Date: circa 1970s
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Source: via Historic American Engineering Record
What do you see here?
When the shark-nose E24 M6 (M635CSi in Europe) first rolled off BMW assembly lines in 1983, it was unlike any other sports car in its day. The “M” stands for “Motorsport,” and the only BMW sports car faster than the luxurious M6 coupe was the legendary M1 supercar. Of the 5,855 examples built, this low-mileage 1988 BMW M6 is just one of the estimated 1,767 models shipped to the United States. Production of the E24 M6/M635CSi ended in 1989, making it one of the last of its kind to be produced.
A perfect blend between European luxury and race-bred power, this high-performance grand tourer seats four and is equipped with the 3.5-liter DOHC inline-six, a modified version of the M1 supercar engine rated at 256 horsepower. The standard five-speed manual transmission has the capability to shift the car from 0-60-mph in six seconds.
The engine bay of the ’88 BMW M6 is so clean you could eat off of it, but wouldn’t want to in fear of leaving crumbs behind.
Offered for sale on Hemmings via a live online auction, the seller states that they originally acquired the fully serviced, showroom condition sports car from its previous 25-year owner. The CARFAX report shows consistent servicing and no known issues.
The BMW M6 supports an unbeatable driving experience with its comfortable plush leather interior.
Unlike the 1987 version that wore the generally less desirable front bumpers, this ‘88 M6 sports the smaller standardized bumpers to compliment its shark-nose styling. The seller says the Cinnabar Red paint is in excellent condition and the interior is very clean, showing no visible signs of wear. The factory stereo comes with the car but has since been upgraded with a Boss touch screen audio and navigation system. The original tools and extensive service documentation are also included with the sale.
Sometimes you don’t have to go far to find a rare ride that’s been hiding in plain sight. Carl Manfra found that out recently when he heard about a 1967 Ford Mustang GTA sitting in the woods in Atco, New Jersey, just a few miles from the famous raceway that bears the towns name.
“I was contacted about a Mustang that had been out in the woods for quite a while. I ran down to look at it. As it turned out, this is anything but a regular Mustang to say the least,” Carl said.
The Ford was in poor shape, disassembled and weathered, and missing most of its front clip. “It didn’t look like much, but there was a catch with this one, and the VIN gave it away,” Carl added. This Mustang was an early build, with its VIN showing it was the 38th Mustang serialized that year. Usually, these low number cars were built for a specific reason, so the research began.
Once Carl received the Marti report on the Mustang, the mystery started to unravel. There it showed that this car was ordered June 3 of 1966 and was originally scheduled to be built on July 4. Its actual build date was August 21, which was early in the manufacturing year. The release date was October 17; however, its final sale date was on August 3 of the following year. Why was there such a long timelapse before it was sold?
Carl found that out on the Marti Report as well; “This Mustang was classified as an “Introductory Show Unit,” which means it was used as a special car built by Ford to show off the new model and its options. This car was probably destined for a big auto show or something similar. Once it was finished on the circuit, it was released for sale to the general public. It’s a very well optioned car believed to be the first big-block 390-ci fastback produced on the East Coast.”
Found after it was put out to pasture, the VIN on this ’67 Mustang GTA tells us that this pony was built by Ford specifically for the show car circuit.
This pony car pasture find just gets bigger and better
The ‘67 Mustang had an all-new engine lineup for the new model year, which now included its first big-block offering. The car was also redesigned and grew in length and width to help fit the big Ford engines that were available that year. This included the new 390ci 4v “Thunderbird Special” mill pushing out a healthy 320-hp and 427 ft-lbs. of twisty torque. This powerplant would no doubt add a little punch to the Mustang franchise.
The original 390/4v Thunderbird Special is long gone, but a viable replacement is readily available on the secondhand market.
Some other info came to light after finding the car. It was built in Metuchen, New Jersey. It’s an East Coast car, but Carl also found its “sister” on the West Coast. It’s the exact same car with the same options, including the color combo, the only exception is West Coast car was ordered with air conditioning. It was built before Carl’s barn find, with a VIN that ends in 17.
When built, the interior of this Mustang was stuffed with options like a tilt steering wheel, stereosonic tape system and am radio, deluxe seat belts harnesses, and tachometer with trip odometer. The floors are in poor shape, but sheet metal is readily available.
