HorsePowerSports

Vintage Country Cars Are Getting Noticed

by Paul Crowe

Studebaker pickup

About this time of year, everyone starts to think about those outdoor Autumn chores, hauling firewood, running to the hardware store or picking up a few things at the cider mill. Sure, a lot of folks thinking that way never hauled a load of firewood in their entire lives, but if they did, they know what they would be driving, they imagine some old Ford or Chevy pickup, or maybe an old Country Squire wagon and that’s not a bad choice. It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon, looking at the fall colors and driving down country roads while you get a few things at the store.

Those “country cars” are often inexpensive, or at least, a lot less expensive than perfectly restored muscle cars, fairly easy to fix and you don’t have to worry about a little scratch or ding along the way. It seems the mainstream press is starting to notice life’s little pleasures. I saw this article in the Wall Street Journal referring to these “country cars” as a nice entry into collecting:

Vehicles like these are ideal for people who are just getting started with car collecting or would rather spend a few thousand dollars than the hundreds of thousands or even millions it can take to acquire classic Ferraris, Mercedes-Benzes and other of the rarest, most desirable collectibles.

Well, I suppose, but you just know these buyers will be dressed in the perfect Eddie Bauer outfit as they kick the tires on that old F-100 pickup. Between this whole slew of new collectors and last year’s cash for clunkers, it’s going to be tough to find a decent old ride at a good price. On the bright side, they’ll eventually move on to something else and those cars and trucks will go back on the market.

55 Chevy wagon

Actually, no matter how you look at them, these older, simpler, more basic cars and trucks are a lot of fun. No computer, a carburetor, a few hoses and belts that are easy to replace, yep, a lot to like. Makes you want to go out and find one for yourself.

Link: Wall Street Journal

Images via Plan59

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Cheetah Continuation Project Shuts Down – SOME Tooling and Rights Up For Sale – UPDATED

by Paul Crowe

in Car Business, Race cars, Vintage Cars

Cheetah continuation project selling all production tooling, assets and rights

It looks like the Cheetah continuation project, started in 2007 by BTM of Arizona, is closing its doors. Everything is up for sale, all of the tooling and rights, a couple of bodies, numerous parts, everything someone will need to pick up where BTM left off.

The Cheetah, was a tube frame race car powered by a small block Chevy built by Bill Thomas in the early 60s. It was a pretty sexy looking thing getting ready to do battle with the Cobras when the factory burned in 1965. BTM put together a continuation project with the blessing of Bill Thomas and, to this point, they’ve produced 10. According to the listing, the last 9 of those 10 sold in Europe, so they believe a buyer there would be better placed to continue on from where they stopped.

Cheetah continuation series coupe

In 2007 the economy was still booming and building a company to produce non road legal retro racers might have looked like a better bet. The starting bid for the company’s production assets is $120,000, but I would expect any serious buyer will be willing to run that up quite a ways. I hope someone does pick this up and get production rolling again. The Cheetah is too cool to let it fade away.

UPDATE: It looks like the sale here was for the 1963 1st generation version of the Cheetah and that is being sold, however, there was a 1965 version, the 427 Super Cheetah, and plans are for this 2nd generation Cheetah to go into production in January of 2012. Stay tuned. We’re trying to get clarification.
Link: Official Bill Thomas Cheetah

Link: Cheetah auction
Link: Cheetah Continuation

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Drive American Muscle? Buy American Made Parts

by Paul Crowe

in Made in America

American Muscle needs American Made parts

American muscle cars need American Made parts

When you fire up that vintage Mustang or Camaro, do you ever think about where it came from? Do you even briefly remember the long decades of American auto industrial dominance? Slide behind the wheel of your Plymouth GTX and look out over the hood and imagine the world of the late 1960s. Did you ever envision the huge shuttered buildings where cars used to be built, back when the Plymouth name still existed?

Many of us of a certain age have watched for decades as the United States, once the proud manufacturing capital of the world, lost its edge as one factory after another closed its doors. The immediate loss of jobs is the most visible effect, and not just in the factory itself, but in all of the small businesses supplying and supporting it, from the cafes and restaurants nearby, the shops fabricating parts the factory used and the service industries maintaining it to all of the local stores selling goods to the now unemployed. Less visible, but equally important, is all of the skill and knowledge necessary to produce what the factory made, now unneeded, it grows stale and eventually disappears.

The conventional wisdom says it’s all for the good. If products are made in other lower cost countries, we pay less in the USA and have more money to spend or invest elsewhere. While true for those still employed or keeping their own business running, quite a few former employees see less benefit to the great outsourcing of America. Many now question the conventional “wisdom” and wonder if a few things might have been missed as companies made the move overseas.

Is there a solution? Is there something you or I can do today to help slow or reverse this trend? Yes, I believe there is and it’s simple, but potentially very effective. The next time you need a part for your American muscle car, or anything else, for that matter, look for and ask for the parts Made in the USA. No need to join a group, no need to protest, no need to buy anything you weren’t going to buy anyway, just look for and buy the American made parts, products and accessories.

Be aware of where products are made. Look closely at labels and if you can’t see where it came from, ask. If it’s hard to determine, it probably isn’t made in the USA because companies here will usually tell you right up front.

The citizens of every country should be proud of the products made in their own country. No matter where you live, you should support your friends and neighbors and support the companies and products that employ them. Many other countries already do this, but, for some reason, the idea of buying American slipped away. Well, it’s time to bring it back.

I like to think of this as friendly competition, with each country doing its best to make great products. We’ll buy your great products, you buy ours, everyone benefits. If the products made here don’t measure up, buy the better one, but tell the American company why you did that, help them improve. If the product made here is a few dollars more, pay it if you can. Low cost isn’t a benefit if the result is another closed factory.

HorsePowerSports is going to highlight as many Made in America automotive products as we can. I already have a list, but if you have a favorite or maybe less well known American company you would like to see here, click on the contact form above and let us know.

Let’s make “Made in America” the high value label it used to be. Look for, ask for and buy American Made. The whole country will thank you for it.

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