A group of three approaches the top of the pass.

We have a very close relationship with Rich and Jean Taylor at Vintage Rallies, and I wanted to create a video to promote and build their events. So, earlier this summer we gathered some favorite customers and friends together for a spectacular day of enthusiastic driving on wonderful back roads. We closed down the shop, and Nate, Casey, Peter and I were actually able to enjoy the cars we work so hard on.

We made sure that every car had a camera and a co-driver to run it. The result, a brief, but fun piece that shows just beginning of some of the capabilities that these cars possess. Video after the jump (click here). » Continue reading “Vintage Rallies Close to Cannonball”

The 4 cylinder Ferrari Monza engine came back from England last week so in order to create some space, Casey took it out of the crate and threw the engine in the chassis. The shop who overhauled the  engine is a specialist on the 4 cylinder Ferrari engines and has made this a turn key, dyno tested unit for us to bolt in.

Nate is installing new brake components on the XKE after having the calipers overhauled and other things like cooling fan motors and a inoperative coolant temperature gauge. We have been so busy with Jaguars and brakes lately, new cylinders in two XK-140′s and all new brake parts on this XKE.

Shop images of the Monza and XKE

XK-D Jaguar

Here’s Peter bring the XKD to the false grid at Lime Rock over Labor Day weekend. The car is to die for, broke a starter motor pinion gear over the weekend but performed nicely otherwise. Has anyone heard of a fuel filter with a red foam element? Something is getting into the fuel system and plugging the idle jets and I think it’s the fuel cell bladder but it is rumored that it doesn’t have that type of cell…

Here is a cool engine, a Meadows truck engine that was “massaged” by W.O. Bentley to be in a 1934 Lagonda M45 Rapide Racing car. We have it in the shop to check all kinds of things such as the valve lash, fix a few oil leaks and make sure the oil pressure is high enough. It’s amazing how well this engine ran with valve lash everywhere from .004 to .024″! These pre-war English cars are similar to the American cars I described in the previous post, so overbuilt and rugged that if things go out of spec they still drive well. Or maybe it’s because the cars drive so poorly that if something is out of spec, you don’t really notice..

Meadows engine

Over the weekend Steve and I (Bill) headed with one of our customers to the Fairfield County Concours and Bonham’s Auction. We drove from the New Paltz area early Sunday morning, the Ferraris (250 GTE and 250 PF Coupe) caravanned to the event together, with the Steve and the Freightliner in tow, figuratively of course.

Stephan was a Concours Judge, which was as I found quite an honor. He worked to rate countless beautiful cars alongside the likes of Rupert “The Hawk” Banner, Bonham’s esteemed auctioneer, McKeel Hagerty, Dave Kinney, Wayne Carini, etc. Nice work Stephan. You can now find Stephan at the shop under his Fairfield County Concours “Judge” ballcap - commemorative gift with service.

On Facebook we’ve put up a gallery of pictures that I took when I either remembered to get the camera out or when my iPhone actually had battery life. The gallery is here – and a little teaser below. Make sure to “Like” us on Facebook so that our updates show up in your feed.

Bugatti Type 57

Wayne Carini's Leyland Bus

Dial-a-boost on the RUF CTR 1. This knob actually only varies boost from 1 bar to about 1.2 - not a huge performance increase but good to adjusting to the quality of different gasoline.

BMW 2002 Turbo

Me with the diminutive Fiat 600 that we bought.

Maybe we should narrow our focus on a specific brand of car but at the end of the day, we have relationships with people and our customers like a bunch of different types of cars so we end up working on all kinds of stuff. It’s amazing how great American cars are, they can sit around for years with the battery connected and start and drive without drama, USA, USA!

The driveshaft U-Joints in the green 1949 Ford Pick-up were totally blown out but the truck still drove beautifully and was quite smooth. With ignition advance stuck, a carburetor with a plugged passage and brakes sticking, a quick test drive relieved all of these ailments on the ’48 Chevy Woodie Wagon. If this were a Ferrari with any of these issues it would be sidelined!  Once we get some time, the pedal car in front of the woodie wagon needs a valve job.

Ford and Jags with a 1948 Chevy Woodie