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If you’ve ever been to a funeral, there’s a good chance you’ve seen an Armbruster Stageway hearse or ridden in one of its limousines. According to the Fort Smith, Arkansas, company’s website, it has “a rich tradition in the funeral car industry that dates back for over one hundred years.” But not all of its history is associated with sadness and loss. Back in the 1970s, Armbruster Stageway built a version of the Chevrolet Suburban with four pairs of doors that opened up to a 15-passenger cabin.

Sure, the Armbruster Stageway Custom Deluxe Suburban could have served as a funeral vehicle, but the brochure shows that it was primarily intended for company car pools, school sports teams, and airport and hotel shuttle fleets.

Whoever ended up riding in one of these ultra-longroofs had their luggage loaded in the back or lugged up the rear ladder and secured on the massive roof rack. Inside, they enjoyed the comfort of front and rear heat or air conditioning. Corporate buyers had peace of mind knowing they could replace the doors and parts with standard Chevy hardware, and that their purchase was covered by a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty.

Given this rig’s dimensions and the associated increase in weight, the words “heavy-duty” were applied to a lot of its components. The front and rear shocks? Heavy-duty, just like the front springs (and paired with “extra capacity rear springs”). Front stabilizer bar? Ditto. Power brakes? You better believe it.

But what moved this massive people-hauler? A nuclear submarine’s reactor? The gas turbine engine out of an M1 Abrams tank? Think big—just not that big: a four-barrel 454 with 230 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, all routed through a Turbo-Hydramatic. If you scored a ride in one of these Suburbans, you had to hope you were going to enjoy the company of your fellow passengers because it sounds like getting to your destination would take a while. Hey, at least it wouldn’t be your final destination.

In this episode of the Cars That Matter Podcast Driven By Hemmings, designer and artist Fireball Tim Lawrence joins host Robert Ross for a walk-through at the Petersen Automotive Museum to admire and learn about a plethora of iconic Hollywood movie cars.

During the tour, the duo stops at the 1989 Batmobile, Blade Runner police car, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds, the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty, and the Magnum P.I. Ferrari 308. Fireball breaks down how movie cars are conceived from script to screen, why they’re characters (not props), and how practical builds, custom shops, and selective effects make the magic work. If you love film cars, concept art, behind-the-scenes craft, and Hollywood history, this one’s for you.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why attention (not just budget) drives influence—see Magnum P.I.’s Ferrari impact and the enduring pull of screen-used cars.
  • How the ’89 Batmobile went from school sketch to “hero car” and why scale, silhouette, and functional-looking details sell the character on screen.
  • The design workflow: reading the script, defining a car’s character arc, and building with purpose (not just recognizable brand cues).
  • Practical vs. CG: from late-’80s/’90s minimal effects to today—and why transparency and documentation still matter.
  • Legends & builders: production designer Anton Furst, futurist Syd Mead, and customizers Gene Winfield & Dean Jeffries—plus shop work at Cinema Vehicle Services.

The post Cars That Matter Podcast Meets Hollywood Car Whisperer: 1989 Batmobile, Blade Runner, Herbie and More appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

Sure, the cars of the Baby Boomers rule the collectible car world, but there are several generations that grew up in the shadows yet developed a taste for what they wanted when they were young and impressionable. AutoHunter currently has several vehicles for sale that fit that bill.

Below are a quartet of these more modern vehicles that have burgeoning appeal to folks young and old. Can you identify them? Post your answers in the Comments section below, including model year, marque, and model. If you need a hint, just click on an image.

Click on a photo to reveal each car

Every Tuesday, you’ll find an automotive puzzle at The ClassicCars.com Journal. Play previous games once you finish this one.

Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this 1979 Chevrolet K10 Cheyenne Fleetside pickup, which is powered by a 350ci V8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. Finished in Light and Dark Blue over a gray cloth and Navy Blue vinyl interior, this lifted four-wheel-drive “Square Body” is now offered by the Oregon-based selling dealer with a clear title.

