Car Of The Day: April 18, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Muscle Machines 1957 Chevy Bel Air Pro Stock.

The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1975 model years. Hardtops in the Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952, but it was not a distinct series of its own until the 1953 model year. Bel Air production continued in Canada for its home market only through the 1981 model year.

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

For 1955, Chevrolet's full-size model received new styling that earned it the "Hot One" designation by enthusiasts. Unlike Ford and Plymouth, Chevrolet's styling was considered crisp and clean. Bel Airs came with features found on cars in the lower models ranges plus interior carpet, chrome headliner bands on hardtops, chrome spears on front fenders, stainless steel window moldings, and full wheel covers. Models were further distinguished by the Bel Air name script in gold lettering. For 1955 Chevrolets gained a V8 engine option. The new 265 cu in (4,340 cc) V8 featured a modern, overhead valve high compression, long stroke design that was so good that it remained in production in various forms, for many decades. The base V8 had a two-barrel carburetor and was rated at 162 hp (121 kW), and the "Power Pack" option featured a four-barrel carburetor and other upgrades yielding 180 bhp (130 kW). Later in the year, a "Super Power Pack" option added high-compression and a further 15 bhp (11 kW). "Idiot" lights replaced gauges for the generator and oil pressure. Motor Trend magazine gave the Bel Air top marks for handling. Front legroom was 43.1". Brakes were 11" drums.

The 1956 Bel Air received a face-lift with a more conventional full-width grille, pleasing those customers who didn't favor the Ferrari-inspired '55 front end. Distinctive two-tone bodyside treatments and graceful front and rear wheel openings completed the "speedline" restyling. Single housings incorporated the taillight, stoplight, and backup light, and the left one held the gas filler - an idea popularized on Cadillacs. Among the seven Bel Air models was a new Sport Sedan, a pillarless four-door hardtop that looked handsome with all the windows rolled down and allowed easy entry into the back seat. Production exceeded 103,000, compared to 128,000 two-door hardtops. Shapely two-door Nomad wagons topped the price chart at $2,608, but now carried the same interior and rear-wheel sheetmetal as other Bel Airs, lacking the original's unique trim. Only 7,886 were built. The least costly Bel Air, at $2,025, was the two-door sedan. Seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, and a padded dashboard were available, and full-size cars could even get the hot Corvette 225-horsepower engine. In 1956 sales material was an optional rain-sensing automatic top, which was first seen on the 1951 LaSabre concept car. However, it is believed that it was never installed on a car.
In 1957 engine displacement grew to 283 cu in (4,640 cc) with the "Super Turbo Fire V8" option producing 283 hp (211 kW) with the help of continuous (closed loop) mechanical fuel injection. These so-called "fuelie" cars are quite rare, since most Bel Airs were fitted with carburetion. The 1957 Bel Air is among the most recognizable American cars of all time; well-maintained examples, especially Sport Coupes and Convertibles are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. They are roomy, fuel-efficient, with tastefully restrained, period use tail fins and chrome. A second automatic transmission, Turboglide, was optional. While the original two-speed Powerglide continued unchanged, Turboglide provided a continuously variable gear ratio which made "shifting" imperceptible. The shift quadrant on Turboglide cars followed a "P R N D Lr" pattern.

From 1955 to 1957, production of the two-door Nomad station wagon was assigned to the Bel Air series, although its body and trim were unique to that model. Prior to becoming a regular production model, the Nomad first appeared as a Corvette-based concept vehicle in 1954. Chevrolet has since unveiled two concept cars bearing the Nomad name, most recently in 1999. The 1955–1957 Chevrolets are commonly referred to as TriFives.

The 1955-1957s were made in right-hand drive and shipped from Oshawa, Canada, for local assembly in Australia (CKD), New Zealand (SKD) and South Africa. All three model years had a reversed version of the '55 LHD dashboard and did not get the LHD models' 1957 redesign.

Fire Truck Of The Day: April 17, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Matchbox's 2000 Ford F-350 mini pumper.

The Ford Super Duty is a line of trucks (over 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) GVWR) introduced in 1998 for the 1999 model year. The F-250 to F-550 Super Duties are assembled at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. The F-650 and F-750 Super Duties are assembled at the Blue Diamond Truck plant in Mexico.

The Super Duty trucks are larger, heavier built series pickup trucks with heavier-duty body-on-frame steel ladder frames, axles, springs, brakes, transmissions, more powerful engines, and all other heavier/bigger components (with much higher payload and towing capacities) than the older traditional equivalent F-250, F-250HD (Heavy Duty), and F-350 Ford truck lines. The two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive model frames are the same in the F-250 and F-350 series, making conversion from a two-wheel-drive model to a four-wheel-drive model less difficult than in other truck models. F-350 chassis cab, F-450 and F-550 frames are the same between the two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models, and use the same suspension.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Ford Super Duty

For the 1999 model year, Ford shifted the F-250 and F-350 truck lines to a design mechanically and cosmetically distinct from that of the F-150. The F-350 was not available for 1998, while the F-250 was available that year with the F-150's body. By using two separate but related platforms for F-Series trucks, the inevitable compromises inherent in offering a wide range of load-carrying capacities were avoided. The main competition, General Motors, followed suit for the 2001 model year, when the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD were introduced.

