FossilCars Blog

The People’s Car

fossilcars, classic cars and muscle cars — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:17:15 +0000

Picture a warm summer day, the sun shining bright, with a perfect light breeze to keep the sandy beach just cool enough to walk on. As you take in the waves lapping at your toes, which wiggle happily in the shallow water, you turn to see your closest friends unloading their surf boards and a cooler. It’s the summer sometime in the 1960s, and you couldn’t be happier to be on a tour of the West Coast in your Voltswagen Beetle.

This particular vintage car is often associated with days gone by, where peace and love reigned free. It was the time of Woodstock, the Beatles, and an impressive focus on just having fun. Perhaps what made these vehicles so unique was their easily distinguishable design. Of course, they did lack in power or speed in comparison to many vehicles of their day, but who can deny the fun? The 1967 Votswagen Beetle was significantly upgraded from the previous year’s model, but still had only a 54 horsepower rating, up 4 from the 1966 model. The braking system, rear axle, and flywheel all enjoyed a few changes as well. The vehicle had a four-speed manual transmission and weighed in at slightly under a ton, at 1,900 pounds.

Sometimes, we don’t always realize how good we have it. The 1967 model finally came with new standard equipment, such as widescreen wipers, an armrest on the driver’s side door, reverse lights, lock buttons on the doors, and even an exterior mirror on the passenger side. Today, of course, the very thought of not having those items is nearly unimaginable.

For vintage car lovers, though, often it’s the memories that make the cars so special, rather than speed or power on the roads. What better car to hold a piece of the past than the iconic Volkswagen Beetle?

Like what you see? Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Youtube. Don’t forget to find information or look for your favorite car on our website!

Visit the Peterson

fossilcars, classic cars and muscle cars — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:00:52 +0000

If you are a true classic car fan you want to do more than just talk about old cars– you want to take them on the road and drive them. When you are a collector car enthusiast getting behind the wheel of one of your classics and going on a road trip is a lot of fun, especially when your destination involves indulging your passion in vintage automobiles and trucks.

With the above in mind, if you want to have the automotive experience of a lifetime you should consider making the trek to Los Angeles to visit the Peterson Automotive Museum.

This shrine to the automobile was created by Margie and Robert E. Petersen back in 1994 and it has gotten bigger and better with each passing year. The space encompasses a sprawling 3000 square feet and there are over 150 hard to find, vintage motor vehicles on display at any given time.

Current exhibitions being offered at the Peterson Automotive Museum include an examination of scooters, a look at super cars, the automobile as it relates to Southern California, cars of film and television, alternative powered cars, and the Hot Wheels Hall of Fame.

The Peterson Automotive Museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday and the hours of operation are 10 am to 6 pm. They make it very affordable for classic car fans with admission prices of just $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students, and $3 for children. The museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.

Without question a visit to the Peterson Automotive Museum is something special if you are a collector car aficionado. For more information you can visit their website or give them a call at (323) 930-2277.

Like what you see? Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Youtube. Don’t forget to find information or look for your favorite car on our website!

A Look at the Ford Model T

fossilcars, classic cars and muscle cars — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:00:46 +0000

Henry Ford has gone down in history as one of the most influential industrialists the United States has ever known. Ford was born on July 30 of 1863 on a farm that was located right outside of Detroit, Michigan. Of course, Detroit went on to become the cradle of American auto making, and Henry Ford had a lot to do with that.

Among other things Ford is credited with taking the step that brought automobile ownership within reach of ordinary Americans. The first vehicle that he was able to offer to the auto buying public at an affordable price was the Ford Model T, which first came out in 1908.

Previous to this, cars were made by hand and of course that was time-consuming and labor intensive and it drove the prices of motor vehicles up and out of the reach of “everyman.” The Model T was mass-produced on an assembly line and this was an innovation that changed the face of the automobile manufacturing industry.

The first 1908 Model T Fords were powered by a 177 cubic inch inline four-cylinder engine that was capable of putting out 20 hp. The Model T could reach speeds approaching 45 miles per hour and it got somewhere between 13 and 21 miles on a gallon of fuel. In addition to being able to run on petrol these cars could also run on kerosene or ethanol.

The Ford Model T was without question an absolute game changer. It remained in production through 1927 and over 15 million of them were produced. In a very real sense, the Ford Model T is the Babe Ruth of classic American cars.

Like what you see? Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Youtube. Don’t forget to find information or look for your favorite car on our website!

