Join us for Lone Star XXX in San Marcos, TX May 4th, 5th & 6th, 2012
Hosted by the Central Texas Classic Chevy Club.
Featuring Classic 1955 -1957 Chevrolet Cars, Corvettes, Wagons & Trucks!
Weekend events include Car Show, Cruise to Dick’s Classic Garage, Shopping at Tanger & Premium Outlet Malls, Awards Banquet, Entertainment and more!

1955 Chevy sofa with built-in stereo, click to enlarge

We will be selling tickets for a drawing for a custom made
1955 Chevy sofa with built-in stereo.
Proceeds to benefit Laity Foundation Free Camp.
(Delivery of the ‘55 sofa is the responsibility of the winner.)

Register online at:
www.centraltexasclassicchevyclub.org

1949 Divco Model 49N Milk Truck, click to enlarge

This cute little truck can be yours, just get you butt to Kansas City Mo, and bid!. Yes, its more more Mecum auctions, all Mecum, all the time. Well, okay I exaggerate a bit, but there are 2 great auctions coming up. The first is in Kansas City , Missouri this March 29-31, 2012.

The second is coming April 13-14, 2012 in Houston Texas. Both these car auctions are always great events so check them out.
Happy Hunting!:)

Visit:
http://www.mecum.com/

Well here we are once again with Spring just around the corner. It is time to get our classic car ready to roll for the Spring/Summer seasons. If you are like me you made an effort to store your car last fall to minimize problems now. However even if you didn’t, fear not we have a short checklist to help you get your car ready to go.

1)
Drain and change the oil and filter.
I realize you probably did this last fall but moisture can build up in the oil while sitting in the winter. If the oil filter is new, just change the oil.

2)
Check all fluids
Antifreeze specific gravity, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid etc. Kind of a no brainer but hey better to spell it out

3)
Jack up the car (safely!) and check the brakes.
Pay special attention to brake hose and steel brake lines. Replace any cracked hoses, and extremely rusty looking steel lines will likely need replacing. While the car up on jacks anyway, check the fuel lines, transmission pan and rear end for leaks. Yes even sitting your car can develop leaks!

4)
Charge up the battery.
Obvious I know, but it will be low unless you had it charging over the winter using an external maintenance charger. Do charge the battery, your first start of the season will be a long crank so you need the juice!

5)
Pull the spark plugs and squirt a little new engine oil into the cylinders via the spark plug holes.
There are of course 2 schools of thought regarding this. One is with this method you prelube the cylinders that will prevent scuffing of the cylinder walls on dry start. The other is my thoughts that if the car hasn’t sat more than 7 or 8 months, this step isn’t necessary to preform this step. Crank the engine with the coil wire off a bit and you can lube the engine using the starter without starting the engine. Your choice.

6)
This step is for carburetor cars only!
When you are ready to start the car, use a little starting fluid and spray it down the throat of the carburetor, about 3 seconds or so. The carburetor will be bone dry from sitting, and this will get the engine running enough for the fuel pump to catch up and pump fuel to the float bowel (s). It also saves the life of your starter!

Some final thoughts…
A note about that first start up. Once you get the engine running, don’t immediately gun the engine “revving it up”. The reason being the rings will need to time to reseat themselves. Let the engine idle for 5 to 10 minutes, then take the car for for some miles. Do it easy, let her get fully warm before you want to get you foot into the pedal. This will give the engine time to reseat and run smoothly. Trust me it will save you big bucks in the long run! Don’t panic if you see some blue tailpipe smoke after start up, it is pretty normal for most any engine after sitting for a long period of time. Of course if the smoke doesn’t clear after running as mentioned before, you may have a more serious engine issue that will need to be addressed very soon…

All these steps are a guideline only intended to be helpful only. Do your own research or talk to a qualified mechanic for additional information. Happy Hunting!

Something new in Ambridge, Pa this coming July 7, 2012. Mark your calender for this unique event.

