackerley Forest Lake, MN

Joe found his pickup at a swap meet after it had been sitting in a Minnesota body shop for 20 years. When he started the build 15 years ago, he had no specific plans for it except “just build it,” which he did in his home garage. He shaved the door handles and drip rails, welded the hood into a single piece, and added a Chevy box with an aftermarket wood floor. When it was ready for paint, he sprayed the Viper Red finish; it’s hard to believe that’s a 13-year-old paint job. The engine compartment is packed with a 383ci stroker Chevy fed by a Demon carburetor and tied to a 700R4 transmission. The frame has been shortened 10 inches. The suspension includes Fatman Fabrications IFS plus rear leaf springs with a Ford 9-inch, rolling on 16- and 17-inch Americans wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber. Tan leather and vinyl upholstery, ’40 Ford style wheel on an ididit column, Lokar pedals, VDO gauges, and a Pioneer audio system are cab upgrades.

The post 2018 Back To The 50’s Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 Winners Part 1 appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/2018-back-50s-painless-performancestreet-rodder-top-100-winners-part-1/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes

willwysocki2-blog · 7 years

Text

Cooking Procedures.

In the last many years the means people utilize to correspond between all of them are actually changing promptly. In process remedies, our team likewise anticipate continued demand for our quick pattern software application as well as service offerings and also field as well as instrumentation products. This all suggests an annual production growth rate of 26.2% which implies that, if monitoring intended to concentrate more on capital today, they could regularly reduce spending and still see creation growth or even continue to be flat. Our experts remain to believe that by getting brand-new skills we can maximize our market outreach as well as brand new business possibility creation. Because of the high temperatures, water evaporates quickly into the air, creating clouds and also convectional rain. All informed, profits per reveal, which increased 11.2% in 2017, are actually expected to develop yet another 11.7% in 2018 versus appraisals that we perform not consider as demanding. His six greatest years-- 2014, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2012, as well as 2013- are all ranked within the top 20 greatest single-year efficiencies, creating him the motorist along with the most top 20 single-year functionalities. In 2014, I released a write-up called" Leading 5 Exploration Stocks to Watch In 2017" where I noted 5 appealing miners and mine designers that were actually expected to carry some great increases to their investors. Our company'll also deal with such subject matters as stock management and also running a family members service as well as offer tips for starting different forms of organisations. Our foundation scenario is that 2018 is actually another year of decent worldwide development, though our company observe some significant distinguishes versus 2017, particularly in exactly what is steering development throughout the numerous areas where KKR spends as a firm. This lack of directly evaluations between drivers, mixed with the high variation that occurs also in these disorders, are exactly what creates ranks so tough to create in F1. I'm not exactly sure these are concerns that have the ability to be bypassed. Nevertheless, 2017 has been the year from Shift, along with franchise business like Zelda and also Mario rightfully dominating the headings. Thus, our team could possibly have a fourth where our company drop three in-house customers and also our company get absolutely no termination fees, where in the following one-fourth, our company lose three outsource consumers with mergings and also our company acquire numerous million bucks in early condition fees. The household transferred to St. Louis, Missouri, and Moorehead's ambition to end up being a starlet grew "incredibly solid". Improved capital generation to assist peer-leading growth pipeline: Island gold provides quick capital build-up and more powerful operating capital to sustain internal development efforts from the pro forma business. The model leaves out mechanical DNFs, so it neglects that some drivers (particularly before) added to their very own cars and truck breakdowns through rugged driving. By the opportunity trainees interrupted Weinstein's course, in Could 2017, they had been actually waiting on over a year-- much more than a fourth from their opportunity at the college-- to find their problems dealt with. Grocery store and also aftermarket was actually stronger compared to anticipated steered primarily through sky overhaul, transport as well as repair work activities and also purchases from spares in company air travel. I recognize his pre-Williams level is actually tough to determine due to the fact that given that he had such clearly poor teammates after Lauda, but I wonder the amount of his rank would certainly change (if at all) if only races till the accident are considered. So you individuals, in addition to many of your peers, have actually highlighted some znajdzswaprzyszlosc.pl unpredicted price products sneaking in your company recently, things like increasing airport terminal price inflation, rising Certified Public Accountant expenses, healthcare, minimizing helpful lifestyles. As I pointed out last quarter exact same dining establishment purchases at LongHorn's brand new markets remain to expand at a much higher rate than in the reputable markets. We carried out certainly had a tough effectively audio one-fourth, highlighted through double-digit natural office finance growth, economical of deposits and also a downtrend in legacy noninterest costs; and most likely very most significantly, the closing from our Minnesota collaboration under 90 days following announcement.

0 notes

carcraftautobodybridgetonmo-blog · 7 years

Text

An Auto Body Shop’s Take On The Autumn Tune-Up

Fall is well underway here in Bridgeton, Florissant, Maryland Heights, and St. Louis County, which implies a bunch of things. Of course, I am not just speaking about cooler weather and pumpkin pie. It also means that it is time to make your car ready for the cold months of late autumn and winter. You might be thinking that you can wait a while since the weather has not turned hazardously cold yet, but that would be a blunder. To start with, that would be a problem since it is never too soon to get ready to drive safely so you do not end up needing an auto body shop in Bridgeton, MO. Second, why wait until it is cold outside before you get out there and start working on your automobile? Are you one of those folks who put up their Christmas lights in October? While that might look really silly, it can make things much easier in the future when other individuals have to climb up ladders and affix lights while their fingers feel like they are falling off. Getting your vehicle readied for winter driving is the exact same thing with the exception of the fact that it does not look goofy in any way.

So, do not wait until it is too late. Take these measures to get your vehicle ready to roll on those late fall cool mornings. These tips are provided by Car Craft Bridgeton in Bridgeton, MO.

Replace and Refill

There certainly are certain things in your vehicle that will wear and certain fluids that have to be replenished. Definitely, you will want to change the oil on your automobile in preparation for winter. While you are doing that, do not forget to change the oil filter as well. You should be replacing the oil filter each time you change the oil. You would also do well to look at the air filter as well. If that gets too dirty, your automobile will have to work too hard in order to have proper airflow. Luckily, there is an easy way to check for whether your air filter needs replacing. Merely hold it up to a sixty watt lightbulb and see if the light makes it through. Otherwise, it is time for you to get a new air filter.

