Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - What is Your favorite Halloween Car - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

What is your favourite Halloween car?

















sources: www.crazeforcars.com, www.howdyhonda.com  www.complex.com www.autoweek.com www.miautotimes.com

Http://www.fzrestoration.com

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - A supped-up quad bike which has is powered by a Ferrari engine - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

A supped-up quad bike which has is powered by a Ferrari engine and has a top speed of 150mph has been developed by engineers in France.

The Wazuma V8F, which costs £160,000, bears striking similar to the Batmobile driven by Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises.

The four-wheeler boasts a 3-litre V8 engine which was sourced from a 1970s Ferrari 308 sports car

The Wazuma's manufacturer's, Lazareth, say the quad bike develops 250bhp in a vehicle weighing just 650kg.

This gives the machine a power-to-weight ratio of 384bhp per tonne, the same as a Ferrari 458 Spider, and the potential to reach 150mph.

But with a standard quad bike from the likes of Honda typically costing around £8,000, only a select few will be able to afford the Wazuma's huge price tag. 

 

 

 

For the price, owners will get  BMW M3 gearboxes and high performance Brembo disc brakes to stop the 18-inch wheels.

The Wazuma V8F uses three wheel geometry, with two largely spaced front wheels and two narrower spaced wheels attached at the rear. It has been fitted with the lights from a Nissan 350Z.

A statement from Lazareth said: 'The Wazuma V8F Matt Edition is a unique masterpiece, which is simple, aggressive and offers high performance.'

 

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477879/Now-THATS-quad-bike-Ultimate-boys-toy-powered-Ferrari-engine-hit-150mph.html
by Aaron Sharp

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Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - Classic car collectors shouldn't hesitate to drive - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

While driving around on a beautiful day this past week, I saw a 1967 Impala, a 1969 Firebird, and a TVR Vixen. What was unusual about these sightings is that I didn’t spot them through an open garage door, or peering out from under a tarp. They were on the road being used and enjoyed by their owners. In the winter when it’s cold. And the roads are dirty. What’s wrong with these owners? Don’t they have a responsibility to tuck these cars away from oh, say, early November through mid-April?

As I saw each one of these cars I couldn’t help but think to myself how lucky the owners were to be driving them in the dead of winter. To extend the enjoyment of their hobby year-round and not have to deal with the dreaded winter-storage blues. And then it occurred to me…why not? If you think about it, there are many sunny beautiful days here in the northeast during the winter. Imagine what a treat it would be to drive your classic car on a crisp clear day with the heater on and the radio playing. When was the last time you did that? For many I’ll bet the answer is “decades ago.”

In conversations with collectors, customers, and colleagues, I’m discovering that more and more people are adopting the position that classic cars are meant to be driven, not stored. And I have to admit, I agree. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that you take your classic car out in the middle of a snow storm, or even when there’s snow on the ground. I’m not even suggesting that you intentionally take it out in the rain.

The truth is that most of us do not own “concours quality” collector cars, which most would agree should not be driven in inclement weather, if driven at all. We own “driver quality” cars. Some nicer than others. These cars are not afraid of the cold and they can be cleaned if they get dirty. So why don’t we use them year round?

The fact of the matter is that more and more collectors are doing exactly that. Some time ago in this column we touched on the increasing popularity of cars with roofs, as opposed to convertibles. At the auctions and cars shows that I attend, I have the opportunity to talk with buyers, many of whom are opting for hardtops and sedans so that they can use them year round.

Most of us are used to our daily drivers with modern conveniences such as remote start, climate control, heated and air-conditioned seats, all wheel or 4-wheel drive, audio and video systems, Bluetooth and more. Our cars are warmed or cooled before we even enter them, and we can drive safely through most weather conditions, all while listening to our favorite tunes or watching our favorite movies, while calling home to find out what’s for dinner. 

But there was a time when our classic cars were just cars. They too were used on a daily basis in all but the worst weather. They might not have had video systems or Bluetooth, but they transported us comfortably and safely (all things being relative) through all four seasons in the northeast. We didn’t give a second thought to hopping in the car and driving to the supermarket or the movies just because it was raining or snowing. They may not have been as advanced as today’s cars, but they got the job done. And this included convertibles.

These cars are capable of performing the same duties today. So that must mean that it’s the owners that are not.

Generally speaking, when it comes to classic cars, Americans are obsessed with perfection. So much so that we are willing to trade it off for the enjoyment that the car might otherwise provide. When visiting car collectors in other countries it quickly becomes apparent that their idea of a perfect car is not the same as ours. Their idea of perfect makes the assumption that the car is used as a car was intended to be used. A little dirt on the floor-mats, a chip here and there. And believe me, this applies to some pretty high-end collector cars. Maybe they know something that we don’t.

At an auction that I recently attended, I walked over to congratulate the elderly buyer of a beautiful 1964 Jaguar XK-E Roadster for which he had paid well into the six-figure range. These cars have been amongst my favorites since I was a kid, and this was one of the nicest ones I had ever seen. I asked him if he was planning on driving the car or just adding it to a collection? He emphatically told me that he was going to drive it every chance that he got. I asked him if he was concerned that by driving this flawless car he would certainly diminish its value? He responded by telling me “I can always make more money. I can’t make more time.” I guess with age comes wisdom.