The three-box exterior has a Light and Dark Blue two-tone finish. It comes equipped with chrome bumpers, auxiliary front lighting, dual mirrors, sliding glass rear window, bed liner, bed-mounted spare tire carrier, chrome bed rails with auxiliary lights and tie-down points, and a single exhaust outlet.

A set of 15-inch wheels with manual locking front hubs and 31-inch Mastercraft Courser HTR raised-white-letter tires connects this truck to the pavement and any trails it goes over.

The interior of the cab is fitted with a gray cloth and Navy Blue vinyl bench seat equipped with shoulder belts. Interior features include manual windows, tilt steering column, a switch for the dual fuel tanks, and an AM/FM/cassette radio.

Instrumentation consists of a 100-mph speedometer and gauges for the fuel level, voltage, oil pressure, and temperature. The odometer reads 88,873 miles, but this truck is mileage-exempt, according to its title.

Under the hood is a 350ci V8, which is connected to a four-barrel carburetor, three-speed automatic, and dual-range transfer case.

A lift keeps this C/K-series truck a little further away from the hazards of Mother Nature. Power front disc and rear drum brakes make sure it doesn’t get too close to other vehicles.

A four-wheel-drive Chevy Square Body is an American classic. If you want this 1979 Chevrolet K10 Cheyenne in your driveway, place the winning bid on it before the auction ends on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

There are certain tasks involved with auto restoration that tend to intimidate even experienced enthusiasts—things that are often felt to be best left to the professionals. But while some projects do require the expertise of a specialist, upholstery work doesn’t necessarily have to fall into that category. Today, we’re fortunate that brand-new reproductions of the factory seat covers used in many popular classic cars are readily available, enabling restorers to skip the step of having replacement covers custom made, which would certainly require an expert upholsterer. However, installing a new seat cover on a bucket seat doesn’t always require nearly as much specialized skill.

In the case of the 1972 Corvette coupe that we recently overhauled here at Hemmings in preparation for the 2025 running of The Great Race, the seats were in decent condition. The main issue was that the covers had split along the seams in the seat bottom, but the foam cores beneath did not appear to have been damaged, as can sometimes happen when torn seats remain in service for years. We ordered a seat cover kit from Corvette Central, which closely replicated the Dark Saddle Comfortweave upholstery found in our ’72, and after surveying what would be required to get them installed, we decided to attempt the job ourselves.

The work was performed by Hemmings Shop Manager, David “Junior” Nevison, who has tackled similar projects previously, but who is also quick to point out that he is not an upholstery expert. As you’ll see in the accompanying photos and captions, Junior was able to successfully install the new covers and did so within a single workday with little more than basic hand tools and a pair of hog-ring pliers. One issue we did encounter was that our seats used a set of somewhat specialized fastening hooks, which were not reusable and which we had not ordered. Junior was able to improvise, but we’d recommend ordering the seat installation kit, which Corvette Central offers; the kit includes the hooks and even a special tool to make installing them easier.

Check out the overview outlined in the captions to see what is involved in a project like this. After going through the process, we feel confident that anyone familiar with basic tools, who can exercise a bit of patience and finesse, can achieve similar results.

