Muscle Car Plus February-March 2023

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Chevrolet Introduces First Electrified Corvette

Exactly 70 years after the Corvette debuted at Motorama in New York City, Chevrolet has introduced the first-ever electrified, all-wheel drive Corvette called the 2024 Corvette E-Ray. The new Corvette, which will be available in removable roof coupe and hardtop convertible models, will utilize electrification to enhance the driving experience with intense straight-line performance, and all-weather confidence provided by the eAWD system. The E-Ray will be the only sports car pairing two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V8 power with electrified responsiveness, powering the car to a Corvette record 0-60 mph time of just 2.5-seconds and a quarter-mile time of 10.5-seconds. The 6.2L LT2 small-block V8 provides 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. of torque to the rear axle and is complemented by an electric motor that channels an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft. of torque through the front wheels via a 1.9 kWh battery pack located between the seats. This totals a combined 655 horsepower, and thanks to the electric power, provides a near immediate feeling of thrust from low-end torque. The E-Ray won’t require plugin charging as its battery will be charged mostly via regenerative energy from coasting and braking as well as during normal driving. The intelligent eAWD system will constantly adapt to the road surface and during spirited driving and in low-traction situations, the system applies additional power to the front wheels to improve vehicle stability. The E-Ray will offer an electric drive mode up to 72 km/h, standard Brembo brakes, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, staggered 20- and 21-in. wheels and a lower, wider stance that is 3.6-in. wider than the Stingray. The exterior of the E-ray will be reminiscent of the also wide Z06 model and offers fourteen exterior colour options, an exclusive body-length stripe, available carbon fibre ground effects and optional carbon fibre wheels. The E-Ray will also introduce the new Artemis Dipped interior which features complementary deep green tones with multiple options for customers to select to personalize the interior. The 2024 Corvette E-Ray goes on sale sometime this year and starts at $128,798.

Volume 21, Issue No. 1

February / March 2023

Second Class Mailing Agreement #40050183

Publisher: Dean Washington dean@rpmcanada.ca

Associate Publisher: David Symons david@rpmcanada.ca

Managing Editor

Jordan Allan jordan@rpmcanada.ca

Distribution Manager: Brenda Washington brenda@rpmcanada.ca

Copy Editor: Gerry Frechette gerryf@rpmcanada.ca

Advertising Sales: Elaine Fontaine elaine@rpmcanada.ca

Contributing Writers / Photographers:

Jordan Allan

John Gunnell

Dan Heyman

Cam Hutchins

Paul Kennedy

Muscle Car Plus Magazine is published six times per year by RPM Media Inc.

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EG Auctions 16th Annual Red Deer Spring Collector Car and Memorabilia Auction

Egauctions.com Canadas Largest Collector Car Auction Company presents its live auction schedule for 2023. The 16th Annual Red Deer Spring Collector Car and Memorabilia auction will roar into Red Deer, Alberta on March 17-19. Over 200 collector cars and 200 pieces of NO RESERVE automobilia selling all 3 days. Join us for the Jerry Hoines Estate Collection Online Timed Auction April 28-May 6 selling out of Gainford, AB. Over 300 collector cars selling No Reserve. Register to bid online now @ egauctions.com. BRAND NEW EVENT! The inaugural Sylvan Lake Collector Car and Memorabilia Auction at the Lake selling Saturday, May 27th in beautiful Sylvan Lake, Alberta. Featuring the NO RESERVE Wild Rose Collection.

67th Annual Portland Roadster Show

O’Reilly Auto Parts and the Multnomah Hot Rod Council present the 67th Annual Portland Roadster Show at the Portland Expo Center on March 17-19, featuring hundreds of the best Hot Rods, Classics, Customs and Motorcycles. The artistic efforts of skilled craftsmen and hobbyists will be featured through the spectacular cars, trucks and motorcycles on display. Each is painstakingly selected from hundreds of applications from around the Pacific Northwest. You’ll also see the talent and vision of the future with our “High School Challenge” and the “automotive art” from world class professional builders. For more information please visit www.portlandroadstershow.com

Mecum Auctions Glendale

Mecum Auctions will return to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, this March 28-April 1 with an estimated 2,000 vehicles and tons of Road Art and memorabilia. The auction will feature everything from 1930s street rods to late model pickup trucks and everything in between. Highlighted at this year’s show will be a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing restored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and a 1968 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro RS/SS, 1 of 11 ever made. For more information on Mecum Glendale 2023 and other upcoming auctions, visit Mecum.com.

57th Annual Portland Swap Meet

This spring, six local antique car clubs will host the 57th Portland Swap Meet once again at the Portland EXPO Center in Portland, Oregon. With more than 325,000 square-feet of heated indoor vendor space and 500,000 square-feet of outdoor vendor space, this Pacific Northwest tradition is home to everything automotive. Auto enthusiasts can shop, buy and sell an extensive range of cars, car parts, accessories, services, auto memorabilia, vintage automotive toys and much more. Join us and experience the 57th Portland Swap Meet at the Portland EXPO Center March 31st to April 2nd, 2023.

Track-Ready

The Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE is the Camaro for drivers

Story and photos by Dan Heyman

Whenit comes to world-renowned nameplates in the car world, they don’t get much more recognizable than the Chevrolet Camaro, the pony car developed to compete with the Mustang both on the race track, and the sales floor. When it first arrived in 1967, it spearheaded one of the longest-standing and best known rivalries in the car world. Over the years, the Camaro has gone through a number of changes; it’s always been front-engined and rear-wheel drive of course, but the engine type has changed, the handling characteristics have been tweaked across an array of models – often in the same model year – and indeed even with such a unique shape, the styling has had to modernize. Which, of course, to many a Camaro purist, was a bit of a problem. It started when the signature round headlights bit the bullet with the demise of the second-generation car after the 1981 model and continued with the hardening of the model’s corners and so on.

The thing with the Camaro, however, is GM has always tried to reconnect with its roots; when an all-new car was released for the 2010 model year, for example, they did a modern take on those famous round headlamps and also returned to the twin roundel taillamps. There are a few things they have kept constant, however, and one of the big ones is that there’s been a Z/28 model almost every year, across every generation.