Carl’s fastback was born in Wimbledon White and has a nicely contrasting blue vinyl interior. Like stated before, it was stuffed with the new 390-ci powerplant, backed by a C6 transmission. Of course, it has the GT package which consisted of front disc brakes, grill-mounted fog lights, dual exhaust, GT gas cap and rocker paint stripes. Other options include styled wheels, deluxe steering wheel, am/eight track stereo radio, tachometer and trip odometer, and shoulder harnesses, among others.
This Mustang came with the popular styled wheels and F-70 Firestone Wide Ovals.
So, what’s the future for this very collectible pony car? “I’m still getting all the parts together, but I will be putting it up for sale shortly,” Carl said, “It will make a great restoration project and a great example of Ford’s big block pony car for muscle car aficionados, especially for any Mustang fanatic.”
In this crazy world of collector’s cars, prices are going through the roof with records broken seemingly every auction. The well-known models are highly sought-after and demand overwhelms the supply. Many exotic and/or muscle cars command extreme prices. For example, million-dollar Hemi Cudas are no exception; they are the new standard of the industry. So, what do drivers do if they have an irresistible urge for an exotic machine but they don’t have the required million-dollar budget?
If that sounds like you, we have a wide selection of exciting machinery just for you. These range from well-known brands to complete obscurities and from brand-new cars to forgotten classics. Here you’ll find exotic cars that can fit any budget and any taste. The best thing about this eclectic mix of vehicles is that all of them are great conversation starters. Some are fast and some are not, but all are rare, cool, and unusual exotic cars.
Ferrari 456 GT
If you’re looking for the most car for your money or you want a Ferrari for a reasonable price, then the 456 GT is for you. Introduced in 1992 in Europe and in 1995 in America, the 456 GT combines classic proportions, a V12 engine, and full comfort for four adults. Thanks to a 5.5-liter V12 engine with 442 HP on tap, the 456 GT is still a fast machine and can outrun some younger cars. Ferrari offered the option of an automatic gearbox for buyers who don’t want to shift gears. Those examples are more affordable than the six-speed manuals (via Ferrari).
The 456 GT stayed in production until 2003. Ferrari made over 3200 examples of this wonderful and understated GT cruiser. Despite costing almost $300,000 in the mid-’90s, a decent 456 GT is around $80,000 today with the best examples going for just over $90,000. Of course, this is a decent sum for any car enthusiast, but considering the features, power, and design of this elegant cruiser, it’s well worth it.
The post Affordable Dreams: Exotic Cars That Won’t Break the Bank appeared first on Motor Junkie.
In the 1990s I did the How-To segment on the My Classic Car TV show, and it was there that I saw my first restored car. This was years after having gone to Pebble Beach and other famous concours d’elegance shows. Let me explain.
One of the cars we featured on the show was a 1963 Corvette split-window coupe that had been meticulously restored to the way it was when it left the factory, right down to the slight orange peel in the paintwork and the faint overspray on the chassis. In fact, the owner researched everything to the point that he actually knew how much grease was shot into the fittings on the chassis!
Even the original chalk marks made by the inspectors on the assembly line were in place, despite dealers having usually erased them when they prepped the cars for sale. Also, the car’s hubcaps were stowed in the back of the car, wrapped in the correct brown paper that the factory used for shipment. It took years, a lot of money, and a lot of research to make the car as painstakingly authentic as it was, and of course the owner never even started it. The car was strictly for show and was shipped in a closed trailer everywhere it went.
I say kudos to this true restorer who presented us with such an exact restoration of this unique car. I will not take a position on whether it is advisable for anyone to go to such incredible effort to recreate assembly-line mediocrity, though. Or for that matter, why restorers try to exceed the original with a lovingly hand-built fantasy of what the car could have been. That’s because I also enjoy seeing the great classics over-restored to what they could have been.
The great classics on display at the prestigious concours shows are stunning to behold, and yes, they were hand built by craftsmen to very high standards, but they were never done to the level of perfection that you see at Pebble Beach. People who were alive at the time they were built would tell you so, and that includes my late father, who once shot paint for Howard “Dutch” Darrin back in the late 1930s.