The Yenko Camaro

fossilcars, classic cars and muscle cars — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:00:18 +0000

The Camaro has long been associated with speed, power, and respect on the road, however, there was a time when it simply could not compete with the Ford Mustang and Plymouth Barracuda. At the time that the Camaro was first produced, General Motors had a limit which prevented using an engine larger than a 400 cubic inch V8, much unlike its competition, which had no such restriction.Things changed under Don Yenko, who understood that there was a market for more powerful cars, and so began the story of the Yenko Camero, a modified version of the famous car line, produced under Yenko Chevrolet.

In 1967, after Yenko ordered SS Camaros, which were L-87 equipped, he swapped in the Chevy Corvette’s L-72 427 cubic inch V8 engine. This allowed for a 423 horsepower rating. It is rumored that just one 1968 Camaro actually ”came from the factory…with a 427 cubic inch engine,” which, if true, means it is one of the most valuable cars in existence.

Produced from 1967-1969, the Yenko Camaro was assembled in Van Nuys, California and Norwood, Ohio and was available as a 2-door coupe and a 2-door convertible. It was given three different transmission types: a 4-speed manual, a 2-speed automatic, and a 3-speed automatic. Only a few hundred of the cars were produced, and most featured the 4-speed transmission. Only 2 known automatic transmission 1969 Yenko Camaros existed as of fall, 2008.

The Yenko Camaros have grown in price significantly, some going for well over $2.2 million at Barrett-Jackson auctions. Given their huge value and place in history as a great muscle car, a new Yenko Camaro was introduced in 2010, featuring a new supercharged version of the LS3 engine, which is a standard feature in the Camaro SS.

Like what you see? Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Youtube. Don’t forget to find information or look for your favorite car on our website!

Looking For A Car Show?

fossilcars, classic cars and muscle cars — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:47:34 +0000

It’s time to mark your calendar! For those of you who like to plan ahead, flip to the end of February. One of the largest car shows and auto auctions in the United States will occur from February 24-26. As you can imagine, that is quite a limited amount of time to see everything, so don’t put it off! The self-proclaimed largest classic car show and auction on the East Coast, the Atlantic City Classic Car Show and Auction will take place as always at the Atlantic City Convention Center in-you guessed it- Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This year, the folks in charge are expecting an impressive turn-out of over 60,000 enthusiasts and collectors, who will be able to “browse, buy, and admire” the collection. Over 1000 cars will be available for sale, and they will all be in one convenient location! As if that weren’t enough reason to go, Piece of the Past, Inc. will offer authentic historical and entertainment memorabilia before the autos begin each day. Looking for something to drive home? You could have a chance to win a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible Indy Pace Car. The car will be raffled off, and only 2,000 tickets will be available for sale- those are pretty good odds! Tickets are $100 each. The drawing is scheduled to be held on February 25 at the car show.

For those wishing to attend the festivities, the event schedule can be found on the website, along with more information on the acutions and raffles, nearby hotels, and even a floorplan of the event. For general admission tickets, the cost is $20 for adults and $5 for children under 12 years of age.

Like what you see? Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Youtube. Don’t forget to find information or look for your favorite car on our website!

Chevy’s 10 Favorites

fossilcars, classic cars and muscle cars — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:20:15 +0000

The actual date of the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet may have come and gone, but the folks at Chevy are still looking back on a century of success. Recently, they put together a list of their top 10 trucks of all time. Though they may not be classic cars, the truck has certainly shaped our culture in a way that brilliantly compliments the muscle cars and classic cars that have forged some of America’s most precious memories.

Drum roll please?? Without further adieu, here is a list of the Top 10 Trucks of All Time as related by Chevrolet:

1920 Chevrolet 490 Flat Face Cowl and Chassis (pictured: top, left)

Over 150,000 of the first trucks from Chevrolet were produced, but they didn’t quite look like the trucks we think of these days, it reminds some more of a mini-van.

1925 Chevrolet Panel Truck in Brazil

1937 half-ton pickup (pictured: middle, right)

The 6-cylinder engine on this one gave it 76 horsepower. It couldn’t haul much, but this was only the beginning.

1948-Half-Ton Pickup

1955 Chevrolet Cameo Pickup

1959 Chevrolet El Camino

1967 C-10 Pickup with custom trim

1973 Chevrolet Suburban

1999 Silverado (pictured: bottom, left)

These trucks were a far cry from their earlier counterparts, with the V-6 producing around 200 horsepower. A V-8 option was also available.

What do you think? Did Chevrolet make good picks? What trucks would you pick as being in the top 10?

Like what you see? Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Youtube. Don’t forget to find information or look for your favorite car on our website!