Apex Automotive Magazine Issue 4 Winter 2015

2016 Mazda MX-5: AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL?

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[ FREE WINTER ISSUE ]

1969 Dodge Super Bee restored from the ground up AT STEVE’S RESTORATION

STEVE’S RESTORATION WE CHECK OUT THE AWESOME LOCAL SHOP THAT LANDED A SHOW ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL

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Bill Tuttle of whitesboro’s SUPER CLEAN big bLock ‘68 chevelle SS BEAST APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 1

A LETTER FROM OUR TEAM It’s a strange feeling to put out our Winter edition of Apex Automotive Magazine before receiving any significant snowfall. We won’t complain though, as that means we can still enjoy our cars (well, those of us who didn’t put them away in October - we feel bad for those guys!).

Managing Editor Kevin Crandall

Creative Director Justin Palmer

Account Manager Director of Photography Matt Wilson Chris Penree Photography Jordan Polizzi John Zachary Justin Palmer

Thomas Sblendorio Kevin Crandall

Contributing Writers Justin Palmer John Zachary Mike Potaczala Kevin Crandall Brian Coupe Bob Sblendorio Matt Wilson

While we’ve been blessed to have a delay to our usually harsh upstate NY winter season, we thought it best to release this issue a little early, as the snow is inevitable. We capitalized on the mild weather and took every opportunity to shoot and cover area content.

Proofreader Denise Crandall

Our next issue is due out in Mid-March of 2016, and we’ll use that time in between to gear up for an explosive expansion next season. Some folks may have seen the help wanted ad on our website or social media channels, and the response has been nothing short of amazing. We cannot wait to utilize the support offered to our publication and see this passion project turn into a legitimate media powerhouse when it comes to our upstate NY automotive scene.

Proudly printed locally by Kenyon Press Inc.

We’re still on the lookout for more help too, so don’t think it’s too late! We’re always looking for story leads, contributing writers, help distributing (and locations to distribute to), anything. By all means, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@apexautomag.com or call 315-280-8305. We’d love to hear from you!

Enough about the future though, let’s talk about this edition! In this Winter issue, we cover the Super DIRT Week’s finale at the Fairgrounds, visit an automotive bookstore, say farewell to an industry legend, check out some cool local rides, and last but certainly not least - check out the History Channel’s newest television series featured shop, Steve’s Restoration & Hot Rods!

Every day it seems we’re learning of yet another awesome area automotive story. It blows our minds to see how fast the scene is growing, evolving, and how much interest there is in the various segments we cover. We’re happy to be a part of it and hope we can shed light on some of the under-exposed areas to help it grow even more.

Thanks so much for reading. If you like our publication, please consider a subscription to get new issues delivered directly to your door. We would very much appreciate your support and continued readership.

— The Apex Automotive Magazine Team

Website MPW Marketing // Damon Maldonado

Special Thanks Richard Aversa, Steve’s Restoration, Dan Dellecese, Ralph Holmes, Mark Zarnock, Brett Hearn, New Age Hotrods, Steet-Ponte Mazda

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Apex Automotive Magazine is the only publication of its kind in CNY. Each issue contains articles featuring custom builds, local car shows, area custom shops, auto enthusiasts, unique car stories, and everything else automotive.

We appreciate all of our amazing advertisers, without them this publication would not be possible. Please give them a chance to earn your patronage and tell them you saw them in Apex Automotive Magazine.

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Apex Automotive Magazine is published four times per year by Seven Horsepower Publishing, LLC. To subscribe, please send $20 to the below address.

Magazines will be delivered via USPS. Apex Automotive Magazine 1484 Bogan Rd. Waterville, NY 13480 We welcome feedback, story suggestions, reader contributions and anything else you might like to share with us. Send us a note to info@apexautomag.com.

All contents copyright 2015, Apex Automotive Magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or republished without consent.

Apex Automotive Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, photos, or artwork.

TABLE OF CONTENTS // FEATURES 7

22

2016 Mazda MX-5: AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL?

STEVE’S RESTORATIONS

REVIEW

This first generation was a huge success for Mazda.

We check out the latest version to see if it’s still an enthusiast’s dream.

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by JUSTIN PALMER

8

LOCAL CAR STORY

ONE BAD ‘68 CHEVELLE

Bill Tuttle of Whitesboro’s super clean big block ‘68 Chevelle SS beast.

by KEVIN CRANDALL

12

LOCAL COLLECTION

RED WHITE & BLUE

An amazing collection of Richard Petty Edition Pontiac Grand Prix’s.

12

by Mike Potaczala

16

BUDGET SUPERCAR

C6 CORVETTE ZO6

Even a decade later this beastly Vette is still respected.

by JUSTIN PALMER

18

CAR ENTHUSIAST SHOP

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Adirondack Motorbooks & Collectibles

If you’re into die cast, books, magazines and other types of automobile collectibles, look no further!

by BRIAN COUPE

FEATURED SHOP

We talk to owner Steve and check out out the awesome local shop that landed a show on the History Channel.

by Matt Wilson

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A LEGEND

Local Remembers the Legendary George Barris

Who is George Barris you ask? He is the legendary Hollywood car designer and builder who created such cars as the Batmobile, the Munster Koach, and a plethora of other cars for countless celebrities.

by Bob Sblendorio

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UNDER THE HELMET

BRETT HEARN

We sat down with Brett at Brewerton Speedway for a look at what has made Hearn one of the best Dirt Modified drivers.

by John Zachary

34

GETTIN’ DIRTY

LAST CALL AT THE MOODY MILE

We cover the last Super Dirt Week held at the New York State Fairgrounds.

by John Zachary

42

GAMER REVIEW

FORZA 6

The latest addition to Microsoft’s racing series.

by KEVIN CRANDALL

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APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 3

Readers Rides Each issue we showcase area rides submitted by our readers. These are their pride and joy and we’re helping to show them off!

1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne

Joey Loiacano - Utica, NY. This beautiful 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne was originally bought new from Ray Benson Chevrolet in Utica. Joey bought it off the original owner, drove it for a while, then took 15 years and tore it down to the frame rails and built it back from the ground up into the fabulous looking machine you see here.

2012 BMW 335is

Rob Wilson - Whitesboro, NY. His 2012 BMW 335is features a 3.0l N54 twin turbo 7 speed DCT. Of the 8,000 or so 335is models produced between 2011-2013, less than 300 were configured like this one. Rob has performed a slew of modifications including 19” VMR wheels with Toyo tires, VIS carbon fiber hood, Arkym carbon fiber lip, as well as other carbon parts.

He also upgraded the powertrain with VRSF 5.5” FMIC, I/C pipes, downpipes, as well as a performance exhaust, intake filter and much more.

This beast now makes 410whp on pump gas with 17lb of boost.

Do you have an awesome ride you want us to share? Email highresolution, clear photos and a brief description about your vehicle to rides@apexautomag.com. Please include your name and hometown.

All of this issue’s Reader’s Rides features are getting 2 FREE Admission tickets to the Northeast Classic Car Museum! We want to thank the Museum for sponsoring this section with this great prize package. If you haven’t been there lately, go check it out!