Pop said that Dutch used a lot of lead, rather than the best metal finishing, and that some of his early Packard Darrins had problems with cowl shake after being sectioned and channeled, and the doors would pop open without warning. He then resorted to a cast-aluminum cowl. Apparently, Dutch relied on the designer’s dictum: “If it looks good, it IS good,” which is great for static art, but not necessarily ideal for kinetic items such as cars.
I have over-restored half a dozen cars to show-winning standards myself and have the trophies to prove it, and I have gone to a great deal of trouble to make them as factory-original as possible. But I like to drive classics too, so I have subtly upgraded and changed some of them to make them more usable in today’s traffic.
For example, I have added more durable roller-type front-wheel bearings to my 1958 Chevrolet Apache parts-chaser pickup, and vented the brake drums for extra stopping power. I added aftermarket air conditioning to my 1955 Chevrolet Beauville station wagon so my wife and I can be comfortable on hot summer tours. I used the original factory-correct inlets in the passenger compartment, but I had to add an alternator to deal with the extra amps required to run the system.
With my 1940 Packard 110 coupe, I installed the correct original R9 Borg Warner overdrive available that year, but left the non-overdrive differential in place because it had a higher (numerically lower) gear ratio that allows me to drive at freeway speeds without over-revving the engine. Also, the Packard’s paintwork is the original Harbor Gray hue, but it has been color sanded and polished to a gleaming perfection using modern materials that the carmakers were never blessed with at the factory.
So, what’s my point? Just this: I admire and applaud people who restore cars to exact originality, though I have only ever seen one, and I also admire those who over-restore to concours d’elegance standards, based on the original French meaning of the term that originated in Paris in the 19th century, when people tarted up their horse-drawn vehicles and toured them around that city.
Also thrilling to me is seeing well-preserved original cars, because they are the most accurate tangible artifacts of automotive history we have left, and I am a history buff. Such surviving originals are the closest things to time machines that exist and are able to transport us back to another era. I applaud people who keep such cars original and running, so we can all see, hear, and smell what once was.
Instead of restoring, maybe all such preserved cars need is careful re-storing, not restoring, to make sure they survive for future generations to appreciate.
With rows upon rows of Shelby Mustangs, Hemi-powered Dodges, Yenkos of all stripes, and other production-line Detroit performance vehicles, the American Muscle Car Museum seems an unlikely place for the 1956 Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser, a recently restored chrome-laden one-off show car, to wind up. But museum founder Mark Pieloch thinks it’ll still fit in nicely.
“The car struck me – it’s stunning from a color perspective,” Pieloch said. “I like to have a tremendous variety of colors in the museum; I’m not a black and white guy.”
Pieloch noticed the car at last month’s Mecum Kissimmee auction, where restorer Tom Maruska had consigned it after a restoration odyssey that started with a car that had been vandalized, left out in the elements in Detroit, and rusted to the gills. It was far from the gleaming, pearl-orange turntable twirler that John Najjar and Elwood Engle designed with rocket-inspired side sculpting, butterfly panels above each door, and a dual-quad Y-block as a precursor to the production 1957 Mercury lineup, but Maruska, no stranger to restoring unique concept cars – he’s done both the Ford Thunderbird Italien and the 1954 Mercury XM-800 – took on the Ghia-built concept car figuring it’d be just a two-year job.
Photo courtesy Tom Maruska
Four years later, Maruska, working on his own out of his shop in Duluth, Minnesota, ended up having to replace much of the rusted-away frame with sections from a 1954 Mercury’s frame, fabricate an entirely new floor and lower sections of the body panels, nearly re-create the entire interior, and teach himself how to shape plexiglass to shape the unique rear wraparound windows. He researched just about every aspect of the car, from how the Ford and Ghia workers put it together to the exact color they painted it (a 1956 Mercury production color called Persimmon with a coat of pearl sprayed over it), discovering a number of oddities about it along the way, including the fact that it used F-250 chassis components and that one of the butterfly panels ended up being longer than the other by a couple inches.
From the beginning, Maruska was clear that he was only restoring the XM-Turnpike Cruiser to sell at auction, and after wrapping up the restoration in the fall of last year, he consigned it to the Kissimmee auction, where Mecum staff estimated it would sell for $1.25 to $2 million. While it failed to meet Maruska’s reserve, bidding up to $350,000, it did bring Maruska and Pieloch together.
