<![CDATA[Jalopnik: restoration]]> http://tags.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: restoration]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/restoration http://jalopnik.com/tag/restoration <![CDATA[Legendary Alfa Romeo Shop Registers 500 GigaRads On Jalopnik Cool-O-Meter]]> I've been running into Northern California Alfa restorer Conrad Stevenson pretty regularly- he's the Ecurie Ecrappe crew chief and a LeMons perpetrator, after all- but I'd never visited his shop… until now.

When you're done reading the descriptions attached to the images below, you can check out many, many more photos of the Conrad Stevenson Restorations shop by clicking this link (provided the Server Hamsters are in a good mood, of course).

One word: Whoa!

If you're a vintage Alfa Romeo racer, you probably know all about Conrad Stevenson Restorations. Conrad is the guy who built this 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 racer, which will be returning to Laguna Seca for the Historics next month. Image source: Concept Carz

Starting with a correct 6C chassis and engine, Conrad handcrafted the body from scratch on an English wheel. All the documentation on the 6C 2500 SS was destroyed during World War 2, so his main reference for the project was the tattered magazine page you see in this photo.

Naturally, the shop- which is a comfortably funky warren of buildings and shacks in a typical Bay Area industrial neighborhood- is packed to the rafters with all manner of Alfa components. Alfa Twin Cams are everywhere!

Most of the shop space was being taken up by customers' race cars (including a pair of mid-50s 1900s), since the clock is ticking for Monterey, but some of Conrad's personal rides were hanging around. How about a lightweight 280-horsepower turbocharged '65 Giulia wagon- which even hardened racers describe as "terrifyingly fast"- as your daily driver?

What self-respecting Alfa guy would use a primered-out Dodge Tradesman as his parts hauler? Not Conrad! Check out the huge cargo area of this mid-50s Romeo 2, a two-stroke front-wheel-drive diesel machine that was used as a San Francisco piano moving truck for most of its life. Conrad also has a '64 Ford Ranchero for those occasions that require a truck that can muster up more than 19 horsepower, yet still require an Italian-grade sense of style.

Here's a future parts hauler: a 1963 Fiat 600 Multipla, a lifelong California car still sporting its original black plates. Conrad mentioned that he's tempted to drop a large motorcycle engine in this little van, but he's already got the "big-block" 800cc Fiat Engine in mid-rebuild now.

Here's the car that gets Conrad instant entry into the not-so-exclusive Project Car Hell Poster Child club: a scratchbuilt, tube-frame, mid-engined, street-legal (in theory) supercar powered by the 2.6 liter DOHC V8 out of an Alfa Romeo Montreal. The transaxle comes from an Audi 5000. Conrad, for all his artistic metalworking genius, is a mechanical engineer by training, so most of his super-technical explanations of roll centers and suspension design went right over my head. The body will be made of hand-formed aluminum, of course, and the concept behind the styling will be, in Conrad's words, "What Italian designers of the 1930s would have built, had they had access to 21st-century materials and knowledge." I'm definitely going to keep a close watch on this project as it progresses (in fact, I've volunteered my not-so-skilled labor for it, in case Conrad needs some duct tape work, Pep Boys hood scoop application, etc.), so stay tuned for updates!
If you need to see photos of the CSR shop, just head over to the big ol' gallery page.

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<![CDATA[Conrad Stevenson Restorations]]> I got so many shots of interesting Italian machinery at the Conrad Stevenson Restorations shop that I had to put the galleries in a separate post. Enjoy!






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<![CDATA[Another Massive Secret Vintage Junkyard Comes Under Fire]]> Situated in Kaufdorf, Switzerland exists a peaceful junkyard, holding over 500 classic machines hailing from the 1930s through the 1960s. The government wants it paved but locals want to preserve this history. Mega gallery inside.

Legend has it a car dealer, buying cars for parts, couldn't bring himself to scrap these beauties and began parking them in his yard. The dealer retired in the 70s, passing the business on to his son, who left the cars untouched. This scenic farm land location can be seen here.

As is the common plight of every forest junkyard, the Swiss government says the grounds must be cleared, paved and sealed to prevent fluids from seeping into the ground. Local crusader Heinrich Gartentor says rare trees and moss will be destroyed if the car graveyard is cleared, not to mention all of the steep automotive history that will be lost in the process.