…until this sixth generation, that is.

With the arrival of this latest generation, the Z/28 – hitherto the high-performance, track-focused version of the Camaro – has

bowed out, leaving the base model, the SS and the supercharged ZL1. Or has it?

What you see here is, in its most basic form, a Camaro SS. Well, 2SS if you want to get really specific but that’s more a package name than anything; you won’t hear many owners of this car say “I’ve got a 2SS”. “SS” will most often suffice.

However you want to call it, though, that only tells half the story of this particular model, because it also gets something called the “1LE Track Performance Package” and while some of the features contained within do meet the eye – the satin black hood, front splitter and spoiler, the 20-inch wheels shrouding red brake calipers, Alcantara suede interior, Recaro seats – this $8,495 package (bringing the total of this car to about 65 grand, which is actually a really good deal, all things considered) is much more about what doesn’t meet the eye.

With the 1LE, you get magnetic ride control, electronic limited-slip differential, dual-mode exhaust and performance tuned suspension with special bushings, springs and stabilizer bars. Add bigger brakes and Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar 3 rubber and you have what’s essentially on paper the second coming of the Z/28.

Darned if it doesn’t look the part, too. With the 1LE, the Camaro already rides lower than the standard SS and those black wheels bring the whole shebang even

harder down on to the pavement below, an effect that’s magnified by the aggressive splitter, rear bumper shape and side skirts. It looks so hunkered down you’d think it wouldn’t clear even the slightest speedbump; it will, but it’s cool that it doesn’t look like it does.

Once sat inside, the feeling of being low and in command remains intact – in some cases, a little too much so.

It’s no secret that vehicles like the Camaro with their chopped tops and big door pillars and long hoods aren’t champions when it comes to outward visibility, but that’s really taken to the nth degree here. The view forward can best be described as “pillbox-like” and while that big hood scoop is cool to take in from the driver’s seat, it also gets in the way. Again; such is life in cars like this but the view out of the Ford Mustang, the Porsche Cayman or the Dodge Challenger takes what we have here to the cleaners.

That’s not to say it’s not comfortable, however. Even though the Recaros are deeper than what you’d typically find in a Camaro, they are perfectly accommodating even to the larger-hipped among us, a group which this writer counts himself a part of. They will keep you

both comfortable and stable, and that’s what counts. The steering wheel angle, meanwhile, is right on and just a slight tweak to the seats (they are power adjustable for tilt and height, but alas there is no lumbar adjust) makes for a fantastic seating position.

As easy as it is to reach, however, the steering wheel is an overlychunky affair with too many buttons mounted thereon and the awesome dual-binnacle dash has been replaced by a single hooded digital display. Sure, they’ve toyed with the fonts a little to make it seem more old school and there are some supplementary Camaro-

spec gauges, but it still looks like something that you’d find in a Tahoe or Traverse, just as you do here. There’s also a digital rear-view mirror shared with those other models but unlike the gauges, it actually fits quite well within the environs of the Camaro’s cabin thanks to its old-school shape. Cool here (and since the rear window is so small, super handy to have), less so in larger trucks and SUVs.

The eight-inch infotainment display is tamely styled in its native form, but the touchscreen is responsive and there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (as well as wireless charging) and that’s where I spent most of my time.

Actually, that’s not entirely true because I spent hardly any time, really, playing with my Spotify playlist. Indeed, much better to just set it to like AC/DC’s greatest hits or something like that and get on with it because this is a car that you really, REALLY want to drive.

It starts as soon as you fire the engine, and hear that great 6.2-litre V8 get up and growl, ready to unleash its 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque and light up those Goodyears. Yes; those are the same figures as the standard SS, as the 1LE package doesn’t change the engine’s power.

This dismayed me at first, but once I let it all loose it hardly mattered because what Chevrolet has done to maximize just how much you can get from that power.

Being a naturally-aspirated ‘plant, the power delivery is instantaneous and you need to hold on because you will light up those rears – especially in the damp conditions I was in, because good as they are, Eagle SuperCar tires are not wet-weather stars – with little more than a dab of the throttle, sending that tail swinging if you aren’t careful.

Once you learn to meter out all that power through judicious throttle usage and smart gear election – I had the fantastic six-speed manual; a 10-speed auto with paddle shifters is also available, with the paddles you see here used to adjust the rev-match downshift feature – and start to really flow with the SS 1LE, you’re treated to one of the best and most surprising driving experiences you’ll find today.

Why surprising? Simply because the immediacy with which this big coupe switches direction is such that it feels a whole heck of a lot smaller than it is. I remember when I drove the Lexus RC F I deemed it more “Mustang than M4”, but with this Camaro, it’s precisely the opposite.

The almost complete lack of body roll as the magnetic dampers read the tarmac below as well as your inputs and keeps everything so perfectly in-check it feels every way the track special that it purports to be. Of all the highlights experienced during my drive, it was the steering that really stood out. Perfectly weighted, that long nose responds to inputs in immediate fashion, making it that much easier – and more natural – to carve through b-roads with precise abandon. No muscle car should feel this capable in these circumstances, but the Camaro does, with a bullet.

At the end of the day, it’s a great thing when a manufacturer can provide a package that can transform a performance car in such a way. It adds a whole other dimension to the Camaro, the 1LE does, and while the ZL1 is still the flagship model, the SS 1LE is the Camaro for drivers, and that’s just fine by me.

Zed-twenty-what?

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GROW WITH US

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Luxurious Identity

Ron Wilson’s 1969 Mercury Marauder X100

Story and photos by Cam Hutchins

Onekey of any business is spotting trends, identifying the market and getting ahead of your competition at every turn. Somehow, Mercury failed at every turn with the 1969 and 1970 Mercury Marauder X100. The Marauder X100 was like looking around the market in 2023 and deciding what everyone wants is a new type of Crypto currency or pager with a belt clip!