My hat is off to those of you who use your car all year long. 

 

source: http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/classic-car-collectors-shouldn-t-hesitate-to-drive-1.4667045

by Steve Linden

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - Four Ferraris crash on country road in France - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

 

Any sports car collector would be devastated to see their prized Ferrari in a wreck, but that was the fate that befell not just one but four owners of the vehicles after a spectacular pile up on a French country road at the weekend.

The four Ferraris were all travelling in convoy and had just passed a notorious speed camera called the “The White Cross”, where the speed limit is 70 km/h.

According to initial reports, the lead car was taken by surprise by a sign indicating there were some works ahead on the road and a speed bump had been installed.

The driver is believed to have slammed his foot on the brakes too sharply, causing the cars behind him to pile up, one after another, in a concertina effect.

Firefighters were called to help rescue three of the drivers who were trapped in their cars. They suffered no serious injury but were shaken up by the incident.

The Millau road was closed for two hours as debris was cleared up and the mashed up vehicles were towed away.

source: http://www.thelocal.fr/20131021/four-ferraris-crash-in-french-countryside-pile-up

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - Murray's Memories: 1990 French GP - Leyton House v Ferrari - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

India is only three years into its relationship with Formula 1, and faces an uncertain future with the grand prix not appearing on next year's calendar, apparently so it can reappear at the start of 2015.

Neither of the races at the Buddh International Circuit have been especially inspiring - both have been copybook victories from Sebastian Vettel, leading from the front in his Red Bull.

So, for this weekend I have cast my mind back to a remarkable race in a classic season, a race in which the story behind the result was far more fascinating than the result itself - a win for Alain Prost in his Ferrari, of which there were five that year - would suggest.

Alain Prost only passed Ivan Capelli's Leyton House three laps from the end in his Ferrari

The history books will remember 1990 as the year of Ayrton Senna and Prost, McLaren and Ferrari, but at the French Grand Prix there was a major and unpredictable upset.

It was tyre-stressingly hot, hot, hot at the Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille, but there were no surprises for the first 27 of the 80 laps, with the McLarens of Gerhard Berger and Senna leading Nigel Mansell's Ferrari.

Prost, who had slipped a couple of places down the field from his fourth place on the grid, was the first to pit for new tyres with no problems, but the McLaren stops were disastrous. Nearly 13 seconds for Berger, more for Senna, and they slumped down the order.

Now, surprise, surprise, it was the two yet to stop, Japanese-sponsored, Judd-powered Leyton House cars of Italy's Ivan Capelli and Brazilian Mauricio Gugelmin in the lead, ahead of Prost.

So when would they come in to change tyres?

On and on they went, until it became clear that they were going through non-stop! So could Prost catch them?

The Frenchman fought his way past Gugelmin to second but the unfancied Capelli was driving out of his skin and stayed ahead - until just three laps from the end.

But Capelli still finished a superb second - a glory day for the tiny team and for the man who had designed the car.

That was a chap called Adrian Newey who, in one of the worst decisions in F1 team management history, had already been sacked, and was on his way to Williams.

There, he applied the methods he had used at low-budget Leyton House to the much greater resources of Williams to produce the classic FW14. And the rest is history. Rather like Leyton House, in fact, who disappeared from F1 under a cloud at the end of the season.

 

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24475281

by Murray Walker' personal recollections

 

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Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - Knobbly Lister-Jaguar Returns to Production - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

Stirling Moss winning in a Lister-Jaguar Knobbly

Lister Cars announced it will return to its Cambridge roots to once again reinstate production of the famed Lister ‘Knobbly’ Jaguar.

After a gap of almost 25 years since the last Lister rolled off the production line, the three Lister companies of George Lister Engineering of Cambridge, Brian Lister Light Engineering and Lister Storm, have been consolidated within a new business called Lister Motor Company Limited.

Lister Motor Company Limited has invested in a new facility in Cambridge, which includes CNC machining, 3D scanning and Catia design, all of which will enable George Lister Engineering to develop and deliver a near identical development of the Knobbly.

Brian Lister’s original working drawings and manufacturing jigs have all been re-commissioned, and many of the team involved in the original 1950’s project with Lister Cars have been called back into service, including Martin Murray, Colin ‘Chippy’ Crisp, Graham ‘Curley’ Hutton, Laurence Pearce and even Brian Lister himself. Heading up the manufacturing project is Mark Hallam, technical director at George Lister Engineering and Jerry Booen of D Type Developments will also be assisting with the project. The cars will be built to be identical to those of 1958, and will be race-ready ‘out of the box’ to race with BHL-C (C for Continuation) chassis insignia and up to FIA/HTP Appendix K specification.

Lawrence Whittaker, CEO of Warranty Wise and the investor in the project, said, “Anyone with a fondness for British sports car manufacturing and with an understanding of Lister’s remarkable heritage should rightly be excited by this news. The Lister ‘Knobbly’ was a powerful, giant-killing racing car in its heyday, and with all the expertise we have brought together for this project, I can promise that the new Lister will be a fabulously exciting and desirable car. This is a passionate undertaking for us and we also have some very exciting plans for the future.”

