Journal Classic Cars

Today’s vehicle spotlight is proof that you can combine mobster looks with modern features.

The Pick of the Day is a 1951 Mercury coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Franklinville, New Jersey. (Click the link to view the listing)

The stealthy blacked-out appearance of this lead sled is accentuated by a beveled windshield, curved side moldings, and a dual exhaust system. “Chopped, shaved, nosed, decked,” the listing states. There isn’t much on this old coupe that hasn’t been given some sort of custom treatment.

This car is part of the Mercury “Eight” lineup of vehicles that became the first all-new postwar models from the brand beginning in 1949. The body at the time took on pontoon styling which eliminated the use of running boards and separate fenders. During that era, power for the Eight came from a 255cid flathead V8 paired with a three-speed manual transmission. However, as we would expect, today’s car leaves that dated powerplant behind.

In its place is a much more performance-oriented powerplant: a Chevrolet LS2 V8. This popular 6.0-liter engine was rated at 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque when it appeared in the C6 Corvette, the Pontiac GTO, and the Cadillac CTS-V. The transmission in the Mercury is similarly upgraded to a 4L65 four-speed automatic unit. This car clearly has the “go” to back up its “show.”

The chassis and braking systems received upgraded content in the form of four-wheel disc brakes and a coilover suspension. On the interior, the cabin features gray vinyl bucket seats and a custom center console, with added content like Vintage Air climate control, Dakota Digital instrumentation, power windows, and a Bluetooth-connected stereo system. The whitewall tires are new, too, so this car is ready to rock and roll.

Mid-century Mercury models continue to be popular with customizers in the modern era, and this car is a perfect example of a clean build that combines a vintage framework, a modified sleek profile, and modern underpinnings. This coupe would be right at home as a Sunday driver or as a dedicated show car. It has enough creature comforts to make gangster Al Capone feel right at home!

The seller is asking for $58,000 or the best offer for this hot rod.

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

Today’s vehicle spotlight is proof that you can combine mobster looks with modern features.

The Pick of the Day is a 1951 Mercury coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Franklinville, New Jersey. (Click the link to view the listing)

The stealthy blacked-out appearance of this lead sled is accentuated by a beveled windshield, curved side moldings, and a dual exhaust system. “Chopped, shaved, nosed, decked,” the listing states. There isn’t much on this old coupe that hasn’t been given some sort of custom treatment.

This car is part of the Mercury “Eight” lineup of vehicles that became the first all-new postwar models from the brand beginning in 1949. The body at the time took on pontoon styling which eliminated the use of running boards and separate fenders. During that era, power for the Eight came from a 255cid flathead V8 paired with a three-speed manual transmission. However, as we would expect, today’s car leaves that dated powerplant behind.

In its place is a much more performance-oriented powerplant: a Chevrolet LS2 V8. This popular 6.0-liter engine was rated at 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque when it appeared in the C6 Corvette, the Pontiac GTO, and the Cadillac CTS-V. The transmission in the Mercury is similarly upgraded to a 4L65 four-speed automatic unit. This car clearly has the “go” to back up its “show.”

The chassis and braking systems received upgraded content in the form of four-wheel disc brakes and a coilover suspension. On the interior, the cabin features gray vinyl bucket seats and a custom center console, with added content like Vintage Air climate control, Dakota Digital instrumentation, power windows, and a Bluetooth-connected stereo system. The whitewall tires are new, too, so this car is ready to rock and roll.

Mid-century Mercury models continue to be popular with customizers in the modern era, and this car is a perfect example of a clean build that combines a vintage framework, a modified sleek profile, and modern underpinnings. This coupe would be right at home as a Sunday driver or as a dedicated show car. It has enough creature comforts to make gangster Al Capone feel right at home!

The seller is asking for $58,000 or the best offer for this hot rod.

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

The 500,000th Mercedes-Benz G-Class rolled off the production line on Thursday at the SUV’s plant in Graz, Austria.

The milestone comes 44 years after the civilian version of the G-Class made its debut, and as a sign of the vehicle’s growing popularity, the last 200,000 examples were built in just the previous six years.