Nothing is so annoying and can send you to an auto body shop faster than fluids which are not filled. Undoubtedly, oil is the big one here. Nonetheless, there are other fluids to consider as well. Take a look at the coolant amounts when the motor is cool and refill it to the optimal level with a half and half solution of water and coolant. This will be a wonderful help to you when the weather gets cold. Likewise, be sure to take a look at the transmission fluid, the brake fluid, the power steering fluid, and the washer fluid. Performing a simple look-over with all of these things is the most convenient way to keep your car healthy.

Dings and Dents

While you are looking over your vehicle, it is the most ideal time to examine the exterior for any imperfections. Most small dents can be conveniently fixed through paintless dent repair at Car Craft Bridgeton. Larger dents and scratches which pierce the paint are all the more urgent to be repaired. The dampness and saltiness on the roads during winter will feast upon your automobile if you do not have those dents and scratches fixed. The very best way to spot those kinds of blemishes is to totally wash your vehicle and give it a thorough inspection.

While you are checking your car's exterior, take a look at the lights. Ensure that all of them are functional, from the parking lights and brake lights to the headlights, taillights, and emergency flashers. Check out your high beams too. Certainly, be sure to fix all the lights which are not working, either by replacing the bulb if that is what is needed or by digging into the wiring if necessary. You should also explore the possibility of going to an auto body shop in Bridgeton, MO with headlight restoration capabilities. They can clear up your headlights for a low cost and immensely improve your visibility.

Brakes, Breaks, and Batteries

When the weather gets cold and the weather gets inclement, the first line of defense of your vehicle is the tires and brakes. If your tires look worn or the wear bars show, have them replaced. If your brakes are squealing, have them looked into too. As the weather gets colder and colder, your tire pressure will inevitably reduce, so have that topped off routinely. If your heater is broken, that is something to look at as well. You need to have a working defroster system to keep safe when driving.

Batteries are something that lots of people overlook whenever they are prepping their automobile for winter, However, that would be a significant mistake. It is highly advisable to have the battery and charging system inspected by an auto body technician. Before you even do that, you might be able to tell if your battery will have to be replaced by looking for corrosion anywhere in the battery system. If the weather is cold, your battery is especially susceptible to going dead.

To close out your fall tune-up, just have a glance beneath the hood and simply look around for anything questionable. Leaks are a really obvious sign that something has to be repaired. Likewise, fraying hoses, cracks, or loose clamps will also have to be addressed. Have a look at the drive belts too and listen closely for any unexplained engine noises. If you have any complications in this regard, take your vehicle to an auto body shop to get it looked at.

Car Craft Bridgeton has been helping drivers in Bridgeton, MO get ready for the cold months of wintertime for many years. If you require mechanical work, headlight restoration, auto body repair, or any other work on your automobile, think about taking it to their auto body shop.

0 notes

itsworn · 6 years

Text

It’d Been A Sin To Restomod This 1963 Corvette Split-Window

In search of a 1963 Corvette split-window, Steve Mitchell’s plan was to find a decent project car and from there have his longtime buddy Kyle Gambrell help him restore and restomod it with an LS engine and Morrison chassis. Constructing a restomod-style ’63 Vette for Kyle would have been a natural thing to do since Kyle owns Laid Back Recreations, a customizing shop in McLoud, Oklahoma, but it wasn’t in the cards.

Steve scoured all the right places and found a pretty good example of what he was looking for on eBay in Ohio. The tattered ’63 coupe was in the hands of a used car dealer whose only intention was to flip the car and turn a profit. The dealer told Steve there were a handful of so-called split-window aficionados interested in the car, but they were all chiselers throwing out lowball offers. Steve liked what he saw and loaded up the ’63—along with a few big, heavy wood crates included in the deal—and headed back to Oklahoma.

Once home, Steve started evaluating the car and discovered it was more original than he realized when he bought it. The unexpected change in build direction occurred when he opened the two wood crates and discovered the remains of the car’s original engine. In one crate there was a bare block with a cracked cylinder wall that was missing one main cap. In the other crate he found a pair of heads and intake manifold for a 340-horse 327. The numbers all jived and Steve was starting to think he might restore the ’63 back pretty close to how it was when new.

With the Corvette at the shop in McLoud, Steve explained to Kyle he’d like to over-restore the split-window and upgrade its original build quality. Included in this edition of Vette we’ve reprinted Motor Trend’s Corvette coupe road test found in the May 1963 issue in which it is stated that it’s not hard to over-restore a 1963 Corvette.

White paint hides a multitude of sins. There’s a reason the factory painted a lot of mid-year Corvettes white. In a mass production environment where Sting Ray fiberglass bodies had to be cranked out ASAP, the fit and finish was OK for something that had to drive off the end of an assembly line. During the disassembly process Kyle made an amazing discovery that sealed the fate of where the restoration of Steve’s ’63 would end up. Inside the driver-side door panel, the ‘63’s fourth owner, John Backus of Cincinnati, Ohio, wrote some vital information with a black felt pen.

Lt. William B. Adams Jr. bought the Corvette new on July 5, 1963, from Tony Falcon, a salesman at Bobb Chevrolet in Columbus, Ohio, and then sold the Corvette to Norman Potts. Norman sold it to Charles Easton and then Charles sold it to John Backus in March 1985.

On Backus’ door panel notes he listed in 1982 the ’63 was repainted, got new brakes and the transmission and rearend were overhauled. Steve learned when Laid Back Recreations had the coupe completely disassembled and the body stripped-bare for paint the only fiberglass damage discovered were slight fractures in the valance beneath the grille. Amazingly, the car had never been in an accident beyond pulling into a driveway too fast. After paying intense attention to adjusting the door and hood gaps, along with many hours of block sanding, Laid Back sprayed a custom PPG mix of a brighter version of Ermine White with a blue cast instead of beige.

