mod@tech

Over the years, off-road capable SUVs and trucks have become complex machines. From electronic differentials and transfer cases to full-time all-wheel drive systems that are easy to operate but difficult to understand, these new 4x4s are supposed to be better in every way, but are they?

On this episode of the Hemmings Hot Rod BBQ Podcast, Mike Musto sits down with Ryan Douthit and Nick Cappetto of Drivings Sports TV, two guys who make a living reviewing OEM off-roaders, to see if newer is actually better, or if the older analog systems from yesteryear are the way to go.

So, grab a beverage or sit back in your favorite easy chair, because the BBQ is about to begin!

Ever lock eyes on someone and, though you’ve never met, you’re sure that you know them from somewhere? Celebrities have stories like this all the time—particularly when they’re mistaken for another celebrity. But it happens to us plebes in the weeds as well. Unsurprisingly, it happens with cars, too. And sometimes it all works out for the best.

Sadly, little is currently known about this ’69 Camaro SS/RS convertible’s former life or owner(s); the only information that’s come to light is that it was built in the Norwood, Ohio, plant in December of ’68, was delivered in or near Memphis, Tennessee, and was owned by a schoolteacher. “Paperwork was lacking,” its restorer, Shaun Price, of Shaun Price Restorations in Gilbert, Arizona, tells us. This may well have been because Shaun’s client, owner Al Serrato of Temecula, California, bought a car that was essentially in pieces— torn down by a previous owner who either misplaced or chucked its records.

Photo by Jeff Koch

And like that person you feel you know but you can’t remember from where, this Camaro also looked strangely familiar. “We saw the Camaro for sale online in 2011 and ’12; the seller had it up there for months as an unfinished project at an exorbitant price,” Shaun recalls. “It wasn’t abandoned—I think he ran out of money and/or interest, and that was probably the catalyst for sale.” Al and Shaun were interested—a factory red Camaro SS/RS convertible is bound to get the interest of quite a few collectors. But at the $85,000 asking price, it sat. And sat. Every now and again, the price would drop by ten grand. “And one day,” Shaun says, “it disappeared from the site. Either the seller had given up, or it had sold.”

Now, Shaun has a neighbor who occasionally flips cars for fun and profit, so haulers dropping cars off there is never a big deal. “He came over and asked if I’d help the transport driver get the car out—it was just a rolling chassis and had no brakes. We get it out of the transporter and the lightbulb blinks on.” No fair guessing whether it was this very Camaro they’d been watching—it was. “My neighbor bought it in… let’s call it an emotional moment. He’s known for paying too much for things. But Al and I had watched this car for months online, and now it’s here in front of me in my neighbor’s yard. I mean, what are the odds?”

Rally Sport package included unique taillamp lenses with horizontal split and separate reverse lamps.Photo by Jeff Koch

Shaun now had a chance to look first-hand at the car that he was hemming and hawing over previously. “I could see what we had and didn’t have, unlike reading a description in an ad and having to hop on a plane to go look at it. What we saw was a rolling car, fairly complete, but it needed a correct restoration in order to be finished. It had been painted and that’s where it stopped. Everything on it was date-coded correctly. All of the panels had original date-codes stamped when we got them, so everything was in line — nothing we found was a service-replacement item. Anything that had a date on it lined up with the car. The trunk floor was original, but I bet someone put floors in it; I can’t confirm that, though. Whoever did the work on the body and the paint did a nice job.”

It was a Camaro like one Al had been looking for. It was all there, all correct and complete. At Al’s urging, Shaun pulled the trigger. “I told my neighbor, ‘You paid how much? I’ll give you ten percent more right now.’” The deal was done, and they rolled it into Shaun’s workshop across the street. The goal, as it was with all of Al’s cars, was to get it as close to showroom-correct as could be managed.

Super Sport package included a special domed hood with chrome inserts.Photo by Jeff Koch

Combining the SS and RS packages got a respectable amount of equipment and trim goodies. The SS included the special hood with simulated air intakes and an insulation pad, the standard grille would be blacked out with most body colors, as would the rocker panels below the moldings; SS emblems would appear on the grille, fenders, and rear panel. The SS also included 14 x 7-inch wheels and F70-14 Wide-Oval tires, and the all-important chrome air cleaner lid for the standard L48-code 300-hp 350 four-barrel engine.

Meanwhile, the Rally Sport option provided the “hideaway” headlamp treatment with an alternate grille design, and the taillamp lenses had a single horizontal split, rather than the standard twin vertical segmentations. Reverse lamps moved down into the rear valence panel on the RS.

