25 March 2015
16 March 2015
1970 Plymouth Barracuda - Red Snapper
Given the history, talent and resources that Paul Lee (the owner of this Plymouth Barracuda) has available, this car just had to be built.
Paul has not only raced Funny Cars and has degrees in Finance and Law, but he also owns McLeod Racing, renowned manufacturers of performance flywheels, clutches and driveline components. The car certainly seems to be the result of his skills; a rust-free California car with a Procharger-huffed 528ci Gen II Hemi V8 that 'cranks out an easy 1129bhp on 93 octane'. Yowza. But thats not all; Ridetech coilies suspend a Corvette C6-drived front suspension with a multi-link Strange rear axle at the back. The interior shows that such a monster fish needn't be as a sparse as an empty sardine ca either; alcantara covers the dashtop and Corbeau bucket seats, while a Racepak digital dash cluster reminds the driver of this cars track aspirations.
Now click here for the full story.
Now click here for the full story.
- Amazosan
11 March 2015
Cars & Music - Tina Turner, A Chevy Truck And A Roll-Royce
Its a common misconception, but the town of Nutbush, Tennesse does not officially have 'city limits'; rather, its boundaries are described by "Nutbush - Unincorporated" signs posted on the local highway. I'm pretty sure Tina Turner knew this when she wrote the song Nutbush City Limits, as was the town she grew up in, but we'll let a little artistic licence slide.
She wrote it as a semi-autobiographical song and also as a homage to the 'bush; it was released June 1973, shortly before her separation from Ike Turner and was the last hit single they would produce together.
She wrote it as a semi-autobiographical song and also as a homage to the 'bush; it was released June 1973, shortly before her separation from Ike Turner and was the last hit single they would produce together.
That sleeve artwork seems to be autobiographical too; the front cover of the single shows her nestling up next to a Chevrolet 3100 pickup, while the back cover is literally the flip side; she's the successful singer, flaunting on the bonnet of a Roll-Royce Silver Shadow, the picture postcard for Tina Turner, independent woman.
Typical of the period, none of the session musicians who contributed to the song were credited on the sleeve notes. It's been rumored for years that Marc (T-Rex) Bolan played guitar on the track, which is possible given that he toured the US and lived in Los Angeles around the mid-70's. In reality it was later found to be James 'Bino' Lewis, then a member of Ike & Tina's backing band Kings of Rhythm, as the culprit, but hey why spoil such a juicy urban myth?
It should also be noted that the album of the same contains the not-insignificant track that is River Deep, Mountain High, a track produced (and co-written, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich) by none other than Phil Spector. Whatever else that man is (and was) to other people, he was a damn good producer at that point, when he wasn't waving loaded guns at people in he recording studio, which was disturbingly often...
A delightful slice of Rock Funk with a (fairly tenuous) connection to automotive matters. But the next example in this series will be, as they say, right on the nose.
- Amazosan
4 March 2015
Diggin' In The Crates - 1970 Toyota Celica A20 Japan Brochure
I'll say it for you: ドリブル, or the nearest I can get to in English, wibble. Thats the reaction I had when I first saw the big ol' box of Japanese car brochures I won on eBay recently (to put next to the other big boxes of car brochures I have, but hey). There is something about the way they lay out their car literature that makes me feel like a kid in a sweet shop; is it the multiple small images crammed onto one page, the moody looking action shots or seeing versions of regular UK-market Japanese cars that never made it to these shores? Eh, I'm gushing a little, but know this: enjoy the scans of this A20-series Toyota Celica brochure, theres a lot more stuff to come.
- Amazosan
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| An emergency flare as standard equipment? LIVING THE CELICA DREAM |
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| O-M-F'N-GT |
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| Two of each please. And make 'em fresh |
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| Eight tracks and colour-coded bumpers? LIVING THE DREAM |
2 March 2015
1950 Ford Coupe - '50 & Counting
Have you ever seen a standard 1950 Ford Custom Club Coupé? If you haven't, you will underestimate the huge amount of work that has gone into this particular car. Nearly every one of the custom tricks that get used on the '49-51 Mercury can be applied to the sister Ford; roof chops, channeling, sectioning, frenching, pancaked bonnets and boots, every combination of side trims, front lights, rear lights... The list is near endless. But this particular car has only a handful of tricks from that vast palette (as the article expands on), yet looks as great as a car where everything has been changed. The emphasis seems to have been on sharpening what was there to start with, and not detracting from what makes a '50 Ford, a '50 Ford. And thats a good thing, in my book.
Underneath is a different matter; more modern running gear has been substituted to make the shoebox a better fit for everyday driving but hey, 9-second quarters aren't what customs are about, right?
- Amazosan
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