Hedges Corvettes in Lowell, Arkansas, handled the interior work, but don’t judge the freshness of the driver-side door panel, Steve had Hedges clean up and dye the original card John Backus wrote his notes on and put back in place. In fresh paint, the ’63 left Oklahoma and rolled into Hedges Corvettes where the interior was gutted and restored to mint. The underlayment came from Ssnake-oyl in bulk and then Hedges custom fit Al Knoch Interiors’ carpet and upholstery kit. Steve’s ’63 spent three weeks at Hedges Corvettes and then was returned to Laid Back Recreations.

Additional ’63 details: black plastic doorknobs with a white plastic shift ball, early 1963 four-speed Corvettes still had a Borg-Warner Super T10, but by April when Steve’s ’63 was built it came equipped with a Muncie M20 four-speed. The rearend in the first year IRS (independent rear suspension) is equipped with RPO G81 Positraction and optioned with the taller than usual 3.38 differential gears.

The story of restoring the 340-horse 327 Steve’s ’63 left St. Louis with is interesting in itself. The car came to Steve with an unstamped blank pad, over-the-counter replacement 327 with a two-years-later date code. Other than a replacement engine, everything under the hood was original right down to the stainless steel ignition shield still over the Delco distributor.

Once Steve learned the bare block he had was the right one needed for an authentic restoration, rebuilding the 340-horse 327 started at R&P Machine in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, with the number one cylinder sleeve to repair due to a deep crack. Luckily, the bore was standard, and only required honing and stuffing 11.25:1 pistons back in place. Additionally, the block was line-bored to accept a replacement crankshaft and missing main bearing cap. Gambrell reassembled the engine leaving the 4-quart oil pan in place needed to accommodate factory power steering that’d been retrofitted. Steve opted to keep the faster ratio 250/300-horse power steering over refitting a 340/360-horse 5-quart oil pan that will not accommodate power steering.

Restoring cars back to stock instead of customizing might become a curse of sorts for Steve. His latest project, a 1956 Chevy Nomad wagon with 17,000 original miles, ended up completely original except for adding power disc brakes to help the car survive amid 21st century traffic. Vette

The post It’d Been A Sin To Restomod This 1963 Corvette Split-Window appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/itd-sin-restomod-1963-corvette-split-window/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes

itsworn · 6 years

Text

Rare 1974 Dodge Charger Rallye Began Life Working for Universal Studios

As the classic 1950 film noir Sunset Boulevard showed, Hollywood has been chewing up and spitting out talent since the very first time a director yelled, “Action!” For every shooting star, countless more aspiring actors never get a call-back for even the smallest of roles. Somewhere in between, however, are the actors who don’t necessarily make it to the red carpet, but work consistently in background and supporting roles. They aren’t the juiciest, most glamorous jobs, but it is solid work in a tough industry.

That’s kind of where Andrew Gurka’s 1974 Charger Rallye comes in. It started life in Hollywood, but was never elevated to stardom like a certain white 1970 Challenger or black 1968 Charger. Those iconic starring roles were cultural phenomena, but this Yellow Blaze Charger simply became one of those workaday support players on the Universal Studios lot.

Then again, the leading roles for big-screen Mopars don’t always end up so well, if you recall the fiery ends of the Vanishing Point Challenger and the Bullitt Charger. So maybe there’s something to be said for simply a “car parked on the curb” credit. For one thing, this Charger is still around to share its tale.

Gurka first ran across the car about eight years ago. A longtime fan of the 1971-1974 Chargers, he’d owned three 1972 Rallye models in the past. He wanted a 1973 or 1974 model for his next one, mostly because of model-year improvements that included electronic ignition and retractable seatbelt harnesses. Not knowing the car’s Hollywood history, he was drawn to it initially because of the rare factory sunroof.

“The seller was the son of the original owner,” says Gurka. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to settle on a price, and he was traveling overseas for work. The deal never materialized, and the car ended up with a new owner in New York.”

A few years later, the owner moved to the outskirts of Las Vegas, taking the Charger with him. The nonfunctional factory air conditioning, along with some other needed repairs, prompted him to sell the car in the summer of 2016.

“When it went up for sale again, I immediately recognized the car and made sure it wouldn’t get out of my sight again,” says Gurka. “I purchased it without hesitation and brought it back to my home in Michigan.”

Fortunately, a stack of original paperwork came with the car, outlining its provenance as a pampered Hollywood car, including the original order sheet, original registration tag, the canceled checks for the deposit, and more. The car itself sported three broadcast sheets in excellent condition and a pair of stuffed fender tags. The most telling was the Y28 code on one of the broadcast sheets, which indicated it was a public relations car built for promotion.

Gurka says, “The car was originally delivered to Studio Dodge in North Hollywood in late 1973, and immediately loaned to Universal Studios. It was apparently there for about six months before coming back to the dealership.”

After that, a woman traded in a 1972 Monte Carlo on it to become first legal owner. The original sales sheet shows a comparatively hefty price of $5,450 and an even heftier finance rate of 14.69 percent. No kidding, but keep in mind that inflation in the U.S. was between 10 and 12 percent in 1974. Different times.

When Gurka acquired the Charger in 2016, it was in generally original condition and partially restored, with 52,000 miles and the original 440 engine rebuilt by Koffel’s Place in Ohio. That was another attractive element of the car because Dodge produced only 208 Charger hardtops with the 440 for 1974, and as Gurka would find out later from Galen Govier’s research service, only four of them were equipped with the manual-opening sunroof—and his is the only known survivor.

Though the engine was the Charger’s original, several aftermarket elements were on it, such the intake manifold, carb, and valve covers. There was also a number of surprisingly hinky repairs and other items that required attention on the car, including the fuel line touching an exhaust header, a nail used as a fix for the automatic shifter linkage, and even motorcycle spark plugs in place of the correct ones.

“It needed a lot of attention to not only make it a correct-appearing car, but to get it driving the way it should,” says Gurka. “There were a hundred little details, from that nail in the shifter to getting the correct battery cables.”

All of that nitpicky yet time-consuming work fell to Wrenchers in Novi, Michigan, where we discovered the car. Shop owner Bill Deringer and his crew had spent months finding and fixing all of the car’s bugs, including getting the original air conditioning system blowing cold.

