Journal Classic Cars

This week’s Friday AutoHunter Picks are a good mix of vehicles that have something special about them that pulled me in: special luxury car, special performance variant, special custom build and special-order color. Which one is most special to you?

1956 Continental Mark II
When I was just a kid snapping up books and magazines, the classic car cognoscenti was telling me this was one of the most significant post-war cars out of America. Its styling was clean, eschewing the burgeoning Atomic Age-era excesses for something more proper for a conservative man wearing a hat. As I’ve matured, I’ve lost interest in them.

But this Shenandoah Green example color grabs me. It’s not a color often seen, I surmise, and the two-tone green interior just adds to the novelty. I have no interest in opulent luxury at this moment, but this car just begs to have someone hop in and enjoy it.

1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
The Boss 351 holds the distinction of possibly being the fastest small-block from the muscle car era. High-13s seem to have been common for this car, which is somewhat ironic considering the Mustang’s 1971 redesign has created the perception that it’s big and heavy though it’s not as bad as you think, especially with the latter.

These cars can be pricey, but this documented Boss 351 lacks its original engine, which means it may be attainable for someone who normally wouldn’t be able to afford it. Buy it, enjoy driving it, and slowly bring the car up to proper spec — that’s what I’d do.

1977 International Scout II
You don’t have to be into trucks to be attracted to this bad-arse Independent. Kudos go to the person who selected this color, which seems to blend in nicely with the sort of environment in which you’d be accused of tomfoolery. Plus, Broncos go for dumb money so why not march to a different beat?

Alas, a different beat doesn’t come from a Ram chassis and Cummins 5.9 six, but is that really a demerit? Sounds like a good thing to me! Plus, it’s shifted by a five-speed manual. There’s a lot to like here.

1967 Pontiac GTO
I happened to see this car from the distance of a coworker’s monitor. I thought, “That looks like a special-order color GTO!” and immediately checked Patrick Smith’s blog on special-order colors. Bingo! Looks like Copper Blaze, a color similar to the hue that’s currently on this Goat. Then I checked the data plate in the photo carousel, which had the codes normally associated with special-order colors used on Pontiacs of the era.

Underneath those codes is 97904, which is Coronado Gold per the color chip on Smith’s page. If you’ve ever heard of Tiger Gold for 1965-66 Pontiacs, it’s the same color. Another unusual aspect of this GTO is that it’s one of 4,893 built with the standard 400/335 and three-speed manual.

This week’s Friday AutoHunter Picks are a good mix of vehicles that have something special about them that pulled me in: special luxury car, special performance variant, special custom build and special-order color. Which one is most special to you?

1956 Continental Mark II
When I was just a kid snapping up books and magazines, the classic car cognoscenti was telling me this was one of the most significant post-war cars out of America. Its styling was clean, eschewing the burgeoning Atomic Age-era excesses for something more proper for a conservative man wearing a hat. As I’ve matured, I’ve lost interest in them.

But this Shenandoah Green example color grabs me. It’s not a color often seen, I surmise, and the two-tone green interior just adds to the novelty. I have no interest in opulent luxury at this moment, but this car just begs to have someone hop in and enjoy it.

1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
The Boss 351 holds the distinction of possibly being the fastest small-block from the muscle car era. High-13s seem to have been common for this car, which is somewhat ironic considering the Mustang’s 1971 redesign has created the perception that it’s big and heavy though it’s not as bad as you think, especially with the latter.

These cars can be pricey, but this documented Boss 351 lacks its original engine, which means it may be attainable for someone who normally wouldn’t be able to afford it. Buy it, enjoy driving it, and slowly bring the car up to proper spec — that’s what I’d do.

1977 International Scout II
You don’t have to be into trucks to be attracted to this bad-arse Independent. Kudos go to the person who selected this color, which seems to blend in nicely with the sort of environment in which you’d be accused of tomfoolery. Plus, Broncos go for dumb money so why not march to a different beat?

Alas, a different beat doesn’t come from a Ram chassis and Cummins 5.9 six, but is that really a demerit? Sounds like a good thing to me! Plus, it’s shifted by a five-speed manual. There’s a lot to like here.

1967 Pontiac GTO
I happened to see this car from the distance of a coworker’s monitor. I thought, “That looks like a special-order color GTO!” and immediately checked Patrick Smith’s blog on special-order colors. Bingo! Looks like Copper Blaze, a color similar to the hue that’s currently on this Goat. Then I checked the data plate in the photo carousel, which had the codes normally associated with special-order colors used on Pontiacs of the era.

