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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Classic Aston Martin DB4GT "Introduced at the 1959 London Motor Show"

The latest look back at old classified advertisements features a 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT offered for sale in the March 1987 issue of Hemmings for $59,500.
The Aston Martin DB4GT was a special lightweight, high-performance version of the DB4. Introduced at the 1959 London Motor Show, the GT featured a thin, lightweight aluminum body and enclosed headlights. The wheelbase was dramatically reduced five inches from a standard DB4, in an effort to improve handling and to further reduce the weight.

The Aston Martin's 3670 cc DOHC straight six cylinder engine was upgraded with a new twin-plug head, triple Weber carburetors and higher compression, resulting in 302 hp. Top speed was 153 mph with a 6.1 second dash to 60 mph.
In total, 75 GTs were built in this body style, plus 19 Zagato bodied cars and one Bertone-styled car christened the Bertone Jet.
This particular 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT, chassis 0112, is reported to be, "correct and original in every detail, ready to race or tour." The seller also rightly states that the DB4GT "is competitive with the 250 SWB Ferrari at a fraction of the cost."
Chassis 0112 was last publicly seen at the Coys auction in 1996 where it failed to sell at $135,900. The Cars That Matter September – December 2008 price guide suggests $1,150,000 - $1,500,000 for an Aston Martin DB4GT, while another GT did not sell at the Bonhams Quail auction in August, despite a high bid of $1,200,000.
If you bought the Aston Martin DB4GT for $59,500 in 1987, then your investment would have returned approximately 16% over 21 years.

Review Ford Boss 302 Mustang - High Power Outputs with 300 horse power

In an effort to burnish their total performance image introduced the 428 Cobra Jet in year 1968, and in 1969, built one of Detroit most interesting power plants, the Ford Boss 302 Mustang engine. It was built for model years 1969 and 1970, is named for its engine. The past and present collide as these two Mustangs take to the track. Dragon Power captured in the first ever die cast model to feature the original. Customized parts exterior and interior design fuses the look and feel with today styling and technology. Their tribute starts off with a motor swap to a crate engine that came directly from Performance.

The new hood on the American Speed Company is the prototype for the production version, the front suspension and brakes have been installed, and the new Boss 302 is being fitted with a Vintage Air Front Runner system. The Vanquish body shells were fitted with 300 horse power mounted as far back in the chassis as possible. When most muscle car fanatics make reference. Initially built in 1969 and again in 1970, combined muscle car performance with incredible handling. That car ignited lifelong passion for race cars, and began racing on the historic and vintage car circuit, moving to historic stock cars.
But unlike other corvettes, which cloak their power beneath stock skins, our test car arrived under gift wrap special edition body kit penned by styling wizard designer of the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray and the Ford Boss Mustang. The program was part of an effort to win the Championship in 1969 and 1970. The new Racing Performance Parts line was conceived because there was an unmet need for engines built from a block stronger than original regular production engine blocks but more affordable than full race prepped blocks.

Despite its strength and capability, surprisingly affordable because of its high volume production. The suggested retail price for the Boss 302 block is affordable at $1,759, while complete engines range from $4,650 to $10K for the 500 horsepower 331 cubic inch engines. This had nothing to do with the Cleveland heads, as rules dictated a 302 cubic inch displacement, so stroking a 351 Cleveland block was not an option, so ford engineers solved this dilemma by mating a Windsor block with high flow Cleveland heads, a clover if you will, that had high revolutions per minute capability to make the most of the high turbofan engines offered by the heads, which was conducive of the large 4v ports and canted combustion chambers.
The new Ford Racing Performance Parts Boss Mustang car line was conceived because there was an unmet need for engines built from a block stronger than original regular production 302 blocks but more affordable than full race prepped blocks. Making its debut in 1969, the original powered a limited production Mustang model sold for two years. The program was part of an effort by the Ford Motor Company. Features that separate the engine from its competition include 4-bolt mains for lower end stability at high power outputs High 41,000 PSI tensile strength iron alloy for ultimate strength Nodular iron main caps for additional strength Screw-in freeze plugs for additional strength and stability front cross over lifter oiling for high revolutions per minute valve train capability bores with specifically engineered drilling between cylinders for maximum wall stability and gasket sealing with street-capable cooling performance.