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2016 Mazda MX-5 New Vehicle Review

photography Jordan Polizzi words Justin Palmer

Price $24,915 Engine Inline-4 Transmission 6 Speed Manual Horsepower 155 Torque 148 Displacement 2.0 Liter 0-60 6.5 Top Speed 130 mph

engine results in a little snarl that settles to a pleasing somewhat sporty idle. The car pulls hard in first and second gear and loves to rev This little Mazda has been the MX-5, it becomes quickly apparent that with a 0-60 time going down in about 5.9 sechailed as one of the most this car is all about driving and nothing else. onds. This may not sound sports car fast by important contributions The cloth seats our test car was equipped today’s standards, but it’s the quickest Miata to the sports car with were supportive with plenty of I feel yet, and that’s because this generation is down enthusiast world bolster. The dash is driver-focused like any- with a center-oriented tachometer 300 pounds from the last. since, well, frankly ever. The first Winding out the little four cylinder is iteration made its entrance in the and every control is in close reach one who a joy. Mazda has done a great job creating a early 90’s as an affordable, reliable, of the steering wheel. Materials loves cars throughout the cabin feel and look small engine that begs you to push it to its good looking roadster that was limits, and never feels anemic or buzzy. The loaded with character and filled above the MX-5’s $25,000 price point. should at 2.0-liter rewards revs with a ton of intake and a void that no other car manuThe shifter – OH THAT SHIFTER! least drive Miatas have always had very “snick exhaust sounds that make the car feel faster facturer could at that time. Its nimble and extremely modifiable a Miata -snick” short throw shifters that were than it really is. With the top down, all sounds are pretty much drowned out by wind noise. chassis earned it the title as the for their feel. This last genat some praised Which brings us to the top – what a fantastic most raced car in the world. I feel eration is the best by far. Somehow point. and simple design. Simply unlatch it and push like anyone who loves cars should they have managed to make a super it back. That it. at least drive a Miata at some short throw shifter that is low effort.

Steering is direct and commutative with point. No matter the generation, they are The clutch take up has excellent feel with the effort decreasing off center. The suspension all very good examples of what a sports car grab point right about in the center. is very good cruising around town and even means at the very basic level.

Starting the little Mazda’s 1998cc, 155hp pushing the car to its limits, but So with all this lineage and hype built it still feels a bit on the soft side up on its predecessor, what would the very The little with a significant amount of latest version of this beloved roadster be Mazda’s body roll. like? Well, we at Apex turned to our good interior was The starting price for a base friends at Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln to grab elegant and model Sport MX-5 like ours the keys of a brand new roadster painted functional starts at around $25,000, and in soul red premium metallic. Our test car with a beaufully optioned out will run you was the Sport model and featured 16” alutiful white close to $30,000. For that kind minum-alloy wheels, LED headlights, power dial gauge of money, I think there is a lot of locks and windows, a basic stereo and of pod and layered dash driving enjoyment here. What’s course, a 6 speed manual transmission like layout. not to love about a light, nimble, all sports cars should have! free revving drop top?  Upon entering the cockpit-like cabin of APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 7

LOCAL CAR STORY // ‘68 Chevelle SS

photography Thomas Sblendorio words Kevin Crandall

YOU May recognize this super clean ‘68 Chevelle SS owned by Bill Tuttle of Whitesboro

If you’ve been around the car show circuit icy and it rolled and flipped end over end, in the central New York area, you’re bound totaling the car. He moved on to purchase a to recognize this super clean ‘68 Chevelle 1980 Buick Regal with a Chevy 350 motor SS owned by Bill Tuttle of Whitesboro. He’s in 1987. While stationed in California, he always traveling to the local cruise-ins and also owned a 1974 Chevrolet Nova hatchhitting up the bigger regional events like back, a 1975 Chevrolet Camaro, and a 1979 Syracuse Nationals & Adirondack Nationals.

Chevrolet Camaro.

We thought we’d take some time to talk to Bill drove the ‘79 Camaro from Calihim about his background and his classic fornia to New York. His ex unfortunately muscle car. wrecked it, after which, it sat for a couple When asked about how his love of years before he decided to back-half it and cars began, Bill said “I have make it pro street style. That been working on cars since I Bill followed conversion included a 383 was able to drive, even a little engine, shaved door handles, in his father’s and blue/purple flip flop paint before that I was out in the garage watching and helping footsteps with a (thanks to the help of his father my dad. When I was younger, Bill Sr, Carl Santa Maria, Mike my dad was always wrenching passion for mus- SanFilippo, Mike DePalma, on something, anything from cle cars, having and Anthony Rocco). the family wagon, his pickup, He ended up selling the owned a number Camaro, even a Rolls Royce at one as it was impossible point”. His father owned some of them over the to fit three kids with no back nice cars back in the day from seat. At that point, Bill decided years. the sounds, a few Dodges, a another Chevelle was in order.

Corvair, and a ‘57 Chevy.

He always loved their unique style cues, Bill followed in his father’s footsteps especially the 1968 model. He eventually with a passion for muscle cars, having purchased one out in Texas. It was already owned a number of them over the years. somewhat build as a drag car, with cage In 1986, he and his father had restored a and mods, but it was not entirely up to 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle. His dad had built his standards. Bill ended up rewiring the a temporary garage to paint it Bordeaux entire car, installed a new interior, rebuilt Red. Six months after restoring it, on the the 383 motor, and repainted from silver to way home from work, the roads were a little red (with the help of his father Bill Sr, Steve 10 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

Nolan, Tom Venettozi).

In 2013, Bill purchased another 1968 Chevelle (this time a 396 SS model with an uncommon pearl white interior). This one was a bit cleaner car, and Bill ended up selling the other ‘68 in favor of working on the new one. He cleaned up the wiring, removed the A/C box, and rebuilt the engine in 2014.

For 2015 he replaced the original engine with a 468 motor that made significantly more power. It now makes 570 horsepower and produces 585 ft. lbs of torque.

We asked how he found his current Chevelle. Bill responded, “Unlike my buddy Steve Cater (featured in our Fall ‘15 edition of Apex), I don’t have a cool story of how I acquired my car. Basically, I was in the market and a friend from Plattsburgh found it and pointed me in it’s direction. It wasn’t long before I owned it. We met up at the Adirondack Nationals and I purchased the car”.

Bill takes pride in wrenching on his own cars and tries to do everything right the first time. He’s wired quite a few cars in the past 30 years, but admits that it’s rare for a car owner or builder to tackle every aspect of a build themselves. He said, “All by myself, said no one ever. I don’t care how talented you might be, at one time or another you will need help from someone. After an engine rebuild and then the engine swap for more horsepower, I have to thank my father Bill Sr. and friends like Mike Sanfilippo, Mikey Nowak, Sam Scalise, & Walt Witt”.

When asked what he does with his Chevelle, Bill said, “I ENJOY my car. I’m not afraid to drive it the way a muscle car is meant to be driven (and maybe a little beyond). I drive it all over and attend quite a few shows. In 2016 I’m planning on racing it a few times and maybe attend a few NMCA events”.

As we mentioned, we’ve seen Bill’s slick muscle car at a number of cruise-ins and shows over the summer season. One thing it’s noted for is laying down some massive rubber. One story he shared with us involved him thinking he didn’t see any cops around and doing a crazy burnout in Lake George. Much to his surprise, an undercover policeman pulled up next to him and said “nice car but if you do that again, it’s going on a flatbed”. As Bill shared the story he laughed and said “Like I mentioned, I enjoy my car, and have plenty of bald tires to prove it”.

Bill’s future plans include possibly switching to an overdrive transmission, and maybe yet another new power plant. As he said, “you can never go too big when it comes to horsepower”. He would really like another pro street car, so maybe backhalfing the car might be in store for the car as well down the road. 

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RED WHITE photography Thomas Sblendorio words Mike Potaczala

SPECIAL EDITION The last 12 years of his career, Petty drove STP sponsored Pontiacs.

To honor the most winning driver in NASCAR, Pontiac Motors Division released a “Richard Petty Edition” trim level for its 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix Coupe.

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PRIVATE COLLECTION // Richard Petty Edition Grand Prix

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An amazing collection of Richard Petty Edition Pontiac Grand Prix’s

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 13

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Richard Petty himself. Surprisingly, this trim level only added $399 to the Grand Prix’s $20,000 price tag.

