and then there's CarCapsule! This is a '53 Corvette encased in vinyl at the Munday Chevrolet dealership here in town. Purportedly has 9 original miles on it. Hope you guys enjoy it! Ken
Or would you rather drive this? It would make a nice shop truck! Yeah, that's a 396 insignia on the fender!
I've heard of this The kid in the bubble got a car? You're right, Ken~ That is "extreme". I guess cleaning it is a breeze.
Ya Know , Here in La La Land (home of fruits , nuts & flakes) there used to be scads of SS 396 El Caminos , one of my mechanics used to buy one from the local Police Impound Auction every few months for $250.00 , tinker it back to life and drive it around but some guy in a bar (he was a hard core drunk) wold always offer him $1,500.00 for it and he'd go buy another one.... Before I bought my '49 , I was looking at a 1964 El Camino with 283 & factory AC , running , no rust , faded paint , tatty interior but only $1,200.00 asking price . You alls know I don't cotton to V-ate powered rigs . This past weekend I was looking closely at a ' Resto-Rodded ' 1954 GMC 1/2 T rig with a 350 / 400TH setup , Nu-View cab , IFS and disc brakes up front , I was thinking I could get it and plop in a proper truck engine : a292 long stroke Chevy InLine 6 banger (it'd bolt up to the V-8 motor mounts , tranny etc.) and throw the 14" wheels in the scrap bin and mount up some nice 16" LT radials on it (wide white walls of course) , put it back into shop truck service , that'swhat the current owner is using it for , hauling dead Motos on the So. Cal. TT Ride this last weekend . HMmmmmmmmm........
I guess I can appreciate that they are preserving a piece of American history in its original state, but IMHO a first year Vette is worth as much with 90,000 miles on it as one with 9 miles. In fact, probably more, as I wouldn't be afraid to drive a higher mileage Vette, but that pristine bubble car seems doomed to spend eternity as a virgin. Nate~while I don't share your hatred of America's finest engineering achievment-the V8, I certainly love your style! I also agree that an I6 has much higher appeal than the multi-million sbc's being cliche'd into every resto rod around the world. That being said, I'm still going to put my long rod, lightened crank 350 in my truck someday. It's not like I can't change it back when I'm older and wiser!
I DON'T ' Hate ' Em ! I just know which engine will easily out work and more importantly , outlast the V-8 (or V-4 , V-6 , V-12 etc.) . plus , since I have to work on and feed my own engines , I choose the easy and cheaper one . This past weekend I was out on the road , leaving behind a town having a car show ~ I passed many " Rat Rods " on trailers being pulled by wanna-be's with the windows up and AC blowing cold . I also passed many local guys , farm workers , etc. , mostly younger types who were ALL driving thier vintage Chevrolets the '49 Ragtop with the top down , the various & sundry others , none newer than '54 , ALL were being driven ~ the stockers , the Low Riders , the beaters , all being driven and enjoyed , not trailered by jerkoff wanna be's who DO NOT undertand one daggone thing about the true meaning of Rat Rods ~ it ain't in some slick magazine , it's YOU , the CAR (truck) and the Road . (tools too ) Oops , I'm ranting again , think I'll go into the shop and sniff some Diesel fuel and calm down .
You have every right to rant! A "rat rod" should never be subjected to a trailer; it's contrary to the whole point of having one!! Hope the diesel fuel aromatherapy helps...rock on I6nate!! You're a well educated man with way more knowledge and experience than I have (or ever will have), and if you say the I6 will outlast a V8, I have no reason to doubt. I'll always appreciate and respect your, or anyone else's opinion (or facts!)....that is true whether one prefers Chevy, GMC, Ford, Dodge, Toyota...you get the idea. Check out these Denmark rat rodders...they know how to have fun! Oh yeah, one last thing, I thought you were a HAMBer...isn't "rat rod" a cuss word over there? Sorry for hijacking the thread!
Not A Hijack ! Yes , I am a H.A.M.B.'er but I'm not cool enough for them to admit they know me...... Rat Rods is what they're all about , primer preferred over paint and much time spent getting the supposed ' details' Just So when real Rat Rods were built with whatever was lying around at the time , they don't Ken that part nor do they drive much . (apart from a few of them) Ed (Big Daddy) Roth must be spinning in his grave , a year before he died (in his shop , where else ?) he took a long drive in one of his jalopies and slept on the ground beside it every night whenever he was tired.... As long as you drive the damned thing , I don't care if you drive a KIA As far as V-8's , in the 1920's there was a car company called the Apperson , they figured out how to simplify them and had this sloagan : Apperson Eight ~ with 80 less parts . it's all good , if you like romping stomping Hemi power ,a lightwieght 283 or a stroker 383 C.I. SBC , whatever floats your boat is good , never listen to my advice , it's free for goodness sake ! .
Only if they are hauling from east coast to west cost. In that case I would have it on a trailer with my F250 Diesel pulling it.
GMC's Are _FUGLY_ But that nice split dashboard is a REAL truck part.... Besides , I'd toss that Belly Button SBC engine into the Pacific Ocean so's some baitfish would have a place to live and install a proper truck engine into it , painted Chevrolet Blue or mayhap 261 green (gotta pi$$off the JIMMY GUYS ya know , I can't have them thinking I'd go over to the other side ! )
