1912 Simplex: The original street racer–owned by the original flapper!

Note: Today’s guest author is Billie Biscayne, who has previously contributed to RG’s Vault O’ Automobilia–including this column on the neoclassic Stutz. Today she discusses a car she saw at the recent auctions in Scottsdale. Check it out! -TK

At Auction week in Scottsdale 2023 Bonhams had a lovely piece of brass era automotive gorgeousness for sale, the 1912 Simplex 50HP passenger Torpedo Tourer!

This car has all the features one would expect of the carefree, romantic and prosperous pre-WW1 era, such as curvy running boards along the sides, a sleek design, compact and rather sporty body and an elongated bonnet–features which were all a step away from the rather plain “horse-and-carriage-looking” Ford Model T, a popular car in the first decade of the 1900’s. But hey, there was quite a price difference between those two, ha!

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Jason’s Latest Find: 1974 Eldorado

Note: we last heard from Jason while he was working on his gold 1971 Caprice Sport Sedan. But as usual, his favorite car is always “the next one.” Here’s a sneak peek of his next one. -TK

After looking at a million things online and damned near everywhere-I have decided to resurrect another Eldorado. Here’s a 1974 that has been sitting in this spot since around 1995 or so. All of the cars in my friend Dennis’ collection have ran and drove perfectly after basic stuff to get them going again. If you have seen his cars after they have been cleaned-they all look amazing. This one will be no different. Best part? I don’t need to ship it. It’s close……

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Jason’s New Ride “The Clunker” – Issa Caprese!

By now I think most of you know of my land-yacht refurbishing friend in Spokane, Jason Bagge. He’s had pretty much one of every ’70s gunboat, sometimes more than one! For instance, I conservatively estimate he’s had at least fifteen 1971-76 Chevrolet Caprices, Impalas and Bel Airs. His latest acquisition is today’s subject, affectionately termed The Clunker: A 1971 Caprice. I’ll let him give you all the details. These are excerpted from posts he’s done on the car between late October and now. -TK

The car, upon arrival, 10/28/2022.

“1971 Chevrolet Caprice 4 door hardtop. Runs great. Has some rust issues here and there and someone torched out the rear wheel lips on the both sides-fender skirts are not an option right now. But I don’t care really. It’s a 1971-more pluses than minuses and I can hop in and drive it. There are parts on this car that are perfect. The expensive ones. That brushed aluminum tail panel piece and the grille are worth almost as much as what I paid for the whole car. I’m going to tinker with it.” Continue Reading →

Guest Post: That’s Our House Now

Today’s guest post is a bit of fiction-loosely-based-on-real-events from RG reader John Curry. It may not be appropriate for all ages — jb

“Motherf…” Joe muttered when the fan blade hit his head as he stumbled to his bedroom in the attic he and his dad rented from their boss. “The one thing from home I didn’t miss when I was in that GD sandbox.” He sat down on his bed and chugged a Nalgene of water so he wouldn’t be hungover in the morning. Joe’s dad had joked with him before he left the house earlier that night. “Don’t be trying to puss out of work tomorrow morning because your head hurts. I’ve seen you leave at the ass crack of dawn Saturday morning to try and fix some chick’s car playing Captain Save-A-Hoe.” Joe could work harder hungover than most men could work sober. That hard work led him from side jobs and summer work to help with bills when he was a teenager — to Afghanistan after he graduated and didn’t really have a better plan.

When he got his DD214, he still didn’t really have a plan. Going back to work fixing tractors for his dad’s boss, a man he always knew as “Mr. Owen”, seemed like the most reasonable thing. Joe’s uncle had researched their family history; they’d been farming around here since white people had found the land, but a family weakness for the bottle had taken them from owning land to working on other people’s land generations before Joe was swimming in his dad’s nutsack. “A man ain’t ever worth a damn unless he’s got a piece of land to call his own,” Dad always used to say, in between labored breaths. Decades of cowboy killers and 7018 fumes had made his lungs work about as well as the liquor made his liver work.