Richard Petty gathered millions of fans throughout his nearly four decade career but none bigger than Ralph Holmes, owner of If you were lucky enough to get your hands on these limited Ralphs Collision Inc in Oneida, NY. Ralph edition cars, buyers were also treated with the opportunity first met Petty in 1969 and was a fan ever since. He has quite the collection of Petty to go on a cruise with Richard Petty. memorabilia and most of it on display in the main lobby of his collision shop. He has autographed plaques, die-cast cars and even Petty Edition” trim level for its 1992 Pontiac 1992 marked an end of an era in NASCAR a few tires from Richard Petty’s last race in Grand Prix Coupe. It was limited to 1,000 as it was the final year for Richard “The 1992. But the crown jewels of Ralph’s collecunits and could only be ordered in red, King” Petty. He took his final ride around tion are the 5 Richard Petty Edition Pontiacs Atlanta Motor Speedway in front of 160,000 white or metallic blue with color matching he currently owns. That’s right, 5. fans closing out a very successful career that wheels. The package came with a special 3.4 It was amazing to see when he opened spanned over 35 years. He racked up 200 litre Quad Cam V6 producing about 210 HP up the garage. A few of them were still brand paired with either a 5-speed manual or more wins and 7 championships in the Winston new with the interior wrapped in plastic common 4-speed auto. Styling cues for this Cup Series. It was the most for any driver in NASCAR. edition included a rear deck spoiler, a special and the window sticker still showing. Ralph graphics package striping that included Petty’s purchased his first one brand new in metalThe last 12 years of his career, Petty lic blue from Matthews Pontiac in Endicott, signature and a dash plaque that showed the drove STP sponsored Pontiacs. To honor NY. If you were lucky enough to get your the most winning driver in NASCAR, serial number for this limited series. Each car came with a letter of authenticity from hands on these limited edition cars, buyers Pontiac Motors Division released a “Richard were also treated with the opportunity to go on a cruise with Richard Petty. Most of the 1992 Richard Petty Edition car buyers didn’t take up the offer but that Pontiac Grand Prix was something Ralph and his wife Christine couldn’t pass up. Not bad for the $399 price Base Price (1992) $20,000 option on the vehicle.

Over the years, Ralph continued his PRODUCTION RUN 1,000 search for more Petty Pontiacs. He scooped TRANSMISSION 4 Speed Auto up 4 more throughout the United States 5 Speed Manual traveling to Florida, Kentucky and Michigan ENGINE 210 hp Twin Dual Cam v6 to purchase the most pristine examples of the car. Picking his latest one up in 2010 he EPA/CITY/HWY/ 14/18/21 now has one in every color.

COMB FUEL ECOM In 2012, Richard Petty made a scheduled appearance at the Turning Stone Casino. Being a huge fan and close by, Ralph brought one of his red Pontiacs inside to put on display for The King’s appearance. He was also fortunate enough to have all of his dashboards signed by Richard at the event making the examples in his collection even a little more unique.

To this day Ralph continues to be on the lookout for more Richard Petty Edition’s to add to his collection. He owns over 40 cars and these are the most special to him. As a collector it’s hard to put a value on these cars right now but if you ask Ralph they’re priceless.  APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 15

The C6 IS STILL KING photography & words Justin Palmer

Even a decade later the beastly Vette IS STILL RESPECTED. We all had posters of the first gen Dodge Viper C5R and Lotus Elise adorning the walls of our childhood bedrooms.

In those days, just saying the words “Dodge Viper” almost gave you chills.

These early supercars were the stuff of insanity, many with sub 4 second 0-60 times and 200 mph+ top speeds. They cost $100k or more and all made what at the time seemed like insane horsepower. Looking back it’s a bit comical that anything over 400 hp was a “supercar” when a base Mustang GT now makes 435 hp and costs around $32k when not loaded to the gills.

Now some 15 years later, these machines have all deprecated to such a degree that the 16 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

average Joe who saves his beans can now own the very supercar that seemed so out of reach just a decade ago. Of course there are many things to consider when buying a 10 or 15 year old car like maintenance, reliability, technology (or lack thereof), and of course market value. This segment will aim to showcase a surprisingly affordable supercar each issue and cover some of the pros and cons to each vehicle.

To start off, I thought it is only proper to feature my very own budget supercar, a 2007 Corvette Z06 3LT. I purchased this car with 15k miles on it this summer. Examples like mine are not hard to find. Most “Corvette guys” buy these cars and simply park them. From 2006-2013 the Z06 remained

largely unchanged other than some very minor revisions to the clutch assembly.

GM hit it right with the C6 Z06. It had 505 hp, 470 lb-ft of torque, weighed less than 3,150 pounds, and could hit 60 mph in first gear (takes about 3.5 seconds to get there, which is still supercar territory today). It could do 198 mph and out classed the very best Ferrari and Lamborghini had to offer, and at a fraction of the price. In 2007 a Z06 could range from $65-$100k depending on how you optioned it and today you can get an early generation for about $36-$42k. Mileage will make the most difference in price.

Not only is the C6 Z06 fast, but fairly practical with an ample rear storage, 26 mpg and an easy to see out of cockpit. Now don’t

BUDGET SUPERCAR // 2007 Corvette ZO6 3LT

GM hit it right with the C6 Z06. It had 505 hp, 470 lb-ft of torque, weighed less than 3,150 pounds, and could hit 60 mph in first gear (takes about 3.5 seconds to get there, which is still supercar territory today).

get me wrong, it’s not perfect. My original plans were to daily drive this beast. Why not?

It costs about the same as buying a Jeep or small truck and gets great gas mileage. While some people do daily drive these cars, after about a week I decided it’s a little too extreme.

The Z06 rides much lower than a standard Corvette which means you scrape EVERYWHERE, and I mean EVERYWHERE. The seating position is extremely low, so getting in and out is tiring if that sort of thing bothers you, and the noise - it sounds like you are driving in the transmission tunnel. The cabin fills with the winding and whirling of gear lash and the typical LS power plant lifter noise. All I can say is one word, racecar.

So while the Z06 may seem rather crude in comparison to the cars coming out of GM today, it has what many newer cars don’t. Character. The chassis although a bit stiff and jarring is communicative and the steering rack tightens as the car increases in speed. The 7.0 LS7 up front is hand built!

How many cars can you buy with a hand built engine for the price of a loaded Malibu? And the fact that it’s American means things don’t break often, and when they do, it’s just like any other Chevy powertrain.

The parts are available and affordable, and a Chevy dealer can service your car without an issue.

When it comes to power, the Z06 is a

stunner. The car has gobs of torque in any gear and it revs so freely that you think you’re driving a Honda s2000, not a small block 427. The dual mode exhaust allows the car to be quiet at highway speeds and then the vacuum actuated butterfly valve opens out back to make things more interesting on hard acceleration. Still, the stock sound level is very tame, I would even say quiet. I plan on upgrading to an aftermarket exhaust soon.

So for the price of a Dodge Caravan you can own a car that is slightly quicker than a Ford GT. Eventually the value of the Z06 is sure to be recognized, but for now this is a supercar that the working man can afford. 

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 17

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CAR ENTHUSIAST SHOP // COLLECTIBLES & BOOKS

Adirondack Motorbooks & Collectibles photography Jordan Polizzi words Brian Coupe

Nestled in the Village area of Holland Patent stands a quaint, two story building for the Adirondack Motorbooks & Collectibles. We had an opportunity to meet with the owner, Mark Theobald, who is an incredibly knowledgeable individual when it comes to all things automobile.

Entering the store brings about the feeling of stepping into the pristine wood interior of a magazine quality camp many of us would enjoy spending time in during weekends. The entire location is alphabetized and organized in an almost too good to be true manner. Looking to the far right corner of the front section we see numerous 1/18 scale diecast models near the ceiling and it continues around and behind our heads at the front entrance. With a glance to our left, we see the wrap around and continuance to the back of the store. The floor level shows us rows of documents, classic magazines, article blurbs, and brochures. All in like new quality. I quickly pulled a random magazine from 50+ years ago and it looked like it had never been opened. Something like that is both exciting and heartwarming to see how well kept everything is in the store. Mark certainly takes great pride in finding quality pieces for automobile enthusiasts to come check out in person or decide to take home and add to a personal collection.