The cars are agreeably too far gone for restoration, but the collection is arguably more thorough than most car museums. The current owner of the yard agrees to pave the area holding newer models, but refuses to disturb the vintage iron. We say keep fighting the good fight!


[SwissInfo via ArtificialOwl]

Hat tip to Rodrigo!

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<![CDATA[Restored or Original? The Debate Rages On!]]> Having been to enough car shows featuring Detroit-built entrants with $30,000 paint jobs recreating the exact texture of orange peel that was created on the line back in the day, we've seen our share of restoration absurdity. But when it comes to the only remaining unrestored '57 Jaguar XKSS, what's a wealthy car collector to do? He might lose all-important points if the judges don't like the tiny cracks in the upholstery! Well, according to the Gray Lady, the trend of designating clean original cars as "Survivors" is really taking off, with the unrestored XKSS beating a '61 Ferrari 250GT with a restoration so obsessive it must be handled by white-gloved men in space suits. [New York Times reg. req.]

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<![CDATA["Mormon Meteor" Duesenberg SJ Special Takes Pebble Beach Best in Show]]> It set a 24-hour speed record in 1935, hitting 135.58 miles per hour. Sixty-nine years later, The Duesenberg SJ Special "Mormon Meteor" sold for $4.45 million at a Pebble Beach Auction held by Gooding and Company. Now owned by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, it's won the approval of the seersucker'd set at Pebble, taking this year's Best in Show award. The SJ Special isn't the average Duesenberg, any of which are far from the bell curve's center. The supercharged stock engine had been replaced by Augie Duesenberg and salt racer (and eventual Salt Lake City Mayor) Ab Jenkins, who adapted a 1,650 cubic-inch Curtiss Conqueror V12 to the Special's Duesenberg chassis and body. It's since been returned to its more civilized, Deusy-powered iteration by Noted Duesy restorer Chris Charlton of Maine, replete with imposing chrome "DUESENBERG" deco type along the hood and a chrome "Ab Jenkins" script on the cowl. Raise a julep in its honor. [Mormon Meteor]


Press Release:
57th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Names Duesenberg SJ Special (Also Known as the Mormon Meteor) 'Best of Show'
Classic Cars from 12 Countries and Throughout the U.S. are Showcased During Competition Along California's Monterey Coast

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2007) - The 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links® hosted some of the world's rarest vintage vehicles and thousands of spectators Sunday at the 57th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The Concours competition, which included judging in 24 classes, culminated when a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Special, owned by Harry Yeaggy from Cincinnati, Ohio, was named "Best of Show."

The winning car, also known as "The Mormon Meteor," is a supercharged speedster that was raced by Utah's Ab Jenkins (the former mayor of Salt Lake City) and then driven on the city streets. The car, which set a 24-hour speed record (135.58 miles per hour) in 1935, sold for a record $4.45 million at the 2004 Pebble Beach Auction conducted by Gooding & Company.

"I'm trying to catch my breath," said Yeaggy on the winner's ramp. "I knew I had a great car. I love the styling and the art deco look, and it's a performance car. It's just elegant from every different direction. For me to get a performance car and a beautiful car is a perfect combination. In my opinion, this is the most significant American car ever built.

"I'd also like to give loads of credit to Chris Charlton, who did the restoration work."

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<![CDATA[Jalopnik Fantasy Garage: 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe]]>

You have been warned. Anyone who votes against the Daimler Double Six 50 Sport Corsica Drophead Coupe's induction into the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage will be ceremoniously banned, without possibility of appeal. Sayonara. Auf Wiedersehen. Fugedaboudit. [Not really, but you get the sentiment — ed.] However, we are not totally without heart, as Larry Forney can vote however he likes. No such luck for Tom Anderson. And now, we invite you to jump.