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Formula 1 Before the Beautiful People

Note: Another guest submission by Patrick King. -TK
Now that the Big Three road and street races in this part of Florida are behind us my attention turns to media coverage and in-person access at Formula One events in the current year compared to days past. This weekend, F1 TV Pro will present me with six hours of on-track activity from Italy, plus endless commentary before and after each practice/qualifying/sprint session and the race itself, in stereo though my Klipsch speakers – unbroken by commercials – for a prorated cost of $2.83. To show my appreciation, here’s the official name of the Grand Prix formerly known as Imola:

FORMULA 1 ROLEX GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL’EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2022

My interest in Formula One has waxed and waned since the early sixties, spiking at milestones like Frankenheimer’s “Grand Prix” and camping at Watkins Glen to watch Jackie Stewart run away from the field in 1970 only to be felled by a broken oil line in his first race with the new Tyrrell 001, allowing an unknown youngster named Emerson Fittipaldi to win his first Grand Prix. Later, the Canadian Grand Prix became my home F1 race, Montreal being less than a five hour drive from Boston.

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BMWs and More!

Note: Another submission by regular RG reader, Patrick King. -TK

My second car after a ’69 Dodge Dart GTS 340 was a new 1971 BMW 2002 that left the dealership with many hot rod modifications (although the 45 DCOEs didn’t go on until a 3,000 mile break-in period was complete).

My ’71 autocrossing in ’75.

I daily drove, autocrossed and tracked that car for six years until it was pretty much beaten into submission by my driving style and the Boston winters. Continue Reading →

Mopar Memories

Note: Today’s post is by frequent commenter and regular RG reader, Patrick King. Enjoy. -TK
My parents didn’t drive so when I got my license and convinced them we needed a “family car” I suggested a 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 340, yellow with black interior, black vinyl roof and black bumblebee stripe. It was hardly a random choice: I’d been devouring the buff books since I was eight and loved what few imports existed but, being sixteen, I wanted a muscle car and my friend’s ‘65 GTO convertible seemed too large and unwieldy. Also, the Dodge was unibody, unlike the large, body-on-frame GM and Ford hot rods. Everything I read pointed to the Dart. But what really enticed me about the Mopar was the brand-new thin-wall, high-performance small block 340 introduced the year before to combat the small block Chevy. At the time I could quote all the specs of this engine, from its compression ratio to the windage tray in its oil pan (to the great amusement of my chortling uncles who would ask me to perform my routine as if I were reciting the latest Dylan lyrics).

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A Cimarron By Another Name

Note: Today’s guest post was written by a mystery contributor! Enjoy. -TK

We all know the story of the Cadillac Cimarron, a badge engineered J-body created to be an entry level offering from Cadillac in the early 1980’s. Many “enthusiasts” (who lease homely imports like CR-Vs with absolutely no sense of irony) like to beat up on the Cimarron and make an example of it for their own amusement and inflate their tiny egos. They wax poetically about how crappy they were, how they were the turning point in history and the reason why Cadillac fell from grace, and how it was the beginning of the end for General Motors, who they feel deserved to die.  Heck, some self-proclaimed journalists even call it a Sin of some sort (as he or she may or may not drive to Dollar Tree for ramen noodles). Continue Reading →

1973 Buick Electra 225 Coupe: Brougham Whisperer Buick

Note: Today’s Guest Post is by Jason Bagge, AKA The Brougham Whisperer, who most of you may recall from the many ’70s land yachts of his I’ve featured here at RG the past few years. -TK

Well-the ’74 New Yorker sold. Going to a collector in Florida who restores these back to original. Same guy who bought Chris’ 1976 Cadillac Calais in Idaho. So with that-here comes the ’73 455 2 door Buick Deuce and a quarter.

The car, upon arrival.

I’m going to change out the wheels and tires. Back to new whitewalls and hubcaps. I’m going to store the rallyes away with the original tires on them. Planning on going cruising with my Dad next weekend. The whole car is pretty gangster. It just has that vibe. Continue Reading →

Guest Post: The Ark On Parade In Hyannis

Note: Today’s guest post is by my friend Laurie Kraynick, whose excellent 1970 Fleetwood Brougham has previously been discussed here and here. Enjoy. -TK

On a scale of 1-10 the weather was a 12, just a GORGEOUS, warm, sunny, breezy day at the beach
for a classic car parade and show. All sponsored by the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, the
folks who SHOULD HAVE HAD the annual Father’s Day Car Show this year but wilted to the wishes of all the restaurant and other common retailers on Main Street Hyannis because they lost so much
money last year and this year due to the Hyannis Puritans crushing the local economy with flu
mandates – but I digress….

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