Gurka had the body stripped and repainted the original yellow by Great Lakes Auto Body & Trim. Just as the Carousel Red of a 1969 GTO Judge is more orange than red, there’s a good deal of green in the Charger’s original hue. In fact, it takes on more of a green cast in the shade and low light, while looking brighter yellow in direct sunlight. Regardless, it’s a bold color that is even more striking when contrasted with the black vinyl roof and the Rallye package’s body-side stripes, blackout section on the bulging “sport” hood, and stripes above the taillamps. Rallye models also received hoodpins.

And speaking of the body-side stripes, they do more than any other design cue to accentuate the car’s gorgeous, Coke-bottle profile. The 1968-1970 Charger design will always be regarded as one of the most beautiful of its era, but time has been good to the 1971-1974 Charger models, too. Their long, sinewy lines drape over the wheels with muscular sex appeal.

“It’s one of those cars that doesn’t need an embellishment from aftermarket wheels or other add-ons,” says Gurka. “It has a strong presence and great stance just the way it rolled out of the factory on the Road Wheels.”

The car looks pretty good from the driver’s seat, too, with the long hood stretching to the horizon, the dome an ever-present reminder of the 440 ci of RB-engine torque. Factory performance had all but evaporated by 1974, and while the Charger’s 275 hp was by no means a rival to its high-compression predecessors, it nonetheless cranked out some strong pound-feet (around 375) while breathing through a Carter Thermoquad four-barrel carburetor.

If a kitchen sink were an option in 1974, this car would have had it. Because it was a promotional car, Dodge bolted on every other item lying around the St. Louis assembly plant. Along with the air conditioning and rare sunroof, the car also has power steering, cruise control, power windows, an AM/FM radio, a rear speaker, and a two-speed rear-window defroster. For those unaccustomed to Mopar’s solution prior to the conventional electric-grid defroster, the automaker used a defroster system similar to the blower-fan setup for the windshield. The two-speed controller is located as an add-on below the dashboard. Gurka says, “It’s a great-driving car now that all the little things have been sorted out. And even with the low-compression engine, the 440 has a lot of grunt, which is a lot of fun.”

So, perhaps this Charger didn’t make a big splash (or crash) on the big screen, but the next time Columbo, Emergency! or Banacek come on a retro channel on your cable system, take a look in the background. This car might just be shining in a supporting role.

At a Glance

1974 Charger Rallye Owned by: Andrew Gurka Restored by: Wrenchers, Novi, MI; Great Lakes Auto Body & Trim, Commerce, MI Engine: 440ci/275hp Magnum V-8 Transmission: 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic Rearend: Chrysler 8 3/4-inch with 3.23 gears and Sure Grip Interior: Black vinyl bucket seat Wheels: 15×7 Road Wheel reproductions from Wheel Vintiques Tires: 215/65R15 front, 225/65R15 rear BFGoodrich Radial T/A Special parts: Factory manual sunroof, 2-speed rear-window defroster

Only about 1,000 1974 Chargers were equipped with the 440 engine, and only 208 of them were hardtops like this one. The low-compression, smog-laden RB 440 was rated at a respectable 275 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque in 1974. This is the car’s original engine, but rebuilt.

The 440 draws breath through a Carter Thermoquad four-barrel. It’s a spread-bore design, with smaller primaries and larger secondaries. The main body (float bowl) is made of black phenolic plastic to help keep the gasoline cooler.

The interior’s overall design was unchanged from the third-generation’s 1971 introduction, although the upholstery pattern on the vinyl seats evolved. The high-back bucket seats are comfortable but lack lateral support.

This loaded car was also ordered with the optional Tuff steering wheel, which was thicker and smaller in diameter than the standard wheel, giving the car a sportier, more responsive feel.

The manually operated M52-code sunroof was a rare option across the entire Charger line, but records indicate that only four were built with 440-equipped cars. This is the only known survivor.

The 1974 Charger shared its grille design with 1973 models, with the grille slats pushed forward to accommodate the federally mandated 5-mph bumper apparatus behind them. Hoodpins were part of the Rallye package and a holdover from the factory supercars’ heyday.

The car was originally equipped with 14-inch Road Wheels that were upgraded to 15-inch versions later. Behind them are front discs and rear drum brakes.

The spotless restored trunk shows the original full-size General spare tire.

Andrew Gurka’s Charger Rallye was built as a public relations car and is therefore equipped with a long list of options, including the manual sunroof and two-speed rear window defroster. The odometer shows just 53,000 miles.

The post Rare 1974 Dodge Charger Rallye Began Life Working for Universal Studios appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/rare-1974-dodge-charger-rallye-began-life-working-universal-studios/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes

itsworn · 7 years

Text

One of 10,494: A 1963 Corvette Split-Window Story

There were 10,494 Corvette split-window coupes built for 1963, so there has to be at least that many stories, and thousands more if a pass-around rate for Corvette owners is added to the mix.

If a person works real hard in life they get to buy back all of the prized possessions they let go in their younger years, or at least a reasonable facsimile. Such is the case for Dr. Roland Walters of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the ’63 Corvette split-window he owns today. It was late December 1962, when Roland took delivery of his first Corvette, at 19 years of age, from Ayres Chevrolet in Edmond, Oklahoma. Roland was in California attending Stanford while his dad handled ordering the Corvette with him by phone.

Roland recollected back to September 1962, when they ordered the split-window, and they weren’t even sure what it was going to look like. They knew a fixed roof coupe was new to the Corvette lineup, and theirs should have a four-speed transmission with a fuel-injected 327 under the hood.

The Walters didn’t option N40 power steering for an additional $75.35 like 3,063 other 1963 Corvette buyers did, but they did spring $37.70 for J35 sintered metallic brakes and wisely another $43.05 for J50 power brakes. Wisely because J35 sintered metallic brakes don’t work real well cold, and take extra heavy pedal pressure to stop.

In late December 1962, when the split-window arrived in Edmund from St. Louis, Rowland sold his Tri-power 348 ’61 Impala in California, and flew to Oklahoma to take delivery. The split-window served Roland well during college in California and made short work of driving back to Oklahoma after graduation. Time marched on. Marriage and children followed and a stick-shift sports car without air-conditioning proved to be inconvenient.