To mark the milestone, the 500,000th example is a special one-off design with elements mimicking an early G-Class, specifically a 1986 280 GE. Key retro cues include the agave green exterior paint (one of the earliest colors available on a G-Class), checkered fabric on the seats, and orange lenses for the indicator lamps. The design of the steering wheel and spare wheel cover also feature classic cues, according to Mercedes.

The G-Class, which draws its name from gelandewagen, the German word for “off-road vehicle,” was conceived as a military vehicle. However, Mercedes and the Austrian firm Steyr-Daimler-Puch began discussions about a civilian version of the SUV as early as 1969.

By 1972, the decision was made to develop one and in the spring of 1979 the first civilian G-Class was launched. Steyr-Daimler-Puch was responsible for production, right up until 2001 when the company was dissolved. However, its vehicle manufacturing operations were taken over by Canada’s Magna International and turned into the new division Magna Steyr, which today still builds the G-Class for Mercedes.

Over the decades, the G-Class has been updated while keeping its look and feel unchanged—a philosophy that will be tested next year when the first electric G-Class is launched.

HIGH-RES GALLERY: 500,000th Mercedes-Benz G-Class is completed – April, 2023

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

Today’s feature on AutoHunter Cinema is a twin-turbocharged Ferrari-powered 1968 Ford Mustang nicknamed “Corruptt” – yes, two Ts for twin-turbocharged. This wild mashup of two stallions was built by Tony Arme of American Legends Hot Rods and Musclecars. Power comes from a twin-turbocharged Ferrari F136 V8 (the one used in the F430), though it runs an F149 California intake due to the front engine placement. Power is a robust 700 horsepower on a stand-alone ECU. Aside of the unique powerplant, both the Mustang’s exterior and interior have also been heavily modified starting with a 2.5-inch chop of the roof, flush glass and custom acrylic taillights, plus other custom aluminum and carbon fiber components finished with 3D printing and CNC machining.

Watch more AutoHunter Cinema videos, and get updates on the latest by subscribing to the YouTube channel.

The second trailer for “Fast X,” the 10th installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, was released on Wednesday and gave us a better look at some of the cars that are set to appear.

It follows an initial trailer that was released in February.

The new movie is due in theaters on May 19. Many original characters will return to join some new ones, including the new villain, Dante Reyes, played by Jason Momoa. Reyes lost his family during the bridge chase from “Fast Five,” and he’s out to get his revenge. Another new face is Brie Larson, playing one of the good guys.

As for the cars, naturally the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, the favorite of Vin Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto, makes an appearance. Other classic muscle that will appear includes a Chevrolet Impala, a Chevrolet El Camino, and a Ford Fairlane. Modern cars will include a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, a 997-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a Lamborghini Gallardo, and even a McLaren Senna.

There’s expected to be an 11th movie that will share an overarching story with this one and wrap up the main plot of the franchise—which goes all the way back to 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious.” Diesel said in a 2021 interview that the 11th movie—tentatively scheduled for a 2024 release—will be the end of the main storyline. However, that still leaves room for spinoffs like 2019’s “Hobbs and Shaw.”

However, Hobbs and Shaw might be over as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who plays the titular character Luke Hobbs, decided to quit the “Fast” franchise after the ninth movie, despite some attempts by franchise stalwart Diesel to get him back.

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

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica powered by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a 1975 Corvette frame with a D&D Grand Sport body, this replica also features road-racing suspension items, power windows, upgraded climate controls, Grand Sport replica seats, Halibrand-style wheels and more. Finished in bright blue with white and red accents, this Grand Sport replica comes from the selling dealer with a clear Massachusetts title for a 1975 Corvette.

This 2005 build was completed by Dean Hoskins of D&D Corvette in Akron, Ohio, who installed this D&D Grand Sport body kit and refinished it in Brilliant Blue metallic in 1963 Grand Sport #003 livery. Features include clear headlight covers, external transmission cooler, custom taillights, dual rearview mirrors and more. A full walk-around video can be seen on the auction page.

A set of 15-inch Vintage Wheels Halibrand-style replica wheels with knock-off center caps is wrapped in 26.50 x 8-inch (front) and 26.50 x 10-inch (rear) Goodyear Vintage Blue Streak Special tires.

