2011 McCall's Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center

20th McCalls Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center Photos

Another year, another Jet Center Party, another mind-blowing good time. For people who have never attended this Wednesday night party that unofficially kicks off Classic Car Week in Monterey - run, don't walk, to get tickets for next year's event. Although all of the events held around the peninsula during this week are worth attending, the McCall's shindig is truly unique.

The combination of cars, military aircraft, the latest corporate and personal jets, the food, the wine...and the people, is like no other. The cars alone are like a highlight reel of what's to come during the rest of the week. Plucked from Quail, the auctions and the private debut parties to be held over the ensuing few days, the cars are the heart of the party, but removing them would still land you a memorable night. But this is a car blog after all, so let's take a look at what this, the 20th installment of the McCall's event here in Monterey, wowed us with this year.

Entering the outer courtyard of the venue we were greeted by a matte black Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador - the Murcielago replacement that picks up where the Reventon left off, and manages to drop a few hundred pounds and gain a few HP in its transformation into a more modern, sharp-edged supercar. While the overall dimensions are similar to the outgoing Murci, the cuts and creases remind you more of the LP560-4 Gallardo - which isn't a bad thing at all. It is stunning in person and promises to elevate Lamborghini's presence in this upper echelon of the hypercar segment with performance that will rival anything it is pitted against.

If matte black isn't your thing, there was also a reddish orange one inside the main event area, as well as a bare tub that proudly displayed the car's innards for closer examination. The materials used look just as exotic as the bodywork missing from this display vehicle and the components look like they were made by watchmakers. The Aventador duo were staring down a very yellow Hennessey Venom GT - the first one sold in the U.S. Standing beside the car was the man whose name appears on the rump of this stretched and stuffed Lotus Exige - John Hennessey. This LS9-ish powered monster offers nearly double the horse-count of the donor ZR1 and would probably feel right home on the grid at Le Mans.

A few feet away from the Venom was a carbon fiber track-only sculpture that is based on one of the most extraordinary new supercars of the last 10 years - the Pagani Zonda R. Where the new Aventador looks like carbon fiber origami with its prickly angles, the Zonda has a bioengineered organic feel to its form that makes it look like it was birthed from a living thing. And just like the Hennessey Venom GT, the man whose name is on the car was there to see people's reactions to his progeny - both the Zonda R and his new, U.S.-intended Huayra.

The Huayra was in the back of the main hangar, drawing us into a space that housed a few dozen more gems - but we lingered near the new Pagani for more than an hour before moving on. Part of the reason for that was the fact that Horacio Pagani himself was standing next to it, answering any question thrown his way, and happily opening any of the car's various panels with a flurry of unbuckling of straps and released latches. The simple truth is that Horacio has once again managed to create one of the most strikingly designed supercars in the world.

The components rival those of the Aventador that we marveled at, but elevate them into works of art. Truly, each of these mechanical ingredients looks fit to display in a museum. Pagani is one step ahead of us in this thinking, as several pieces were actually displayed in glass cases atop carbon fiber stands near the car. Gorgeous stuff that actually works as good as it looks - what a concept.

Our favorite bit had to be the key though. When Sig. Pagani placed a small silver model of the Huayra before us, we at first thought it a nifty keepsake for someone's desktop. Then the car was pulled apart revealing a USB jack. Ah, this must be a very clever - and expensive - press kit. When the other half of the miniature vehicle was inserted into a slot in the center stack of the Huayra, we were dumbfounded. This was no novelty item, it is the ignition key.

Near the Pagani stand sat a pair of Lotus Evora sportscars. One was a rather electric blue and the other was one of the company's race cars, done up in white with bare carbon accents. First shown and rcaed last year, the car appeared to have been refined somewhat for its sophomore season. Closer inspection revealed this to actually be the new GTE concept - a streetgoing version of the racecar. Think Scuderia or Porsche RS and you'll get the idea. Extremely handsome car and we hope that the large Lotus staff on hand for the debut took our drooling pleas to build it seriously.