Jaguar D-Type-specification engines and D-Type gearboxes will be supplied by Crosthwaite & Gardener, and all race preparation and track commissioning will be undertaken by Chris Keith-Lucas of CKL Developments, another specialist in historic Jaguar restoration and preparation. Last but not least, that Knobbly body will be re-created using the original Shapecraft body bucks by Clive Smart and Adrian Breeze.

A series of Lister sponsored historic race meetings are planned for 2015, in time for the Lister 125th year anniversary

source: http://www.sportscardigest.com/knobbly-lister-jaguar-returns-to-production/

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - Check out this interactive Formula One Ferrari steering wheel - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

Check out this link

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/sport/motorsport/f1-steering-wheel-interactive/index.html




source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/sport/motorsport/f1-steering-wheel-interactive/index.html#index
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20131017/F1/131019784
by Mike Larson

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration Livermore - Remembering the tragedy and mayhem of the 1982 F1 World Championship - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg salute the crowd after the 1982 US Grand Prix West at the Long Beach circuit in California. Photograph: Allsport

Some Formula 1 seasons have been more eventful and exciting than 2013. Take 1982 for example. What it may have lacked in quality, it made up for in talking points. It was rarely dull. The year started with a drivers' strike, contained a Grand Prix postponement, controversial disqualifications, a boycott, tragedies, last-lap dramas, and a world champion who only won one race. Never mind a blog, there is enough material for a whole book from this period in the sport.

The strike

The season had barely begun before the chaos started. Unhappy with certain elements of the new super licences proposed by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA), the drivers took the decision to strike during the practice sessions of the opening race in South Africa.

Thirty drivers boarded a coach – Jochen Mass was unaware of the group actions and was staying in a different location to the other drivers – and departed the Kyalami circuit en masse. Strength in unity was very much the mantra for the group, as the rebels barricaded themselves in a conference room in the Sunnyside Hotel so that they could not be pestered by their teams and the relevant authorities.

The room was turned into a makeshift dorm, mattresses laid across the floor with drivers sharing beds, and the group being royally entertained by Elio de Angelis and Gilles Villeneuve on the piano. Stories from this episode are boundless, the feeling of camaraderie growing among the usually independent drivers. Only one man backed down – Teo Fabi, who was rumoured to have fled through a bathroom window – a move that hardly endeared him to the other drivers throughout the remainder of the season.

There were two main gripes with the super licences. Firstly, that each individual driver had to sign a contract stating that they would drive for a given team for a defined period of time, up to three years, thus preventing them from entering contract negotiations with other teams. And secondly, that they could no way speak in a way that would reflect badly on the governing body FISA.

Represented by Ferrari's Didier Pironi, with the returning Niki Lauda acting as group spokesman, the drivers were determined to stay strong throughout. The situation was looking desperate at various points, with teams actually looking into the option of bringing in other drivers to solve the problem, and the South African Grand Prix was in serious danger of being called off. With only Jochen Mass taking to the track for the practice session, a sense of farce descended over proceedings.

Eventually the drivers returned, given verbal assurances by FISA President Jean-Marie Balestre that they would not be punished for their misdemeanours. Unfortunately Balestre was not totally honest, his fury over events leading to fines ranging between $5,000-$10,000 and suspended bans varying from two to five races being imposed on the 29 men who stuck things out until the end. The row would rumble on and on.

The cancellation

Alain Prost won the South African Grand Prix on 23 January, but it would be almost two months before the next race of the season in Brazil. The scheduled follow-up to South Africa – the Argentinian Grand Prix on 7 March – never took place, as the championship lurched from one crisis to another.

The Argentinian Grand Prix was postponed after race organisers declared that various sponsors had backed out of the event due to the indecision caused by the drivers' strike in South Africa. With potential heavy losses, the Argentinian authorities simply could not afford to take any risks.

Eventually, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Court of Appeal adjusted the super licence contract issues, and reduced the fines and suspended race sentences dished out after South Africa. The circus moved on to the Brazilian Grand Prix, but you may have guessed that the controversy did not end there.

The disqualification

After the hassle of South Africa and the postponement in Argentina, it appeared to be business as usual in Brazil. Nelson Piquet delighted home fans by winning the race in his Brabham, with the Williams driver Keke Rosberg in second place. In 1982 though, nothing could be taken for granted.

Renault and Ferrari immediately lodged a protest against Brabham and Williams, insisting that both drivers had raced in cars under the minimum legal weight. Another race – the US Grand Prix West at Long Beach, won by Lauda – had taken place before the appeal was heard by the FIA. When Piquet and Rosberg were disqualified, Prost was promoted to first place, thus taking an early lead in the championship, and in the process, opening up a whole new can of worms before the next race in San Marino.

The boycott

The disqualification of Piquet and Rosberg was one thing, but when a decision was taken by the FIA to adjust the weighing procedures of cars after a race, another messy situation developed in the already volatile world of F1.

Post-race weighing of cars had previously seen oil and coolant levels topped up before a reading was taken, but now the FIA seemed to be moving the goalposts. After Brazil, the FIA announced that cars would now be weighed before any liquids were added, greatly impacting on any team that used the ballast water tank for cooling brakes through the race (and refilled after finishing). The Britain-based Formula OneConstructors' Association (FOCA) were up in arms over this new development.

