Tag Archives: Pony

Global Pony – Chevrolet Camaro RS

Four years after the last fourth Generation Camaro was built Chevrolet unveiled a new Camaro Concept designed by South Korean-born Sangyup Lee at the North American International Auto Show in January 2006.

Chevrolet Camaro RS, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

The car was built on a GM Zeta platform developed by Holden in Australia and when in August 2006 it was decided to put the fifth generation Camaro into production Holden were responsible for the final design, engineering, and development of the new model.

Chevrolet Camaro RS, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Production of the fifth generation Camaro returned to Canada but now at the Oshawa Car Assembly plant in Ontario alongside the Chevrolet Impala and Impala Limited, Buick Regal, Cadillac XTS, and Chevrolet Equinox GM models.

Chevrolet Camaro RS, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Fifth generation Camaro’s went back into production in 2009 with independent suspension and disc brakes all round, variable – rate power steering, StabiliTrak electronic stability/traction control system and six airbags on all models.

Chevrolet Camaro RS, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

The first fifth generation Camaro was sold, at Barratt and Jacksons Auction raising $350,000 for the American Heart Association, to Rick Hendrick CEO of Hendrick Motorsports.

Chevrolet Camaro RS, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

In 2012 updates included a power increase to 323hp up from 311hp in 2011 on the 3,564 cc / 217 cui V6 powered models such as the 2013 RS model featured today, other RS features include HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, and RS-specific taillamps in 2012 the colour coded sharkfin aerial was included followed by 20 inch wheels in 2013.

Chevrolet Camaro RS, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol,

Today’s featured 2013 Camaro RS seen at an Avenue Drivers Club meeting in Bristol last year was registered in the UK on the 27th of March 2015.

Thanks for joining me on this “Global Pony” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for FIAT Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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25th Anniversary Aero Airbag – Ford Mustang GT Convertible

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the few owners of third generation Mustangs, built from ’79 – ’93, that I have spoken too always rave about them, no matter that in some eyes they share the aesthetics with a family pack of lard with no knobs on, you either love these cars or hate them.

Ford Mustang GT Convertible, Portishead

Based on the Ford’s mid size Fox platform, around which contemporary classics as the Ford Granada (US), LTD and Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar and Capri, Lincoln Versailles and Continental Mark VII were also built, the third generation Mustang GT is fitted with a 5 litre / 302 cui V8 produced 225 hp. In 1987 third generation Mustangs received an “aero” style face lift which replaced the earlier 4 eyes look.

Ford Mustang GT Convertible, Portishead

Handling was improved over the other vehicles built on the Fox platform with Fords Quadra Shock rear suspension though the handling still takes some getting used to and is best not sampled in the snow. For 1990 when today’s featured car was built drivers airbags became standard.

Ford Mustang GT Convertible, Portishead

A school friend of mine who used to work in the oil industry out in Houston Texas had one of these 25th Anniversary Mustangs from new and said that the cost of keeping it maintained aside, there was no car he has owned before or since that has given him so much pleasure as his Mustang GT being driven out of Houston on a balmy evening with the hood down and the air conditioning on.

Thanks for joining me on this 25th Anniversary Aero Airbag edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Li’l Pink Pony – Ford Mustang

The forth generation Ford Mustang was launched in 1994 featuring sounded styling not dissimilar to the contemporary front wheel drive Ford Probe which very nearly became the fourth generation Mustang. But for vocal objections from Mustang owners to the front wheel drive and lack of a V8 option the Probe would have become the 4th generation Mustang.

Ford Mustang, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

In 1998 the forth generation Mustang was face lifted with “New Edge” styling as seen on today’s example built in 1999.

Ford Mustang, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Today’s featured car appears to be fitted with the base 190 hp 3.8 litre / 232 cui overhead valve 90 degree Essex (Canada) V6, which, it has been speculated with out any hard evidence, was reverse engineered from a similar Buick motor albeit the Essex (Canada) V6 has aluminium heads.

Ford Mustang, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The owner of this car shipped it over from Illinois in 2009, it comes with pink underlights, pink and white seats, parking sensors and reversing camera for those not to good on spacial awareness.

Ford Mustang, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

This car recently changed hands on e-bay, the previous owners thoughtfully included the following message in their advertisement, “BE PREPARED TO GET LOOKED AT IN THIS VEHICLE A REAL HEAD TURNER!”

Thanks for joining me on this “Li’l Pink Mustang” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Perfect Car For A Wedding #7 – Dodge Challenger SRT/8

It’s been a while since I have run a “Perfect Car For A Wedding” feature and of those I have run today’s third generation 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT/8 is easily my favorite.

