Brand New 1986 Ford Bronco XLT Found On Ebay

Just a few days ago, there was a vehicle on eBay that wouldn’t have caught your eye unless you were specifically looking for it.  It was a very simple, two tone brown 1986 Ford Bronco XLT … with just 6,980 miles on it.  Oh snap! Yes you read that right. Throughout its whole life, it has been meticulously cared for by its original owners and it really, really shows. It has original everything, right down to its perfect looking muffler. It took 37 bids to get up to its ending price of $22,810, but that was not enough to remove the reserve. I guess if you want the most perfect 1986 Bronco in existence, you’ll just have to fork out more cash than that. What’s the one problem with this vehicle you ask? Well, what the heck do you do with it?  It would be a shame to drive it, and yet it would be a shame to not drive it. I’m happy I won’t have to make that decision.

For those of you that want to see all eleventeen billion pictures that this seller has available, I recommend checking out eBay item # 160705161860.  Just be sure to give it plenty of time to load, because your computer will probably give up the ghost if you don’t.

1972 Nova Inner Wheel House Metal Fabrication.

Over the past weekend, I decided to fix a part of the 1972 Nova that has been waiting for quite some time.  It’s the passenger side rear… inner wheel house (a mouth full).  You see, it rotted away decades ago, but I couldn’t repair it because I wasn’t even sure what shape it was supposed to be!  I first had to rebuild everything around it to see where it fit in. So once I got the new outer wheel house, trunk floor, and trunk drop off attached, this project could finally be tackled.  Since people love build threads, I decided to document the fun with plenty of photos. Let me know if you like this sort of thing, and I will be sure to post tons more.  As you can see, there is plenty of work ahead. If you like the video, I can do more of that.  If you prefer strictly pictures, I can cater to that.  Tell me what you want to see and I will do my best to please the masses.  Here we go!

 

UPDATE: CHECK OUT PART 2!

Diablo in the Snow.

Normally I have absolutely nothing nice to say about winter. However, watching this video of a guy in a Lambo did remind me, that I do in-fact enjoy the heck out of some snowy parking lots. RWD, FWD, AWD, it just doesn’t matter.  Spinning around in circles, and pretending you are Ken Block for a few minutes before the police show up, makes you feel like a true champion. Doing it in a Lamborghini, well, that is probably even better, though I will likely never know.

Can’t see the video?  Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbd0eq110lA

 

The K24A2 Powered 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Caddy Pickup, Not Sold.

This past week a completely wicked looking, Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck passed through the hands of eBay. The bidding was intense as it inched its way up to $15,100, but sadly, the reserve was never met. With a buy it now price of $25k, I’m not that surprised that the seller didn’t accept 10K less.

At first glance, it seems to be a super clean, hoodless, stanced, VW pickup, and it is. However, it also has a fully functioning 2005 Acura TSX engine and an RSX transmission. It’s also got a mod list than could wear out the scroll button on your mouse. From eBay:

Modifications:

Motor:
– 2005 K25A2 TSX Motor
– 2005 K20A2 RSX Transmission
– RBC Intake Manifold
– Hybrid Racing 70mm Throttle Body
– Custom Throttle Cable Bracket
– Custom Mil Spec Harness Plate on Firewall
– Custom Cold Air Intake With Vibrant Filter
– Hondata Intake Manifold Gasket
– Hybrid Racing Fuel Rail
– Hybrid Racing Temp Sensor Adapter
– K Tuned Idler Pulley
– Bolt Boys Engine Dress Up Kit
– Kokenda Customs Airbrushed Valve Cover (also have a valve cover powdercoat color matched to the truck)
– Type S Oil Cooler
– Type S Water Pump
– Custom AN-16 Radiator Hoses and Fittings
– Custom Upper and Lower Coolant Outlets
– All-In Fabrication Header
– Custom 3″ Exhaust using Vibrant Stainless Steel
– Custom Axles
– Hybrid Racing Motor Mounts from a civic
– Buddy Club Short Shifter
– Mugen Oil Cap
– Mugen Radiator Cap
– Custom Griffin Radiator
– Slim Fan
– Custom Radiator Overflow
– Custom Oil Catch Can
– Seen It! Coil Pack Cover
– Chase Bays Mil Spec Engine Harness
– Hondata KPRO ECU
– Custom Fuel Pump / FPR Mount
– Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
– Aeromotive Trick Flow FPR
– Custom 10gal Aluminum Fuel Cell
– Autometer Fuel Sending Unit
– Custom Fuel Fill and Cap
– Custom Battery Cutoff with Small Racing Battery under passenger seat.