An emergency meeting was held, with FOCA decreeing that any teams based in Britain were to boycott the forthcoming Grand Prix at Imola. Although some teams (Tyrrell, Osella, ATS and Toleman) ignored this course of action, only 14 cars took part in the San Marino Grand Prix, with the Ferrari's of Villeneuve and Pironi unsurprisingly dominating after both Renaults had retired.

Even a race involving only 14 cars caused some rancour, however. Villeneuve and Pironi swapped positions at the head of the field five times, but after Pironi regained the lead on the final lap – apparently ignoring team orders to slow down – Villeneuve was furious, allegedly vowing never to speak to Pironi again. Which makes the subsequent disaster in Belgium even sadder.

The tragedies

Just two weeks after Imola, Villeneuve was killed during the closing stages of qualification for the Belgian Grand Prix. An accidental coming together with Mass' slow-moving March car saw Villeneuve's Ferrari catapulted into the sky, bodywork strewn in all directions, and Villeneuve thrown from the car.

Villeneuve was given the kiss of life and a heart massage by track marshalls, but after being helicoptered to Louvain hospital with severe neck and brain injuries, he passed away later that evening. Ferrari instantly withdrew from the race, and F1 mourned the loss of a popular and supremely talented driver.

Sadly this was not the only fatality during the 1982 season. Italian Riccardo Paletti, participating in only his second race, crashed into Pironi's stalled car at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix, and he later died due to massive internal haemorrhaging.

It was estimated that Paletti had been travelling at 120mph at the time of the collision, but before Pironi and race marshalls could get to the Osella, Paletti's car burst into flames. The fire was extinguished, but there was a delay of half an hour, until Paletti was cut free, and his death, coming so soon after that of Villeneuve, shook the sport further.

These were not the only safety incidents, however. After surviving a serious crash at the French Grand Prix in July, Mass was a lucky man to hobble away with minor burns, but such had been the impact of Villeneuve's death on the German, that he took his own accident as a sign that he needed to quit the sport. He would never race again in a F1 Grand Prix.

As ever in sport, the show went on, and it appeared as if Pironi would go on to claim the title. Yet in this troublesome year there would be one more incident which shaped the destiny of the championship.

During qualification for the German Grand Prix (in wet conditions), Pironi crashed into the back of Prost's Renault and was flung into the air. "Suddenly I felt something hit me very hard in the back. Then I saw the red Ferrari flying over me. It was doing 140 miles an hour," said Prost.

The injuries to Pironi's legs were so hideous, that the first driver on the scene vomited at seeing the damage caused to the Ferrari driver. Doctors feared that Pironi would never walk again, and despite recovering after numerous operations, the German Grand Prix would be the last F1 race of his career.

The German Grand Prix is also remembered for Nelson Piquet's infamous attack on Eliseo Salazar. This was no ordinary season.

The mayhem in Monaco

The race after Villeneuve's death was in Monaco, unsurprisingly conducted under grey clouds, both metaphorically and in terms of the weather. For 73 of the 76 laps there had been little to write home about. And then pandemonium.

Alain Prost looked to be coasting to victory with just two laps to go, until the light rain showers that had hit the circuit started to have an impact. Prost spun out of the race, handing the lead to Riccardo Patrese, before he too appeared to throw away his chance at glory, sliding across a bend at Loews and stalling his Brabham.

The chaos continued. Pironi now took a turn to be race leader, but agonisingly his car developed an electrical fault on the last lap, ending his hopes. Andrea de Cesaris was briefly promoted to first place, only for his vehicle to run out of fuel. All eyes then turned to Ireland's Derek Daly, yet as the cameras cut to his Williams car grinding to a halt, confusion reigned.

In the mess, Patrese had been pushed back into a safe position by race marshalls, and had managed to bump start his car while moving downhill. On crossing the finishing line the Italian had no idea he had won his first Grand Prix, mistakenly thinking he was in second place. "On the finishing lap everybody was waving flags and so on, while I was thinking I'd thrown it all away," said Patrese, who remained unaware of his win until he was ushered towards the podium.

Five different leaders in the last two laps; it's hardly surprising that Murray Walker described the race at the time as "certainly the most eventful, exciting, momentous Grand Prix I have ever seen".

The champion

In Pironi's absence, the world title was up for grabs. With just four races left in the season, the table indicated just how close things were: Pironi 39 points, John Watson 30, Keke Rosberg 27, Prost 25, Lauda 24. In a crazy race for the title, even Pironi still had an outside chance.

Pironi was only knocked off top spot with two races to go. The man who finally took charge of the championship must at one point have wondered if he was ever destined to win a Grand Prix at all. Keke Rosberg's win in the Grand Prix of Switzerland – hosted in France due to Switzerland's laws on hosting motor racing – was a decisive moment in the season. It gave Rosberg his first ever Grand Prix win and the lead in the championship. After the dramatic events at the previous race in Austria, Rosberg's joy was twofold.

