Custom Auto Registry
This Issue: 2014 Corvette Stingray The New Automobile Era LARC – LX 39th Annual Frog Follies Lane Motor Museum A Special Cause Help Wanted A Look Ahead
2014 Corvette Stingray Written by Lewis Austin
Out of the battlefield and on to the back roads of America the new 2014 Corvette with Performance Package provides amazing control and stability using some of the newest magnetic suspension technology that is able to self adept to road conditions every 10-15 milliseconds.
To see the difference this actually makes here is a segment of the Nova special Making Stuff: Smarter where a Hummer is equipped with and without a magnetic shock system.
Click To Watch Video To see the full show and order the Nova video you may click here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/making-stuff.html#making-stuff-smarter Continuing the inspiration of using advanced technologies the new 2014 Corvette flirts with such material as lightweight carbon fiber used in its dash and convertible top where it allows for one person removal to its all aluminum space frame that is 100lbs lighter yet 57% stiffer than its predecessor, to carbon-nano composite underbody panels that further reduce weight and improve driver control and fuel economy, to its innovative air flow systems that not only minimize drag but create greater downforce thus improving stability and cooling of critical components.
While the Corvette is known for its sporty nature the new 2014 Corvette does not compromise on luxury or comfort by integrated race inspired competition sport seating and hand-stitched leather on its seats, dash, console, and door panels.
To complete the package Chevrolet has integrated advanced electronics that include the ability to select 5 different driver modes that calibrate up to 12 performance variables in addition to an entertainment system that comprises a retractable 8-inch diagonal high-definition color touch-screen that take advantage of hand gesture and voice recognition control and a premium Bose audio system.
Packed with available options that are sure to excite and inspire the new 2014 Corvette Stingray is a truly exciting entry and new experience in the 2014 car market. Photo Credit – Chevrolet - http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette-stingray.html Video Credit - NOVA - How Things Work: Making Stuff Smarter http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/making-stuff.html#making-stuff-smarter
History In The Making: Into The New Automobile Era
Written by Lewis Austin
The first recorded self-propelled vehicle was design by Joseph Cugnot and built by M. Brezin in 1769. Powered by steam and weighing in around 16,000lbs this monstrosity of a vehicle had an estimated top speed of around 2mph as it carried out its purpose of delivering cannons around town. This was the predecessor of the modern train and is what set into motion the motor powered vehicle revolution. By 1861 steam powered cars were being built and driven in America but resembled small locomotives. In 1860 the first practical gas powered engine was developed by Etienne Leoir and he later drove a car based the new engine design in 1862. In 1862 Alphonse Bear de Rochas built the first known internal combustion engine known as the Otto cycle. Based on Lenoir’s claims and drawings this was also the first engine to run on a type of gasoline. Interesting enough the reason the Otto cycle got its name was because Nokolaus Otto patented the design in 1876 as this process was neglected by de Rochas. Karma however seemed to be in play as Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz later broke the Otto patent by claiming prior art from de Rochas. While Daimler and Benz both used the same strategy to capture their engine design, develop vehicles based on it, and lived a mere 60 miles from each other the two actually never met. The first long distance car trip was undertaken by Frau Berta Benz who took her husband Karl’s car one night to see her mother making the 62 mile journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim in 1888. In the same year of 1888 William Steinway of Steinway & Sons piano factory struck a deal with Daimler for US manufacturing rights and was producing petrol engines by 1891 in Hartford CT to be used in fire engines, boats, quadricycles, carriages and tramway cars. The era of the car was now in full force with builders from across the country experimenting with the new engine technologies. By 1893 Charles and Frank Duryea had made the first gas powered car in the US. The car was made from a used horse buggy and 4 HP single cylinder engine. Cars of this type became known as the horseless carriage. Check out this video to see a replica of one such vehicle, which made its appearance at the 2013 Frog Follies in Evansville IN.
