Hot rodders must face up to reality

Hot rodders must face up to reality
David Grainger, CanWest News Service

In a typical case of killing the messenger, I received some pretty nasty e-mails in response to a recent column about the vulnerability of hot rods and custom cars to environmental legislation.

Rather than it being taken as a cautionary tale, it was misinterpreted as my personal condemnation of hot rods and the custom car culture. Some comments were amusing but, by the time I had finished responding to some of the doorknobs, I was starting to think that putting them out of business isn't such a bad idea.

Several points were raised that I would like to address:

First claim Hot rods are fuel efficient and environmentally friendly: Sure, a 427-cubic-inch, big-block Chev with two Holly 750 double-pump carburetors, headers and cherry bomb mufflers is positively tree hugging, a real exercise in environmental awareness.

full article here:
http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=264440e9-bcd4-409a-9c0d-f75ed8d86606


technorati tags: custom cars,hot rods, hot rods: tuners, cars

HOT ROD Power Tour Rolls Through the Midwest in 2007!

HOT ROD Power Tour Rolls Through the Midwest in 2007!

The HOT ROD Power Tour is easily considered one of the best automotive tours in the world and is a rolling testament to what HOT ROD magazine is all about. The seven-day, seven-city tour will wind its way through the mid-west and will generate a nationwide buzz in the automotive enthusiast market!

full article here:
http://www.hotrod.com/powertour/

technorati tags: custom cars,hot rods, hot rods: tuners, cars

Aston Martin DBS - Casino Royale

Aston Martin DBS - Casino Royale

Daniel Craig's first role as Bond sees him at the seat of the upgraded DB9 - named the DBS. This is fitted with a few optional extras to make life in the secret service a little easier. I'll update these when everyone's seen the film!

During the film 007 takes a ride in the latest Ford Mondeo.

Bond also manages to get his hands on another classic Aston Martin DB5 from 1964.

http://www.007.info/Cars.asp

technorati tags: daniel craig, 007, film, movies, casino royale, gossip, entertainment, books, silverfin, jamesbond

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish - Die Another Day

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish - Die Another Day

For Pierce Brosnan's last outing as 007, Bond returns to an Aston Martin - and this one is more powerful and better equipped than any of his previous vehicles

Four grille mounted rockets along with two machine guns.
Two motion -sensing guns consealed under the bonnet.
Spiked tyres for ice driving.

Plus, just incase none of this gets you out of trouble, you can always flick a switch and become invisible!

http://www.007.info/Cars.asp

technorati tags: daniel craig, 007, film, movies, casino royale, gossip, entertainment, books, silverfin, jamesbond

BMW 750iL - Tomorrow Never Dies

BMW 750iL - Tomorrow Never Dies

'Q' delivered a lovely new BMW 750 to Bond and luckily had it fully insured for all eventualities.

Remote controlled from a cell phone, Bond spends a fair bit of time out of the car during the car chase. Fully loaded with weapons, Bond steers the car towards the roof..
The last time it was seen flying off the multi-storey, car park - straight into the 'Avis Rent-a-Car' showroom.

http://www.007.info/Cars.asp

technorati tags: 007, bmw, custom built car, custom car, custom car pictures, custom cars online,

BMW Z3 - GoldenEye

"Bond returned in 1995 with a German set of wheels - although he only managed a short ride in the country before handing the car over to his American contact, Jack Wade."

http://www.007.info/Cars.asp

technorati tags: custom cars,hot rods, hot rods: tuners, cars

Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Volante-The Living Daylights

Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Volante-The Living Daylights

For the last few Roger Moore films, specialised cars were again sadly lacking. Once Timothy Dalton appeared in The Living Daylights, things were about to get back to normal.
Bond returned in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage along with a soft-topped Volante.
The car was equipped with 'laser guns' in the wheels, out-riggers for 'skiing', automatic, self inflating, spiked tyres, jet propulsion and the usual concealed guns.

technorati tags: custom cars,hot rods, hot rods: tuners, cars

007: Lotus Esprit - The Spy Who Loved Me

Lotus Esprit - The Spy Who Loved Me

After Goldfinger, James Bond took the DB5 for another quick spin in Thunderball. For the next few films, the 'Q' branch didn't have much to offer in the way of feature packed cars. A brief drive in an Aston Martin DBS during 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' and a bit of 2 wheel driving in a Ford Mustang and then in 1977 things heated up...

