Tag Archives: SEMA

Auctions, Car show, Uncategorized

River City Rods’ 1972 Chevrolet C30 Franklin Camper

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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 C30Driver's SideRiver 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.River City Rods 1972 Chevrolet C30 Interior

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?River City Rods 1972 Chevrolet C30 Rear view

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

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Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Great Subscription Offer from Round-Up Publications

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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.

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Auctions, Uncategorized

Resto Mod or Resto Blah? You Decide

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If you listen to some automotive pundits, the hottest trend is a resto mod car.  Well that term has been around for years and we’ve been seeing cars built on a resto mod for years in magazines and at car shows.  So we can’t be sure that it is a NEW trend.

Resto Mod

A resto mod is taking an older car and while restoring it, also modifying or modernizing it.  That typically means changing out the power plant to a bigger, more efficient and modern engine. The LSX variants are a popular choice right now as are new crate engines.  Typically you replace points and condensers and double pumping carbs for fuel injection with electronic ignitions.  Most builders will also readily take out a four speed and swap in a low rpm overdrive automatic.Resto Mod Corvette

So what has fueled the rise in resto mods?  The market, my friend the market.  Many affluent buyers see their cars as trophy’s to plop in a garage, hire a guy to detail it and drive it (cautiously) to a cars and coffee event once a month.  After all if you just plunked $400 large on a resto mod Corvette are you willing to park it at the local grocery store while you pop in for a gallon of milk?

NOS Resto

In years past a car was restored to look factory fresh and showroom new.  That meant seeking out the correct parts, hoses and connectors to bring back a stove bolt six cylinder engine to restored status.  When showing your car at a show, you would worry that the judge would deduct points for using the wrong shade of glossy black on your radiator fan shroud.  Plus owners would hunt down dealer installed options so they could have the most accessories on their car.

Rest Mod Blossoms

But the resto mod craze has changed all that. People don’t want a big old Auburn and might not even have a long enough garage to store one. Fewer folks have actually driven in a Duisenberg (let alone know how to spell it) and even the cars of the fifties are languishing as the market ages upwards.Resto Mod Corvette

Let’s be honest. The ride on a 64 Corvette pales to what you get on a new C7 Corvette. And that resonates with new buyers. They want and enjoy cars that have Bluetooth, push start buttons and navigation screens. The fruits of technology is not just under the hood.

So resto mods force the classic car market into a quandary. Do you take a beat up classic and spend the years and buckets of money to restore it to a 100 point restoration with NOS (New Old Stock) parts?  Recognize that you’ll have put way more money into it than the market will ever price it at?  Or do you shuck it all, swap in a new chassis, blend in lots of bling and a new 700R4 transmission and a crate engine from GM?

More and more the builder will go where the money is and create a resto mod.  Years from now history will decide if the builders were revolutionary or heretics.  You can decide for yourself now.

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Auctions, Car show, Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

PRS4 from Praxair Cuts to the Chase at Barrett Jackson

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Besides 1,850 classic cars being auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction, there are a variety of vendors showing their wares. Beyond artwork, mattresses and outdoor furniture, one of the most intriguing displays was the Praxair’s Lancer PRS4 Automated CNC plasma cutter.

Lancer PRS4

This entry level plasma cutter is a ferrous metal cutting machine. At an initial price point of under $25,000 this device can allow a small business owner to enter the custom metal work industry.  Using existing templates or designing their own from line drawings or sketches, a user can quickly get to work, cutting up to 7/8” steel plate.Praxair Plasma Cutter Sparking

At the show the plasma table was using compressed air and electricity to cut out everything and anything. Besides hearts and ghouls, they were cutting out cars and animals as well. They even were up to the challenge and made a custom Corvette cut out.Praxair Plasma Cutter Corvette

PRS4

Chris Vihnanek, Senior Director at Praxair, explained that his device had several advantages over a water jet. Besides price point, the water jet while versatile can’t cut at the speed of the plasma cutter and the lack of the water jet abrasive allowed for a better control of the subject metal. Users can run with one of two plasma systems  Hypertherm or Thermal Dynamics- and the welding table starts at a pre-fabbed 4′ x 4′. The PRS4 can cut up to an astounding 500 inches a minute.

Given the crowds surrounding the machine, there were tons of interest in this machine. So why is Praxair offering a device that uses some consumables but no specialized gasses?  Well it is a plasma cutter and they hope companies will follow along up the product chain where argon or oxygen gas would be needed and consumed. Smart marketing with a nice hook.Praxair Plasma Cutter Finished Product

They’ll cut through about $7,000 worth of metal as they cut up all sorts of images promoting the PRS4 and other CNC machines.  So if a bidder can’t buy a car, maybe they’ll end up with a car cut out?

