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Pick of the Day: 1936 Ford four-door sedan

Motor swaps are commonplace in the collector car universe. In the perpetual quest for more power, better reliability, and parts availability, it’s not unusual to see a hot rod or classic on its second or third powerplant. What I find interesting is when a car receives an engine transplant from another brand entirely.

The Pick of the Day is a 1936 Ford four-door sedan listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Stanley, North Carolina. (Click the link to view the listing)

1936 Ford four-door sedan

This Ford is powered by a Chevy – a 350ci Chevy crate engine, to be exact.

“Up for sale is my 1936 Ford slant-back four-door sedan custom,” the listing states. “Built from a very nice running original car, this vehicle was disassembled, blasted, and rebuilt as a mild street machine.”

1936 Ford four-door sedan

The heart of this custom build (which some Ford purists may consider blasphemous) has been upgraded with a PerTronix ignition system and a Holley Street Avenger carburetor. The seller states that it “runs, drives, and rides great.”

350ci V8 Chevrolet crate engine

Ford models from 1936 rode on what was known as the Model 48 platform which used a traditional body-on-frame design and was offered in ten different body styles. Design language up front came from an inverted pentagon-shaped grille. While its chassis is 86 years old, modern conveniences were weaved into this build so that it could be driven just as comfortably as a late-model car. Among the features are power steering, Vintage Air A/C, tinted windows, power door locks, and a Jensen CD player with Pioneer speakers.

1936 Ford four-door sedan

The body – which features suicide doors out back – shows clean finishes throughout, decorated by a black and red two-tone paint scheme and accessorized with a prominent chrome-finished hood ornament, pin striping, a luggage rack, and dual stainless-steel exhaust outlets beneath the rear bumper. A few of the photos in the gallery illustrate the car and its frame during various stages of restoration about 20 years ago.

1936 Ford four-door sedan during the restoration

“Car was built back in 2002 to 2003 and was my main show car for about ten years,” the seller states. “But as time passed and I built newer cars, it has taken a back seat to them. Now driven only to keep in good running order, it is time to sell and move on.”

Does a Chevy motor in this Ford add or subtract from its appeal? Let me know what you think in the comments. The seller is asking $34,000 for this “Fordvolet” (or Chevord) sedan.

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

Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow heads to auction

A 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow owned by Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is heading to auction with RM Sotheby’s on November 5, with proceeds from the sale going to the Superhumans Center, a charity providing aid to Ukraine.

While the Silver Chalice-painted sedan was registered in the United Kingdom when it was new, it didn’t enter Mercury’s orbit until 1979, when it was purchased by the rock star’s production company, Goos Productions Ltd., the listing says. While Mercury was likely chauffered in the Rolls, he probably never drove it himself because he seemingly never got a license.

1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow owned by Freddie Mercury (photo via RM Sotheby’s)

The car is accompanied by documents supporting its connection to Mercury, including workshop invoices in the singer’s name, other documents in the name of his former partner Mary Austin, and a letter from longtime Queen manager Jim Beach confirming Mercury’s ownership.

Produced from 1965 to 1980, the Silver Shadow was a big technological step forward for Rolls. The Shadow (and related Bentley T-Series) had unibody construction rather than the body-on-frame construction of previous models, along with a hydraulic self-leveling suspension system licensed from Citroën.

Power is provided by the ubiquitous Rolls-Royce/Bentley L-Series V-8, which started at 6.3 liters when the Silver Shadow launched, but was later enlarged to 6.8 liters (this car has the larger-displacement version). Iterations of this engine—with electronic fuel injection and turbocharging—continued in production until 2020.

1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow owned by Freddie Mercury (photo via RM Sotheby’s)

After Mercury’s death in November 1991, the Silver Shadow was driven by the late rock star’s sister Kashmira Cooke, who bought the car from the Freddie Mercury Estate in 2003. It was then auctioned off in 2013, when it was bought by the current owner. The listing notes that the car has been stored for awhile, and should be inspected before being driven.

RM Sotheby’s expects the Silver Shadow to sell for between 20,000 and 30,000 British pounds, equivalent to $22,539 to $33,808 at current exchange rates. Even those relatively low estimates likely reflect this car’s celebrity connection. The Silver Shadow’s long production run makes it relatively common for a Rolls-Royce, so values have never been particularly high.

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

Gran Turismo 7 adds four new cars in October update

Gran Turismo 7 added four new cars to the PlayStation video game in its October update. The racing simulator features more than more than 400 vehicles and the additional cars in the update run the gamut from current racecars to vintage sports cars. While four cars were added to GT7, no tracks were included in the update.

1973 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R (KPGC110)

The Skyline features a 1,989cc six-cylinder four-valve DOHC S20 engine that produced a factory-rated 157 horsepower and 130 lb-ft of torque.