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 19

Continuing on inward through the store brings about factory vehicle literature and enough hard cover books of all shapes and sizes to embarrass any chain bookstore automotive section. The 1/18 scale diecast models are still at ceiling height, but we are now also greeted with Matchbox sized vehicles neatly placed on pegs at eye to floor level. The room furthest away from the front entrance is filled to the brim with additional models all still in their retail boxes, each lovingly placed on the shelf to prevent box damage. At this point in time we had already been at the store for over an hour, only seen 50% of it, and moved about 30 feet from the entrance.

Tracing our path back towards the front of the store we can choose yet another path which leads to even more diecast vehicles and Matchbox cars of various, but alphabetized, makes and models. The outside of the store is certainly deceiving in regards to the amount of items able to be stored within.

DVDs...and I think I saw some VHS tapes, are also available. This store is just another example of “I can’t believe this place is right here in Central New York”.

In addition to being the owner of the Adirondack Motorbooks & Collectibles website, www.motorlibrary.com, Mark is also the curator of www.coachbuilt.com.

This website is an incredible resource and glimpses into the world of custom, coach built vehicles from yesteryear. It’s difficult to put into words the amount of work completed here by Mark to compile and post this amount of information. All we have to do as viewers is simply locate and click on any of the 1,200+ represented builders. Please, after reading this article take a little bit of time to check out either of these web pages and complete a browse. There is an absurd 20 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

I quickly pulled a random magazine from 50+ years ago and it looked like it had never been opened. Something like that is both exciting and heartwarming to see how well kept everything is in the store.

amount of information here and will take less time than a Google search on the same subject matter.

We here at Apex Automotive Magazine would like to thank Adirondack Motorbooks & Collectibles for taking the time to meet and show us around the store after hours. This article simply cannot fully describe the experience. Be sure to head up and check it all out for yourself. Perhaps indulge in a sweet diecast vehicle purchase to remember the initial visit like I did. We look forward to future visits because the store is in constant flux of what may now be available and what may have been sold since the last visit. However, make sure you set aside a couple of hours to do so because this store is certainly a time vortex. What feels like a half hour visit will suddenly be discovered as three hours passing. Have fun! 

IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION Tracing our path back towards the front of the store we can choose yet another path which leads to even more diecast vehicles and Matchbox cars of various, but alphabetized, makes and models.

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STEVE’S RESTORATI photography Thomas Sblendorio words Matt Wilson

AN AWESOME LOCAL SHOP LANDS A SHOW ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL So what exactly do you have to do to have your automotive restoration shop featured for a season on national television? I was excited to find out the answer to that question and learn more about Steve’s Restorations, which will be featured on the show American Restoration on The History Channel early next year.

After just an hour at his shop, located just a few miles east of Utica, NY, I began to see that there’s something unique about Steve Hale and his business.

I was surprised to hear that his 14-year 22 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

restoration career began in high-school.

There probably aren’t many 16-year-olds who decide to begin restoring a classic car with their friends. There are probably even fewer who accomplish the task before they graduate — but like I said, Steve Hale isn’t your average guy.

That high school restoration project, by the way, wasn’t a classic American muscle car where spare parts would be easy to find.

It was a 1960 Jaguar Mark 1. “I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he admitted when I asked about the complexity of restoring the British classic, but that didn’t seem to stop

him from accomplishing his goal.

I believe that there truly isn’t anything that would stop this guy from accomplishing his goals. He talks about 20-hour workdays and about him and his crew working three days straight with no sleep like it’s an unavoidable annoyance in this business. But I think it’s the key to his success: hard work, a get-it-done attitude, and an unwillingness to compromise for anything less than perfect “I really didn’t know anything about cars — I just wanted to restore a car,” he said. It took him a year and a half to get the job done right on that first project while he

FEATURED SHOP // Steve’s Restorations

ION

was at school. “I brought it to a car show and it actually won best in show.”

After graduation, things grew from there. “People were calling me left and right for body work and paint work,” he said. The phone was ringing so much, Steve decided to start the business. “I started doing body and paint work, then restoration work, then custom work came from that, and it kind of grew up into a really cool business.”

He’s not doing it alone. “I learn from the people around me,” he said. “We’ve got a real good crew here.” I’d guess that’s part of the recipe for success, especially when you’re

pulling all-nighters and long days. “We’re all really good friends and everyone’s passionate about the work we do and that makes all the difference.”

Steve has worked hard to create a cool environment that people will enjoy coming to work at. Unfortunately, much of the interior of his shop was off-limits to our photographer for this article. Every corner had a unique project in it that was worked on for the show American Restoration.

Steve’s is one of five shops featured starting in early 2016. “We’re in 9 of the 13 episodes,” he said. “We do some really neat projects.”

The show gives viewers a look into what the top restoration shops do and how they do it.

Steve found out about the opportunity through a mailing list they had joined a few years back. “The ad said ‘Production company looking for restoration shops’ or something like that,” Steve said. They started with some Skype interviews, everything sounded great, and then they didn’t hear anything back for a year or so. That didn’t stop them from following up. “This was three years ago. We were just moving in to our space here and we even thought about doing a show of our own.”

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 23

This stunning specimen was restored from the ground up. “We actually took two cars and made one.”

Then the TV channel called and asked if they were ready to go.

Steve is clearly proud and excited for some of his work to be seen on TV. “It’s a really cool show and has some awesome projects,” he said. While I can’t go into details about the projects at the request of the History Channel, I can tell you that many reach beyond vehicle restoration and really showcase the diversity of restorations and custom work that Steve and his team do on a regular basis. “It’s fun and it’s cool and we get to show the world what we’re doing.”

Viewers should be ready for some pretty eccentric and interesting builds.

And they are doing it right. Other than some of the upholstery work, everything gets done in-house. “We try to bring everything to one spot,” Steve said. “It really helps the job come out better, and it’s easier for the customer. We take a lot of pride in doing it that way.”

He moved to his own space three years ago so that he could make all the custom changes he wanted. “The collision repair paint booth in our old shop wasn’t working for restoration because it was too small,” he said. The new space, however, is huge. “It’s about twice the size of a normal collision booth so we can paint the car with all of the 24 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

A FULL RESTORATION SHOP Other than some of the upholstery work, everything gets done in-house at Steve’s Restoration. Steve feels like this approach helps ensure a better outcome.

body and frame, all the parts separate.” He points out a custom fabricated air management system in the ceiling and on the back wall. “We bought a high-end air make-up unit, which powers the booth.” It’s been completely designed for restoration all the way down to the special wall coating, which

attracts dust particles to allow for a cleaner paint finish.

As we walked and talked, he showed me a 1968 International pickup truck from San Diego. His customer’s father had bought the truck brand new and now his customer wanted to surprise his dad by having Steve’s

for some custom paint work.” People really crew restore it to its former glory. “Every seem to trust Steve with their pride and joy. nut and bolt,” Steve said. “Every piece of the The shop itself is unique, too, filled with engine. It’s all restored and painted. It’ll be a restored vintage memorabilia. The seating, perfect truck.” Apparently the truck needed lighting, and ambiance of the showroom some help when it arrived. “A tree had is right in line with the style of work Steve fallen on the cab. The bed was rotted right does. “We want our customers to nothing. It was in bad shape.”

“We try to to walk in and see that we’re for Restoration of an old classic can be time-consuming. “We have bring every- real,” he said. “You only get one to find stuff from junk yards…. chance to make a first impresthing to one sion. We want them to see nice You’re always on the phone, trying to find parts.” They some- spot. It really work and interesting things.”

They even went to the trouble of times have to refabricate from helps the job building out part of their shop scratch. A project like this, to to look like a 1950s diner. “We be done right, could take more come out than a year. it to look cool and for better, and it’s wanted “We do a lot of out-of-state people to know that they can work,” Steve said. “Over here are easier for the trust us with their high end, trucks from Connecticut and car.” customer. We expensive Steve also restores and Vermont.” Word of mouth has take a lot of collects classic coin-op machines helped him build his business to where it is today. “We take a lot pride in doing including vintage arm wrestling of pride in what we do and word games, which are on display it that way.” in the shop. And he travels the spreads around. We’ve always country as a competitive arm made it a point not to just get the job done and move on to the next thing.” wrestler. “I was at Carlisle, at a swap meet, It’s clear that that’s the secret to his success and I found an old strength tester game,” he here. “We had a three-million dollar Mersaid. That piece grew into more coin-op restoration as well as other vintage fabrication. cedes Gullwing in a couple of months ago

1969 Dodge Super Bee This stunning specimen was restored from the ground up.

“We actually took two cars and made one,” said Steve Hale, owner of Steve’s Restorations.