Chevy’s base engine for the Camaro SS was a 10.25:1 compression, four-barrel, 300 gross horsepower, 350-cubic-inch small-block. Plenty were built with “nice car” options like automatic transmission and air conditioning.Photo by Jeff Koch

When the SS and RS packages were combined, the SS emblems bumped out the RS pieces on the grille and tail panel, and the “Rally Sport” badging that would be found on the fenders of a regular Camaro RS (or a Z/28 RS) was also left off in favor of the standard “Camaro” scripts with “SS” emblems beneath, just as they would appear on a non-RS Camaro Super Sport.

This example of the SS/RS was a highly optioned Garnet Red convertible with red interior. Shaun reports, “It has the matching-numbers engine, transmission, and rear. Well, it has the driveline it was born with, anyway. It’s got a 12-bolt 3.55:1 with Posi, because with air and automatic you couldn’t get anything as high as 3.73:1.” Also included were a plethora of options: air conditioning, tilt steering column, a power convertible top, power windows, space-saver spare, Endura front bumper, console, gauges, fiber-optic lamp monitoring, Deluxe interior, whitewall tires (which were a factory upgrade), and… an AM radio.

Photo by Jeff Koch

“When you ordered the AM radio, you had the option to order a rear-mounted antenna,” Shaun explains. “The AM/FM radios had a fixed manual antenna on the front fender. That antenna on the rear fender would make the D80 spoiler package unavailable. I mean, it could have had the stereo 8-track, cruise control, and some other foo-foo stuff, but overall it was well-optioned, despite being a base 350-powered car.”

All of this was above and beyond the RS goodies (fender striping, hideaway headlamps with washers, the Style Trim group to add a variety of brightwork and black sills, et al) and what was mandated with the SS package (300-hp 350, floor-shift, Turbo HydraMatic in lieu of Powerglide, power front disc brakes and lots more).

Factory red Comfortweave interior was remade with possibly the last NOS bolt of original fabric from the burned-down factory; there are options galore in here like gauges, tilt wheel, air conditioning, and more.Photo by Jeff Koch

What was missing? “Let’s put it this way: we had parts, it wasn’t missing much, and all of the important stuff was there, but the condition of the parts needed to be updated from what we acquired with the car. The quantity of NOS stuff we had to come up with to finish it was staggering.” Shaun says.

For example? “The dashpad. It needed one, and the air-conditioned cars have a specific dash pad. Lo and behold, I heard about a guy just three miles north of me who bought an NOS dashpad in the late 1970s — and it was still in the original GM box. And it was for an A/C car! Things like that happen occasionally, but it’s not that common. NOS parts are getting ever-more-difficult to find.”

Photo by Jeff Koch

And the lug nuts! “They’re correct assembly-line lug nuts that were used on those 14-inch SS wheels in 1969 and ’70 only. Those things are unobtainable. We paid $50 for each lug nut — that’s $1,000. For lug nuts! The guy who sold them to us had a few left afterward, and he ended up selling them for $100 apiece,” Shaun notes.

There’s more — even in places you wouldn’t think would matter. “The alignment shims are actually GM assembly-line items. Between the shims and the lug nuts, man, that’ll send you over the edge. We found what was likely the last NOS red Comfortweave material anywhere, in Detroit. The original plant that made it burned down years ago, and reproduction stuff doesn’t have the same pattern. The seatbelt webbing was tough to find NOS, too.”

Photo by Jeff Koch

Shaun continues, “Ultimately, every component had to be disassembled and redone, or else replaced. Stuff that the previous owner had done was junk — most of it either didn’t work right or simply hadn’t been addressed. This car was one of those where you had to sit there and go through everything piece by piece for it to work correctly in the end.”

Even the decent paint was given the once-over. “I had to disassemble the car, then painted both underneath and the firewall; the previous painter painted the firewall and chassis the same glossy red as the body, and I had to re-do it the way the factory did it [in black]. I also fixed some body chips and deficiencies along the way. Also, doing the blackout on the rockers, I made sure that it faded with a fuzzy line, like the factory did on the assembly line. I replicated that off an original car too, another Norwood car. We also repainted the hood and decklid thanks to poorly stored parts, where something nicked or chipped the paint.

Photo by Jeff Koch

“On the original convertible top rear window, there should be a manufacturer’s logo and a date code that the reproductions don’t have. I found an original-top car, photographed that logo, and had that and the build date reproduced on the rear window,” Shaun says. There are even factory-style markings on the treads of the tires, which you’d think would be the first thing to wear off. Except…

“Al keeps this car in the lobby of his office,” Shaun says of the Camaro that has taken pride of place in its owner’s eyeline. It’s been there since 2014. The good news: this as-new SS/RS ’69 Camaro convertible is being enjoyed, even if it’s not wearing those tire markings off.