Rosberg had been denied his maiden win in Austria in one of the closest finishes of all time. With a lap remaining, the Lotus of Elio de Angelis led Rosberg's Williams by 1.64 seconds, but in a gripping finale, the Finn closed the gap, pushing desperately for an opening. De Angelis held on for his first Grand Prix win, beating Rosberg by 0.05 seconds and by just four feet.

The win in France ensured Rosberg's Austrian agony was quickly forgotten, and come the final race of the season in Las Vegas – the third Grand Prix to have been held in America in 1982 – the Finn needed just a point to secure the title. His fifth-place finish made Rosberg the 1982 world champion, even though he had only won one race during the season. Consistency was the key, although Pironi's career-ending crash was obviously a significant turning point.

Overall, the 1982 season was fairly unusual. No driver won more than two races, five men secured their maiden wins – Patrese, Patrick Tambay, de Angelis, Rosberg, and Michele Alboreto – with 11 different men winning the 16 races. From the strike shenanigans in South Africa to Rosberg claiming the title, it was a season touched by tragedy, clouded in controversy and enveloped in excitement.

It has been a delight researching this piece, finding out information on a season which was interesting from the beginning to the end. In fact, it has whetted my appetite so much for the sport that I may go to the loft and dust off my Scalectrix set..

source http://www.theguardian.com/sport/that-1980s-sports-blog/2013/oct/14/remembering-1982-f1-world-championship

by Steven Pye

Exotic and Vintage Car Restoration - Inside Mercedes’ workshop for restoring its classics - FZ Restoration Livermore - (925)294-5666

 

 Depending on your automotive allegiances, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, Calif., is either merely impressive or downright Valhalla. Established in 2006, the Classic Center is the U.S. branch of Mercedes’ 20-year-old facility north of Stuttgart dedicated to factory-quality restoration of the marque’s classic machines, which by the company’s definition means being out of production for at least two decades.

What makes the Classic Center, located just off the busy I-5 thoroughfare, particularly unique is that it offers a U.S.-based option for either someone wanting a top-flight ground-up resto job on their vehicle or those in the market for a rare bird with an HQ seal of approval. In contrast, Prancing Horse aficionados wanting to take advantage of that company’s vaunted Ferrari Classiche program need to plan a trip to Maranello, Italy.

“Opening here was a natural for us,” says Classic Center spokesman and bonafide car geek Constantin von Kageneck, the lone German among 22 staffers. “If you look at the concentration of both wealth and surviving classic Mercedes cars, both are here in southern California.”

The center’s combination showroom-garage sprawls over some 18,000 square feet and is set amid a rather anonymous array of car dealerships and automotive-aftermarket companies. During a recent visit, the showroom brimmed with a range of Mercedes triumphs, including a recreation of Karl Benz’s revolutionary 1886 Motor Wagen and a special touring machine from 1905.

“This is something,” says von Kageneck with considerable understatement. “In the early part of the last century, Daimler wanted to make inroads into the U.S. market, so they made a partnership with Steinway, the piano company, to produce what was called the American Mercedes. But in 1907, the factory burned with 60 cars in it and all the records. We’ve never seen another one, though if anyone out there has one we’d certainly like to know about it.”

Those century-old classics aside, the real meat of the operation here revolves around an iconic Mercedes-Benz sports car whose values have soared in recent years: the 300 SL.

Produced between 1954 and 1957 in both convertible (1,800 examples) and vaunted Gullwing coupe (1,400) configurations, the SL made such racing and pop culture headlines in its day that it continues to serve as both company icon and styling guide (just look at the tribute that is Mercedes’ current SLS Gullwing). Less than a decade ago, Gullwings could trade hands for around $500,000. Today?

“Well, we have this one available right now if someone is interested, and it’s priced at $1.9 million,” says von Kageneck, walking up to a silver-over-red-leather 1955 example. He explains that the roughly 20% premium over current Gullwing values is the result of this car having been converted to an all-aluminum body by the factory a few decades back.

“It’s not one of the original Gullwings that were made in aluminum,” he concedes. “But then again, there were only 29 of those and they’re worth around $4.6 million. So this you could say is a good deal.”

Another so-called good deal, depending on which percentage group your income places you, sits a few feet away. Lacking a body, this 1954 Gullwing’s running gear awaits a full restoration by anyone with $1.4 million.

“It’s the 44th Gullwing ever made, back when most of the parts were still hand-tooled and hand-welded,” says von Kageneck. “Whoever buys it can pick not only from the original six colors it was offered in, but nearly 40 others. It’s an opportunity to create a new classic Gullwing to your specifications.”

The tour continues, past a small selection of Mercedes-Benz souvenirs for sale (from picnic blankets to cufflinks) and into a small room with high ceilings. Cars are stacked two-high along both walls, while posters of famous Mercedes racing wins line the walls. This is a combination museum (each car has a small display plaque) and hangout area for customers who aren’t quite sure they know what they’re doing with their rare vehicles.

Over here, there’s a 1972 Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine that served at the Germany embassy in Paris, while on a lift nearby is Porsche-nut Jerry Seinfeld’s monstrous 1997 E60 supersedan (“It’s so wide we can barely get it on the lift”).

One of the more intriguing cars in this area is in body-only form: a former SL convertible whose new owner is having it transformed into a rare vintage-SLS racing beast. The car was purchased for around $1 million, which will include the cost of the full build.