Photo courtesy Tom Maruska
Pieloch, who’s been mainly collecting muscle cars for 30 years, opened the American Muscle Car Museum in October 2016 in Melbourne, Florida, in a purpose-built 123,000-square-foot facility. Though it’s not open to the public, the museum does host more than 100 activities throughout the year, including car shows, autocross events, and student tours. As a result, more than 20,000 people go through the museum every year.
“I know people down here in Florida with $20 million to $50 million worth of cars in their garages that nobody ever sees,” he said. “I’d rather show my vehicles than put them away where nobody sees them, and I told Tom that’s exactly my plan for the XM-Turnpike Cruiser, to put it on prominent display and to show off his restoration work. It’s going to be seen.”
Photo courtesy American Muscle Car Museum
Of the more than 400 cars in the collection, about 200 of them have less than 100 miles, and another 80 of them have less than 10,000 miles. And while that – plus the fact that Pieloch insists on maintaining every car in running condition – makes the collection fairly unique, he said there’s not many truly unique individual vehicles in the collection. He could only point to a one-of-two Alan Mann lightweight 1966 Ford GT40 and a one-of-10 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Indy pace car as standouts in that regard. That said, “I try to have a couple pinnacle examples of every car,” and the XM-Turnpike Cruiser fits that bill.
As for Maruska, he’s an avid restorer of Amphicars and already has another one, a 1964, on the rotisserie in his shop. But he’s not averse to taking on another concept car project, especially if it’s a Ford from the Fifties or Sixties.
Date: circa 1970s
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Source: via David Pirmann / Flickr
What do you see here?
This 1940 Mercury Eight coupe is said to have been sold new in Pendleton, Oregon and was refurbished from 1999 to 2000. Work included installing a fuel-injected 351ci V8 and a four-speed automatic transmission as well as fitting a Mustang II front end with rack-and-pinion steering and power-assisted front disc brakes. In 2013 the car was refinished in black, and features include bench seats with brown and beige upholstery, Vintage Air climate control, tilt steering, 15″ steel wheels with hubcaps, dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers, and a 9″ rear axle with a limited-slip differential. This modified Mercury coupe was acquired by its current owner in 2021 and is now offered on dealer consignment with manufacturer’s literature, build photos, records, and an Oregon title.
The car was refinished in black in 2013, and it features a two-piece windshield, a split rear window, tinted glass, chrome trim, dual side mirrors, running boards, and LED taillights and front marker lights. The selling dealer notes chips in the paint as well as scrapes behind the driver-side rear wheel.
Black-finished 15×6″ front and 15×7″ rear wheels feature trim rings and Mercury-stamped hubcaps. They are mounted with 195/65 Steel Belted Radial front and 255/60 BFGoodrich Radial T/A rear tires. The front tires show 2010 date codes. A Mustang II front clip has been installed along with power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, power-assisted front disc brakes, Sensa-Trac front shocks, and KYB rear shocks.
The custom interior features a split-back front bench seat and a rear bench that have been reupholstered in brown and beige. Appointments include color-coordinating door panels and carpeting, red lap belts, and a Vintage Air climate-control system. A fuse panel has been added beneath the dashboard, and a clock is mounted in the glovebox door.
A two-spoke steering wheel sits on a tilting column ahead of replacement instrumentation that includes a 110-mph speedometer positioned above four auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 14k miles, which is said to reflect the distance accumulated since the refurbishment. True mileage is unknown, and the trip odometer and the battery gauge are inoperative. The selling dealer also notes that the temperature gauge must be tapped occasionally to produce a reading.
The Windsor-based 351ci V8 is said to have been ordered as a crate engine and was purchased from Aldridge Motorsports & Engineering of Vancouver, Washington. Features include fuel injection, Mercury-script valve covers, Sanderson exhaust headers, a K&N air intake, a Ford truck–specification intake manifold, an electric fuel pump, black billet pulleys, a black-finished Walker aluminum radiator with an electric fan, and a dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers. The selling dealer replaced the battery.
