Old Car In The Woods

Over the weekend I was sent a picture of a car that was spotted on the edge of a wooded area. Typically, I’m fairly good at identifying cars in the woods, but this one left me a bit puzzled.  To me, the headlight area looked Karman-Ghia-ish, the curved door looked Italian, and the back looked like flat-out like a Triumph Spitfire. I hit the internet, looking at all sorts of different vehicles, hoping to find a match, but failed to come up with anything definitive.  Luckily, there are enthusiasts out there that are FAR more familiar with small foreign convertibles than I am, and it was now time to test out their skills. With many different automotive experts on the internet, my place of choice for this question was TheCarLounge.  The people on there are many, and I knew that if anyone could identify an old foreign convertible in a short amount of time, they would be the group. As I had imagined, they proved themselves to be champions (a user named “brickfrenzy” especially)!  Without much fuss, we all agreed that the car in question is an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, which according to some sources on the internet they built about 14,000 of between 1955 and 1962.  This is what a nice one looks like.

Above Blue Alfa picture borrowed from seriouswheels.com (very educational website btw.)

 

Zombie Hunting Vehicle Here

With the Mayan calendar running out later on this year, we all may find ourselves battling the undead sooner than we initially expected. During this time, Mad Max-esque vehicles will be our only hope for travel. We’ll obviously need the basic zombie apocalypse survival vehicles, along with the search and recovery vehicles. Then there’s today’s wheels of choice, designed strictly for  zombie hunting. Okay, maybe it wasn’t built for hunting zombies per se, but it was definitely built for hunting. The vantage point. The gun racks. The spotlight. The full staircase for your convenience.  It’s all there folks, ready for zombie attacks. Granted, everybody know that zombies know not to mess with Aerostar-Suburban double deckers, but hey, you may catch a few here and there. The clock is ticking, are you ready to battle the undead in the zombie apocalypse?

eBay item number: 190646175195

Carburetor Rebuild Tip Quicky

When you rebuild a carburetor that hasn’t been used in a long while, the jets are guaranteed to be clogged up. There are tools that you can buy to pick all of the crusty nougat out of the microscopic holes, but I have a different method that works terrific. First, I like to disassemble the entire carb and dunk all of the parts into a bucket of carburetor cleaner. They sell these cleaning buckets at nearly every local auto parts store, and most have trays inside so that you don’t have to fish your hands inside to grab the parts out. Once the carburetor soaks for about a day, I begin attacking all of those clogged up jets and orifices. Now, as I mentioned before, we all could buy the proper tools intended for doing this, but my quicky carburetor rebuild tip is to use steel guitar string. It is filthy-dirty-stinkin’ cheap, somebody you know probably has some that they will give you, and it comes in fairly awesome lengths and sizes. I know absolutely zero about guitars, but I do know that the smallest “normal” guitar string easily cleans out carburetor jets. It is firm enough that it won’t bend if you push it, and flexible enough to go around gentle curves in the carb. The only thing you have to watch out for is getting speared by it. It’s basically the size of a needle, so pushing on the end of it will go right through your skin like it isn’t even there. Like every tool in your tool box, you need to fear it. If you do, it will last forever, and reward you with an awesome running carbureted engine.

Got carburetor rebuild tips, hints, or tricks? Share them with us!

+Jeremy Nutt

1948 Packard Convertible

About 18 years ago, I went to Florida to visit my grandparents. While we were down there, my dad and I escaped from the rest of the family for a bit, and found ourselves at a local junkyard. I remember very little about that day, except for a glorious pair of convertible Packards that we found. When we first entered the yard, we exchanged pleasantries with the yard owner and wander through the dusty gates. Sitting right before us were two 1948 Packard convertibles that looked like the had been off the road for quite a while, but probably not at that junkyard for long. They weren’t in bad shape overall, and had beautifully patina. Back then, patina would have been removed immediately. These days it would have commanded top dollar. Sadly, we had zero room for a set of gigantic Packards in our driveway back up in Massachusetts. So, much to my chagrin, we left them behind. Since that day, there has always been a spot in the back of my mind, yearning for one.

Today on eBay is exactly that, a 1948 Packard 2 door convertible. It actually looks extremely similar to the mental image of them that is branded in my mind, though a little worse for wear. This one is for sale for $6500, and looks surprisingly solid. If it were mine, I would drop a good running engine in it, some nice brakes, a decent bench seat, a new windshield, and drive the heck out of it.  What can I say, I just love that barn woods-fresh look.

10 days left – eBay Item # 290675332786

After A Wild One At Daytona The Boys Head To Phoenix

If you caught this years Daytona 500, it seemed as though the race would never get started, and then it almost seemed as though the race would never end. Lucky for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (being the night owl that he is) the race went to 1:00 Tuesday morning. Matt Kenseth claimed the checkered flag at Daytona International Speedway,  Dale Jr. came in second, while “The Biff” finished in third.

Right out of the gate it seemed as if something was in the air at Daytona. Jimmie Johnson hit the outside wall on lap 2, taking with him Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and also a couple of other drivers.