Super Valuable Antique Car

Antique cars have been used for several purposes. The term was used to identify an era in the history of automobile. It was a collective name used for the horseless carriage in the period 1880-1916. Today, however, the term is popularly used to refer to cars that are at least twenty-five years old. Although it is sometimes referred to as classic or vintage cars, they are not the same. Classic is a term for state of the art cars covering the period 1925-1948. Vintage cars on the other hand usually refer to the built of the car in the years 1919-1930.

The most valuable antique cars are seldom used as a regular mode of transportation because it is too expensive to operate. These cars are usually showcased in special events such as parades and car shows. If you are a car enthusiast, antique car collection will be a very exciting hobby. This will allow you to meet car aficionados all over the world and take pride with your collection. You can also get to see other car shows and pamper your eyes with the elegant display of different kinds of cars.
But there are those who do not buy antique car for the sole purpose of collection. Many consider purchasing an antique car as an investment. Many spend thousands of dollars to acquire one antique car. An antique car purchased today will possibly generate huge profit in the future. But this is not a guaranteed deal because there were periods such as in the early 1990s where the value of these cars declined.

If you consider buying one as an investment, you have to be prepared with the changes in the market. Desired styles may change among others.
You can have an antique car even if you are running a budget, it can be really expensive but there are some tips you can follow to save a few bucks. Antique cars that collectors will usually go for are very expensive. In contrast, those that do not get much attention are cheaper. You can also look for twenty year old cars that need minor repairs. Cars that are not old enough to be considered antique are generally cheaper.
You can also bargain for these cars and get the best price. You have to be patient though, because you will seldom find cars this old in good condition.
The value of any antique craft is unpredictable, as for cars, it is greatly influenced by the demand and supply relationship. Another aspect of valuing these cars is its condition. Value also depends on how well it was maintained. That is why most collectors have the technical knowledge of restoring a car. The quality of its restoration has also a great impact on its value.
The value of antique cars varies. If it is rare and in good condition, it will definitely cost much. On the other hand, those that do not fit the collectible category are relatively cheaper. Since it is not definite that these cars will generate good profit in the future, find something that you can enjoy. It will be more worthwhile that way.

Start a Hobby of Restoring a Classic Car

Restoring a car sounds like a big work. Well, it is. In fact, this job is taken on by car hobbyists alone. If you want to start on this job, you can very well do so, regardless if you consider yourself a hobbyist or not. You can do one part of the job slowly until you have successfully completed the whole project. It is going to take quite sometime. But if you start now, you will finish the job eventually.
You don't need to buy an old car from the garage to start on this new hobby. You can start with any worn-out car sitting in your own barn, if you have one. There's no need to look for a vintage Mercedes or a Cadillac. Your good old Volkswagen would do. And if you get good at this, you might even earn good money out of your hobby. Restored classic cars can be auctioned off for quite a big amount.
But before looking at the distant future involving the hordes of cash you can get from your new hobby, you should first look at the problem at hand. Assess the damage of the car that you would like to restore. Is the engine still running? Are the interiors all worn out? How about the car's surface? How much paintjob is needed?

When taking on a car restoration job, start from the inside out. A shiny finish is worthless if the engine of the car can't be fixed any longer. Restoring the car means you're putting it in working form again, like you'll use it on a daily basis. And so you have to be sure that the car's engine has parts still available. If not, you might consider changing the entire engine with a compatible one. This is where your car engineering skills would help greatly.
Once the engine is sweet sounding again, you can start working on the car's interiors. Cars should be as comfortable as can be. The air conditioning should work seamlessly. And the leather seats should be nothing less than perfect. If you can add a good audio and security system to the car, that's going to be way better. Find good choices of interior trimming from car leather seat manufacturers. As for your car's wiring system, you can get it fixed with the help of a professional car mechanic.
The paint job comes last. You should put up a good investment on this part because classic cars need to be sleek and shiny for them to look good on the road. Keep in mind that the exterior is the first one noticed. You don't want your restored classic car look anything less. You might want to send the car for an oven-baked painting service so that its lost luster can be restored. Choose a color that's flashy and trendy. You can also request for a car detailing work from the car body repair center that you sent it to. Or if you really want to do everything out of your own hands, you can simply buy loads of car paint. Use an air compressor and spray it evenly on the car. Use several coatings for a more glossy effect.