Tag Archives: Corvette

Lingenfelter Car Collection

The Lingenfelter Company is known for hopping up the Corvettes to boost their power and handling.  As if a C7 Corvette needed anything more?

Next week on the Velocity Channel starting on Monday September 14, 2015 the car show Car Crazy hosted by Barry Meguiar of the car care business fame will look at the Lingenfelter Collection with Ken Lingfelter.

As a recent press release noted, the show will feature an in-depth look at one of the most  outstanding car collections in the world and explore the unique story of the man responsible for this dream garage.

Lingenfelter Collection

The Lingenfelter Collection, assembled and curated by Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, is a 40,000-square-foot building filled with over 200 unique and historically significant American muscle cars, Corvettes and late-model exotics, including a Bugatti Veyron, a Lamborghini Reventon and eight Ferraris, including a 2015 LaFerrari.

The Collection’s diversity comes from Lingenfelter’s wide-ranging automotive interests and cars he likes. Corvettes, both old and new, are of course featured in the Collection which includes a ’53 Supercharged Corvette, the first supercharged Corvette, (one of two ever produced and the only one believed to still be in existence); the ’54 Duntov Test Mule, which is considered the first true high performance Corvette as well as Lingenfelter Performance Engineering’s new Level One and Level Two tuned C7 Z06s.

This amazing private collection is not only a showcase of some of the coolest cars ever, but it is also serves a noble purpose – helping others. Lingenfelter uses the Collection as a unique venue for public tours and special events to generate financial support for charitable organizations through The Lingenfelter Foundation. Over the years, Collection events have raised funds for breast cancer, juvenile diabetes, youth organizations and  other worthwhile causes.

As a quintessential “car guy”, Lingenfelter has a deep appreciation for stylish, high-performance automobiles, and he puts that passion into his work as the owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, a leading automotive performance engineering brand with a worldwide reputation for creating performance-tuned GM vehicles, engines and aftermarket components.

Velocity Channel

As usual check your Velocity cable listings for dates and times in your location.  Let us know what you think and if you set up the DVR!

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Gas Monkey Garage at Barrett-Jackson Results

Gas Monkey Garage came out in force at the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction this year. Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman, the stars of Discovery Channel’s Fast N’ Loud, brought out seven vehicles that they have been part of at their Dallas, TX garage, in some way.

We have been fans of their antics since the first season and profiled one of their cars that was sold at Barrett-Jackson before their garage became so well known.

Spoiler alert

One of the cars is so new it has not even been seen on the show yet. So proceed only if you want to see all of Gas Monkey’s vehicles that sold at auction.

Prices

The prices listed include a 10% buyer’s commission.  So if the winning bid was for $35,000 the buyer actually shells out $38,500 to Barrett-Jackson, which is what we list. And Barrett-Jackson typically takes a similar cut from the seller, so from a winning bid of $35,000 the seller would net $31,500.

66 Volkswagen “Shorty”

This bus must have been left outside in the Texas rain and shrunk. Interesting twist on the usual VW bus and hard to miss. Richard bought it for $2K and intended on putting $7,500 more into it.  Sue charged him $3K to install the kit alone, so suspect he invested way more than $7,500. This was the only Gas Monkey garage vehicle sold on Wednesday. It sold for $38,500.Gas Monkey Garage 66 Shorty

69 Ford TruckGas Monkey Garage 69 Ford

The shop truck with a definite tinge of patina sold solo on Thursday. This has definitely seen some wear and there are even some minor holes in the bed so we know it has been put to work. It sold for $42,900.

Gas Monkey Garage 69 Ford Pinholes

68 Chevy Impala

This is brand  new to the TV viewers, since it hasn’t been aired yet. It did not even meet the print deadline to be in the humongous Barrett-Jackson catalog! Green with a black vinyl top. Equipped with a crate ZZ5 engine and a two speed Powerglide transmission. Ride Tech suspension and Wilwood brakes with nice Intro wheels. Rumor has it the winning bidder can return to Dallas and be in the show, since he bid $50,600.Gas Monkey Garage 68 Impala

68 Shelby Mustang Convertible.

This baby even came with an AM radio/eight track player. But Rawlings’ crew couldn’t locate an eight track to test it out. It’s been repainted Lime Gold and uses a 302 V8 and a three speed. Ironically the catalog fails to mention any connection to Gas Monkey Garage but it still sold for $106,700.Gas Monkey Garage 68 Shelby Front

