Tag Archives: car customizer

Car show, Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Make-A-Wish for More Lingenfelter Horsepower

May 6, 2022 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Lingenfelter Eliminator Spec Engine Raffle Benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Make A Wish

Ken Lingenfelter is more than crafting innovative engineering into winning performance. He likes to get involved with charity events. Ken Lingenfelter often opens up his private collection for charity events. Now he is helping children with critical illnesses make some life-changing wishes come true through the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Through a raffle drawing, the proceeds will help children obtain their wishes. Plus the winner of the raffle takes home a Lingenfelter Performance Engineering Eliminator Spec Engine valued at $30,000. This engine was built to the same specifications used on the engine for the 1953 Kindig-It CF1 Roadster built by Dave Kindig at Kindig-It-Design.

Lingenfelter Performance Engineering Eliminator Spec Engine

650 Horsepower
Lingenfelter 427 LS Engine
Lingenfelter LS3 Ported Heads with LSX Springs
Borla 8-Stack Injection
Billet Specialties Tru Trac Front Drive
Forged & Balanced Rotating Assembly
Lingenfelter Roller Camshaft
Lingenfelter Certificate of Authenticity
Signed by Dave Kindig and Ken Lingenfelter

The Lingenfelter Performance Engineering’s Eliminator Spec Engine Program of custom-built engines are “ENGINEERED FOR THE TRACK, BRED FOR THE STREET.”

To add to the excitement, the winning raffle ticket will be randomly drawn by Dave Kindig, owner of Kindig-It-Design and the star of the hit TV show “Bitchin’ Rides” at the Lingenfelter 21^st Annual Blue Suede Cruise on July 30^th, 2022.

Be there or Be Square

The winner does not need to be present to win, but all are welcome to join the fun and meet our celebrity guests, Dave Kindig and Kevin Schiele “KevDogg,” for three days of 1978 and older hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars & trick trucks. It is a great event for the entire family with a car show; fun runs, drag racing, manufacturers midway, great food, live music, fireworks, and a coloring contest for all ages judged by Dave Kindig and Kevin Schiele! It all happens July 29^th-31^st, 2022 at the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

For details click below

Make-A-Wish Raffle Tickets

Event Info

Event Tickets

Auctions, Uncategorized

Hirohata Mercury SOLD at Mecum Auctions

November 22, 2021 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

UPDATE The Hirohata mercury sold for $2,145,000 at the Mecum Auction in Florida In January 2022.

The world’s most famous custom car – the Bob Hirohata 1951 Mercury – is selling at the January 2022 Mecum Auction in Kissimmee, Florida.

This iconic car was created by Sam and George Barris when Bob Hirohata after returning from military service brought a new Mercury to the Barris; to do their magic. The original build occurred in under 100 days to be ready for display at the 1952 Motorama car show.

Sam Barris removed the B pillars to make the Mercury into a hardtop. Chopping the roof four inches and lowering the rear roofline an additional three inches made for a sleek look.

Hirohata Alterations

Additional alterations include:

Top chopped 4 inches in the front and 7 inches in the rear
V-butted windshield
Front fenders extended 4 inches, incorporating frenched 1952 Ford headlights
Rear fenders extended and fitted with frenched 1952 Lincoln Capri tail lights
Trunk corners were rounded
Hood was filled, peaked and extended into the grille
Custom grille made from three 1952 Ford grilles
Factory dips on the doors were filled and the surrounding sheet metal was reshaped to flow with 1952 Buick Riviera trim spears
Functional brake cooling scoops on rear panels
Flush fit, flared fender skirts
Chopped front coils in front and the frame was kicked up in the rear
Springs were de-arched using two sets of 1.5-inch lowering blocks

Hirohata Restoration

The car was restored by the owner to Seafoam Green and Organic Green. These hues were trend-breaking as most customs back in the ’50s were somber, dark colors.

The car was previously enrolled into the National Historic Vehicle Registry and rightfully so.

Mecum always snag some high profile cars, like Big Oly. It will be interesting to see what this iconic, classic custom sells for at the Mecum auction. Care to make a guess? Comment below!

Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Auctions, Uncategorized

Hula Girl Waltzes to a New Owner

May 9, 2021 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

This 1933 custom Ford roadster debuted at the 1952 Oakland Roadster Show. Named the “Hula Girl” it was built by Bill Montero Sr. and his son, Bill Jr., of San Jose, California, in the early 1950s. It shows what a customizer could do back in the ’50s when customization was all the rage. Who wouldn’t love this orange pearl paint job with the wind in your face?

Hula Girl Changes

After the 1952 show, the roadster was channeled, allowing the body to sit even lower as it appears today. To add to the chops of this roadster it was then converted to an alcohol-burning drag car and campaigned across Northern California and then parked. As presented it easily broke 100 MPH in the quarter-mile strips.

Hula Girl Build

It was restored in the late 1990s and eventually bought in 2006 by Craig Jackson of Barrett-Jackson Auctions. It is powered by a 1953 Ford flathead V8 with Ardun heads. A supercharger with three Stromberg carburetors complete the look. A manual transmission was utilized and the rear end is from a 1948 Ford. The stunning wire wheels came from a 1953 Buick Skylark.

Craig Jackson, the Chairman do the Barrett-Jackson Auction, stated he was selling it as he rarely got the chance to drive it and felt it should be driven. Jackson promulgates that people are only the “caretakers” of these cars and he always admired the “piece of eye candy”.

Hula Girl Sells

The paint is an orange pearl and sizzled under the lights of the March 2021 Barrett-Jackson Auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. It sold for $126,500 (including buyer’s premium) and Hula Girl is now off to new adventures.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

[Show picture list]

Car show, Uncategorized

Rides for a Reason

November 24, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

It seems everybody has resorted to hosting virtual car shows as COVID-19 hampers efforts to get out and about. The SEMA Show went to the virtual SEMA360 and plenty of places including the Petersen Museum have held “virtual” drive-ins. Recently the National Auto Body Council held their version “Rides for a Reason”.

The Rides for a Reason featured cars, trucks, and motorcycles judged through submitted photographs by some impressive judges, including the Ring Brothers, Dave Kindig, and Ray Everham.

The show featured nine categories and had some impressive rides to pick from. The entry fee proceeds went to the impressive charity works of the National Auto Body Council; assisting the needy, first responders, and efforts to eliminate distracted driving.

Let’s get to the picks- Check out the gallery below for more photos

Antiques/Vintage

A 1930 five window Ford coupe took the honors.

Hot Rods/Rat Rods and Customs

1941 Willys fits the bill to win in this category

Classics – 50′, 60’s and 70’s

Yes, that was the classic car time as proven by this 1973 Karmann Ghia.

Old School Muscle cars- 60’s and 70’s

This 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass looks perfect for this category. Ring Brothers must have had a hard choice to make.

Modern Muscle 80’s to current

A teacher from a tech college took the honors with his 2015 Mustang GT

Trucks

How about a 2005 Avalanche for an unconventional decision.

Motorcycles

Hard to argue with the 2007 Suzuki 450, Ricky Carmichael edition that is still mint and has never been ridden.

Wild Card

Well in a COVID-19 world why not have a wild card category, especially if this 2006 Charger took the honors?

Best paint

This 2015 Mustang was a double winner with the black and candy apple red hues.

The nine finalists now vie for the Best of Show. Which one would you pick?

Photos courtesy NABC

[Show picture list]

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Auctions, Car show, Uncategorized

River City Rods’ 1972 Chevrolet C30 Franklin Camper

October 9, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

River City Rods and Fabrication have been making waves with their custom builds at the SEMA Shows for the past few years. Every Chevy gear head loved “Brown Sugar” that rolled out for the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada and was recently up for sale on eBay. But they also built a 1972 Chevrolet C30 RV Truck for the 2017 SEMA Show that had some interesting post-SEMA experiences.

River City Rods 1972 Chevrolet C30

The 1972 Chevrolet C30 was based on an original Franklin Coach camper that was treated to a custom suspension and new internals. The crew at River City threw in a LS3 GM Performance engine and a Bowler five speed automatic transmission. Arizona based GSI did the chassis work and used an AccuAir air ride system.

Of course the interior had to be eye popping and that included a 50 inch television and barn wood motif. There was a bar in the back as well. The blue paint was eye-catching and plenty of lookers enjoyed the retro look at the SEMA Show.