There were wrecks and crashes all night long, the biggest one came from Juan Pablo Montoya when he was trying to catch up to the field, while the track was under a caution. Montoya came out of the pits after complaining that there was something wrong with the car. As he made his way around the track something broke in the rear end and send the Target machine skidding sideways right into the tracks jet dryer truck which exploded on impact.

Both Juan and the driver of the track truck were ok, and evaluated. Juan was checked out and released from the medical center right away, while the truck driver was kept for observation and then released. Montoya’s car sat in the infield grass in a smoldering heap.

This week the Camping World Truck Series is off, the Nationwide Series will run on Saturday, and the NASCAR Sprint Sup Series will run on Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Jimmie Johnson seems to be the fan favorite at Phoenix with 14 top tens and 4 wins, and Jeff Gordon also knows how to get the job done at Phoenix with 2 wins and 18 top tens. Both driver should be a great pick for you fantasy league. It will be interesting to see how Jimmie Johnson does this week with a new fill in crew chief for the short-term.

 

 

Top 11 Car Blogs Worth Reading

Recently I was perusing my favorite car blogs and said to myself “hey pal, reading these blogs is a real breath of garage-fresh air, maybe I should write a 1A Blog post about how awesome some of these other car blogs are! Yeeeaa buddy!” So today, that’s my game plan. After all, when somebody shows you a great automotive blog, it’s like getting a free subscription to a totally sweet magazine, and you can even talk to the people that write it (most of the time at least)! I guess the internet is not just for lolcats anymore! Now where was I? Ah yes! Gearhead blogs! Some of these auto-car-motorcycle-welding-racing-fabrication blogs are more “main stream” you might say, than the others. However! They all provide me with hours of pure, indulgent, gearhead entertainment in the form of  knowledge and eye candy. So it’s only right that I share them. Are you ready? Are you all amp’ed up yet? I bet you are, you little rascal. Without further adieu, here are my personal Top 11 favorite and most frequented gearhead blogs, in no particular order…

Just A Car Geek

There was once a time in my life when I believed that I knew a lot about cars.  That was right before I began religiously reading the Just A Car Geek Blog. I quickly learned that there were a metric crap-ton of cars out there that I had never even heard of. Since I began reading JACG, my interest and knowledge of foreign cars has grown exponentially. More often than not these days, I find myself pondering if I really do need a 1960’s Simca or a Reliant Scimitar GTE in my life? Maybe I do, err…then again, maybe I better not. Dave, the guy that runs Just A Car Geek, is a fantastically smart and entertaining writer and you should most definitely sign up for his email feed. I guarantee that within a couple weeks, you too will be craving oddball foreign motahs (say it with a British accent) more than ever before! I pinky swear.

Just A Car Guy

Although it is a similar name and acronym to the above auto blog, the Just A Car Guy blog is very different, yet equally awesome. This car blog is like a massive museum of fascinating mechanical greatness. I can’t even begin to imagine where Jesse finds the photography that he posts up, but it is an endless supply of everything that you have ever wanted to stare at (okay, almost everything). There are beautiful photos of classic motorcycles, hotrods, trains, planes and just plain everything with wheels. Jesse also often has fresh pictures from major gearhead events that you can only dream of attending. That means that like me, you can live vicariously through him and his photography. Does life get any better? Unlikely. Be sure to click through the different categories on the right side of the Just A Car Guy Blog page. Be careful though, I have been known to get sucked in deep and lose multiple hours at a time. It’s addictive! Go there now. Thank me later.

Silodrome

Silodrome is one of the cleanest blogs websites that I have ever witnessed, and I’m sure that you will wholeheartedly agree. It is filled with truly outstanding vehicle photography, amazingly thorough and interesting articles, and wildly talented writing. Vintage motorcycles are the primary subject, though there are plenty of cars, planes, boats and car enthusiast gear to go along with them. James, Luke, Benjamin(?) and their crew are great people, and deserve more internet traffic than I could ever provide them with. If you are a gearhead, you are already a fan of Silodrome. Trust me. Don’t even bother wiping the bugs from your goggles or the grease from your hands; just grab your leather jacket, and roll there now, do not walk. It’s better than human words can describe.

Free same day shipping at 1AAuto

Hemmings Blog

If you are a car-guy, you already know what Hemmings Motor News is. If you don’t, you need to hit a local book store or library immediately. Yes, I’m talking about the big brick building in the center of town, with the shelved rectangle things inside. Maybe you have seen them in your grandparents house? No? Anyways, not only does Hemmings publish outstanding books and an absolutely legendary monthly magazine, but they also have a classic car blog that will remind you of how much you love your project car. Their blog is always filled with educational history lessons, dreamy barn finds, and the rarest of rare collector cars. They have quite a few writers that passionately contribute to the automotive cause, and each one of them seems to have their own niche. This always makes for a fantastic automotive cornucopia to feast on. They also have a newsletter that you can sign up for so that you never miss out on the newest Hemmings Blog updates.

