• 1948 Bentley MK VI
  • Originally built as a "production" sedan in 1948
  • Sold new in London
  • Rebodied into a "Speed Six" type roadster 1976 by Mayfair Cars of London
  • Sold for approximately $50k in 1976
  • Imported to the US by the original (1976) owner and stored for two decades
  • Retains the original MK VI frame, 4.25L engine and 4 speed manual trans (shifter on the right) and most "Speed Six" trim are original 1920's items.
  • In the process of recommissioning and getting rid of the garish yellow paint...
• 1959 Austin Gipsy
  • Designed as a competitor to the Jeep and the Land Rover
  • 2.2L Austin four cylinder
  • Fully independent suspension
  • 2H/4H/4L
  • Former Canadian Forest Service
  • Removable fiberglass hard top
  • Formerly had a frame that was not rusted into separate pieces
   

  1960 Berkeley T60

  • Berkeley built campers and thus became skilled at GRP (fiberglass)
  • In 1956 released their first car, a lightweight (650lbs) monocque fiberglass car using a motorcycle engine and sequential gearbox with multiplate wet clutch
  • 2 stroke Anazi 322 engines at first, British Excelsior 328 and 492 engines later, Royal Enfield 4 stroke engines last.
  • Front wheel drive and transverse engine before the Mini!
  • Chain driven and without the benefit of CV joints. The Spicer universals grab and pull near lock like an old 4WD truck.
  • Sold heavily in the US and actively raced both here and abroad
  • In 1959 the Austin Healey Sprite came out... a "real" car with a "real" engine at the same price, killing Berkeley sales.
  • In 1960 a hastily reengineered three wheel "cost cutter" version was released. This was sold as a motorcycle and could be driven on UK roads without a full license. It became their biggest seller, but only sold in the UK.
  • 18.2hp, 65mph top speed.
  • This car was a 1976 "MOTOR Magazine" car, updated with instrumentation, red leather seats, wool carpets, modern lights, lime green paintetc. It was seen in the magazine by a US politician, bought and imported. And immediately repainted white.
  • Approximately 15 T60's are in the US (I personally imported two and owned 4 at one time)

  1966 Corvair Corsa Coupe

  • Last of the Corvair "sports models"
  • Original Texas car that I bought in 1989, restored in 1991, sold in 1992, repurchased in 1997.
  • Has seen daily driver use, track use, ice racing, autocross, and everything in between
  • Currently running either a 140 Powerglide engine hooked to a 3.55/4sp (great for towing the Berkeley to shows!) or a highly modified turbocharged 140 hooked to a 3.27/4sp
  • Cut springs, Carerra shocks, factory "quick" steering, Kevlar brakes, Ciebe lamps.
  • Currently sporting period 14x6.5 (real) Minilites
  • Tired cosmetics (still from 1991)

  1967 Dodge Dart GT

  • "Granny's car"
  • 1967 was the first year of the new Dart body style. Each dealer received two early cars equipped with all the "go fast" gear to use on the showroom floor to build interest. This car has the largest available engine in the highest state of tune: 273 cubic inches, Carter AFB 4bbl, open air cleaner, dual point distributor, high compression, high lift cam, open large bore exhaust. Rated at 235hp. HD suspension and brakes, Mopar 904 automatic, factory shoulder belts!, factory mag hubcaps, NO power steering, NO power brakes.
  • Granny's oldest son was the local Dodge dealer (told you it was genetic... this is NOT the same uncle I mention on the front page!) and had a holdover '66 Dart sedan for her
  • She arrived as the GT was being unloaded, declared it the most beautiful car she'd ever seen (or heard), and he had to sell it to her (at invoice, of course)
  • It's the legendary "little old lady car"; always licensed but only driven to the grocery store on Saturday and the church on Sundays. Always parked outside (on grass) by her front door, but with virtually no rust! Always two blackmarks on the road from her launches ("It's just a little cold-natured; you have to give her the gas")
  • Her son took the car every Mother's Day, serviced it and waxed it. They repainted it at the dealership for her in 1977, the only modification ever made (other than the radial tires and quieter exhaust.)
  • She bought herself a modern Buick Regal and the car passed to me in 1994, with 39,000 miles on it. "The Regal's comfortable, but just doesn't have the B*LLS that the Dodge had."
  • Currently off the road (after I rubbed down through the repaint) and undergoing a proper restoration.

