Hotrod Road Show

Watch The Car Room LIVE! Saturday night, 7:00pm ET on: The Car Room TV
By Jeff Glasson • January 21, 2010

Collectors now have an additional online resource for die-cast model information with the launch of the all new Car Room Magazine website. The site’s initial set of features offer information by scale and brand, a photo gallery, die-cast oriented videos and the ability to subscribe to the print version of magazine.
The site has launched with content that can be found in previous issues of the print magazine. Moving forward, collectors can expect to see a great deal of new information that goes beyond the printed page. In addition, a good deal of exciting new functionality is already in the works, and will be rolled out during the first half of the year.
This new site along with some “yet to be announced” surprises are just a part of what is looking to be a banner year for The Car Room Magazine.

The great folks at Old Cars Weekly have done it again. Take a look at this 1969 AMC SC Rambler/28

When AMC trotted out its new products at the Chicago Auto Show in March 1969, one of the most eye-catching vehicles was a small hardtop with a patriotic color scheme and a massive scoop dominating the front portion of its hoods. This AMC Hurst SC/Rambler represented one of the company’s most unique models and the swan song for the Rambler American compact car.

Every muscle car lover knows the name of Hurst Performance Products. So, in 1969, American Motors hooked up with the Pennsylvania performance parts company to surprise everyone with the SC/Rambler (or “Scrambler” as some folks call it). Hurst actually thought up the idea and AMC bought it.

Based on the two-door Rogue hardtop coupe, the SC/Rambler stressed the big-engine-in-little-car format to the max. Below the hood went a 390-cid 325-hp V-8 linked to a Borg Warner four-speed manual gearbox with a Hurst shifter. A 3.54:1 rear axle with Twin-Grip differential was included, too. With a curb weight of about 3,000 lbs., the hot little car had a power-to-weight ratio of 10.03 lbs. per horsepower. This made it eligible for drag racing in the National Hot Rod Association’s F-stock class.

The AMC factory estimated low 14-second quarter-miles at 98 mph. Road Test magazine clocked 14.4 at 100.44 mph and managed to hit 109 mph without topping out. Modified SC/Ramblers have run the quarter-mile in the 9-second bracket.

In addition to the power team, the SC/Rambler included a long list of extra-cost goodies like a big hood scoop for Ram-Air induction, fat dual exhaust pipes, a column-mounted Sun tachometer and Bendix front disc brakes. Blue-finished five-spoke mag-style wheels, 14 x 6-inch rims, wheel trim rings and fat red-striped Goodyear tires were also standard. The SC/Rambler interior was done in plain-looking gray vinyl, but it had red-white-and-blue headrests. This color scheme was carried onto the body, in several variations. Full carpeting was another selling feature.

The first 500 cars built had red center body side panels and thick blue horizontal racing stripes on the hood, roof and deck. A blue arrow pointed towards the scoop, which had large letters spelling the word “AIR” and calling out the engine size. This was the “A” type graphic treatment.

When the cars sold quickly, another batch was made with new “B” type trim. These had a mostly white exterior with narrow red and blue stripes. Then, a third batch of cars was made, reverting to the type “A” trim, but lacking all of the elements. The A-finished cars seem to be the more common of the 1,512 SC/Ramblers built.

The SC Ramblers created certainly livened up showrooms, but not all dealers carried them. They certainly appealed to street racers, and a big block with 315 horses stuffed into a small car was a formidable machine on the street or strip, and that’s where many of the cars wound up. A registry of some of the surviving cars exists and can be found online here.

ENGINE

BASE V-8: Overhead valves. Cast-iron block. Displacement: 390 cid. Bore and stroke: 4.17 x 3.57 inches. Compression ratio: 10.2:1. Advertised hp: 315 at 4600 rpm. Advertised torque: 425 at 3200 rpm. Recommended idle speed: 650 rpm. Five main bearings. Forged crank and rods. Forged crank and rods. Hydraulic valve lifters (non-adjustable). Carburetor: Carter AFB four-barrel. Exhaust system: duals standard on all models with 390 engine.

OPTIONS

Automatic transmission. Heavy-duty 70-amp battery ($8). Heavy-duty battery and 55-amp generator ($26). Heavy-duty cooling system ($53). Positive traction rear axle ($42). Available rear axle gear ratios ($5). Power steering ($90). Front and rear bumper guards ($25). Tinted glass, all windows ($32), windshield only ($23). Push-button radio and antenna ($61). Undercoating and underhood insulation pad ($21). Electric windshield wipers, required in V-8 Ramblers ($15). Code 56-4 Appearance group with sill moldings and wheel discs ($39). Code 70-1 Handling package with heavy-duty sway bar, shocks and springs ($17). Light group, includes door switches, trunk, courtesy, glovebox and other lamps ($23). Visibility Group with outside rearview remote control mirror, electric window/washer etc. ($29). (NOTE: Some options may have been standard in the SC/Rambler.)