The Marauder name was first used in the fifties when Ford introduced a new line of engines for its Mercury, Edsel and Lincoln lines of cars. Two of these engines were specially used for Mercury vehicles and were the 383 cu. in. V8 producing 330 hp, dubbed the Marauder, and the Super Marauder was the 430 V8 producing 400 hp, the first US engine to break into the 400 hp club. Introduced to compete with the Chrysler Hemi, the Super Marauder engine was available throughout the Mercury line, but differed from the Lincoln 430 fourbarrel engine, with the three two-barrel carbs and manifold Super Marauder only offered on the Mercury.

By 1963, halfway through the production run, Ford introduced the 1963.5 models with a semi fastback roofline, alleged to help with the full-sized cars used in NASCAR racing. This new roofline was used on the smaller cars as well and the Marauder name was brought back as a car name, not just an engine option. The Marauder named car evolved over time and was dropped for the 1966 season. It was reintroduced in 1969 and 1970, then again for a new run from 2003 -2004.

This 1969 Mercury Marauder X100 in red with the black trunk deck was owned by a fellow involved in the local car hobby. Ron Wilson had owned a couple of Marauders including a 1965 version. Ron called me one day to take photos of his car “for a magazine”. He was convinced his rare X100 was worthy, and I have to admit I was skepti -

cal. I met him at his garage in Pitt Meadows and we drove together out to the dykes to take some photos. At the time, I put a photo in my weekly column in the newspaper, but never envisioned writing a story about this behemoth of the automobile Jurassic period.

For 1969, Mercury did not have the amazing names for colours that some of the other makers did. They did have some good names, but they only referred to the red paint option as “Red”. Other great Mercury names for paint choices were dark ivy green, pastel Gray, dark poly aqua, competition orange, and dark orchid, but not all colours may have been offered on the X100. The complementary coloured trunk deck could be deleted for credit or in exchange for a vinyl roof.

As soon as the photos appeared in the papers, I got a call from my “Uncle Mac”. He had owned an identical car! Don “Mac” McWilliams was a family friend so dear to us, that we called him and his wife Lorraine, Uncle and Aunt. Everyone needs an Uncle Mac! He was instrumental in teaching me to ride a bike and his stories were

legendary. Ambulance Driver, Silver Miner, Pilot, explorer, hell, if he did work under the table for the CIA, I would have believed it! At his recent celebration of life, his younger son brought up one of the famous “Uncle Macisms”. When confronted with the unthinkable, and someone says what happens when “this” happens (something horrific like a plane crash or a dam burst), Uncle Mac would quip.....”Well, you wish it hadn’t!”

Well, good ol’ Uncle Mac and his two business partners owned three 1969 Mercury Marauder X100s. Three identical Red X100s with marine telephones. Ron Wilson’s car had evidence of a mounting plate for a ‘60s era marine phone, but alas, Mac and his partners’ cars were sold down south a long time ago,

so this most likely was not one of his cars. I remember getting picked up one day in the Marauder X100 with about 7 other kids, and driven to the Pitt Meadows Airport, where we boarded his DC-3 plane and flew to the Abbotsford Airport for the Airshow!

Flash forward almost 50 years, and I get to drive Ron’s X100 on the very same roads I was driven on in Uncle Mac’s car back in the

day! Ron’s car is unrestored, but maybe had a paint job sometime during its life. It had the rare rear disc brakes added by Ron after someone found a set of NOS, New Old Stock rear discs that were an over-the-counter option back in the ‘60s. I always wondered if the addition of the rear discs in the Mercury parts roster were so they could be used on the Mercury Cougars raced in the Trans Am series. There is a bit of precedent for this as legend states, Roger Penske added disc brakes from the famed Porsche 917 race cars to the AMC Javelin and AMX options list!

Ron said he went on the Coquihalla Highway and “opened her up”. After taking a bit of time to get going, she was way up there on the speedometer partially due to the extreme highway gear ratio of 2.80, and Ron knew he needed to find better brakes, hence the addition of the rear discs.

For 1969, Mercury raided its parts bin to come up with the Marauder on a budget. Use the full-size Mercury Marquis front end, graft the rear end from the Ford XL with a flying buttress bit of flair, and shorten

it 3 inches over the other Mercurys, and they should fly off the shelves. Well, the times they were a changing and the performance/muscle cars were clearly shifting to the midsized Montegos, Torinos and smaller Mustangs, Cougars, and maybe going away from the really big engines due to the roadblocks being put up by the insurance companies.

It was not like this was the only car like this, but luxury sporty cars were well served by the big Thunderbirds and Lincolns of the era. Ford’s Lee Iaccoca was tired of being behind the other domestic personal luxury cars on the market, such as Cadillac’s unique front-wheel drive Eldorado, its sister car the Oldsmobile Toronado, the Buick Riviera and the Chrylser New Yorker Coupe. In many cases there was no four-door version of these cars, making them stand out from the other pure luxury cars.

Iaccoca decided to throw a Rolls Royce grille on the existing Thunderbird chassis, elongating it with 300 pounds more sheet metal, stuffing in a 460 cubic inch version of Lincoln’s 385 V8 and calling it the Lincoln Continental Mark III. The car was introduced to the public at the 12 hours of Sebring race in March of 1968 and it outsold the Cadillac Eldorado! Certainly there was room to recreate that success with the Marauder X100, wasn’t there?

Luxury cars were still selling quite well in the late ‘60s, but two-door versions really were a tricky beast. The four-door Mercury Marquis sold just over 60,000 cars in 1969. Although Mercury brought out the Cougar convertible for 1969, they dropped the convertibles from the big Monterey and Marquis and never built a Marauder convertible for 1969 or 1970.

The Marauder was only available with either the big 429 or 390 V8s, while the X100 was only offered with the 429 and automatic FMX transmission! Curiously, the base model Marauder was offered with a 3-speed manual transmission, but no evidence whether it is a column shift or floor shift. Other than that, the X100 was really only cosmetic changes.

The sales were not impressive. Only 9,031 Marauders were built with an additional 5,635 X100 models sold. The base Marauder was $3,351 probably with a 390 and 3-speed manual, while the 429powered FMX transmission-equipped X100 started at $4,074

Some real skepticism was shown in an article by Robert W. Irvin in the September 1968 issue of Motor Trend. The tagline is “The Age Of Vitality article writes about welcoming a new member into the fold of fresh thinking. Who? Uh, would you believe slow, square ol’ Lincoln-Mercury?”