While Ford has always been the trend setter in the pony car market segment, Dodge, who were third in first time round with the 1970 Challenger, beat Chevrolet to 2nd place by a full year at the end of the Naughties after the pony car market segmented was started the second time round by Ford in 2005.

Dodge Challenger SRT 8, Shakespeare County Raceway

The Dodge Challenger SRT/8 was launched at the Chicago and Philadelphia International Auto Show’s simultaneously in February 2008. Unusually all 6400 first production run STR8s were pre sold.

All US market 2008 Challengers like the one seen here were SRT/8 models fitted with 425 hp 6.1 litre / 370 cui HEMI V8s and a five speed AutoStick automatic transmission.

Dodge Challenger SRT 8, Shakespeare County Raceway

The SRT/8 is built on an shortened Chrysler LX platform known as the LC, and shares front and rear suspension components with the Mercedes Benz W220 S Class and W120 E Class respectively.

In 2008 Chrysler Canada built a separate run of between 670 and 719 Challenger 500’s for the Canadian market only.

The Challenger is seen here at the entrance of Shakespeare County Raceway after the owner had used it at her friends wedding earlier in the afternoon. Wishing everybody about to get married today all the best and many happy years together.

Thanks for joining me on this “Perfect Car For A Wedding #7 ” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now !

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Tomorrow Or The End Of Time – Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum

The first piece of music to make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end was by James Marshall Hendrix, some time in 1967 I was home alone during the day time so it was probably during the Easter holidays, I was messing about with some extremely uncomfortable ex military bakerlite head phones when the announcer on the radio told us that coming next would be Jimi Hendrix latest hit “Purple Haze”. I unplugged and took off the headphones and turned up the volume control of the radiogram a little in anticipation of something interesting happening.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

By the time the opening riff blurted out I reached out and did something I had never done before, I maxed out the volume ! By the end of the song I was certainly tuned in and turned on to the Jimi Hendrix Experience even though I had no idea what it was, except it felt really good and I had a new found love for the colour purple and a curiosity for the line “Is this tomorrow or just the end of time ?”

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

This Tomorrow Or The End Of Time theme is revisited in the 1971 flash back road movie “Vanishing Point” which begins with an all American anti hero Kowolski driving a white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum pulling back from a 90 mph impact with a couple of Catepillar bulldozers, that serve as a makeshift police roadblock and vanishing into thin air, before retelling the story of how Kowolski got to the point of staring tomorrow or the end of time in the face.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

While reading up on the history of the Challenger I was interested to learn that the very first Challenger was actually a limited edition two door body called the Dodge Silver Challenger that was only available in in silver and came fully loaded with premium white wall tyres, full wheel covers, electric windscreen wipers, luxury fabric interior and deep pile carpets through out.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

For 1970 Carl Cameron came up with the exterior design for the second generation Challenger, like the Plum Crazy FC-7 1970 example seen here at Shakespeare County Raceway earlier this year. Chrysler had determined that the similar but shorter Plymouth Barracuda should belatedly compete with the Mustang and Camaro and the Dodge Challenger should compete with the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird in the pony car market.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

Of the engine options available to Challenger customers there were two 440 cui / 7.2 litre Magnum options one 375 hp with a single four barrel carburetor and one 395 hp with three x two barrel carburetors known as the six pack. The car seen here appears to be the 375 hp option as distinguished by the air scoop which on the more powerful six pack models sits on top of the carburetor intakes in the center of the bonnet hood.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

Because of low sales volumes of the larger engine Challengers they have become extremely collectable, especially if the engine and chassis numbers match the original factory records. Within the pony car segment this late arrival did well to sell 76,935 copies in 1970 after which sales plummeted to less than 30,000 a year until the model was discontinued in 1974.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

Attractive though the Mustangs and Camaros are for my money the Challenger is the most desirable of all the muscle pony cars, there is something about it’s lines that are simply a little less fussy, a little smoother and more refined that look a bit further forward than all the others seen on pony cars in my humble opinion.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

The Challenger R/T with the 440 Magnum as seen here and in the original 1971 version of Vanishing point was capable of covering a quarter mile in 13.8 seconds by which time it would be touching 102 mph, the 440 Magnum was only listed for the 1970 model year though it was available as a special order in 1971.

Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, Yanks and Gary’s 34th Picnic, Shakespeare County Raceway

When Kowolski approached the point of no return at the end of Vanishing Point he had a choice to turn back and see what the tomorrow would bring or to keep going further and faster into oblivion, giving up the struggle of life, forgetting not to let a few bad moments spoil a bunch of good ones and disappear into the end of time. I guess if you don’t know what happened next you’ll just have to see the film for your self to find out.