COLLECTIBILITY

When you talk muscle cars, an AMC product probably does not come racing to the front of the mind. That’s been a problem for AMC as far as fair
market value is concerned, as the Big Three’s Chevelle SS, Boss 429 and Superbird reign supreme in the performance world, leaving AMC in the dust.
Even within AMC’s performance menu, the Javelin and AMX top the list, but this is a slight to the maker’s other potent performance cars such as the
Hurst Edition 1969 SC/Rambler. This model has all the muscle goodies, a compact body with a big-block 390-cid V-8 stuffed in, Hurst-shifted
syncromesh four-speed, Twin-Grip differential and patriotic red, white and blue finish.

All that, and a No. 1 condition example can still be had for mid five figures. A muscle devotee looking for a fun machine with lots of investment potential can’t miss with a SC/Rambler.

COLLECTOR VALUES

1969 AMC SC Rambler
No. 1 condition: $38,900
No. 2: $27,230
No. 3: $17,510
No. 4: $7,780

The great folks at Old Cars Weekly have done it again. Take a look at this 1969 Camaro Z/28

Car Life had a problem in 1969. The magazine wanted to do a test of all “Trans Am” versions of pony cars that carmakers were rushing to develop. The idea was that producing a certain number of copies would “legalize” the cars for the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-American racing series. To qualify for that formula, pony cars had to have under-5.0-litre engines.
Chevy (302), Ford (302), AMC (290) and Pontiac (proposed 303) were working on their Z/28, Boss 302, Trans Am Javelin/AMX and Trans Am (without a hyphen) models. Chevy told Car Life it would supply a Z/28. Ford said it would supply a Boss 302 “when it was ready.” AMC turned them down. Pontiac hadn’t even started developing its 303 — and really never did, except for prototypes. So Car Life got only the Z/28.

The Camaro Z/28 was cool, but not quite stock. It had a special intake with two 600-cfm four-barrel Holleys replacing the factory’s single 850-cfm Holley. It also had rear wheel disc brakes. Sometimes you just can’t win, but the editors had lots of fun losing.

Almost every Camaro book and Web site uses the performance figures that Car Life got in that road test, which recorded a 7.4-second 0-to-60 time and a 15.12-second quarter-mile at 94.8 mph, as well as a top speed of 133 mph. Strangely enough, as was pointed out in the same road test, Car Life’s earlier test of a stock, single-carb ’68 Camaro Z/28 produced a quicker 14.85 second quarter mile at 101.4 mph. “An E.T. of 15.12 sec. isn’t slow,” said the magazine. “But it’s not the direction the performance fan planned on going when he bought those two carburetors.”

Whichever numbers you use, the Camaro Z/28 was fast, especially for a small-block car. But its main attraction was that it was a racing car that was perfectly happy being street driven, as opposed to some higher-strung muscle machines that bog down and stall at every light. The Z/28 combined excellent handling with a powerful and responsive small-block V-8 and was a blast to drive anywhere. With its special deep-tone mufflers, it also made great noise.

“Boy, there are kids out there with money and when they hear how Mark Donahue cleans up in Trans Am racing with a Z/28, they’ve just got to have one for themselves,” said then-GM president Pete Estes. “In ‘69, we pan to sell 27,000. Can you imagine, 27,000?” Estes’ guess turned out to be a little high, but his opinion of the Z/28 was spot on. It was simply a great muscle car.

Inside, the ’69 Camaro had new high-back bucket seats that were very comfortable. That was not the case with the tiny back seat. A two-spoke steering wheel was fitted. A padded dash had its various elements arranged in squares and rectangles, though the main gauges were circular dials set into squares. The gearshift for the four-speed protruded from a square in a mini console that also housed engine-monitoring gauges in trapezoid-shaped protrusions.

Not all 1969 Z/28s are exactly the same. On October 18, 1968, bright engine accents and Z/28 emblems for the grille, front fenders and rear panel were added. Rally wheels were no longer specified, but wheel trim rings were. The price at this time was $458. On January 2, 1969, a tach or special instrumentation was made mandatory and the price rose to $474. On April 1 the specs were changed to read “dual exhausts” and wheel center caps were specified, along with a front valance panel and rear spoiler. The price increased to $507. The ’69 had an extended model year and on September 18, 1969, the package was revised again, with the price going to $522. Bright exhaust tips were added. The final changes came November 3, 1969, and were minor. For the model year, 20,302 Camaro Z/28s were made.

Note: Price is computed with least-expensive mandatory options early in model year.

COLLECTIBILITY
While the 1969 Chevy Camaro remains a consistent attraction to bidders when crossing the auction block, there is a definite pecking order for those bidders to keep raising their hand as the price escalates. Certainly, the Z/28-badged Camaros that are documented and in fine to excellent condition will rate mid-five figures as a rule. To break through to the next or premium levels of value, that same fine-to-excellent Z/28 will need to be equipped with the performance options that make it snort, such as the JL8 Cross Ram Induction package. These documented muscle cars with the rare performance options command six figures, although that market has cooled about 10-15 percent as of late.