“One was a perfect front end and one was a really good back end.” It was a complete restoration. “Basically, both of the cars came out of a junk yard and they were there for a reason.” What really stands out on the project is the stunning paint job. “It’s a tri-coat candy color. And when the light is just right it looks great.”

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 25

steves

2014 Victory Cross Country

All the body work received the

custom treatment on this motorcycle. “We come up with a vision we want and then we create it,” Steve said. One customer wanted their brand new Victory to look unique and Steve and his crew obliged. “We needed to do something to set it off so we basically redesigned everything.”

They recessed the taillights, lengthened the fenders, and made custom saddlebag panels with lights recessed in them. “We did tons of custom metal and fiberglass work. We hand shaped and hand bent all the panels.”

26 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

“We also help restore old diners, too.” The to make a custom paint scheme.” And they place was filled with fully-restored vintage didn’t stop there. “We wanted all the trim pieces, mostly 50s and 60s, but he’s not work to stand out, too, so we decided to use fussy about the age of the project. “We just copper. It’s ninety-five percent recycled and finished restoring a 1927 Stutz.” nobody ever uses copper on cars.” They did Steve’s big break came all the copper work in-house and “You’ve got included touches like recycled tires in 2010 when awards and acclaim started rolling in for to find some- and a custom display with recycled his unique green machine soda bottle carpeting. “It made a thing so that statement: ‘Here’s what we can do.’” project, the 1956 Ford F-100 “Natural Disaster.” “The green They took the car on the road working a machine really put us on the and made a lot of great contacts as a map,” he said. “There were only sixteen-hour result, and that’s ultimately what has a handful of shops doing really day won’t led to their continued growth and high-end restoration and cushelped to get them to being featured feel like tom car building. You’re going on TV. And Steve also clearly loves work.” to go to a shop that’s reputable Central New York. “One thing that I and that’s done these cars and really hope that comes from the TV has a portfolio.” Steve knew is that people see that it’s a positive they needed to do something special to thing happening in this community,” he said. stand out from the crowd. “Going green was He wants others to succeed, too. “You’ve the huge thing, but that’s not ‘hot-rod,’ that got to find something so that working a didn’t make sense, so we needed to combine sixteen-hour day won’t feel like work.” Steve’s the two somehow.” a humble guy and didn’t want to take all the They took a Ford 460 engine and concredit. It’s clear that he knows his crew is a verted it to run on liquid Propane, “which big part of the recipe for success. “Hopewas zero emissions but it made over 500hp,” fully, we can inspire people to do the same he said. They needed custom paint but thing. If you aren’t afraid to work hard and wanted it to be environmentally friendly. stay determined you can be successful.” And “PPG was just coming out with their uncompromising hard work truly is the story waterborne paint so we worked with them of Steve’s Restorations. 

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A LEGEND // GEORGE BARRIS

A SERIOUS CAR GUY Because of his extensive connections throughout the industry, Mattel Toy Company requested, and Mike agreed, to make a Hot Wheels replica of the drag car that he owned and raced throughout the Northeast in his younger years. (below) Mike is pictured with George Barris.

Local Remembers the Legendary George Barris photography Thomas Sblendorio words Bob Sblendorio Who is George Barris you ask? He is the legendary Hollywood car designer and builder who created such cars as the Batmobile, the Munster Koach, and a plethora of other cars for countless celebrities. Local Diecast Hall of Fame Historian and Hot Wheels author Mike Zarnock was friends with George for years and has an extensive knowledge of his real car and toy car collections. Barris was a pioneer in the early customizing of cars and passed away on November 5th at the age of 89. I had the pleasure recently to sit down with Mike and talk with him about his association and friendship with George Barris.

“Larger than life, with a flamboyant personality”, is how Mike describes Mr. Barris.

He was a passionate guy when it came to cars and people. One of his most celebrated creations was the Batmobile in which he famously transformed a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, in just three weeks, into the finned Batmobile for the 1960s television series Batman. He kept the Batmobile in his 28 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

personal collection of cars until 2013 when it sold at auction for $4.6 million. He had bought the car for only $1…not a bad return on investment!

Mr. Barris designed and built many special-order cars for television and motion pictures. He was Hollywood’s go-to guy for custom creations throughout the 1960s and 1970s. For the TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies, he managed to splice together a 1921 Oldsmobile and a flatbed pickup truck. For the sitcom, The Munsters, he incorporated a coffin in the creating of the car referred to as “Drag-u-La.” Mr. Barris’ roster of celebrity clients included Elvis Presley, for whom he customized a 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood that had a gold-plated record player, drink cabinet and shoe buffer inside. For Zsa Zsa Gabor he built a gold Rolls-Royce and for Bob Hope he designed and built a caricature golf cart.

He also designed and built cars for Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, John Wayne, Elton John, Sonny and Cher, and many more.

Barris began building cars and custom-

izing at an early age. His first car creations were made out of balsa wood when he was only seven years old. The first real car he and his brother Sam customized was a 1925 Buick sedan that their father had given them for the work they did at their family owned restaurant. They applied orange and blue stripes to make it stand out. While still in high school, George started working in a body shop where he began to develop his knowledge and skills as a customizer.

He opened his first shop, Barris Kustom

Industries, with his brother Sam in Los Angeles after World War II and started making a name for himself by designing many unique custom cars.

His creations began to reach a national audience through car shows and new magazines like Hot Rod, Car Craft and, Rod & Custom. He became known as the “King of the Kustomizers.” Mike explained that George started to replace C’s with K’s in all his writings and promotions as a way to distinguish himself and it really took off.

Mike said that he first met Barris in 2009, when both men were inducted into the Diecast Hall of Fame. At the event he was sitting next to Barris at a table where both men were signing autographs for being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Mike described the experience as “amazing” to be sitting next to and talking with the legendary George Barris. He said Mr. Barris, in his early eighties at the time, was as sharp as a tack and his personality was “full throttle” when interacting with people and telling stories. Mike also mentioned that in addition to his amazing persona, he was quite the “ladies man” too.

Mike discussed that in addition to Mr. Barris’ real car collection, he had an extensive Diecast collection of cars. He was very knowledgeable about collecting toy cars and Mike said he was impressed. The collection included cars from a large array of manufacturers and Mike felt fortunate to be able to see the collection at Barris’ shop. To be inducted in the Diecast Hall of Fame, a significant recognition to achieve, at the same time and with George Barris made for an incredible year in Mike’s life and many great memories!

The popular TV show American Pickers featured pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, the stars of the show, visiting George Barris at his shop. They were honored and awed to meet with Mr. Barris and it showed. The highlight for them was getting to sit in the original Batmobile which was on display in the showroom of Barris’ shop.

In the end, the pickers managed to purchase three rough sketches of the Munster Koach for a mere $2,000.

Mike Zarnock, who lives north of Utica, has an extensive collection of toy cars. He won the Guinness World Record in 2003 and 2007 for the “Largest Collection of Different Model Cars” and is the author of 14 books on the subject of diecast cars! He travels throughout the country to shows and conferences, and is an expert in the “Collector World” for diecast cars. Also, because of his extensive connections throughout the industry, Mattel Toy Company requested, and Mike agreed, to make a Hot Wheels replica of the drag car that he owned and raced throughout the Northeast in his younger years. He routinely turned a 10-second quarter mile at over 130 mph and was very competitive with the car.

I would like to acknowledge Mike for taking the time and providing the information for this article. 

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A New Age Christmas Our top 10 picks that any gearhead would like to see under their tree!