The Lotus Esprit was full of surprises..

Rear firing mud sprayers.
Full 'underwater' kit turning the car into a fully operative submarine.
Surface-to-air missiles used to end Naomi's helicopter ride.
Depth charges.
Underwater smoke screens
Torpedoes.

Although the real Esprit was acclaimed for its handling (it was said to have the best steering of any Esprit), the real life one was a little underpowered.
Lotus claimed 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 138 mph, but most road tests could only get 0-60 mph in 8 seconds and a top speed of 133 mph.

technorati tags: 007, custom built car, custom car, pictures of cars, picture of car, photos of cars,

007: Aston Martin DB5

James Bond has probably driven more different vehicles than any handful of other screen characters in cinema history. From the Sixties cool of a Sunbeam Alpine and Aston Martin, through the Seventies and Eighties with svelte Lotus Esprits, to the Nineties chic of BMW sportscars, and speeding into the 21st Century with Aston Martin’s beast of a car – the Vanquish. Take a look at the files of just a few of the cars in which James Bond oo7 has created more screen destruction, havoc, mayhem – and motor vehicle madness than a
posse of short-sighted pensioners on the M25 or an Interstate Highway!

Aston Martin DB5 - Goldfinger

When Bond's old Bentley could no longer cut the ice, 'Q' Department came up with this classic British sports car, fully loaded with optional extras...

Front and rear extending over-rider rams.
Front firing .30 calibre Browning Machine. Machine guns behind the front indicators
Retractable tyre slashers
Retractable rear bullet proof screen
Radio telephone concealed in secret door compartment
Radar scanner in racing type wing mirror, tracking screen in the cockpit
Passenger ejector seat - roof panel jettisoned just before the seat is fired
Oil slick ejector from nearside rear light cluster.
Triple spiked nails (calthrops) from the offside rear light cluster.
Cartridge for smoke screen released through the exhaust pipes.
Revolving number plates (BMT 216A - UK, 4711-EA-62 - France and LU 6789 - Switzerland)
Armaments draw under front driver seat
Bullet-proof front and rear screens.

http://www.007.info/Cars.asp

technorati tags: low rider ,hot rod,custom car ,low rider car,custom built car ,american hot rod ,custom car paint jobs,custom wheels car rim

The Black Beauty

This is the most complete history to date; there are gaps of information, however, if you have factual information that can be corroborated with documentation I welcome your input.

Dean Jeffries created both cars in 1966. One car, the number #1 was created first some time in June or July. They were both used on the set of the show and first appeared together in the episode "Corpse of the year" on January 13, 1967. On March 24, 1967 the last episode of the Green Hornet aired. After the filming, both cars moved to undisclosed locations.

Some years later George Barris acquired one car. From that car he made a reported (3)Copies for promotion. Later he sold the original to JJ Born of the Chicago Historical Antique Automobile Museum Inc. in Highland Park Ill. After some time Born sold the car to a Chicago area Dentist. It sat for a few years and then was resold to Vintage Motorcars Showplace in Cleveland, Ohio. During the time that it was there, it was rented out for parties and special events. It appeared at the Chicago Hero Convention in March of 1991 were it was supposed to be auctioned for sale. There were no buyers. At that event Van Williams and Wende Wagner signed the desk in the rear of the car. Later in 1991 the car was put up for auction at the Kruse fall Auburn event in August. At that event it was purchased by Miss Opal Wall of Sturgis Michigan. At that time she was 78 years old. She was a unique lady with a passion for black cars; she owned three when I met her. She said she liked The Black Beauty's color and style. In 1992 she put the car in Gilmore's auto museum in Kalamazoo Michigan.

Full article at :

http://www.theblackbeauty.com/historyii.htm

technorati tags: low rider ,hot rod,custom car ,low rider car,custom built car ,american hot rod ,custom car paint jobs,custom wheels car rim

The Fear Factor 1970 Hemi-Powered 'Cuda

The Fear Factor 1970 Hemi-Powered 'Cuda
Reality-Show Host Joe Rogan Commissioned Rad Rides by Troy to Build the Hemi-Powered Sick Fish 'Cuda

As the shenanigans of each episode of Fear Factor draw to a close, host Joe Rogan enlightens viewers by announcing to the winner, "Evidently fear was not a factor for you." That line has been repeated enough over the past five seasons to become a catch phrase of sorts that reflects the show's success. In the cutthroat world of reality TV, that's an awfully long time to survive, and it has no doubt imparted its host with some monetary flexibility with which to buy steel-crafted toys of hedonism.