The seats in our ’72 Corvette project were mostly intact, but the covers were split along the seams at the bottom (right) and showed other signs of age and wear. The prospect of installing new covers can seem intimidating, but we were able to do the job ourselves with excellent results (left). The following steps give an overview of the process to illustrate what is entailed.
With the seats on the bench, Hemmings Shop Manager Junior Nevison begins the reupholstery process by separating the seatback from the base. Each piece will be reupholstered, start to finish, and then the two pieces will be rejoined. Here, Junior has removed the hard plastic seatback cover to access the seat’s interior.
The traditional method for fastening fabric upholstery to a metal seat frame involves the use of small wire retainers commonly known as hog rings. For this job, the first set of hog rings to be removed fasten the bottom edges of the seat cover to the stamped steel perimeter of the seat frame; the frame was manufactured with holes to accept the hog rings.
The factory-style seatback covers on Corvettes of this vintage are made with a split that is held together with rigid, interlocking seams. When the seams are unhooked from one another and pulled back, the top of the seat frame is revealed, providing access to the latch mechanism, which will need to be removed, along with its guide plate that extends to the bottom of the seatback.
Corvette seats from this period used diecast metal trim bezels at the top of each seatback that serve as a pass-through guide for the shoulder harness portion of the seatbelts.
With the latch hardware out of the way, Junior was able to unbolt the pass-through trim from inside the seatback and then remove it.
Another set of hog rings fastens the upholstery and the seat foam to the seat springs. It is common for upholsterers to simply cut the old hog rings out with side cutters — they are intended for single use, so new hog rings are used for reassembly. However, in this case, Junior found that some of the hog rings in the seat were made of heavy wire, so unbending them with needle-nose pliers proved to be an easier method for removal.
With all the hog rings removed, the seat frame can be separated from the seat cover and the foam. We’ll be reusing the foam so it will have to be separated from the old seat cover.
Getting the foam and seat cover apart requires removing a series of metal hooks that tie the listing wires in the recesses of the foam cushion to the listing wires in the sleeves sewn into the backside of the seat cover. Once the hooks were released, the foam could be lifted off.
Here, Junior is trimming the ends of the listing-wire sleeves in the new seat covers so the wires can be inserted. This is a standard practice as the sleeves are often sewn shut during manufacturing, as seen here.
We recovered the listing wires from our old seat covers; if yours are missing or damaged, new ones can be purchased, or replacements can be made from stiff wire, so long as the ends are bent into a small loop so they can’t poke through adjacent fabric.
When it came time to fasten the new seat cover to the foam, we were faced with a challenge: The special wire hooks used to tie the two together were not reusable, and since we were unaware of their existence until we disassembled the seat, we hadn’t ordered new ones. Corvette Central and other Corvette parts suppliers off er kits with the correct hooks, as well as a special tool to fasten them, which would make this job simpler. But we were in a time crunch to get our Corvette back together, so Junior made new hooks from bailing wire.
Even after replacing the mangled original hooks, there remained the issue of feeding them through the foam, which proved more difficult than we’d expected. In the absence of a dedicated tool for this task, Junior devised a plan to use lengths of string tied to each hook and then fed through each corresponding hole in the foam.
Each string was pulled through the foam as the foam was laid into the new seat cover. The next step will be to pull the hooks up and over the listing wire, which Junior is about to center in its groove in the burlap that backs the foam. There are two more listing wires yet to be placed, one for each side. The length of the hooks is important because it determines how deeply the pleats in the seat cover will be pulled down. Junior’s copies of the originals seemed to do the trick.
Once all the hooks were fastened to the listing wires, Junior wrapped the new cover around the foam and then slid the seat frame back into place.
Another pair of listing wires is then inserted into the sleeves on the outer edges of the seat cover. These wires will be fastened to the seat frame with hog rings. The cover needs to be pulled down snugly and evenly to avoid having wrinkles in the seat upholstery when the job is complete.
The same listing wires that fastened the foam to the cover are now tied to the seat frame with hog rings crimped around the springs.
Probably the most nerve-wracking task of this job entails cutting the new seat covers for the seatbelt pass-throughs. The required slots are small, and the bezels around them don’t offer much margin for error. Careful measuring of the old covers and then triple checking the corresponding passages in the foam compared to the new covers was critical.
Junior reinstalls the rigid plastic seatback cover after reinstalling the tilt hinges; this required two more precision cuts in the upholstery to clear the seat frame hook brackets that fasten the top of the seatback cover. At this point, the escutcheon for the seatbelt is in place, as is the tilt release button.
Now moving to the seat bottom, after unbolting the seat tracks, Junior begins removing the upholstery by releasing spring clips that fasten the material to the metal seat frame. These are used all the way around the frame’s perimeter and will be reused with the new seat cover.
Next, there are more hog rings to remove, and again, we found it easier to unbend them for removal rather than cutting them off. The way that the seat cover, foam core, and seat frame are assembled with hog rings and listing wires is similar to the process of the seatback.
With the old seat cover off and the foam core separated from the seat frame, Junior lays out the new seat cover and begins to repeat the process of making new hooks, which he will again pull through the foam using the length of string tied to each hook.
The process for joining the seat cover to the foam was a repeat of the seatback: Bend new hooks, tie a length of string to each hook and feed the string through the foam, then fasten each hook to a listing wire on the back side of the burlap lining the bottom of the foam core. With that completed, the seat frame is placed onto the bottom of the foam and then the cover is wrapped around the assembly.
After the edges of the seat cover were tucked into the spring clips on the seat frame, Junior uses hog rings to fasten the listing wires that were already joined to the cover and foam with hooks to the seat springs, tying the whole seat bottom assembly together.
The last step in the process is rejoining the seat back to the seat bottom. Here you can see the metal seatbelt pass-through bezel, which we detailed while it was off; we also polished the chrome seatback hinges and cleaned and lubed the slider tracks.
After the seats were reinstalled and tested for fit, the Corvette was parked out in the sun for a time to get some heat into the new seat covers, which helped them tighten up and smooth out. The new covers look great, and we were pleasantly surprised at the improvement in comfort just from eliminating the old, petrified vinyl of the aged covers. This job took some time, but it was certainly something a patient DIY enthusiast could do in a home garage.

