mod@tech

Are you the kind of person who likes to get max life out of a vehicle? My 1994 Acura Legend LS will close the gap to 600,000 miles this fall on its original drivetrain, and I’ll be sharing more on that in due time. But – as some people point out – I am not the original owner of the Legend. It had about 95,000 miles on it when I took delivery in 2003, so occasionally I hear, “Those aren’t all your miles.”

Well, I do have a car with “original owner” high miles. When I received the key on June 12, 2012, to my 2013 ILX, the car had just 16 miles on the odometer, and it has now crossed the 250,000 threshold. But I didn’t just watch the odometer flip and keep rolling. I decided to put the car inside the same showroom where the car was originally delivered – at exactly the 250,000-mile mark. Fun logistics, right?

So, Acura of Tempe, Arizona, currently has a quarter-million-mile Acura ILX (on the dot!) on the showroom floor. It’s too bad the odometer is digital; passers-by won’t know its achievement unless they stop to read the signage I put on the dash – and the cheesy sticker I put on the trunk lid.

By way of backstory, Acura (or should I say, American Honda) gave me the ILX for free when it was new. Initially, the arrangement (though informal at best) was that I would blog about the car on my website, Drive to Five, for one year as a sort of promotional effort. By the end of that year, the car had already accrued about 54,000 miles on the odometer. In fact, it was out of warranty before it was even one-model-year old. Acura didn’t ask for the car back. They mailed me the title instead, and I kept driving it.

The ILX, at least in the trim package I ordered, is powered by Honda’s bulletproof “K24” 2.4-liter iVTEC inline-four paired with a six-speed manual transmission. Where did I pick up all those miles? My longest-distance trip was a 2016 drive from Arizona to the Arctic Circle of Alaska and back. That adventure came out to around 8,000 miles and took me a couple of weeks. The car has been remarkably cost-efficient to maintain – it’s all been documented in an Excel spreadsheet, so I took the liberty of carving out some statistics for the data-nerds in the audience.

• Total miles: 250,000
• Average annual miles: 19,230
• Average oil change interval: 7,142
• Oil type used: 0W20 synthetic
• Oil changes: 36
• Brake pad sets: 2 rear, 1 front
• Transmission fluid changes: 2
• Recalls: 2 (door latches, airbag)
• Warranty claims: 0
• Batteries: 4
• Starters: 1
• Windshields: 2
• Radiators: 1
• Water pumps: 1 (preventative only)
• Total spent in maintenance: $16,071
• Cost per mile: 6.3 cents
• Average fuel economy: 32 mpg

I had the headlight assemblies replaced for purely cosmetic reasons – the plastics were showing some wear after over a decade in Arizona; I’d tried DIY refinishing, but it never seemed to last. Remaining original to the car are its engine, transmission, clutch, suspension, axles and many other components. I would trust it to the moon – again (since it’s already driven that distance once).

What about you – have you had a long-lived vehicle? What was your secret to success?

It’s a rare thing to be handed the keys to the past. Not a faded memory or a dusty photograph—but the real deal. The thunder. The chrome. The unmistakable rumble of an American big-block V8.

And it’s even rarer to be handed two of them.

This summer, Dream Giveaway is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that—and time is running out. The Chevy Big-Block Dream Giveaway ends August 5, and if you haven’t entered yet, this may be your final chance to own not one, but two of Chevrolet’s greatest muscle machines. Click here to enter now!

Let’s take a closer look at what’s at stake.

A Time Machine in Tuxedo Black – 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 – 19,000 Original Miles

There are muscle cars, and then there’s the 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6—arguably the high watermark of the era.

Finished in Tuxedo Black, this car doesn’t whisper nostalgia—it roars it. Under the hood sits the mighty 450-horsepower LS6 big-block V8, a legend in its own right and a one-year-only option that cemented the Chevelle’s place in performance history.

Even more remarkable is the car’s condition. With just 19,000 original miles, it has lived a pampered life—carefully preserved, professionally restored, and waiting for one lucky winner to bring it back to life. A Muncie four-speed. A functional cowl-induction hood. Factory trim that gleams.

This isn’t just the most iconic Chevelle ever made. It might be the best-preserved LS6 Chevelle you’ll ever see outside of a museum.

A Top-Down Power Trip – 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 L78 Convertible

The second grand prize is no less extraordinary.

Chevy’s 1969 Camaro RS/SS convertible was a showstopper in its day—and remains one of the most desirable Bowties in collector circles. But this isn’t just any ’69 drop-top. This one packs a 375-horsepower L78 big-block V8, backed by a Muncie M21 four-speed, dual exhaust, and factory Positraction.

It’s a rare spec and this one delivers both the visual drama of the Rally Sport package and the hardcore muscle of a true Super Sport. The black/white Houndstooth interior? Impeccable. The engine bay? Detailed to perfection. The driving experience? Exactly what you’d expect from one of the fiercest Camaros ever produced.

This car doesn’t just turn heads. It rewrites your definition of cool.

Two Dream Cars. One Winner. And Time is Running Out.

Both cars come from pedigreed collections—the Chevelle from Bob Dorman Chevrolet in Ohio, the Camaro from Florida’s renowned Muscle Car City. They represent the absolute best of their kind. Together, they offer an immersive, visceral connection to an era that defined American performance.

And they’re going home with one lucky winner.

But here’s the catch: you must enter by August 5. After that, the garage door closes. The chance disappears. And someone else might be behind the wheel of your dream machines.