A 1990s Ford AOD four-speed automatic transmission is linked to a 9″ Ford rear axle with a limited-slip differential. The frame has been modified, and additional photos of the underside are presented in the gallery below.
An owner’s manual and other manufacturer’s literature will accompany the vehicle.
Binders of build photos and records will be included, a number of which are shown in the gallery.
A portion of the chassis number—notably a “99A” prefix and bookending star characters—is obscured by paint. The chassis number listed on the title matches the six-digit sequence pictured above.
This Track T–style Ford roadster was reportedly built by Larry’s Race Shop in Speedway, Indiana and features a black-finished fiberglass body mounted to a tubular chassis. The car is powered by a 401ci Nailhead V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. Other features include an 8″ rear end, an aerodynamic nose, front disc brakes, a chrome windshield frame and trim, a roll bar, staggered-diameter American Racing wheels, a retractable license-plate holder, steel seats with black vinyl cushions, Simpson seatbelts, and Moon Eyes gauges. This hot rod was acquired by the seller in 2010 and is now offered with a California title in the seller’s name that describes the vehicle as a 1927 Ford.
Mounted over a tube-style frame, the black fiberglass body features a styled silver front end, red accents, and Larry’s Speed Shop graphics painted on the rear. Exterior equipment includes a chrome split windshield frame and trim, molded-in doors, a red-finished roll bar, dual side exhaust outlets, a retractable rear license-plate holder, and a V8 hood emblem. The seller notes scratches and imperfections in the paint, as pictured in the gallery below.
Chrome-finished 16″ and 17″ American Racing wheels are mounted with Nitto NT450 Extreme Performance tires measuring 205/55 up front and 275/50 at the rear. Braking is handled by front discs and rear drums.
The cabin houses steel fixed-back seats with black vinyl-covered cushions along with matching side panels and carpeting. Equipment includes tubular reinforcements, red Simpson lap belts, Kenwood speakers, wiring for a stereo, all-weather floor mats, a rearview mirror, and a machined-aluminum dashboard.
A four-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a centrally mounted Classic Instruments Moon Eyes tachometer as well as gauges for monitoring oil pressure and water temperature; an AutoMeter fuel-level gauge is positioned to the left of the steering column. The vehicle is not equipped with a speedometer or an odometer. The seller estimates to have driven the car approximately 200 miles, and true chassis mileage is unknown.
Opening the trunk lid reveals the fuel cell, battery, rear suspension, and frame components.
The 401ci Buick Nailhead V8 is equipped with a chrome-finished air filter, an Edelbrock carburetor, Offenhauser valve covers, a Select 12-volt ignition coil, and an eight-gallon fuel tank. The oil was changed in preparation for the sale.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission and an 8″ rear end.
The VIN tag above shows the sequence T1299421627. That number is listed on the vehicle’s California title, which describes the car as a 1927 Ford convertible.
Owning a ‘Cuda from 1973 is much like having your name appear on the top of an entry list to an exclusive club. It was the last year for the optional four-barrel 340 small-block, and emissions and safety standards would only become more strict in the following years. The visually striking old school styling of the E-body blended with the most powerful engine available at the time is what Mopar dreams are made of.
This handsome Forest Green Metallic ’73 Plymouth ‘Cuda, actively up for auction as of this writing, is equipped with the optional 340 V-8 engine rated at 240-horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A TorqueFlite automatic transmission puts the power to the pavement via an original Slap-Stik shifter. According to the seller, this Mopar muscle car is all-original, from the engine down to the axles, with the exception of a factory-correct repaint within the last seven years. It sits on 14-inch Magnum 500-style wheels wrapped with newer installed P215/70R14 BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires that show 2022 manufacturing dates.
“It has the fender tag, VIN, and original Chrysler sticker still intact,” says the seller, who rates the car in #1 condition. Just 11,260 miles appear on the odometer, which, although unverified, the seller believes to be authentic. According to the Mopar’s excellent condition, those numbers very well could be true.
Less than 10,700 ‘Cudas were built in 1973, and the examples equipped with the optional 340 paired with the TorqueFlight automatic transmission equate to just over 4,500 examples produced. It’s rare to find an E-body Mopar in such minty condition and with minuscule mileage. In fact, you’re probably more likely to gain access to an exclusive club than find another ‘Cuda just like this one.