A great illustration of the Marauder has the describing paragraph as follows. “Styling objective was to create luxurious identity with a plush feel and get away from the “Glorified Ford” image. Marauder in X100 trim is an attempt to give the luxury field a sporty car, and just might succeed.”

Then in October of 1968, after Motor Trend gets to drive the X100, they had this to say about the new Marauder. “Interior of X100 reflects ‘luxury sports car’ theme with many gauges and gadgets, plus sporty trim. If you get seasick, don’t go through the corner too fast! Car does lean and roll, but handling is generally good for a large wheelbase machine.” This article states that a 4-speed synchromesh manual transmission is optional, but recent searches online claim the big Ford FMX 3-speed automatic is the only available tranny on the X100.

Along with describing the thick rubber bushings that eliminate metal-to-metal contact and the smooth quiet ride, they mention the new Mercury concept of “Crush Control” in the specially designed “S” frame. The X100 has a “handling type suspension with special spring rates and shocks”. They also claim “Handling characteristics are exceptionally good for a car with the length and wheelbase of the Marauder.”

A great video “1969 Lincoln Mercury Sales film Pt. 2 “ on YouTube shows Dan Gurney at Riverside taking the X-100 through its paces. The announcer claims that the X-100 offers “Full-size car dimensions with an exciting sports car feel. It is a one-of-a-kind two-door hardtop with on-the-go styling. Exciting tunnel back design, special two-tone paint scheme with fender skirts”

Dan Gurney goes on “there is no doubt about the power this new 429 four-barrel engine has really got. Power for any situation. The standard handling package has a real sports car feel through the turns.” Before you discount Gurney as an advertising schill, he did race Mercury Cougars in the Trans Am series, and maybe was surprised at how well the car handled seeing that the Mercury Marauder was about the size of his Cougar’s transporter truck.

Sadly we have lost both Ron and Mac, but both of them would be happy to tell you how great this dinosaur of the road really was. One last “Macism” when we were driving in the big Marauder, he would floor it to pass someone and call it “Flushing the Tank”.

Masterpiece in Progress

Story and photos by John Gunnell

1967 Ford Mustang

W

hen visual artists start working on their latest masterpiece, they often refer to it as a “work in progress.” Like many cars owned by readers of Muscle Car Plus, Jimmy Carlson’s favourite toy fits into that category, too. He knows the car is an automotive masterpiece of design and engineering and he makes it a bit better a little at a time.

Ford got the jump on other automakers when it brought out the Mustang in 1964 and created the pony car market niche. From 1964-1966, Ford’s sport-personal coupe had no competition. But

the Mustang did send GM and Mopar designers back to their drawing boards to come out with rivals such as the Camaro and new Barracuda for 1967.

Ford responded to the knowledge of these upcoming pony cars with a first-ever redesign of the Mustang for model-year 1967. It featured a bigger and jazzy new body, a wider track for better road grip, a broader range of engines and a longer list of options.

The Gen 2 Mustang was true to the original styling theme, but everything was larger. The grille had a more pronounced opening and lines that led to a simulated air scoop. The taillights featured three vertical lenses on each side of a concave indentation panel, with a centrally located gas cap. Overall, the Mustang looked more muscular.

The wheelbase was unchanged, but overall length grew by nearly two inches. Very important was a larger engine bay for big-block V8s. The front and rear tracks went up by 2.1 inches and overall width was 2.7 inches wider (70.9 inches). A new 2+2 fastback was very low and sleek. The roof had a clean, unbroken sweep rearward to a distinctive, concave rear panel. Functional air louvres in the roof rear quarters were thinner.

Ford ads helped convince potential buyers that the Mustang was still the best pony car for the dollar. “The Mustang Pledge” for owners included a promise not to brag about the new Mustang. An ad aimed at women

The bucket seats are from the ‘70s and the small steering wheel is an aftermarket item.

showed a blue car and a blonde taking the pledge. “I will not sell tickets to all the people who want to ride in my ’67 Mustang,” was a promise she made. “Bred first to be first,” was another slogan used in several colour ads.

A slowing economy hurt American car sales. Total Mustang production for 1967 was 472,121 cars. Standard equipment included all Ford safety features; front bucket seats; carpets; a floor shift; a vinyl interior; a heater; wheel covers and a cigarette lighter. The fastback came with wheel covers, special emblems and rocker panel mouldings.

No wonder Jimmy Carlson hopes to make his car a gem and preserve it in top condition. Along those lines, he dropped it off at Greg’s Speed Shop in Waupaca, Wis., to have new floorboards welded in and get the body repainted in a variation of LeMans Blue. The car also got new door panels at Greg’s, as well as

new floor and luggage area carpeting. The Mustang already had a 351-cid V8 swapped in, along with an aftermarket aluminum radiator. A pair of black bucket seats from a ‘70s model fit nicely inside.

A Mr. Gasket T-handle shifter handles gear changes. The tires are B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A, size P215/65R15 in front and P245/80R15 at the rear. They’re mounted on Keystone fivespoke chrome wheels. Jimmy’s Mustang has power brakes, but not power steering. The odometer tells you that the car has only traveled 35,547 miles. It has a Ford AM radio and both the door locks and windows are your basic manually operated types.

With help from Greg’s, Carlson hopes to keep making improvements to his Mustang and he’s off to a good start. For the time being, the car is a work in progress and the goal is to make it a Mustang Masterpiece.

The ’67 grille was larger and more recessed, but kept the overall Mustang styling theme.

Odometer shows only 35,57 original miles.

Fastbacks have functional roof louvres and a spoiler was added to this one years ago.

Big Ol’ V8

Story and photos by Dan Heyman

When it comes to music, I’m proud to say that when asked, I’m not one to go half-way with the typical “oh, you know, I like all genres blah blah blah”; I have my favourites, and I’ll have no problem letting anyone know why they are should they ask.