Photo by Jeff Koch

SPECIFICATIONS

PRICE

Base price: $2,852

Options on car profiled: Super Sport package, $507; Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, $585; Rally Sport package, $131.65; air conditioning, $376; tilt wheel, $45; power steering, $95; power brakes, $42; whitewall tires, $32; console, $54; AM radio, $61; power windows, $105; front disc brakes, $22; tinted glass, $31; gauges, $90.

ENGINE

Type: Chevrolet “small-block” OHV V-8, cast-iron block and cylinder heads

Displacement: 350 cu.in.

Bore x stroke: 4.00 x 3.48 in

Compression ratio: 10.25:1

Horsepower @ rpm: 300 @ 4,800

Torque @ rpm: 380 lb-ft @ 3,200

Valvetrain: Hydraulic lifters

Main bearings: Five

Fuel system: Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel, mechanical pump

Lubrication system: Pressure, gear-type pump

Electrical system: 12-volt

Exhaust system: Dual exhaust with transverse cross-flow muffler

TRANSMISSION

Type: GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 three-speed automatic

Ratios: 1st/2.48 … 2nd/1.48 … 3rd/1.00 … Reverse/2.08

DIFFERENTIAL

Type: Chevrolet 12-bolt housing, Positraction

Ratio: 3.55:1

STEERING

Type: Recirculating ball-nut, semi-reversible with hydraulic power assist

Turns, lock-to-lock: 2.8

Turning circle: 37.5 ft

BRAKES

Type: Hydraulic disc/drum with vacuum power assist

Front: 11-in disc / Rear: 9.5 x 2.0-in drum

SUSPENSION

Front: Independent, unequal length A-arms; coil springs; telescoping shock absorbers; anti-sway bar

Rear: Parallel leaf springs, telescoping shock absorbers

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels: Styled stamped steel, drop center Front/Rear: 14 x 7 in

Tires: Bias-ply, white-stripe Front/Rear: F70-14

PRODUCTION

Chevrolet produced 16,519 Camaro convertibles for the extended 1969 model year. Chevrolet also produced 37,773 RS and 36,309 SS Camaros for the year, but no records of how many SS/RS cars exist, regardless of body style.

PERFORMANCE

0-60 mph: 6.4 sec

1/4-mile ET: 15 sec @ 93 mph

Photo by Jeff Koch

Hemmings Motor News has long served as the publication for those in the know about the collector car hobby. You see a copy of the latest issue in the barber’s shop, and you know that this guy gets it. And while it doesn’t require a secret handshake to become part of that cadre of in-the-know hobbyists, we are giving you a sneak peek at our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Let’s start with Black Friday, when you can take $10 off any Make Offer or Traditional Classified ad on Hemmings.com. If you’ve been meaning to sell a car, truck, or motorcycle—maybe to make room in the garage for something else in the new year—snap some pictures, write up a description, and take $10 off your ad by entering the code BLKFRI$10 at checkout. Selling on Hemmings.com works, too, with more than 3,000 vehicles going to new homes over the last year.

Next up, on Cyber Monday you can take 10 percent off any merchandise in the Hemmings store. Yearning to look like the guys in our Sibley shop videos with a Hemmings work shirt? Maybe you just need a ball cap, stocking stuffer, or one of our hot-selling 2023 calendars? Browse the shop, tell the Santa in your household what you’d like, and use the code HEMMINGS22 at checkout. We’re also throwing in free shipping on orders of more than $100.

These deals are only available for a limited time. The Black Friday $10 off deal is only available on Friday, November 25, and the Cyber Monday 10 percent off deal is only available on Monday, November 28, so make your list, check it twice, and get ready for savings.

Hemmings 2023 calendars

Hemmings flashlight, pressure gauge, and pen set

Hemmings Musclepalooza t-shirt

Ford’s Bronco II isn’t a darling of internet listicles just yet—it’s not one of the “10 4x4s You Should Buy Right Now!”—but its popularity and its value seems to be growing. Prices for Bronco IIs haven’t skyrocketed, however there has been steady, significant appreciation over the last decade. Five years ago, for instance, the average value of a Bronco II was estimated at approximately $7,000, while today that estimate is nearly $14,000. The earliest examples of these compact SUVs are now well over 35 years old, but due to the sheer numbers produced, nice examples can still be found at affordable prices.