These trucks were styled distinctly different for the first time from the smaller F-150 half-ton pickups. They did not share components with the F-150 platform at all (except V-8 gas engines, interior components, and cargo bed on earlier generations), even though it was still considered an F-series truck. The front was more boldly angular with a raised hood. Somewhat similar to the Dodge Ram, but Ford has a history of a raised hood in the middle. The Ford'd fenders are also upright and not sloping, while the dodge's slopes down following the center hood. As an industry first, 2 large complete ring-style front tow hooks were included. The side windows went lower forward in the door like a commercial medium to heavy duty truck (similar to a Kenworth "Daylight Door"), and the grille was also narrower and taller as if from a larger truck, and in 2001, optional manual telescoping Trailer Tow (TT) mirrors became available.

There were three cab options: Standard (2–3 passengers) with two doors, SuperCab (5–6 passengers) with 2 reverse-opening small rear doors (4 doors), and the crew cab with 4 full doors and seats for 5–6 people. The Super and Crew cabs came with 6+3⁄4-foot (2.1 m) and 8-foot (2.4 m) full-size bed options, but the Standard cab was only available with the 8-foot bed. The F-250 Super Duty would also be the base platform for the short-lived Ford Excursion which was the only passenger SUV larger than the Chevrolet Suburban and its twin, the GMC Yukon XL.

The Ford F-350 Super Duty first generation was also assembled in Venezuela as a commercial small truck from 1999 to 2010. For this market the F-350 featured the 5.4L V8 Triton engine with a 5-speed manual transmission with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4.

The Ford Super Duty trucks are built in Brazil since 2003. Brazilian trucks were widely exported to Australia (F-250), South Africa and Argentina (where they were sold as the F-100).

Car Of The Day: April 16, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Maisto's 2000 Volkswagen Jetta.

The Volkswagen Jetta is a compact car, produced by German automaker Volkswagen Group for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars marque since 1979. Positioned to fill a saloon/sedan niche above the firm's Golf hatchback offering, it has been marketed over six generations variously as the Atlantic, Fox, Vento, Bora, City Jetta, Jetta City, GLI, Jetta, and Sagitar The Jetta was originally adapted by adding a conventional trunk to the Golf hatchback, and some distinctive styling (usually the front end, and sometimes slight interior changes). It has been offered in two- and four-door saloon (sedan), and five-door estate (station wagon) versions - all as five-seaters. As of 2005, over 6.6 million cars have been sold worldwide, over one-third in the United States alone. Since the original version in 1980, the car has grown in size and power with each successive generation.  By mid 2011, almost 10 million Jettas have been produced and sold all over the world.

The Jetta nameplate is a reference to the Atlantic 'jet stream', reflecting the period in Volkswagen's history when it named its vehicles after prominent winds. These also included the Volkswagen Passat (after the German word for trade wind), Volkswagen Bora (after bora), and Volkswagen Scirocco (after sirocco).

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Volkswagen Jetta

Production of the fourth generation car began in July 1999. Carrying on the wind nomenclature, the car was known as the Volkswagen Bora in much of the world. Bora is a winter wind which blows intermittently over the coast of the Adriatic Sea, as well as in parts of Greece, Russia, Turkey, and in the Sliven region of Bulgaria. In North America and South Africa, the Jetta moniker was again kept on due to the continued popularity of the car in those markets.

The Mk4 debuted shortly after its larger sibling, the Passat, with which it shared many styling cues. The rounded shape and arched roofline served as the new Volkswagen styling trademark, abandoning traditional sharp creases for more curved corners. A distinguishing feature of the Mk4 is its Whiptenna, a trademark for the antenna on the rear end of the roof, which claims to incur less drag than traditional antennas due to its short length and leeward position. For the first time, the rear passenger doors differed from those of a 5-door Golf. The car was also offered as an estate/wagon (whose rear doors are also non-interchangeable with the others). New on this generation were some advanced options such as rain sensor controlled windshield wipers and automatic climate control. However, being a Volkswagen, these were expensive extras and many buyers did not specify them on their cars; as a result the used market is full of sparsely equipped models.