On the flip side of that coin, however, I’m also quick to point out which genres I really don’t like, and one of those is country. I’ll probably catch my fair share of “WHAT?!?!!? Carrie Underwood is a goddess! “Her voice is a cross between Prince and The Little Choir of Antoniano” and

“how dare you disparage Shania Twain -- she’s a Canadian ICON” flak from country music fans, and I’m prepared for that.

However, like that one cast member you love in a movie you otherwise hate, there are a few diamonds in the rough, even with country music. For me, one of those is Copperhead Road by Steve Earle, all about running moonshine and other unmentionables. Country people may say it’s more half country/half rock but either way, the song first imprinted itself in my mind for two reasons: the music video features a quasi car chase – well, two, actually – involving first an old Chrysler Windsor, then a ‘70s Charger.

Reason #2 involves these lyrics: “Now daddy ran the whiskey in a big block Dodge/Bought it at an auction at the Mason’s Lodge”, which brings to mind such bad-assery and outlaw legend.

Which, in turn, brings us to the 2023 Durango SRT. It’s not black, but it’s got black stripes against a glorious red backdrop, it’s brazen, it’s snarly and yes, it’s a big block Dodge, to the tune of 6.4 litres and 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Further, because it’s got either room for seven or up to 2,393 litres of storage space (with an underfloor security bin at the very back), I suspect Daddy would’ve much preferred it to his Windsor. Or, he can go ahead and delete the third row of seats and add a second row bench seat, all for no charge. The Durango doesn’t do much to hide it all, either; the “392” badging on the front fenders is subtle but not-too-subtle, the red Brembo brake calipers leave little to the imagination and the bulging hood provides

The 2023 Durango SRT 392 is a true big block Dodge

a spectacularly snarly finish to the proceedings. It’s monstrous – and we haven’t even started it up yet.

Do that, and even those that may not be able to immediately differentiate the SRT from the its Citadel and R/T siblings will be blown away by the crackling, burbling, grunting report from the dual exhausts on start-up. At idle, it’s manic; dab the throttle, and it becomes guttural. Make your way to the 5,900-rpm redline and the noise will strip the paint of most anything you pass. It’s nuts, and it’s pretty much on the button when it comes to the muscle truck experience. Dodge/SRT knows exhaust notes, and it shows with the Durango.

Which it should because when you think about it, you have to wonder why it took Dodge so long to release an SRT version of the Durango in the first place. You’d think that after Carroll Shelby slapped his name on a be-striped, hi-po version of the original Durango, Dodge would go “hey, wait a minute; why didn’t we think of that?” Maybe they did, and maybe after years in the financial doldrums, that dream is finally coming to fruition here. Yeah, sure the Grand Cherokee SRT has been around for awhile, but for me, the SRT moniker just fits better on the Durango. Jeeps were built for climbing muddy hills, while the Durango had a big-chested R/T version since two years into its inception. Although there’s an even more powerful Grand Cherokee now, it’s in the Durango’s DNA, this stuff. Oh, and you can get dual racing stripes, too, if you so choose.

Luckily for occupants, another big part of the Durango’s DNA comes from Dodge, and Dodge takes its interiors very seriously. With the Durango, that seriousness manifests itself in excellent, plush yet supportive front seats (finished in optional red in my tester; I like), a complement of well fastened-together dash and door panels (some finished in like a faux-granite look, which is properly hardcore) and some neat tech in the form of a semi-digitized dash, as well as Uconnect infotainment that now has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. This being an SRT model, said Uconnect screen also displays various performance data, including Gs, 0-60 times and more. Don’t love having to use the

screen for the seat heater/ventilation and steering wheel heater controls, though – a few basic traditional buttons would be preferable.

With all this in mind, you could say this particular Durango has a foot in both the luxury and performance camps, which makes sense considering the $81,645 you have to lay out to get a basic one. All the options we had pushed our tester north of 80 grand, though, and I know I’d be just as happy without the rear screens, as well as the carbon-fibre trim and leather instrument surround that cost a whopping $3,250 to get. Having said that, I do take issue with the second-row seating. It’s nice that they’re captain’s chairs and all – that’s the only way you can get them in the SRT – but unfortunately, they don’t allow you to adjust their fore-aft positioning. I could have used a little more legroom – my wife, who’s shorter than me actually pointed it out – but it appears that in order to make the third row livable (which it is, actually), space had to be sacrificed somewhere.

I doubt there will be that many SRT drivers who will lament that, though. No way. They will be far too occupied with their right foot, and the fury and noise it unleashes. Especially if they’ve set launch control; that’s right, what you’ve got here is a seven-seater SUV…with launch control. That’s mental. You activate it by first selecting sport mode via Uconnect (you can also individually set your AWD, transmission, stability control, steering and suspension), setting your revs (2,000 should do), hitting the “activate launch control” button, holding the brake, mashing the gas and HOLY COW MY GUTS HAVE SUCKED UP AGAINST MY SPINE AND I CAN’T BREATHE. The Challengers and Chargers that get the same “392” designation may be faster on paper being lighter and all, but short of a Christmas tree, two lanes and a timer, darned if anyone’s going to notice when they’re holding on for life dearest.

Forget the twangy mandolin chords of Copperhead Road; the adrenaline rush you get here needs something a little more raucous – the big drums and wailing accordion of the rollicking I’m Shipping up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys comes to mind. I played the song a lot as I drove the Durango. A lot, and it’s made even better by the optional ($1,995) Harman/Kardon 825-watt audio system.

Even when slowly cruising ‘round town (on just four cylinders, because this engine can do that), I found myself gravitating back to that song because even at low speeds, you can sense the action going on under the bulging hood in front of you, and that you won’t be able to contain it for long. May as well get in the mood with a song.

You will pay for it, of course, both in terms of ride and fuel economy; we saw 17.9L/100 km during our test, and if you’re buying an SRT, you will be subject to a gas-guzzler tax. As far as the ride goes, the Durango gets a firmed-up suspension and while I’m sure it would help on the track, I just don’t really see the point elsewhere. I doubt anyone’s buying one of these for its handling, anyway – they’re more likely buying it for the powertrain and I’m willing to bet they’d be much happier if they could just forego the firm suspension. In its current form, it takes too little in the way of road imperfections and everyday obstacles to upset this particular Durango. I do appreciate the addition of bigger brakes supplied by Brembo, though. It’s nice to know all that mass has the anchors on-hand to keep things copacetic in panic braking situations.