86 Porsche 930 Renspeed

This baby is Rawlings’ friend Dennis Collins’ sale and is one of twelve built. The red color looks nice and there is only 9,000 miles on this baby.  Nearly 30 years old and only 9,000 miles – go figure. It sold new for $168,000 and was last serviced in 2011. Dennis sold it for $165,000Gas Monkey Garage 86 Porsche

64 Corvette

Another late entry that missed the catalog deadline. It is fuel injection with a 327 and a four speed and is a numbers matching car. It sports original Kelsey Hayes knock offs for a nice authentic look.  The price went up to $77,000.Gas Monkey Garage 64 Corvette

1971 Chevrolet Kingswood Station Wagon

This was used to help promote “Ugly Kid”. It has a crate 454 engine and a 400 automatic with a supercharger (hence the hood alteration). On the show Richard sold it for $42,000 but later took it back from Ugly Kid. Love the Cragars wheels and the “wood” trim but honestly it is showing some age but still sold for $36,300.Gas Monkey Garage 71 Wagon

Finally we saved the best for last

76 Chevy C-10

This truck was donated to a local Dallas charity and Dennis Collins stepped up to the plate on TV and bought it for $85,000. Now he flipped it at Barrett-Jackson and sold it for only $45,100. It uses a LS7 engine for power and has a 4L85E automatic . Gas Monkey Garage 76 Truck Front View

Many folks on Rawlings’ “interweb” question the build but it looks solid; but Dennis should have had somebody tweak the hood better. The alignment is terrible.Gas Monkey Garage 76 Truck Driver's Side HoodDriver’s Side Hood Alignment

Gas Monkey Garage 76 Truck Passenger Side HoodPassenger Side Hood Alignment

Now I’d be guessing that Richard didn’t have to pay the full 10% seller’s commission, but that’s between him and Craig Jackson.  So do you think Richard flipped out okay on these cars?

 

Enjoy all the pictures of the cars and trucks from Gas Monkey Garage

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1961 Corvette from Barrett-Jackson

Corvette Front EndHere’s our recent story for eBay Motors on this nice resto-mod 1961 Corvette that was sold at Barrett-Jackson last week in Scottsdale, AZ.  Two years ago we covered the sale of his Scooby Doo themed Mystery Van.

1961 CorvetteOriginal Corvette

The builder started out with somebody else’s 1961 Corvette convertible and after removing the body ended up with this sweetie.

LS3 logoThe resto-mod utilized a new LS3 engine from GM along with a new 4L70E four speed transmission.  Nicely and tastefully done, this convertible screamed fun and power.

1961 Corvette ResultsPassenger Side Rear 61 Corvette

So with this rest-mod you end up with the classic styling of a 61 Corvette with all the modern touches and upgrades that make this fun to drive. The builder even installs power studs under the passenger wheel well to allow for a trickle charger to be discretely in place, if needed.  The Corvette just screams that it is ready for whatever the road brings on.

What do you think?

 

 

Gas Monkey Garage at Barrett-Jackson

Gas Monkey Garage is out in force at the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction this year. Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman, the stars of Discovery Channel’s Fast N’ Loud, have brought out seven vehicles that they have been part of at their Dallas, TX garage.

We have been fans of their antics since the first season and profiled one of their cars that was sold at Barrett-Jackson before their garage became so well known. Their vehicles start selling on Wednesday so stay tuned and we can see how good a flipper they are.

Spoiler alert

One of the cars is so new it has not even been seen on the show yet. So proceed only if you want to see all of Gas Monkey’s vehicles that are up for auction. Remember most cars at Barrett-Jackson are sold at no reserve, meaning the highest bid price is the sold price!

66 Volkswagen “Shorty”

This bus must have been left outside in the Texas rain and shrunk. Interesting twist on the usual VW bus and hard to miss. This is the only Gas Monkey garage vehicle selling on Wednesday. Good luck Richard!Gas Monkey Garage 66 Shorty

69 Ford TruckGas Monkey Garage 69 Ford

The shop truck with a definite tinge of patina is selling solo on Thursday. This has definitely seen some wear and there are even some minor holes in the bed so we know it has been put to work.Gas Monkey Garage 69 Ford Pinholes

68 Chevy Impala

This is new to the TV viewers, since it hasn’t been aired yet. It did not even meet the print deadline to be in the humongous Barrett-Jackson catalog! Green with a black vinyl top. Equipped with a crate ZZ5 engine and a two speed Powerglide transmission. Ride Tech suspension and Wilwood brakes with nice Intro wheels. Rumor has it the winning bidder can return to Dallas and be in the show.Gas Monkey Garage 68 Impala