We asked the owners of New Age Hotrods (New York Mills, NY) for gift ideas. This is what’s on their list.

It’s the time of year for giving and what better way to make the auto enthusiast in your life happy than to buy them some good old fashioned car stuff! These are some products we would love to receive ourselves - and hence worth considering when shopping around. Some items are brand new that we were able to get a first glimpse of while attending the SEMA show this year. Others are simply products we highly recommend in general and are truly great.

Check out the list of products, and why we chose them.

We think you’ll agree that these would all be awesome to find under the tree.

30 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

NTK AFRM Air-Fuel 1. Ratio Monitor

This offers a flexible and rugged system complete with everything needed to get you tuning. The kit comes with a digital display control module, wiring harness, wideband air-fuel ratio sensor, exhaust boss and plug, and a comprehensive tuning manual. The tuning manual includes installation instructions and contains a detailed guide to performance air-fuel ratio tuning.

This is an exceptionally useful tool for carbureted engines, where there is a lot of freedom in tuning as well as a great need for proper adjustment.

aFe Cold air intake 5. advanced FLOW engineer-

2. American Racing Headers

ing, Inc. is a manufacturer of high performance cold air intakes, air filters, fluid filters, exhaust systems, intake manifolds, intercoolers, turbochargers, programmers, differential covers, transmission pans and throttle body spacers for late model cars, trucks, SUV’s and motorcycles.

Using top grade 304 stainless steel, ARH manufactures high quality exhaust products that deliver peak performance, options and stressfree installation for the end consumer.

Edelbrock Dual 3. Throttle Body (Cross-Ram)

The unique cross-ram dual-plenum design is ideal for twin turbo applications. When matched with high flowing air filters and inlet tubes, the dual-plenum system gives neck-snapping performance with plenty of options for engine builders and tuners.

Transmission from 4. American power

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Strong, quiet overdrive sport transmissions specially prepped to fit your car with a perfect fit. Complete kits come with all the parts you need for installation in your muscle car, street rod, truck or sports car.

Chess set made 6. from engine valves

How about this custom granite chess board with all the pieces machined from engine valves.

This set comes from Ceiba Racing.

Each piece is either hand/CNC machined. One set is black nitride coated and the other is chrome finished. Check out www.ceibaracingtech.com for more information.

7. Prothane Engine & Transmission mounts

Hi-Performance Billet Aluminum Mounts designed to replace the factory rubber mounts that fail in all performance applications.

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Plug-N-Play OBDII device that repurposes existing vehicle screens (i.e. driver information center, navigation and HUD) to display performance information from the computer and optional external sensors.

Extreme Grip 109. inch Adjustable Wrench

This wrench includes an additional locking mechanism that provides over two times the gripping power on rounded fasteners compared to a standard adjustable wrench.

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Green Air Filter 10. Green High Performance

Air Filter flows more air than our competitors, without sacrificing filtration. The air filters are engineered to fit your specific year, make and model

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 31

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Under The Helmet Brett Hearn

photography & words John Zachary AP: Your nickname is Brett “The Corporate Jet”. It seems that you helped bring corporate sponsors into Dirt Modified racing. You have always had good sponsors. How have you been able to get those companies and continue to do so today?

BH: I think it is our whole presentation, our look, our performance etc. When we go and meet with a potential sponsor we do not say can you help us? We say we can help you. We are not looking for donations, we are looking for companies that can benefit from what we do. We use to be more consumer based with Budweiser and Ground Round. Now we are business to business. That means businesses in the racing circle that we can help is where we are looking now.

AP: This year being the last year for Super Dirt Week at Syracuse how do you think this will affect the sport, if any?

BH: It always amazes me on how many people focus so much on that race every year. Then there are other drivers that really dislike that race because it is so different from what we normally do we got some parts from him. We also got on a weekly basis like the pit stops and some engine parts from Charlie Sanders (a other things that go along with it. It will local junk yard owner). Sanders definitely leave a void for sure also raced at Orange County at in dirt track racing. After 44 “When we the time, so dad took all of these years of racing there, it is a go and meet big deal. Can it be duplicated? parts and built the engine himself in our house. with a poten- No way. People love the idea going there, both drivers tial sponsor of AP: What do you think is the and spectators. biggest thing that has changed in we do not Dirt Modified racing since you If you had not become a say can you AP: started? race car driver what do you help us? We think you would be doing for BH: I think it is the fact that you say we can a career? don’t build things anymore. If you help you. ” BH: Well if I was a garbage build things in house nowadays it is kind of frowned upon. Back man I would be the driver. I in the day that was the only way you could guess I would be a driver of some kind, do was build it. There was a lot more room and be the best at whatever I was doing. for creativity along with a lot more latitude on how you could build something. Now I would like to thank Brett Hearn for his they want you to buy everything from one of time to sit down with me to answer a few the big builders. That is both good and bad, questions. For the full interview, check out this way everybody is on an equal playing our website apexautomag.com. Also you field because it is available to all racers, but can follow Brett Hearn on Facebook and it also takes away from us guys being more visit bretthearn.com to keep track of his innovative. upcoming 2016 Dirtcar season.

Upstate NY is the home of Dirt Modified racing.

These cars have been around a long time, tearing up dirt tracks from 1/4 mile, to the biggest of all the Moody Mile.

Anybody that has been to one of these events will know that the competition is stiff. A lot of these guys have been doing it for a long time. Future Hall of Famer Brett “The Jet” Hearn has been turning left since the early 70’s. He has won a lot of races along the way and is still one of the top dogs in the Super Dirtcar Series.

We sat down with Brett at Brewerton Speedway for a look at what has made Hearn one of the best Dirt Modified drivers.

AP: When were you first introduced to Big Block Modified racing?

BH: I was around 8-10 years old, it was around 1968.

AP: Is it true you and your father worked on your first race car’s engine in your family room?

BH: Yes we did, my dad reunited with a friend of his that was still racing at OCFS,

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 33

Last Call at the

photography & words John Zachary

We had the pleasure of being able to attend and cover the final Super DIRT Week on the “Moody Mile”.

We had the pleasure of being able to attend and cover the final Super DIRT Week on the “Moody Mile”. After 44 years, dirt modified drivers competing on the famed one mile oval in October has come to an end. The state has shut down the race track at the NYS Fairgrounds to move on with new ideas for the future of the Fair. After the announcement last year, fans gathered to try and stop the shutdown with the “Save the Moody Mile” campaign getting fans to sign a petition to try and save the race. The group sent letters to the Governor, City of Syracuse Mayor’s Office, and attended meetings along with the World Wide Racing Group. Even after all of this the state went through with their plans to start removing the grandstands the 34 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

day after this year’s event. It was an amazing venue and will be missed by many.

This event has always been a big deal in dirt racing, and this year even more so. Fans bought their tickets and camping permits well in advance before they were sold out.

Drivers made sure they had a ride for the last SDW. Over the summer you could feel the anticipation. At weekly races everybody seemed to be talking about who was going to be at Syracuse and who they thought would be the final winner of the prestigious race.

1973 was my first year attending Super DIRT Week. My dad and our friends would camp together for the entire week. As we got older, all of us kids continued the tradition of staying in turn three on the infield. We have met a lot of people throughout the

years, and formed lasting friendships.

I’ve witnessed some of the best racing in my life on the mile, as well as some of the most boring racing. Kinser and Jac Haudchild battling back and forth in their World of Outlaw sprint cars, and Gary Balough putting everybody to sleep with his dominating performance in the beautiful Lincoln Continental “Batmobile”. I could go on forever with memories, but there are way too many.

Super DIRT Week 2015 started on Wednesday for my son Vanze and I. We went up in the afternoon when the big block modifieds were practicing. We headed out onto the cinder track and grabbed some shots of the new cars before they broke them in.