Click To Watch Video
By 1896 thirteen Duryeas of the same design were built making the Duryea the first production car in history under the name Duryea Motor Wagon Company. This same year the first closed circuit auto race took place in Rhode Island, which included several Duryeas. In 1898 the company dissolved as the two brothers (Frank and Charles) went their own ways. Frank later created a partnership to form the Stevens-Duryea Company and later sold to Westinghouse in 1915 for ½ million dollars that he lived off of in comfort until 1967. In 1893 Henry Ford built his first engine and later placed it in his first car in 1896. Ford however would not offer his first car for sale until 1903. A replica of this vehicle can be found at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN.
permission of Lane Motor Museum
By 1896 Eli Olds of Oldsmobile built his first car and began production in 1899. The first auto show took place in 1900 in New York City and thus the car show began a mainstay with Americans and takes place to this day in cities around the world. As in the very first auto show, shows today focus on showing the beauty, history, advancements and future of the evolving auto industry. By 1901 the Olds Motor Vehicle Company of Detroit had sold 600 Curved Dash Oldsmobile” models, in 1902 – 2,500, 1903 – 4,000, and 1904 –5,000. In 1903 the first transcontinental car ride across America took place in a Winton named the Vermont by Horatio Jackson, a hired bicycle mechanic named Sewell Croker and their trusty Pit Bull companion named Bud. A full article on this can be seen in last months issue p.11 here: http://issuu.com/custo_auto_registry/docs/custom_auto_registry_issuu
By 1904 the number of transcontinental rides numbered in the thousands. Americans had begun to embrace the car as an opportunity to take long range vacations, see national attractions that were previously unaccessible and began group motor travel activities. By 1915 auto racing had become a passion throughout the US and led the way for ever improving engines and increased automotive speeds as local farm boys used their knowledge of engines to build stronger and faster engine models in competitions to see who could go the fastest.
LARC – LX Written by Lewis Austin
As big as a building the LARC – LX is a military vehicle that saw service from 1958 – 2001. LARC stands for Lighter, Amphibious Resupply, Cargo. While weighing in at 100 tons the LARC - LX was able to carry a payload of equal size across land and sea.
Powered by four 265 hp (198 kW) GMC diesel engines on land the LARC was able to achieve speeds up to 20mph and was quite intimidating to those that found themselves to be in its way.
Click To Watch Video While at sea the LARC was able to maintain a respectable speed of 6.5-7.5MPH based on its cargo and had a sea range of up to 75 miles. The LARC was an excellent vehicle for ship to shore transport of both cargo and troops and was the only amphibious vehicle in U.S. Army service capable of landing on a beach through surf. Seeing active service first in 1967 the LARC was dispatched to Vietnam to support the 101st Airborne Division, and in 1968 the 1st Cavalry Division and was deactivated on 15 October 2001. To see a LARC in person in order to gain full respect for the size and capacity of this vehicle you can visit Lane Motor Museum located in Nashville TN at 702 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN. To learn more about Lane we have provided a more in-depth article written about this truly unique museum later in this issue of Custom Auto Registry located on page 21.
Photos and video by permission and courtesy of Lane Motor Museum 702 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37210 http://www.lanemotormuseum.org
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39 Annual Frog Follies Written by Lewis Austin
Evansville Iron has done it again with their annual Frog Follies. Dubbed as the world’s largest pre ’49 car show this year they had almost 4,000 entries. Evansville Iron has held this event each August since 1975 where they started with a mere 44 entries. The event got its name “Frog Follies” after the first year where they had a bullfrog race. Since then it has gained international attention and garners entries as far away as Australia. Situated in the Vanderburgh County 4-H Center in Evansville Indiana the Frog Follies is a great event for the entire family. There is plenty of shade, food, playground areas and restroom facilities to make things comfortable for everyone. Because the show is so large and spread out it is definitely advised to bring comfortable walking shoes. For those that need the extra mobility help there was even a vendor that offered scooter rentals. All the concessions are owned by the club and are kept reasonable, which is great as many other shows can end up costing significantly more than initially budgeted for due to outrageous food costs that one often finds at similar events. With vendors galore and a huge swap meet area there is something for everyone who wants or needs something auto related. The only suggestions I would have for improvement would be to provide rolling refreshment carts and maps of the campground. One of the great things about the Frog Follies is the hospitality of everyone. As I walked through taking hundreds of pictures people freely offered water and were more than happy to discuss their hot rods and how much they enjoy coming to Frog Follies each year.