After the SEMA Show

Well sometimes the show cars from SEMA disappear after the show and you wonder what happened to them. In this case it didn’t take long to see the Chevrolet C30 back in the public’s eye.

Barrett-Jackson had it offered at their Scottsdale, Arizona show in January of 2019. It drew plenty of interest and was hammered sold for $126,500. But not so fast partner.

In September of this year it was offered up by a dealer through Bring A Trailer. The seller claimed that the buyer at Barrett-Jackson backed out of the deal and while Barrett-Jackson offered to make the deal stand, the dealer took the truck back.

So it ran on the Bring A Trailer auction but only was bid up to $56,555. Quite a drop from a heady Barrett-Jackson hammered price. So the dealer took it off the auction site and went to eBay.

River city Rods -1972 Chevrolet C30 on eBay

On eBay the dealer had it listed with a buy It Now price of $89,900. The seller claimed over $200,000 was invested in the build. After being on the site for a few days it was ended by the seller. Many car sellers on eBay will often state they are offering the car for sale elsewhere, like on their own website, and might remove the vehicle from the auction early. My guess is the dealer received an offer outside of eBay and hence ended the auction without an official sale from that auction site.

So if the dealer was able to get it sold this time, maybe it will surface soon again for the public to view?

Would you use this ride for an RV in the post-COVID 19 days?

Subscribe to Blog via Email

[Show picture list]

Auctions, Uncategorized

Worldwide Auctioneers Auburn Auction Absolutely Awesome

September 14, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Even under “normal” situations a car auction company would be ecstatic with a 90% sell through rate. Worldwide Auctioneers must be over the moon to reach that level at their recent Auburn auction.

Yes folks, Worldwide Auctioneers concluded their 13th annual Auburn Auction in Indiana during the 2020 Labor Day Weekend, with 90% of consignments finding new homes. Given the complexity of arranging bids and the fiscal times we are in, that is phenomenal!

Worldwide Sold a 1935 Auburn

As expected at an Auburn auction, an Auburn Speedster set the bar. High sale went to a meticulously restored and multiple award winning 1935 Auburn 851 SC Boattail Speedster with body design by Gordon Buehig and a supercharged engine with a top speed of 100 mph. It sold for $1,072,500. (Like always all prices include the buyer’s premium)

Rick Dore’s Shangri-La

But we fell in love with the sweeping majestic custom that famed customizer Rick Dore built. This beauty was a one-off 1936 Cadillac “Shangri-La” Custom Roadster. It featured a hand-formed aluminum body fabricated by the famous Marcel Custom Metal workers on a short 116 wheelbase. The roof comes off to allow for a roadster look to this lady in Indian Inkwell Blue. It sold for a sweet $550,000.

Another car that we loved was a 1966 Chevelle Pro Street. The paintwork was on point and the attention to detail was as expected, top notch. The Chevy was badged as an SS with a 496 engine and came with a two speed Powerglide. It was strip ready with a roll cage and sold for $41,800.

A fantastic Model A 1932 Ford was not the typical “Auburn auction” but sure caught our eye. So did the 400 cubic inch engine matched to a 700R4 automatic transmission. Suicide doors and a striking paintjob with pinstriping helped collect $49,500 from the winning bidder.

Worldwide Auctioneers Outcome

The Auburn Auction finalized at nearly $8 million in total sales. Presented as both a live and online event, the Auburn Auction offered options for every controlled health level, with onsite bidding, online bidding available via three different online partner platforms, and absentee and telephone bidding available to pre-registered, qualified buyers.

We enjoyed their January, 2020 auction in Tempe, AZ during all the Phoenix area auctions. Here’s hoping that “regular” auctions return to the scene soon with Worldwide Auctioneers leading the way.

Photos courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

[Show picture list]

Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Great Subscription Offer from Round-Up Publications

April 27, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

The good folks at Round-Up Publications know a thing or two about good deals. Their magazines are packed with deals tighter than five teenagers in a trunk sneaking into a drive-in movie. Remember those?

For a limited time the publisher is offering an exclusive offer. Get a year’s subscription to not one, not TWO but all THREE of their award winning magazines. Yes folks, you’d get a year of Classic Car Round-Up and Truck Round-Up. These are monthly issues so that translates to twenty four sets of great deals and car articles.

