Beautiful Cars & Trucks

[pipedreams]

1944 GMC

[pipedreams]

Beautiful 46 Dodge!

[pipedreams]

[pipedreams]

1952 Packard Speedster Special

[Schmidt Meister]

1928 Studebaker Commander / 1996 International 9200 Semi-tractor
Owner/Builder - Snapper Schomaker

The idea behind his latest ride began with a Photoshop concept that combined a Caterpillar powertrain with a classic ’28 Studebaker Commander touring-car body that Snapper’s father owned. The engine, Eaton/Fuller 10-speed manual transmission, and front end come from a ’96 International 9200 twin-axle tractor (a big rig) that was discarded at a salvage yard. Snapper left the engine and transmission in the frame but cut 27 feet off the rear, to which he grafted a Freightliner AirLiner suspension.
While the front suspension uses the truck’s factory leaf spring, Snapper cut half of the spring and designed an airbag system that supports the front axle. In the rear, the modified big rig suspension holds an Eaton RS404 rear axle. The Studebaker cab has its own, smaller airbag setup. As a result of the changes, the buggy now rides approximately 20 inches lower than stock.
Powering the buggy is a bone-stock, 12.0L Caterpillar C12 engine, which makes 425 hp and 1,550 lb-ft of torque. Once the powertrain was in place, getting the rig rolling was the next challenge. Snapper visited the local Mack dealer, which happened to have a wrecked truck in the yard, equipped with a pair of 22.5-inch, super-single rear wheels. After a few quick measurements, Snapper was pleasantly surprised to find that the big Alcoa hoops and Michelin tires blended perfectly with the Studebaker body. The front wheels are standard 19.5-inch motorhome units, also fitted with Michelins.
With the chassis finally rolling, the vintage Studebaker Commander body was next. The body, original interior, and seats were in beautiful condition, featuring plenty of room inside and affording easy access through the standard front and suicide rear doors. The gauge package and wiring harness are a direct lift from the International tractor, which means the buggy’s aluminum dash is filled with enough modern instruments to make any long-haul trucker feel right at home! Everything works, including the cruise control, sequential windshield wipers, tachometer, and pyrometer, as well as the air suspension.
Externally, Snapper’s vision was to have the truck look like a bulldozer rolling down the street, so he created a diamond-plate casing up front, then incorporated a grille from a CAT 966 front end loader and a 631 CAT scraper’s headlights. The buggy’s cab is equipped with Dynamat sound insulation, a power adjustable front seat, and Vintage Air air conditioning, making it a wonderful highway cruiser with about a 300-mile range.
Snapper says the biggest problem with rapid acceleration is that he can’t shift the non-synchronized transmission quite fast enough. About the time the engine starts to build boost, it’s time to shift. He knows he could install an Allison automatic but says “that would take all the fun out of it.”
The engine makes plenty of power once this unique, alternative ride gets up to speed, and thanks to 2.93 rear-end gears, it offers the best of both worlds. The high gears help the engine make enough torque to relocate Gibraltar to the North Atlantic and support a cruising rpm of 1,100 at 65 mph, delivering fuel economy of a very respectable 20.1 mpg. Snapper smiles when he says the truck gets the best mileage of any vehicle he owns!
Snapper completed a majority of the 13-month build himself, welding all the additions, then doing the bodywork and primer. When it came time for the finished paint job, naturally he chose Caterpillar Yellow, which was applied by Graceland Automotive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The stripes pay tribute to both old and new Caterpillar branding.

[Schmidt Meister]

1947 Dodge Pickup - 350 - "Mean Maroon"

[Eric]

[tous]

The dreaded 1960 Saratoga.

Not only does it have big fins, giant chrome bumpers and gasp! a pseudo-Continental kit on a trunk that is way too long, it's just as ugly from the front.

A classic, last-gasp  example of 1950s Detroit.

 

 

 

[Eric]

I have never seen anyone customize a Nash Metropolitan customized like this. I like it.

[Eric]

[Schmidt Meister]

1966 Jeep Gladiator Thriftside (FSJ) Pickup Restomod

In the world of collectible vehicles, this is what’s known as an FSJ, which stands for Full Size Jeep, and which encompasses the early line of Jeep pickups first introduced under Kaiser ownership. This 1966 Jeep Gladiator Thriftside is an FSJ with some major deviations from stock: It’s been heavily customized and converted into a restomod with help from a modern General Motors V8 powertrain and a Dodge Avenger interior. The truck has also been extensively personalized, one example being its pristine cargo bed with a fresh oak on the bed floor and diamond-plate bed sides. The fuel filler is out of a UH1D helicopter. The camouflage paint was applied in 2022.
This Gladiator is now powered by a General Motors 5.3-liter Vortec V8 sourced from a Chevrolet Tahoe of unspecified year and backed by a GM 4L60-E four-speed overdrive automatic transmission. According to the seller, this Kaiser cruises at highway speeds with ease. A New Process transfer case now operates the four-wheel-drive function. The  powertrain had 43,000 miles before the swap, and a new wiring harness was required for the build. The modern fuel-injected engine is reported to start “hot or cold without smoke.” The engine bay, includes a new aluminum radiator, presents as strongly clean.
The Gladiator was media-blasted and epoxy primed before being painted, noting no body blemishes, nor interior leaks and new cab seals. The Jeep has a replacement aluminum cab floors and no rust. A 13,000-pound electric winch is now mounted on the bumper. The cargo bed presents very strongly, showing no damage to the floor or bed sides. The glass is in good, scratch-free condition. All lighting is reported to work, with the seller noting all new wiring and an aftermarket 52-inch light bar. The underside presents as strongly clean, with minimal surface corrosion.
The interior was sourced from a Dodge Avenger, the cloth upholstery showing no rips or other damage. The carpeting is new, as is 80-mm sound and heat insulation in the cab. The dashboard has a carbon fiber wrap and new Dolphin instrumentation, plus a Pioneer audio system with SiriusXM capability. The headliner is in good, sag-free shape. Both the air conditioning and heater work. The seller reports the new speedometer’s readings are inexact.
The seller reports that the chassis was lubricated and inspected within the last 1,000 miles. All four shock absorbers and their bushings are described as new. The seller states that new brake linings, wheel cylinders, lines, and a dual master cylinder have recently been installed, noting that the power-assisted drum brakes will lock the wheels. The Goodyear Wrangler tires have covered an estimated 1,000 miles, the seller says.