Thursday started with practice for both

GETTIN’ DIRTY // Finale at the Fairgrounds

Mile the big block and 358 modifieds. Early on the track was a little heavy, making it tough for crews to get their car set up for qualifying. The car count was around 300 entries for the finale at the fairgrounds. You could feel the energy as you entered. Both the pits and the camping areas were almost full to capacity. A few teams wrapped their cars with AWESOME throwback paint jobs, giving us “old timers” goosebumps.

Seeing these retro themes brought me back throughout my years at SDW. After practice, they ran time trials for the front row of race event. Larry Wight grabbed the pole for the Syracuse 200, with 2013 winner Billy Dunn starting alongside of him in the front row. Dunn would lead the field to the green on Saturday for the 358 Salute the Troops 150.

Friday morning I woke to find it raining. USAC Silver Crown cars were scheduled to practice and qualify, along with the five qualifying races for the big blocks and 358 cars. Late in the afternoon the officials cancelled all racing for the day due to the rain.

Saturday morning the weather was perfect. Vanze and I split up for the early morning USAC Silver Crown car practice.

Silver Crown cars are a slightly bigger version of a regular sprint car, with a longer wheelbase, bigger fuel cell, and no wing atop the car. The track was perfect for these cars, lots of bite, and smooth as glass. Wingless cars are awesome to watch, we are used to winged sprint cars around here, so it’s a welcomed change of pace. It is always good to see a USAC show in upstate NY. Next

up was more practice for the Sportsman class, Futures, and Pro Stocks.

Since Friday was a washout, DIRTcar officials had to fit two days of racing into one day.

“Yikes”. With this event being run in October there is always at least one day of bad weather.

They plan for days like these. After practice was completed, they rolled up the first qualifying race for the small block modifieds, and the big blocks to follow. These qualifying races set the field for both the NAPA Syracuse 200 and the Salute the Troops 150.

Pole-sitter Billy Dunn lead the field to green flag with Brett Hearn on the outside of him for the start of the Salute the Troops 150.

Tremont and Decker followed close behind.

Dunn paced the field in his No. Speed shop 358 for most of the first half of the 152 lap feature.

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 35

Hearn didn’t let Dunn get too far ahead of him for most of the race. After the leaders made their pit stops Jimmy Phelps was ahead Dunn, Hearn, and Tremont. Tim McCreadie used his pit stop to put him up front for the second half of the race. McCreadie started in the rear after blowing a tire in his qualifier. Hearn worked his way back to the third spot after working through tough traffic. Phelps was out front trying to conserve fuel and tires.

In between turns one and two, a huge hole developed in the groove. Drivers had to run through it because it was loose above the crater. If they ventured outside the groove the guy behind them might sneak by on the bottom.

With 40 laps left in the day’s main event, the sun started to go down behind the grandstands. This year there was no Musco Lighting to light up the track like in years past. The drivers had to work their way around the “Moody Mile” with the old style lights at the fairgrounds.

Not only was it getting dark, but the top four cars were running pretty close. The caution flag flew a few times bunching the field back up. Jimmy Phelps was holding onto his small lead over McCreadie. The final caution fell with a couple laps to go after the #17 car 36 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

slowed with a left front flat.

This set up a shootout for the finish on the Mile. On the last lap Phelps held his ground, but Dunn went to the slippery outside to make a banzai move on “T Mac” to move into the second spot. Phelps had a big enough lead on Dunn to score the victory in the last ever 358 race on the Mile.

After a full day of racing, Jimmy Phelps drove his retro looking Troyer “Mud Buss” into victory lane for the Salute the Troops

150. Dunn, McCreadie, Hearn, Marc Johnson rounded out the top five.

On Sunday was the Sportsman race and Pro Stock feature. These races are always good to watch. The Pro Stock race went down to the last lap, with the win going to Rob Yetman. This win made it a three-peat for Rob and his crew.

In the morning’s Sportsman race, Rocky Warner drove his Jake Spraker #1 to a second place finish. The winner, James Michael Friesen was disqualified for rules violation. Friesen’s car

was found to have some engine work done to it. These cars run a sealed motor, so they cannot be tampered with. Friesen was suspended from DIRTcar competition for 12 months, with a chance to be reinstated later on in the year.

This gave hard charging Rocky Warner the victory. Warner has had a stellar year in the Sportsman division, winning most of the big races and track championship at Fonda Speedway.

While these races were going on, the big block cars lined up on pit road for the start of the Syracuse 200. Crew members made last minute adjustments, and worked on their checklist before they fired up the engines.

Just before driver introductions, DIRTcar had most of the past champions on stage for a final get together before NY State shut down the track forever. We went down onto the track to get some pictures of my childhood heroes all together on stage. This gave me chills, I told my son to soak it in, as history was being made right in front of us.

It was really cool spending the week with my son at this event that my father used to take me to.

During the playing of the national anthem it started to sink in that this was it.

I grew up at this place, met some life long friends, and witnessed some of the best guys to ever wheel a race car around the Moody Mile. I was talking to a fellow photographer, and he was saying it felt like a funeral around the fairgrounds. At that moment I realized that this was in a way, indeed like a funeral for thousands of people. Once a year we all got together to enjoy each other’s company, as well as four days of racing.

After all of the pre-race hype was over, the drivers strapped into their cars to go to work for 200 miles. This race paid $50,000 fail, forcing him to park his #99 for the day. and the winner would go down in history Left front flat tires became a problem as not only a winner of Super DIRT Week, early in in the race. This caused a rash of but the last winner of a historic caution flags slowing the race, event at this venue. this bunched up the field for Not only was but The stage was set for the some close racing for the fans. it getting dark, Dunn, Hearn, Sheppard, and 44th Syracuse 200. This is an endurance race, so trying to Ward where some of the heavy but the top win it on the first lap is foolish. hitters running toward the front four cars were of the 44 car field. Pit stops Most everybody drove down into turn one looking to gain running pretty shuffled the field around, giving a spot or two, before settling some of the mid pack guys a close. The cau- chance to lead the race. in for the long haul. In past years fuel milage has played a After the halfway mark it tion flag flew big part in the outcome of this looked like Sheppard, Hearn, a few times race.

Dunn would be the ones to Pole sitter Larry Wight bunching the battle it out at the end. Stewart lead the field for the first part and Billy Decker, never field back up. Friesen of the race until past winner really looked like they had the Billy Dunn drove under Wight in turn one car to contend for the win. Sheppard had for the first lead change of the race. A few some troubles while leading, taking his laps later Wight had the rear end in his car chances of winning another one away.

Saturday’s 358 winner Jimmy Phelps and past winner Tim Fuller lead the field for a while late in the race. A few more cautions flew as the sun was going down behind the grandstands. This gave Friesen and Tremont a chance to get around cars on restarts. The next thing we knew #44 Friesen was out front with Tremont close behind.

Tremont tried to make a run on Friesen, but just couldn’t get close enough to make a move for the win. Friesen drove smart all day and his crew did a great job in the pits to help him win his 4th Super DIRT Week race in six years. Tremont, Phelps, Hearn, and Decker rounded out the top five.

We will have to wait and see what next year brings in October. Wherever this race is held in the upcoming years, it will never be the same. We will always have our memories of this last SDW at the Moody Mile and have pictures to enjoy for many years to come.  APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 37

Do it yourself Wheel Update

photography & words Kevin Crandall

multi-purpose bottle of Fabuloso (similar to Simple Green). Use a brush and some elbow grease to thoroughly clean any area that may be oily. At this point I also cleaned up some of the chipping paint.

Step 3 Rinse off any extra degreaser and allow wheels to dry. The paint needs a bone-dry surface to properly adhere. I used a microfiber cloth to speed up the process and to get everything squeaky clean.

PLASTI DIP IS A GREAT do-it-yourself cosmetic vehicle modification If you’re looking to change the look of your car on the cheap and are considering a color change (of your wheels, hood, even your whole car), this stuff allows you to do it yourself, affordably, at home, and it’s easily removable!

Plasti Dip is a multi-purpose, specialty rubber coating available in aerosol cans.