The Bonus: $55,000 Toward Federal Taxes

Yes—Dream Giveaway is covering $55,000 in federal prize taxes. That means if you win, you won’t just receive two of the most iconic muscle cars ever built—you’ll receive them with the freedom to drive, display, or tuck them away in your own private collection.

There are sweepstakes, and then there are opportunities to change your automotive story forever. This is one of those moments.

Don’t let it pass you by. If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a Chevelle SS 454 LS6 or a Camaro RS/SS L78 convertible—let alone both—this is your moment.

The deadline is August 5. Enter now!

Chevrolet’s “LS” V8 engines have become so popular for engine transplants in the last couple of decades that people have created memes about them. Some of the tongue-in-cheek graphics suggest LS-swapping lawnmowers, Teslas, Mazda Miatas, and even heart pacemakers.

Is the LS a one-engine-fits-all solution? Not necessarily. Purists, usually, would rather see a classic car with an original powertrain – or at least one from the same manufacturer as the vehicle itself. But there is no denying that the LS has a lot to offer, namely its compact size, light weight, reliability, affordability, performance and vast aftermarket/community support.

Here’s an example of a car that benefits not only from a late-model LS1 engine, but also boasts several other niceties like disc brakes, C4 Corvette suspension components and Vintage Air climate control:

Featured on AutoHunter is this 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Custom Wagon. The car is being sold by a dealer in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and the auction will end Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. PDT.

1955 marked the first year for the Nomad when it debuted as a two-door station wagon with styling similar to its Belt Air sedan and coupe siblings. Advertisements promoted its multi-faceted appeal: “The Chevrolet Nomad is station wagon styling at its height … with sports car power and flair … passenger car comfort … fashion leader of the low-price field.”

We at the Journal love our Tri-Five Chevrolets, and this car is an eye-catching restomod if we’ve ever seen one. According to the listing, the car reportedly went through a frame-off restoration about 1,000 miles ago, and it was repainted in Barcelona Red Metallic and Pearl White. The cabin was brought into the modern era via a set of power-adjustable bucket front seats, a center console, power windows, a Jensen audio system and, of course, the Vintage Air climate-control system.

The 5.7-liter LS1, as seen under the hood of this wagon, was best known for its appearance in the Chevrolet C5 Corvette between 1997 and 2004. But the LS1 also was found under the hood of select Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and Pontiac GTO models around the same time. It featured an aluminum block, iron sleeves, a 75mm throttle body, multiport sequential fuel injection, and a 10.1:1 compression ratio. Depending on the application, output was usually around 350 horsepower in stock form.

The listing says that this Nomad’s engine has been professionally rebuilt, and the fluids were changed this year. It seems an LS1 heart transplant has given plenty of new life to the car’s 70-year-old body.

Now, if only the same application worked on humans.

The auction for this 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Custom Wagon ends Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. PDT.

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Edgy gran turismos were all the rage in the early 1970s. These were four-seaters that started a new direction from previous GTs or incarnations. One of these we recently discussed: a French vision of what a GT could be. But what about the Italians? Our Pick of the Day, a 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a Dutch dealership, shows the direction Alfa went.

Yes, the Citroen SM looked at GTs of the past and turned those ideas upside-down thanks to front-wheel-drive and hydropneumatic suspension. When combined with Citroen’s trademark aerodynamic styling and Maserati V6, the SM was an arresting mix of Franco-Italian engineering that made it unlike any car in the world.

Around the same time, Alfa Romeo was developing a GT that did the job on its own terms, contrasting sharply with the Porsche 911, BMW 3.0 CSi, and V12 Jaguar E-Type. Initially appearing as a concept car at the Expo 67 in Montreal, the Marcello Gandini/Bertone-designed 2+2 coupe featured a Giulia Sprint GT chassis with a twin-cam 1.6-liter four. It was leading-edge style for 1967, what with its semi-concealed headlights and C-pillar gills copped from the front fenders of the Giugiaro/Bertone-designed Alfa Romeo Canguro, which gave the impression the concept was a mid-engined car.

The production version, christened Montreal in honor of the event that inspired its creation, debuted at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. To give the Montreal distinction from other cars in its class, Alfa Romeo developed a fuel-injected, 2,593cc DOHC V8 (derived from the 33 Stradale) and paired the 200-horsepower engine with a five-speed manual from ZF. Ironically, the Montreal was never sold new in Montreal as Alfa Romeo chose not to submit the Montreal for emissions testing in Canada as well as the United States.

The Montreal was no less futuristic in production form though, like all concept-to-production vehicles, concessions had been made to bring it to reality. Those concessions—at least those that can be seen—did not detract. The NACA duct on the hood was not functional, but it was a design item to distract from the power bulge. Under the skin, a live axle and manual steering may have been compromises, but the Montreal was still an Alfa Romeo, so  its chops on the road were still true to the brand.

Unleashed in March 1970, deliveries for the Montreal did not begin until 1971. Sales peaked in 1972 with 2,350 built, but—like for the Citroen SM—times were precarious in the automotive world as emissions, safety standards, and the first oil crisis put a damper on things. Alfa spent five more years selling the remaining inventory, which totaled approximately 3,925.

This 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal rolled off the production line on the last day of 1972 and was sold to a lucky guy/gal in Frankfurt several months later. Over time, it made its way to Sweden and then, in 2014, the Netherlands, where it received a restoration that was completed in 2017. “Fully matching numbers and colors,” says the seller.

If you are an Italophile, we know the Montreal is on your list of dream cars, but it also has strong appeal to V8-loving Americans. Why not skip the Road Runner and try this Alfa on for size? At $79,500 (OBO), you still have that V8 burble with looks that would make Sophia Loren jealous.

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