Thanks for joining me on this “Tomorrow Or The End Of Time” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you’ll join me for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

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The Car You Always Promised Yourself – Ford Capri 1600 L

The concept of the ‘pony car’ is generally agreed to have been formulated by Ford when it popped a sports car body onto saloon / sedan running gear of the Ford Falcon and called the result the Ford Mustang.

Ford Capri 1600 L, C&SC Action Day Castle Combe

By 1969 Ford in Europe emulated their US cousins by plonking a cool coupé body on the running gear of the evergreen Ford Cortina Mk2 Saloon / Sedan and marketing it as the “Car You Always Promised Yourself“.

Ford Capri 1600 L, C&SC Action Day Castle Combe

And for many people it really was over 1 million of the Mk1 versions were sold between 1969 and 1974 with a range of engines from 1.3 litres / 79 cui to eventually 3.1 litres 189 cui with an extremely limited edition homologation racing special having a 24 valve 3.4 litre / 207 cui motor fitted.

Ford Capri 1600 L, C&SC Action Day Castle Combe

The Rostyle steel wheels on this example were identical to those found on the Cortina 1600E and usually fitted to the XL Capri variants, this 1969 1600 L fitted with 4 cylinder ‘Kent’ motor normally would have far more utilitarian steel wheels fitted with hub caps when it left the factory.

Ford Capri 1600 L, C&SC Action Day Castle Combe

The intakes ahead of the rear wheels are dummies, just like those on the original 1964 Ford Mustang which inspired much of the design philosophy of the Capri.

Ford Capri 1600 L, C&SC Action Day Castle Combe

The Capri Mk 1 was sold without the Ford Badges in the United States by Lincoln – Mercury Dealers and was marketed as the ‘Sexy European‘ perhaps reflecting the popularity of this model among the stereo typical hedonist ‘Medallian Men’ of Europe.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Sexy European’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow when I will be looking at a rare contemporary American GT racing car. Don’t forget to come back now

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Booby Prize from Wide Track Country – Pontiac Firebird

In 1954 vice president of engineering at General Motors Oliver K Kelly called Packards head of Research and Development John DeLorean to offer him a choice of jobs across the five divisions on General Motors. DeLorean who at the time also had the choice of moving to Studebaker with whom Packard had just merged settled on becoming assistant to chief engineer Elliot ‘Pete’ Estes at Pontiac.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

By 1963 John had become chief engineer at Pontiac, and Estes had become general Manager when they together with engine specialist Russell Gee and chassis engineer Bill Collins convinced the GM management to let them offer a $296 performance package on the Pontiac LeMans Coupé and Convertible body stiles that included a 325 hp 6.4 litre / 389 cui V8 motor normally found in the full size Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville models, from whence the ‘Wide Track’ strap line was born and named it GTO a name John picked up from the Ferrari 250 GTO.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

The Pontiac GTO with initial production limited to 5,000, by a disbelieving Pontiac Sales Manager Frank Bridge, was an instant hit with Ronnie and the Daytonas, the youth market at which it was aimed and GM Management. The GTO was responsible for transforming the image of the brand from an ‘aunties car’ to a youth orientated performance brand with over 32, 000 units built in 1964.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

As the GTO was launched John DeLorean moved on to the development of the Pontiac Banshee a concept car to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette which was killed by GM’s top management. DeLorean seen as Pontiacs golden boy was promoted to head of the entire Pontiac division and given the consolation task of turning the Chevrolet Camaro into a Pontiac Pony Car with the proviso that there could be no alterations to the sheet metal except to the front and rear panels.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

By incorporating a signature Pontiac split grill with built in bumper at the front and a version of the rear strip lights seen on the two Banshee concept cars the Pontiac Pony car was easily distinguishable from it’s Chevrolet sibling, Having failed to acquire the Banshee naming rights from rocket scientist Eugene F. Lally, who had successfully raced a Corvette powered special of the same name, for less than ¢50 per car, the name Firebird which had been previously used by GM on three seriously out landish gas turbine concept cars, was eventually adopted for the Pontiac pony car.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

The absence of marker lights, Federally mandated in 1968, and the E suffix on the registration plate confirm this as most likely one of the five variations of the 1967 model line up.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

The Ram Air bonnet / hood suggests this car had the top of the range 6.6 litre / 400 cui motor installed when it left the factory.

Pontiac Firebird, Silverstone Classic

Just over 100,132 1967 Firebirds are thought to have been manufactured of which 9,980 were convertible.

Thanks for joining me on this Wide Track Country edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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