More inquirys on building copys of movie cars....

I get a lot of inquirys from people asking me how can they get "Movie" cars. The answer is unless you can spend six figures or more, your not going to get an actual car that was used in a movie. I saw that actress Olivia Brown-who was on "Miami Vice" has a Daytona Spyder replica for sale. But god knows what the price is. The only way to do it is to build one. Depending on what your looking for it can be easy or hard. "Bandit" Trans-Am? Go buy a '77-78 T/A and paint it black, if it isn't already. "Bullitt" Mustang? How anal do you want to be? You could buy a '67-68 fastback, even if it's a 289 / C4 model, paint it Dark Highland Green, add some Torq-Thrust mags and call it good. If you want a 390 / 4-speed model-that's going to cost substantially more. "Vanishing Point" Challenger? I'd go buy a new White one with a Hemi!!  Or you could get any '70-74 318 Challenger, paint it Alpine White, put Rallye wheels on it and call it good. If it has to be a '70 440 / 4-speed R / T model, then your looking at major bucks. See the point I'm making? I've had many people ask about Burt Reynold's Ford in "White Lightning". Finding a '71-72 Ford Custom / Galaxie / LTD 4-door sedan shouldn't be too hard. Most will have a 351 or 400C engine. This isn't bad-as there's plenty of speed equipment available-heads, cams, intakes, etc. Paint it brown, put a loud exhaust on it, get some black wheels and chrome lug nuts and white-letter tires and your there. Now if it's "gotta have" a 429 / 460 and a 4-speed that's going to be a problem. 1st off-99% of these cars are going to be automatics. There was a manual trans option, but not many had it. Converting to a stick is going to be a nightmare. You might be able to adapt Mustang clutch linkage or F100 / 150 truck linkage-but it's still going to be a major pain in the ass. I'd stick with an automatic and get a floor mounted aftermarket Hurst or Mr Gasket or B&M shifter that looks like a 4-speed shifter. And I'd run whatever engine was in the car.  The "Mad Max / Road Warrior" Interceptor gets a lot of inquirys. You can't go to Australia and get a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT coupe. However a '71-73 Mustang or a '70-71 Torino look real close. When I first saw the movies I thought that's what the car was. It's easy enough to get black wheels and fat tires and fender flares, and "Zoomie" exhaust pipes. There's also companies that sell fake blowers that can be turned on and off like the movie. Or you could cut a hole in the hood, and put a real blower on the 302 or 351 Ford engine. It'll be close enough, people will get the idea.  "Rockford Files" Firebird? Easy. Get any '74-78 Firebird, paint it gold and put Rally II wheels on it. You decide how much power you want under the hood. If your a "Nash Bridges" fan-never mind a Hemi ( they said it was a hemi, the actual stunt car was a 340 model ) your going to have a hard time finding a 70-71 Barracuda convertible, even a 318 model.  The "Death Proof" Nova? Easy enough. Find a '68-74 Nova, paint it flat black, put Rally wheels and loud exhaust on it, and your there. Even it it's a 307 2bbl model. The "Starsky&Hutch Torino? Easy. Find a '74-76 Torino, put slot mags on it and paint it red with a white stripe.  You just have to use your imagination and ingenuity. Mastermind 

Apologies for not posting more quality stuff.....

I want to apologize for not posting as often this year as I have in past years, and not always having Ultra-Fresh stuff. I'm not making excuses-but this year has been a terrible one for me. My mother passed away unexpectedly, I had some health problems, and a work-related injury, my son lost everything in a fire in his apartment complex. He got out with the clothes he was wearing. The fireman found the cat. Everything else was lost. Anyhow that's behind us and I'm recovering, workmen's comp is paying the doctor bills, my son and I have a new place. So I'll be back soon hopefully with interesting and entertaining stuff. Thanks to all the people who read and comment. Happy Holidays!!  Mastermind

I hate to be devil's advocate-but for god's sake I've got 50 years of experience....