Underneath those codes is 97904, which is Coronado Gold per the color chip on Smith’s page. If you’ve ever heard of Tiger Gold for 1965-66 Pontiacs, it’s the same color. Another unusual aspect of this GTO is that it’s one of 4,893 built with the standard 400/335 and three-speed manual.

Our writer Andy Reid is driving a Lucid Air for his time in Arizona for auction week, you can follow the third part of his journey here.

It’s day 4 driving the Lucid Air at Arizona Auction week and the day started with driving over to the RM Sotheby’s auction for the final few hours of the pre-auction preview.

After a few hours of spending time with friends and looking at a few cars, it was time for my bidding to begin.

I ended up bidding on three cars, and in the end left with none of them. This was ok as while the client I was bidding for liked a few, he did not fall in love with any of them. So, in the end I was not unhappy with the result. The cars we bid on were the 1953 Chrysler Special coupe by Ghia, the 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and the 1971 Iso Grifo.

Of the three, the one that sold for the most was the 1969 ZR1 Corvette Convertible with a final price of $3,140,000. This is a staggering number for a C3 Corvette road car and is an absolute world record for any road-going Corvette.

I spent the entire day at the auction and afterwards had to take the Lucid to get a charge due to setting it at sprint mode too frequently.

I went to the closest Electrify America charging station and waited to charge the car. I did this because all Lucid cars have a deal for no cost charging at Electrify America, and they also have fast charging which the Lucid supports.

When I got to the charging station, I ran into the crew from Lucid coming from Barrett-Jackson where they had a test drive event. I met Bill who assisted me with how it all worked and explained a few things about vehicle charging.

The first thing is that the Electrify America charging stations are not well laid out to maximize the charging of cars. Someone there needs to look at a modern gas station and model these after those.

Second, something that had puzzled me when I first charged the Lucid Air a few days before was the charging rate. I know that the Air can support 150amp charging, but when I used the rapid charger, it varied in output. I thought initially I was doing something wrong, however it turns out that the chargers can vary quite a lot in their output, even during the charge. It was good to know this as I had anticipated it taking much less time than it actually did to charge the car. Under optimal conditions with a perfect flow of current it charges quite fast, but my car, which was at 21%, ended up taking around 45 min to charge to 80%.

The crew from the Lucid test drive event asked me how I liked the car, and I told them in detail everything I liked about the car, the performance, comfort, and overall feel. I also told them that I honestly feel that the Lucid Air is the finest quality American car built today, regardless of cost. The fit and finish, materials, and feel of quality honestly puts every other American car manufacturer to shame. It equals, and sometime surpasses, even the best European manufacturers. The big three all ought to get a Lucid Air to use as a measuring stick for what excellent build quality is.

After charging the car, I ended up having a dinner at a Circle K on the way home. Auction week is sometimes that glamorous. The Circle K did have a cool machine that scans your items with a camera and then you simply tap your card. It was not able to figure out what my hot dogs were, but the drink worked. After the gourmet meal I headed back to the hotel to be ready for auction day at Bonhams the next morning.

The day ended after the charge with 180 miles driven, no issues, and 392 miles left on the battery at 80% charge. You will have to wait until the final test day for the performance parts of the story, but it is worth the wait.

Lunaz is a British firm that builds electric versions of much-loved classics, often with performance that can match a modern EV.

The company’s latest project is a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental whose original 6.2-liter V-8 has been swapped with a 400-hp electric powertrain.

The Continental was a high-performance version of Bentley’s S2 range built between 1959 and 1962. Less than 400 were built, with some featuring bespoke bodies crafted by coachbuilders.

This particular S2 Continental features a coupe body from former British coachbuilder James Young. According to Lunaz, only four examples were built in this style. Apparently the customer originally ordered a sedan but at the last minute requested a coupe. That customer kept the car until 1967 after which it traded hands a number of times, including residing for periods in Germany and Japan before returning to the U.K.

When Lunaz chooses a model to convert, there is an exhaustive process where the powertrain is designed to fit perfectly so that the ride and handling isn’t upset. For example, each corner of the car is weighed to understand the original weight distribution to the gram. Lunaz uses this information to decide on the chassis setup, powertrain packaging and suspension.

The customer who commissioned the conversion wanted handling that meets modern standards, so Lunaz installed fully adjustable coil-over suspension that the driver can control from the cabin. The brakes, which work with an energy recovery system, are also modern items, featuring six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear.

Lunaz also looks to incorporate sustainable materials as much as possible in its conversions. For example, all original components are refurbished where possible, and new materials, like the carpet, leather, and wood trim are all delivered from sustainable sources.