It was late 1966 when Roland sold the ’63. “As the years passed and finances improved I have owned a 1974 Corvette with a 454, a 1978 Silver Anniversary, 1984 C4 and a 2014 Z51.” It was 42 years to the month after Roland got his ’63 split-window that he found almost an exact duplicate of the coupe he once owned on the Internet. The car was at ProTeam Corvette in Napoleon, Ohio. Roland flew to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, rented a car and drove to Ohio. The known history of Roland’s second split-window can be traced back to 1974 restoration notes when the fuel-injected 360hp 327 got freshened up and the four-speed transmission rebuilt. In 1985, the ’63 was NCRS judged.

The exact number of ’63 Corvettes painted Silver Blue is unknown, but there were 3,121 Corvettes painted Silver Blue in 1964, and the color was only available on first and second year model Sting Rays. The split-window looked magazine ready directly from ProTeam’s showroom floor. Roland immediately show-and-shined the ’63 but discovered its beauty was only skin deep when he delivered it to Heartland Customs for a repaint.

Heartland’s Jeff Page explained to Vette, the shop stripped the ’63 down to the bare ’glass and discovered deep, fractured caverns packed with filler over poorly executed repairs. Stress cracks; misaligned, broken body panels, but nothing severe enough to require replacement of major sections. Hours and hours went into body working the ’63 well beyond factory original standards before it was ready for paint. The doorjambs and hood were gapped to 3/16-inch; even the doorsill plate ends were shaped evenly at both ends.

Instead of refinishing in single-stage Silver Blue acrylic lacquer as original equipment, Heartland sprayed PPG Deltron in a Silver Blue basecoat color match and then cleared with Deltron urethane to complete a two-stage paintjob. The finishing touches were a color sand and rub followed with polish and wax. Corvette Central was Heartland Customs source for new emblems and trim parts as needed.

There were two interior color choices with a Silver Blue exterior in 1963: dark blue and black. Mike Ballard at Nip’s Auto Trim in Oklahoma City did the interior work starting at the floor with Dynamat sound deadening mat and then laid dark blue loop pile carpet throughout. Next, Al Knoch Interiors bucket seat covers in dark blue were fitted over new foam, and Al Knoch door panels were installed, followed by the headliner. Heartland Customs repainted interior areas originally painted by the factory and restored the dial faces on the dashboard instruments.

It was unusual for Heartland Customs not to remove the body from the chassis for bodywork and paint, but because the chassis—complete with engine and transmission—was so nice as it arrived from ProTeam Corvette it was left in place and masked off. The L84 360hp, 327-inch engine didn’t require much more than having Tom Parsons of Mustang, Oklahoma, dial the fuel injection in, but the four-speed transmission required rebuilding.

The single best improvement one can make to a ’63 Sting Ray’s handling qualities, especially if they want to retain a completely original appearance, is to ditch the 670×15 bias-ply OE tires and uprate to radial tires. Firestone 205/75R15 tires are mounted on RPO P48 cast-aluminum knockoff wheels in place of it originally being equipped with hubcaps.

Roland and his wife, Kelsey, were married in 1964 and the wedding reception was held at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. In 2014, to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Roland’s second ’63 Corvette—an exact duplicate of his first ’63 Corvette—was parked at the front door of the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. Vette

The post One of 10,494: A 1963 Corvette Split-Window Story appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/one-10494-1963-corvette-split-window-story/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes

itsworn · 7 years

Text

This Reimagined Ford F-100 is a Classy Lady Built With Fire and Attitude

Rob Campbell doesn’t remember a day of his life growing up where there wasn’t a family owned Ford truck sitting in the driveway. “My dad was always a big Ford fan, and with the exception of a 30-day period when we had a loaner Chevy, he’s always had a Blue Oval workhorse of his own,” Rob states. So it was only natural that when Rob wanted to build a hot rod truck with all the fixings, it would have to be a Ford. That would certainly make his dad proud.

Rob grew up along the mighty Mississippi, moving from Iowa to Illinois and finally south to St Louis, Missouri, where he ended up making his home. His dad was a “hands-on” guy and managed a small, local lumberyard. His pop taught him everything he knew, from landscaping to construction and even something that would come into greater use: auto repair.

Since Rob grew up in such a dedicated Ford family, it’s only natural that when the time came, he would follow suit. Even though he has owned a few Jeeps and Chevys over the years, Rob has always maintained a Ford truck. Today you’ll find his daily driver 2017 Ford F10 King Ranch in the driveway, ready to do his daily chores and scratch that Dearborn-bred itch he’d cultivated his entire life.

Turning Point

Though he loves his late-model trick truck, stuffed with the modern conveniences that make life a little easier these days, Rob still felt he was missing something. Deep down he wanted a ride that harkened back to his childhood, and his dad’s old-school Ford rides. So he started looking for a suitable project ride that could be built into a modern-day killer with the vintage looks he craved.

Rob always liked the look of the ’50s Blue Oval pickups. In his book, their styling just couldn’t be topped. So with that thought running circles in his head, he decided to look for a good example that would not only be a good builder, but one that would fulfill his checklist aesthetic values.

He soon came upon a nice 1953 50th anniversary edition F-100 for sale not far away, in Lebanon, Illinois, and decided to take a look. It still boasted its original flathead and three-speed transmission, as well as its original frame. There was some replaced sheetmetal and swathes of excessive filler, which was covered with a poor paintjob over its flanks. But Rob saw the big picture here and knew this ride could be his needed starting point to this build.

The seller was surprised he didn’t bring a trailer with him, but Rob insisted that if he bought the truck, he had every intention of hitting the road and driving the long dormant truck the 40 miles back home. Once a deal was struck he stayed true to his promise and took on the road with the sleepy 1953. He got just 4 miles from home when the truck just flat-out gave up. Now it was time for a tow truck!

Once home, Rob game-planned how he would upgrade the needy F-100 and get her roadworthy. The short list soon turned into a much longer list of needs and wants. Soon he realized to get her close to driveable he had to replace the wiring, add power steering and brakes, install a new bed out back, and, of course, do some much-needed bodywork and paint on the poorly redone body.

Unfortunately the project never hit stride. Due to work and family activities, spare time was hard to come by. However in the summer of 2015 Rob met the guys from Classic Car Studios (CCS) from right there in St. Louis, Missouri. The shop was making waves through their incredible restorations and forward-thinking customs. Rob went over to take a peek at the shop and check out their build quality work firsthand and was undoubtedly floored by what he saw. After some serious deliberation, Rob made the decision to let CCS do an entire makeover of the 1953. Game on!