The replica Grand Sport seats are upholstered in blue vinyl. Features include an ididit tilt steering column hooked to a manual quick-ratio steering box, Vintage Air climate controls, Grant steering wheel with walnut rim, roll bar with headrests, and trunk-mounted battery.

The instrument panel features AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer and readouts for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. The odometer reads 1,200 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Power is provided by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine offering a reported 502 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a high-performance clutch and pressure plate, plus Lakewood bellhousing scatter shield. Engine features include aluminum intake, Quick Fuel Technology 850-cfm Black Diamond carburetor, aluminum Griffin radiator with a SPAL electric fan, and Hooker Super Competition headers. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a rebuilt 3.55:1 Positraction rear.

The sandblasted and powder-coated chassis of this Grand Sport replica was sourced from a 1975 Corvette. Features include chassis reinforcements, Gymkhana front springs, SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms, 1.25-inch front stabilizer bar, and VBP suspension items and much more. Braking is provided by new manual discs with red powder-coated VBP calipers and new pads. Exhaust exits via side pipes.

The auction for this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica powered by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a 1975 Corvette frame with a D&D Grand Sport body, this replica also features road-racing suspension items, power windows, upgraded climate controls, Grand Sport replica seats, Halibrand-style wheels and more. Finished in bright blue with white and red accents, this Grand Sport replica comes from the selling dealer with a clear Massachusetts title for a 1975 Corvette.

This 2005 build was completed by Dean Hoskins of D&D Corvette in Akron, Ohio, who installed this D&D Grand Sport body kit and refinished it in Brilliant Blue metallic in 1963 Grand Sport #003 livery. Features include clear headlight covers, external transmission cooler, custom taillights, dual rearview mirrors and more. A full walk-around video can be seen on the auction page.

A set of 15-inch Vintage Wheels Halibrand-style replica wheels with knock-off center caps is wrapped in 26.50 x 8-inch (front) and 26.50 x 10-inch (rear) Goodyear Vintage Blue Streak Special tires.

The replica Grand Sport seats are upholstered in blue vinyl. Features include an ididit tilt steering column hooked to a manual quick-ratio steering box, Vintage Air climate controls, Grant steering wheel with walnut rim, roll bar with headrests, and trunk-mounted battery.

The instrument panel features AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer and readouts for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. The odometer reads 1,200 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Power is provided by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine offering a reported 502 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a high-performance clutch and pressure plate, plus Lakewood bellhousing scatter shield. Engine features include aluminum intake, Quick Fuel Technology 850-cfm Black Diamond carburetor, aluminum Griffin radiator with a SPAL electric fan, and Hooker Super Competition headers. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a rebuilt 3.55:1 Positraction rear.

The sandblasted and powder-coated chassis of this Grand Sport replica was sourced from a 1975 Corvette. Features include chassis reinforcements, Gymkhana front springs, SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms, 1.25-inch front stabilizer bar, and VBP suspension items and much more. Braking is provided by new manual discs with red powder-coated VBP calipers and new pads. Exhaust exits via side pipes.

The auction for this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica powered by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a 1975 Corvette frame with a D&D Grand Sport body, this replica also features road-racing suspension items, power windows, upgraded climate controls, Grand Sport replica seats, Halibrand-style wheels and more. Finished in bright blue with white and red accents, this Grand Sport replica comes from the selling dealer with a clear Massachusetts title for a 1975 Corvette.

This 2005 build was completed by Dean Hoskins of D&D Corvette in Akron, Ohio, who installed this D&D Grand Sport body kit and refinished it in Brilliant Blue metallic in 1963 Grand Sport #003 livery. Features include clear headlight covers, external transmission cooler, custom taillights, dual rearview mirrors and more. A full walk-around video can be seen on the auction page.

A set of 15-inch Vintage Wheels Halibrand-style replica wheels with knock-off center caps is wrapped in 26.50 x 8-inch (front) and 26.50 x 10-inch (rear) Goodyear Vintage Blue Streak Special tires.