At Mecum’s Chicago auction in October, a good-looking ’86 Bronco II Eddie Bauer edition changed hands for $9,800—a solid deal for the buyer and slightly below the $13,383 market average estimated by classic.com as of this writing. Aside from some signs of wear on the cloth upholstery covering the driver’s seat, and some typical aging, the truck’s interior was very presentable and livable. Outside, it wore tan accent stripes over Dark Walnut paint and rolled on the cast aluminum wheels that were included in the Eddie Bauer package.

Standard across the board that year in the Bronco II was the North American-version of the 2.9-liter “Cologne” V-6. These engines (and the earlier 2.8) had a reputation for cracked cylinder heads, but an update rectifying that came in 1989. This can affect the value of earlier Bronco IIs, but there are aftermarket replacement heads available— valvetrain noise is common in these engines as well.

At Mecum’s Harrisburg sale in July, a 1990 Bronco II that looked to be in very good condition inside and out, fetched $15,000— just above the average estimated going rate. Perhaps the higher price paid was due to the later model year and the more desirable updated engine.

Several examples have crossed Hemmings’ auction block recently: a clean-looking 1990 in October 2021 that bid up to $11,800 and didn’t sell; a modified 1988 that is currently listed on HMN.com with the owner accepting offers against on asking price of $23,500; and another modified Bronco II with a four-inch suspension lift and big tires is listed with an asking price of $21,450.

Ford pulled the wraps off its Bronco II in March of 1983 for the 1984 model year. The scaled-down, two-door SUV was greeted with positive reviews and strong sales. By the end of the decade, however, reports of rollover accidents led to dozens of lawsuits. By 1992—two years after the Bronco II was discontinued—Ford was facing nearly $750 million in claims filed by accident victims or their surviving families.

The Bronco II rode on a 94- inch wheelbase and shared its chassis with the Ranger pickup — though the shortest Ranger wheelbase measured 108 inches. For perspective, the Bronco II measured just 1/2-inch longer than the Jeep CJ-7 and it was six inches shorter than the S-10 Blazer.

The four-wheel-drive Bronco II and the new-for-’86 two-wheel-drive version rode on independent front ends with coil springs. The two-wheel-drive used a version of Ford’s Twin I-Beam front end while the 4x4s had Ford’s Twin Traction-Beam. Out back, under all Bronco IIs, was Ford’s 7.5-inch rear axle with leaf springs. Braking was handled by 10.9-inch discs with single-piston calipers in the front and 9-inch drums in the rear.

For 1986, the Bronco II was offered with the new, fuel-injected 2.9-liter 60-degree V-6 that replaced the carbureted 2.8 powering the ’84-’85 trucks. A Mitsubishi four-cylinder diesel was also offered in the Bronco II early on, but proved unpopular.

A five-speed manual transmission was the base offering (a four-speed in 1984) or buyers could opt for an automatic. The three-speed C5 was the first automatic used, but it was replaced by a four-speed box by 1986. New for ’86 was an optional shift-on-the-fly transfer case called Touch Drive that was paired with automatic locking hubs. A manual shift case with lock-in hubs was still standard issue.

The Bronco II received only minor changes for 1987 and ’88, but the front end got a makeover for 1989. In February 1990, Ford pulled the plug on Bronco II production altogether and it was replaced by the Explorer.

Date: 1994

Location: Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, Oregon

Source: Marvin Rand, via Historic American Building Survey / Library of Congress

What do you see here?

Welcome to IROC REHAB, the new series from Hemmings where we take an ailing 1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z into our Sibley Garage in Bennington, Vermont, and, with the help of some very special partners, give it a new lease on life.

Thirty-five years ago, the Camaro IROC-Z was one of the most sought-after muscle cars on the road. They combined high style, power, and performance in a package that was difficult to match. However, as time and technology marched on, they became overshadowed by the latest and greatest. Now, in 2022, with new parts and technology available, Hemmings has decided to rehab one of the most iconic muscle cars in history to make it perform better in the twenty-first century.

Like a lot of things, auto restoration has antecedents in the pre-World War II era, but is most strongly associated with the postwar period. Brass car enthusiasts were already preserving and fixing those machines by the late ‘30s, but the first thing that most would recognize as the hobby/industry of today really springs out of the post-war DIY movement centered on the 1928-1931 Ford Model A.

Why the Model A? Well, a bunch of reasons…

Background on the A as a new car

Like the early Mustang, the Model A was a sensation when it first came out in late 1927, and Ford was hard pressed to keep up with the demand. From an engineering standpoint, it was strictly evolutionary, not revolutionary: The chassis, based on transverse leaf springs and solid axles front and rear, was very much like that of the 1909-’27 Ford Model T but with the addition of shock absorbers and front brakes.