Eastwood’s Blog

Much like Hemmings Motor News, the Eastwood company is a staple for every do-it-yourself’er that is knee deep in an auto restoration. Without them, you likely wouldn’t have half of the cool restoration tools and supplies in your shed, garage and basement. Their blog is unique in the fact that it is written by their employees, many of which have ongoing projects that you can follow along with. Not only that, but you also get to see how Eastwood products actually work in real life. For me, that’s a big deal because I don’t often read the directions on the can, but I do like to know how to use the products. Between ongoing Volkswagen and B-Series hotrod Dodge truck projects, it’s a place that you will want to frequent regularly.

Hooniverse

Ah yes, Hooniverse.  Something about the name of this automotive blog make me feel like I’m saying a swear, even though I know that I’m not. I like that. Go ahead, say it yourself out loud – Hooniverse, Hooniverse, Hooniverse. It sounds wrong, but oh-so-right. Am I right? Well, not only is the name of this car blog entertaining, but the content is too. See, Hooniverse is comprised of an enthusiastic bunch of real-deal car people that truly love writing about the strange and exciting automotive universe. You’ll find automotive news and reviews, plenty of 24 hour of lemons coverage, and then there are times when they post treasures found in the junkyard. No matter what it is though, it’s always a great read! Most of these blogs that I’m sharing with you today have RSS feeds that you should sign up for as well, Hooniverse is no exception.

Speedhunters

Okay, Speedhunters is flat out hot stuff. You will likely not find more vibrant and exciting automotive photography anywhere on the internet (other than a couple of the other blogs mentioned here). Speedhunters has automotive photography totally locked down, double stamped, and Vise-Grip’ed in the winners circle my opinion. As you can logically gather from the name, it is primarily focused on cars that go fast, or at least look fast. I’d also say that it tends to lean heavier on the import vehicle scene, though you will occasionally find some sexy hot rods, lead sleds and customs peppered into the mix. The written content on Speedhunters is always highly professional, and highly detailed. You rarely, if ever, walk away with additional questions about the cars that they feature. In fact, if you are like me, you may end up reading the articles a few times to make sure that you took it all in. Needless to say, if you enjoy going fast or looking fast, Speedhunters is a great place to hang. Oh, and they also have free desktop wallpaper that will change your life. Go. Now.

CarGurus Blog

The CarGurus Blog has the automotive news that you don’t see on every other automotive blog out there. I can always find a plethora of posts about interesting new automotive technology, and fancy new concepts that I haven’t seen elsewhere. Being a website primarily focused on buying and selling cars, there is also a ton of great information about doing exactly that. I’m not talking about sales pitches either, I’m talking about real clever sales ideas that an actual gearhead can put to use in their own driveway. You do like buying cars cheap and selling them for maximum cash right? Check. It. Out.

Build Threads

There isn’t a car enthusiast on earth that doesn’t love a great build thread.  I mean, I literally join forums just to stalk other peoples build threads. Is that wrong? Maybe. The Build Thread blog is entirely … you guessed it!  BUILD THREADS! Awesome automotive projects are submitted by people like you and I, and the best ones are featured on the site. It may be a build thread on a drift truck, a stanced Datsun, a supercharged hotrod, or a full out drag car, there is absolutely no limit. If it is an addictive or elaborate build thread, you’ll probably see it featured here. I cannot get enough of this place. Seriously.

AutoBlog

Everybody has heard of Autoblog because it’s sort of the go-to for breaking automotive news. I personally like it because since they are an authority in the automotive world, so they often get to test new cars and give real world opinions on them. They also have crazy amounts of spy shots as well, which is something I will never have the sneakiness or photographic skills to do. As you can imagine, the writing is top notch in professionalism, and the photography is crisp magazine-quality. Reading AutoBlog makes me feel more adult and professional than I really am (shhh!), and real journalism makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Whenever I wrap up a good Autoblog article, I have learned a lot about cars, the people that drive them, and how to be a better writer.

Jalopnik

Jalopnik is another that you probably already read because it’s chock full of great stuff. It is sort of like Autoblog (Gasp!), but more relaxed, with slicked back hair, and a package of cigs rolled up in its tight sleeve. While it is always filled with terrific automotive news coverage, ridiculous for sale ads, videos, car racing, and everything in between, Jalopnik has been known to ruffle some feathers with their stories from time to time. One of the best parts about Jalopnik is its fan base. It’s comprised of enthusiasts like us, who comment on the articles, and take it all to the next level of knowledge and sarcasm, both of which I appreciate thoroughly. For several years now, it has been one of my go-to automotive blogs to give me my mechanical fix on a wintery day. If you aren’t already reading it, check it out, and I recommend “blog view” at the top of the page. It is a spectacular car blog as long as you can take a joke, and if you like the 1A Blog, you will probably enjoy Jalopnik as well!

So there it is, my official top 11 list of car blogs worth reading, other than the 1A Blog of course. You don’t have to check them out now, but I recommend that you do visit them at some point in the near future. I grab inspiration regularly from each and every one of them. Hopefully some of the extraordinary talent that the writers of these car blogs have will rub off on me some day. If you know of any other great blogs for gearheads, leave a comment and tell us why it’s so great.

Until next time…