The post Installing New Covers on a Set of Corvette Bucket Seats appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

One of the most famous and influential car chases in movie history hit the big screen in 1968, when “Bullitt” was released in October of that year. The Pick of the Day is a 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Osceola, Missouri.

The classic movie, starring Steve McQueen as a police lieutenant, was a stereotypical action-thriller detective story, but most people remember the movie for its captivating 10-minute car chase through the streets of San Francisco. About three decades following the film’s released, a concept car called the Mustang Bullitt was unveiled at the 2000 Los Angeles Auto Show. A production version went on sale in February of the following year.

The listing begins, “Only 5,582 special-edition Bullitts were produced in 2001, and the cars were specially numbered by Ford. This Bullitt is number 0702.” According to Ford Performance, there were 3,041 Bullitt Mustangs produced in Highland Green.

The Bullitt came with some stylistic features that set it apart from the GT and other/lower trim levels: retro-style hood scoop, 17-inch five-spoke wheels, billet aluminum fuel-filler door, and model-specific badging. It’s also worth noting that the Bullitt package deleted several features in the interest of a cleaner, more minimalist look similar to the movie car, so the spoiler and fog lamps were omitted accordingly.

Power comes from a 4.6-liter Modular V8 mated to a TREMEC TR-3650 five-speed manual transmission. Ford squeezed five additional horsepower out of the Bullitt’s engine when compared to the standard GT model’s, putting it at 265 horsepower. While not a huge difference on paper, the modifications reportedly made the car more responsive to drive by giving it better power delivery at lower RPMs. Features included a special cast-aluminum intake manifold, twin 57mm-bore throttle body, larger alternator and water pump pulleys, and retuned exhaust system with 20% improved flow. Handling was improved courtesy of a lowered suspension, re-valved Tokico struts, and unique, large-diameter stabilizer bars.

Speaking of improvements, this low-mileage Bullitt, which shows just 40,000 miles, has a few performance tricks up its sleeve besides the ones that Ford installed at the factory: Diablo power chip, Paxton Novi 2000 supercharger, AFM high-volume power pipe, long-tube headers, and SLP cat-back exhaust system.

The seller says, “This Bullitt is in great shape and has not been abused. Everything works like it is supposed to, including the A/C and the six-disc factory CD player.”

The asking price is $21,500.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

The 1990s were a golden era for automotive innovation, producing vehicles that combined cutting-edge technology with distinctive designs. Many of these cars have since become icons, their unique features and performance capabilities still resonating with enthusiasts today. If these 90s legends were to make a comeback in the modern era, they would undoubtedly captivate audiences and generate significant online buzz. Their blend of nostalgia and timeless appeal would make them instant sensations in today’s automotive landscape.