At the end of the day, though, you have to hand it to Dodge. While its domestic competition continues to shrink the engine size in its top offerings (the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition come immediately to mind), Dodge has gone the other way and as a result, when you consider its competition, the likes of Ford and Chevrolet just don’t have it. Indeed, only the Germans have ever made this kind of power and had it delivered with such panache, but they charge tens of thousands of dollars more and their offerings are powered by complex, twin-turbocharged engines as opposed to the all-engine masterpiece you see here.

I have no idea how team SRT managed to finally get this one past the pencil pushers, but anyone who’s a fan of American muscle and a proper big ol’ V8 should be thanking them.

Tim’s Country Garage

Story and photos by Paul Kennedy

I first met Tim on a cruise in the Kingston area in 2016. He was driving his yellow, black-striped 1969 Firebird 400, 4-speed, convertible. As we attended more cruises and car shows together, we became better acquainted. Eventually I was invited to his home and discovered his “personal” garage.

Tim is originally from Verona and worked on cars out of necessity from age 16. Basically, he had to learn to do his own repairs – paint, bodywork and mechanicals, since, like most of us at that age, he couldn’t afford to pay a professional to do it for him.

In 1979, Tim enlisted in the Naval Reserves at HMCS Cataraqui. In 1983 he transferred to the Regular Forces, starting as a cook. In the following 25 years, he served on about ten ships, and was stationed across Canada from Sooke, B.C. to Halifax, N.S. Finally, in 2004, Tim moved to the Army and began working as a mechanic.

In the Forces, he was able to get the ASE Certification and qualify as a professional mechanic. His training as both a cook and a mechanic made him a “Red Seal” qualified person in both fields. This meant that he was able to work in either discipline anywhere in Canada. Tim worked in the maintenance shop of CFB Kingston until his retirement in 2019.

The garage was built by his cousin in 2017 using seed money from his mom’s estate, explaining why the sign says “Mom’s Garage”. The garage is 30 feet wide and 40 feet long, with 6 inch-thick, well-insulated walls. It has 14-foot ceilings with ample LED lighting mounted on them.

The centrepiece for Tim (and any car guy) is the 10,000 lb.-capacity, two-post lift. It, of course, has the high-strength concrete

required to support such a lift. Over the parked Firebird is his retractable paint booth with its walls rolled up out of the way.

Arrayed around the garage perimeter are tools of the mechanic’s trade which include a tire change machine, a standing drill press, parts washer, sand blasting cabinet, an 18-ton press, 80-gallon air compressor, plasma cutter, MIG welder and a cherry picker. The large tool chest contains a vast array of metric and Imperial sockets, wrenches, pliers, cutters, files, etc. If Tim doesn’t have the tool, you probably don’t need it.

Tim sees himself as the owner of a resource he loves to share. Since its completion in 2017, Tim has worked on or hosted a wide variety of vehicles in need of a sympathetic garage space and a fully-qualified mechanic. All given freely and with a welcoming smile.

The roster includes a 1956 Ford pickup, 1980 Dodge pickup (on the hoist for four days awaiting a tranny rebuild), 1940 Willys 2-door, 1970 Cyclone fastback, 1979 Malibu (mine), 1979 Ford pickup, 1979 Mustang LX (351!), 1979 Firebird, 1970 Grand Prix,

1964

Regardless of what vehicle you bring to Tim’s, all the owners are made welcome. The price of admission is a medium double double from Tim Hortons. Owners can do all the work, or can enlist Tim as a most knowledgeable helper. One thing is obvious when you look closely at the walls – Tim is a bit of a Firebird freak. His yellow 1969 Ram Air 400 Firebird is on its fifth, and hopefully last, engine.

The base of the sign’s pole has a small float with the names of all the ships on which he served over his 25 years in the Navy, as well as his mechanic’s badge with RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) logo on the concrete base.

Cars ahoy! and thanks for visiting, Tim.

Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1951 Case tractor, 1952 Fargo pickup (9-foot box), 1998 International Flatbed tow truck, 1972 GMC pickup, a 1926 Model T truck and even a 1971 Ski-Doo Olympic snowmobile.

If Tim can’t help fix your car, I guess he might bake you a consolation cake.

Not for Sale!

Cliff Haller’s 1947 Mercury Woody

Story and photos by Cam Hutchins

Along time ago, Ladner’s Cliff Haller and a few pals used to go to Woody’s on the Wharf in Santa Cruz, California. Cliff had previously been a Woody owner and was still in the Woody club. Cliff had restored a 1950 Monarch Woody (Canadian Only Model) that was sold new by Moore Ford in Victoria BC, but had ended up in Waterdown, Ontario. In 1994, while visiting family in Winnipeg, he was reading the Buy & Sell to pass the time and found the Woody, and a little while later he went to Ontario on a business trip and bought the Woody and had it shipped home to the lower mainland of BC. After restoring it, and enjoying it for a few years, he sold it to the Ron Thorne private collection in South Jordan, Utah outside of Salt Lake City. Recently it has been sold to an East Coast collector.

Cliff was missing the 1950 Monarch, and mentioned it to one of the fellows he had come with. His pal was from Spokane and mentioned that there was a guy in Spokane that had some relics and maybe something was worth buying. Basically all he had were the frame, floor pan and cowl. There were a few bits of wood. Cliff bought a package deal in 2006 including a ‘47 Ford Sedan, two ‘47 Woody Ford cowls, floors and frames. He hauled them up to Canada and took them to a friend outside of Vernon with a body shop and had the two heaps of parts restored and primered.

One was absolutely perfect and the other had a few imperfections so he kept the flawed one as it was going to be hot rodded, and sold the pristine chassis to a fellow who was building a concours restored Woody. By 2008, Cliff started looking for parts to complete his “start of a Woody”. Friends in the Northwest Woody club helped out, as well as a number of other Woody aficionados. Lots of parts are unique to Woodys, including

the fenders, door latches, the rear hatch hinges and latches. Cliff got lots of parts from the famous swap meet at Hershey, Pennsylvania and that is where he got NOS (new old stock) Ford fenders. Many other parts Cliff got from his large group of friends in the car hobby. Cliff is a member of the Early Ford V8 club, the BC Hot Rod Association and the Woody Club.