68 Shelby Mustang Convertible.

This baby even came with an AM radio/eight track player. But Rawlings’ crew couldn’t locate an eight track to test it out. It’s been repainted Lime Gold and uses a 302 V8 and a three speed. Ironically the catalog fails to mention any connection to Gas Monkey Garage.Gas Monkey Garage 68 Shelby Front

86 Porsche 930 Renspeed

This baby is Rawlings’ friend Dennis Collins sale and is one of twelve built. The red color looks nice and there is only 9,000 miles on this baby. It sold new for $168,000 and was last serviced in 2011. Good luck Dennis with this sale.Gas Monkey Garage 86 Porsche

64 Corvette

Another late entry that missed the catalog deadline. It is a fuelie (fuel injection) with a 327 and a four speed and is a numbers matching car. It sports original Kelsey Hayes knock offs for a nice authentic look. With the top down, will the price go up?Gas Monkey Garage 64 Corvette

1971 Chevrolet Kingswood Station Wagon

This was used to help promote “Ugly Kid” and now hits the auction block on Sunday. It has a crate 454 engine and a 400 automatic with a supercharger (hence the hood alteration). Love the Cragars wheels and the “wood” trim but honestly it is showing some age.Gas Monkey Garage 71 Wagon

Finally we saved the best for last

76 Chevy C-10

This truck was donated to a local Dallas charity and Dennis Collins stepped up to the plate on TV and bought it for $85,000. Now he is flipping it at Barrett-Jackson. It uses a LS7 engine for power and has a 4L85E automatic . Gas Monkey Garage 76 Truck Front View

Many folks on Rawlings’ “interweb” question the build but it looks solid; but Dennis should have had somebody tweak the hood better. The alignment is terrible.Gas Monkey Garage 76 Truck Driver's Side HoodDriver’s Side Hood Alignment

Gas Monkey Garage 76 Truck Passenger Side HoodPassenger Side Hood Alignment

So how many cars do you remember seeing in the show? Which was your favorite and how much will the show truck go for? Will Dennis lose his (embroidered name) shirt?

Subscribe to this site and you can see how the flippers did at Barrett-Jackson.

Enjoy all the pictures of the cars and trucks from Gas Monkey Garage

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Arizona Concours D’Elegance Awards

Arizona Concours D’Elegance Awards

Arizona Concours D’Elegance kicked off a busy week of car auctions today, Sunday January 11, 2015. This is the second year for the concours judging show and was held at the famed Arizona Biltmore. Fifty four awards were issued to the various entrant in a variety of classes.

Dawn Patrol

To best appreciate the cars it is best to show up before dawn and watch and hear the cars parade into the lawns surrounding the Biltmore’s rooms. One eventual winner even fired up his race car, with an auxiliary starter powered by three car batteries, to let the crowds enjoy those unique sounds. Hope the hotel’s guest enjoyed them too!

Four Favorites

With fifty-four awards being issued it is hard to single out just one, so here are four winners we especially enjoyed. Hope you do too.

Arizona Concours D’Elegance Preservation Class – 1952 OldsmobileArizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winner 52 Olds

This 98 Holiday hardtop won a class award. And with only 29,105 original miles and 100% original everything why wouldn’t it? This beauty was a three owner survivor and due an award.

Arizona Concours D’Elegance – 37 Rolls RoyceArizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winner 37 Rolls Royce

At first glance one might think this was gaudy, until you stop and appreciate all the workmanship on this lovely lady. The Rolls Royce was originally a 37 and in 1947 rebodied by the then owner John Gaul. Afterwards it has been affectionately known as Gaul’s Copper Kettle and for good reason!. That is copper over steel body work and includes rattan lacework and copper burnishing. Absolutely breathtaking and countless hours were utilized to make this one off classic.Arizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winner 37 RollsArizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winners Copper

Arizona Concours D’Elegance -1949 VolkswagenArizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winners VW Front

At first glance one might assume this was just another Volkswagen until you like at the rear end. That’s when you know something is up! This was a Hebmuller Cabriolet produced under license from Volkswagen. The exact number made and still in existence is hazy but this car is amazing. It won first in class for the avant garde category.Arizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winners Tail End VW

Arizona Concours D’Elegance – 1953 CorvetteArizona Concours D'Elegance Award Winner 53 Corvette

Many know that only three hundred Corvettes were made in their first year; all the same exterior body and interior colors. This was #298 out of 300 and made on Christmas Eve, 1953. The current owner has owned it for four decades and it is a consistent award winner. Here it won a class award for Post War American Powered Sports Car.