Just look at this bloody thing! I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a car that's even sorta, maybe half as hot. And I'm not coming up with much. The Maybach Exelero looks comical, etymological and, frankly, childish by comparison. The Volga V12 Coupe? Getting warmer but actually no, not really. Citroen Traction Avant? Not even kind of. A 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe, in black? Very close, but also very far away. No, we'll just go ahead and proclaim it. In terms of hotness this Double Six 50 is the Sun to all other cars' Pluto. It's like Diana Rigg and Charlotte Rampling sunbathing on the Isle of Lesbos circa 1969. Catching a glimpse from any angle is like walking up behind Jessica Biel as she bends to tie her shoe. We've been staring and staring at pictures of this most gorgeous of all roadsters for the past week and it still shortens our breath while screwing up our pulse.

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So triple-hot is the Double Six (even the name is hot) that were we to peek under the ten-foot long bonnet and see a Geo Metro's 1.0-liter three-cylinder, it wouldn't matter. Hell, if it were powered by a Jack Russell terrier in a hamster wheel we'd still demand the Double Six go into the Garage.

As it happens, "Double Six" means exactly that. The world's hottest hottie packs a 7.1-liter sleeve-valve V12. Lots of big luxury players at the time (Voisin, Minerva) opted for sleeve-valve designs. That's because, despite the crippling mechanical complexity, the lack of of spring-loaded poppet valves made these engines nearly silent. Rich folk (like the British and Jordanian Royal Families) dug wafting. While 150 horsepower from so many liters may not seem like bragging rights, in 1931 it was more than the Double Six's only competition (Rolls Royce) could muster. What's more, sleeve-valve engines were torque monsters. We once heard them described as having the instant-on torque delivery of an electric motor.

There is one caveat. This Double Six ain't German; she's a Brit. In fact, Daimler is Britain's oldest marque. The Daimler we all know and think odd things about for being the Teutonic side of the soon-to-be disassembled Kraut/Yank hybrid is, or was in fact Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, aka DMG. This company was headed by both Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, the founding fathers of auto engineering bad-assness who invented stuff like four-stroke engines and the carburetor. And while those two liked motorcars just fine, their investors weren't so sure. So, rather than producing vehicles for export, DMG licensed its engine technology to companies in France, Austria, the UK and the States (Curious side-note: Steinway, the piano-maker, obtained the US rights to Daimler). That's why French Daimlers exist.

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A British train manufacturer named Fredrick Simms took up the patent rights and began building Daimler's engine in Britain under the name, "The Daimler Motor Syndicate Ltd." Simms, like DMG, proceeded to stick this engine not in cars, but boats. It took the vision of Harry J. Lawson to see the potential for putting the engines in land-based, tr4ackless vehicles. The only catch was that in 1885, any vehicle traveling on one of his Majesty's roads had to have a person walking in front waving a red flag (blame Stanley and his hoony Steamer). Turns out Lawson was a pretty influential dude, and he got the speed limit raised to a whopping 12 mph in 1886. (And you Londoners think you have it rough under Livingstone!) Anyway, a bunch of other stuff happened, and on January 14, 1886 the Daimler Motor Company Ltd. Was formed. And that kids, is how and why the Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe hails from Old Blighty.

Sadly, not all Double Sixes were created equal. In fact, most of the big dog Daimler V12s were high-riding, seven-passenger limos. Except for one. Chassis number 30661 featured an "underslung" rear end that lowered the ride height significantly. So much so that 23" wheels had to be fitted for ground clearance. They were so big that the fenders are nearly over the hood. To our American eyes, those fenders imbue the Double Six Fity with perfect gangsa lean. The only larger wheels ever attached to a production vehicle were the 24" monsters that came with Bugatti's epic Royale, a car that's nearly one ton heavier than the Corsica Drophead. Also of note is that this Double Six started life as a convertible, became a hard top, and now saunters through the Nevada desert as a droptop once again. After a six-point-some-odd million-dollar restoration by RM, the Double Six Drophead's current owner, Bob Lee, took home a Best of Show at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. (Tear-inducing historical footnote: this car was purchased at auction in 1963 for $1,000.) And if that — coupled with the threat of execution — is still not enough to sway your vote, may we direct your obviously weary eyes to the hood ornament. Almost boiling.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

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Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, So far:
· Jalopnik Fantasy Garage: RUF RT12
· Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT
· 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
· Honda 1300 Coupe 9

Related:
The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage; More: Marque Makeover: 1957 Daimler Conquest Roadster [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Engine In: Karmann Ghia 1500 Rebuild Update]]>

