Car Sangarz

Found on the Jalopy Journal http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=11755

http://host.newspin360.net/hookedonvettes just click it, let it load for a couple seconds, and then point your cursor where you'd like to see. Amazing

It's the private museum of Micheal Brown, Corvette obsessed guy, and he is a video producer / director of filming Corvette collections ... and this cool looking movie about the Corvette that went to LeMans

found on http://corvettebrasil.blogspot.com/2011/04/rivieravette.html

found on http://corvettebrasil.blogspot.com/2011/04/test-driver-de-zora-arkus-duntov.html

But as Paul Harvey told us, you haven't heard the rest of the story!

Betty was fascinated with flying since childhood, and strove with incredible focus to be a pilot since age 12, getting her Civilian Air Authority private pilots license at age 16. In the next two years she was certified single and multi engine, land and sea, and at 18 got her Commercial Pilots License and in the next year was an instructor and the year after that, at age 20 was a major in the Civil Air Patrol and began her professional acrobatic career, also as a test pilot, and flew blimps, gliders, jets, and helicopters.

In '48, 49 and '50 she was the US Female aerobatic champion, and retired because there was no longer any challenge and she was exhausted from the constant touring, her plane "Li'l Stinker" is now part of the Smithsonian.

She set the high altitude record in 1950, and the speed record in a racing p51 Mustang.

In 1953 she was flying people around, and met Bill France who was having some racers flown to Daytona Beach, they became friends, and she drove a pace car in Feb 1954, then climbed into a Dodge and set the stock car speed record, which must not have been hard, she is likely the only woman at that time to drive one, and AAA certified her the first race drivers license for a woman

The National Aviation Hall of Fame reports that "Betty earned a total of four Feminine World Land Speed Records and set a transcontinental speed record."She competed in races across the Andes mountains in South America and drove the length of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Betty set records at the Chelsea Proving Grounds and was the first woman to drive a jet car over 300 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. She also set three women’s land speed records at the Daytona Beach Road Course, the last one being 156.99 mph in 1956. That same year, she broke Cannonball Baker's 40-year record for the Transcontinental Auto Race from New York to Los Angeles.

In 1956, she became an advertising executive with Campbell-Ewald and worked with General Motors on and in their TV and print ads. She was GM's first woman technical narrator at major auto shows, where she would talk about and demonstrate automobile features, later becoming official spokeswoman for Chevrolet. While Skelton was working with Chevrolet, she set numerous records with Corvettes, and owned a total of 10 models.

Between 1956 and 1957, Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell designed a special, translucent gold Corvette for Betty, which she drove to Daytona in 1957 to serve as the NASCAR pace car.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Skelton_Erde

The C2 Corvette Stringray (1963-1967) offered drastic changes from the previous C1. It was the first production Corvette coupe, offered substantial improvements in power and handling over its predecessor and gave us the infamous '63 split window.

"Win on Sunday; Sell on Monday" is a phrase that's been used since the inception of motorsport.  It gained huge popularity with marketing departments in the 60s when muscle cars ruled the dragstrip and NASCAR's ovals were filled with cars that were close to showroom stock.  There are still cars like the Porsche GT3, Corvette Z06, and Viper ACR that abide by this marketing scheme.  However, these are all quite expensive and extensively modified for race duty.

In the world of motorcycles, this old adage still holds true. Although Honda didn't reach the top step of the podium at Daytona this weekend, this wasn't always the case.  One man has held two very rare Hondas in their original shipping crates for nearly 20 years.




Novices to the sportbike world will just see these two bikes and think of old graphics schemes and square tubed frames.  For road racing enthusiasts, these were the cream of the crop.  Their engineering at the time was second to none.

The RC30 (VFR750R) was a race homologation used in superbike series around the world.  It housed a 90 degree V4 which displaced 748cc.  Redline was achieved at 12,000 rpm with the help of titanium connecting rods and power figures are listed as anywhere between 86-112 horsepower depending on the country of sale.  All this was wrapped in a 420lb package.  Those are on par with today's inline-4 600cc supersport bikes.

The NR750, on the other hand, was primarily a road bike because its concept had previously failed in Grand Prix racing.  The NR's 747cc V-four motor used oval shaped pistons to increase the cylinder size and therefore fit eight valves per cylinder instead of the conventional four.  Of course the reasoning was that more valves resulted in better flow and more power.  It's value lies in this quirky technology and exclusivity.  Only 200 were made with a $50,000 price tag.

Here are a few more videos for your viewing pleasure:

For those that think an Aston Martin DB5 or a Shelby Cobra aren't rare enough, here are two cars from the 50s that would satisfy those extravagant connoisseurs.

This 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 is for sale from Belgium and has been completely restored.  It's a stately grand touring car that could probably be driven for miles on end.  This is an early 1954 model because it comes with the 2.6 liter motor.  Later builds were equipped with the 2.9 liter.  Any Aston would be a great addition to a personal collection but this one would make jaws drop.  With only 764 DB2/4s having been made, this can only appreciate in value over the years.  Find it here.

This automotive piece of art is a Scarab roadster.  It's listed as a 1959 model but it's really a modern day replica of the original.  There were only 3 originals made that year and all were built specifically to go racing.  They were very successful back then against Ferrari, Maserati, and Corvettes.  I can't do this car justice with just a few words.  Check out the auction here or click the links below for more information on this gorgeous car.

Scarab Replica - Video - Jay Leno's Garage

Scarab Motorsports

The 80s were a dark time for the automotive world.  Manufacturers hadn't figured out how to make horsepower after federally mandated smog equipment had been bolted onto motors.  The giants of the sports car realm - Supra, Corvette, 928 - didn't break the 300 horsepower mark until the very end of the decade.  However, if you look hard enough there's always a light in the darkness.  In the mid 80s, the light could be found in music by a still black Michael Jackson, the inherent goodness of Darth Vader, and the turbo V6 in the blacked out Buick Grand National.

autogaleria.hu

Out of all the products in the GM catalog, this was the one to have!  Yes, I know.  It is a Buick.  It's also the best incarnation of a Buick since the Gran Sport and it outran the almighty Corvette, the top dog in GM's performance hierarchy.  While a 5.7 liter Vette was doing 0-60 sprints in 6.3 seconds, the 1987 G-body Buick had already finished that feat 1.3 seconds ago, listened to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," and stole the Vette's girlfriend.

autogaleria.hu

When the old girl, the car not the girlfriend, lets you look under her hood, it really gets interesting.  There sits a 3.8 liter V6 which had been turbocharged to a healthy 276 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque.  Never mind the anemic V8 in a Corvette or even a Ferrari 328.  This motor outclassed both!  Porsche's 928 and its 5.0 liter V8 were the only competition for this car in terms of outright acceleration.

Turning is a different story.  Buick's 80s technology couldn't exactly make the 200 inch, 3500 pound bruiser handle like a Lotus Esprit.  Remember we're talking about an American car that is, arguably, responsible for a muscle car renaissance.  Let's just say that, yes, it can turn.

autogaleria.hu

When new, Grand Nationals cost somewhere around $18,000 while the optional GNX package was an additional $11,000 over that.  Today, a clean example will fetch prices in the high teens.  Don't be surprised if these prices start heading north in the next few years as GM releases the new Regal and nostalgia sets in.  However, considering the way that things are going over at GM, this will be the last supercar out of Buick, affordable or not.

Do you ever find yourself in the mood to watch a race and turn on the Speed Channel only to find Pimp My Ride or hour after hour of Barrett-Jackson auctions?  If you're like me, there's a series of reactions to this.  First, there's a feeling of anger/disappointment.  This is followed by being perplexed at how 18 TVs fit into one car.  Then, something on the auction block piques my interest and I settle in for a couple hours with dreams of buying some of those ridiculously priced concept cars from the 50s or maybe a nicely restored, numbers matching, overpriced Hemi Cuda.  Well, this post is here to slap you upside the head because there are much more interesting cars to find than what's at Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, or RM.

virginmedia.com

In the market for a vintage race car?  How about a 1938 Delahaye 135MS?
 In 1938 this car came with a 3.6 liter inline-6 which was good for about 135 horsepower.  It could do an incredible 100 mph with that amount of power.  Neither of those numbers sounds like much compared to today's cars but back then 100mph meant your face was about to peel off if you hit the accelerator anymore.

This car doesn't exactly have the history or panache of a fully documented, championship winner... but WHO CARES when it looks this good?!  If you're interested, it can be found here.

There's also this 1948 Delahaye 135M roadster for those that want something that looks more like a boulevard cruiser than a competitor at Le Mans.
This particular Delahaye has been restored in California.  It is powered by the same motor as the race car except for a few missing carbs and has as much power as a Scion xD.  Yet, those 115 horses only have to propel 2,450 pounds via the rear wheels.  I'm pretty sure you'd get more looks in this than a Scion also.

Not into French built roadsters?  Prefer being pampered and chauffeured?  There is nothing like old world British elegance in the form of a Rolls-Royce Phantom.
This 1934 model of the Phantom houses a 7.7 liter inline-6 for immense amounts of low end torque to whisk its passengers in quiet comfort.  Though when called upon, that monstrosity of a motor can generate ludicrous speeds as displayed on its 120mph speedometer.  Remember, this is from 1934 not the current Phantom which is loved by Cristal imbibing clientele.

For the rest of us, the meat and potato kind of guys, I present some American muscle, both old and new.  First up is a 1957 Chevy pickup restomod.

www.ironworksspeedandkustom.com

Not everyone wants to drive a restored old truck.  Some of us like new conveniences like brakes that work and engines that fire up reliably.  This 57 Chevy is pretty much a mashup of C5 and C6 Corvette mechanicals with modified pickup truck aesthetics.  It puts down 598 dyno verified horsepower from a built 402ci LS2.  Handling duties are controlled by a tube chassis and C6 suspension parts.  Pizza sized Wilwood brakes stop this black beauty.

When handling and stopping are less of an issue and going fast in a straight line takes priority, there's nothing like a muscle car.  In this case, it has to be a grabber blue 1970 Mustang Boss 429.
This is the most badass blue monster that I've seen since that lagoon creature ate the entire Smurf village my junior year in college.  This is a numbers matching car located in Missourri and seems to be in damn good condition.  Since it's numbers matching, the specs don't need to be regurgitated here.  Let's just say that if you drove any of these cars, Xzibit wouldn't need to pop your collar for you to be a pimp.

Shaped like the head of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex, Laguna Seca is my favorite track on Earth.

Brush pit exit at turn 1, shift to 2nd at turn 2, be careful of understeer as turn 3 closes, turn 4 opens, lots of sand at turn 5, make sure you have speed out of turn 6, brake at the crest, throw the car into the "Corkscrew," slow for turn 9, turn 10 opens, and a desperate last attempt late-brake passing opportunity at turn 11 before the start/finish.

I know what some of you might say. This is your favorite track in the world? What about Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, Imola, Silverstone, SPA Francochamps, Circuit de la Sarthe, Nurburgring Nordschleife? The list goes on and on.

Of course, those circuits are nothing short of legendary.

But really, there's two things that define Laguna Seca-- 1.) Corkscrew and 2.) The battles.
The nail biting, passionate, brutal, brave, beautiful, ugly, questionable, honorable battles.

Here are some of the notable battles in the past:

Courtesy of MotoGP Anyone remember? Stoner VS Rossi in 2008 Corkscrew gravel dive: Perhaps the most daring pass in Rossi's entire career.

Not only is it utterly spectacular to watch, but it's incredibly fun to drive on. Because of this, when I'm on Gran Turismo 5's online lobby looking for some trouble, I sort my race rooms by track. By Laguna Seca.

For the readers out there with a copy of GT5 and a PSN, my network name is Capn_Chimichanga.
Brahs, get at me if you want a piece.

Also, please share with us! What's YOUR favorite track?

Courtesy Z06zone.com

There are only a few things that a 16 year old boy thinks about on a daily basis.  In no certain order, these thoughts circulate around food, video games, girls'...er..."personalities", and big horsepower numbers.  The car that produced the biggest numbers at a fraction of the cost of most supercars back when I was 16 was the 2002 Corvette Z06.

The fifth generation of the venerable Corvette ran from 1997 to 2004.  The Z06 didn't arrive until 2001 and it was heralded as the descendant of the ultimate Vette, the C4 ZR-1.  The car originally was introduced packing a healthy 385 horsepower from a 5.7 liter LS6 V8.  However, the second year of the Z06's existence is what grabbed everyone's attention.  Chevy decided to redesign the intake, camshaft, pistons, valves and valve springs.  The LS6 now broke that magical 400 horsepower barrier with 405.  Chevy even commemorated this with 405hp badges on the fenders.

XMSengineering.com

In addition to a 405 horsepower motor, the American icon received uprated suspension, lighter wheels, fatter rubber, and a revised gearbox.  These upgrades allowed for amazing performance numbers.  Zero to sixty sprints were done in around 4 seconds.  1320 feet disappeared in 12 seconds.  Side loads on the skidpad reached numbers as high as 1.07g.  These numbers were comparable to the Porsche Turbo and Ferrari 360 Modena.  Remember that the Vette costs half as much as those cars.  This generation Z06 marked the Corvette's return to supercar status on an international level.

thaigaming.com

The main problems with this Z06, as with a growing teenager, are a 20/20 hindsight, impending maturity, and a younger, faster generation.  All of this is summed up in the 2005 C6 Corvette with the Z51 suspension package.  It is newer, smaller, just as fast, just as sticky, and has a much more refined interior.  Regardless of which year you choose, each can be had for around $25,000 without much searching.


If Corvettes are your cup o' tea, you can't do much better from a cost/performance standpoint than the cars from the past 10 years.  Considering the past ASS and how long it took to write about the Corvette, it would seem I no longer hold a love for the car.  I respect its abilities but am attracted to other cars on a more basic emotional level.  The Maserati Gransport sounds like sex.  The Aston Martin looks like sex.  The Acura NSX drives likes sex.  The Corvettes, on the other hand, are like that female Olympic medalist who had her gender questioned.  They do what they are supposed to do very well but it's definitely not the kind of "personalities" that teenage boys want.

Here's a selection of car pictures to get you over that Wednesday hump.  They were taken by Keqing Song, a good friend of mine from school.  For more info, check out his website at here.

Obligatory Chevy Bel Air

Oldsmobile Rocket 88

AMX 390

Jaguar XK120

1949 Lincoln Continental

1965 Chevy Malibu

1971 Pontiac GTO Judge

Supra MK I

2008 MazdaSpeed3

Ford GT

C7 Vettes