Harvest

They don't grow them like this anymore. This 54' Vette was recently pulled from a field in upstate New York where it sat for many years. Buried to its hubs, it apparently took 10 hours to unearth it. Check out the root structure in the floorboards.

One Sick Nova

It's been a long, hot summer in the Carolinas (to my Northern blood, it feels like it started back around April). The dog days of August led to vacation time, an office and a home move, and relegated this blog to the back burner. Now that Labor Day is past, I'm hoping to get back into the swing starting with couple of posts on Chevy's entry into the compact budget muscle car battle, the Nova. I should note here that as much as Chromefin is into rust buckets, we are an equal opportunity car blog and admire all types of classic sheet metal, including customs. First up is this Fesler built 1970. Check out the air ride about 60 seconds in. Stay tuned for some photos of a friend's 67' Nova wagon and his thoughts on what constitutes the perfect ride.

Tiny Cars, Big Ideas

This is one of those shape-shifters... looks really cool from certain angles while from others, well... not so much. I do think it could give the Smart Car (ugly as sin to my eyes) a run for its money. Myers Motors could be on to something.

Solitude

Shorty's

I have long been a fan of big Detroit iron... particularly mid-sixties Buicks. Reader Mike from CT sent me some photos recently of of his 1965 Buick Electra 225 Custom Coupe. Custom refers to the all vinyl interior and the black on black really sets off the crisp styling on this runner. All factory except wheels, offenhauser valve covers, and factory correct black repaint. It features the 401 Nailhead 4bbl and is one of the few coupes with rare cornering lights.

Mike says he drove the car from Connecticut to Detroit in 2008 for the Woodward Dream Cruise... 1,600 trouble free miles in one week. He found Shorty's off of Woodward Ave... a perfect backdrop for this black beauty.

Fairhaven Bruiser

A friend of mine came across this 4,000 pound beast recently in Fairhaven, MA. It's in extremely nice shape for a coastal new england location. The third generation 67' Grand Prix featured an all new front end with disappearing headlights and parking lamps hidden above in the fender tips.

Time Travel

Seasons

Speaking of sleighs....

Super Bee on the Salt

Nice little video of a 70' Super Bee on the Salt Flats....

Dodge Superbee Salt Flats color test by Vita Brevis Films from VITA BREVIS on Vimeo.

Handicapped Cars

Interesting take on the automobile as an artistic form by artist Beni Bischof.

Retro Rocket

Set the way back machine to 1975. I had just been handed my learner's permit after completing two weeks of Driver's Ed, sharing a cramped Pinto with a foul smelling, cigar chomping instructor whose name was (you guessed it) Ed. It was also around the time that my old man traded in the family Wagoneer on a slightly used 72' Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (Holiday) Hardtop Sedan.

Harvest Gold, Morrocan black vinyl interior with the "Rocket" 350 4-barrel and Turbo Hydra-matic. This was no 442, but it would haul 5 friends in comfort and style and once those secondaries kicked in, it would get up and go. The photograph was taken in our driveway shortly after the Cutlass had returned from the local body shop. It's hood, left front grill and bumper having been rebuilt after a serious fender bender. I washed a lot of dishes and bussed my share of tables that spring to cover the $1,000 repair bill. It was also a good lesson on winter driving to an overly optimistic teen and made me think twice about ever tailgating someone again in a snow storm. The 70' Newport I rear-ended was unscathed and no, those studded snow tires on the Cutlass weren't much help. Studded snows... remember those?

Stuttgart Gems

While Chromefin will always be a big fan of classic detroit iron, we have also featured on this blog the likes of Austin Healeys, Citroens, and Volkswagons. I'd like to add Mercedes-Benz to the mix. Occasionally one comes across an automobile enthusiast's site where the more you drill down, the more pleasantly surprised you are. Such was the case when I came across Mercedes Motoring recently. To say these guys are serious about restoring old Benz's would be an understatement. The level of detail is amazing, right down to the correct factory inspection marks. Love this big 69' 300SEL 6.3 European model. Looks like it just rolled out of the showroom. Where do I sign up for mine?

You Can Go Home Again

Ever get that feeling of deja vu? Happened to me recently as I was enjoying my coffee and reading the sunday NY Times online automotive section. The article was titled Lots of Web Traffic in Such a Tiny Town and the photography immediately drew my eye. Here were these wonderful photos of 50's and 60's automobiles... clearly models, but set into the most realistic backgrounds. Something seemed familiar... I'd been to some of these places before, but how could that be? They're only models after all. As I read further, it all fell into place. These 1/24-scale diecast car and truck models were mixed and matched with scratch-built sets, and then photographed against actual outdoor backdrops in and around Winchester, Ma. The place where I was born and spent the first eighteen years of my life. These images seem to capture the memories of those early childhood years where old Packards and Divco milk trucks still roamed Wedgemere Ave. I've had some email correspondence with Michael Smith about his work and the themes running through many of his readers comments resonate with me. It takes people back to a simpler place and time.

Concour's Quality

Beautiful restoration on this 67' MGB Roadster by Joe DeMeo of Los Angeles. Bidding topped out at $26,600 on ebay.

Kaiser Muscle

I came across this 1967 Kaiser Jeep M715 tucked behind a local auto repair shop in Mount Pleasant yesterday. The US Government purchased these trucks to replace the Dodge M37 (to my eyes, the badder looking of the two). This one runs, and the first $5,700 takes it away. Here's some downhill footage of the M715 in action...

Point of No Return

Amazing that one can still stumble upon these forgotten (rusted) sentinels in a booming community like Mount Pleasant, SC. Just a block off the busy main drag of Coleman Boulevard sits this 1951 Chevrolet in an overgrown lot. Tantalizingly close, but surrounded by chain link fence and rusted padlock are an assortment of mouldering boat hulls, trailers and an old Mercedes. I'm identifying this as a Styleline based on the tail lamps and trunk badge but could be wrong. Far past the point of restoration, it's strong Chevy styling is unmistakable to the end.

Ventura Highways

When's the last time you saw one of these Ponchos? I can't say I ever did. A 1968 Pontiac Ventura with the 428 big block and factory four speed? I'm loving the hardtop styling and aggressive stance. To say that Pontiac was at the top of their game in the late sixties would be an understatement. This vehicle is a low mileage original with just 32,850 on the clock. For the price of a new Camry, you could be hauling the family in this bad boy and never see another one on the road. Sign me up.