To see our huge Frog Follies photo gallery with over 1000 pics click here. If you are a custom auto enthusiasts feel free to set up a free account on our social network (http://CustomAutoRegistry.com) and share your enthusiasm about custom autos, make friends, place free auto related classified ads, and share your own photos and videos. All accounts set up before 12-31-13 will receive a free upgrade for life valued at $29yr for individuals and $99yr for business. For those who are interested in hot rods specifically we are making available a custom deck of playing cards (all pre ’49) and a video of the Frog Follies event. For each deck of cards or video you purchase a deck/video will be donated to kids at a local children’s hospital to help share the joy of the custom auto experience and to help them mentally escape their current situation during treatment. To pre-order your deck of cards or video click here.
Lane Motor Museum
Written by Lewis Austin
Lane Motor Museum is a fascinating place to visit. With an eclectic array of over 380 vehicles of mostly European origin Lane Motor Museum can boast that it has the largest such collection in the US.
Coming up on its 10th year anniversary Jeff Lane was gracious enough to take the time to sit down with me to talk about what inspired him to create this wonderful assortment of automotive history and why he has decided to make it available to the public. As a native of Detroit Michigan Jeff grew up in a town known for its history as the driving force in the auto industry. Spurred on by his father, who was also an automobile enthusiast and started his own auto supply business, from an early age Jeff took a special interest in the foreign automobile and soon began restoring and later collecting them. As time went on Jeff Lane’s collection grew, which required several locations to store them all. As he would take cars out into the public people would ask him about them and among learning he had a collection would ask to see more. Soon Jeff was taking people to the various storage buildings he had and realized that due to the size of his collection and the distance between sites it was impossible for him to share his complete collection with others. Given the interest others shared in Jeff’s collection this prompted him to try to find a location that he could bring all his automobiles together that would then make them easy to share. As luck would have it the Sunbeam bread factory decided to move its operations from Nashville to Rutherford County TN. This move set into motion the events, which later lead to the now occupation of Lane Motor Museum. The factory seems to be the perfect location for Lane Motor Museum as it has tall ceilings, it’s interior is surrounded by natural light that beautifully showcases the auto collection and it has a vast open-floor plan that makes moving around and showcasing all the automobiles easy. Beyond its large collection and emphasis on foreign automobiles some other things that make Lane especially unique and attractive is that it takes pride in the fact that its collection is functional and offered with a barrier free environment for up close viewing. With a restoration and fabrication shop on site Jeff takes great pride in insuring the vehicles are kept in well maintained and running order and on special occasions will provide rides and even offers an opportunity for the public to support the museum in a Rally for The Lane where one can take part in the Rally and actually drive one of the Lane cars on a day long journey following some of the most scenic roads in Tennessee. Jeff feels it is important for the cars to get their exercise in order to maintain good conditioning and the Rally for The Lane is an excellent opportunity to give the cars the driving they need, support the museum and provide an enthusiasts a day of memories that will last a lifetime.
Some interesting notes on Lane Motor Museum: Largest exhibit – Larc LX also featured in this issue on page
Smallest Exhibit – 1965 Peel Trident, which holds the distinction of world’s smallest automobile.
Oldest Original Exhibit – 1922 A.B.C.
Current Favorite Exhibit – 100th Anniversary of Marcel Leyat’s Propeller Driven Cars
For groups of 15 or more special accommodations can be made. Also a discount is given to seniors.
To learn more about Lane Motor Museum you can check out their website at: http://www.lanemotormuseum.org or go by their location located at 702 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37310.