“We have the advantage of having access to all company blueprints and information from back in the day,” says von Kageneck, who notes that the wait for a completed Classic Center restoration is about five years. “A few years ago, we had a 1963 230SL in and I wound up having to translate 13 pages of documents for our mechanics. Some (restoration) shops may be willing to go to those lengths, but not many.”

There are unquestionably a number of top auto restorers around the country who can bring a Gullwing back to vibrant life. But what you do get here at the Classic Center is a guaranteed focus on one marque, as well as considerable nerd-level expertise on the topic at hand. As if to prove the point, von Kageneck hovers over a delicious chocolate brown 190SL cabriolet whose owner ponied nearly $300,000 for the bragging rights.

“It’s a stunning car, no question,” he says. “But the paint is actually just a touch too shiny as compared to what it would have been originally. It’s tough today because all of today’s paints are water-based, but that’s where the skill of a craftsman comes in.”

Leaving this display area, von Kageneck weaves through the shop floor, where nearly a dozen workers - many trained by the Mercedes factory in Germany - wet-sand fenders and hover over engine wiring.

In one bay sits a jet-black 1961 300, a pillarless wonder often referred to as an Adenauer, after Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of West Germany. “It is by far the most difficult post-war car for us to work on,” sighs von Kageneck. “You’ve got the lack of roof support to start with, which makes the panel gaps just so tough to get right.”

Two mechanics push a Gullwing into another bay, a pristine machine in an odd but factory-correct strawberry metallic hue (the car had been vandalized with a hammer). Not far away is a 1911 Benz that had sustained fire damage and needs considerable work on its wood-packed body.

“What’s amazing about working here is you are always stumbling into history,” says von Kageneck, urging a visitor to consider the story of the 1910 Mercedes Simplex that sits on the top row of the Classic Center’s showroom. With its wooden frame and engine hand-crank, it is a vestige of an era when a Tesla Model S would have been deemed a spaceship from another planet.

He walks over to yet another gem, this a 1938 Type 230 Cabriolet, recently purchased at auction in Pebble Beach. The beige car with beige top looks like a solid driver, and in fact its octogenarian new owner just wants the folks here to make sure it’s safe to drive daily — if also slowly considering its blinkers are wooden semaphores that pop out of the windscreen.

“What’s amazing is that the car came with boxes of documents, and in going through them all we discovered that it had been with the same family for 70 years,” he says. “And they’d kept everything.”

The paperwork in question included not only every service receipt for the car over some 80 years, but also its story, which included a flight from Germany into Czechoslovakia during the height of World War II, and eventually a trip to the United States.

“It’s incredible what lengths some people go to to keep a special car, and that right there is a justification for what we do,” says von Kageneck. “For some, these are more than just automobiles. And we exist to keep them alive.”

 

source: motoramic

by Marco R. della Cava

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - When Was The Last Time You Saw One: Momo Mirage 2+2, 1973 - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

Once gracing the cover of Road & Track (remember that period publication?) the Momo Mirage is a car not often seen in public, to put it mildly.  The result of Peter Kalikow’s collaboration with Alfred Momo and Gene Garfinkel, the Mirage was designed by Stanguellini and built by Frua. The production was planned for 25 cars per year, but only 5 ended up being assembled. Peter Kalikow still retains “majority ownership” of all existing Mirages, keeping 3 out of the 5 cars built, including this example finished in 1973. Power in the Mirage came courtesy of a Chevrolet 350 V8 engine, mated to a ZF transmission. The design seems a bit heavy heavy visually, with sharper angles than one would have expected from an Italian-American collaboration of the time, and while there are faint hints of Iso Rivolta and De Tomaso design cues here and there, it’s distinct enough not to be confused with either.

 

 

source: http://www.classicblog.net/2012/06/09/when-was-the-last-time-you-saw-one-momo-mirage-22-1973/

 

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Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - The Lagonda: Now With Even More Hindsight - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

Probably one of the greatest missed opportunities of British sedans of the 1970s, bespoke sedans anyway, was the Aston Martin Lagonda. Designed by William Towns using nothing but a ruler, the sedan once again resurrected the Lagonda nameplate following an absence of a few years. Cognoscenti will recall that DB (I’m on an initials-only basis with Mr. Brown) had brought Lagonda out of hibernation in 1961, building and with some effort selling 55 Lagonda Rapide saloons, mostly to his friends. That previous effort was also marred by slightly off-putting styling, at least as the front fascia was concerned. The construction and sales of the 1962-1964 Rapides caused quite a bit of internal strife within Aston Martin, putting a strain on its production capacity, and assured that Lagonda would not return again for a while. 

The next attempt to revive Lagonda occurred in 1974, when the company was under William Wilson’s ownership. A total of seven Series 1 sedans based largely on the DBS model were built, one of them with a DBS-style front fascia, which was quite handsome. Had there been more built, badged perhaps as AMs, I’d imagine they would have quite a following today.