What would you use a CNC machine for?

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Uncategorized

Hero Cards Display Craftsmanship and Ingenuity

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It is funny how something as trivial as a hero card display can become a functional expression of the craftsmen involved. Hero cards are those 8X11 color shots of drivers, or their cars, passed out at NASCAR races, drag racing pits and at fan appreciation events. Even if you don’t get them autographed, it allows a connection between the fan and the racing team.

At the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas, lots of hero cards were signed by celebrities including Brittany and Ashley Force.Hero Card Signing with Force Sisters

NASCAR Hero Cards

At the latest NASCAR race at ISM Raceway in Avondale, (Phoenix area) Arizona all the race teams from each of the three series, Camping World Truck, Xfinity and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup, had hero cards ready to be handed out. But how these hero cards were displayed shows the ingenuity of some teams.

Some were rather bland and basic. A weighted box to hold the hero cards. Ho hum….Basic

Basic Too

Martin Truex’s display had the foresight for a clear cover to avoid rains or strong winds.Truex Display

Paul Menard’s display utilized a Menard storefront to help pass out the hero cards.Menard Display

Menard Display Closeup

Basic Too

The folk’s from Procore and Kasey Kahne, used a fuel can as their prop.Kahne Display

Winning Hero Card Display at NASCAR’s ISM Raceway

But Jimmie Johnson showed he hit the nail on the head with this design. See how it contrasts with his race mate, Alex Bowman?Johnson Bowman Hero Card Display

Funny how a little time and ingenuity can make you stand out in a crowd. Just like in life, right?

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Detailing, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

MYCHANIC SK2 Stool 7 Wonderful Things We Love

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The MYCHANIC SK2 stool is the perfect accompaniment for anyone working around cars or in a shop. This padded rolling seat will become a vital shop tool for one and all, showcasing a variety of perfectly designed ideas in a Kelly Green stool. Let’s count the top seven ways that this SK2 shop stool excels!sidekick18

MYCHANIC SK2 Stool

First off the SK2 stool is adjustable in height from 17” to 20” with a total of three seat heights. For our 6’1” frame, the full up 20” seat height was perfect. Remove four nuts and bolts and find the perfect height that suits you.

Second, we love the 3” urethane casters that roll right over the deep expansion cracks in our concrete floor. No more getting caught and having the stool fall over!sidekick21

Third, the stool has a green holster on the side to hold any gun like device. Great for holding a drill or impact gun. So nice to have a place to securely hold these bulky tools.

Fourth, the bottom drawer can securely hold the tools that you most often are using on your job. No more trying to find that wrench or socket scattered around the shop floor.sidekick22

Fifth, the tool caddy which rests on the top of the tool drawer has subtle indentations to hold it securely in place but you can easily pull it out to retrieve the tools. And that comfy handle also has a slot to hold a tablet or phone. So not only can you easily answer phone calls while working away, it’s easy to review your favorite repair video or on line shop manual while plugging away late at night.

MYCHANIC SK2 Kelly Green

Sixth, did I mention the folks at MYCHANIC used their Kelly Green coloring here on the rolling shop stool? It makes it easy to stand out and be visible when hunting around for your gear.

Seventh, the two sides of this rolling masterpiece have pockets (or bins) to hold critical pieces you might want ready access to. Great place to hold the nuts and bolts as you assemble or disassemble items.sidekick19

 

The rolling SK2 stool is rated for 350 pounds, so go ahead and squat away on this rolling tool box. It will hold all you behemoths!  The metal is powder coated to help keep it clean and rust free, allowing for years of easy ownership. It comes with a sweet two year warranty, but seriously it is hard to imagine this thing wearing out

 

We were given the SK2 to check out and gave it a whirl in the shop. We’ve been impressed with the design behind all the MYCHANIC products, like their Blade Multi Light. Check out their full lineup and you will be too. But be warned once you try out their tools, you’ll be sold and want more!

 

**Editorial content is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone.

Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Easiest Car Repair After a Crash

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With the technology of today’s car getting more and more sophisticated a motor vehicle crash can end up being a major cost and a time consuming process. But there is one part of a repair that is easy to do and takes less than an hour.Evenflo_EveryStageDLX_FFHarness_Lifestyle_5

Car Seat Replacement

After a major crash, your child’s car seat needs replacing! While it may look safe and undamaged, odds are that it sustained hidden stress and strain while keeping the child safe and unharmed. The car seat did its job, so now you as a parent (or grandparent) needs to do the right thing and get a new car seat for your youngster.

This week, September 23-29, 2018, is Child Passenger Safety Week and several companies are helping to get the message out that after a crash, you need to replace the child car seat.

Car Seat Spokesperson

Shannon SpakeSpokesperson Shannon Spake, from Fox Sports, noted “when your car is involved in a crash, it’s just as important that you take care of your car seat or booster seat as it is to address the car damage.”

Evenflo, a major car seat manufacturer, stresses that even though the seat may look undamaged, it may no longer be usable and safe to save a child in future impacts. This is clearly a case if being “better safe, than sorry.”

Car repair shops, like the nationwide CARSTAR network, commits to reminding car owners that the seats should be replaced and are often covered under the insurance policies.

Obviously not all fender benders would necessitate a replacement, so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises car seats do not need replacement if the car was in a minor crash.

Minor Crash Defined

NHTSA further defines a minor crash as

  • The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site
  • The vehicle door nearest the car seat was not damaged
  • None of the passengers in the vehicle sustained any injuries in the crash
  • If the vehicle has air bags, the air bags did not deploy during the crash
  • There is no visible damage to the car seat

Also just because the car seat was unoccupied during the crash does not mean it can be used again! It likely still suffered stress and strain even without a child in the seat.Evenflo_EveryStageDLX_RFHarness_Lifestyle_3

Shannon Spake Spokesperson

After all as Spake notes, “You always want to make sure your children are protected in the car.”

When replacing the car seat, send it to a recycling center and never give it away or offer it to a charitable group for reuse. Plus don’t forget to register your new seat with manufacturer in case of future safety recalls. If the new seat is different, you may seek out help to ensure it is installed correctly.

So when in doubt, throw it out!

 

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Detailing, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Detailing Rig from MYCHANIC A Rolling Masterpiece

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Wow!  The first thing we recognized when checking out this MYCHANIC  Detailing Rig is just how well designed it is. This is not just another one size first most water bucket but a purpose built detailer’s dream.DSCN1163

MYCHANIC

The MYCHANIC brand is an up and coming brand that is making a name for itself with well designed and professional grade materials. This detailing rig is no exception. Dressed out in their iconic Irish Green hue, this detailing rig is eye catching and handy. When offered a chance to try out this detailing rig, we jumped at the offer! They are based in Tennessee and we first met them at the AAPEX show in Las Vegas, NV last year.

Detailing Rig

The box arrived with the partially assembled detailing rig heavily padded and carefully wrapped. Order this and the FedEx man won’t be delivering a banged up, damaged product. When a company puts this much thought into how to package and ship it, you know this is a company you’ll like seeing more of.DSCN5519

This rig is made of powder coated heavy gauge metal pieces that were easy to assemble. It helps if you follow the instructions, but it was easy to assemble.

Detailing Rig Design

This detailing rig comes with FIVE heavy duty urethane casters with roller bearings. The fifth caster on the one end makes it that much harder for it tip over.  Again, well engineered!  DSCN1170

The bucket comes with a removable perforated bottom grid.  You’ve probably seen endless variations on this guard, but the purpose is to let the dirt and grime that accumulates in the water bucket, settle below the grid and not in your bucket water. Many serious detailers use a two bucket method to further reduce the dirt accumulation in your wash water, but again this shows MYCHANIC’s attention to detail. The bucket rim includes two sets of cutouts to hang your favorite detailing product from.DSCN1160

Detailing Rig Components

The metal tray is a great place to store a few rags or tools while detailing your car.  The side beverage holder is a great place to plop a drink, cuz’ we all know detailing is hard work.DSCN1159 The padded seat is form fitting and provides for a comfortable pad for your aching butt. Best news is the seat pad is easily detachable, so it can serve as a kneeling pad or you could even plop your rear end even lower to the ground.DSCN1166

The detailing rig is a good height and will put you up along the belt line of the car if you need to do some serious work along the sides of the car. Plus with the bucket it is a great tool for general car washing duties.

Useful Detailing Rig

Of course this rig is not just reserved only for detailing duties. It would be a great overall mechanic seat when working on brakes, front end and other car parts. It is heavy duty and will stand up to some serious work duty.  You can check out the seat here or look over their entire product lineup. They are good folks with some great ideas.DSCN1172

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Detailing, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Headlight Restorer and Protectant from Chemical Guys

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It seems every year at the SEMA Show that more vendors pop up offering a headlight restoration product.  From a few companies that offered a slew of detailing gear and compounds, now anybody with a selling spot had a miracle liquid cleaner for those pesky glazed over headlights.Headlight Before

Headlight history

Ever since the car manufacturers dropped using glass headlights, (anybody remember the sealed round H-4’s ?), which was initiated in 1983; the movement to plastic lenses has also created a market to repair the glazed, cloudy lenses. Originally many just paid their mechanic to swap in a new lens but that option gets more and more expensive. So now companies offer up various cleaners to restore the lens to like new condition.

Headlight restoration

Some sites will recommend toothpaste or even bug repellant to clean lenses but honestly these are short term fixes that mask the issue. Most legitimate cleaners work by smoothing out the rough surface and then polishing the plastic back to new.  If the surface has really degraded, the repair process might need to actually start with sandpaper to get in all the deep crevices.

Headlight Restorer and Protectant from Chemical Guys

We had the chance to try out the Headlight Restorer and Protectant liquid from Chemical Guys, a leader in the boutique car detailing business.  These guys (no pun intended) know their stuff and I was impressed with the outcome.  Our test car was a 2010 Camry whose lenses have been exposed to some intense Arizona heat.  The directions call for spreading 3 – 6 dots of Headlight Restorer and Protectant over a microfiber towel or applicator pad, then scrubbing the hazy headlight lens vigorously until the polish turns clear and finally wipe off residue with a clean microfiber towel and inspect work. Repeat as necessary.Cleaner on a microfiber

The protectant part of this product is equally important because after cleaning and polishing the lens, the sun is still going to beat down on that plastic.  That means you need some sort of UV resistant layer to help prolong the squeaky clean look. Chemical Guys uses sealant technology to preserve that look and keep the sun at bay.

We were impressed with the ease of use, no need for an electrical buffer, and the look is darn right impressive.  We’ll keep an eye on the lenses and see how they hold up over the next few months, so subscribes to this blog and see how the product holds up in Arizona’s brutal heat.Headlight After

PS  Technically these electrical components are headlamps, and the light they emit are headlights but I don’t know anybody who calls them headlamps. Do you?

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Detailing, Tool Chest, Uncategorized

Chenille Wash Mitts from Chemical Guys

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Chenille Wash Mitts from Chemical GuysChenille Car Wash Mitt

Well it might not be earth shattering in the overall scope of car care, having a great wash mitt is certainly a big help. There are proponents of various wash devices, everything from the old school baby diaper to large spore sponges and microfiber towels. But this chenille wash mitt is a perfect fit.

A wash mitt is designed to go over your hand and allows you to deliver sudsy water to your car’s sheet metal. A mitt is definitely not a plastic scrubby or the back side of a squeegee. Mitts are primarily designed to bring the soap water to the car.

Chenille Wash Mitt

Chemical Guys, a boutique car detailing supplier, has a bright neon green chenille wash mitt made from microfiber. This chenille car wash mitt from Chemical Guys is packed with plush “noodles” to help hold a ton of soapy water when cleaning your ride. This allows for a scratch free way to wash your vehicle in record time. The mitt is made from a 70/30 blend of microfiber and is super plush. The mitt has an elastic cuff to make sure it stays put on your hand. The lime green color will help you easily find it amongst your cleaning supplies. I was amazed how much water this mitt can hold, you truly have to try it out yourselves.Chenille Car Wash Mitt Cuff

You can always clean the microfiber mitt with hot water and soap and allow to dry. Of course since it is microfiber NEVER use a softener sheet or liquid!

Two Bucket Car Wash Method

I generally tout the two bucket method for car washing. Fill up one bucket with soapy water and the other can be tap water. Put your chenille car wash mitt in the soapy water and starting at the top of the car, starting letting that soapy water wash away the dirt. If you find a stubborn spot a little persuasion with the mitt will remove most contaminants. Take your now dirty mitt and rinse thoroughly in the clear tap water bucket. This allows the trapped dirt to go into that bucket instead of mixing into the soapy water. Now take your rinsed out mitt and dunk it into the soapy water and repeat. You now have mastered the two bucket method of car washing. Congratulations.Chenille Car Wash Mitt Noodle

The Chenille Car Wash mitt is a great offering from Chemical Guys and should be in every detailer’s arsenal. Now go wash your car!

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