It protects coated items against moisture, acids, abrasion, and corrosion. Plasti Dip remains flexible over time, and will not crack or become brittle in extreme weather conditions.

While originally used to coat tool handles and other household projects, it’s easy to see how these attributes are ideal for automotive applications. It will protect the original paint/finish with rubberized paint while changing the color and it’s easy to remove later on with no ill effects.

I decided to give this a try myself after picking up a less-than-stellar condition set of wheels and tires on Craigslist. I was looking for a cheap set of winter tires to get me by this season and these fit the bill - albeit with the wheels having paint chips. I then recalled all of the “dipped” wheels I’ve seen 38 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

at shows and decided to try it and document the process.

Of note, most folks online tend to spray their wheels while on the car and just protect their rotors. Since my wheels were already off, it seemed easier to paint them as such. I’d make sure your tires/wheels are properly balanced/inflated before attempting this process with “used” tires.

Step 1 Wash the tires/wheels. If there’s any heavy dirt or mud on your wheels, the easiest thing is to hit them quick with a hose.

Step 2 Remove any grease/oil residue. Any degreaser would likely work; I opted for a

Step 4 Mask the tires. The jury is out on this part.

Some guys online don’t do it, others do.

For the 10 minutes it took, I thought it was worth the effort to mask and play it safe.

Step 5 Now it’s time to start painting. You’ll need to do several coats, starting light at first. Ideally you’ll want 4-5 coats total (more is ok too) in order for to have a nice thick, removable layer of coating. For these wheels it took three cans of Plasti Dip, so for approximately $18 and a few hours’ time I ended up with a completely new look.

This is an easy first time project that just about anyone can do in their own garage.

The investment is minimal and the results can easily be removed if you don’t like how they turn out. Plasti Dip has taken notice of what us car guys are doing and offer tons of new colors, finishes, and more all of the time. Check out their site for more ideas at www.dipheadsunite.com. 

2015 Albany Auto Show //

New Cars

The 2015 Albany Auto Show was hosted this year by the Times Union Center.

We had an opportunity to drive out and see a wide variety of new vehicles for the current and upcoming model years. Major and more commonly seen vehicles from manufacturers such as Ford, Chevy, Honda, and Toyota were present. Luxury marques like Porsche, Audi, and Maserati also brought vehicles for photo opportunities and inspection. Almost every vehicle booth allowed attendees to open up the hood, trunk, or passenger doors to sit within the highly optioned cars and truck Be on the lookout for future auto shows near you and we will do our best to keep everyone informed and in the loop for upcoming events. An auto show is a fantastic way to see vehicles in person without feeling pressured by salesmen. The manufacturer representatives are very knowledgeable and will answer any questions you may have

while walking around. Informational packets are also provided at most booths to take home and browse at your leisure. The garage wall can always use another large car poster. ď Ž APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 39

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CNY event schedule //

We’ve diversified!

Now includes more event types.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Consider checking out one of these events in our area.

Use the grid to determine event type: l Car Show l Driving/Cruise-in/Motorsports Event l Trade Show/Vendors l Swap Meet Date

Event Name

Venue

City

February 6

NEQ Winter Driving School

Lake Algonquin

Wells

February 7

Snowbuster Automotive Swap Meet

Event Center on the Fairgrounds

Hamburg

February 11-14

2016 Syracuse Auto Expo

The Oncenter

Syracuse

l

February 11-14

Buffalo Auto Show

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

Buffalo

l

February 13

NEQ Winter Driving School

Lake Algonquin

Wells

l

February 27

NEQ Winter Driving School

Caroga Lake

Caroga Lake

l

March 3-6

2016 Rochester International Auto Show

Rochester Riverside Convention Center

Rochester

l

March 4-6

Cavalcade of Cars

Event Center on the Fairgrounds

Hamburg

l

March 5

Northland Toy Show (die cast)

Polish Community Center

Albany

March 12-13

Motorsports Expo

NYS Fairgrounds

Syracuse

March 20

Spring Dust Off Swap Meet

Terry’s Route 50 Super Lot

Burnt Hills

March 24-26

Buffalo Motorama

Buffalo Convention Center

Buffalo

March 25-April 3

New York International Auto Show

Javits Center

New York

April 2-3

Syracuse Motorama

NYS Fairgrounds

Syracuse

l

May 14

Cruisin’ Buddies Car Show

Dorchester Park

Whitney Point

l

May 14

Cars for a Cause

Trovato Associates

Rochester

l

June 7-11

Americade Touring Motorcycle Rally

Lake George

Lake George

l

June 26

South Butler Nostalgia Drags & Cruise-In

South Butler Nostalgic Dragway

Savannah

l

July 9-10

ZCCR MOTORFEST

Damascus Shrine Center

Webster

l

l

l

l

July 15-17

2016 Syracuse Nationals

NYS Fairgrounds

Syracuse

l

l

l

l

August 28

South Butler Nostalgia Drags & Cruise-In

South Butler Nostalgic Dragway

Savannah

September 9-11

Adirondack Vettefest

Ramada Inn

Glens Falls

l

September 24-25

Dover Drag Strip Nostalgia Drags & Car Show

Lebanon Valley Dragway

New Lebanon

l

September 25

South Butler Nostalgia Drags & Cruise-In

South Butler Nostalgic Dragway

Savannah

l

l

l

l

l l

l l

l l

l

l l l

l

l l

Apex Automotive Magazine is not responsible for the accuracy of this list. At the time of printing, this list was as thorough and accurate as possible. However, show dates and locations can change so we recommend research before you head out to one of these events.

You can also check www.apexautomag.com for changes and additions.

Know of an event not listed here? Let us know at shows@apexautomag.com.

APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE // 41

Gamer Review Forza Motorsport 6

words Kevin Crandall

Forza 6: the latest addition to Microsoft’s racing series.

This fall I decided to make a triumphant return to gaming after a 2 year hiatus. I had been building an urge to get back into it for a while, and after seeing previews of games like Battlefront & Forza 6 for the new generation of consoles, I talked myself into upgrading from my Xbox 360 to the new Xbox One. Needing a new console, I compared bundles (most seemed to be 500GB consoles with older/rehashed games). I then stumbled onto the Limited Edition Forza Bundle which included a unique, blue themed, 1TBhard drive console and matching controller (new improved version too w/ 3.5mm audio jack, enhanced D-Pad, and impulse triggers) as well as a digital download copy of Forza 6. Well, this seemed like a no-brainer. Not only are you getting more storage space over the standard consoles, but also the new controller, and a racing game. Not only that, but as part of the theme package, this console makes engine rev noises when fired up!

Onto the game itself, Forza Motorsport 6 is the latest addition to Microsoft’s flagship racing series. It improves on the last version in almost every possible way, boasting 42 // APEX AUTOMOTIVE MAGA ZINE

breathtaking graphics at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. They’ve added wet weather with realistic environmental driving conditions, and night racing to really test your driving skills.

The state-of-the-art physics engine will not disappoint. This is a racing simulator, and as such, must feel like the real deal.

You simply cannot take a corner at 200mph and expect not to go careening off the track without consequence. Proper setup, braking, taking the right lines are all things that need to be taken into consideration in order to reach your full racing potential.

Forza 6 features more than 450 cars, all insanely detailed and customizable, complete with working cockpits and full damage.

There are 26 world-famous tracks including Daytona, Le Mans, and others to test your skills.

As more of your average arcade racer, I tend to prefer the mash-the-throttle-and-go type titles, but I found myself really liking this iteration of Forza. I feel they made it accessible for the less-harcode with a number of assists to help level the playing field. The graphics and customization of the cars is also a huge selling point. I enjoyed building

and modding my ride to suit my taste.

Overall, if you enjoy racing games (arcade or sim), I would say that Forza 6 is worth picking up. It’s been on sale recently with the holidays, so you might be able to pick it up cheap. As for the Limited Edition bundle, as the name implies, it’s getting hard to find… but if you can get your hands on one; the unique look, added storage, better controller, and inclusion of Forza definitely make it stand out above the other console bundles. 