Note: Updated by Source March 1, 2012

Old Economy Village will be hosting a pre-war Antique Vehicle Show on Saturday, July 7, 2012 in Ambridge, Pa. from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. .Vehicles will be displayed on museum grounds and along Church Street (street will be closed) in front of the site. Please no rods or customs. Antique vehicles will not be judged. Showcasing your vehicles in a museum setting is a unique opportunity to combine the history of machine and man. Food and other fundraising events will be held the same day on museum grounds to attract large groups of people. To be entered into the selection process early registration is required. Dash plaques will be given to the first 100 vehicles.

To register or for more information visit:
www.oldeconomyvillage.org

or email: c-pmallon@pa.gov

Mecum Kissimmee, FL Auction, January 24-29, 2012 is done and there were some awesome prices commanded by many classic and antique cars. The list below highlights some of the top sellers of the week.

1930 Packard 745 Waterhouse $225,000

1963 Shelby Cobra Dragon Snake $850,000

A couple of reserve not met prices were notable. The 1970 Trans Am below and the 1930 Duesenberg were not sold even though the prices were good. Go figure.

1970 Pontiac Trans Am 400/366 HP, 4-Speed $100,000 reserve not met

1930 Duesenberg Model J Limousine Coachwork by Willoughby $350,000 reserve not met

My pick for awful car of the auction, a 1986 Cadillac Cimarron. For those unfamiliar with this Cadillac, it was basically a Chevy Cavalier “J” car with a few exterior changes to make it look “Cadillac” and upgraded interior with leather trim . The early J cars were pretty junky, clunky low price cars back then and the Cadillac version cost thousands more than the Chevrolet version. It sold at auction for $1,250 and is about all it will likely will ever be worth.

1986 Cadillac Cimarron 2.8L, Automatic $1,250

For more visit Mecum Auctions

Repost by Request, originally posted September 2, 2010

Henry Ford’s vision of affordable mass produced cars was well under way by 1913. Ten years had passed since the start of the Ford Motor Company in 1903, and the result was 175,000 cars delivered in those 10 years.

Ford’ simplicity of design, a common chassis for all models, and drivetrain, gave Ford’s Model T the ability to be built quickly and efficiently, and most of all, affordable! In 1913, the 2 passenger Ford Model T Runabout sold for a mere $525. The 4 passenger Touring Car was $600, and the 6 passenger Town Car was high end at $800.

Read more »

Happy new year all! The coming of the new year brings us some great car auctions coming up quickly. First up we have Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale annual auction January 15-22,2012. Of interest we have a 1939 Buick Roadmaster official pace car of the 1939 Indy 500. As well a beautiful 1957 Desoto Adventurer convertible will be passing over the auction block. Hundreds of more cars are set to go, don’t miss one of B-J’s biggest auctions of the year.

If that doesn’t get your blood boiling enough, we also have Mecum Auctions Kissimmee auction January 24-29, 2012. Featured car include a 1937 Cord 812 SC Phaeton that will blow you away. Or how about a 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt 427/425 HP. This Ford “cammer” will surely draw a big dollar!. Of course Mecum has hundreds of other rare an cool cars to drool over. Check it out if you have the time! Happy Hunting!

click to enlarge

Wishing all of you the best of the holiday season from all of us at Just Old Cars Magazine. We will be returning after New Years with more great stories. All the best, and of course, Happy Hunting!:)

Sample of of the many cars at the Daytona Turkey Run, click to enlarge

Thanksgiving approaches and the Daytona Turkey Run is the place to be if you are a classic car show nut in Florida. The annual show offers up 3,200 plus cars to drool and ogle over. A fun for everyone event, the show offers cruise nights, raffles, food, swap meet, and events for the kiddies. It is rumored Elvis is going to make an appearance too! (Okay, a look a like but a good one LOL) This show is one of the great classic car events of the of the fall season, so get out and have some fun in Florida. Happy Hunting!

Presented by the Daytona Beach Street Rod Association.

The Place:
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach Florida

Dates:
November 24-27, 2011

For More Information:
http://www.turkeyrun.com/