Old Cars Weekly April 1, 2022

Collectors of anything of value are simply caretakers during a sliver of time. Whether it be a painting, a piece of furniture, a house or a car, these artifacts are likely to outlive the people who use and enjoy them (barring tragedy). That’s why it’s difficult to understand why anyone would intentionally destroy an old item valued by so many people. Our roles as caretakers has heavily weighed on my mind since seeing a recent Facebook post that shared the intentional destruction of a 1969 Dodge Super Bee project car for all the world to see. According to the poster, her father had owned the Super Bee for more than 45 years, and she could remember her “father saying that he would beat every last part on that car before he…

Pontiac power for hybrid A letter in the March 1 issue regarding a 1948 Pontiac that appeared in the Feb. 15 “Weathered Wheels” stated that the car was Canadian, and likely powered from the factory by a Chevrolet six-cylinder. I don’t believe that is the case, as all the information that I have found on Canadian Pontiacs states they used Pontiac engines until 1955, when they switched to Chevy powerplants. I base this on a 1948 Canadian Pontiac factory sales brochure. Ronald Heller, Sherwood, N.D. Another vote for Pontiac power Regarding the Canadian 1948 Pontiac (that was basically a Chevrolet dressed as a Pontiac), a reader stated that it probably has a Chevy “Stovebolt Six,” which is incorrect. It has a Pontiac flathead six, as the Chevy “Stovebolt Six” was not used in Canadian…

Charlotte AutoFair kicks off April 7 CONCORD, N.C.__The Hornets Nest Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America will welcome more than 100,000 collector vehicle devotees to Charlotte AutoFair on the grounds of the Charlotte Motor Speedway from April 7-10. The annual spring production of Charlotte AutoFair has been made possible by the Hornets Nest Region since 1978. “This is the first event of the Spring 2022 collector vehicle year,” said Mel Carson, executive director the Hornets Nest Region. “Hornets Nest Region has a great reputation for their fabulous Charlotte AutoFair productions.” The event includes more than 4,500 flea market vendor spaces across four fields and hundreds of vehicles in the car corral (located on the track oval). Event gates open for public admission at 8 a.m. and visitors can immediately begin to…

Steve Isola spotted this bone-stock-1972 AMC Javelin SST in the elements. Isola reports that the car “is a very nice original, with a mint interior, 34,000 miles, and faded, oxidized paint with only a few minor dents here and there, and very little road rash on lower valances... perfect blue vinyl interior, automatic on the ›oor. I assume it’s a six-cylinder since [there is] no V-8 emblem on the fender. Note the original wheel covers, vinyl faux T-top and ’70s-era mud›aps. The owner only recently purchased it and intends to ‘do it up right’ as a gift for his father, who had one new.”…

An eye-catching and thought-provoking article often wins readers. To lead this thrust is the cover picture of four Marmon autos leading a parade to the 1914 Indianapolis Auto Show. Among those is the famous Marmon Wasp racer. Of greater impact is an 11-page article by Brooks T. Brierley. All appeared in The Marmon News (The Marmon Club, c/o George Bradley, 278 West Shore Road, Cuba, NY 14727). Brierley, a noted car historian, centers his focus on Marmon, mentioning its pre-car roots from 1851 to its motive efforts in 1902, but especially its rise to high honors as a car brand by 1915 and beyond. Here was a brand that could stand proudly among competitors Duesenberg and Lincoln with custom-body offerings from the studios of Hume, Brewster and Rubay. Some offerings were…

The dune buggy craze was in full swing by 1969 and Andeck Industries, of Temple City, Calif., jumped into the fray with this kit and body it called “The Brute.” No cost was listed, but buyers could apparently buy dune buggy parts one piece at a time, or let it snap and get the entire kit. The chassis and drivetrain needed to come from a used Volkswagen Beetle, of course, but everything from the fiberglass body to the bumpers to the mirrors and steering wheel were included with the kit. We’re not sure if it helped them sell dune buggy parts, but Andeck claimed to be “the famous engineers who created Auto-wood paneling.” If you know anything about these dune buggies or Andeck Industries, drop us an e-mail at oldcars@aim media.com.…