After a couple of years of searching for parts, he was told by a friend who builds Woodys in Oregon to get a wood kit from Kline Family Workshop, out of Manchester, Pennsylvania. Even buying from a specialist in Wood Kits for Woodys, Cliff said the package took six months to arrive. One more part of the parts puzzle fell into place at a local Lordco Auto Parts store where Cliff ran into a buddy, Vic House, who had a

1988 Ford Thunderbird he was trying to get rid of. The engine was a 5.0-litre HO engine and tranny, the engine had been rebuilt, but no evidence on any tranny work. Vic bought the car to get the adjustable steering column and radio and wanted the rest of the car gone. One man’s junk is a Hot Rodders treasure.

To really make this wagon handle like a modern car, a TCI Mustang II front independent coil spring suspension was used. Another friend who specialized in old Jaguar parts offered Cliff a 1980 Jaguar differential and Cliff added four QA1 coilover shocks to the rearend. The frame was modified with a new crossmember to house the Jag rear end, and a new crossmember to fit the tranny, and the whole deal was powder coated black.

By 2011, all the parts were at his shop and Cliff thought he would just build the car. But the wood kit was really a challenge and three times he lost interest in it and shoved it in a corner. He was told it took a lot of work, but really, the frame should have been restored when the wood kit was there to check it against. After many hours....days....weeks....planing wood, Cliff was worried he was going to destroy the wood kit. The friend in Oregon, Tim Veley of Jerry Veley Woody Works in Boring, Oregon saved the day, and three months after Cliff dropped off the car, the wood kit was installed and perfect. This was now 2017 and the car was back at Cliff’s shop and ready to be finished. He had to source African mahogany plywood from a Tacoma Lumber yard for the outer panels and inner door panels. Luckily, fellow Woody owner Dennis Groundwater had kept his original panels from his woody that Cliff could use as a template. Dennis was a key in helping and assembling Cliff’s

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Woody, even parking his Woody in Cliff’s shop for a full winter for Cliff to use as reference in rebuilding his Woody.

Choosing paint was easy, as he wanted a green similar to his 1950 Woody that had been sold. He wanted a nice emerald green tint, and paint and final body prep were supplied by Top Ten Hot Rods, Frank Belvaqua using base/clear paint from Horizon Paint & Auto Body supplies.

Russ Jenvey of RJ’s upholstery helped out by offering up a couple of nice bucket seats that could be used. During this time, Cliff also had to find a supplier, SMS Auto Fabrics, for the proper vinyl material that makes up the roof. Cliff had found an original back seat and together they chose a nice green colour that would complement the Woody’s paint, and also picked a darker version for the carpets. RJ’s upholstery supplied and installed the pale green vinyl, green carpet and green linen headliner used above the wood head bows. Russ also installed the exterior vinyl roof.

To complete the interior, the dash was given a hand-painted woodgrain finish by Sandy Morita. An Ididit steering column and aftermarket steering wheel from the Old Car Centre were installed along with Dakota Digital instruments, Lokar shifter, and Genie2 air conditioning to give the car some tastes of the 20th century. A modern radio, twin dash-mounted speakers, modern dome light and under-dash courtesy lights are nice touches, but the windows are still crank-operated jobs.

The Woody rides better than a wagon from the ‘40s thanks to the fully independent suspension, and it has Chevy disc brakes up front and Jag

disc brakes at the back. It rides on blackwall radials supplied by Tom the Tire Guy and mounted on Ridler chrome spoked rims from B&B Tireland.

The frame is powder coated black and there is a wiring harness installed. The Thunderbird computer was set-up to run the 5.0L Ford engine, but the car would not fire. Cliff took the car to Gary’s Automotive in Langley who had installed the dual exhaust, and Gary tried every trick in the book to figure it out. Finally, the Ford computer from the Thunderbird

was stripped out and a Holley Terminator X plug & play engine wiring kit was installed. Five minutes after completing the Holley’s installation, the little 5.0 was purring like a kitten.

Some final finishes still had to be done, but driving the car is really satisfying. It is registered as a Mercury 114x as Cliff had the registration from that car, which was destroyed and now gets to live again from a pile of parts from various cars, and is much better than it ever was. There were only around 43 Monarch Woodys ever built, and only in 1947 and 1950. Only two others are known to Cliff and one was sold new in Medicine Hat, Alberta and now resides in L.A., also as a restomod. Cliff believes the Mercury 114x production is similar numbers. The only other one known came from Medicine Hat too.

The car is a really practical way to travel, and has lots of room for coolers and luggage, so don’t be surprised if this Woody is seen at many, many car shows and cruises in the coming years.....and it is not for sale!

“Football Corvette” Rises from the Ashes

Story and photos by John Gunnell

Former Green Bay Packers head trainer T. Pepper Burruss couldn’t believe what a friend told him by phone. While coming home from an alignment shop on a trailer, the ‘73 Vette that he’d spent years restoring with members of the Corvettes of the Bay car club (www.corvettesofthebay.org) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, had caught fire and burned. By the time the Fire Department got to the scene, the car was extensively damaged.

Later, it was determined that a young alignment shop worker had laid a rag down on a tire near an exhaust header. The exhaust heat caused the rag to burst into flames. The heat of the fire burned a hole through the fibreglass right front fender. Damage extended back to the cowl. The hood was badly charred. The engine bay was damaged and the aluminum valve cover on top of the right cylinder head melted along one side.

At the time of the fire, Pepper’s Corvette had just over 20,000 miles on it. The fire left the restored car looking like a salvage vehicle. Some owners would

have taken an insurance settlement and bought another car, but Pepper’s Corvette had a long history as a “football” car and he decided to bring it back to its former glory. Anyone seeing the car after the fire might have thought that the idea of restoring it was the impossible dream.