The replica Grand Sport seats are upholstered in blue vinyl. Features include an ididit tilt steering column hooked to a manual quick-ratio steering box, Vintage Air climate controls, Grant steering wheel with walnut rim, roll bar with headrests, and trunk-mounted battery.

The instrument panel features AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer and readouts for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. The odometer reads 1,200 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Power is provided by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine offering a reported 502 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a high-performance clutch and pressure plate, plus Lakewood bellhousing scatter shield. Engine features include aluminum intake, Quick Fuel Technology 850-cfm Black Diamond carburetor, aluminum Griffin radiator with a SPAL electric fan, and Hooker Super Competition headers. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a rebuilt 3.55:1 Positraction rear.

The sandblasted and powder-coated chassis of this Grand Sport replica was sourced from a 1975 Corvette. Features include chassis reinforcements, Gymkhana front springs, SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms, 1.25-inch front stabilizer bar, and VBP suspension items and much more. Braking is provided by new manual discs with red powder-coated VBP calipers and new pads. Exhaust exits via side pipes.

The auction for this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Porsche’s first sports cars had aluminum body panels, but it was nature’s own lightweight material that made their iconic shape possible.

The Porsche 356 had bodywork where the panels were hammered and hand-rolled into shape, and a wooden frame model was used to ensure everything lined up.

That frame still exists, and is in relatively good condition. It’s at the Porsche Automuseum in Gmünd, Austria, where the first Porsche production cars were completed before manufacturing moved to Stuttgart, Germany.

The frame is sometimes called Holzklopfmodell, which is German for “hammered wooden frame,” but the frame itself wasn’t hammered. Rather, it served as a model the factory workers used for shaping and fitting of the aluminum body panels. It was a time-consuming process that sometimes required multiple attempts to get a door or fender to perfectly fit the frame, which was the exact shape of a 356 body. The process took at least 90 hours, according to Porsche.

Handmade bodywork was primarily a feature of the earliest Austrian-built Porsches. Starting in 1948, Porsche built 52 cars in Gmünd, including 44 coupes and eight convertibles, plus between eight and 10 super light (SL) bodies that were completed by Porsche’s racing department in Stuttgart between 1951 and 1952.

When production shifted to Germany in 1949, Porsche switched to steel bodies and mechanized manufacturing processes, leaving hand-formed aluminum for specials like the 16 lightweight 356 America Roadsters. A new wooden frame eventually replaced the original.

Because steel is much harder than aluminum, Porsche started using presses to manufacture body panels, which also allowed it to produce cars at a faster rate. Today, the 356 wood frame remains as a reminder of the automaker’s early days.

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

Porsche’s first sports cars had aluminum body panels, but it was nature’s own lightweight material that made their iconic shape possible.

The Porsche 356 had bodywork where the panels were hammered and hand-rolled into shape, and a wooden frame model was used to ensure everything lined up.

That frame still exists, and is in relatively good condition. It’s at the Porsche Automuseum in Gmünd, Austria, where the first Porsche production cars were completed before manufacturing moved to Stuttgart, Germany.

The frame is sometimes called Holzklopfmodell, which is German for “hammered wooden frame,” but the frame itself wasn’t hammered. Rather, it served as a model the factory workers used for shaping and fitting of the aluminum body panels. It was a time-consuming process that sometimes required multiple attempts to get a door or fender to perfectly fit the frame, which was the exact shape of a 356 body. The process took at least 90 hours, according to Porsche.

Handmade bodywork was primarily a feature of the earliest Austrian-built Porsches. Starting in 1948, Porsche built 52 cars in Gmünd, including 44 coupes and eight convertibles, plus between eight and 10 super light (SL) bodies that were completed by Porsche’s racing department in Stuttgart between 1951 and 1952.

When production shifted to Germany in 1949, Porsche switched to steel bodies and mechanized manufacturing processes, leaving hand-formed aluminum for specials like the 16 lightweight 356 America Roadsters. A new wooden frame eventually replaced the original.

Because steel is much harder than aluminum, Porsche started using presses to manufacture body panels, which also allowed it to produce cars at a faster rate. Today, the 356 wood frame remains as a reminder of the automaker’s early days.

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