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Here’s an interesting discussion – hobbies. Since you’re reading this, classic cars are obviously one of yours. Are they at the top of your “hobby list”? Meaning, out of all the things you’re interested in, do they hold the Numero Uno spot?
Tools: standard socket set, standard wrenches, long screwdriver or pry bar, gasket scraper
Cost: approximately $50 for pump, $50-$250 for pan
Tinware: pan and pump, oil pan gasket, gasket sealer
Tip: When working with an engine on a stand, make sure it’s on a flat level surface and the rotation lock pin is in place.
Performance gains: Swapping on a high-volume oil pump and an aftermarket pan can produce up to a 10-15 hp gain on some engines.
Yes, I know it’s still winter and drive-in movie theaters are probably not on your radar– well, yet anyway. How did I possibly get onto this subject you ask? I recently went online and checked out one of my old haunts– the 99W Drive-In, in Newberg, Oregon. Of course, being in the northwest, their marquee currently reads “Closed for the Season, see you in 2016”. I’m sure you’ll find most of the drive-ins across the country shuttered ’til spring, unless you happen to live in a southern clime. Here in Florida, they seem to operate year ’round. Spring will be here before we know it and it’ll be that time again; time to polish up your old Chevy and take your favorite date (or, the whole family) to the big screen under the stars. This has always been a summer tradition for my wife and me. It’s always a special treat waiting for dusk, watching the kids play on the swings in front of the screen, and hitting the snack bar before the big show starts.
The El Camino was introduced on October 16, 1958 to compete with Ford’s popular Ranchero. While the El Camino was radical in design, it was a new play on an old idea. For years, farmers in Australia had been using vehicles called Utes to tote goods and equipment back and forth from farm to market. Allegedly this came about in the 1930s when a woman wrote a letter to Ford Australia asking for a vehicle that could “carry them to church on Sunday and take the pigs to market on Monday.” This simple request eventually led to Ford’s creation of the Ranchero for U.S. markets, and the El Camino followed two years later.
1966 Chevy Impala 427: Heavy Hitter
This super sweet ’66 has all the good stuff – the blockbuster L72 427, M21 close ratio 4-speed, 3.31:1 Posi-Traction axle, and F41 Special Suspension. Hold the power steering, brakes, A/C, buzz windows and all that jazz. It’s not even a Super Sport, just an Impala. It’s what is used to be called “a man’s car.”
I purchased this 1957 Chevrolet Convertible from Chevy Classics’ member Rod Fisher in 1998 in Grand Island, NE. It was a frame-off restored car, painted black with red/silver interior and was nearly finished. The body was wavy, which is not good in any color, especially black. I assumed it hid plenty of Bondo. My plan was to strip it, repaint it with a show quality paint job, then send it to Barrett-Jackson as a quick flip.
When this 1970 Chevelle Malibu Convertible joined us, we had a license plate we weren’t using that was in our daughter Sandra Ellen’s name. Because of that, “Ellen” somehow became the car’s name, too.
The car came to us from Cleveland, Ohio. No doubt, that’s a good place to live. It’s in a great state (Go Buckeyes!), the people are nice, they have the Cleveland Clinic and LeBron, and of course, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But, it can be tough on cars. The liberal (and necessary) use of road salt definitely takes its toll on steel during winter. For example, restoration of this car’s body required one new door, some floor repair, a full trunk pan, both lower fender patch panels, and full quarters on both sides.
Back in the 1960s, Chevrolet was not in the business of racing. The SCCA had a ban on factory-sponsored racecars, but that didn’t stop GM’s Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. Duntov did his best to conjure up a high performance package for Corvette that would enable the car to compete with Shelby’s Ford-powered Cobra at the racetracks. That package was designated RPO Z06.
A four-wheel disc brake 1969 Camaro RS Z28 makes for one rare ride.
Interestingly, Guy Amato didn’t start out a Camaro person. He actually owned a 1969 Dart in his high school days back in the ’70s. It was one of his friends who he used to cruise the streets with that sparked his fascination with the Camaro. Yes, that friend drove a ’69 Z/28. “There was something about the lines on the Camaro that spoke to me,” Guy remembers. “That Z/28 ran so strong given its small displacement – it was really something to see and hear. It was a cool car and I knew I would own one someday.” Little did he realize that he would end up owning two, with this very rare four-wheel disc brake optioned Z/28 featured here being one of them.