Most Hollywood celebs opt for blinged-out Hummer H2s, Bentleys, traditional wanker exotics, and (gag!) trendy gas-electric hybrids, but Rogan did the right thing and had Rad Rides by Troy build him a '70 Barracuda. The car means more to him than the average ego-carriage, as it pays tribute to a clunker Mopar his mom gave him before he made it big. In a way, it symbolizes how far he's come since the days of touring the country as a fledgling stand-up comic.

No doubt, the car had to be truly unique to capture the sentimentality it represented. Few builders are as well known as Troy Trepanier. Being the darling of the automotive press and a fixture on the hit TV series Rides has a way of doing that, and his list of celebrity clients grows by the day.

We already broke the news that Troy's working on a drop-top '67 Lincoln Continental to sweeten that World Series trip for Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez. In addition to the inherent stress of delivering a hallowed E-body that justifies the six-figures-and-then-some price tag, the crew had to work within a tight six-month timeframe to coincide with its scheduled debut on Bud Brutsman's Rides show on TLC. That was the bad part. The good part was a relatively big budget to exercise creativity, with the only criterion being "make it cool." Ah, the beauty of a double-edged sword.

A big part of making that deadline was starting out with a car in relatively good shape. Again, it was a rather laissez-faire process for Joe. He told Rad Rides what he wanted, and they went out and bought a car to start with for $13,000-one that was mostly rust-free and straight, save for a pair of dinged-up quarters. In trademark Trepanier fashion, the host of subtle visual cues aren't recognizable at first glance, but their individual elements become more prominent upon closer study and more innovative when considering the craftsmanship they required. It ultimately hits you as a brilliant artistic statement. The most obvious change is the AAR 'Cuda hood, not often seen in shiny paint, and the cotton-gauze air cleaner peeking out from its flared scoop. Further enhancing the hungry-look theme is a custom front lower valance that integrates a scoop of its own surrounded by more AAR-like winglets on both sides. Widened and mounted flush, the front bumper is from a (forgive him) '69 Camaro.

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/113_0501_1970_plymouth_barracuda/

technorati tags: low rider ,hot rod,custom car ,low rider car,custom built car ,american hot rod ,custom car paint jobs,custom wheels car rim

1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe - Foxy Blue

1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe - Foxy Blue

It's always nice to see cars such as this '39 Chevy Master Deluxe owned by Mr. Harold Ferguson of Compton, California. You see, Harold has been a lowrider since the early '60s, longer than many of you have even walked this Earth, let alone driven, but we digress. "I've been lowriding since I was 13 years old," says Harold. "My first car was a '54 Chevy sedan."

After tooling around town in that '54 for a while, Harold came across his second ride, a '64 Chevy Impala, and then his third ride, a '65 Impala Super Sport. As time passed and the mid-sixties crept up, so did the Vietnam War. Harold did his patriotic duty when he was called in for service. During this time period, radical changes were happening within the social and political climates back home.

So to keep his mind off of "things," Harold came to know a few new friends and was introduced to a more vintage version of steel. One person whom he'd met owned a '42 Chevy Fleetline and, as soon as he returned to the States, Harold got the bug and went out to buy a '46 Fleetline. But the car that would eventually capture his eye would be a '39 Master Deluxe.

http://www.lowridermagazine.com/features/0704_lrmp_1939_chevrolet_master_deluxe_foxy_blue/

Knight Rider car Kitt being sold

BBC NEWS Entertainment Knight Rider car Kitt being sold:

"Knight Rider car Kitt being sold

Hasselhoff played crime-fighter Michael Knight in the programme
One of four 'talking' cars used in TV series Knight Rider is being sold for $150,000 (£76,000) in California.
Known as Kitt - or Knight Industries Two Thousand - the Pontiac Trans Am was driven by actor David Hasselhoff during the American drama in the 1980s.
It has been restored, complete with the red 'scanner' light on its bonnet.
But fans of the show must accept that the actual car has no voice and cannot drive itself or soar into the air, even though these were Kitt's trademarks.
And the vehicle's new owner will not be able to take it on the road, as it is missing a number of modifications required by US law, such as controls on the amount of pollution it emits.
The car currently belongs to Tim Russo, who bought it 10 years ago at an auction and who has been restoring it since.
The dealer, Kassabian Motors of Dublin, California, is keeping it on display until it is sold. "

1953 Chevrolet Handyman - Family Dream

This Chevy Wagon Puts The "OG" In The "OC" Just Like Back In '53.