Another car that we may have left a puddle of saliva in front of was a red Aston Martin with some less-restrained than usual lumps and bulges in its form. This was the new Zagato racecar and it looked brutal - handsome but brutal. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The car evokes memories of the mid-sixties dual-purpose racers from Aston's illustrious past - and conveniently, we only had to glance over our shoulder to see a few examples of that heritage. What a party!

The Ferrari display next to Aston Martin had a California, a matte white Italia that looked suspiciously like a possible Scuderia concept, and a shooting brake that s called the FF. Readers of this blog may note that these initials match my own. Coincidence? I think not, but the guard wouldn't buy it and didn't release the car to my care as I requested. It is often said that automotive journalists all have the same favorite car - a high performance station wagon with a stick shift. While that is certainly true of many of us, it is especially true of yours truly. A certain Hennessey-tuned Badillac CTS-V wagon comes awfully close to depleting my willpower reserves when it comes to grand theft auto. This Ferrari takes things a step further, however, by being a 2-door. Che bella.

There was so much more to see and do at the party this year, but I'll have to catch you up later. It is late and I have an early date with a polo field. The Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance is tomorrow. For now, check out the gallery to see what we saw last night at The Jet Center in Monterey.

1966 Dodge Dart 270 Convertible Restoration Part 13

Early August

Finished re-doing the front seat base

Mid August

Front seat is done... and installed...

Cars & Coffee – 8/6/11: Kenny from the Block

Cars & Coffee - 8/6/11 Photos

Yes, Ken Block was back at C&C today, with a whole film crew in tow, apparently shooting a series of video clips that will take them from the show to a meetup with a certain BMX racer also sponsored by Monster, to lunch, for a cruise down PCH and on to the DC store. A glance at the script had Ken using the SYNC system in his Ford, so it's quite possible we may be seeing some of this footage in a Ford ad too.

The car that Block brought this time wasn't his personal Focus RS street car, but rather his X Games-fresh Ford Fiesta RS WRC Rally, Gymkhana And RallyCross Car. The thing looks like a remote control car that's been scaled up. There is hardly anything inside it that won't contribute to gathering, managing or scrubbing speed. Block calls it his "hybrid function hoon vehicle."

According to a recent write-up on ZerCustoms, it is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo Ecoboost engine built by Pipo Moteur, which develops 600 hp and 665 lb-ft of torque. The engine sends its power to all four wheels via a Sadev 6-speed sequential transmission and an all-wheel-drive system developed by the same manufacturer. Ken's H.F.H.V. Fiesta weighs 2755 lbs and comes equipped with 355 mm Brembo WRC brake discs and 4-piston calipers, a Reiger WRC suspension system, a Cosworth engine management, a custom-built Garrett turbocharger with a 45 mm restrictor, and a dual-core intercooler.

This very special Fiesta rally car sits on 17-inch Speedline wheels with Pirelli P-Zero rallycross tires, when set for this type of racing, while Ken sits on a Recaro Ultima seat. When Ken uses his new Ford Fiesta WRC for Gymkhana, he has to adjust the dampers, spring rates and height, and put a set of 18-inch Fifteen52 tarmac wheels with Pirelli Trofeo tires. The Fiesta also gets shorter gear ratios
and an adjusted engine management map.

For stage rally, the new Fiesta WRC needs a new suspension and engine management setup, 15-inch O.Z. gravel wheels with P-Zero rally tires, 300 mm brake discs and real, functional headlights. They also have to move its radiators from the trunk to the front and to cover the side air vents.

It's really a clever design, and looks like it would be a hoot to drive. Honestly, letting Block take us for a ride would probably be even better.

While the Fiesta got the most attention, those who wandered beyond it got to see three different Lancias, a Fiat Multipla, a lightweight E-Type racer, a black Carrera GT, a Datsun 510 Wagon, Porsche 550 Spyder, some great looking BMW 3.0 CS coupes and a super widebody Camaro. Well, maybe that last ne was worth missing. Follow the link above to see the whole gallery.

Supercar Sunday - 7/31/11: Ferrari v Lamborghini upstaged by Zonda R

 

 Supercar Sunday 7/31/11 Photos

Lured by the Ferrari v Lamborghini showdown planned for this last Sunday in July, I decided it had been way too long since I had made the drive up to Woodland Hills for Supercar Sunday and got my butt outta bed for the first time in almost a year. It was a wise decision.