Arizona Concours D’Elegance Tour

After the rigors of the judging on Sunday there is now an inaugural tour for the registered cars available on Monday January 12, 2015 so expect to see some serious classic rides on the roads around Phoenix. Plus in the parking lot, valet naturally, we saw this Zagato Lamborghini that we previously reported on. Perhaps for sale?Zagato Front

So what do you think? In a future article we’ll cover some entrants that surprisingly didn’t win an award. So stay tuned.

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Chevrolet SEMA-Corvettes+COPO Camaro

Chevrolet always has a strong presence at the yearly SEMA show held in Las Vegas. Besides the factory presence on the SEMA floor, many enthusiasts bring out their personal designs based on Chevy products and have them at various vendor’s booths and displays.

Chevy Bowtie

But before the SEMA show even opens to the public, Chevrolet holds a media event the night before and gives the press sneak peeks at various models. Here we’ll present our four favorite performance Chevy cars

COPO Camaro

We have been HUGE fans of the COPO Camaro and love Chevrolet’s commitment to the drag strip by providing these cars in limited production, with only 69 being handmade each year. Past versions were mentioned here.

COPO Camaro

This year’s version was enthusiastically received and has lots to applaud. The 2015 version of the COPO Camaro on display at the SEMA Show featured a white exterior with gray and orange accents including an all-new style of COPO graphics – and was fitted with a 350 “LSX” V-8 engine topped with a 2.9L Whipple supercharger.

These production race cars are fitted with a pre-approved NHRA roll and a full on racing chassis and suspension components – including a solid rear axle system in place of the standard independent rear axle.

Racers can select from a variety of supercharged and naturally aspirated LS-family engines based on their racing NHRA Stock and Super Stock classes, including the 350, 396 and 427 naturally aspirated engines and a supercharged 350.

But you can’t just waltz into a showroom for these beauties, you have to enter into a lottery and hope you are one of 69 selected.

Jimmie Johnson’s 1971 Corvette

NASCAR racer Jimmie Johnson resto-modded a vintage 1971 Corvette with both exterior and interior updates, plus an all-new Gen V LT1 crate engine. The crate engine is rated for 460 horses. Jimmie came out in person to tout this powerhorse.

Jimmie Johnson

Johnson chose a Super Magnum six-speed manual transmission also offered by Chevrolet Performance. Johnson’s resto-mod Corvette also has an updated chassis, with adjustable coil-overs replacing the original front and rear suspension components, for more precise handling. A set of C6 Corvette Z06 brakes were bolted to this Corvette to help slow it down in record time. The 18 inch wheels help to emulate the rally wheels of the day.

1971 Corvette Driver's Side

Kiss’ Paul Stanley 2015 Corvette Stingray

Frankly the exterior treatment of the Corvette left me wanting more, but I can’t deny that during the show plenty of folks were checking it out. This red beauty had the Z51 package added to it; so it came rolling in with a dry-sump oiling system, electronic limited-slip differential, monster front brakes and a cooling package for both the differential and transmission. The transmission is an eight speed paddle shifter bolted to a 6.2L Gen V LT1 engine, rated at 460 horsepower and 465 pounds of torque.

Blue Devil

For Corvette aficionados, they can name off all the historic and record breaking cars. so a few tears welled up when the Blue Devil drove out.

ZR! Corvette

The ZR1, nicknamed the “Blue Devil,” is the first of the cars swallowed by the famed Corvette Museum “sinkhole” to be restored. You know, the hold in the ground that ate up eight Corvettes?

Technicians from Chevrolet took it under their wing and fixed some body panels, cracked doors, some broken glass and some bent control arms. The first public viewing for this iconic Corvette was here and then it was going to be whisked away back to Bowling Green, KY to be put back on public display.

So tell us which car makes your heart flutter?

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Cruisin’ Grand Car Show in Escondido

Escondido’s weekly car show, “Cruisin Grand“, wrapped up their summer of events this past Friday with one last show.  It started back in April and we covered the start as well.  There are just some awesome cars and trucks at this weekly show that you won’t see anywhere else.Escondido Lead Sled Driver's Side

Escondido

Escondido, California may be best known for being home to the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park and is a short inland drive from San Diego’s cool tropical climate.  But every Friday night, downtown Escondido heats up with a neat car show-cruise.Escondido Chevrolet

The main drive is reserved for classic cars and trucks.  A few side streets are blocked off as well.  bands play on various corners and an emcee/DJ plays some oldies and keeps the crowd entertained.  But the real draw has to be the cars.Escondido Rod

15 Year Anniversary

This is the 15th anniversary year for the free show that pulls in cars from across the SoCal car scene with their theme nights and club sponsorships.  The final week is Nitro Night which is a huge draw and even picks up some national magazine coverage.Escondido Chevy

Escondido Downtown Merchants

Many restaurants stay open specifically for the Friday night cruise and there is a terrific kettle corn lady along with other food and drink vendors.  It takes a large group of volunteers and some cash to keep this event safe and fun and they all do a good job!