Build Time

Rob knew exactly what he desired in his new ride. He definitely wanted to keep the original look and styling of the truck, with little or no body changes made to its original lines. Right off the bat, there was a small skirmish over losing the front and rear bumpers between Rob and CCS designer Eric Brockmeyer. After some deliberation, Eric won out, and the bumpers were shaved off. Rob admits he’s happy now with the designer’s decision! He then gave CCS ample space to use their creative juices to design and build this insane ride from the ground up. The owner had one non-negotiable request; the engine had to be a Ford! No problem here sir! CCS was happy to oblige.

So the crew at CCS battened down and took on the 1953 for its full-on transformation into the ballsy show truck they all knew it could be. The Ford was disassembled and taken down to its metal skin. From there were some small rust issues that had to be handled, replacing panels with fresh pieces supplied by LMC Truck. Next the crew prepared for a few slight alterations to the body that would not take away from its original look. CCS first narrowed and tucked the running boards on the flanks and then went on to shave the driprails and cowl vent and louvers for a cleaner look.

Next up, a custom roll pan with a center exhaust port and hand-beaded firewall were added to the list of subtle changes. Out back, a set of frenched taillights and a custom inner bed with wheeltubs finish off the truck’s exoskeleton mods here. Last but not least, the interior received a shaved dash, removing the vents and glovebox for an overall smoother look. Once it was ready, the body was basted a custom mix of Glasurit green base/clearcoat, a color that was inspired by the family’s deep green 1976 Ford Elite. Out back, a new oakwood bed was custom fit and installed.

As for the chassis, several upgrades were made to help this ride perform out on the street. A TCI custom IFS suspension with RideTech shocks all around is the basis for the undercarriage of this stealthy truck. A TCI four-link setup handles the suspension chores out back.

Rob insisted that this truck run under Ford power, and he got what he asked for. A Ford Racing Boss 302 was sourced out for the engine bay. At 345 hp out of the box, it’s got more than adequate power to propel this sporty truck down the byways of Missouri. A Bowler-TREMEC TKO 500 five-speed trans with a Centerforce clutch helps pull this ride through the gears. This all feeds a Ford 9-inch posi-traction rear outback, which is stuffed with road friendly 3.50 gears. All that power goes to a pair of 20×12 Hot Rods by Boyd Columbus wheels wrapped in 335/30ZR/20 meats out back. Up front, a set of 20×8.5 Columbus wheels shod in 245/40ZR/20 handle the duties.

Rob didn’t skimp on the cockpit of this vintage truck. The original seat was tossed in favor of a Glide Engineering bench seat. Like many of the CCS builds, this one is also finished off with Relicate leather. This particular interior was done in Amber Glow distressed leather, which accentuates the paint on this truck perfectly. An original 1940 Ford steering wheel was added and covered in Relicate as well to bring it all together. Classic Instruments gauges bring a vintage feel with modern performance. A Kicker audio system brings the soundtrack for this truck’s future adventures.

The Ford was christened “Betty” by Rob in honor of his dad’s sister Betty Ilene. “A classy lady with a lot of fire and attitude,” Rob states. Definitely a good fit for this feisty F-100. And no doubt, this ride runs as good as it looks, with attitude to spare. A plus here for Rob was that the truck build was featured on Speed is the New Black, the hit new show on the Velocity Channel featuring Classic Car Studio. Future plans: after winning some local top honors, “Betty” will be in the MagnaFlow booth at SEMA this fall! Stop by and say hello to one classy hot rod truck!

Rob and Chris Campbell 1953 Ford F-100

Engine Type: Ford Racing Boss 302 Displacement: 302 Bore: 4.00 Stroke: 3.00 Compression Ratio: 9.0 Cylinder Heads: Ford Aluminum GT-40 heads Block: Ford Racing four-bolt main block Rotating Assembly: Ford Forged crank, forged connecting rods, and forged pistons Valvetrain: Roller rocker arms 1.60:1 ratio, 1.94-inch intake, 1.54-inch exhaust valves Camshaft: Hydraulic Roller Camshaft 0.480-inch lift intake and exhaust Duration 0.050 inch Induction: Ford Racing Intake, Holley 600 carburetor, and Holley Red Fuel Pump Ignition: MSD ready to run Exhaust: Custom CCS Stainless Steel Exhaust with MagnaFlow mufflers Ancillaries: Griffin radiator Output: 345 hp out of the box Machine Work/Assembly: Classic Car Studio Tuner: Classic Car Studio

Drivetrain Transmission: Bowler, TREMEC TKO 500 five-speed with Centerforce Clutch Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch Rearend with 3.50 posi

Chassis Suspension: TCI chassis with RideTech shocks Brakes: Wilwood Disc Brakes: six-piston fronts and big four-piston rears

Wheels Rims: Hot Rods by Boyd Wheels “Columbus” finished in Bronze with polished lips; 20×8.5 in front; 20×12 in rear Tires: Pirelli P-Zeros; 245/40ZR20 in front; 335/30ZR20 in rear

Interior Material: Relicate Seats: Glide Engineering Steering: ididit steering column, 1940 Ford steering wheel wrapped in Relicate Leather Shifter: Hurst Dash: OEM Instrumentation; Classic Industries Audio: Kicker Audio sound system HVAC: Vintage Air

Exterior Bodywork: CCS Hood: Custom CCS Grille: 1955 Ford F-100 Bumpers: Shaved

The post This Reimagined Ford F-100 is a Classy Lady Built With Fire and Attitude appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/reimagined-ford-f-100-classy-lady-built-fire-attitude/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes

itsworn · 7 years

Text

2017 Cruisin’ The Coast

Every year during the first week of October the Mississippi Gulf Coast is filled to overflowing with 8,000 hot rods of every description. From sunrise to well beyond sunset the cruising never stops. This year evening cruising was enhanced by a beautiful full moon with mild temperatures and a soft coastal breeze.