The very next effort by Aston Martin to market a luxury sedan brings us to the William Towns’ Lagonda, which was quite well received when it premiered, despite stalling on the way to the show podium.  Even though it premiered merely 2 years after the Series 1 cars were built, it shared very little with the Series 1 in terms of mechanicals. Prices were high, but production was slow and difficult. Deliveries of ordered cars took quite a long time, as only one or two cars were completed each week, and initial reliability was not all that great. In fact, only 16 cars were completed during the first year of “production.” The Lagondas were generally cheaper than Silver Spirits or Corniches, but their design was polarizing, to say the least.

Even though sales picked up during the 1980s, owing largely to the Middle Eastern market, the car’s prices ballooned to £50,000, up from around £33,000. Even though the car was credited with saving Aston Martin in the 1980s, production once again diverted efforts from expanding the lineup of coupes and convertibles. By the mid-1980s fashion had finally caught up with the design of the Lagonda, and complicated (and often malfunctionning) instruments had left a mark. Efforts were made to soften-up the design, but there was only so much that could have been done without changing the basic structure of the greenhouse. Production continued until 1989, by which time the Lagonda’s instruments were more or less sorted out.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but could things have turned out better if AM had chosen to go with a more traditional design, one that eschewed Star Trek internal controls and focused on the passenger experience, in the spirit of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit? Don’t get me wrong, the William Towns’ Lagonda is comfy enough on the inside, if you fit into the back seat, that is. But a chauffeured limo it isn’t, and it was never really planned as such. Instead, AM went for a sportier saloon that brimmed with futuristic technology (that rarely worked). But was the sports sedan approach the best way to go from the start, or should Aston have made a chunkier cruiser that could have attacked Crewe’s barges from the flanks?

source: http://www.classicblog.net/2012/06/12/the-lagonda-now-with-even-more-hindsight/

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Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Barn Find Bugatti – Preserve or Restore? - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

 

 Quite literally the definition of barn find, this 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Series 3 Ventoux Coupewith 22K km on the odometer was found in a barn in central Pennsylvania, having sat unused for about 30 years. Originally sold for 82,224 Francs in 1938, the car was fitted with factory Ventoux coachwork. The original color of this car was dark blue. Imported in the 1960s from Switzerland to the US, the car suffered an engine fire around that time which caused damage to the hood panels and fenders. Most of the wiring was believed to have been destroyed in the fire as well. The car was acquired in this condition from Marlboro Motors in NJ by a gentleman who was an engineer. Most of the mechanical damage from the engine fire was repaired, and the car ran as late as 1966, though it was not given a restoration.

The car was made to run prior to the auction, and I saw it start up in the morning. As it did so, flashes of light could be visible through the vents of the engine bay as the cylinders sprang to life, accompanied by backfire and a Led Zeppelin concert style smoke screen. Still, the car moved around the show field under its own power. Video of the car’s first start-up (not shot by me) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E09D8VpUb1Q

Estimated at $150-200K, the Ventoux Coupe was sold on Sept. 18 at Fairfield Concours in Westport CT by Bonhams with the hammer falling at $337,000, buyer’s premium included.

In terms of comparables, in June of this year Artcurial sold an identical 1937 Type 57 Ventoux with 97K km on the clock, restored in 1998, for $446,785. That same Type 37 sold for $123,375 at Barrett-Jackson in Jan. 1998. An SCM contributor judged that sale to be market correct. Another Ventoux, in parts-car condition went for $215.108 at Retromobile this year.

So will this be the subject of a $500K restoration, which is approximately what it’ll take to bring this to concours level, or will it given a sympathetic mechanical restoration and made usable? Over the last decade originality for certain cars has come to be valued over restoration. A car can be restored many times, it is said, but it can be original only once. Had this car been found back in 1991, there is no question that it would have been immediately sent off to a complete nut and bolt restoration, which would have cleaned not only the patina but the history of this car. With a car like this, one that is borderline-roadworthy, that’s a tough choice to make, but at the price bought there is still some upside following a rather conservative restoration, if the buyer decides to flip it.

In this case I would side towards a complete restoration. This is a relatively story-free car (‘cept the minor detail of the engine fire) as it’s effectively a two owner car that’s been locked away after seeing very little use since the mid 1960s. As far as Bugatti barn finds go, that’s a pretty good period of time. Bugatti barn finds nowadays tend to be ones that have either been found as rebodied and abused chassis that have been gathering dust since the 1950s, or more recent cars that have simply been stored but not forgotten for 30 years. The patina that is on this car is not exactly worth preserving, at least the wear and damage on the outside. Restoring it would not be like patching up the bullet holes on Dillinger’s Ford, thereby erasing its historical significance. The cabin is relatively intact, so if the buyer decides to restore it, some of the cabin might be left untouched like the steering and gauges.

 

source: http://www.classicblog.net/2012/04/23/barn-find-bugatti-preserve-or-restore/

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Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - The LaFerrari On The Nurburgring Is A New Level Of Aural Delight - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

It is odd to see Ferrari officially testing at the Nurburgring, since almost all of their testing is done at the Fiorano test track.  Ferrari still has the LaFerrari at the Nurburgring. Pump up the volume, because this is, by far, the best thing you'll hear today.P

We've heard that Ferrari is testing the car at the 'Ring because they want to beat the 6:57 lap time set by the Porsche 918 Spyder. But if they don't beat that time, don't expect an official laptime to ever be released by the folks in Maranello.P

Instead, expect them to just say they were there for development testing... And to make the locals' heads explode with the sounds of V12 Hybrid glory echoing through the mountains.

source: http://jalopnik.com/the-laferrari-on-the-nurburgring-is-a-new-level-of-aura-1440135231
by Travis Okulski


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Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Ferrari sweeps GT-Class Championships at Lime Rock - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

#63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458: Leh Keen, Alessandro Balzan

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

 

A wild race at Lime Rock Park on Saturday that brought an end to the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series also brought a sweep of the season’s GT-class championships to Ferrari.