[Schmidt Meister]

'NOSE' Art ... kinda. Skeletonized Barracuda.

[Eric]

[tous]

On 9/28/2022 at 7:34 PM, Eric said:

1960 or 1961 Galaxie wagon?

The taillights give it away.

On second memory, those taillights go more to a Falcon than a Galaxie of that era.

Now I'm unsure what it is, but my best guess is Ford around the very early 1960s.

License plate is 1960.

I am sure that it has a Tweety Bird decal in the rear window.

I need a nap.

 

[Eric]

[Eric]

[Eric]

[DAKA]

8 hours ago, Eric said:

IMHO The wheels spoil it

[tous]

15 hours ago, tous said:

1960 or 1961 Galaxie wagon?

The taillights give it away.

On second memory, those taillights go more to a Falcon than a Galaxie of that era.

Now I'm unsure what it is, but my best guess is Ford around the very early 1960s.

License plate is 1960.

I am sure that it has a Tweety Bird decal in the rear window.

I need a nap.

 

Am I close?

What is it?

There was a time, in the 1950s and 1960s, when every lad knew every make and model of domestic automobile.

They had style, even if often over-the-top, and were distinct, not at all like the smashed jellybean shape of automobiles today.

That was also my prime model-building years.

Revel for aircraft and ships.

Monogram for cars.

Guillows for balsa and paper model aircraft.

Testors for paints and glue.

Cox for aircraft engines.

Estes for rocket engines.

 

<--- still has a drawer full of Cox .049 engines

 

[janice6]

1 hour ago, tous said:

Am I close?

What is it?

There was a time, in the 1950s and 1960s, when every lad knew every make and model of domestic automobile.

They had style, even if often over-the-top, and were distinct, not at all like the smashed jellybean shape of automobiles today.

That was also my prime model-building years.

Revel for aircraft and ships.

Monogram for cars.

Guillows for balsa and paper model aircraft.

Testors for paints and glue.

Cox for aircraft engines.

Estes for rocket engines.

 

<--- still has a drawer full of Cox .049 engines

 

Worked in the heart of Minneapolis for a Medical Electronics company many, many years back.  Had to pick up a piece of equipment downtown.  Fellow volunteered his brand new Falcon Wagon (IIRC, 90 hp)  I pulled out in traffic and was scared to death that I couldn't keep up with the other cars.  Most underpowered thing I had ever driven.  Very glad to give it back!

[DAKA]

2 hours ago, tous said:

Am I close?

What is it?

There was a time, in the 1950s and 1960s, when every lad knew every make and model of domestic automobile.

They had style, even if often over-the-top, and were distinct, not at all like the smashed jellybean shape of automobiles today.

That was also my prime model-building years.

Revel for aircraft and ships.

Monogram for cars.

Guillows for balsa and paper model aircraft.

Testors for paints and glue.

Cox for aircraft engines.

Estes for rocket engines.

 

<--- still has a drawer full of Cox .049 engines

 

OOOOhh I still remember the smacked fingers....This was pre battery spinners

[Eric]

4 hours ago, tous said:

Am I close?

What is it?

There was a time, in the 1950s and 1960s, when every lad knew every make and model of domestic automobile.

They had style, even if often over-the-top, and were distinct, not at all like the smashed jellybean shape of automobiles today.

That was also my prime model-building years.

Revel for aircraft and ships.

Monogram for cars.

Guillows for balsa and paper model aircraft.

Testors for paints and glue.

Cox for aircraft engines.

Estes for rocket engines.

 

<--- still has a drawer full of Cox .049 engines

 

It's a 1963 Galaxie Wagon. Ford was really into big round taillights in 1963.

[railfancwb]

MG - year unknown to me. Available in Ely NV. 

[tous]

Ugly, giant rubber bumpers came out on the 1974 model year, US only.

Other than that, the Bs looked pretty much the same until 1980 or so.

I was never a big fan of MGBs or Spitfires.  I am only just under 6 feet (182 centimeters) and pretty slim, but I could never get comfortable in an MG or Triumphs, even the much larger TR6, though the TR6 had some get up and go to it.. 

The TR7 was just ugly as heck and drove like a shopping cart with one front wheel always pointed in a different direction.

I did have the opportunity to drive an MGC, the B with a six-cylinder engine.

Wasn't impressed.

Not many Cs made it to this shore.

 

[Schmidt Meister]

1957 NAPCO Chevrolet Classic Restomod Pickup with LS3 Corvette Powerplant and quad-exhaust.