It has only taken a smidge over eight months since we dropped it, but this past Sunday I helped buddy Scott nearly-literally shoehorn the beautifully rebuilt 1500cc wind-chilled motivator back into his project Type III. Scott has a much more knowledgeable write up of the day's proceedings over on his impressively researched VW 1500 restoration blog. But I will say this: I hate the clutch return spring on all Type III Karmann Ghias. I thought the Germans were supposed to be such great design wunderkinds? Turns out they're French. Anyhow, now that the engine is back home, Scott is just waiting on a six-volt battery, some last minute futzing (oil leaks) and my sister to get married before Jalopnik gets a test drive. The plan is to point the car up hill, in case the brakes don't work. Make the jump to see a photo of the idiotic part that took longer to install than the actual engine.

Below is the dang-blasted Clutch return mechanism and stupid return spring. Instructions concerning how to re-install it are missing from both How Works A Volkswagen and the factory manual.

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Ninety-minutes and two bloody-hands later. We even got the clutch cable reattached. Jalopnik Top Tip: If you are wondering why your old VeeDub toolkit includes a 14mm wrench, look no further than the nut on the end of the clutch cable.

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And now, because I love you all, some gratuitous shots of the engine. Enjoy!

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Engine In [vwplusvw1500.blogspot.com]

Related:
How Works a Volkswagen? Karmann Ghia Type III Rebuild, Part 1


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<![CDATA[Ask Jalopnik Readers: Should I Take the Cash, or the Rotary]]>

Every so often, a question appears in our inbox that has nothing to do with our asking Jay Leno if he'd be interested in buying someone's dead grandmother's 1978 Dodge. This is one of those e-mails. So pop on The Ramones' "Questioningly" (from Road to Ruin) and see if you can help out.

Dear Jalopnik,

About four months back, a friend of mine an I picked up a 1985 Toyota Celica (here's a pic) for 300 bucks. We knew it had some electrical problems, a trashed clutch and it definitely wasn't pretty. But it was a running, RWD sports car for 300 bucks. So over the last few months we've done all the maintenance that was presumably neglected (every damn fluid and filter, clutch, some hoses, etc.) So far, we've put another $300, along with many man-hours, into it.

Now for the dilemma part ...



On one hand, we have a friend who needs a car. He's willing to buy it from us for about a grand and a half. On the other, another friend of ours, who is a rotary fanatic, has a 1990 RX-7 project car that he will trade for it. It has a freshly rebuilt engine, but a coolant seal needs to be replaced. That means it needs an engine-out rebuild. It's not quite ready to run, but it's beautiful, and it's an S5 RX-7 (one of my favorite cars, btw).

So it boils down to: Do we sell it off and repair one of the many cars sitting in my driveway/garage (e.g., MG midget, 72 Benz) or trade it for one of my reasonably priced dream cars?

[Send all queries for Ask Jalopnik Readers to tips@jalopnik.com]

Related:
Ask Jalopnik Readers: What Gender Is the Toyota RAV4 [internal]

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<![CDATA[01 Number 01: The First General Lee]]>

Inside Line, new home of the Loverman, has the story of the first General Lee — the example that leaps Rosco's cruiser at the close of the Dukes of Hazzard's opening credits. Hastily assembled by a crew at Warners' the O.G. Lee was in sad shape when Travis Bell located the car in the yard of a Georgia transmission shop. After exchanging hands a number of times, Marvin Murphy commissioned Bell, co-founder of the North American General Lee Fan Club, to spearhead the restoration effort with the words, "Travis, if someone spray-painted the Mona Lisa, someone would have to restore it. You're that man." And really, how can one argue with that?

The Resurrection of the General Lee [Inside Line]

Related:
Behind the Leaping Lee: Making the General Jump for the Camera [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Megasquirted 2002 on the Streets of San Francisco]]>

Last night, we popped by the 500 Club in San Francisco with Friend o' tha Jalop Melissa. The place was reasonably packed, so we asked a couple of guys if we could share their booth. We got to chitchatting about jobs and whatnot (In SF, introductions are more often than not followed by the inevitable "So, what do you do?"); we explained that we are one of the people that exist in the form of Jalopnik.com, and John mentioned that he had a 2002. We asked if he'd seen Finkbuilt Steve's Megasquirt conversion. Turns out, he was fully aware of it, and what's more, had done a Megasquirt conversion of his own. More impressively, the 2002 is his first project; he'd never really turned a wrench in anger before starting work on the '73 Bimmer.