When he guided the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia to the checkered flag in second position, Alessandro Balzan became the 2013 Rolex Series GT driver champion and secured the Rolex Series team championship for Scuderia Corsa. And, for the second straight season, Ferrari won the Rolex Series manufacturer championship – scoring two wins, four pole positions, and 13 podium finishes in the season.

 After he qualified the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia in second position, Leh Keen kept his teammate and his team in a position to win the championship during the opening stages of the race before handing the car over to Balzan.

Battling throughout the race for a podium position, and surviving a heavy hit from another GT-class car, Balzan survived a chaotic final hour and a late-race restart to finish in second position. Just behind was the no. 64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia that was driven by Jeff Westphal and Johannes van Overbeek.

“I was never relaxed during the race since things were always happening in front of us, behind us, or next to us,” said Balzan. “The DP’s were passing us and sometimes it was a nightmare because you know that you are leading the championship but you also know that you are losing so much time in traffic.

I am very happy for the team. Everyone at Scuderia Corsa, really deserved it. It’s really crazy to think we are champions in the first year. I have to thank Giacomo because he believed in me, otherwise I would have never gotten the seat. I’m a 100% Scuderia Corsa product, and it is a dream for a little Italian driver coming from Italy that is now living in Modena.”

Giacomo Mattioli has now seen his Scuderia Corsa team, in its first complete Rolex Series season, score its first win and win its first championship.

“It’s an amazing, amazing experience for Scuderia Corsa to win its first championship,” said Mattioli. “My first thought is to thank the people behind this project, starting from Marco Mattiacci of Ferrari North America, and my technical director Roberto Amorosi, the whole team – too many to name – and obviously Alessandro.

Alessandro has had a fantastic season. He didn’t know any of the tracks, didn’t know the tires, and I think he adapted so well. We decided to bring out the no. 64 Ferrari and they did a great job. We had two great drivers that had raced with us before – Johannes and Jeff. They were on top of their game, and the car was very good, and they scored a great podium result.”

Mattiacci, the President and CEO of Ferrari North America, was in attendance to see the trio of championships secured on Saturday.

“The manufacturer championship is very important for Ferrari, because it demonstrates not only the phenomenal performance, speed, balance, but also the reliability of the 458 Italia,” said Mattiacci. “To win it for the second time, against the high level of competition in the Rolex Series in the United States, is an achievement we are very proud of. This was only possible because of the great preparation and driving of all of our teams – AIM Autosport Team FXDD, R.Ferri/AIM Motorsport, and Scuderia Corsa.

“Alessandro Balzan and Scuderia Corsa have done an incredible job all season, showing an impressive consistency and are very deserving GT champions. They rightly enjoyed a lot of support from Ferrari owners today at Lime Rock Park. Our thanks goes as well to all the team at Corse Cliente, our sponsor and supporter Motorola and naturally to all the GRAND-AM organization.”

Contact relegated the no. 61 R. Ferri/AIM Motorsport Ferrari 458 of Alex Tagliani and Jeff Segal to seventh position, while the no. 69 AIM Autosport Team FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia of Emil Assentato and Anthony Lazzaro was forced to retire with damage to the car’s radiator.

To commemorate the championship, Ferrari has launched a website to chronicle the trio of Rolex Series GT championships which can be seen at Ferraridoesitagain.tumblr.com.

 

source: http://www.motorsport.com/grandam/news/ferrari-sweeps-gt-class-championships-at-lime-rock/

 

by  João Corrêa

 

 

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Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Ferrari GTO snatches title of world’s most expensive car at $52 million - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

This 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO has become the most expensive car in the world. Its previous owner, Paul Pappalardo from Greenwich, Connecticut, sold his Ferrari 250 GTO from 1963 to an undisclosed buyer for the record sum of $52 million USD.  The previous record was held by Ferrari 250 GTO (1962) too. That car was driven by Sir Stirling Moss and it was sold for $35 million last year.  This comes to confirm that the Ferrari GTO is the most expensive cars ever made.  The 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO has the chassis number 5111. One of the reasons it's so expensive is that is won the 1963 Tour de France road race with driver Jean Guichet at the wheel.  Other Ferrari 250 GTO owners include Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Peter Sachs from Goldman Sachs, rob Walton who's the chairman of Wal-Mart, Ralph Lauren, and Lawrence Stroll from tommy Hilfiger.  Reportedly, Nick Mason was offered as much as $50 Million for his Ferrari 250 GTO, he took a wise decision when he refused to sell it.  At this rate, we'll probably see a $100 million for this car in the future.



source: http://www.zercustoms.com/news/1963-Ferrari-250-GTO-Sells-For-USD-52-million.html
by Andrei Barbu

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