1967 Shelby Mustang

In the last 15 years or so the 1967 Shelby Mustang has become one of or maybe the most desirable Mustang model ever made. These days most Shelby's are financially out of reach for many, but hey we can dream right?

Many movies have had effect on the desirability of cars but the Eleanor Mustang in Gone in Sixty Seconds seemed to secure its place in recent pop history. After the movie the demand for the cars and parts to convert cars to "clones" skyrocketed. Granted I'm not a big "clone" fan. I think you should customize your car to make it just what you want, heck go crazy. But I really hate to see the market diluted with fake cars. When Shelby build the 67 Mustang GT 500 it was a complete makeover. They left little unchanged. In 1967 Shelby rolled out the big guns with the 428 with dual carbs! This beefy engine produced 355 horsepower and had the now iconic oval Cobra air cleaner and cool finned cobra valve covers. Just as a side note did you know that a very limited number of 1967 GT 350 had Paxton superchargers? Dare you to find one of those in a junkyard. The 67 GT 500 had the heaver duty C6 transmission or the Ford top-loader 4 speed.

It doesn't seem like Shelby did much to even identify the 67 GT 500 as a Mustang, maybe because of the classic lines they didn't feel like it was necessary or maybe they just wanted to set it that much further apart from the more traditional Fords. In 1967 they made the front of the car 3 inches longer using fiberglass hood and other nose pieces. In the style that would look a lot like the 1969 Mustang Shelby mounted two driving lights at the very outside edge of the special Shelby replacement grill. Like in earlier models Shelby also put a larger opening in the fiberglass front valance to help with cooling the big block hidden under the restyled fiberglass hood.

The interior of the 1967 Shelby was very similar to the deluxe interior of the 1967 Mustang. But even on the interior Shelby remove the direct reference directly to Ford. The door sills on the Mustangs read Product of Ford and on the Shelby's those were replaced by a plate that read Shelby American Inc.". All of the 67 Shelby's had the wood rim steering wheel with brushed three spoke stainless interior. They also sported a 140 MPH speedometer and a 8000 RPM tachometer. They also had the fold down rear seat.

Of special note was the 427 GT 500. Less than 50 427 1967 GT 500 were made with the 427 engine. These certainly are cars of legend, in all my years of working with Mustangs and Shelby's I have never seen one. Count yourself among a select few if you have one in your garage.

In order to keep your mustang up to date you should always invest in the best Mustang Parts. Learn more about mustang parts at superiormustangparts.com

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Aston Martin DB4 - The Legendary Sports Car

The Aston Martin DB4 arrived in 1958 and represented the finest contemporary interpretation of the Gran Turismo theme. A magnificent synthesis of the talents at the firm's Feltham works and the Italian Touring styling house, the DB4 was, during its five years of production, the best selling model which paved the way for the even more successful Aston Martin DB5 & DB6 succeeding models.

The story of the DB4's development really began in 1950 when John Wyer started at the Feltham works as competitions manager moving from his post as managing director of sports-car specialists Monaco Engineering. Another 1950 recruit was design draftsmen Harold Beach, whose previous career had included spells at the Barker Coach building Company and Garner Strausler Mechanization, who built commercial vehicles as well as ancillary equipment.

It was in 1964 that Beach began working on a DB2 series replacement, which was to be titled "DB4", the DB3 being one of the firm's sports racers. Known as Project 114 it had a perimeter chassis frame with a sophisticated (for its time) de Dion rear axle employing parallel trailing links, the lower ones connected to laminated torsion bars. At the front end of the car Beach introduced wishbone and coil independent front suspension where the DB2 by contrast had a trailing arm system. A 3-Liter version of the then current twin-cam six was employed and Frank Feely designed a traditional suitable closed body, not dissimilar to that of the DB2.

Significant changes were made to the specifications in 1956 with the appointment of John Wyer as general manager. Previously Mr. Wyer had held title and position as technical director. Beach was later to remember Wyer's promotion as one of the utmost and greatest lasting significant factors in the DB4's development as giving a "true sense of direction and purpose to the project" at Feltham.

The first modification of the concept came with the decision to dispense with the Lagonda engine and replace it with a purpose built Aston Martin unit. It perpetuated the twin overhead camshaft six-cylinder theme and in its production form had square 92 mm x 02 mm dimensions which gave the power plant a capacity displacement of 3670 cc. In its starting out point, in its original format the mechanical engineer designer Tadek Marek specified a cast-iron engine block, but this was subsequently upgraded to aluminum with chrome vanadium wet cylinder liners. The power plant head was of the same materials with valves essentially at 80 degree included angle, while at the other end of the engine was a robust seven-bearing crankshaft. In this form the engine developed a full 2400 bhp at 5700 rpm.