Not only did I get to see about 1,000 interesting collector cars on display, I also had a chance to catch up with at least a dozen friends I hadn't seen in a long time. That alone made the trip worthwhile, but the surprise unveiling of a Pagani Zonda R made it incredibly fortunate.

The Pagani Zonda needs little introduction, but these amazing boutique supercars are extremely rare here in the States. Never officially imported, a couple have found their way into private collections, and a few have been displayed at various shows and races around the country. I consider myself lucky indeed to have seen a handful of them between SEMA, SCS and Goodwood, the impression they leave in person akin to meeting Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher - that sudden thrill you get from realizing you are in the presence of a legend.

Auto Gallery, who generously underwrites SCS, has been named an official Pagani dealer, allowing it the privilege to sell the Zonda's replacement, the Huayra when it goes on sale soon. As if seeing a Zonda isn't enough to make friends who weren't there hate your guts, the Zonda they helped bring to the show this weekend was actually a Zonda R, the race version that holds the lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife for production based cars. Its 6:47.5 time bested the Ferrari 599XX by eleven seconds and the new production car record holder the Porsche GT2 RS by...wait for it...thirty seconds.

Horacio only built a few of these race cars so not everyone will get to see one in their lifetime. Without DrivenWorld publisher and SCS organizer, Dustin Troyan, I may have missed my chance. Dusty's hard work, along with the generosity of the car's owner, Auto Gallery and Century Towing allowed me to cross another vehicle off my bucket list.

Seeing the car up close reveals why Pagani has such an aura about it. The shape is alien yet beautiful and the engineering prowess of the company is immediately evident. The carbon fiber is laid perfectly, and close inspection reveals the titanium threads woven into the cloth to add flexibility to this normally brittle substance. Every detail is not only functional, but designed in such a way that you feel there must be some artists in the engineering department. Why can't every carmaker make their vehicles this beautiful and capable?

If you click the link above to view the gallery, you'll notice that at least half of my photos are of the Zonda R, but pry yourself away from those and you'll also see why shows like Supercar Sunday are so much fun. How's this for eclectic? When was the last time you saw a Toyota Crown Deluxe coupe? Never? How about a Kurtis Kraft 500? There were at least three there today. A Ram Air GTO Judge wagon? Maybe not factory, but a really cool sight. Other rare and wonderful sightings included a Renault R5 Turbo, Ford RS200, '73 Carrera RS, Continental Mark II, Morgan Aero, Hurst Camaro, Maserati 3500GT, Riley Elf, two yellow Ultimas, three BMW Z8s, Qvale Mangusta, and a few Lamborghinis and Ferraris.

The marque of the Bull was represented by dozens of Gallardo variations, a few Murcis, a pair of Miuras and a handful of Countaches. Prancing horse lovers were treated to scores of 3X8s, Maranellos, 355s, Modenas, 430s, 458s, Stradales, Scuderias, and Testarossas. Favorites included the 330 GTS, 550 Barchetta, 575 Superamerica, and a lone F40. Not a bad turnout by any stretch of the imagination, but overcast skies and a few scattered showers may have kept some of the even more exotic stuff at home. We're not greedy though, so an F40, two Miuras and a Zonda R were just fine with me.

MGF'S TO PART EXCHANGE FOR CLASSIC CARS !

I have 2 British Racing Green MGF's for sale [ a 1195 1800 & a 1198 VVC] . Both mot'd & taxed ...will part exchange for a classic car. E-mail or tel. if intrested . 0191 4960522

Cars & Coffee – 7/23/11

Cars & Coffee - 7/23/11

The Venom GT showed up today, piloted by the man whose name is on the back - John Hennessey. This stretched out Exige was just in England a couple of weeks ago being driven up the hill by GM engineer and racer John Heinricy, and now it's in the States, the only one of five on these shores. Three lucky customers are already driving theirs in various parts of Asia, and the fifth is the silver development car that is back in England.


The obvious similarity to a Lotus Exige is more than skin deep. John explained that the car uses the Exige cockpit almost intact, but veers off for the front and rear assemblies. The Venom GT looks like it's twice as long and wide as the car it is based on.