Lunaz, which counts David Beckham as an investor, performs its conversion work at a facility in Silverstone, U.K. The company has also converted a 1961 Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur, as well as classics from Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Rolls-Royce.

HIGH-RES GALLERY: 1961 Bentley S2 Continental EV conversion by Lunaz

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.

When the original two-seat Acura NSX debuted for the 1991 model year in the United States, it introduced the automotive world to the notion that a car could be exotic-looking, performance-oriented, and reliable all at the same time. Over thirty years later, some owners are truly putting that promise to the test.

Power for the NSX came from a mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 that produced 270 horsepower and was available mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transaxle. While 270 horsepower did not sound like a big number, the true expertise of the NSX became evident in its handling: this car was built to cut up canyon roads like a razor-sharp scalpel. Its all aluminum body and optimal weight distribution made for confidence-inspiring balance that even Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna embraced.

In all, the first-generation NSX sold a total of 8,949 units between model years 1991 and 2005 in North America. About a decade ago, I scooped up a moderately-used 1992 unit in Formula Red with a black leather interior and 80,000 miles on it. I have since added about 40,000 additional trouble-free miles to its odometer. Some people are surprised that I have driven my car that much. After all, relatively few people who bought the NSX did so with the intent of driving it daily. Most folks stored the car away for weekend use under a cover and hooked it up to battery tender. According to production statistics, my NSX is 1 of 421 units that were made of its configuration for 1992.

I recently attended an open house at ScienceofSpeed (SoS) in Chandler, Arizona. ScienceofSpeed has established a foothold in the enthusiast communities for the Acura NSX and the Honda S2000 over the past 20 years as a premier developer of performance parts, a provider of mechanical service, and an overall resource on the ownership experience for some of Honda’s beloved high-revving sports cars.

During the open house, I met a local NSX owner named Sean who has an NSX that looks a lot like mine, aside from the fact that it is sitting on a set of chrome finished SSR wheels. Coincidentally, his car is also one of the 421 cars in Formula Red over black with a five-speed manual from 1992. But Sean’s NSX has one very unique characteristic: it has left mine in the dust as far as mileage goes. The car has over 415,000 miles on it.

I caught up with Sean for some brief Q&A and a walkaround of his special car. He purchased it in Sedona, Arizona, about 18 years ago with about 70,000 miles on the odometer and put the wheels into motion with the car as his daily driver. He has kept up on all of his maintenance at ScienceofSpeed. “I’m religious about routine maintenance,” he said. “I’m on point when it comes to every service interval; always taking care of the engine like clockwork.” Like many Honda motors, the C30A engine in the NSX calls for a timing belt and water pump every 60,000 to 90,000 miles but overall, Sean said there have been no major surprises.

Sean was awarded recognition at last October’s annual NSX Club of America meet-up, dubbed “NSXPO.” While his car has a few rock chips and some faded paint, the fact that this 32-year-old supercar has driven to the moon, and is well its way back, is truly remarkable.

We wish Sean a safe journey as he continues to 500,000 miles, and we’ll share an update when he gets there!

The Toyota SR5 has established itself as the collectible Japanese 4×4 truck from the 1980s. When you are a plot point in Back To The Future, and pined over by Marty McFly, your potential as a collector car rises exponentially. Product placement can yield some great returns, folks. Ask the Hershey’s marketing team how a Reese’s Pieces appearance in E.T. helped its sales numbers.

Should Nissan have followed suit and tried to get its trucks on the silver screen? I think so because its Kingcab 4×4 is aesthetically on par with a Toyota SR5 pickup, but has been largely overlooked in collector car circles. Will Nissan’s Kingcab become the next big thing for 1980s trucks? I’m not Nostradamus, or even Miss Cleo, but I think keeping an eye on the Nissan pickup market could behoove you.

The Pick of the Day is a 1986 Nissan Kingcab 4×4 pickup listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Kentwood, MI. (Click the link to view the listing)

“Sold new out of Puyallup WA and remained in the same custody of the original family until we recently acquired the vehicle,” the listing states. “Always a Washington truck from new and the quality care and presentation of this one is remarkable.”

Finished in deep blue with light blue body stripes this Nissan features a fiberglass top, bed liner, KC Daylighter fog lights, a Warn front brush guard, and a bug shield. The Nissan’s blue interior has front bucket seats, rear jump seats, a sliding rear window, cigarette lighter, and a Kenwood stereo with a cassette player. The six-digit odometer shows 99,872 miles.

