RideLust

It had the longest hood of any car in 1969, it was comfortable, luxurious, loaded with options and hauled some serious ass when you mashed the go pedal. It wasn’t a Camaro, Mustang or Charger, nor was it a GTO, Corvette or Barracuda, in fact and for all intense and purposes, it wasn’t even a muscle car. That however didn’t stop Pontiac’s new 1969 Grand Prix SJ from going down in history as one of the baddest executive saloons on the planet. We all know that buying a car is a very personal statement. It gives others insight into who we are, what our economic bracket is and how we view ourselves. If you’re a professional for example, then odds are you won’t be driving up to the office in a Subaru STI with a big wing on the back. However, you may opt for something like an Acura TL. It’s classier, and while not as nimble, it still has plenty of grunt and paints a different picture to the world around you.
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Some of you may laugh, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Pontiac Trans Am is an icon of American pop culture. From its humble beginnings as a Trans Am series race car, to its starring role in Smokey and the Bandit, the Pontiac Trans Am is the stuff that childhood dreams are made of. Over the years the Trans Am went through a bunch of different changes. In the late 1960′s it was released as Pontiac’s answer to the then new, Chevrolet Camaro. Then in the early 1970′s it evolved into a full blown stump pulling muscle car, with models like the 455-SD Trans Am and Formula 400. By the time the 1980′s came around though, the Trans Am was slow and running on borrowed time. Designers tried everything to keep the public interested, but alas, in 1981 the beloved second generation Trans Am took its final bow and called it quits.
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The Mormon Meteor, a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster

This year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance honored Duesenberg as their featured marque. Allard and Kurtis were also honored, but it’s virtually impossible to win “best of show” awards when you’re competing against Duesenberg. When you invite Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance winning cars to the party, it should be no surprise when they take the ribbons in Florida as well. Such was the case in this year’s show, where a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster, nicknamed the “Mormon Meteor” took top honors in the Concours De Sport class, with a 1933 Duesenberg SJN Arlington Torpedo Sedan taking top honors in the Concours De Elegance class. Read More…

They always say that if you can turn your passion into a career, then you’ll never work again in your life. I’m going to say that for the most part this is true. I mean what’s better than showing up to work everyday and having fun. Meet Ben Thomas, he’s the owner of Rancho Deluxe, an old school hot rod shop in Melbourne, Australia that’s dedicated to bringing old school rumblers back to life. Ben was lucky enough to have a father that schooled him in the particulars of vintage cars from a very young age. They ended up building a few cars together and when his Dad saw that the boy had talent, he arranged to have an internship program set up for him. That lead to a four year stint working for Porsche and then, after a few years away from the business he decided to give it another go by opening up Rancho Deluxe. Now Ben spends his time working on some of the coolest old hot rods in Australia and enjoying every minute of it.
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*Photo Credit: SeriousWheels.com

Back in the 1970′s Porsche released a few budget minded models with the intent of introducing new customers to the brand. First came the two seat Porsche 914 in 1970, followed by it’s replacement in 1977 in the form of the 924. Die-hard Porsche 911 lovers balked at these machines, however there were those select few who took full advantage of securing themselves a cheap ticket to the dance. Where the 914 was small and compact, the 924 was actually a car that one could use everyday. With a water cooled front engine (a first for Porsche), rear drive layout, optional automatic transmission and rear seats, this was a car that was quite attractive from a usability standpoint. Power came from an inline-4 that produced 95 hp, a number that by today’s standards would be laughable in anything but the smallest economy car.
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If you would have asked me to name the first serial hybrid from a major automobile manufacturer, I would have said the Chevy Volt. I would have been wrong, because Ferdinand Porsche created something called the Semper Vivus (Latin for “always alive”) back in 1900. Built for Austrian coachmaker Ludwig Lohner & Company, the Semper Vivus featured two combustion engine generators, powering two electric motors mounted in the front hubs. Onboard batteries supplied supplemental power, much the same way as today’s parallel hybrid cars do. To celebrate the re-emergence of hybrid technology, Porsche has re-created this pioneering automobile and will display it at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. Want to see it run? Check out the video after the jump. Read More…

Most small counties in the United States have a small drag way or dirt track at which local residents compete at on weekends. The cars that show up are generally beat to death and between races are brought back to their trailers to be put on life support. Sometimes though special exhibitions are held in an attempt to not only bring in more money, but give the track a much needed boost in publicity. I’ve been to a bunch of these exhibitions, but 9 times out of 10 they consist only of touted up trailer queens doing parade laps and are quite honestly, boring as hell. Down in New Zealand though it looks like they do things a bit differently as these boys aren’t afraid to flog their vintage machines through the dirt. Modified T-buckets, vintage pickup trucks and business coupes can be seen sliding, spinning and partaking in all sorts of vintage hoonage. Seriously, these guys aren’t messing around. Click through for the video.
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Old cars are finicky beasts. They have personalities, tempers and a presence that new cars can’t hope to emulate. When they run great they’re wonderful and can provide their owners with countless years of enjoyment. Keeping them running though is another story entirely and is one that requires time, money and most of all, parts. Over the years I’ve built up quite a stockpile of extra parts for my 1968 Dodge Charger. Taillight lenses, fenders, transmissions and interior parts. You name it and I have it, or least I used to have it. Over the past year I decided to sell off many of the old parts that I’ve collected in an effort to free up some space in the ole’ garage. Some have been sold at swap meets, others on the internet and yet others still by word of mouth. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to lighten my load yet again and in the process make a little money on the side. What amazed me though is the distance that the purchaser traveled.
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I was cruising around San Francisco today and just couldn’t help but notice all the old vintage iron that was parked on the streets. New York City is currently experiencing snow, freezing temperatures and salted roads, all things that are not conducive to the longevity of an old car. Around here though it’s friggin’ paradise. After cruising the streets for a few hours I just knew that I had to start snapping some photos. Old Corvairs, El Camino’s, Ford’s, Dodge’s and even a bunch of old VW’s littered the streets. The best part though… they’re all driven! Back in NYC seeing anything that was built prior to 1975 is a rarity, but here in San Francisco it seems to be the norm. I’ll be heading home in a few days and truth be told I’m not overly happy about it. In fact I’m so bummed that I actually met with a realtor today just to see what kind of pads I could get for my hard earned dollar. Who knows, maybe it’s time for ole’ Mr. Angry to head west to the land of 75 degrees and sunshine and give these folks a little bit of my New York charm. Click through to check out all the street side beauties. Read More…

Believe it or not, but there was a time when Cadillac was the premier brand not only in the United States, but in the world. Their cars were hand crafted, interiors hand stitched and owning one meant that you had officially made it to the big time. It wasn’t until the mid-1970′s until their image began to get tarnished due to shoddy workmanship, emissions and government regulations. Nowadays Cadillac is back in the saddle with some amazing models, but the one you see here, the 1966 Cadillac DeVille, takes us back to a time when these road beasts still roamed the streets. The 1966 DeVille was powered by a 429 cubic-inch V8 that made around 340 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. It ran a 3-speed transmission and cruised down the open road like you were riding on a cloud. Inside there was real room for 6 adults and a trunk that would hold the contents of a New York City apartment. In short, these cars were big, beautiful and made in a time when Cadillac was still the King of the road. Long live the King…