Source

This ’34 Chevrolet coupe-style street rod was initially built in 2010, and it is powered by a fuel-injected 350ci Chevrolet V8 mated to a 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission and a Currie 9” rear end with a limited-slip differential. The Outlaw Performance fiberglass body is finished in red with snakeskin-patterned graphics, and it is mounted to a tubular steel chassis with an independent front suspension, a four-link rear setup, and adjustable coilovers. Around 2014, the interior was further customized with snake-themed vinyl upholstery, Vintage Air climate control, Dakota Digital instrumentation, a push-button gear selector, keyless ignition, and a Pioneer touchscreen head unit. Additional highlights include shaved exterior trim, side-exit exhaust outlets, double-staggered Foose wheels, power steering, and four-wheel disc brakes. It was acquired by the seller on BaT in August 2024 to commemorate their mentor’s 90th birthday. Driven ~170 miles since, this street rod is now offered at no reserve with service records and a Oregon title in the seller’s name.

The fiberglass body and tubular steel chassis were sourced from Outlaw Performance, and the car is finished in red with gold flake and snakeskin-patterned graphics along the sides. Details include a stainless-steel grille insert, a lift-off hood, shaved exterior trim, electric door poppers, rectangular side exhaust outlets, ’49 Lincoln teardrop taillights, and chrome headlight buckets, side vents, and mirrors. The windshield wiper arms have been removed and will accompany the car.

Chrome 17” and 18” Foose Legend wheels are mounted with 225/45 and 245/45 Cooper Zeon RS3-A tires. The car rides on an independent front suspension, a triangulated four-link rear setup, and adjustable coilovers all around. Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering has been installed along with four-wheel disc brakes and an E-Stopp parking brake.

The cabin is trimmed in red vinyl and faux snakeskin that extends to the dashboard, headliner, and center console. Snake-themed designs adorn the door panels, and Chevrolet bowtie logos have been added to the upper seatbacks. AutoLoc billet switches with blue illumination are mounted in an overhead panel, and a Dakota Digital pod atop the center console operates the Vintage Air climate control system. Additional appointments include a push-button gear selector, keyless ignition, a Pioneer AVIC-5000NEX touchscreen head unit, cruise control, and Specialty power windows and windshield wipers.

The upholstery scheme carries over to the trunk, which houses a fire extinguisher, an aluminum fuel filler cap, and a battery tender.

The three-spoke steering wheel is mounted to a tilting column and sits ahead of a round Dakota Digital display. The digital odometer indicates 7k miles, around 170 of which were added since the last auction.

The 350ci Chevrolet Performance Ram Jet V8 features electronic fuel injection, a faux eight-stack decorative cover, and a serpentine-belt accessory drive. Coated short-tube headers flow into a 2 ¼” stainless-steel dual exhaust system with Magnaflow mufflers. The aluminum radiator is cooled by a SPAL electric fan, the wiring for which was repaired in 2023. The coolant temperature sensor was replaced in 2022, and since the last auction a battery terminal was repaired, a leak was fixed on the radiator, and the oil was changed.

A 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission is linked to a Currie 9” rear end with a limited-slip differential.

A binder of records and additional items displayed in the gallery are included.

The car is titled as a 2010 CUSTO using the North Carolina DMV identification number NCS99688.

This 1941 Chevrolet AK Series is a ¾-ton AL pickup that was refurbished and modified under prior ownership with work that involved installing a 350ci V8 and a three-speed automatic transmission. The body was refinished in teal and mounted over a modified chassis with a Mustang II-style front suspension assembly, lowering springs, power rack-and-pinion steering, and front disc brakes. Inside, low-back bucket seats are wrapped in black leather, and an aftermarket air conditioning system is installed along with a Grant steering wheel, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and VDO and AutoMeter gauges. Additional equipment includes a Quick Fuel Technologies carburetor, a dual exhaust system, and 15″ steel wheels with chrome hubcaps. This Chevrolet pickup hot rod was purchased by the owner in 2017 and is now offered on dealer consignment in California with a clean Washington title.

The AK series debuted for 1941 and featured a chassis based on the General Motors A Platform, which also underpinned the contemporary Chevrolet Deluxe passenger car lineup. This example was refinished in teal under prior ownership, and exterior features include a split windshield with top-mounted wipers as well as dual side mirrors, chrome bumpers, running boards, and a dropdown tailgate. LED taillights are installed along with a flush-mounted LED third brake light below the rear glass.