"When I was growing up, my Uncle Ray would let me sit behind the wheel of his '51 fastback while he was working on it," says Eli Balandran of Anaheim, California. "I always dreamed that one day I would have an old Chevy of my own. Then I saw this '53 wagon for sale. It was like nothing I'd seen before and I knew that it had to be mine."

So began Eli's '53 Chevy Handyman project. He actually drove it around in primer for a while before deciding with his wife, Rhonda, to completely restore it. Another uncle, Uncle Tony, helped out with rebuilding the engine and transmission and getting the vehicle in running order. While Orange County shops like Ron's Autobody in Garden Grove and Advanced Carburetor in Santa Ana worked their magic with the body and mechanicals, Eli and Rhonda spent "countless weekends" at SoCal swap meets in Long Beach and Pomona trying to find all of those hard-to-find accessories.

Eli and Rhonda christened their '53 "Family Dream" and began to display it with other Good Times Car Club (Orange County chapter) vehicles at various SoCal car shows. Eli claims seven First Place trophies and five Second Place trophies, with the highlight being the Second Place class award won at the 2006 Lowrider Magazine Super Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Being family oriented, Eli thanks his wife and their daughters Gabriella and Lilliana for their support in "pushing me to complete the dream when I wanted to give up." He also credits his "Pops" for all of his knowledge and advice, as well as his Good Times C.C. familia.

Eli tells us that all of those trophies don't mean that his Family Dream machine can't be improved upon in the future. He plans to tear down the wagon, and add airbags and some chrome to the engine. It seems that the '53 wagon has become a member of the family and will be around for the long haul.

Family Dream Owner: Eli and Rhonda Balandran

Vehicle: '53 Chevrolet Handyman

City/State: Anaheim, California

Club: Good Times C.C.-Orange County

Engine/Drivetrain: Eli and his Uncle Tony rebuilt the original 235-c.i.d. engine and fitted the car with a 9-inch glass-pack exhaust system.

Body/Paint: After Eli added bumper guards and fender skirts, Ron at Ron's Autobody in Garden Grove, California, applied Sherwin-Williams emerald green paint with refrigerator white for the top. Frye's in Garden Grove added the pinstriping. Diego at Advanced Carburetor in Santa Ana, California, provided the chrome plating. Jac Bat Glass in Santa Ana cut new green windows.

Interior: West Coast Upholstery in Garden Grove created the pleated green velour interior in "OG fashion." Like any older vehicle builder/restorer, Eli will tell you how much fun he had finding those vintage interior accessories, items like a tissue dispenser, flashlight, fan, compass, shaving kit, ice chest, picnic basket, Presalite cigarette lighter, "beehive" ashtrays and Smokey Bear "snuff-it."

Sound System: Eli kept it simple, installing a Kenwood head unit and a few discreet speakers.

Suspension: Stock

Tires: P175/75-R14 Hercules

Wheels: 14x7 reversed Roadster

http://www.lowridermagazine.com/features/0704_lrmp_53_chevy_handyman_family_dream/

Dadillac - 1990 Cadillac Brougham D'Elegance

Dadillac - 1990 Cadillac Brougham D'Elegance

Anyone known as "Big Daddy" had better have a ride worthy of that monicker. What would be the appropriate vehicle for an individual with such a name? A Hummer? Hmm! Maybe a monster-size pickup or SUV? Well, this Big Daddy is a lowrider with Legends C.C. out of Moreno Valley, California. Given that information, there could only be one ride for Big Daddy... a Cadillac. Perfect!

Big Daddy's "Dadillac" is an Ice Blue '90 Cadillac Brougham D'Elegance that was completely reworked from top to bottom, front to back. The price tag for the luxury lowrider? Well, that's not so easy to figure. "I'd been looking for a Cadillac, but had not found the right one," Big Daddy explains. "My wife had a Ford Explorer and on Father's Day, she traded it for this Caddy. So I got the Caddy for Father's Day, but the surprise was that I had to buy my wife a new car!"