The DB was announced in October 1958 to a rapturous reception overall so much so that it immediately received the moniker "Aston Marvel." The racing mock up the 3 Liter DB III had a top speed in the ranges of 120 mph ( 193 km) yet the top speed of the DB4 - which was of course a high end retail production unit - was an amazing near 140 mph ( 225 kph). What a thoroughbred racehorse of a sports car.

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Alfa Romeo - An Italian Classic

The Alfa Romeo is for many synonymous with classy and expensive sports car and the Italian car manufacturer founded in 1906 still makes sports car with the Spider and the 8C Competizone as two of their better known models. Today the manufacturer is owned by Fiat and produces anything from a 3 door hatchback to a 4 door sedan.

Historically the Alfa Romeo became famous for its small cars specifically designed for the Italian police and will have featured in many so-called 'gangster' movies of the 1960s. The Alfa Romo has also been involved in motor racing and won many famous road races such as the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. The Ala Romeo has also been a part of the Formula One circus.

If you fancy test driving a, head down to your local dealership and check out models such as the Mito, Giulietta or the 159. The Giulietta hatchback for instance is a good all-round compact family car which is said to be keenly priced compared to its competitors such as the VW Golf and the car scores very high in the Euro NCAP crash test so should be a good buy if safety is a priority. It's also a classy looking car if you're looking for something a bit different. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of ?20,000.

Another possible Alfa Romeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great.Another possible Alf Roeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great.

Another possible Alfa Rmeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great.Another possible Alf Romeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great.Another possible Afa Romeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great.Another possible Alfa Roeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great.

Another possible Alfa Romeo is the 159 Sportswagon which is larger than the Giulietta and is an alternative to buying something like a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series. Pricewise it undercuts any German manufacturer but the re-sell value isn't great. new Alfa Romeo

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Choosing The Perfect Driving School

Butterflies in stomach, heart pumping fast, nervous hands trying to steady the wheel, wide open eyes trying to look in every direction, yes, this is the first time your child is about to learn how to drive. Learning how to drive is a huge step in a person's life. You should remember that being a parent you are the sole person responsible for your child's safety. If your child is about to learn how to drive then you can either teach him or her all by yourself or you can sign them up in for driving lessons. Now you must be wondering which driving school you should enroll them in as there are dozens of driving schools all around your neighborhood. So to choose the perfect school you must keep the following factors in mind-

- Choose a driving school which does not cheat you off your money by making up big fluffy stories about high flying systems they have in their cars. You should check all around before settling on one school. The cheapest of them all may suit your pocket but beware of other factors like classroom experience and well maintenance of the cars.

- Check whether the instructor who will be providing the driving lessons is an expert or not. The driving instructor must have knowledge about the local roads and traffic signals and signs. He must also have a decent knowledge about cars inside out. He should be a pleasant person as your children may not feel comfortable to be learning how to drive from a very obnoxious person.

- You should see to it that the car in which your child is about to take driving lessons should be well modified to suit the needs of a young trainee for example passenger side breaks and second steering wheels which will be helpful for the instructor to control the car if it ever goes out of control.

- Also ensure that the driving school provides a combination of classroom instructions and first hand practical experience. The classrooms should be well maintained. Also verify whether they provide simulator trainings. Simulators help the students to gain almost real world experience in which they would be facing in a facade of driving situations.

- You must definitely look into the school's accreditations. Check whether the school has been accredited by the appropriate authority or not. If it is not an accredited school then you should avoid enrolling your kid there.

So, keeping the above points in mind, now you will be able to find the perfect school which can provide the best driving lessons to your beloved children.

If you are looking for Driving Lessons Brisbane, you will quickly discover that No Yelling it's simply the best option.

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Classic Cars - The MGB GT

Throughout its eighteen year production life the MGB was a lovable sexy looking little roadster, with a low growling engine and a snug cockpit more reminiscent of a world war two fighter.

When first launched in 1962 the two seater MGB looked and felt very modern and went on to epitomise a more middle class view of the 'swinging sixties'. The car was of course built on solid time honoured MG virtues and class, and for the most part of its construction, adopted from its forerunner, the now much sought after MGA.

