Automotive Museum and Member Classics...What We Do For Fun.

lugbolt

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There's two 68 GT500's locally. One is 100% original, has I think about 5000 miles on it, the other was a stock class drag car from day one-and still is. It has a few hundred miles on it. I know the guy somewhat well.

He's also got an original boss 9 that sits in his shop. Says it runs but the gas is so old that he has to bottle feed it. I don't remember how many miles are on it--I want to say 7200, but I may be wrong.

Speaking of GT500's. In 2007 my friend across the river called me at work and said I need a driver. Well ok, for what? Said he bought a Mustang at the Mark Martin Ford dealer, and we gotta go get it-and you (me) are driving it back home. Well ok whatever. We run up there and he done all the paperwork and all that other stuff that goes with buying a high-end car, then told me to follow him home. Ok no big deal. We get about 3/4 the way there (170 miles one way) and we stopped for pee break, I asked him what posessed him to buy that thing. He bought it for his fixing to be 16 year old daughter who loves cars, and is an avid drag racer already (Jr. Dragster). What? WHatever let's just get it home. Got it home, he drove me to the workplace, I picked my vehcile up and drove to my house. A few weeks later I seen him at the races and asked him how she liked the mustang. "She hates it". They live on one side of the town, and they gotta cross the railroad tracks to get anywhere, and she has a hard time driving a manual transmission, so she either kills it or demolishes the tires every single day going to school. She actually told her dad she's not driving it and went to driving his Ranger (automatic). The GT500 sits outside in the weather and doesn't get driven. A $50,000 car, just sitting there, rotting away. Rats have probably eaten up wiring, snakes probably living up in it, cats probably had babies in it multiple times, you get the idea.
 
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lugbolt

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thought I'd share a pic of the green car. It needed a bath and to get all the bugs off of it. Nothing special. I bought it in 2011. Was owned by a heavy smoker so I had to completely GUT (down to nothing but metal) the interior, clean, wipe, scrub, wash every single component, a/c box complete disassembly everything. It was super nasty. In 13 I moved, and took a while to get back on my feet. The AOD was trashed (OD slipping) so I pulled it out of the car and slowly rebuilt it, then put it back in. Good rebuild. AODE drum, wider band, valve body, and supporting longevity mods. Put it back in, drove it about 3 months and a guy on the other side of Texas said he wanted a good built aod for his stock 93 GT. I just happened to have one, and didnt drive the car anyway so I pulled it back out and sold it to him for a good profit. Used that + a lot more to buy a T56 Magnum, bellhousing, clutch, pedal assembly, harness, cables, etc. While the trans was out, figured why not replace the tired 5.0 with a 7.0? So that's what went in. AFR205 heavily ported/welded/etc heads, too much camshaft, EFI, makes about 650 engine horsepower. Total street car and yes traction is an issue. But I think I've gotten into the throttle twice since 2017, just no need to go further than 1/4 throttle with it.

I got another one too, 75 Ford Maverick...bought in 1992, still own it. My first car actually. I think I posted a picture of it a while back. The 92 GT and the Maverick are nothing special really. Maverick makes rougly 800hp out of a naturally aspirated 440" SBF. Drag car only (bracket racing). They had a car show last year at the high school which is about a mile from me. I filled the tank with Methanol, fired it up and drove it to the school. It was out of fuel by time I got there. It holds just shy of 3 gallons. Good thing it's inexpensive. Dual fuel system, it will idle (only) on pump gas, race on Methanol.
 

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RCW

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My wife saw these someone posted on FB. First I’d seen the renovation after dark.

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skeets

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RCW,,, man any car out of the 50s and 60s makes me stop and look,, kinda like the MOPARS but and of the will do. The ex had a 69 Rambler Scrambler she bought off the floor because the dealer wanted it gone, he said it was not the image they wanted to portray .. I wonder whatever happened to it
 

RCW

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Guys -- not a solicitation by any means. Interested in your feedback/opinion.

As some of you folks have seen from my other posts, the Classic Car Museum I'm associated with has raffled off a classic car each year since 1997, when we opened.

There's a couple of our past raffle cars in the thread.

Most of those Raffle Cars have been 1st or 2nd generation Mustang Convertibles. 1964 1/2-1969.

We look to buy them bone-stock, in a condition we can raffle off. No project cars.

We are a Classic Car Museum, so we tried to be purist with our mission with the Raffle Car. Proceeds help keep our doors open.

The "old timers" are getting hard to find in great shape, and quite frankly sometimes have been a challenge to get repairs done when needed. We used to get them for $10-20k. Now they're $40k+, which is price of new.

Not a lot of mechanics are good with these anymore. Sometimes our Board members, some approaching 80 years old, have worked on them at home because they are more familiar.

While I'm very familiar with manual transmissions, I can't drive the 4 speed Mustangs we've had. I'm 6'4" and 230#. I can't get my foot on the clutch, as my knee doesn't fit between the steering wheel and the door..... :oops:

This year we're doing a 2024 Mustang Convertible. Not a GT. 4cyl turbo rated at 310HP or so.