  1967 Corvair Monza Convertible

  • As "sporty" as a production Corvair came in early '67 so as not to hurt Camaro sales: 110hp/4sp/3.27
  • 54k, all original except for a lacquer repaint in 1976 (yes, the top is original!)
  • Well, it does have Koni shocks, 14"GM rims, and 14" mag hubcaps to match the original but support V-rated tires.
  • First two owners both GM employees at the Lordstown plant; I'm #3.
  • Is really the wife's car; I only get to maintain and sometimes drive it.
  • High power stereo system (disguised as "period" as possible) and 12 disc changer

  1967 Mercedes  250SE

   

  • First of the Mercedes "S" class to compete with Rolls Royce and Bentley and last of the "hand finished" Mercedes
  • Inline 6 cylinder (2500cc originally; this one has a later 2800cc engine) with mechanical fuel injection (not CIS).
  • Hand fitted wood trim everywhere (except what's not covered in leather!)
  • "Orthopedic" seats
  • German model with full size electric sunroof, manual 4 speed transmission,  German market "fishbowl" headlamps, but manual windows!
  • Extremely rare rear factory electric defrost and top of the line Blaupunkt stereo (with rear amplified speaker (not installed)
  • Added modern air conditioning controlled by factory underdash unit.
  • Custom made springs, KYB Gas-A-Just shocks
  • V8 rear axle
  • Rare period Italian-made Campagnolo magnesium 14x7 rims (not pictured)
  • Originally owned by a German MD, was imported by a US Serviceman and lived on the west coast until I bought it in 2005.
  • Wiring fire in spring of 2007 put the car back in the shop for a re-do... where it caught on fire again and is undergoing a re-do of the first re-do...

1970 VW Wesfalia Camper

• Mostly original VW purchased new by a friend in Germany and used by him to travel Europe extensively (still have the trash bag from the 1972 Munich Olympics!)

• All camping gear (except refrigerator) still present and all trim original
• Converted to Corvair power (110/PG/3.55)
• Will run 90+mph and cruise effortlessly at 60 while getting better mileage than the original VW drivetrain.
• Painted in 2003; otherwise original cosmetically
• Just completed a 10,000 mile mother/daughter "bonding" trip to the west coast (along Route 66) in Summer 2006
• See The Trip

1971 Triumph TR6

• 
• Wife's car, bought before we got married (she thinks it's why I married her!)
• Has seen everything from track to tent camping duty
• Non-original color (metallic brown); originally Damson Plum"
• Nardi Steering wheel
• Stainless Falcon dual exhaust
• Aftermarket (period) hardtop
• Modern Pirelli V-rated tires with added redline
• Mechanically stock

1973 Mini 1000 "Deluxe"

• NZ build car (from a UK sourced"kit")
• All original paint ("Flamenko") and upholstery (navy blue)
• "Cooperized" with MG Metro 1275 A+ engine with dual SU's, LCB, and RC40 exhaust
• 2.95 diff for highway
• Cooper S brakes/ ceramic shoes
• Very Rare 10x5 Contessas (Australian Minilite copy) in "S" offset to fit without flares
• Yoko A008 165/70-10 tires
• KYB shocks

1975 Leyland Mini Moke

• Australian built
• Complete but disassembled projects
• 998 A-series engine, but undergoing 1275 and disc brake transplant
• (Originally built for the UK military but hampered by lack of ground clearance)

1977 Lotus Esprit S1 PBCV8

• 34k, 3 owners. SLC, UT car until 2005
• Original "Lotus Prepared by Claudius" V8 conversion when almost new
• "Warmed up" Buick/Rover 3.5 alloy V8 (cam, roller rockers, headers, AFB)
• Even with additional cooling mods, entire transplant added only 100lbs
• Air conditioning even retained by the professional conversion
• Update to S3/Turbo appearance
• Custom 3 piece BBS rims (15x7 front, 16x8 rear)
• Same power to weight ratio as the 308GTB but with better handling
• FOR SALE!