However, it seems Mother Nature had a different plan this year with hurricane Nate bearing down on the Gulf Coast. The threat of heavy rain and high winds shortened the event; rather than ending on Sunday, October 8, the event came to an end on Saturday morning. However perfect cruising weather was the order of the day for the entire week and this huge block party continued well into Friday evening. While the stiff breeze was a precursor of things to come, the storm would not arrive until late Saturday, providing all the cruisers ample time to head home. While there was some flooding and damage after we left, we were pleased to hear the storm damage was nothing like major hurricanes in the past.

While there were 7,957 registered participants this year, there is no doubt if the weather had cooperated Cruisin’ the Coast would have easily topped the 8,000 mark. Bear in mind that is the number of registered participants, there are some rodders who don’t register and we consider this a big mistake because this event has so much to offer. The cruising happens on approximately 30 miles of the Gulf Coast with 10 different cruise-ins, each a block party unto itself. From Ocean Springs to Bay St. Louis, these 10 block parties include live music, food, local restaurants, a swap meet, autocross, a major automotive auction, and a swap meet. We make a point of hitting each stop, from Cruise Central registration to Ocean Springs, don’t miss the Biloxi block party and then you can hear some great music on stage at the Edgewater Mall. Pass Christian is a charming small town and they even offer a controlled burnout pit when you leave. Let’s not forget the Long Beach Kick-off Parade or the Car Corral in Biloxi. The Mississippi Coast Coliseum holds the auction, swap meet, and autocross while Pascagoula, Gautier, and Moss Point all offer friendly, small-town flavor. Yes each stop is truly its own unique party and if you get your participation card stamped at every venue it qualifies you for cash prize drawings.

Beyond the obvious attraction of actually cruising the coast, we enjoy this event because of the diversity of cars in attendance. There were cars from 41 states, Canada, and Australia making this a major national event. Pre-registration for 2018 is open now to any 1989 or older vehicle. Having said that, we saw entire Corvette and Mustang clubs in town, including members with newer cars. While these newer cars could not enter the Cruisin’ the Coast venues they could simply park nearby and walk in to join club members with older cars. There is also a huge Jeep club presence, once again they do not qualify to enter the venues, but the sight of a couple hundred Jeeps of every vintage and every description adds to the cruisin’ fun. Some other trends we noticed include the fact that the beach buggy is back; we noticed several large groups of buggies cruising together with everything from the iconic Meyers-Manx to open cockpit caged buggies. There also seemed to be a good selection of early Buick Rivieras and pickup trucks of every description continue to have a huge presence. The early Bronco is also a very popular little truck. Hot rods, muscle cars, Tri-Five Chevrolets, restored cars, sports cars, and more, all fill the area, making this a very diverse car event.

While the event is officially scheduled to be one week long, the cruisers generally come early and leave late, so it is common to see cruisers in town several days before the event kicks off and several days after the event ends. We are still trying to absorb all the sights and sounds we enjoyed at this year’s event, but realize the 2018 Cruisin’ the Coast is already in the planning stages. The 2018 event officially runs from September 30 to October 7, 2018, but we’re planning on arriving early and leaving late; the event really is that good.

Drop-Top Shoebox

Ken Smith’s 1950 Ford with Style After World War II, automobiles were largely carryovers from the 1941-1942 model line. The first all-new Fords were introduced in 1949 and the design changes were radical. Gone were the independent fenders, any hint of a running board and the hood line was dramatically lower. It was streamlined and a bit on the boxy side compared to earlier models. It didn’t take long for hot rodders and customizers to label these cool cars the “shoebox Ford.” The new body style had only minor changes for 1950, with the most obvious change being the location of the front parking lights. Demand for all new cars remained high and the new Ford sold well. In 1950, Ford sold 50,299 convertibles, but precious few survive today. This fact was not lost on Ken Smith, and when he saw an opportunity to own a 1950 Ford convertible he jumped at the chance. The car was built by Tom O’Rourke and friends in Safety Harbor, Florida. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is second to none.

The chassis incorporates a Fatman Fabrications IFS front clip with stainless steel control arms, coilover shocks, and power rack-and-pinion steering. Out back a 9-inch Ford rear is located with a pair of Posies lowering leaf springs and Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes slow the old ragtop down. Keeping this Ford all-Ford was a big part of the build and to that end a Mustang 5.0 connects to a Ford AOD tranny. The motor breathes through a TrickFlow intake and spent gases exit through Ford Racing stainless headers connected to a complete stainless steel exhaust system. MSD provides a hot spark and a Superior Radiator combines with a Cooling Components fan to control engine temperatures. A new Tanks Inc. fuel tank and in-tank fuel pump supply the required fuel pressure.

The body remains largely the way Ford built it in 1950 as the focus was on improvement rather than change. To that end the car has a much improved fit and finish. The Nu-Relics power windows add convenience and the 1953 Cadillac Artisan Ochre is the perfect vintage yellow. The slightly lowered stance is reminiscent of an early ’50s mild custom and the factory skirts and 1952 Ford Crestline bumper guards add to that look. In keeping with the traditional look the car rolls on Vintique wheels covered with 1952 Ford Crestline hubcaps. The black Haartz cloth top combines the rich look of canvas with modern durability.

Inside the upgraded original approach continues. The stock dashboard carries Dakota Digital analog gauges. The tilt column is topped with a LimeWorks steering wheel while Custom Air A/C keeps the cabin cool when the top is up. The seats have been covered in Spice Tan leather and the square-weave carpet sports leather piping. All factory trim pieces have been restored to perfection, resulting in a timeless interior that blends perfectly with the rest of the car.

Ford has always taken great pride in building reliable cars, and that extends to the hot rod world as well. It seems Ken had a total of 41 miles on the car when he left home in Spring Hill, Florida, driving to Cruisin’ the Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi. By the time he got back home the car had over 1,000 trouble-free miles on the odometer; you gotta love a well-built old Ford.

The total package takes you back to a simpler time, a time when GIs were busy resuming the good life. The vintage feeling is so strong, when you turn on the Alpine stereo you almost expect to hear Guy Lombardo, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, or Patti Page singing one of the hit songs of the day. All that and more is why we chose Ken Smith’s 1950 Ford convertible for our Best Ford in a Ford award at the 2017 Cruisin’ the Coast event.