Home - Northeast Classic Car Museum

I was at a local Car Show with it Saturday. I've been at that Show for almost 25 years.

First time we've had it out this Raffle Season, which runs through October.

I expected a lot of negative feedback with a 2024 versus a 1960's Mustang.....

Didn't happen. Bet I spoke with 50 folks about classic vs. new. i purposely surveyed customers at my table buying tickets.

Many had show cars in the infield, so they were "car people," and many older car people. Saturdays are Muscle Cars in the weekend.

Many said a new one would drive better and have a warranty. Others indifferent. Might be an indication that our population is getting older?!?!?!

These cars are almost 60 years old now. We like to remember our 1960's cars drove well....but they really didn't compared to a modern vehicle.

One person said it should be a Classic. I couldn't disagree, but it was one person, not even two....

I was surprised.

We've batted around a new car for a couple years. A local car dealer surfaced as a good partner.

I was part of the decision-making to go to a new car last December.

I think it was the right decision......we'll know in October if sales tank for the year.

What do you think?

Classic or new?
 
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DustyRusty

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It doesn't matter, classic or new, as long as the museum gets the $$$ that they need to keep the lights on and the doors open. I love going to the old car museums, however, as old age creeps up on me, my legs have given out and I can no longer walk the isles of cars to enjoy them. Last year our car club held our annual International meet at the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown PA. I saw some of the cars, but not all because there was more walking than my old legs could handle. This is a problem for many as we age.
 
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Fordtech86

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We like to remember our 1960's cars drove well
Some of us weren’t even legally able to drive until the 2000’s 😜

but new vs old, the new is hands down better in every way. It won’t be here 60years though.

edit to add 🤣

I’ve been paid to drive these…

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and I’ve been paid to drive these…
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(random net pics)

the only thing in common is it’s getting harder to find people to work on either of em
 
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skeets

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Im feel so sorry for you guys that didnt/couldnt drive a 50s or 60s machine,,, The cars from the 70s on up have no soul
 
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RCW

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Ou “Back to the’80’s” exhibit opens today and I stopped in this morning to see if they needed any help.

We have a room we keep a themed exhibit each year. Amounts to about 20-25 of the 175-200 we have on exhibit.

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We own the Delorean. Was donated to us 25+ years ago.

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Our turntable in the front of the museum. I drove an 86 Chevy wagon for a company car for a while.

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RCW

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Got a couple for @skeets. This is our Post-War exhibit.

Daytona and Superbird.

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Nothing says plush like a 60 Imperial…..the 56 Cadillac behind it is ours. We had in our Class of 56 exhibit in 2006 for 50th anniversary of folks graduating in 1956.

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RCW

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Got a couple for @Fordtech86 too.

New 80’s exhibit. 87 McLaren

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Yeah, they’re real, and different from the Shelby’s we had a couple years ago in the Pony exhibit.

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RCW

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Love those mustangs!
Nice! I literally was thinking of you when I took those pics. (y)

I didn’t get a picture of it, but we have a VERY VERY Nice 64 1/2 Mustang convertible in the front window.

Buddy that knows them said it’s an early production 64 1/2, as it has a Fairlane dash.

Was donated to us along with a 68 Toranado. Couple of my colleagues wanted to raffle it off, but it was too nice and too new for us to part with.

We own quite a few vehicles, but many are pre-1940. The generation of folks that appreciate those pre-war cars is getting smaller every day.
 
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RCW

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I had a 1983 or 84 Mercedes 300D and the original selling price was about $10,000 plus or minus.
Traditionally we had American cars only. We have a room dedicated to Cars Made in New York.

We have another room dedicated to Franklin automobiles, made in Syracuse, New York. Largest collection of Franklins known, and they’re all air-cooled.

Our last themed exhibit was “Motion from Across the Ocean.”

As you can see by my pics, we’ve relaxed that some as there’s a couple Beemers and a Jag in the 80’s exhibit. I think there’s an Acura in there somewhere too.
 
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RCW

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Corvair engines (air-cooled) were manufactured in Tonawanda New York.
Doubt I could find it, but we had a Corvair with a clear rear hood so you could see the engine.

We had the rear of the car situated so our customers could see it well.

Apparently was a dealership showroom feature if I recall correctly.

We had a complete engine (and transmission?) on a stand right next to the rear of the Corvair so visitors could see the drivetrain.
 

Lil Foot

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Just saw a tv ad stating that the
Now has a Tucker and a Deusenberg recently added to the collection.
 
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RCW

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Not exhaustive, but Pierce Arrow, Franklin, Cunningham, Brockway, Owego, Playboy and many others were made in NYS.

I wish I walked through Made in NY this morning to remind me….😳

As I’ll be retiring in the next 6 weeks or so, I hope to have more time to play there than I’ve had over the last 24 years….

Couple weeks ago was installed as VP of the Board for the third time.

God willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll do my third stint as Board President in two years.

Most of my time has been limited to the business of the organization. I’ll be able to have a more active volunteer/worker function like some of my colleagues.