But WAIT there’s more. You also get a year’s subscription to Auto Round-Up magazine, the star ship of the fleet from the publisher. This comes out every two weeks so you’ll get 26 issues delivered to your door.

Round-Up Magazines

With that many magazines, your mailman will need a back brace. Plus you’re bound to find at least one amazing deal on one amazing car or truck or …

Besides the great ads for cars and trucks, there is always a mass of parts and supplies offered for sale. So don’t delay and get your order in. Operators might not be standing by, but the electrons of the WWW – world wide web are. So hop to it!

Here is the link for ordering this awesome set of magazines.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Car show, Uncategorized

Leg Show T-Bucket

February 5, 2020 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

The Grand National Roadster Show wrapped up the three day show, announcing the winner of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) on Sunday January 26, 2020. The winning entry is certainly an awesome Arizona build and I admire the craftsmanship.
But (and you knew there would be a but right?)

Leg Show T-Bucket

I could not take my eye off a T-bucket that seemed to be a tribute to the original Leg Show T-Bucket. This roadster was as outrageous as the original and just screamed at you. I had commented to others that this bucket was the hit in my youth but was too far out there to be the final AMBR winner this year.

Craftsmanship of Leg Show T-Bucket

But hats off to the owners, Walter and Thenia Sigsby. This T-Bucket had some great workmanship and the paint and shiny pieces glowed under the lights in Pomona, CA. The Jaguar rearend was easy to see in this design and the Dan Fink grill was top notch. Due to the stanchions, I couldn’t see much of the Ron Mangus interior but what we could see was awesome. Turns out the gas tank was done by Jim Babbs who had also worked on the original Leg Show T in 1970.

Leg Show T-Bucket Legacy

The original Leg Show T-Bucket made the cover of Rod and Custom in 1971 and was an instant hit. Here’s hoping this one does the same.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

[Show picture list]

Car show, Uncategorized

Art Cars Are Part of Houston’s Day of the Dead

November 5, 2019 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Art Cars Come Alive

Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos, has been a long standing Hispanic tradition. It comes the day after Halloween, which in the Catholic faith is All Saints Day. Generally it extends for the two days after Halloween, concluding on November 2nd. In Mexico it is an actual official government holiday. It became a day for remembering loved ones that had passed away. Often it included the opportunity to clean the gravesite of family members.

Houston’s Art Cars

In recent years it has morphed into more of a festive celebration but still focused on remembering those who have passed away. This year Houston, Texas held a celebration at night at Discovery Green in downtown, not far from Minute Maid Park. Yep that place where the Astro’s lost game seven of the World Series.

Art Cars

Beyond a wide variety of music and vendor booths were several touted “art cars”. One even had been painted with chalk paint so that people could use the provided paint to “write” on the car. Pretty cool use of chalk and the art cars were always attracting crowds of folks. Always nice seeing how the love of automobiles extends into other events.

How did you celebrate the Day of the Dead?

[Show picture list]

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Car show, Uncategorized

Lowrider Guadalupe Style Down and Low

October 8, 2019 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

A while back the Intimidators Car Club sponsored the Guadalupe Car Show. The dusty streets of Guadalupe, AZ were shut down for this event filled with lowriders of all dimensions and plenty of fun activities.

Lowrider

We’ve always been enchanted of the craftsmanship involved in these rides. Whether it is old school or a newer vintage car and truck the workmanship is spot on. Of course you expect some awesome, vivid paint jobs and terrific stances from these lowriders. But best of all is the camaraderie and friendship that the owners exhibit amongst themselves and the various car clubs. Guadalupe Car Show

Guadalupe

It is an interesting venue as Guadalupe may be one of the poorest and most disadvantaged towns in the Phoenix metro area, but for this one day that doesn’t matter. Guadalupe Car Show

Low Rider Old School

Personally we favor the old school Impalas, but this show proves that any car is a contender for the lowrider lifestyle. Mix in some paint, a killer suspension, maybe some engraving and plenty of compressors and battery power and you are set to jet! It may seem that we hit a number of lowrider shows but hey, we have eclectic tastes and always enjoy the rides and friendships. Guadalupe Lowrider Car Show