Built at Morris Garages in Cowley Oxford, the engineers took the MGA's B series 1492 cc engine and re-bored it to the much larger 1798 cc, and by fitting it into the same amount of engine space as the MGA raised the output of the MGB to a healthy 94 bhp. This gave the sports car a very lively performance with a top speed of 103 mph. The MGB could do 0 to 60 in 11.4 seconds. The engine had plenty of torque in the higher gears and it was renowned for the cars predictable road-holding, you could throw it around corners without losing control unlike many other sports cars of the time, which made the MGB popular with both young and old alike.

In the summer of 1965 when The Byrds were Number One in the UK Music charts, MG launched the highly desirable and elegant MGB GT fastback coupe.

The stylish lines of the MGB GT were designed by Carrozzeria Pininfarina whose Italian company had also produced designs for Peugeot and Ferrari.

The GT featured a rear hatch door, what could technically be called a 2+2 rear seat, which was so small a dog had difficulty sitting in it, and was often fitted with a leather sunroof. The extra bodyweight meant that the GT's low end acceleration was not as good as the MGB, however its naturally aerodynamic shape and lines gave it a top speed of 106 mph.

Production of the MGB continued under the auspices of the nationalised BLMC or British Leyland as it was known from 1968, but the MGB received poor investment, despite it being Britain's top export car to the US market for many a year.

In 1973 after much demand from enthusiasts British Leyland made a sincere attempt to pack the MGB GT with a much more competitive punch and fitted the car with Rover's 137 bhp 3.5 litre V8 engine!

Suddenly the quaint lady of british motoring could reach a top speed of 125 mph and do 0 to 60 in an impressive 8.4 seconds. In many ways the MGB GT V8 could claim to be Britains first 'hot hatch'!"

The new alloy engine weighed nearly forty pounds less than the old B series lump and the handling was much improved. Sadly, sales of the car were poor as its heavy fuel consumption did not bode well with the oil crisis and petrol rationing that were occurring when BLMC launched the car.

In 1975 all MGBs were given those rather unsightly black polyurethane bumpers or fenders to be precise. They were actually installed to meet US safety standards. All other changes to the MGB GT were also as a direct result of being so popular an export to the US and included the ride height being raised to meet US headlight standards and a single carburettor and catalytic converter were added to all US models to meet strict emissions standards. This, unfortunately for those driving them in the US, reduced the bhp to just 62 with a maximum top speed of 90 mph.

The final MGB rolled off the production line in 1980 and by then the car had sold over half a million. Throughout that time the second hand market for the MGB and GT was as strong as it is now with very high demand. Buying an MGB today is not beyond the pockets of many and as when new, the classic MGB and the MGB GT still remains affordable and is particularly popular with new collectors of sports cars.

Owning classic used cars can be fun and the MGB and MGB GTs are no exception The car's servicing can be done at home with a limited tool box, a set of axle stands and a decent jack. The spares situation for all parts for both the MGB and MGB GT is amongst the best for any classic car on the market. in the UK MGB specialist and garages can be found in every region and city. Car Insurance quotes are very fair, especially if you compare classic car insurance quotes, due mainly to the MGB's limited performance and the very wide availability of spare parts.

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Classic Car Pate Swap Meets

A. M. Pate Jr. and Sebert Pate were not only genetically linked (they were brothers) but they also shared a passion between the two of them. The passion was a passion for cars. Hence they began collecting cars in the late 1940's. Since then the collection grew, and another idea had sparked between the two - they had thought about displaying their collection. Hence the Pate Museum of Transportation was born located on U.S. 377 between Fort Worth and Cresson, Texas.

That is right; it was a museum of transportation, not just cars. This meant that they had collected more than just cars. Amongst the collections was a yellow submarine, helicopters besides just cars. When they had first begun there were only 15 cars in the collection to be displayed. As the years went on, the Museum of Transportation grew until it amassed a total of 68 antique cars and other forms of transportation too, like the submarine, a minesweeper boat, aircrafts and a private railroad car. Aside from just vehicles, the museum also held books - 1500 volume of books were made into a library in part of the museum. Entrance to the museum was free and it opened from 9:00a.m right up till 5:00p.m from Tuesdays right till Sundays (it closed on Mondays; for upkeep and maintenance jobs) Sadly though, as of 2010 the museum as closed down. No one knows for certain the exact reason why the museum had closed down. However one thing is for sure, the Pate legacy would still live on. This is very much evident as the Pate Swap Meet car exhibitions still carry on - the last was held on April 28th, 2011 till May 1st, 2011. Carrying on with the main goal that drove the Pate brothers, that is to showcase their cars, the swap meet does exactly what was intended when the museum first opened.