COLLECTOR VALUES

1969 Camaro Z/28
No. 1 condition: $69,000
No. 2: $48,300
No. 3: $31,050
No. 4: $13,800

These are clips from a video produced by CHANNEL KBOB when a T-Bucket Rally was held in Mountain Home, Arkansas in 2005. Also included is an interview with Norm Grabowski, the hot rod builder who created the very first Kookie Car which was seen the TV show 77 Sunset Strip. The car was featured on the cover of the October, 1955 issue of Hot Rod Magazine and later in the April 29, 1957 issue of Life Magazine. Norm is a fellow Arkansan now, after retiring from Hollywood, where he appeared in many movies and television shows, including Roustabout, Girl Happy, and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

7/23/2009
Custom cars and hot rods showcased this weekend at Thomas Park
By GARY DEMUTH
Salina Journal

This weekend, Paul Kruse is looking forward to catching up with some hot rod buddies.

The Gypsum resident is a custom car collector who keeps in touch with other collectors and fans nationwide, mostly through the Internet.

But for the past five summers, he’s been attending a reunion of sorts at Thomas Park in north Salina.

Beginning Friday, nearly 800 hot rods, custom cars and drag racers will invade the park as part of Kustom Kemps of America’s 29th annual Leadsled Spectacular Custom Car Show.

“It’s a way I can find like-minded car collectors like myself,” Kruse said.

The show will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the park.

On display will be 1950s and ’60s-era racers, chopped and channeled coupes, Ford roadsters, finned Cadillacs, jalopies, leadsleds and show rods from Kansas, New York, Texas, Ohio, Missouri, Arizona, Iowa and California.

Kruse will include two of his own classic cars at the show — a 1975 Chevy and a 1931 Ford.

“I’ve been coming here five years, and it gets bigger every year,” Kruse said.

800 cars? That’s nothing

Eight hundred cars is nothing to event organizer Jerry Titus. He doesn’t see any reason there can’t be 1,000 cars at Thomas Park next year.

“There’s wonderful people running the parks here, and we’re gaining more space here for cars,” said Titus, who lives in Cassville, Mo., home base of the car show.

Titus, 69, is a Wichita native who has been organizing and producing custom car shows since 1958, many of them with legendary custom car show producer Darryl Starbird.

He’s been president of the sponsoring organization, Kustom Kemps of America, since its inception in 1980. Kustom Kemps is a national association of custom car owners and aficionados with more than 15,000 members, Titus said.

Worldwide recognition

The Kustom Kemp Leadsled Spectacular, he said, is recognized as the oldest traditional custom car show in the world.

“Its reputation is such that it attracts people from all over the world,” he said. “People plan their vacations around it.”

Kustom Kemps produces five car shows a year in California, Texas, Maryland, Missouri and Kansas. Titus said the Salina show is probably the best of them all.

“We have a great working relationship with the city of Salina,” he said. “You can’t beat the people here. They’re the nicest people in the world, and they treat the car guys with open arms. That’s why we’ll stay here as long as we can.”

Titus said the car show definitely has a 1950s feel, an inspiration being the classic George Lucas movie “American Graffiti,” which showcased the custom car and hot rod culture of California in the early 1960s. Several of the stars of the 1973 classic have been part of the Kustom Kemp show, including Paul LeMat and Candy Clark.

This year’s special guest will be 1970s television star Joyce DeWitt, who played Janet in the popular sitcom “Three’s Company.” Also featured will be rock ‘n’ roll legend Charlie Gracie, a regular on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” in the 1950s who sold 3 million copies of a song called “Butterfly,” a future signature song of crooner Andy Williams, Titus said.

The weekend begins with one of the most popular events of the show — hot rod drag races from 6 p.m. to dusk at the East Crawford Recreational Area. Cost is $5 for a car or truckload.

“The drag races have always been a popular family event,” Kruse said. “There’s really some beautiful cars out there.”

Meet and greet

Custom car fans will have a chance to meet and greet famous customizers, including George Barris, John D’Agostino and Darryl Starbird himself. Also featured will be Bill Hines and Brad Masterson of the Discovery Network program “Monster Garage,” who will chop a car.

Weekend music entertainment includes a “Men in Black” tribute, featuring Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison imitators, Brian & the Rockabilly Trio and disc jockey KOTO (King of the Oldies).

For Titus, producing custom car shows for 50 years has been a dream career.

“I’ve made a career out of what I used to do as a teenager,” he said. “I used to drag Douglas (street) in Wichita. The guy with the coolest car got the best chicks. Luckily for me I married my high school sweetheart.”

nReporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 822-1405 or by e-mail at gdemuth@salina.com.