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So during a ciggy break, we went out and checked out the car. The vintage Recaros he's got in there are awesome; these are the seats that should be in the RS4, but the real piece de resistance is the motor.

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We have to say, his setup is pretty sweet. Using two individual throttle bodies to give it that Weber sidedraft look, the whole thing's plumbed with AN lines, and although he apologized for some of the exposed wiring, we think the whole look of the engine bay is simply killer. And John loves the tunability of the Megasquirt setup. He said, "I just keep finding more power!" He's set up a wiki detailing his work on the car, and it's well worth checking out. After John and his pal left, photographer, barfly and cousin of Gearhead's Mike LaVella Jamin Barton walked in, saw us with Melissa and said, "You two know each other?" Ah, San Francisco. We sure as shit have left our heart here.

1973 BMW 2002 Restoration [JohnClarkeMillsProjectWiki]

Related:
DIY EFI Finkbuilt Bimmer Project Done! [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Easy-Peasy Rotisserie!]]>

When performing a restoration, a rotisserie is often helpful, allowing one a comfortable working position while providing access to places that would otherwise be nigh-on impossible to get to without an expensive lift. We came across this ingenious solution while up at Trevor's a couple of months back — Trev's restoring a Mini that used to be a crisps delivery van in Dublin. It's in relatively good shape for a 40-year old car that was never seen as more than an appliance, but the suspension needed to be rebuilt and there was a healthy amount of floorpan corrosion.

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For a light, unibody car like a Mini, Trev's rough-but-elegant solution is perfect. After gutting the interior and yanking the front and rear subframes, he bolted up these simple rockers made of tubing and angle iron to the body, which affords him 0, 45 and 90-degree working positions. It's really stable, and it can easily and safely be moved from position to position by one man. Note, while this same technique could be applied to other, larger vehicles, such as Camaros or Mopar B-Bodies, we'd recommend heavier construction, and at least a couple of guys to rotate the car. Something as light as a stripped-out Mini body doesn't have a whole lot in the way of inertia, making it highly unlikely to over-rotate when flipping the vehicle. But for a shadetree resto project like Trev's, we can't think of a more KISS-simple solution.

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Related:
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Parts: Using Car Ramps [Internal]

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<![CDATA[What in the Gasgacinch? 1962 VW 1500 Karmann-Ghia Restoration Blog in Full Effect]]>

Buddy Scott is making slow but steady progress on the rebuild of his totally rare Type III. So much progress in fact he had to start a blog. And while the vehicle in question may be lacking the ALUMINUM UND SHTEEL! found in modern Deutsche-coupes, Scott's blog is indeed highly precise. How highly precise?

You really know you've got a 1500 when you set the valves at .008".

Totally frigging Bruce, meine Jungen. The engine goes back in over the holidays. Stay tuned to this channel for the test drive...

[VW+VW1500]

Related:
How Works a Volkswagen? Karmann Ghia Type III Rebuild, Part 1 [Internal]
Hazet Going? Super-Rare VW Toolkit [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Hazet Going? Super-Rare VW Toolkit]]>

Due to a fourth-quarter cracked piston discovered by the machinist who was repairing the engine, this is not the second installment of our buddy Scott's Karmann Ghia rebuild. However, for petrolheads in general and Porsche/VW fetishists in particular, this may very well be more interesting. Starting in about 1950, German toolmaker Hazet, who for decades has built custom tools for the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, began producing little round, plastic toolkits for Porsche 356s and VWs. Why round? Easy storage in the center of the car's spare tire. We love that.

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There were two types of kits — the one for Porsches had "Hazet Tourist" stamped on the cover, while the logo-junkies over at the Peoples' Cars had a big VW sign imprinted on theirs. The VW-branded box could only be ordered through Volkswagen dealers and, interestingly, is the only third-party accessory ever allowed by the factory to be sold with the VW logo.