It is worth the drive, if you are there on a Friday night next summer!Escondido Drag Car

Here are some additional cars to feats your eyes on.  Which is your favorite?

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Encinitas Classic Car and Truck Cruise In and Show

Encinitas, California is located just a short hop up the San Diego coast and offers a laid back surfer vibe.  It is known not only for the surfing action and fish tacos, but also local one of a kind shops and furniture showrooms.  But twice a month during the summer months the downtown streets come alive with  a classic car show.

EncinitasThursdays are for Cruising

On the  third Thursdays in the summer, from May through September, the Encinitas downtown group sponsors this car show along historic Pacific Coast Highway 101.

Woodie for the SurfAlong with the cars, bands can be heard performing and of course cars are always cruising the main drag. Plus many adjacent bars and restaurants are open with specials offered for the onlookers.

Classic Cars and Trucks

Now being a surfer city you just know Encinitas will dust off a few woodies for the show.  But all varieties of classic cars and trucks come out for this once a month laid back car show.Cadillac at Encinitas

Pacific Coast Highway

The car show spans the 101 Highway, from D to J Streets, along with some adjacent parking lots from cooperative shops.  Portions of the Ppacific Coast Highway 101 hug the coastline of California.Pacific Coast Highway 101

Unlike other local events there is no signage reserving the on street parking for the classics so you often get a mix of classic Detroit Iron next to a plastic swoopy car!  Awards are given out but there is more interest in the cars presented than the picks and awards.Corvette at Encinitas

Cruisers

Now parking for the public is a bit intense so if you go, plan on your own “cruising event” looking for a parking spot, but you’ll be rewarded with a sweet show.  The season, alas, has ended for the Encinitas show, but you can relive the fun times with our pictures.  Enjoy the snapshots and let us know your favorite.

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Central Avenue Cruise

55 ChevyTwice a year, Phoenix, Arizona hosts the Cruise on Central.

60’s Cruise

Back in the day Central Avenue was the main arterial for Phoenix, Arizona.  On Friday and Saturday nights youths would flock the entire length to cruise with their cars.  Of course back then, Central Avenue didn’t go as far!

Gone

Eventually the police and local businessman tired of the antics and “encouraged” drivers to disperse elsewhere.  Strict law enforcement helped this encouragement as cruisers went to Metrocenter Mall and Mesa’s downtown Main Street.

90’s Unsanctioned Cruises

“Somehow” in the 90’s the cruise on Central resurrected as an “unsanctioned” cruise.  Somehow cars just showed up along Central twice a year.  Now a local car show promoter Nancy Perry has taken the cruise under her wing and has organized it with police security, port-a-potties, some vendors and  arrangements with the owners of Park Central Mall, which is mainly office complexes now with lots of empty parking spaces on Saturday afternoon.

Enjoy this video of a few burnouts and watch for full coverage in a later post

You Tube Video

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Barrett-Jackson Florida Update

Barrett-Jackson wrapped up their three days of car auctions on Sunday with sales exceeding $25 million in sales for over 500 vehicles.  The auction was held in Palm Beach, Florida and crowds were evident throughout the auction.  The prices were right and seven cars linked to charities sold for over $2.25 million dollars.

Detroit Muscle

Among the cars being auctioned off were Chevrolet’s first 2015 Camaro Z/28 for $500,000, a 2013 Mustang from the Hollywood film, Need for Speed went for $300,000 and the first production 2015 Z06 Corvette went for a smooth $1 million dollars!

Three Preview Cars from Barrett-Jackson Did Well

Previously we previewed three classics to keep an eye on and the prices sure were high for these beauties.

DSCN3364

The 57 fuel injected Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible went for $110,000.

DSCN3358

The 1971 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible went for $104,500.

DSCN3359

The silver 1967 Corvette coupe went for $165,000

Not bad for just three cars!

Barrett-Jackson TV Coverage Changes for 2015

Perhaps responding to complaints/concerns of their recent coverage on a variety of Fox stations, Barrett-Jackson announced that starting in 2015 with their Scottsdale auction the television coverage will be on Discovery and the Velocity channel.  That might be a better linkage for the car auction, especially with the heavy emphasis that Velocity gives to cars and restoration shows.  Wonder who the reporters will be?

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