While I did some serious scrambling at the end, and took a few chances by going, there was no way I was going to miss the Hot Rod Power Tour coming to Detroit. I didn't have time...scratch that...I didn't have the motivation to fix my brakes hanging up due to the proportioning valve and lines in/out getting crimped when loading it on the trailer a few weeks ago. Up until yesterday, it hadn't caused a problem, and then suddenly started grabbing. I turned the valve all the way done and hoped for the best. Luckily, it held up and didn't cause any issues. In addition to that, the car really runs pretty shitty at cruising speed, with a serious miss, which could be due to a seriously insufficient charging system. Then there is the quad electric fan setup, which I've neglected to install relays for. Lastly, my power steering reservior is leaking like a sonofabitch, which I think may be caused by a small puncture from trying to get enough tension on the belt. So, I was taking some chances to say the least.
As if that wasn't enough, today kicked off with a line of storms rolling through Metro Detroit, and yet I found myself at the local O'Reilly's picking up cleaning supplies, so I could wash my car in the garage. Not even the threat of severe weather was going to keep me away, and damn it, even if it rained, my car was going to look good before hitting the road. A little before 1 pm, I hit the road, with my dad following in his F150...just in case. The ride was uneventful without even a hint of trouble. My cooling system kept everything at 195 degrees, and aside from a constant miss, she ran well. About half way there, I began to encounter "others" on the way to the show.
To steal a philosphy from the movie Hangover, I feel like the loner, the one man wolf pack, traveling amongst a bunch of sheep-mobiles. Then, out of my rear view, along comes another wolf, and that wolf often has a pack, and all of the sudden, I don't feel like such a loner. Gearheads, automotive enthusiasts, or hobbyist if you will, share a common line of thought. We give each other the low key knod, the thumbs up, or even the discrete wave of the hand. We understand one another, without uttering a word.
The cloudy sky and cool temps only lasted a couple of hours, and then the rain let loose. Still, I was able to see the majority of the cars present, and loved getting a taste of what 2011 holds for me, and for my readers. Sit back and enjoy what is already on par to be my most productive year of blogging, with more coverage, more wrenching, and so far, more readers. I'm doing my best to give Metro Detroiters, Michiganders, and Midwesterners a heads-up as to what's going on in the area.
The Lone Wolf. If you look closely, you can see that sonofabitch power steering pump leak.
Quite possibly my favorite car of the show. This thing was just badass! It still had a W-motor, though I'm not very educated on these engines, so can't say if it were a 348, 409, or other, but I can say the intake/carb setup was also cool as hell.
Road trip material for sure!
Rough around the edges, but smooth in all the right ways.
Very clean AMX. Starting to see a lot of AMC projects lately showing up at shows and in magazines.
MO-POWER!
Can't recall if this is a 69 or 70, but those two years are my favorite year Mustangs ever built. Way better than the Mustang II I posted. Haha
My kind of taxi.
Another Family-mobile.
Not a fan of brown, but this copper brown looks sweet.
3rd Gen Firebirds/Camaro had a VERY strong showing, as did Mustangs from the same decade. Not that these cars didn't have a strong following back in the day, it's just that the market for them, as well as restorations, seem to be on the rise.
Best air brushing integrating ram air into the mix. Imagine this image coming up behind you. Gett'em lone wolf!
Another cool family truckster, I really need something like this to take kids on a roadtrip in.
Old school air conditioning. You fill it with water/ice, the wind turns this turbine thing inside, and wha-lah! Cold air for the car. The owner said it worked surprisingly well on the ride up during 100 degree weather.
Now THIS is one sweet ass Suzuki Sidekick! (did I really just say that?)
Look like anybody's Camaro you know?
Nice early 50's Chevy.
Not a big fan of vans, but I dig these old Dodges.
Now THIS is how I'd like to see the nation! Today's SUV's can't even come close to comparing.
Another extremely clean Firebird. Makes me feel like Joe Dirt, as bad as mine is looking these days.
Nice car, but I don't like the way the scoop messes up the flow of the body.
96+ mph on a lawnmower...that's fuckin' awesome!
The only 1970 Challenger at the show I got to look at, as the other one was pulling off when the rain came. I can say, this is one of the nicest Challengers I've seen, with a new gen Hemi and 6 speed to boot. This is the pro-touring look I'm going for with my dad's Challenger.
Not sure what this is, but it's definately outside the norm, and cool in my book.
I always thought these Mustang II's were hideous. :)
Didn't know Mustang II's came with diesels.
This thing just looks fun as hell!
I'm not sure what this car is, and the rain was pouring at this point, so I didn't investigate. It really caught my eye though, as it's obviously a lightweight, with a small block under the hood. I'm guessing it's a Toyota Celica, though I could be wrong.
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