Stylistically, the new Ford was patterned after the Lincoln Model L, though today both cars are often confused with the Model T because the subtleties of styling evolution in the late-‘20s/early-‘30s have been lost to the non-enthusiast public over the decades. Regardless, what was perceived as a handsome car in 1929 has endured as a period icon to later generations. It’s also more welcoming to most drivers compared with a Model T, both for the improved chassis and the seemingly more familiar three-speed, floor-shift gearbox—virtually the industry standard by then, though Ford had clung to a 1900s-tech two-speed planetary transmission through the end of Model T production.

To rectify the various perceived shortcomings of the Model T, a huge aftermarket industry had grown up around Ford in the 1910s and ‘20s. It turned its attention to the Model A immediately, though those attentions were severely interrupted by the October 1929 stock market crash (right about the time 1930 Fords arrived in the showroom) and the ensuing Great Depression. The resulting products were memorable, as they were intended to improve upon an already excellent, 40 hp car rather than bring a 20 hp 1909 car up to the present standard, and have been intermittently produced up to the present day.

Influence of the A as a used car

Basic, stock Fords proved their durability in the Great Depression, and well-used examples are frequently seen in period photographic efforts by the Farm Security Administration, a New Deal Agency that employed many talented photographers to document the plight of rural immigrant families fleeing the Dust Bowl. While the Joad family may have driven a Hudson Super Six in The Grapes of Wrath, far more itinerant working families traveled the U.S.A. in Model A’s held together by optimism and ingenuity.

A generation of kids who grew up watching those cars held together by resilient adults brought the learned mechanical skills into the heavily mechanized Second World War, where engine repair was as critical as gunsmithing for ground, naval, and air forces. Not a few of those veterans returned to the inflationary postwar world and elected to rebuild a Model A rather than get on a waiting list for a new car. Those hot rodded A’s played on a family similarity with Ford parts right up through 1948, plus a pre-war interest in making them go faster, that offered relatively straightforward conversions of Model A’s to incorporate things like hydraulic brakes, 16-inch wheels and tires, synchronized transmissions, and even conversions to the Ford and Mercury flathead V-8 engine.

While hot rodding, as it became known, predated World War II, simply keeping the well-engineered Model A on the road as stock transportation, perhaps slightly improved for road readiness (what became later on known as “touring” as A’s ceased to be used as daily transportation), spawned the restoration hobby in the 1950s. Hemmings itself began as Hemmings Motor News out of the back room of Ernest Hemmings’s parts store in Quincy, Illinois, where he perceived that a demand for Model A parts (plus any other old car parts folks felt like trading) would justify a classified-ad circular.

The Model A as the underpinning of auto restoration as a hobby/industry

Hemmings was correct and the Model A remains a huge part of the hobby to this day. Prices for complete cars fluctuate, and attrition has whittled down the original population of 4 million considerably, yet availability remains high and there are plenty of opportunities to drive and socialize with other Model A owners.

Further, Model A ownership provides entry into other, multi-car opportunities. The exceptionally nice or interesting examples of the ’28-’31 Ford that get invited to the Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, each summer for Old Car Festival, for example, get to (figuratively) rub fenders with everything from horseless carriages to Duesenbergs. Hopped-up A’s have also been a staple of events like The Race of Gentlemen, which celebrate the DIY car-modification attitude of the immediate pre- and post-WWII years.

The historical and continued popularity of the Ford Model A translates to an extremely robust and complete aftermarket supporting these cars on the eve of their centennial. Even in as-delivered form, the Ford Model A remains an eminently driveable car. Married with some improvements developed when it was nearly new, it can traverse virtually any 21st century road with ease.

During the Fifties, Chrysler’s marketing department observed that more women were taking an interest in automobiles. Aside from the type of car, their opinions on which color car to buy were becoming part of the decision-making process. As a result, Chrysler built two show cars in 1954, named Le Comte and La Comtesse.

Each concept was developed from the division’s Newport hardtop body and given a clear plastic roof over the passenger compartment. While the Le Comte was designed using masculine colors, the La Comtesse was painted Dusty Rose and Pigeon Grey to convey femininity. Favorable responses from the automotive press encouraged Chrysler to continue development of the La Comtesse concept in an attempt to make a connection with female customers.

What was the Dodge La Femme?

From the Chrysler La Comtesse concept came the Dodge La Femme. It was unveiled in 1955 as a “spring special” version of the division’s Custom Royal Lancer two-door hardtop. Its exterior was painted an attractive two-tone scheme of Sapphire White and Heather Rose, complemented by special gold-colored “La Femme” scripts that replaced the standard “Custom Royal Lancer” scripts on the front fenders.

How many Dodge La Femmes were built?

Because the La Femme was an option package available for only two years, its total numbers were never broken out from Dodge’s production figures. Research suggests fewer than 2,500 were made over the two-year period. At least 40 known examples of the 1955 version remain, and only 20 from ’56. “I have restarted the old La Femme Registry online and can only account for approximately 30 remaining for both years,” Scott Miller attests. “There could be more that have never publicly surfaced. We even have one of each in Sweden, Great Britain, and South Africa. It’s one of the rarest cars around. We are fortunate to own this 1956 and a 1955 La Femme that we purchased in original condition in 2017.”

How was the Dodge La Femme equipped?

Interiors also received special La Femme upgrades and features. First, the upholstery featured a special tapestry material with pink rosebuds on a pale silver-pink background and pale pink vinyl trim. Included was a keystone-shaped, pink calfskin handbag— color coordinated with the special upholstery—that could be stowed in a special compartment on the back of the passenger seat.

Each handbag was outfitted with a coordinated set of accessories, including a lipstick case, cigarette case, cigarette lighter, face-powder compact, comb, and change purse, all made of either faux-tortoiseshell plastic with gold-tone metal, or pink calfskin and gold-tone metal. The ensemble was designed and made by Evans, a maker of women’s fine garments and accessories in Chicago. Additionally, on the back of the driver’s seat was a compartment that contained a raincoat, rain bonnet, and umbrella, all made from vinyl and patterned to match the rosebud interior fabric. Marketing brochures stated that the car was made “By Special Appointment to Her Majesty… the American Woman.”

La Femme returned for 1956, accompanied with letters to dealers from Dodge’s marketing department calling the special model a “stunning success.” For its second season on the market, Dodge replaced the Heather Rose and Sapphire White paint scheme with a Misty Orchid and Regal Orchid. Changes to the interior featured La Femme-only seat patterns, headliner, interior paint, and carpet.

Seat coverings were made of a heavy white cloth with random, organic-style patterns of short lavender and purple loops, in a manner similar to loop-pile carpeting. The headliner cloth was heavy white fabric, with random splashes of gold paint, while the carpeting was loop pile with shades of lavender and purple. Also changed were the boxes behind the seats, done to accommodate a new raincoat, rain bonnet, and umbrella that were provided. Both boxes were identical in design because the special purse was discontinued.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy a La Femme, repeated

“I have known about these cars since 1988 when I purchased a car magazine featuring the La Femmes,” Scott Miller of Mitchell, Nebraska, recalls. “A friend of mine purchased this 1956 version and planned to restore it for his wife. I told him if he ever wanted to sell it, I would be interested as it would be a great present for Hope, my wife.”

Twenty-five years passed before Scott’s friend finally contacted him about the La Femme, having decided to sell. They even negotiated a price, but after a couple of weeks, the owner changed his mind; his wife loved the car and didn’t want to part with it. Fate would eventually intervene, though.

“Two years later his wife’s health was failing, so he contacted me again and agreed to sell the La Femme at our previously agreed price. I got the phone call when I was having lunch with a group of friends; we all pooled our money so I could pay for the car before he changed his mind again.” This was in January of 2015, and Scott immediately drove the seven miles to the seller’s home, but he soon found another challenge standing between him and the Dodge. “The road to his house was covered in snow-drifts, so I had to walk the last half mile to finalize the purchase.”

Evaluating the La Femme

The La Femme Scott purchased was built on January 12, 1956, at Dodge’s main factory in Hamtramck, Michigan, and was then sold through Lambert Bezner Motor Company in Muenster, Texas. Aside from the standard La Femme equipment, the car was delivered with a 315-cu.in. V-8, PowerFlite two-speed automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power seats, AM pushbutton radio with dual antennas, windshield washers, tinted glass, day/night rear view mirror, dual outside mirrors, dual exhausts, bumper guards, and 3.54:1 final drive ratio.

Though the car was mostly intact, save for the missing umbrella, it was still in need of a complete restoration. Scott relays, “The car had a rough life: One of the previous owners told me stories of him and a friend tearing up the country roads. We weren’t going to take anything to chance during the project.”

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

The Restoration Process

Restoring the La Femme

Together, Scott and Hope started the restoration with a complete disassembly and stripped the car to bare metal, after which the Dodge was taken to LeRoy Sanders of Sanders Auto Body in LaGrange, Wyoming, for all the body and paint work. After all the sheetmetal repair was completed, the body was sealed and epoxy primer applied. The body was then carefully repainted in the factory-matched two-tone original colors using a two-stage urethane paint system. Wet sanding and polishing followed.

As mentioned, this La Femme was powered by Dodge’s poly-head version of its 315-cu.in. V-8. Fitted with a Carter four-barrel carburetor and boasting 8.0:1 compression, the engine was capable of 230 hp and 316 lb-ft of torque. It was soon discovered to be a numbers-matching powerplant, and was rebuilt to factory specifications by Jeff’s Machine Company in Alliance, Nebraska. The same facility also rebuilt the PowerFlite transmission.

The engine, push-button transmission, and refinished body were then reunited with the chassis, allowing Scott and Hope to continue the reassembly process by mounting the bumpers and trim, along with new wiring harnesses front to back.

“I found an NOS windshield and all-new rubber seals and grommets,” Scott recalls. “I used all-new glass except for the rear window, which was not available as a reproduction.”

Finally, it was time to work on the interior, which Scott assumed would be very challenging due to the unique one-year colors and fabrics. “Surprisingly, I was able to get all the correct seat material and interior door panels from SMS Auto Fabrics out of Canby, Oregon. They even made me a new set of accessory boxes that mounted to the seatbacks,” Scott says.

Meanwhile, Scott worked on the frame, which was stripped and repainted. Its suspension components —including shocks, bushings, brakes, wheel cylinders, brake lines, master cylinder, and power brake booster—were also rebuilt or replaced by Scott. To finish out the chassis, he chose to purchase a set of 15 x 6-inch OEM-style wire wheels —a factory option that year—from Wheel Vintiques. They were then wrapped with G70 x 15 American Classic whitewall tires from Coker Tire.

The new upholstery was sewn and installed by Bob’s Upholstery in Fort Morgan, Colorado. Gene Carwin, the owner, had enough material left over to make a matching tire cover for the trunk. A new headliner was also installed, though the task was managed by Woody’s Upholstery in Mitchell, South Dakota. The final touches made to the interior include the installation of a restored steering wheel, done by Quality Restorations of San Diego, California, and restored gauges and dash refurbished by the Millers themselves.

The seven-year restoration was completed in May 2021 and the Dodge La Femme spent the winter on display at a car museum in Kearney, Nebraska. “This was no easy car to restore as locating parts was extremely difficult,” Scott admits. “I even recall finding some NOS emblems in Australia. Bottom line: if I found something, I just bought it and hoped for the best.”

Owner’s View

When I first heard about this car, I thought it would be great to restore one for my wife. The seller is still a great friend of mine, and we took the finished car to his home last summer for him to see. We let him take it for a drive and he even offered to buy it back, though we declined. It may have been a difficult restoration but it’s a car you will never see at another show. The fact that 9 out of 10 enthusiasts have never heard of one means that we will always get to tell the story. —Scott and Hope Miller

Thank you for making time in your busy schedule to look at the latest results of the always-exciting Hemmings Auctions. The following is a sample of the broad range of vehicles that have recently crossed our virtual auction block. We saw 57 cars, trucks, and more launch between Sunday, November 13, and Saturday, November 19. Thirty-five of them sold, which comes out to a sell-through rate of 61 percent; this figure included 10 post-auction Make Offer listing sales. Check out the latest consignments by subscribing to the daily Hemmings Auctions newsletter.

1960 Porsche 356 B

Reserve: $70,000

Selling Price: $126,000

Recent Market Range: $68,200-$95,500

It was a fight to the finish for this attractive first-year 356 B, which inspired a bidding war with a flurry of bidder questions and no fewer than 23 time extensions. What prompted this exchange that resulted in it hammering $56,000 over reserve? The sub-33,000-mile Porsche was claimed to be largely original, save for a repaint, and it was unmodified except for the fitment of an electric fuel pump. The paint quality was described as “good, but not show quality,” and the vinyl upholstery looked great. Two rust spots on the floorpan were divulged and the tires were of unknown age, but the undercarriage looked otherwise tidy and the 356 was said to drive very well after recent servicing.

1968 AMC Rambler American Rogue

Reserve: $15,000

Selling Price: $15,750

Recent Market Range: $12,100-$19,600

Before the nameplate was co-opted by a milquetoast crossover, “Rogue” was AMC’s sporty V-8-powered Rambler. That badge graced this American two-door hardtop, which was said to have recently been restored after spending years off the road. New basecoat/clearcoat paint and a fresh vinyl roof skin were applied over solid sheetmetal, and seals were renewed at the same time. The two-tone interior looked attractive in photos and all its accessories functioned without issue. Underhood, the 290-cu.in. V-8 was believed to have been factory-installed, and it had traveled around 1,500 miles since being rebuilt. The adjacent three-speed automatic had a small leak. It sold well as a Make Offer listing.

1954 Chevrolet 3100

Reserve: $25,000

Selling Price: $27,825

Recent Market Range: $23,400-$34,500

Few vehicles are more iconic to Americans than a red Fifties pickup, which explains why this Chevrolet inspired six bids culminating in a healthy Make Offer listing sale in the heart of its value range. Earning that admiration was its fine “driver-quality” condition, the result of a frame-up restoration where sheetmetal rust was repaired. A few paint chips and small dent were mentioned, but the bright trim and glass were both good. The black vinyl interior looked inviting, although the temperature gauge was noted to work intermittently. The 12-volt-converted 235-cu.in. inline-six and three-speed manual drove well, and the undercarriage looked spotless. Five videos helped seal the deal.

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Reserve: $62,500

Selling Price: $65,100

Recent Market Range: $56,100-$68,600

One glance at the original window sticker for this 2013 Shelby GT500 illuminated how collectible the potent pony car is, considering it cost a mere $58,490 brand new. The ceramic-coated, white-striped Deep Impact Blue Mustang—one of 530 so painted—wasn’t far from new, considering it had been driven just 4,315 miles. It looked sharp, was said to be damage-free, and enjoyed custom grille and bumper touches. The interior sported an aftermarket infotainment system and special knob for the six-speed manual shifter that matched the racing stripe motif. That gearbox mated to a 662-hp V-8 with a Roush muffler system, and the tires were factory-installed. This Ford traded hands as a Make Offer listing.

1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

Reserve: $85,000

Selling Price: $94,500

Recent Market Range: $82,100-$112,500

Every early SL is collectible, but more than 60 years on, few retain their factory-applied finishes. This 1961 190 SL reportedly had two careful owners. Its warm patina and known history made it a hot ticket, with nearly 10,000 views and 29 bids. Its black paint and chrome looked great, and while the original Becker radio no longer worked, the red leather interior was intact and inviting. The 1.9-liter four and four-speed manual promised good operation and stronger performance from twin Weber carburetors. No rust was visible on the undercarriage or trunk floor, the factory hard top was included, and the 66,910 miles indicated were claimed correct. This car easily exceeded its reserve.

1929 Ford Model A

Reserve: $46,500

Selling Price: $48,825

Recent Market Range: N/A

The Delivery Car body style of Ford’s Model A was rare by any measure, and this 1929 survivor—with its trademark side-hinged rear door—was reimagined into a street rod in 2018. The black paint and brightwork gleamed in photos, and it rolled on smaller-diameter wire wheels with recently replaced tires. The custom interior featured two-tone leather low-back seats, a unique center console, tilt/telescoping steering column, and upgraded instrumentation. A 12-volt-powered, fuel-injected Ford Racing crate 302 V-8 and Art Carr four-speed automatic provided motivation, and the upgraded frame mounted a coil-over rear suspension and front disc/rear drum brakes. It took 25 bids to get a new owner.

Hey, look, it’s nearly December, which means it’s time for my now-annual entreaty for somebody out there in reader land to leave a Scrambler for me to find underneath the Christmas tree. This 1984 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler listed for sale on Hemmings.com will do nicely. It has some patina, some worn paint in the bed, and a dent here and there, which is perfectly fine by me. Those imperfections suggest that it’s never seen enough rust or abuse to warrant a full restoration or repaint and that it’s been a Southwestern truck for most or all of its existence. Plus, I like to actually use my vehicles, and I don’t want to be the guy who puts a chip in the fresh repaint. Plus plus, it has sundown stripes, which make everything better. Drivetrain-wise, it’s not stock, with a 401 swap, and I won’t argue with the choice to keep the engine in the family. While I could lament the fact that it once had a manual transmission, I could always put a four-speed behind the 401 some day down the road. Ya hear me, Santa? From the seller’s description:

Runs great, removeable hardtop, it was a manual converted to an automatic. It has a 401 AMC V8 with a Turbo 400 transmission. Transfer case is GM and engine was rebuilt approximately 16k miles ago. 40W oil only, due to Iskenderian Cams. Original body paint that has a few dents and chips. Scrambler has had more than one owner.

See more Jeeps for sale on Hemmings.com.