I get so tired of hearing about "Gotta Haves" in buff magazines and from idiots who are only quoting them. For example-people talking about 4-bolt mains and stel cranks, and screw in studs and roller rockers, etc. I know people that had 283 Chevys bored to 301 inches or 289 Fords tha regularly ran them 7,000 or 8,000 rpm with a solid-lifter cam with no problems. Small-Block Chevy's didn't get 4-bolt mains untilm 1969. I know people who have raced small-block Chevys for 40 years-and I have never seen a stud pull out of a head. I've seen broken pushrods, jumped timing chains, but never a stud pulled out of a head. I've seen stock Chevy and Ford Rocker arms last 2 whole seasons in an IMCA race car without failure. "Pontiacs aren't high revvers." It's true that the basic head design-except for Ram Air IV's and Edelbrocks don't make much power above about .480 lift, and the bottom ends don't like to go 7,000 rpm. But I know may guys that run 400's to 6,400 without trouble, 428s to 6,000 and 455's to 5,800 with no problem. And if you have 500 lbs of torque from idle on up you don't need to rev to 7,000.  "You need a single 4-barrel to go really fast." "That's buff magazines trying to make everyone idiot-proof. Multi-carbs didn't go away because they didn't perform-in perfect tune a 426 Hemi or 409 Chevy or 421 Pontiac with dual quads can really rock. As can a 389 GTO with Tri-Power or a 427 Corvette with Tri_power or a 440 / Six-Pack.  Porsche and Ferarri enthusiasts prefer the carburated 911S and Ferarri 308 models over the fuel-injected versions. Datsun 240 / 260 /280Z restorers prefer the dual or triple Weber setups to fuel injection. Single-carbs and fuel-injection came into vogue because of ever-tightening smog laws-not lack of power. People don't know how to tune them. I've seen it. Guy restores a car and it's never driven more than on and off the trailer. Or if it is, he's so god-damnded afraid of blowing it up that it never sees the high side of 3,000 rpm. The second it fouls a spark plug, he starts screwing around with the carburators. Pretty soon it won't even start. If your going to drive like grandma on Prozac, then go a range or two hotter on the plugs to avoid fouling. If you do decide to go the drags, a plug change is an easy fix. The other is driveline beef. In Summit's catalog-their new T10 4-speeds have a like a 325 lb or 375 lb torque rating. That's absurd. 1960's muscelcars like 409 Impalas, 421 Catalinas, and 406 Galaxies used T10s and had way more torque than that. The 421 had 459 lbs ft, which was under-rated, the 409 had 425 lbs ft,-and the '60's versions had much softer gears than the modern versions!!  I hate that every single magazine project car has to have a Brembo or Wildwood brake system worthy of a NEXTEL Cup or Formula 1 car. A buddy of mine raced Hobby Stock and Pro Stock circle track for years on a '70's Camaro with a stock brake system. Even on a 1/4 mile track running an 8 lap heat race, a 25 lap semi, and a 50 lap main event back to back to back-we never had brake fade as long as we used Ferodo or Bendix Metallic Police-spec D52 pads, and Dot 5 fluid. Even at the end of a 50 lap main-with the rotors glowing red-the car still stopped. I just get tired of self-proclaimed "experts" who don't know shit, giving advice.  Mastermind

Certain cars are just stars.....

Someone asked me the other day what musclecar had the most movie appearances and I realized I couldn'r just spout an answer. I told him I'd research it and get back to him. However-I may have missed some so my list might not be accurate. Anyhow- here's what I came up with in no particular order. # 1. 1968-70 Charger. Besides the obvious-"Bullitt" and the "Dukes of Hazzard" these Chargers have appeared in "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry", the "Fast&Furious" movies, the "Blade" series, "Drive Angry" and others.  # 2. Pontiac Trans-Am. Besides the obvious-"Smokey and the Bandit" and it's sequesls, and "Knight Rider" John Wayne drove a Brewster Green T/A in "McQ". Chuck Norris drove a Buccaneer Red one in "An Eye for an Eye". There was a red one in a chase in the "Star Chamber" about corrupt judges doling out vigilante justice. Steve McQueen drove one in "The Hunter", a 10th Anniversary Model was used in "Georgia Peaches" a little known gem that also features country music star Tanya Tucker in bondage!!  The "Loser" drove one in the finale of "The Driver". Roy Scheider drove one in "Blue Thunder".  # 3. Ford Mustang. Besides "Bullitt" Mustangs were used in "Diamonds are Forever" a James Bond film, my personal favorite-a barefoot in shorts Farrah Fawcett-Majors on the hood of a "Mustang II" for a promo for "Charlie's Angels",  "The Mechanic" with Charles Bronson, the original "Gone in 60 Seconds", "Marked for Death" a Steven Seagal stinker, "Bobbi Jo and the Outlaw" which featured evangelist turned action movie star Marjoe Gortner and a pre-"Wonder Woman" Lynda Carter who got naked a lot-the movies only saving grace, "Basic Instinct" "Menace to Society", "Hannibal".  # 4. Pontiac GTO. Goats have appeared in "Two Lane Blacktop" "Dazed and Confused" "Sleepless" ,"Sex Drive" "Knight and Day" "Faster" and maybe some others I missed.  # 5. Dodge Challenger. Besides the obvious-"Vanishing Point" Challengers have appeared in "Moonshine County Express", "NCIS" , "Dark Blue".  # 5. Chevy Camaro. Camaros have appeared in "Aloha, Bobby and Rose", "I the Jury", "Christine" "Remember the Titans" "Walking Tall Part Two" "Miami Vice" "Impulse", "Physical Evidence" and others I may have missed.  # 6. Chevy Chevelle. Chevelles have been in the "Fast&Furious" movies, "Drive Angry" "Lights Out", "Faster" "John Wick" "Jack Reacher" and others. If i missed any please feel free to chime in with information,!!  Mastermind

"Ford vs Ferarri" is well worth seeing......

I saw "Ford vs Ferarri" last week and I loved it. What's so good about it, is even if you weren't a gearhead and didn't know a lot about cars, you'd still enjoy it. It's the story of Ford going racing at LeMans with the express purpose of shutting Enzo Ferarri's arrogant mouth.  Matt Damon is excellent as Carroll Shelby who Hank the Deuce ( What insiders called Henry Ford II ) tasked with building the car-eventually the GT40. Christian Bale is excellent as Ken Miles-the driver Shelby thinks is the man for the job. The film shows some of the politicking in the car business, and Shelby and Miles' uphill fight to do it the right way. There's excellent racing action, and good performances all around, but it's really Matt Damon and Christian Bale's show. Their love-hate relationship is awesome. They can punch each other in the face and still have each other's back when necessary. It's not just the best car racing film, it's a great movie period. Too bad Carroll Shelby didn't live long enough to see it. He'd have loved it.  Mastermind.