Opened up the bonnet on the 66 Paxton. My jaw hit the fender when I got a look at the carb that was in there. A 650 CFM Barry Grant Mighthy Demon. WOW, pretty and shiney. Double pumper with dual inlets. The big problem for me was the lack of a choke or provisions for a choke. The prior owner felt the need to put the big gun under the bonnet. It has been a bear to start. I felt that there wasn’t a choke or it was stuck open. Got a fresh carb built by the local carb magic man (Mike R). Can’t wait to try it out.

I’ll be running into some of my Gibbs customers while at the Detroit 2012 Autorama. Always good to see the folks.

Ready to roll packing a Paxton

A friend of mine, Kevin, called and asked if I could help him bring his new ride home. We had some snow and he didn’t want to chance bringing it home in questionable conditions. So off we go to pick up his 1987 Buick Grand National. What a car it is. 15K on the clock, never been in the winter slop. Every tag and chalk mark is on the underside of the car. Has the original factory tires on it. Probably has the factory air in them.

He had been looking for a number of months for the right car. When he found this one he couldn’t believe his luck. It is a rare find in it’s own right. The owner had put it up for sale and had sporatic interest. He would put it on a posting site and then take it off after no action. I don’t know how he didn’t sell it right off the bat.

My buddy Kevin is ready for the upcoming cruising season. I know I am. I am really looking forward to putting some miles on the cars this year. Did not get to do much in 2011. Watch out 2012 I am going to be hitting the road big time.

Nestled safely in their beds.......

The 66 and the 2011 share quarters for the winter months. After the wheel change on the 66 they were both covered up and tucked in for the remaining winter months. They are always ready for a spin around the block when the weather permits. For that matter, I am ready for a spin around the block also.

Planning a full cruise season this coming year. Also getting ready to put the order in for the 2013 Boss 302. Was sold on School Bus Yellow. Saw a photo of a great shade of blue that may change my thinking. Still time to figure out what I will do.

Getting ready to do a free give away with Gibbs orders. Stay tuned for developments as they unfold.

Correct wheels and tire size changes the look.

Getting ready for new shoes

Took advantage of some nice weather and put the new shoes on the 66 Mustang. What a dramatic difference in the appearance of the car. Judge for yourself. I think it now has a more period correct look with the repop Shelby wheels on it. I don’t think anyone will tell me it is a BULLIT car again.

Another year is behind us. Hopefully, 2012 will be better for all of us. Looks like we will be blasted with political stuff till November. I hope the ship gets righted before we go under. I for one an getting worn out on being Politically Correct. Can’t wish someone a Merry Christmas for fear of hurting their feelings. Give me a break. Kids are shooting up schools, teachers are being attacked in the class room but we can’t pray. I better stop now before I get wound up.

Gibbs was good in 2011. Sales are up and many of the prior cutomers are coming back. Many new and then becoming repeat customers during the year. Best call I got was from a fellow on the east coast that wanted to let me know that his son was winning in his shooting competition. Seems his gun is firing quicker and ejecting shells faster and not jamming during the competition. Some one walked off with his can of Gibbs at a meet. Wonder if that is a new customer that I got.

Looking forward to the next cruise season. Got the 66 GT350 clone and the GT500 in the barn ready to roll. Plan to take in as many cruises as I can this year. Hardly hit any in the past year. Going to make up for that. Have to stop by the dealer and get the latest on the 2013 Boss 302 order book. Have to find out when the order book will be opened. Got my name on the list. Want to make sure I am still in the number one spot. Saw a picture of the 2013 Boss in a blue color that looked very nice. I was thinking school bus yellow. May need to rethink my color choice.

I had a good time in 2011. The Boss Reunion was a great time. I got to judge all those beautiful Boss cars with Ed Meyer and Dave Riley. I was the scribe. I just was writing down what they told me. A tremendous learning experience for me. Got invited to the banquet afterward. Sat with Ed Meyer, Jim Wicks, Kevin Marti and some other shooters in the Mustang hobby. Talked to Steve Ling from Ford. The director of Marketing for Ford. What a day that was. The next day was Mustang Memories at WHQ. The show broke all the records. Fantastic turn out and I had a great time. Got to park in the Charter Member area. I guess when you start a club in 1975 you get a good parking spot.

Also went to the National Muscle Car and Corvette show in Illinois. Just went and hung out with the guys. Met and spent some time with Mopar Tony. What a character. Steven Julinio was there with his Chrysler show car. Got to meet and spent some time with Colin Comer. Bob Gaines of Boss 429 / Shelby fame was in attendance. Ed Meyer was showing a great looking convertible. Also old buddy and fellow Ford Retiree Jim Engle was there with his fantastic 65 289 HiPo.

Do some searching on Craigslist and find a pair of seats ten minutes from my house. Turns out the owner is a fellow that I have met at some local cruises. Looked over his killer 69 Mustang drag car and did some bench racing. Caught up on a few of the fellows that I haven’t seen in awhile. It was a very enjoyable evening. Scored some parts that I needed and had some good conversation.

Taking some Gibbs out to him in a few days. Will make that drag car faster.

Should change the look completely. Now people see the car and say “oh look, a bullit car.” Not what I want to hear. The problem is the Torque Thrust “D” rims on it. The highland green paint doesn’t help any either.

Hopefully this will put a stop to those comments.

Not that I don’t like Bullit or the Bullit cars. I have watched the movie at least 75 times. I would love to have a bullit car. However my 66 is not even the right year. Oh well, such is life.

Continuing to supply GIBBS Brand to the NASCAR teams. They are stocking up getting ready for the 2012 season. Good luck and safe racing to all.

I have attended THE FORGE INVITATIONAL MUSCLECAR SHOW five times. Each was better than the last. Met some fantastic people and got to see some of the best cars on the planet. Tim and his family are the most gracious host you can find anywhere.

One of the things that made the show such a treat was meeting and talking with all the owners. Learning the history of their cars and the enjoyment they have from showing their car.

I will have to map out my route to Bristol for the FFW being managed by Tim. As always, I’ll bring some Gibbs Brand with me for those that are in need of the best lubricant on the planet (my opinion).

After looking for almost longer than I can remember I have found the elusive clone Shelby. I have traveled to many states and talked to many folks in the past years. Always looking for the right Shelby clone.

I know the car is a clone and don’t intend to pass it off as anything other than a well done 66 GT350 clone. With a 347 and Paxton under the hood it moves out very nice. The power is processed through a 5 speed trans into a 3:50 Traction Lock 9 in. housing.

The body is as straight as they come. I haven’t seen one this straight in a long time. The paint job is flawless and perfect.

Why a clone. I like to drive my cars. When I feel that the value is to the point where it is a financial liability, I rethink my driving the car. With the prices of the real deal 66 GT350 hitting higher and higher numbers I wouldn’t drive one if I bought one.

Many of the original cars were bought to run hard and be put away wet. Many of them were. Over their life time they have had various modifications and upgrades done to them. I would not want to pay the long dollar for a car that has passed through who knows how many hands over the years.

The prior owner had the car for 15 years and everything was done the way I would have done it myself. I was able to talk with his mechanic and got to understand the thought process that went into the modifications. I could not find fault with anything that was done to the car. That is what made me put it in my garage.

The only thing the car needs is some Gibbs on some of the components. The up coming summer will be filled with cruise nights and long drives. Of course this is after the Gibbs is applied.