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Given their plastic construction, these round Hazet kits are getting rarer and rarer. However, Scott's is even more rare. A few years after his Type III Karmann Ghia was released in 1962, Hazet released a larger round-box kit, the 1500, which had a VW logo and "1500" stamped on it. Remember that the Type III was initially sold as a Volkswagen 1500. This bigger kit also fit into in the Karmann's large-for-the time 15" proto-dubs.

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Did we mention these suckers are insanely rare? Before Scott made his eBay score (paying $550 for an item worth maybe ten times as much), there were five of these 1500 kits known to exist. Scott's makes it six. To put that in perspective, there are six Bugatti Royales in existence (the seventh prototype having been accidentally destroyed), and those are priceless. Scott's Hazet is in relatively good shape, missing only the internal foam pad and the "slip joint pliers." We'd call 'em channel-locks.

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The VeeDub-specific tools themselves are very cool, if not a little rusted from decades spent in a shed on the Florida Gulf Coast. They're all chrome and stamped with "Hazet." This set is in good enough condition that the tiny "Hazet" stickers are still stuck to the screwdrivers, which one almost never sees. Scott guesses that these were never used. Will he ever use them? No way, but he would love to use part number 2567, the oil plug tool, to drain the transmission fluid. What's a guy to do? Most likely display the Hazet kit along with the Type III at shows. And dream.

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[by Jonny Lieberman]

Hazet [GuteFahrt]

Related:
How Works a Volkswagen? Karmann Ghia Type III Rebuild, Part 1 [Internal]

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<![CDATA[How Works a Volkswagen? Karmann Ghia Type III Rebuild, Part 1]]>

There are more than 600 ber-exotic Porsche Carrera GTs in North America. My buddy Scott estimates there are between 30 and 40 first-year (1962) Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type IIIs on this continent — and he asked me to help him rebuild his. Luckily, for the both of us, the rare two-door is considered a Type III, but was badged and sold as a VW 1500 Karmann-Ghia.

The car in question was a daily driver until five years ago, when "something" went askew in cylinder #2. Since Scott had a Squareback to fix up in the interim, the funky Karmann sat waiting — until now. On one of the hottest, most miserable Los Angeles afternoons in memory, we dropped and stripped the engine. We had two goals: ascertain why the bad cylinder had lost compression, and get it ready for an upcoming rebuild.


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We wound up snapping a torque wrench trying to remove the fan bolt. However, for a mill that hadn't turned over in five years, things were in surprisingly good shape. We found no metal bits in the oil or stripped screws. Only a single bolt was seized, but Scott feels a bigger screwdriver will do the trick.


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My favorite part of the day was checking out the factory tools Scott's collected. One is a flywheel lock, another a fan puller, both the height of pistonhead chic.


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Perhaps even cooler than the car itself is the ancient but storied manual we consulted during the teardown, "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat (sic) Idiot." Written and illustrated by hippies in the R. Crumb style, it covers everything from proper gear speeds for various engines to where to bang to remove a stuck head, noting, "This is very important — especially in San Francisco."


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After checking out the book (and rubber-malleting the appropriate screws) we discovered the culprit was not, in fact, a bad piston (as Scott had hoped) or bum cylinder (as Scott had feared), but instead a "sucked" exhaust valve, possibly the result of a cracked head. The engine had been through at least one cheeseball rebuild (using rivets in place of bolts!) and much TLC will be needed to get it shipshape. Scott is also replacing the 1.5-liter cylinders, which pump out a paltry 54 hp, with 1.6-liter guys. The resulting 70 hp won't snap any necks, but should be plenty to motivate the one-ton-ish Ghia around town just fine for Sunday drives.


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The car's original pastel green (still visible in the engine bay) and the repainted canary yellow both offend Scott's sensibilities. Luckily, black was a paint option back in '62.

[by Jonny Lieberman]

Author's Note: This article is the first of three. Stay tuned to see how the engine performs once it comes back from the machinist and how it looks after it is blacked out and the chrome gets polished. After that, I get to drive it!

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<![CDATA[BMW Building an Original 2002tii from Scratch for Public Viewing]]>

Call it performance art or a really slow-progressing media event, but BMW's building an original 1973 2002tii from the ground up — behind a glass wall at a temporary BMW Museum facility in Munich. Supported by BMW's in-house historians, BMW Mobile Tradition, which maintains a vast inventory of vintage parts, two Bimmer artisans are working in full view of the adoring public (well, we'd be adoring) to complete the all-original 2002 to be auctioned for charity in 2006.

New Into Old: BMW Reproduces The Cult Car Of The 1970s [Autointell via AutoWeek]

Related:
The BMW 2002: Birth of the Modern Sports Sedan [internal]

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<![CDATA[The Mighty Wee Autobianchi Abarth]]>

A European friend of ours had one of these as a teenager on the French Riviera. And in his inimitable style, he painted a Flying Tigers-style shark's mouth on the front frenders to ward off any encroaching Nissan Micras. He eventually cracked the thing up in a wreck with an old lady, but to this day he still raves about the car's handling. We dig the one pictured here. More cars need to rock the flat-black hood and '70s-style Cibie driving lights. That look's coming back, mark our words.

Autobianchi Abarth [Gentry Lane]

Related:
Fiat 500 Updated With Interactive Doo-Dads [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Bruce Meyer: We Envy This Man]]>
Not to be confused with Bruce Meyers, the man who invented the dune buggy, Bruce Meyer is one of the foremost collectors of classic automobiles, as well as a custodian of American hot rods. So much so that Pete Chapouris of the So-Cal Speed Shop refers to him as "his patron." A former chair of the Petersen Automotive Museum, the cars he's currently rotated in his home garage are a 1929 Duesenberg Murphy convertible coupe built for former Chicago Tribune honcho Col. Robert McCormick; Clark Gable's '56 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc; and two significant LeMans racers: the first 'Vette ever to run there (a 1960), and a class-winning 1961 250GT Ferrari SWB Berlinetta. Can we come over for beers, Bruce?

Chrome Homme [LA Times]

Related:
One For the Books: The Pierson Brothers Coupe [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Sacre Bleu! Restored Citroen DS-21 Convertible]]>

Supposedly they look at you funny in France if you actually exclaim "sacr bleu!. But they looked at us funny when we said "verfickende schei e! in Germany, too. Europeans. Go figure. In the 20 years of DS-21 construction, Citro n built 1.75 million of 'em. Only 1,246 were convertibles.

Philippe Devingt, of Sarnia, Ontario is a French transplant, who like many French transplants we know, has a serious affinity for vintage French iron, having restored this '66 DS after buying it from an owner who made him promise not to sell it. We don't think that was an issue for Devingt, as his statement, "After you drive a Citro n, everything else is just transportation," is kinda the Continental version of, "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!"

Citroen Owner Restores Vintage DS-21 Convertible [Detroit News]

Related:
More Citro n Madness: The 2CV Kitcar Club [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Rebuilding a Jeepster Econo-Style]]>

A Michigan man, suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (an old lady blew a stop sign and totalled his Isuzu Trooper II), decided to take matters into his own hands and rebuild a dilapidated Jeepster Commando that he'd traded a Dodge Diplomat for years before. So with $2,500 bucks worth of insurance money in his pocket, he decided to chronicle the build on his webpage. We love personal pages like this, as they're a refreshing respite from corporate-sponsored how-tos in mainstream car mags. Plus, we've always dug Jeepsters.

Project No-Bucks

Related:
More On Jeep's Dodge Caliber Platform Crossovers [Internal]

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<![CDATA[Restoring the M22 Locust]]>

While Civil War re-enactors seem to get all of the attention, there are a number of people around the country who are into the higher-priced world of World War II re-enactment. Here we have the restoration of an M22 Locust, a light tank developed by the US, but primarily used by British forces (due to their easy deployability via the Hamilcar glider). Found in a Midwestern field, the tank's repurposed Lycoming aero engine was yanked in favor of a cheaper Cadillac 346-inch flathead, and the turret had to be built from scratch. Just the thing to tool around in during a weekend jaunt through the Ardennes.

The Resurrection of M22 "Locust" Light Airborne Tank, Serial Number 110 [Roberts Armory]

Related:
Long Island DeLorean Medical Center [Internal]

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