Photos by permission and courtesy of Lane Motor Museum
A Special Cause
Custom Auto Registry is looking for: Writers – to write articles on events happening in their area. Clubs – to let us know about your events and to be placed in magazine feature articles Sponsors/Advertisers – to help us fund ongoing publication Members - to share the love and enthusiasm that goes with the custom car culture. Photographers – to share the custom auto experience with our readers. Currently all working positions are volunteer in nature. As we continue to grow we will be seeking to compensate those who best prove their passion in custom autos and are able to provide high quality content. This is your chance to put your foot in the door. Don’t miss out positions are limited.
For more information create an account then message us at: http://customautoregistry.com/CustomAutoRegistry/
A Look Ahead Big Events we are looking forward to: Redneck Rumble – Lebanon TN Aug. 20-21 Redneck Rumble is the go to event for the Rat Rod community. Hundreds of Rat Rods, classic automobiles, vendors and an all around good time.
http://bothbarrelspromotions.com/ Nashville British Car Club Show – Nashville TN Oct 12th Come see the many British cars Nashville and Mid TN has to offer. The Club is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation devoted to the restoration, preservation and enjoyment of British cars.
http://www.nashvillebritishcarclub.org Halloween Run – Nashville TN Oct 25-27th I wish I had bought the casket car at the Redneck Rumble to take to this event. Would be great for the Rat Rodders too.
2013 SEMA Show – LasVegas NV Nov. 5-8 The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the automotive industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more. This is a trade only event not open to the general public.
http://www.semashow.com/the-sema-show 2013 Motor Trend Nashville International Auto Show – Nov. 15-17 Motor Trend Auto Shows, LLC (MTAS), is the nation’s largest auto show production company. Founded in 1984, MTAS produces auto shows in more than 20 markets across the country.
http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/nashville/generalinfo.jsp Arizona Auctions – Scottsdale AZ Jan. 17-18 2014 Has the largest concentration of auto auction sales each year. In 2013 sales were $224 million.
http://www.goodingco.com/auction/scottsdale-2014/
We are looking to add a Classified Ads section to our publication. If you would be interested in placing an ad to sell your vehicle or auto related items or place a wanted ad to find your dream auto/item please let us know by emailing us at:
CustomAutoRegistry@yahoo.com Classified Ad Fees: 2 inch X 4 inch $5 (business card size) 4 inch X 4 inch $9 4 inch X 8 inch or 8 inch X 4 inch $16 8 inch X 8 inch $30 Full Page $35 Unlimited words and photos as long as they will fit in your ad space. All ads will be run until the vehicle/item is sold or wanted item is found. A reminder to us will be required each month however if additional add time is needed to insure continued placement.
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Vendor Advertising Rates: Advertising includes placement in 12 monthly issues If interested in vendor level advertising please contact us at:
CustomAutoRegistry@yahoo.com To be included on DVD ad placement order MUST be placed before 10-14-13. All vendors who place advertising before 10-14-13 will additionally receive a FREE business level account on Custom Auto Registry UPGRADED FOR LIFE ($99 yr value). All vendor level accounts include the ability to set up a free store account, create an online catalog with shopping cart and the ability to take payments by email for catalog items online.
Ad link can be set to your website, Custom Auto Account Profile/store or email.
2 inch X 4 inch with link - $18 (business card size) - $1.5 per issue 4 inch X 4 inch with link - $34 - $2.84 per issue additionally includes 10 second ad placement on Hot Rods DVD AND FREE 1yr city level advertising banner on http://CustomAutoRegistry.com 4 inch X 8 inch or 8 inch x 4 inch with link - $68 - $5.67 per issue additionally includes 15 second ad placement on Hot Rods DVD AND FREE 1yr state level advertising banner on http://CustomAutoRegistry.com 8 inch X 8 inch with link - $130 - $10.84 per issue additionally includes 30 second ad placement on Hot Rods DVD AND FREE 1yr country level advertising banner on http://CustomAutoRegistry.com Full Page with link - $150 - $12.50 per issue additionally includes 60 second placement on Hot Rods DVD AND FREE 1yr international level advertising banner on http://CustomAutoRegistry.com