Car Of The Day: June 14, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from craftymore's collection and is Zylmex's 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am Funny Car.

The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro. This coincided with the release of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, which shared its platform with another pony car, the Ford Mustang.
The vehicles were powered by various four-cylinder, six-cylinder, and V8 engines sourced from several GM divisions. While primarily Pontiac-powered until 1977, Firebirds were built with several different engines from nearly every GM division until 1982 when GM began to discontinue engines it felt were unneeded and either spread successful designs from individual divisions among all divisions or use new engines of corporate architecture.

The Firebird and Camaro were completely redesigned for the 1982 model year, with the windshield slope set at 62 degrees, (about 3 degrees steeper than anything GM had ever tried before), and for the first time, a large, glass-dominated hatchback that required no metal structure to support it. Two concealed pop-up headlights, a first on the F-Body cars, were the primary characteristic that distinguished the 3rd Gen Firebird from its both its Camaro sibling and its prior form; (a styling characteristic carried into the 4th Gen's design). In addition to being about 500 lbs (227 kg) lighter than the previous 2nd Gen design, the 3rd Generation Firebird was the most aerodynamic product GM had ever released. Wind tunnels were used to form the new F-Body platform's shape, and Pontiac took full advantage of it. The aerodynamic developments extended to the finned aluminum wheels with smooth hubcaps and a functional rear spoiler.[/quote]

Received this cool Zee from Noirguru.  It was mint on card and liberated for cotd. TY Jermaine.

Truck Of The Day: April 29, 2012

Today's car of the day is Zylmex's 1972 Datsun 620.

The popular and economical Datsun/Nissan compact pickup truck was produced in Japan from 1955 and imported to the United States, Australia, Finland, the Middle East, South Africa, and various European countries. Modern versions of this vehicle are still in production around the world, currently known as the Frontier & Navara.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Datsun 620

Another model acquired at this year's Keystone CARnival, this is a model that has eluded my grasp for many years.  I'm in dire need of an upgraded model, but at least I finally have one.  Much like most real pickups, this one has spent considerable time being used and abused by previous owners.  One can only imagine how many imaginary loads this one has hauled over the decades, but much like many of its real world counterparts this one has been relegated to my scrapyard diorama.  The wheels are bent.  The paint's mostly missing.  The windows are cloudy.  The roof's dented.  And yet, the motor probably still fires.  The real ones were resistant to everything except Northeast winters.  The body would rust off long before the engine would quit.

In February 1972, the Datsun 620 truck was released and was in production until 1979. It was a regular cab truck (a King Cab version was released in 1977) and two types of wheelbases were offered, and it consisted of six models of pickup seating, it was related to the delivery van offered only in Japan. There was also the U620, which was a crew cab "Utility" version. It used a shorter bed to allow full seating for four people. The U620 was essentially a 620 pickup from the doors forward, with the bed and rear end being the only difference. The 620 continued to use the Nissan L engine.

The 1972-1973 models were powered by the L16 engine (96 hp), the 1974 model used the L18 engine (100 hp), and the 1975-1979 models used the L20B engine (110 hp). In overseas markets the 620 was equipped with the J15. The standard transmissions were the F4W63 4-speed (1972-1973) and F4W71 4-speed (1974-1979). In 1977, the optional FS5W71B 5-speed transmission became available. The 3N71 3-speed automatic became available as an option in mid-1972. This was the first series to offer an automatic transmission as an option (all model series before the 620 only had manual transmissions). Final drive gearing was 4.375:1. Side badges were "DATSUN 1600" or simply "DATSUN". The grille badge was two colored stripes (one red and one blue, respectively) behind the word "DATSUN". Nissan continued the strong rhythms and styling of its previous vehicles, with a shoulder "wing line" or "Bullet Side" accent running alongside the vehicle. The 620 was known for its durability and weather resistance despite its small size along with an engine known for reliability. As a result, the 620 was competing with the larger American pickup trucks, which in turn gave Datsun a strong reputation in the United States. A number of innovations were introduced with the 620: first long-bed (1975), first extended-cab (1977), front disc brakes (1978), and electronic ignition (1978).

The 620 was redesigned slightly for 1978, with changes to grille and front bumper. A 4-door crew cab variant was offered in some markets.

Ambulance Of The Day: March 10, 2012

Today's car of the day is Zylmex's 1977 Chevrolet Chevy Van Ambulance.

The Chevrolet and GMC G-Series vans were made by General Motors for North America. They are in the same vehicle class as the Ford Econoline van and the Dodge Ram Van.
The term "Chevrolet van" also refers to the entire series of vans sold by Chevrolet. The first Chevrolet van was released in 1961 on the Corvair platform, and the latest Chevrolet van in production is the Chevrolet Express.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Chevrolet Van

The late '70s was when ambulances in the USA started transitioning from the traditional car-based units that often doubled as hearses to the van-based units we're familiar with today.

In 1971, ChevyVan received a major redesign, moving the engine forward of the driver with a short nose and hood. The van was constructed of a unibody style frame and employed stronger truck style hubs and brakes with dual A-Arm independent front suspension. The major restyle followed the engine-forward design of the competing 1968 Ford Econoline. Suspension and steering parts came from the Chevrolet/GMC C-series pickup trucks. GMC now marketed their vans under the VanDura name. These models between 78 and 96 were popular with Van conversions such as Curtis and Starcraft.