Construction time is also a bit of a mystery. You see, Big Daddy's built up the Cadillac twice. He estimates that the car was rebuilt twice in about three years. Many top shops and individuals worked on the project at one time or another, and Big Daddy thanks everyone involved, as well as God, his fellow Legends C.C. members, and especially his wife for showing such patience and giving him the Cadillac in the first place.

Does Big Daddy have any future plans for Dadillac? "Wait and see," he says. "There's a surprise coming!" Whoa, Big Daddy, take it easy. You've gotta leave a little something for the competition.

http://www.lowridermagazine.com/features/0704_lrmp_dadillac_90_cadillac_brougham/

technorati tags: low rider ,hot rod,custom car ,low rider car

Mad Max: The Pursuit Special

The Pursuit Special (also known erroneously as Interceptor) is the fictional model of car driven by Max Rockatansky, the main character of the films Mad Max and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. It is a Ford Falcon XB GT coupe customized to become a police interceptor of the Main Force Patrol. The same car was used in both films.

The car started out as a standard 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe. And for the first few years of its life this is how it stayed.

Then in 1976, film makers Byron Kennedy and George Miller began pre-production on Mad Max. Murray Smith was hired on as part of the film crew, and one of his tasks was to put together the Interceptor. He started by acquiring the XB Falcon, and along with Peter Arcadipane, Ray Beckerley, and various others, proceeded to modify the car to what was needed for the film. The main modification is the front nosecone, made of fibreglass and designed by Arcadipane (marketed as the "Concorde" style, and strongly influenced by the slightly earlier HPF Firenza), and the supercharger protruding through the bonnet which is for looks only, as a supercharger at the time of the movie was not able to be toggled on and off. Visit www.madmaxmovies.com to see replicas of the movie car.

In the meantime, the low budget Australian film had gained worldwide success, prompting a sequel, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. The Pursuit Special was reacquired by Kennedy and Miller for use once more.

The rear wheels, supercharger and pipes were changed. The car was further modified to fit the setting of the new film, with large petrol tanks fitted in the back, and its general appearance given a more used and stressed look. The front end was also modified by removing the bottom section, probably to give more clearance at the front in the outback locations it was required to be driven in for the second film. As well as modifying the original car, a duplicate car was also put together for Mad Max 2. It seems that the duplicate car was used for most of the driving sequences, while the original car was used for all the close ups and interior shots.

When eventually the story required for the car to be destroyed by rolling down a ditch and then blown up, the duplicate car was used, leaving the original car to be scrapped. Luckily, someone rescued the car, and fully restored it.

This car was shipped to England and now resides in Cars of the Stars Motor Museum with other famous cars like The Batmobile, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Munsters' Koach.

technorati tags:Mad Max, Pursuit Special,custom car

Car club keeps thumping, jumping

Tulsa World:

A Tulsa group works for a positive image for lowrider cars and owners.

The music was thumping with the rap song, 'This Is Why It's Hot.'

The car was jumping.

It's a bright-green 1984 El Camino with enough hydraulics in the back to lift its long body more than a foot off the ground and enough boom-boom in its speakers to lift the hairs on your neck.

What's that? Oh, that's the Sprite Can, said some bystanders.

And it does look like a Sprite can, all the way down to the thin white-and-yellow stripes cascading across its sleek, glittery sides.

It's the first lowrider Kelvin Reynolds has owned. He dug the car from a salvage yard four or five years ago and turned a jalopy into the envy of lowriders and lowrider wannabes.

There's a difference.

Wannabes aren't members of Individuals, a lowrider car club of which Reynolds is a member.

In Individuals, you must have a car. And a four-door Ford straight off the lot won't cut it.

The car has to have hydraulics, a hip speaker system and enough character to pass muster during inspections done on the cars every other week when the local group meets. "

technorati tags: low rider ,hot rod,custom car

Knight Rider: KITT

KITT was designed by customizer Michael Scheffe. The convertible and super-pursuit KITTs were designed and built by George Barris.

KITT (an acronym for Knight Industries Two Thousand) is the name of a fictional computer that controls the high-tech Knight 2000, a black Pontiac Trans Am T-top automobile in the science fiction television series Knight Rider. The voice for KITT was provided by St. Elsewhere and 1776 star William Daniels, who requested that he not be credited for his work.

In the television show's fictional history, KITT was said to have been designed by the late Wilton Knight, a brilliant but eccentric billionaire and founder of the Foundation for Law and Government, (commonly shortened to "FLAG"), and its parent the Knight Foundation.