Judging by the pictures in the listing this Nissan pickup is in solid shape with the usual wear and tear you’d expect from a vehicle produced in the same year as the last time the New York Mets won the World Series.

This Nissan 4×4 is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. It rides on 15-inch Western wheels with BFGoodrich tires.

The listing price for this 1986 Nissan Kingcab 4×4 Pickup is $19,900, and the sale includes factory owner’s manuals, original bill of sale and warranty booklet, registrations, and receipts.

Every Japanese pickup manufacturer can’t have Michael J. Fox and Claudia Wells talking up its product in a movie, but don’t hold that against Nissan. This 1986 Kingcab 4×4 warrants a second look as a possible future collector car and don’t hold a lack of product placement against a Nissan pickup.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a 1963 Chevrolet Nova SS convertible.

“The exterior has been finished in black and blue pearl,” the listing states. “Features include newly re-chromed bumpers, new glass, a front bumper grille guard, a polished aluminum grille, a driver-side mirror, side and rocker trim, Nova SS emblems, rear body trim, and a new black vinyl convertible top.”

It rides on 15-inch chrome Wheel Vintiques 64 Series O.E. wheels with 185/60 front and 215/60 rear Cooper radial tires.

This Chevrolet Nova’s front bucket seats, rear bench seat, and door panels were reupholstered in black vinyl. It features a Custom Autosound AM/FM stereo with four Pioneer speakers, new black carpet, new black dashboard pad, a billet aluminum banjo steering wheel, and a center console.

Under the hood is a newly built 1964 Corvette 327ci V8 engine with an Edelbrock high-rise aluminum intake, a 750-cfm Holley Quick Fuel Technology four-barrel carburetor, cast iron double-hump Corvette 202 heads, and an Isky Racing Cams high-performance camshaft and lifters. The engine is paired with a Super T-10 four-speed manual featuring a rebuilt 11-inch hydraulic clutch, and an Eaton 10-bolt rear end with a 3.55:1 gear ratio. 

A Classic Performance Products (CPP) power steering gearbox, pump, and control arms were installed. This Nova’s suspension was upgraded with new shocks, rebuilt front control arms, new front coils, Calvert Racing CalTracs traction bars, and two-inch dropped spindles.

The odometer indicates 600 miles, which the owner indicates is the mileage on the new engine but the true mileage of the vehicle is unknown. Three-hundred miles was added by current ownership.

“The doorjamb VIN tag is a replacement that has been attached with rivets; the original was factory spot-welded to the body,” the listing states. “The cowl-mounted body trim tag under the hood has been removed and is currently attached with rivets. An appraisal will be included with the purchase of the car.”

The sale includes a clear California title in the seller’s name.

This 1963 Chevrolet Nova SS convertible’s auction ends on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 4:20 p.m. (MST)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

If you find your new C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe a bit slow Hennessey Performance can alleviate this fear with its H700 supercharger package. Hennessey takes the C8’s naturally-aspirated LT2 6.2-liter V8 engine and upgrades it with a high-flow centrifugal supercharger, an air induction system with an air-to-water intercooler, high-performance software, and an optional enhanced cat-back exhaust. The upgraded parts and Hennessey’s magic increases the C8 Corvette Sting Ray coupe’s stock 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque to 708 bhp and 638 lb-ft: a 44 percent increase in horsepower and a 37 percent increase in torque over the factory rating. To put things into context Chevy’s flagship C8 Z06 Corvette’s naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8 LT6 engine produces a factory-rated 670 bhp and 460 lb-ft of torque.

“The stock C8 Corvette Stingray is an extraordinary sports car, yet Chevrolet left some V8 performance on the table,” said John Hennessey, founder and CEO. “Our exciting ‘H700’ supercharger package integrates seamlessly with the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and our exhaust upgrade sounds much more aggressive than stock. Considering that our power and torque surpass the factory Z06, the Hennessey ‘H700’ is arguably the best value high-performance supercar in the world.”

What do you get with the H700 package and what does it cost?

You get the aforementioned supercharger, intercooler, engine tune, and optional cat-back exhaust. On top of the performance upgrades your C8 gets a vinyl Hennessey livery (available in blue, white, black, silver, or red), ‘Hennessey’ and ‘H700’ badging, and a serial numbered plaque.

The H700 rides on a set of 19- and 20-inch alloy wheels that are available with a brushed aluminum, satin black, or graphite finish. The H700 package will set you back $49,995, and if you just want some horsepower a power-only package with just the supercharger upgrade is available for $34,950. 