The bed floor is lined with wood planks and painted runners, and a fuel filler at the rear is connected to the rear-mounted fuel tank.

The truck rides on a Mustang II-style front suspension assembly and features power rack-and-pinion steering along with power-assisted front disc and rear drum brakes. The 15″ steel wheels wear Chevrolet-branded hubcaps and are mounted with 215/70 BFGoodrich Silvertown Radial whitewall tires.

The cabin features low-back bucket seats upholstered in black leather, and interior appointments include a power-adjustable driver’s seat, custom door panels, under-dash air conditioning, and power windows.

The Grant three-spoke steering wheel frames a VDO 120-mph speedometer as well as gauges for water temperature, oil pressure, battery charge, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 7k miles, approximately 1k of which were added under current ownership. True mileage is unknown.

The 350ci V8 crate engine is topped with an aluminum intake manifold and a Quick Fuel Technologies four-barrel carburetor. The HEI distributor cap, rotor, and ignition module were replaced in 2024.

Power is routed to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission. The dual exhaust system was replaced in 2019.

A few weeks ago, we shared an invitation to a grassroots car show in the Pacific Northwest called the Malaise Invitational. It was an event centered around vehicles from 1972-95—a slice of automotive history that doesn’t usually garner much attention in mainstream collector car shows and events.

Malaise Invitational judges

Event co-founder Laec Christensen caught us up on how things went at the September 13 program. Based on the turnout, a lot of people were on board with recognizing the “Malaise Era.” Like any immersive car show experience, there were other forms of entertainment. For those who wanted to test their hand-eye coordination, a game of “spark plug toss” was held.

Best in Show: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E

Laec said that most of this year’s awards were handcrafted from some 1980s Tae Kwon Do trophies, with custom 3D-printed features added. The coveted Best in Show award was a “golden smog pump” retrieved from an abandoned Dodge Dakota.

Award winners were as follows:

  • Best 70s: 1974 Plymouth Valiant owned by Mike Mastrangelo
  • Best 80s: 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTi owned by Michael Elias
  • Best 90s: 1991 Jeep Cherokee owned by John Koenig
  • Best American: 1973 AMC Hornet owned by Jacob Demmin
  • Best Asian: 1980 Mazda Capella GTVA owned by Laec Christensen
  • Best European: 1995 Volkswagen Golf GTi VR6 owned by Shaelyn Christensen
  • Best in Show: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E owned by Mark Edington
  • Best Motorcycle: 1980 Honda Express II owned by Daniel Bones
  • Best Truck: 1970 Ford F-250 Sport Custom Explorer owned by Clayton Christensen
  • Cutest Car: 1993 Honda Today owned by Duncan Nodarse
  • Most Malaise: 1985 Pontiac 6000 owned by Nathan Jensen-Smith
  • Rustiest In Show: 1972 Plymouth Fury Suburban owned by Gabe Larson
  • Weirdest In Show: 1990 Consulier GTP owned by Johnny Spiva
1982 Chevrolet Chevette

Laec’s personal favorite vehicle was a 1982 Chevrolet Chevette owned by Michael Hill. It was powered by a twin-cam Cosworth engine from a 1976 Cosworth Vega.

Desmond, the winner of the giveaway car, a Pontiac Phoenix.

The giveaway car, a brown Pontiac Phoenix, was awarded via a massive game of black-out bingo. In an unexpected twist, six different people won the game simultaneously. Following an elimination round, the final winner was determined.

Laec explains: “His name was Desmond, and he came as a humble spectator. As our third giveaway car, this is our first car not to go to a club heavy-hitter … which I think is a good thing. We have to share the Malaise any way we can. I think he fell in love with it.”

Weirdest In Show: 1990 Consulier GTP

Congrats, Desmond, and kudos to Laec and your team on a successful show! Stay connected on upcoming Malaise-centric events in Oregon via the Facebook group at this link.