The simple good looks of a 1950 Ford shine through the 1953 Caddy Artisan Ochre yellow paint. A subtle lowering, factory foglights, and rare 1952 Ford Crestline bumper guards add up to a fine, mild, custom look.

Much like the exterior, the inside focuses on improving rather than changing things. Full Spice Tan leather is sewn in traditional rolls and pleats, while square weave carpet and the LimeWorks steering wheel add a touch of class.

Ah yes, remember when cars came with a fullsize spare tire? Leather and carpet now cover what was once covered with a simple rubber mat. The Bud box stores tools and cleaning supplies.

Underhood a 5.0 Mustang motor breathes through a K&N filter and TrickFlow intake. MSD ignition and Ford Racing stainless headers help performance. To the untrained eye this may look like a stock engine bay, but notice the nicely filled and finished firewall.

The rear view is pure ’50s flavor with another set of those rare bumper guards in service. All-original trim has been repaired and polished or sent off for fresh chrome.

The devil is in the details. How about these cool side-view mirrors that appear to be stock but have built-in LED turn signal indicators? They flash when the turn signals are on and disappear when not in use.

Speaking of LED lighting the stock bezels hold much brighter than original LED lights. Factory optional backup lights remain in service. Note the perfect decklid gaps, this is one fine automobile.

Painless Performance Products Top 100

Tech Tip: Six-Cylinder Fan Belt Squeal Do you have an A/C system on your six-cylinder engine that runs the alternator from a groove of the compressor? If it squeals when the engine is first started, allow the alternator to charge for a minute or so before turning on the A/C so there won’t as much load on the fan belt.

Bruce Kadel | Urbana, OH | 1956 Ford Mainline The Ford Mainline was the base model for 1956; it was also known as “the business coupe.” “Barebones” best describes the model as there was no back seat, glovebox, radio, or roll-down back windows. The clean, simple look continues with a Mustang II IFS, a 302 Ford motor, and Lokar-shifted AOD. Concessions to comfort include Vintage Air, a hidden stereo, and the rolled and pleated seat.

Kevin Phillips | Columbus, MS | 1940 Ford pickup This 1940 combines classic with contemporary. While the Coker wide whites are traditional, the LS2/4L60 combination under the hood is modern, as is the two-tone paint scheme. The truck rides on a Total Cost Involved frame with Pro-shocks on all four corners. Inside, rolled and pleated brown leather combines with Dakota Digital gauges in the stock bezel. An ididit column and shifter complete the package.

David Pritchett | Meridian, MS | 1933 Plymouth Coupe The House of Color Tangelo paint brought us in for a closer look so we could study the great fabrication on this coupe. Up front a Super Bell axle and four-bar mount to the custom frame and a 9-inch Ford rear mounts Goodyear-wrapped Billet Specialties wheels. A Chevy 350/700-R4 propels this Plymouth. Inside the cream leather, VDO gauges and Vintage Air combine with hand-formed dash details for a great look.

Floyd Dutton | Harrah, OK | 1958 Edsel Roundup This is one sneaky Edsel. Did you notice the top has been chopped, the B-pillars are canted, the missing door handles (once part of the side trim) are missing, and the entire roofskin has been replaced with a lower profile 1959 unit? Fatman dropped spindles, a 302 Ford motor and AOD trans, and Vintage Air have made the 65,000 miles of travel a pleasure. A 1957 Ford dashboard holds modified Mustang gauges.

Harold Catlett | Knoxville, TN | 1933 Ford Tudor sedan This timeless Tudor relies on the inherent good looks of the 1933 Ford, combined with a mild top chop, shaved door handles and mile-deep black paint over laser-straight panels. The hot rod stance is complements of a Total Coast Involved Engineering chassis and a great “rubber-rake.” A 502-inch big-block Chevy provides motivation while bright red leather combines with Vintage Air and Classic Instruments to complete the interior package.

Gary Clark | Dothan, AL | 1954 Chevy 210 The key to a great custom is often restraint. This Chevy custom features added grille teeth, a one-piece hood, frenched headlights, and a shaved decklid with frenched taillights. Factory skirts, 1957 Caddy caps, and Diamondback wide whites complete the look. Inside a 1959 Chevy dash is filled with Classic Instruments and Vintage Air, while under the hood a traditionally dressed, Holley-fed, 350 Chevy provides power.

Don Sasser | Atlantic Beach, FL | 1939 Ford standard woodie In 1939 Ford offered both a Deluxe and Standard version of the station wagon. This Standard model now rolls on Southern Rods & Parts Mustang II front suspension with an 8.8 Ford 2018 Explorer rear. Wire wheels and wide whites from Coker Tire add to the classic good looks, while inside flawlessly restored wood combines with leather seats. A 4.6 Ford motor and AOD tranny keep this woodie all Ford.

Mark Wall | Madison, MS | 1937 Chevrolet pickup This old hauler rides on IFS with QA1 shocks and QA1 coilovers out back for a comfortable ride and perfect stance. The body remains original and Mark’s wife fondly refers to the unique color as “Vomit.” We’ll just go with brown. Inside is a stunning interior with Vintage Air, Dakota Digital, and ididit column completing the cab. Hauling power comes from a modern LS1 4L60E combination.

Michael Boudreaux | LaPlace, LA | 1941 Willys coupe Starting with a near-perfect 1941 Willys, Michael added a chrome straight axle and a big Pontiac rear to the Willys frame with QA1 shocks on all four corners. Power comes from 348 inches of Mopar power hooked to a 727 tranny. PPG red paint and gold leaf lettering combine with Halibrand wheels to complete the gasser look. Inside is all business with Moon gauges, a rollbar, and Lenco shifter. Yes it’s street legal. Yes, it runs in the 10s.

Ernest Thompson | Louisville, KY | 1937 Ford Club coupe The 1937 Ford Club coupe is a rare car, seeing one chopped is even more unusual. After lowering the lid the remainder of the body remains stock with a painted grille. The coupe rides on a Chassis Engineering IFS up front and leaf spring suspension out back. Underhood, a 350 Chevy engine couples to a 350 tranny. Inside gray leather covers the bucket seats while Classic Instruments monitor the motor and Vintage Air keeps things cool.

The post 2017 Cruisin’ The Coast appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/2017-cruisin-coast/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

0 notes