KITT's main cybernetic processor was first installed in a mainframe computer used by the United States government in Washington D.C.However, Wilton saw better use for "him" in the Foundation's crime-fighting crusade and eventually the system was installed in the vehicle. KITT was in fact the second vehicle built by Knight Industries with artificial intelligence. His predecessor was KARR, the Knight Automated Roving Robot. KARR was programmed for self-preservation, but this proved to be dangerous to the Foundation's interests. KARR was later deactivated and placed in storage while KITT was given to his new operator, Michael Knight (the new identity of Michael Long).

Unlike KARR, KITT is programmed primarily to protect Michael at all cost as well as all human life (referring to Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics). This is made clear in the pilot episode where Michael asks Devon Miles if KITT will protect anyone driving it. Devon's answer is that KITT's primary function is the preservation of human life, and Michael's in particular.

technorati tags: low rider ,hot rod,custom car ,low rider car,custom built car ,american hot rod ,custom car paint jobs,custom wheels car rim ,custom car part and accessory,hot rod car ,hot rod picture

Custom Car: Banacek's 1970 American Motors AMX

Made by George Barris from the 1970 American Motors AMX for 70's TV show "Banacek" starring George Peppard. The first major modification was to lower the overall silhouette by chopping 4.5" out of the top section with a 2" slant on the windshield posts. To further the extreme fastback image, long tapering windsplits are streamlined louvers extending f rom the roof line to the lower panel. A courtesy safety lighting system was installed utilizing the louvers, with full red taillight and stop lights, full amber lights for deceleration and caution, and a full green light for forward motion.

All four wheel wells have been re-radiuses with the top portion of the radius flared and extended into the center of the door in front. The rear extends to the rear of the fender. The frontal area has been lengthened fifteen inches with a matching lower pan and louvered grille installation. The rear fenders were also extended to follow the streamlined windsplits. The hood has twin canted tunneled forced air scoops molded into the hood panel conforming with the fender line. Saddle antique and walnut was used with color combination in the interior.

The exterior finish consists of Murano Pearl uppertone with coordinated Rustic Orange along the lower section. The interior sports twin bucket seats with head rests and safety belts. The rear compartment has been completely carpeted and the dash has matched naugahyde crash padding. The louvers front and rear have been chrome plated along the leading edge with textured paint effect. SS Cragar wheels with chrome outer rims support the Firestone Wide Ovals sporting white lettering on the black sidewall.

technorati tags: custom cars,hot rods, hot rods: tuners, cars

Custom Car: Starsky and Hutch (Ford Gran Torino)

Starsky and Hutch (Ford Gran Torino)

Stunt cars, camera cars, tow cars, dolly cars, and cars used for "beauty" shots varied in model year from 1974 to 1976, since the body style of the Gran Torino was unchanged. Obviously, no 1976 models were used in the pilot or the first season. The cars, on lease from Ford, were custom painted by Spelling-Goldberg Productions (on top of the factory red paint color)with the distinctive single white stripe (running from the front fender, across the doors, up and over the roof, and then symmetrically back down the other side), but in the 3rd and 4th season the producers leased one of the 1000 Limited Edition "Starsky & Hutch" PS 122 units painted to match the show's car, produced by Ford Motor Company in 1976, as a backup vehicle for the cars they were leasing at the time. The '75 models that were used during the first season had cloth bench seats and 'Bright Red' paint(code 2B). In '76, they were replaced by 3 new Torinos that had vinyl benches and were specially painted the previous year's 'Bright Red' because Ford used a different shade of red for the new models; the cars can be identified by their silver 'sight shields'(bumper filler panels)which Ford used on specially painted cars.

Ford never manufactured a Gran Torino painted in this fashion for the 1974 or 1975 model year. However, due to the success of the television series, Ford did release a limited edition (only 1000 units) "Starsky & Hutch" replica Gran Torino in 1976 (the final model year for the Torino line). Manufactured at the Chicago plant, one of these code "PS 122" units was used in the 3rd and 4th seasons of the show. This car was originally equipped with a 400 CID V8; however, one of the stuntmen damaged the engine beyond repair, and Spelling-Goldberg replaced it with a 429 CID V8. This car still resides in California.

technorati tags: custom cars, hot rods, hot rods: tuners, cars