The Pate Swap Meet car exhibition had begun in 1972 and is still going on strong, despite the museum being closed. The Pate Swap Meet car exhibition was an idea of a Barney Calvert who was at the time a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America. After seeing and drawing inspiration from the Hershey Swap Meet car exhibition, he approached the Pate brothers with the idea; which needless to say, went down well with the brothers. From the year 1972 till right now in 2011, the Pate Swap Meet car exhibition has continued on, having last met in the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas (located 20 miles north of downtown Fort Worth, at the corner of Interstate 35W and State Highway 114). The Pate Swap Meet car exhibition is also a fund raising attempt of 17 Texas antique automobile clubs. It is one of the three largest swap meets in the United States of America. It has more than a quarter of a century of heritage and is recognized internationally due to its diversity of products in the automotive industry that are offered by its vendors.

Vendors come from all across the nation to fill up the spaces that are available and offer their goods or services, offering anything and everything to do with the automotive industry - from cars to rare equipment and the likes of it. There are so many great car shows out there, don't limit yourself to just one showing.

Be sure to check out the cars at carlisle show as well as the sema and pebble beach shows that occur every year!

The Pate Swap Meet car exhibition will definitely continue to progress as it has already built a name for itself. Therefore, even though the museum has come to a close, the show must go on, as the saying goes - and it definitely will for years to come still. As we can see from this year's show that went on despite the closure of the museum. Surely the Pate family legacy will continue to live on through these shows.

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An Enduring Legend: The Original Jaguar XKE 120 Dual Cam Roadster

With much of Western Europe in ruins, automobile and engineering companies specializing in all kinds of sports car and motorcycles shifted their focus to America at the end of World War 2. This mass exodus included famous named like Austin-Cooper, Lotus, Austin-Healey, Mini-Cooper, Triumph, MG, Triumph bikes, Norton, Greeves, and British motorcycles. One name that stands out from this era of high-tech engineering and exotic European performance vehicles is the legendary Jaguar XKE roadster.

Although the Jaguar Automotive Company was active in the manufacture of high performance sports cars prior to World War 2, it is only in the post war period that the company went from a local British brand to an internationally acclaimed icon. Jaguar was going strong in pre-war Britain with standouts like the Jaguar Roadster SS-100, but the war soon brought an end to the good times for the small British manufacturer. A weak post-war economy combined with rationing lead to a huge decline in sales in Britain and Europe. Luckily there was an emerging market for premium performance vehicles over the Atlantic in the United States and Canada.

To tap this vibrant new market for their vehicles Jaguar's designers, engineers, and even the co-founder set out to launch a new, more stylish and sporty. This new model was seen as the saviour of the company - it was meant to raise demand for Jaguar vehicles abroad and ensure the company's continued existence in a difficult home market.

To this end they fitted out the new model with a then very powerful engine that achieved max power at 5,000 rpms. This was a huge innovation at the time as such power back then could only be found in specialized racing cars and not normal production vehicles. Another huge innovation for the time was the introduction of twin overhead camshafts, something else not found in many cars of the era. The original XKE roadster used a 3/4 litre inline six engine with a bulky crankshaft and 7 main bearings powering a long engine stroke. The 5200 rpm gave this car 160 horse power, making the original XKE an agile yet refined beast on the highways and byways of America.

It is interesting to note that the unique twin over head cam setup was not proposed for production models of the jaguar Roadster, but for the Jaguar Sedan instead. The cam setup was installed as a temporary fix for the engine during the testing phase of the Roadster, but due to positive market approval and high customer approval they decided to stick to it for final production. Although the Jaguar Sedan Mark VII models released in 1951 featured the same engine, the Jaguar Roadster XK120 model had it three years earlier in 1948.

The Jaguar XK120 was launched to rave reviews for its elegant look, beautiful styling, high performance engine and impressive speed and handling. With its stylish contours and top speed of 120 miles per hour the Jaguar XK120 lived up to its namesake of a sleek and agile hunter. It seems quaint when you consider that the Roadster's price back then was a modest 2,500 US Dollars.

The original Jaguar XKE120 roadster holds the distinction of being one of the best cars ever designed. Even in to the profusion of high-end European cars that thrived in US markets after the war, the Jaguar XKE120 held its own, and is still regarded as an all time classic.

Looking for information on Jaguar XKE?

Click to http://www.jaguarxke.com/, the ultimate website for Jaguar XKE fans and enthusiasts.

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