The H700 package fits all 2020-2022 C8 Corvette coupe models and has a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty.

H700 C8 Corvette upgrade package

POWER

• 708 bhp @ 5,900 rpm
• 638 lb-ft torque @5,000 rpm

UPGRADES TO STANDARD C8 CORVETTE

• High-Flow Centrifugal Supercharger System
• High-Flow Air Induction System
• Air-To-Water Intercooler Upgrade
• High-Flow Cat-Back Sport Exhaust System
• Hennessey Calibration Upgrade
• All Necessary Gaskets and Fluids

OTHER

• Professional Installation
• Chassis Dyno Calibration & Testing
• Road Testing (Up To 500 Miles)
• 19” (F) and 20” (R) Lightweight Street Wheels (Brushed Aluminum, Satin Black, or Graphite)
• Hennessey C8 Heritage Livery (Blue, White, Black, Silver, or Red)
• Hennessey Exterior Badging
• H700 Exterior Badging
• Serial Numbered Engine Bay Plaque
• 3 Year / 36,000 Mile Warranty

*Exhaust removes active valve functionality

Porsche has issued a recall on certain versions of the Panamera hatchback and wagon due to a potential fire risk.

The recall affects Panameras and Panamera Sport Turismos from the 2017-2021 model years, and specifically the Panamera, Panamera 4, Panamera GTS, Panamera Turbo, and Panamera Turbo S grades.

A total of 24,467 examples may be affected in the U.S., according to the recall notice published by the NHTSA on Jan. 27.

The issue is caused by the external coolant pump for the climate control system on the vehicles. In some cases, humidity may enter the pump and cause an electrical short circuit, which in turn could lead to a fire.

The remedy requires dealers to replace the coolant pump and inspect and replace the plug-in connection, if necessary. The service will be offered free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on March 27, but anyone looking for further information can contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243 or the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (reference recall campaign number 23V033000).

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.

Just over a week ago, Mazda unveiled the CX-90. Who cares, right? Sure, but we enthusiasts also have utilitarian needs and, if station wagons seem to be a dying breed, what is the best Plan B? A vehicle from a company that caters to the enthusiast no matter how insipid the transportation device. We can accept that when forced, plus Mazda has that highly anticipated inline six.

But have you ever perused Mazda’s trim levels? They’re unnecessarily elaborate and complicated, and CX-90 pricing bears that out. Because of this, let’s try to make some sense out of it.

The general core trim levels in Mazda’s lineups include Select, Preferred, Preferred Plus, Premium and Premium Plus. With so many plusses and Ps, it’s quite difficult to keep up with Mazda’s hierarchy.

Nonetheless, those trim levels have an umbrella hovering above them. In the case of the CX-90, there are three core sub-models: 3.3 Turbo, PHEV (over time, you’ll learn that means “plug-in hybrid”) and Turbo S.

The 3.3 Turbo comes with a 280-horsepower e-Skyactiv G engine that can achieve 24 city/28 highway/25 city combined mpg on regular fuel. A mild, 48-volt hybrid system called M-Hybrid Boost plays a role in its performance and economy.

The mid-level sub-model is the PHEV, which is equipped with the e-Skyactiv PHEV electric motor supported by a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery and mated to Mazda’s familiar 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Combined, the system produces 323 horsepower on premium fuel. Fuel economy stats are not currently available for this one.

The top sub-model is the Turbo S. Its e-Skyactiv G engine offers 340 horsepower on premium fuel. While a substantial bump over the regular 3.3 Turbo, fuel economy doesn’t seem to have taken a toll considering the 23/28/25 ratings, with the higher cost of premium likely to be the main increase in operating costs. The Turbo S too is equipped with M-Hybrid Boost.

For the trim levels, the 3.3 Turbo will be available in all five packages, from Select to Premium Plus.

The PHEV will be available in three packages: Preferred, Premium and Premium Plus.

For the Turbo S, it’s available in three trim levels that include the base Turbo S, Premium and Premium Plus.

I’m sure you don’t want to be more confused, but the content mix for one Premium sub-model may be different than another. In other words, you cannot count on a 3.3 Turbo Premium having the same content mix as the Turbo S Premium.

Below you can find the prices of each sub-model and trim level. If you’re interested in shopping for a CX-90, your best bet is to peruse Mazda’s website to find the particular vehicle that has the proper level of equipment to suit your needs because there’s no way you’re going to be able to figure it out easily.

STARTING MSRP FOR THE 2024 MAZDA CX-90 IS AS FOLLOWS: