If you are in the process of restoring your classic car and aren't sure of what to install for a radio, there are a variety of options that you can choose from. However, if you want that classic look combined with modern technology you might want to consider the RestroSound Model One car radio. With an auxiliary port and USB input, it allows you to play your MP3 or WMA files by using a Flash or thumb drive. And of course there is still the standard AM/FM radio. There are many varieties to choose from and is compatible with most makes and models from the Corvette to the Falcom to the VW Beetle plus more. Cost of radio is around $300.00.
It is unfortunate that there are people out there who want to take advantage of the honest hard working folks. There are many online classic car ads for sale that scammers post in an attempt to steal a deposit from and innocent buyer. If you are in the market for a classic car and are wishing to purchase a vehicle online, here are some pointers on what to watch out for.
The too good to be true deal – If a seller is selling a vehicle for a very low price, like say a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT350 in Mint Condition for $5000.00 it is most likely a scam and the seller is trying to swindle your money from you in exchange of no vehicle. No contact information – Mostly all scammers prefer to communicate with buyers through email only and will often provide little to no contact information. Make sure that you are able to speak with the seller over the phone or in person. Be cautious of ads with the wrong phone number or no phone number at all. If the seller won’t talk to you over the phone than you should not progress any further with a transaction. The seller suddenly moved out of the country – Some scammers will often use the excuse that they are moving overseas and need to sell their vehicle because they cannot take it with them…that is why they are selling it so cheap.
Use of a phony escrow or eBay escrow company – Scammers can easily create websites that look legitimate but are really just a front to try and receive a deposit from you. Only use an escrow company that you know and trust. eBay does not have any type of escrow company nor do they handle any sort of payments. This is a sure sign that this person is a scammer.
Whenever you engage in any transaction, make sure that you use a payment method that can be easily traced and will be able to be refunded if you never receive the item. Be safe and cautious and happy shopping.
Image via WikipediaIf you are a classic car enthusiast and are interested in purchasing a classic car, then some online price guides might become your best friend. Before you hit the market, you should arm yourself with the knowledge of what car prices are. It can be the difference between getting the car of your dreams or be taken for a ride (and I’m not talking about a joy ride either).
While the Kelly Blue Book has become a household name, few might not know that there are other resources that you can use for a reference in determining the value of a classic car or truck. Nada Guides, Manheim Gold and Collector Car Market all offer value guides of classic cars with suggested retail value for vehicles in varying conditions from poor to excellent.
But as we all know, one man’s perception of a cherry can be another’s sour grape. It can be difficult to determine what a fair price is for a particular make and model of a classic car. If you are truly concerned, it might be wise to hire an appraiser or inspection service to evaluate the vehicle before you make your purchase. Just make sure before you buy, you have all of your ducks in a row and you are getting a fair an accurate price.
Image via WikipediaAre you a classic car enthusiast? Do you love a particular type of car so much that you can’t wait to show it off and be a part of a group with similar interests? Well perhaps joining a car club is the option for you. Car clubs have been around for years and are very popular among classic car enthusiasts. By joining a club, not only will you be up-to-date on all the latest news, you can enter your car in car shows, join in on discussions, or just hang out with a lot of knowledgeable people. Even if you don’t have your dream car yet, it’s okay. Most clubs do not require ownership of a vehicle in order to join.
Whether you have a Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Rat Rod or work in progress there is a club out there waiting for you. You can find anything from classic, muscle and hot rod clubs to more generalized clubs that it doesn’t matter what type of vehicle you own. Each classic car club carries its own set of guidelines and requirements for joining, so join one that you feel comfortable with – you will be sure to find on that is perfect for you. A great way to start searching for the right club for you is at OldRide.com. They have a wide variety of classic car clubs listed throughout the 50 states and Canada too.
Image via WikipediaOppose Federal “Cash for Clunkers” Program
Washington lawmakers are drafting a large economic stimulus package to help create jobs and rebuild infrastructure. They want to include a nationwide scrappage program which would give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in older cars to have them crushed, as a misguided attempt to spur new car sales. The lawmakers need to scrap this idea.
The stimulus package is being drafted right now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to introduce the bill on January 6 and have it approved by Congress by January 20, so that President Obama can sign it into law after he is inaugurated.
Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi IMMEDIATELY To Oppose Cash for Clunkers! Call: 202/225-0100 Click here to send an electronic message: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talking Points Oppose the Use of U.S. Taxpayer Dollars for Cash for Clunkers
• I am [calling/writing] to urge lawmakers not to include a “Cash for Clunkers” provision in the economic stimulus bill. Owners who turn in vehicles for crushing would receive a "minimal" payment to purchase a new car. This is a misguided attempt to spur car sales and claim that the country’s air quality or fleet fuel mileage is being improved.
• I work for [company name] located in [city and state]. My company is part of the specialty automotive industry, an industry which enables consumers to enhance their vehicle’s appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and safety. “Cash for Clunkers” programs deny our small businesses the availability of older cars necessary to develop and market their products and services. The programs will hurt my company and our customers.
• “Cash for Clunkers” programs threaten enthusiasts nationwide with the loss of valuable parts and parts-cars for repair, restoration, and customization projects. The programs also risk destroying classic, historic and special-interest vehicles, our American heritage.
• Cars turned in for scrappage often barely run, or are rarely-driven second or third vehicles that have a minimal impact on overall fuel economy or emissions.
• “Cash for Clunkers” programs will reduce the availability of affordable transportation and repair parts used by low-income drivers. It will also compete with the Salvation Army, the Purple Heart and other charities that rely on vehicle donations to raise money.
• “Cash for Clunkers” ignores better policy options. If Congress wants to act, support for repair and upgrade is a better choice and a win-win for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and repair shops. Significant emissions and fuel economy improvements can be achieved in older vehicles through relatively simple and inexpensive means: repaired/replaced exhaust systems, tune-ups, etc.
• We hope we can count on you to reject “Cash for Clunkers.” Thank you for your consideration on this very important matter.
Please send a quick note and/or a copy of your message to Speaker Pelosi to: E-mail: briand@sema.org Fax: 202/783-6024
Image by januaryman via FlickrAs the new year approaches, I have to reflect upon a saying my 8th grade history teacher always use to say..."Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Well I have to say that most of us aren't very good about learning from our past mistakes, as the recent scare about the economy is haunting us all. I thought I would share an article I found recently in an old magazine I have lying around. It was written in 1973 (sorry I didn't see the author's name), but from the sounds of it, you would have thought it might have come from today's paper. Here it is:
Will the Automobile Survive? “…the ecology movement would cost everyone much—and in many diverse ways. We are confirmed hobbyists when it comes to the antique, vintage and classic car field. How will ecology affect our hobby?
According to a recent article in the New York Times, the gluttonous American machine consumes something like 15-million barrels of oil per day with six million of that total ending up as gasoline. Can you believe that 40% of a 15-million barrel daily consumption is used as gasoline.
The automobile industry in America is indeed a giant—even a monster. Thinking of the automobile is always restricted to one's own interpretation, those nuances of thought as reflected through the eyes of the individual. Our mobility is based on wheels. Our livelihood is based on wheels. A major segment of the world's economy is based on wheels.
The current awareness of our environment demands that a nation categorize priorities. Gasoline consumption, air pollution, depleted oil reserves, a fuel shortage real or imaginary, balance of payments in world trade, all are gutsy problems that we must face now.
Ten million car production years do nothing but compound the problem. Even with a high built in obscence factor, attrition is such that a projected consumption ten years hence would be somewhere in the neighborhood of ten million barrels of gasoline per day. How long can the world's crude oil supply stand such unbridled consumption?
America is purchasing some 3.5 billions of dollars of foreign oil and that figure, assuming that some rational answer goes unfound, is expected to grow to a phenomenal 20-billion by 1980. It's just our opinion, but we really can't see how it can be healthy for our economy to buy foreign manufactured autos to burn middle-east shiekdom oil on American roads. Some of the present day word wranglers would probably say that our mind is boggled by the lower-midwest Protestant work ethic.
We would rather believe that the American public should face up to a growing problem that is doing exactly what the environmentalists have been preaching since Silent Spring sowed the seed of discontent. Somewhere along the line the American public took a wrong turn in its choice of automobiles. Many blame the corporate moguls in Detroit for all of the nation's environmental ills. This is hardly the case. It is an old truth in our nation's economy that there must be a buyer before one can sell. Detroit gave the auto buyers what they wanted. Thankfully, tastes can change. The predictors have all been basking in the sun of hindsight in seeing the car in our future as being the typical European sub-compact. High compression ratios and finely tuned engines seem to lose their glamour with anti-pollution devices. A happy medium would seem a more logical selection. Detroit has produced some highly efficient low pollutant engines in the past. They weren't 400 cid over square eights loaded with gadgetry. They were long in the category that produced honest, relatively trouble free transportation.
Another very non-European aspect of American motoring is that we love our highways and the vast expanse measured in thousands of miles—from sea to shining sea. Our state of Illinois is 4435 miles long. Travel that distance in Europe and one could pass through a half dozen governments. We think that our automobile problem is unique.
Even before the energy crisis and pollution, we would often look at a finely built automobile of another era and wonder if we have really gained anything but a little speed, a little convenience, and from the frequency of repair of some modern day cars—a lot of headaches.
How does all of this affect the old car buff? About the only way we can see is a possible curtailment in travels to meets. Should national gas restrictions come about, it is quite possible that recreational travel and gas consuming hobbies may bear the brunt. One point in our favor is that many of our older cars actually get more miles per gallon than the family car of today. And let's hope that the family car of tomorrow is as practical, well built and pollution free as some of our vintage automobiles.”
Just thought I would share this. While the media tries to scare us all I thought I would just offer an example that things haven't changed much and we are all still surviving. Happy New Year.
Sometimes I can just kick myself. Today when I was going through some of my old car magazines I came across an old issue of Cars & Parts from 1973. In it I found an ad for a 1969 Ford Torino Talledaga for only $2500!!! Depending on the condition of the car now, these muscle cars can fetch anywhere up to $100,000. Oh boy, how many times have I said if I only knew then what I know now? I'm sure we have all said that a time our two in our lives when it comes to classic cars.
Named after the famous NASCAR raceway, The Ford Talladega was so hot in 1969 that after a long and successful career with Plymouth, NASCAR legend Richard Petty was enticed to drive the new Torino. This was a good choice because he captured the checkered flag in the Riverside 500 Grand National Race. The original price tag on the Talladega was a mere $3,680 and only a total of 754 of them were built. Your choice of colors for the Talladega was Royal Maroon (with White Stripes), Wimbledon White (with black stripes), and Presidential Blue (with White Stripes).
To comply with the standards set forth by NASCAR in order for the special modified bodies to be used on the tracks, Ford had to build a minimum of 500 of these specialized cars for the general public to purchase through dealerships. Ford sent the 1969 Fairlane Cobra 2 door hardtops to the Atlanta assembly plant and added longer front fenders that made the front end droop, the grill was moved forward and flush mounted and a special stamped header panel was added in front of the hood among other things. And the rest is history as these vehicles were shipped off to the affiliated dealers and sold.
A library of information about the Ford Torino Talladega and Ford Torino’s for sale can be found on Oldride.com and more information on the history of the Ford Talladega at How Stuff Works.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=98f939b6-dfc5-4c97-bae1-dcfc804e6d06)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=6e2bf90b-da52-4a49-9f21-4a9c2c25f686)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=f8b480d1-d3c9-4af4-afa4-2f79912854c8)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=34976373-96d6-49a2-b37c-81ae9e01f088)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=25f31c92-524b-4d1c-b28a-86150d525483)
