About CarSafari
Why cars? My older brother got me started. We began wrenching in the 70's. His first build was a 1967 Triumph TR4A. British rides were cool, but our interests shifted to American muscle. A friend's Gran Torino would occupy our garage, as did a `69 Chevelle (my auto-body project); and my first car, a 1965 Ford Mustang. I laid down $300 of my hard-earned cash in 1976 to buy it. Four years later I sold it for $1000 to buy Shannan's engagement ring (definitely no regrets!).
Recently, I came across this photo of my dad in 1936. He loved cars, whether this 1935 Dodge, or the 66 Chevy II he brought home one day, or the Fiat 124s he owned. So, perhaps my brother Bobby just fanned the flame that was latent in the genes.
My interests tend to the automotive unique: two 9th gen Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupes (Areobirds), a Cobalt SS supercharged 2.0, an Impala SS, and an Aussie aided 2006 Pontiac GTO. These days five cars sit in the garage: A 1936 Chevrolet Master Coupe Deluxe, a 1949 Dodge Pickup, a 1966 Ford Econoline Van, a 1975 BMW 2002, our 2000 Dodge Viper RT/10, and a 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8. We also have a couple of bikes which you will see below.
1936 Chevrolet
Our 1936 Chevrolet (aka The Octogenarian) hails from North Carolina, where Hot Rod builder Harley Linville pulled it out of a barn and worked his wonders. Power comes courtesy of Cadillac, a 1995 Fleetwood providing the LT1 350 heartbeat. Power transfers through a Turbo 350 to a 10 bolt with 3.42 gears. A Mustang II front end and discs on the corners help the handling and stopping power. We’re building on Harley’s work, adding a triangulate four-link suspension in the rear. The Octogenarian clocked about 3,000 miles on the 2019 Hot Rod Power Tour. It took its second lap on the Tour in 2024.
Dodge Magnum SRT8
The Dodge Magnum SRT8 is one of our favorite rides. The 6.1 Hemi-powered mopar is a delight. It breathes easier compliments of a Mopar Cold Air intake. Kooks 1 7/8 stainless longtube headers with catted mid pipes help enhance that flow. Brady’s High Performance in Willow Street, PA supplied the HP tune. The Dodge rides on BC Coilovers and its beautiful exhaust note comes from the good folks at Borla. Their Aggressive ATAK catback exhaust is appropriately named. This car is LOUD!
1949 Dodge Ram
Shannan and I spotted this 1949 Dodge Ram in the parking lot of a little town in Tennessee. Intrigued, we pulled over. I featured the Dodge in a CarSafari Video. Knowing my wife’s attraction to old trucks, I reached out to the owner a few months later with the intentions of surprising her for her birthday. The pickup was still for sale. I struck a deal, parked the truck on our son’s farm until it could make the trip to its new Arkansas home. It has its original Flathead Six and a mostly rust-free body. Hemi swap coming Spring 2025!
1966 Ford Econoline
The 1966 Ford Econoline is my Arkansas tinker car. I found it on the side of the road. It was for sale but had not run for a long time. You can read a little of the backstory of the Green Machine by clicking here. Our grandkids love it. It boasts a slightly modified Ford 300 (originally Econos came with either a 170 or 240 straight six) and is undergoing an overhaul that would make the Tin Woodsman proud. It’s three-on-the tree! You can follow the Green Machine build here.
2000 Dodge Viper RT/10
The 2000 Dodge Viper RT/10 is the the most beautiful car we have owned. Black on black with just 31,000 miles, we bought this primarily as an investment vehicle. Supply and demand and all that. To drive the Viper is to ride a very quick vacuum cleaner. It is agile, hugs the road, and can get a little squirrelly. The pick-up is great though the 475HP, excellent for its day and nothing to frown upon, is less than what our Magnum makes. Still . . . power to weight rules!
1975 BMW 2002
Perusing Bring-A-Trailer is a dangerous thing for a car guy. I remember seeing a BMW 2002 when I was in high school in the 70’s. A friend had it and I always loved the lines, so when this “project” appeared on Bring A Trailer, I went for it. My plan is to drop a GM LNF motor and tranny in it. It will tick off the purists, but the power to weight will be amazing. Only one problem so far . . . the engine bay is 26 1/2 inches long; my LNF motor is 26 inches. So The Adventures of the BMW begin. Much fabrication in my future.
Cars we used to own . . .
Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO was my daily ride and our 2015 & 16 Hot Rod Power Tour Long Hauler vehicle. It had wonderful LS2 power, a bigger cam, Fast 102 mm intake, Nick Williams throttle body, Kooks long tube headers and K&N cold air.. This young goat handled the corners with the help of BC Racing coilovers, Hotchkis sway bars, and Nitto NT05 rubber. Shifts were quicker with the help of B&M.
Impala
The Impala, aka GRMAZ SS made its first Hot Rod Power Tour Long Haul in 2013. It was Shannan's daily driver until we sold it for a little more practicality in our day-to-day. It ran a K&N Cold Air, Hypertec E.C.U. modifications, trans-go shift kit, 3.73 gears, Metal Matrix drive shaft, Herb Adams anti-sway bars, Magnaflow cat-back exhaust. Slotted and cross-drilled rotors.
Cobalt
The Cobalt was our 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 Hot Rod Power Tour Long Hauler! It sported a GM Performance Stage 2 kit with option B – High Perform 2-pass intercooler endplate and surge tank; a K&N Cold Air intake, a GM Performance header, Magnaflow highflow cat, and Magnaflow Exhaust. The car rode with the help of HC coilovers, Extreme Stop s/d rotors, and Eibach swaybars front and rear.
Cosworth Vega #0221
Cosworth Vega #0221 was my Pennsylvania tinker car. It’s a great driver. Hutton Motor Engineering rebuilt the original 122 CID Twin Cam Electronic Fuel Injection 2.0 liter engine a few years back. This Vega is a high-rever and while slow, running the car through the 4-speed gearbox makes it a lot of fun to drive. It’s still in the family, but not in our garage.
And the car that started it all . . .
The 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass Convertible has been in the family for more than 20 years. Check out the back story.