Although slightly shorter overall than the Mark 3, the fourth generation saw the wheelbase extended slightly. Some powertrain options were carried over. Nevertheless, two new internal combustion engines were offered, the 1.8-litre turbo 4-cylinder (often referred to as the 1.8 20vT), and the VR5 (a 5-cylinder derivative of the VR6 engine). The suspension setup remained much as before. However, it was softened considerably in most models to give a comfortable ride, which was met with some criticism as it was still quite hard in comparison with rivals such from French makers.

Truck of the Day : April 15, 2012

The truck for today is the Matchbox Holden 'Ruff' Trek.





Wikipeida.com
General Motors-Holden's Ltd, becoming Holden Ltd in 1998, with the current name adopted in 2005.

Holden has taken charge of GM's vehicle operations in Australasia, and on their behalf, held partial ownership of GM Daewoo in South Korea between 2002 and 2009. Holden has offered a broad range of locally produced vehicles, supplemented by imported GM models. Holden has offered badge engineered Chevrolet, Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota, and Vauxhall Motors models in sharing arrangements, with GM Korea, Opel and Isuzu-sourced models sold currently. Holden is also responsible for the distribution of the Opel brand in Australasia.
All Australian-built Holden vehicles are manufactured at Elizabeth in South Australia, and engines are produced at the Fishermans Bend plant in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Historically, production or assembly plants were operated in all mainland states of Australia, with GM's New Zealand subsidiary Holden New Zealand operating a plant until 1990. The consolidation of car production at Elizabeth was completed in 1988, but some assembly operations continued at Dandenong until 1996.







After MB was bought out in the early 80s, many of the Lesney castings were modified to be more 'exciting' in appearence. Thus we have a Holden Pick Up customized to be an off road racer. This was a recent purchase from pjedsel. Thanks

Car of the Day : April 14, 2012

The 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera by Racing Champions is the car for today.




Wikipedia.com
The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with entry-level Cadillac and, after 1940, senior Oldsmobiles. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster was Buick's top of the line model. Buick again applied the Roadmaster name to its full-size rear-wheel drive models between 1991 and 1996.







Wikipedia.com
The Riviera name first entered the Buick line in 1949 as the designation for the new two-door pillarless hardtop, which was described in advertising as "stunningly smart." The Buick Roadmaster Riviera coupe (along with the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and Oldsmobile 98 Holiday coupe) constituted the first mass production use of this body style, which was to become extremely popular over the next 30 years. Buick would add a 2-door Riviera hardtop to the Super the following year, the Special in 1951 and the Century upon its return, after a 12 year absence, in 1954.




Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Riviera to learn more.







I'm out of adjectives this week. The pics are plenty for this Buick

Car of the Day : April 13, 2012

Imperial Toys' 1950 Ford Convertible is the car for today.




Wikipedia.com
After sticking with its well-received previous model through model year 1948, Ford completely redesigned its namesake car for 1949. Save for its drivetrain, this was an all-new car in every way, with a modern ladder frame now supporting a coil spring suspension in front and longitudinal semi-elliptical springs in back. The engine was moved forward to make more room in the passenger compartment and the antiquated torque tube was replaced by a modern drive shaft. Ford's popular 226 CID (3.7 L) L-head straight-6 and 239 CID (3.9 L) Flathead V8 remained, now rated at 90 hp (67 kW) and 100 hp (75 kW), respectively.










In many ways, the '49-'51 Fords ushered in the modern American car. Gone were the large bulging pre-war fenders and in place was sheet metal that flowed with the rest of the body. The basic norm for the frame/suspension set up would be followed for decades by companies in Detroit as the '50 Ford featured a ladder frame, coil springs up front and leaf springs in the back.

Imperial Toys sold this toy under the Buddy L name in the early 2000s. Features include painted silver trim, 'chrome' bumpers and a windshield that is cast as part of the body.

Car of the Day : April 12, 2012

Today's car is the 1969 Dodge Charger by Yatming.




Wikipedia.com
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate. The name is generally associated with a performance model in the Dodge range; however, it has also adorned subcompact hatchbacks, full-sized sedans, and personal luxury coupes.




AllPar.com
For 1969, Dodge refined Charger, using a new grille and tail light treatment to bolster the sporty image. New vinyl roof treatments and exterior colors were optional, to appeal to the youthful driver. Engineering innovations ranged from manual tilt seat adjusters and easier rear door lock buttons to improved brake adjusters and headlights on warning buzzer.

A new optional Special Edition decor group for Charger and Charger R/T models was added. It featured leather bucket seats, wood-grain steering wheel, and wood grain inserts on the instrument panel. These cars are identified by SE name plates on the roof pillars. The Special Edition package also included bright trimmed pedals, deep dish wheel covers, and a light group including time delay ignition light and hooa mounted turn signal indicators.