For 1997, the Chevrolet and GMC vans were replaced with the next-generation Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana. They adopted aerodynamic styling, and the extended 15 passenger version rode on a longer wheelbase, rather than just an extended body. These vans were built on a stronger truck frame versus the previous generation's unibody construction. A left-side door was made available for the declining passenger van market.

Car Of The Day: January 25, 2012

Today's car of the day is Zymex's 1985 Pontiac Fiero.

The Pontiac Fiero is a mid-engined sports car that was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1984 to 1988. The Fiero—meaning "proud" in Italian and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish—was designed by George Milidrag and Hulki Aldikacti as a Pontiac sports car. The Fiero was the first two-seater Pontiac since the 1926 to 1938 coupes, and also the first and only mass-produced mid-engine sports car by a U.S. manufacturer. Many technologies incorporated in the Fiero design such as plastic body panels were radical for its time. Alternative names considered for the car were Sprint, P3000, Pegasus, Fiamma, Sunfire, and Firebird XP. The Fiero 2M4 (2-seat, Mid-engine, 4-cylinder) was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1984. The 1984 Fiero was the Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 for 1984, beating out the new 1984 Chevrolet Corvette for the honor.

370,168 Fieros were produced over the relatively short production run of five years; by comparison, 163,000 Toyota MR2s were sold in its first five years. At the time, its reputation suffered from criticisms over performance, reliability and safety issues. Today however, compared to less adventurous attempts at two-seaters such as the Ford EXP, the unique style of the Fiero compared to other American cars has left it a cult following as a collectible car. It remains a popular chassis for rebodies and electric conversions.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Pontiac Fiero

The Pontiac Fiero has been covered extensively in 1/64 scale with models from Hot Wheels, Matchbox (racing), Majorette (racing), Ertl, Zylmex, and MotorMax Fresh Cherries.  This one and the Fresh Cherries casting are the two best, and I think if this was given premium wheels and upgrade paint & tampos it would be the hands down winner.

Already selling the Corvette, General Motors management and accountants were opposed to investing in a second two-seater sports car. But in 1979, during the oil crisis, management saw a market opportunity for a fuel-efficient sporty commuter car, and design work on the Fiero commenced. To this end, it was fitted with a fuel efficient version of GM's 2.5 L four-cylinder "Iron Duke" engine capable of 27 mpg-US (8.7 L/100 km; 32 mpg-imp) in the city and 40 mpg-US (5.9 L/100 km; 48 mpg-imp) on the highway with the economy-ratio transmission option. These figures are U.S. Environmental Protection Agency test-circuit results, published by Pontiac, and confirmed from multiple sources. It was impressive mileage for a 2.5-liter engine of the period, and still good by today's standards, but the three-speed automatic reduced highway mileage to only 32 mpg-US (7.4 L/100 km; 38 mpg-imp). With respect to fuel economy, the Fiero would appeal to a market niche for which the Corvette with its V8 engine was unsuitable.

A mid-engine layout was chosen as a way to reduce both aerodynamic drag and vehicle weight to improve fuel efficiency, and also for its handling, traction, and braking benefits. The sports car potential of the mid-engine layout was not fully realized when the Fiero debuted. In line with its market position, the tires, brakes, and some suspension components were carried over from other GM economy cars (like the Chevrolet Citation and Chevrolet Chevette) so the Fiero could be priced appropriately. As a result, the handling and cornering abilities of the initial Fiero were merely on par with other contemporary sporty coupes (Road & Track 1985). The public had high expectations for the Fiero with its mid-engine layout and futuristic styling, which resembles more exotic mid-engine sports cars costing much more. While initially garnering good reviews for its handling (Motor Trend 1984), the Fiero soon received disappointing reviews, as the automotive critics expected higher performance from a mid-engine two-seater. Despite the critical press, the Fiero sold extremely well and Pontiac operated three shifts at the factory during 1984, and could not keep up with initial demand.

The sharing of suspension components with other GM cars meant the rear suspension and powertrain was almost identical to that of the Chevrolet Citation and Pontiac Phoenix; the Fiero even included rear tie rod ends attached to a "steering knuckle", although these were hard-mounted to the engine cradle and only used for maintaining the rear tire alignment. The front suspension was derived from the Chevrolet Chevette, and Chevette enthusiasts found that they could upgrade their undersized front brakes and rotors using Fiero parts.

By 1985, the oil crisis was a thing of the past and demand developed for a Fiero having more engine power and better sports car performance. Pontiac responded by introducing the GT model which included upgraded suspension tuning, wider tires, and a V6 engine having 43 horsepower (32 kW) more than the base four-cylinder. In 1986, the GT model was restyled to look even more sleek.

Numerous changes were made to the 1988 Fiero. The most significant was a completely redesigned suspension (and parts of the space frame) to realize the potential of the mid-engine layout. Now unique to the Fiero, the new suspension included new two piece brake calipers and upgraded brake rotors for 1988. The available I4 and V6 engines benefited from evolutionary improvements, but the planned availability of turbochargers and newer DOHC engines did not happen before production ended.

Officially, production ended because of an internal GM forecast of insufficient future profits due to an expected decrease in overall demand for two-seater sports cars, however this decision was commensurate with heavy media coverage of Fiero engine fires. GM's forecast may have been a year premature, as the actual sales in 1988 were lower than prior years but still double the forecast.