All posts by Route 66 Pub Co

NASCAR Caps

March 21, 2023 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

NASCAR caps are a standard uniform for fans and crew. Team members often wear NASCAR caps during the day and fans wear them to connect with their driver’s sponsors. But the most important display of the baseball NASCAR caps occurs in Victory Lane after a race. Here in a highly orchestrated set of moves, crew members and the winning driver don a series of caps to honor the sponsors that helped get them into Victory Lane.

William Byron’s NASCAR Caps

This month William Byron won his second race of the short season and was excited to drive up onto Victory Lane surrounded by fans, photographers, news media, and public relations folk. The PR folk tote along plastic bags carrying the caps in sequential order that the team members will soon be wearing. Can you imagine the work involved each week lining up and organizing the caps, only to then see your driver not win the race?

Crew Members Need NASCAR Caps Too

Byron started out with a big cap from Valvoline as a cute gimmick and then swapped to a regular sized Valvoline cap along with his crew members. And there is a lot of crew that show up in Victory Lane beside the pit crew. Jeff Gordon even showed up to lead on the celebration and so he needed caps too. So yes, one more thing the PR folks need to account for- making sure they have enough sets of hats.

After that, the excited crew swapped to a United Rentals 500 cap to honor the race sponsorship.

Then they swapped to a NASCAR 75th anniversary cap.

Followed by a Valvoline cap again!

Yes Even More NASCAR Caps on Display

Axalta is a major sponsor for Byron, so of course the paint company had their chance in the limelight with their own hat.

Liberty University has been a long-term sponsor for William Byron so those caps were worn as well

Can’t forget your car manufacturer so the Chevrolet bow tie showed up on a cap as well.

Hendrick Motor Sports had to have their cap on display as well

Cincinnati Tools were the final caps to be worn and then the crew really got to celebrate. William Byron had a chance to thank others and mingle, obviously happy with his second win of the season at Phoenix Raceway. Wonder how many more times he will slide into Victory Lane with a bevy of NASCAR caps to wear?

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Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

EV6 GT from Kia Packs an Electrifying Punch

August 21, 2022 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

The EV6 GT from Kia America, a 576 horsepower all-electric crossover, was revealed at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. The presence of the EV6 GT alongside supercars from around the world signified that their electric beast was ready to step up with the “big boys”. Monterrey, California hosts a variety of auctions and classic car events in August every year.

The EV6 GT is the most powerful Kia production vehicle and highlighted what the EV6 is capable of.

The EV6 GT offers a dual-motor power train that sends AWD power to all four wheels. The 77.4-kWh battery pack powers a punch to a front-mounted 160kW motor, combined with the rear-mounted 270kW motor. That translates to a combined power output of 430 kW (576 hp) and 546 lb.-ft. of torque.

Street performance from an electric KIA EV6 GT

The EV6 GT accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and the top speed is listed at 161 mph.

The EV6 GT steps up the performance of the EV6 with a sports suspension and electronically controlled dampers. It also comes with an electronic Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD) when cornering, by directing torque to the wheels with the most grip. Larger ventilated front (15-inch) and rear (14.2) disc brakes are standard.

With the push of a button on the steering wheel, GT Drive Mode optimizes the performance of the EV6 GT’s motors, braking, steering, suspension, e-LSD, and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems into their most dynamic settings. The Kia EV6 GT offers seven driving modes. Drivers can also create custom-tailored settings to suit individual driving preferences using the included “My Drive” Mode.

Electrical specs for the EV6 GT

The EV6 GT features an all-electric range of 206 miles, coupled with 800V fast charging capabilities, which enables drivers to replenish 70 percent of battery capacity in under 18 minutes at 350-kW chargers. Or the owner could use slower chargers from 50 kW to 350kW. It allows for “Vehicle to Load” functions to power your electrical needs off the grid, powering 1900 watts if necessary. It also features twenty standard ADAS safety features.

The KIA EV6 GT will grace the showroom floors at the end of this year but don’t wait. They will fly off the dealerships fast.

Would you like one?

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Car show, Manufacturer news, Uncategorized

Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022 Revealed

May 19, 2022 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Overland Expo revealed the Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022 at Overland Expo West held in Flagstaff, Arizona this weekend. This vehicle displays Overland Expo’s unique vision of the ultimate overland vehicle.

Built on the all-new 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X, the Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022 utilized parts and components from more than twenty Overland Expo exhibitors and was assembled by MULE Expedition Outfitters.

2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X comes with a 6.2.-liter V8 engine and a four-wheel drive system with front and rear electronically locking differentials. The AT4X’s Multimatic DSSV spool-valve suspension dampers should make for a smooth ride even when off-road.

Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022 Conversion

The pickup bed was replaced with a 6.4-foot tray and three-foot canopy from MITS Alloy North America. The MITS tray and canopy conversion reinforces the utility of the truck as an overlanding machine.

The canopy roof includes a solar panel to store energy in two lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are used to maintain the Dometic 110 refrigerator.

Inside the canopy is a kitchen and shower. The vehicle comes with an onboard air system to inflate the tires and air springs as needed. There are plenty of auxiliary lights to see this vehicle from miles away.

2022 Use of the Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022

The Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022 will make hit all the Overland Expo shows this year along with some scenic trails, before being auctioned off on Bring a Trailer with 100% of the proceeds going to the Overland Expo Foundation. Nice to see the proceeds go to a great outdoors need.

We love 4X4’s but this beast from Overland Expo raises the bar.

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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

Wayne’s World 1976 AMC Pacer at Barrett-Jackson

January 22, 2022 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Wayne’s World’s AMC Pacer proves you can buy anything at the Arizona Auctions this week. Barrett Jackson is offering up TWO AMC Pacer’s but the clear crowd favorite is the movie car from Wayne’s World.

Wayne’s World 1976 Pacer

In Wayne’s World, Garth owned the Mirthmobile -a light blue 1976 Pacer. He drove the gang, including Wayne, around in the car for their adventures. Now a new owner can start his own adventures in the very same Pacer.

The Wayne’s World Pacer was sold six years ago by Barrett-Jackson, selling for $37,400. It was previously restored to the movie car’s original condition with camera supports and mismatched wheel covers. Who could forget (if they wanted to) the flame decals poking out from the front wheels? The car was re-painted and the shiny stuff re-chromed. The Pacer is powered by the original 258 CID 6-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. In the movie car, the speakers were not functional, with no amp in the Pacer. Now the sound system is functional, dude.

Wayne’s World

Wayne’s World debuted in 1992 and starred Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, along with the late Meat Loaf. It also featured Alice Cooper and Rob Lowe. It grossed over $180 million in worldwide box office sales.

AMC Pacer

As a comparison, the folks at Barrett-Jackson are also selling another 1976 AMC Pacer from the same seller, but red. For 1976 the Pacer was AMC’s best seller. Go figure. The PACER was also produced in Mexico where it was marketed as a luxury car. It was produced for only six years, although popular at first during the gas crisis, other automakers caught up for the need for smaller cars and the Pacer never regained its lead. Often called a “fishbowl” due to all its glass, it had relatively little cargo space if four passengers were in the car.

Should be interesting to see what the difference in selling price will be for these two Pacers.

$Wayne\'s World 1976 Pacer$

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Auctions, Uncategorized

Arizona Auction Week 2022

January 15, 2022 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Arizona Auction Week is coming at ya. From January 22-30 the auction sites will be on fire as thousands of cars cross the auction blocks. Six auction houses will be hosting auctions here in Arizona with a variety of formats. Arizona Auction Week is coming out strong after COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, but there will be fewer cars offered for sale and the total will probably still be low, but the excitement will be high

Arizona Auction Week

Arizona Auction Week has always been known for setting the bar for what auctions during the balance of the year might look like. This year will be no exception. From the auction scene, we see a few houses that aren’t going to host any event, most notably Russo-Steele. They opted to bow out this year.

Arizona Auction Week Houses

Of course, Barrett-Jackson will be holding court in Scottsdale with preview days and then full bore auctions with mostly no-reserve vehicles crossing the block. Saturday the 29th will of course be reserved for their high dollar offerings but there will be plenty of cars to check out all week for Barrett-Jackson. They are also holding their Builders Cup competition that week as well.

Gooding and Company is offering an on-site viewing of the cars but will be only having an online auction. They will be displaying their offerings at an airport hanger not far from Barrett-Jackson’s site at Westworld in Scottsdale, Arizona. That gives buyers to see things in person or with a representative and then bid away from the crowds.

Bonhams will be at the Westin Kierland lawn for their sale while in central Phoenix the RM-Sothebys will host their auction at the Biltmore Hotel. Both have select offerings for a shorter auction duration. Probably the highest offering will be a 1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing at RM-Sothebys. Sure Gullwings are already expensive but this is an aluminum alloy body made for racing. So we have even more exclusive and rarity rolling on this Mercedes. We figure it won’t sell unless it reaches an eight million bid and even that might not be enough to hammer the deal done.

MAG auctions will continue a lower-priced auction on the far east side of the Phoenix valley. They originally were the Silver Auction until Mitch Silver sold off the opportunity to MAG.

Worldwide Auctioneers is having a one-day sale that is always an interesting event. It has an eclectic mix of vehicles and ranges from exotics to Packard’s.

All in, the Arizona Auction Week will be a huge extravaganza for classic car fans. Plenty of cars to marvel at and prices to ponder. See you there?

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Photos courtesy of RM Sothebys

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

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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.

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Auctions, Uncategorized

Super Snake Shelby Cobra at Barrett-Jackson

March 14, 2021 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

This car has all the fundamentals for a legendary ride. It is a Shelby. It is a Cobra. Plus, it has a wicked name – Super Snake. And this month it rolls across the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Super Snake

An original 1966 Cobra is desirable enough but Carroll Shelby crafted two high powered Cobras to beat all contenders. Unfortunately one crashed and killed its owner so this is the only remaining high octane Cobra; CSX 3015, powered by a side-oiler 427, to which Shelby added two Paxton superchargers.

It started as a 427 Competition Cobra, a barely street-legal race car that Shelby built to qualify Cobras for FIA competition. By adding the superchargers, each feeding 6 psi of air into one of the 427’s two Holley 4V carburetors, Shelby claimed 800 horsepower. A C-6 three-speed automatic sent power through a limited-slip diff to a 3.31:1 rear end. Underneath the car sat two electric fuel pumps to supplement the standard mechanical unit.

Super Snake Sales History

The sole remaining Super Snake was bought by musician Jimmy Webb. The car then passed to a distinguished collector before appearing at Barrett-Jackson’s auction in 2007 where it sold for $5.5 million and in 2015 where it sold for a lower price of $5.1 million. Given recent interest in Cobras and Carroll Shelby prompted by the Ford V Ferrari movie, it will be interesting to see what it fetches this time.

The car is clearly one of a kind and the price it brings will be a good indicator of the strength of the collector car market. The seller wisely put a reserve on it. What would you expect it to sell for?

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Car show, Uncategorized

High Street Cars and Coffee – Phoenix , AZ

March 11, 2021 Route 66 Pub Co Leave a comment

Plenty of places offer a Cars and Coffee format in the Phoenix, AZ region. Show up in a vacant parking lot, check out some cars that you aren’t likely to see on too many roads, sip some lukewarm coffee and head back out with most of the day still available to you. You could even watch the departing cars and hope to see a dimwit crash his new car when he punches it on the drive out. See how it is done at High Street for March 2021.

Like I say there are plenty of places to check out the cars – until COVID-19 struck. Crowds and social distancing don’t mix. Some meets have had trouble getting city permits or landowner’s permission. But as things loosen up, the shows go on.

High Street Cars and Coffee

Highline Auto magazine has sponsored a show for a while, most recently at the Scottsdale Fashion Center, but for March 2021 they moved to the High Street complex. This setup involves a long tree-lined boulevard with plenty of street-side parking for the show cars. Some adjacent restaurants are open for business as well.

This month’s show had a nice collection of cars, some music from a DJ, some free Bang energy drinks and a vendor was selling donuts too. Nice vibe but even with security in the area, probably less than 50% were wearing masks.

Cars at High Street Cars and Coffee

Cars varied from a Koenissegg to Corvettes, McLarens to Porsche’s. There were even some classics and some down-low land yachts. Not to mention an older Bronco along with a Bronco Sport for an interesting comparison.

Not sure if this was a one-time location change or a permanent move. Spectator parking filled up fast along the east side of the area and many folks had to park in a dirt lot, just FYI.