Interior:
– Buddy Club Racing Seats
– Custom Seat Rails
– Custom Gauge Cluster
– Custom Gauge Holder in Glovebox
– STACK Classic Tachometer
– STACK Oil Pressure Gauge
– STACK Coolant Temp Gauge
– STACK Fuel Pressure Gauge
– STACK Fuel Level Gauge
– CD Player with two speakers behind seats
– Nardi Wood Steering Wheel with Gold Spokes
– Nardi VW Horn Button
– NRG Quick Release
– Custom Steering Wheel Hub
– ARC Shift Knob
– Sticker Bombed Roof
– Wood Gauge Bezel

Suspension/Brakes:
– Custom Stainless Braided Lines
– Wilwood Brake Master Cylinder
– Wilwood Clutch Master Cylinder
– Wilwood Floor Mount Pedal Holders with Custom Pedals
– Custom Stainless Steel Gas Pedal
– Wilwood Brake Proportioning Valve
– Raceland Front Coilovers
– QA1 Rear Coilovers
– Flipped Rear Axle

Exterior:
– Long Front Duckbill
– Short Front Duckbill
– Work CR-01 15×8 +20
– 15mm Spacer Front
– 20mm Spacer Rear

Once you reach the bottom of the list, you can see how all of that would add up fairly quickly. Personally, I hope he gets all the money for this so that I can watch the building of his fully funded next project. You just can’t beat a good build thread these days. So, if you find yourself with money burning a hole in your pocket, and a heart that is yearning for more Rabbit pickup in your life, you can always contact the seller and make him an offer that he can’t refuse. Good luck!

Info and images borrowed Ebay Item Number 160699014179 .  From what I can gather in the eBay listing, This is the guy that took these fantastic photos. His work is amazing, check out his website for more.

Whats The Best Automotive Related Gift That You Have Ever Received?

For as far back as I can remember, I have been asking Santa for many different automotive related objects. From metal working tools, to entire body panels, to lightly used engine parts, my wish list has included just about everything. Sometimes Santa and his elves pulled through for me, and other times the request was just a bit too lofty. Now that I’m a bit older, I realize just how lucky I was (still am), and how difficult it must have been for Santa’s elves to assemble all that they had back then. One of my favorite automotive related gifts that I have ever received was the “Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942” and the “Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975”.  I know, it seems a bit dorky, but my par… ehem… Santa gave them to me when I was a kid, and to this day, I still find myself flipping through them as excitedly as the day that I first got them.  I cannot imagine how much time I have invested in those books, but it is crazy for sure.

So what’s the best automotive gift that YOU have ever received?

Darian Grubb Joins Forces With Hamlin

When Darian Grubb left Stewart-Haas Racing as the top dog, he wasn’t exactly sure where he would end up.There he sat as a champion crew chief for the 2011 season, and also without a job, as he was told that he would be let go at the end of the season by Tony Stewart.

Rumors had it that he might even stay at Stewart-Haas Racing but in a different role. Then there was an offer from Rick Hendrick at Hendrick Motorsports, who said that he would be more than happy to create a position for Darian.

After all of this, Darin Grubb has landed himself a position over at Joe Gibbs Racing as the crew chief for Denny Hamlin who drives the # 11 FedEX machine.

Denny Hamlin lost the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in 2010 by only a few points to  Mr. “Five Time” Jimmie Johnson. He wasn’t a factor for the chase in 2011, so Joe Gibbs decided it was time to change things around a bit, and plucked Darian from the unemployment pool, then decided to put him to work as Denny’s crew chief for the 2012 season.

Darin made some great calls during the Chase Race, and netted Tony Stewart 5 wins with 12 races to go in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season. This enabled Tony Stewart to inch out Carl Edwards, who ultimately tied with Stewart for the championship, however the crown went to Stewart for his 5 wins of the season to Carl Edward’s 1 win.

I think that this pairing with Darian Grubb and Denny Hamlin will really turn the 11 team around for the 2012 season. It’s going to be pretty interesting to see how all of this pans out.

 

1979 Volvo Bertone 262C. Now With More V8!

Just when I thought that last night’s Volvo Bertone was the sweetness, I come across this!  “Shut up and take my money!” is the first thing that comes to my mind. Seriously? $2000 for a 1979 Bertone with a V8 under the hood?  Am I being punk’ed? Does such Swedish-Italian coolness normally come this cheap? Does the SBC really kill the value this much?

Okay, let’s all take a deep breath and slow things down a tick.  What we are dealing with today is a 1979 Volvo Bertone 262C… as you can clearly see.  These cars CAME this way, 2 inch chopped roof and all.  Rad? Heck yes. It’s just like that Volvo that your friend’s mom had way back in the day, but built with Italian styling. The power options inside still work, it has been restored at some point in life, and it has a Chevy V8 swap.  On one hand, this swap is preposterous and shameful. On the other hand, it is a perfect mechanical symphony that is rarely heard or seen.  An automotive cornucopia it is. Take a boxy Swedish car that is well known for safety and reliability, and give it fancy Italian bodywork. Then rip all of its spinny bits out, and install American gas guzzling reliability. I must say, I am into this one deep. If my driveway is miraculously larger when I get home today, and two G’s in cash rains down from the sky on my way home, you can bet I will be cruising the streets in this thing.  This week, it is Bertone Volvo’s for the ultimate, and clearly inescapable win.

Craigslist Listing – http://worcester.craigslist.org/cto/2738253353.html