1978 Ferrari 308GTB

• 
• Every enthusiast should own one before they die!
• US spec, first year with catalytic converters
• One of the last two years with the 4 2bbl Weber carbs (real Ferraris aren't injected)
• Three owners (same Maryland owner 1981-2004), 59k
• Left Italy in "Blanco" (white), painted red over black ("Boxer scheme") before being sold new in NYC, taken to bare metal and sprayed "Grigio" (grey metallic)
• Added pre-ABS 328GTS 16" rims (due to unavailability of appropriate tires for the original 14x7.5 rims)
• Also have set of 16x8 BBS rims for the track
• Modified exhaust, added individual K&N filters (mainly for the sound), and lightweight Euro bumpers
• Added crank-fired electronic ignition (stock: 4 sets of points, 2 coils, 2 separate distributors); drives like a different car... stock ignition was shot.
• Next: adjustable coilover suspension

1989 Fleetwood Southwind

• 30', P30 GM chassis
• Last of the carbed 454 engine/TH400 trans
• Walker Dynomax SuperTurbo RV dual exhaust
• Air springs, Ellis Safe-T-Wide rims

1990 BMW 325ic

• Marianne's's current daily driver
• Fresh engine built by a fellow Corvair racer
• M3 Springs and Bilstein Sport struts
• 5 sp manual trans
• Later 1990 with SRS and ABS
• Modern MP3 stereo
• Konig Rewind rims
• Factory hardtop

1994 Mercury Capri S2

• Katherine's Car
• Rare last model of the Australian-built Capri
• 1994 only "Reef Green"
• 5sp, Dual air bags, 4 wheel disks, factory alloys
• Factory Tonneau Cover
• Factory hardtop

1999 Chevrolet Tracker 4x4

• 1.6L 5sp
• 64k
• Motorhome "dinghy" duty
• Bill's daily driver

2000 Mercedes G500

• Finally a vehicle from this millennium!
• Pre-Mercedes Bentz USA Europa import
• Designed through collaboration with Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the pre-MBUSA Gelaendewagen was virtually hand-built in Austria
• One of only a few in the US (thought to be 1 of 220); sold new for between $125k-150k! (Mercedes sold theirs for about $75k starting in 2002)
• None of the electrical issues of the MBUSA 2002+ G-wagens
• Full time all wheel drive, 3 lockable differentials.
• 292hp/336ft-lbs engine from the 500SL
• Fully loaded (even rear heated seats!)
• "Black Opal" paint... metallic grey/black that shines blue in the sun.
• Optional Brabus exhaust system
• Rated to tow 7000lbs (US; 7700lbs in Europe)
• For sale!

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche

• Ugliest truck ever built!
• Fully loaded including Z71 offroad package and factory towing package
• Built on a Suburban chassis; full 5 passenger seating with 5' covered bed
• Back "wall" folds in opening up the back of the cab to the bed (and providing a full 8' bed).

 

 

Tilting Scooters

• 197x BSA Ariel 3
• The original version of the tilting trike
• 49cc; automatic clutch, pedal start, compression release
• Sold horribly; this one was won as part of a contest in Canada
• BSA sold the rights to Honda

• 1984 Honda Gyro
• First Honda version
• 49cc, 2 sp automatic
• Sold horribly in the US; still in production in Japan (including an enclosed "Canopy" version)

• 1986 Honda Gyro S
• Sexy "chopper" version for the US
• Still 49cc, 2 sp automatic
• Still sold horribly in the US; killed after only being made '85/'86

Ice Racing

• So what do you do in Wisconsin in the winter? Autocross on frozen lakes!
• Though "studded" classes are available (not the normal studs, but 1" long spikes) the "rubber" classes were always more fun.
• Through several years of racing I trophied in a borrowed Toyota, in my Corvair, and Ford Fiesta (really dominated with the Fiesta) but never in my quattro (which I never really learned to drive effectively...)
• Ran the Allante once, but left early when the "unlucky VW" went through the ice...first such incident in a couple of decades.

Moving (2003)

• So how do you move a dozen cars from Chicago to DC? You rent a truck...