But Pepper’s Corvette became known as the “NFL Phoenix” car. The NFL comes from the fact it’s been owned by three long-time National Football League members. Phoenix comes from mythology. The Phoenix was a colourful, sacred bird that built a nest of twigs that ignited and set nest and bird afire, then a young phoenix rose from the ashes.

Pepper had worked for the New York Jets, before coming to the Packers in 1993. Jets general manager, Ron Wolf, sold him the slightly customized Corvette in 1999, when it had 19,875 original miles. Wolf got the car from Oakland Raiders personnel director George Karras in 1997. Karras bought it new and put 19,232 miles on it. Wolf then bought the car for his son, who didn’t like it. The son put 641 additional miles on it in two years.

The car was originally white. It had a modified T-top, custom striping and side pipes. At some point, it’s believed Karras changed the wheels. These modifications were still on the car when it was delivered to Pepper in July of 1999. The following winter, he decided to quickly refurbish the car with his friends Bill Koltz and Jeff Matzke. What started as a quick restoration became an “unintended frame-off restoration.” The car was completely refinished top to bottom and it wasn’t until May 2010 that the work was nearly complete.

The Corvette Club members decided to have the bucket seats done with genuine football leather inserts. This material is made exclusively by Wilson Sporting Goods Co. in its football factory in Ada, Ohio. It was while Pepper was waiting for the seats that the car was trailered to the wheel alignment shop. The fire occurred on May 18, 2010.

Fortunately, the alignment shop had good insurance. After a settlement was worked out, the car was taken to Corvette Sports, Inc., a professional shop owned by Dick Huibregste who ran it in Sheboygan Falls, Wis., “Maybe it should . . . could have been left for dead,” Pepper said. “But I was determined not to let a car with 20,260 original

A rag left on the right front tire near the exhausts went on fire to cause this.

miles be scrapped, so it was restored into an ‘arisen from the ashes’ car that came back.”

At Corvette Sports, the car underwent its second complete restoration. Since the front end and firewall were very heavily damaged, a donor front clip was obtained. Around mid-July 2010, it was attached to the original body. Since the car had already been semi-customized when it was Classic White and further modified when it was restored in the Black Cherry color, it was decided to restore it in a “personalized” state this time as well.

What followed over the course of nearly a year was a total frame-off restoration with virtually every nut and bolt redone or replaced as needed. New front and rear springs were installed and a 1-1/8-inch sway bar was added to stiffen the suspension up. Gas-dampened shock absorbers were bolted in, along with adjustable rear struts.

A new front air dam was added to the car, along with a new chrome rear bumper. Outside rearview mirrors from a 1975 Chevelle were selected as the best style to use on the car and the new tires were mounted on Cragar S/S wheels with 1964 Chevrolet centre caps. Hooker side pipes with spiral–turbo baffles carried spent gases from the engine.

A General Motors ZZ4 crate engine with 355 hp was installed in the Corvette. A Holley 750-cfm carburetor was bolted to the intake and Pepper added a March serpentine belt system, a DeWitt aluminum radiator with dual electric fans for cooling, Hooker headers and other upgrades. A Hurst Competition Plus shifter was used for gear changes.

Benny Koszuth of Sheboygan Falls handled all of the paint prep work on the repaired body. Scott Baldock, who worked at Van Horn Hyundai in Sheboygan Falls, sprayed the paint. Pepper decided to have the car done in a Candy Apple red colour using a CZZ-307 Green Gold base coat, a CZZ-400 Candy Apple Red mid coat and a Glasurit 923-450 Baking Clear on top. During the body work, a removable rear window was added.

Much attention was lavished on the Vette’s football-theme interior. The seats redone with the Wilson football leather centres had never been put in the car, so they were now installed along with new door panels and carpeting. New floormats and new door panel inserts were added, along with an updated audio deck and speakers and a power antenna. An Old Air Products retro-fit air conditioning system was also installed.

By May 4, 2011, the car was almost fully restored. On June 5, it was photographed on the famed “tundra” (unfrozen of course) of the Green Bay Packers’

famed Lambeau Field. Normally, this wasn’t possible, as signs warn visiting fans, “Welcome to Lambeau Field. Enjoy this special place, but please, please stay off the playing field.” Construction work was going on at the time and Pepper was allowed to park his car to shoot photos.

When you lift the gas filler cap on the car’s rear deck lid, you can see the shiny Green Gold basecoat. When you lift the car’s hood you can see the NFL logo on the underside, plus a deflated Wilson football distributor cover and lots of chrome. The intake manifold, valve covers, low-restriction air cleaner, brake master cylinder cover, generator, pulleys and other bits are all dressed up with bright painted, polished or plated metal. Bright-finished braided hoses complete a clean and brilliant underhood appearance.

The eye catcher inside the car is the Wilson football leather seat inserts with NFL emblems under the integral head restraints. The floor mats and door panels match the design theme of the seats. A yellow sticker below the glove box that reads “Ammunition Far Side” reveals one of Pepper’s non-automotive hobbies. Although he does not own guns, he collects ammunition and is President of the International Ammunition Association.

We first met Pepper when he had his Corvette at the Road America street car concours during the 2011 Kohler International Challenge. He was enjoying sharing his car—and his Super Bowl ring—with spectators at the car show. Families vacationing at Elkhart Lake resorts, who had come out to see the classic cars, were thrilled by having the opportunity to take selfies of each other wearing the ring with its 18-karat gold trim and a diamond for each of the Packers’ record-breaking 13 NFL championships.

The appearance of the car at Elkhart Lake was rare. Pepper enjoys going to car shows, but his Packer job eats up most of his time. However, after the car was restored, he took time to go back to the alignment shop in Green Bay. He had heard that the young man who left the rag in the car felt really terrible about the fire and he wanted to assure him that he understood that it was an accident. Unfortunately, the fellow was no longer working there. Hopefully, he’ll read this story and get to see how the car looks today.

Seat centres were redone using genuine Wilson football leather with NFL logos.

A General Motors ZZ crate engine with 355 hp was installed in the Corvette.

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Design Engineering Inc. C5 and C6 Corvette Transmission Tunnel Thermal Shields

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Scott Drake Factory Replacement Centre Link for 1967-1969 Mustang

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