At one point John asked who wanted to see the engine and after several cheers of approval, the reverse-hinged rear clamshell was lifted to expose the heart of this beast. With boost set at a fairly modest 12 pounds, this turbo V8 derived from a Corvette LS9 motor delivers over 800 hp to its rear wheels. With the wick turned up, that number climbs closer to 1,200 at the crank, giving the 2,685-lb supercar a theoretical top speed of 277 mph.


This crazy cool missle hasn't had a chance to try to reach that v-max and John seems to be looking for a place to do it. When asked about taking it to the Texas Mile, John said, "That's only a mile though, we need a bit more than that. We could probably do 230 or a bit more in the mile, but nowhere near 270."


We also asked John if he thought about letting Top Gear and The Stig take a go at it and he responded, "We tried to get something together but the timing just didn't work out. We had done something with the magazine last year and were hoping to get on the show, but not this time."


With its LeMans-ready looks, British/American heritage and otherworldly performance, this could be looked at as a modern-day Cobra, but it more clearly fills the hole left by the demise of the Saleen S7 as the only true American supercar. The S7 ended up winning dozens of trophies in several different series during its relatively short lifespan. We don't know whether or not there are any plans to take the Venom GT racing, but if looks and sound are any indication, we doubt it would have a hard time winning a few trophies of its own.


At $950,000 we doubt we'll see a lot of these on the street either, although for those who can afford one, it represents quite a bargain compared to the Bugatti Veyron, one of the benchmarks in this class. While the Venom's top speed should exceed the Veyron SS's in a perfect world, the more amazing thing is the way the Venom outperforms that superGT at the dragstrip. Well, perhaps not at the typical dragstrip, but in the 0-200 sprint, the Veyron needs just over eight extra seconds to get there - 24.2 - 15.9 seconds. Simply amazing.

This was one of those weeks at Cars & Coffee where there wasn't just one highlight though, as David Sydorik brought a gorgeous Alfa Romeo TZ, Local Motors brought a Rally Fighter, Project Import brought a handful of race cars including a StopTech-equipped S2000 hardtop, someone brought a Ford  Escort Cosworth and a few hundred others brought something that was equally special to them. Epic week.

More Oldsmobile

Ouch! See that seam I just made? After all the careful work I am now just welding it shut! And the reason for covering my replacement seam (which I made specifically to reproduce the factory lead seam) is the frustration with lead. I filled the seam with lead (actually lead-free solder) three times, each time the lead seam cracking after bodywork. I also was warping the metal too much with all the heat of three rounds of solder.

It is very possible I could have left it, scored the seam and been fine. But it was driving my susceptibility to paranoia crazy. I kept imagining the flux stained innerds of the new joint rusting fast, pushing a bulge of lead up; which is exactly why I removed the seam in the first place.

The last picture shows the seam totally covered, getting the plastic filler treatment.




Here is the lower driver 1/4 that I fabricated, finally getting filler and some left over urethane high build primer. The little spot just below the emblem holes also got some filler after hammer and dolly work.



Sneek peek above! After selling the '64 Le Mans, I stumbled on this amazing "parts car" for the '64 442. It is in unbelievably excellent condition: virtually NO rust, runs perfect, and the hnterior is in excellent original shape. I am scared to tear this car apart as a donor for the 442 even though I need almost everything from it. It is just too nice of an original. True treasures still exist!



Here is the whole '62, slowly coming along. Why is it that a car that needs comparably little bodywork still demands so much time, so much decision making?




Passenger rear spot that I replaced sheet metal on is getting filler and blocking.




More filler on the pass. quarter. Lots of dents on this side of the car, forcing me to improve my hammer and dolly methods.




Here is the upper fender lip, showing the painstaking work of stripping without removing the fender. I remove one bolt, strip with a small wire wheel on my die grinder, then replace the bolt and move to the next spot. The plan is to keep the fender aligned.




This last picture is referred to at the end of the first picture's description. Body work is actually a painstaking project! Especially the straightening and forming, the blocking and filing.

And there is still much more to do...