Dodge also had a Charger for the Scat Pack. The Charger 500 was designed for the performance-minded driver; the rear window was slanted more, to be flush with the trailing edge of the rear window pillars; the grille was flush mounted instead of recessed, to improve airflow; and headlights were fixed, not concealed. The 500 was powered by the 426 cubic inch Hemi engine. It was built to meet a NASCAR requirement to allow Chargers to race on the stock car circuit; flush mounting provided a tremendous aerodynamic advantage which was to culminate in the Charger Daytona.

An even wider array of vinyl top choices were optional, adding tan, green, black, and white. The standard engine was the 318 cubic inch V8, but buyers could drop down to the slant six; only 500 did. Two optional 383s were sold, with two and four barrel carburetors. In the Charger R/T, which accounted for 21 percent of 1968 Charger sales, the 440 C.I.D. Magnum, 375 H.P. power plant was standard and the 426 C.I.D., 425 H.P. Hemi was optional.







Yatming offered their Charger casting in numerous paint schemes. Turquoise and dark blue may not look great on the 1/1 but work for this small scale example. Highlights include opening doors, metal body plus diecast silver base. Thanks Pegers for this cool Yat.

Car of the Day : April 12, 2012

Johnny Lighting's 1957 Lincoln Premier is the car for today.




Wikipedia.com
The Lincoln Premiere is a luxury car sold by Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury division. It was produced in both 2 and 4 door versions both seating 6 people. The Premiere was sold in the 1956[1] to 1960 model years, inclusive, and was positioned below the company's Continental during 1956-1960 and above the Capri from 1956-1959.




How Stuff Works
The 1957 Premier was a mildly restyled version of the award-winning 1956 model and featured more prominent fins and quad headlights. In addition to a standard 300 horsepower V-8 engine, all Lincoln Premiers were equipped wîth power seats, power §teering, power brakes, and electric windows.

The 1957 Lincoln was an updated version of the all-new 1956 model, which itself was inspired by Ford's 1955 Futura show car.

For 1957, Lincoln sprouted blade-like rear fins and a novel Quadra-like headlamp system that featured regular lights plus smaller 'road' lights operated via a separate switch. The Quadra-Like system was Lincoln's response to several state legislatures which were threatening in 1956 to block the industry-wide adoption of quad headlamp systems.

The 1957 Lincoln Premiere featured a 368 cubic-inch, 300 horsepower V8. Standard safety features included a new padded dash, 'deep-dish' steering wheel and reinforced door latches. Safety belts were optional.







With a 126" Wheelbase and weight approaching 4,900 pounds depending on the model, the Premiere was an American tank and proud of it. JL debuted this casting in 2000 and it has held up generally well. The pink base and white colored top strike an elegant expression.

Car of the Day : April 10, 2012

Today's car is the 1999 BMW 328i by Matchbox.




The BMW E36 is the third generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW. Development began in July 1981, with design being approved in the late '80s. It was introduced in late 1990 (as a 1991 model) for Europe and in April 1991 (as a 1992 model) for US and Canada. It was the successor to the E30 3 Series and was eventually replaced by the E46 3 Series in 1998, though E36 coupes were still produced for the 1999 model year. The E36 experienced enormous success in the market. It laid strong foundations for the success that the BMW E46 enjoyed in subsequent years.




Also known as the "dolphin shape", the E36 was sold from 1991 through 1999. All E36 saloons, coupes, and estates employed the "Z-axle" multilink suspension in the rear which had been proven in the Z1. The hatchback body style, known as the E36/5 or BMW Compact, was identical to the regular E36 from front bumper to A-pillar. In order to save space due to its truncated rear end, the Compact used a rear semi-trailing arm suspension based on the older E30 (also found in the Z3 and M Coupe), instead of the Z-Axle Multilink employed in all other E36's.

In the United States, the four-door E36 were on sale by April 1991, while the E30 coupes were retained until well into 1992 when they were replaced by E36 coupes. The E36 convertible was delayed until 1994.

The hatchback body style, known as the BMW Compact, was introduced in 1995 starting with the 318ti, being very popular in Europe but largely unsuccessful in North America. The "Touring" estate was sold in Europe from 1995, but was not available in the United States.
DOHC engines were used across the range (except in entry level models, see table below), with VANOS variable valve timing introduced in 1993. The 2.5 L M50B25 used in the 325i models was replaced in 1996 with the 2.8 L M52B28, creating the 328 line. Another 2.5 L I6 engine, the M52B25, was reintroduced for 1998 but badged as the 323i rather than 325i.




For further info, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_(E36) to learn more.




Yet another recent purchase from pjedsel . . . This is one BMW model I looked for quite some time. My dad owns a '98 328i that we took on vacation in 2012 to Wyoming/Montana and back. I drove the entire 3,400 mile trip in 8 days and the car ran like a champ. At times we averaged up to 31 mpg and for the whole trip got 27.The MB model is replicated in 1/59 scale and look pretty spot on.





On vacation in 2010 at the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.