According to Nissan, “This is the fourth generation Skyline that became very popular by the copy “Skyline for Ken and Mary.” However, this “2000GT-R” model was manufactured for only 4 months from January to April of 1973 and the total number of manufactured cars was less than 200 due to the stricter emission standards.”

1980 Maserati Merak SS

A Giorgetto Giugiaro designed, mid-engine supercar. The Maserati Merak SS is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine that produced a factory-rated 220 horsepower and with a five-speed manual transmission it could go from 0-60 mph in 9.0 seconds. Not lightning quick by modern standard but with some modifications in GT7 you should be able to get some improved performance in this 2+2 fastback coupe.

(Image courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment)

2018 Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3

A true racecar for GT7 powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine with 542 horsepower paired with a six-speed sequential transmission. The GT-R is a motorsports icon and should be a great car to use in GT7. I’m a fan of the GT-R and I’m curious to see how NISMO GT3 performs on my PS4.

2022 Mazda Roadster NR-A

The Miata (MX-5?) is always a solid choice in any Gran Turismo game. With sharp handling and a peppy engine, it can hang with cars that have more Performance Points. The Mazda Roadster NR-A is race ready for GT7.

Be a track hero, buy this Maserati MC12 Versione Corse

Deep-pocketed buyers looking for an extreme track car have a rare chance to snap up a Maserati MC12 Versione Corse.

The MC12 Versione Corse is the track-only version of Maserati’s MC12 supercar from the mid-2000s. It was launched in 2006 and just 12 were built, plus a prototype, and now one of them is listed for sale on duPont Registry.

The car is the third MC12 Versione Corse in the 12-car run, and incredibly it was never taken to the track. Its odometer shows just 129 miles of delivery mileage.

No price is listed, but the MC12 Versione Corse originally sold for about 1.2 million euros (approximately $1.17 million at today’s exchange rates).

2006 Maserati MC12 Versione Corse – Photo credit: duPont Registry

The Versione Corse is actually closer in spec to Maserati’s MC12 GT1 race cars that were quite successful in GT competition. The chassis is based on the one in the Ferrari Enzo, but the engine is the same 6.0-liter V-12 fitted to the Enzo-based FXX track car. It generates 755 hp in a vehicle that weighs just 2,535 lb.

The 0-62 mph run takes about 3.8 seconds and the top speed is in excess of 202 mph. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a heavily revised version of the MC12’s 6-speed automated manual transmission, designed for quicker shifts.

A handful of the MC12 Versione Corses have been modified to make them street-legal. That isn’t the case for this car, but it doesn’t matter as any buyer would probably never want to drive it on a public road, and there’s a good chance it won’t even make it out of a climate-controlled garage. For anyone who would take it on the road, there’s some seriously stiff suspension tuning to deal with as well as a severe lack of outward vision.

Maserati has a new supercar in its lineup in the form of the MC20 and it’s set to spawn a track-only version in the same vein as the MC12 Versione. Maserati has yet to say when the car, code-named the Project24, will be available.

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

Four-Links – never-used Moke, DMC44, Alfa Classiche, why Ford didn’t buy Austin

1. Typically, when one buys a vehicle, they bring it home not long after. But when one Swede agreed to buy a 1966 Mini Moke that apparently hadn’t been driven since it was purchased, he also agreed to leave it sit untouched for another 20 years until after the seller died, as Fredrik Nyblad wrote for Klassiker.

What you can see with your eyes is that this is a car that has never been in traffic and has instead been left standing – probably it has almost always been well stored considering the condition. Jonas, who owns Mini Moke today, has some clues about the car’s history, but not all. He got to buy the car after a long friendship with a man who owned it for several decades. The previous owner was an artist who lived in the same suburb in Stockholm as Jonas. “That’s where we met,” says Jonas. “He was going to walk home with a lot of grocery bags so I gave him a ride in my car instead.” Jonas started helping the man with practical things. The artist was sometimes in contact with people who wanted see the Mini Moke, but one of the few who actually got to see it was Jonas.

DeLorean DMC 44

2. While checking out the description of this 1976 Lohr-Fardier listed for sale on Hemmings.com, we came to learn that it served as a test car for DeLorean’s proposed DMC Model 44, which looked more or less like a kei truck. The DeLorean Museum has more on the DMC44 project.

Alfa Romeo Classiche

3. Stellantis this week announced that it will, as many other European carmakers have already done, develop a Classiche program to offer repair and restoration services for classic Alfa Romeos.

The Alfa Romeo Classiche heritage program consists of the Certificate of Origin – which has been offered for Alfa Romeo cars since 2016 – together with the Certificate of Authenticity and the Restoration. The top management of the brand personally chairs and intervenes in the committee that evaluates historic cars and issues the certifications with the support of the Heritage team and experts in Alfa Romeo history.

Ford Escort Mk3

4. In the mid-Eighties, the British government was talking with both Ford and General Motors about selling off much of what remained of the British car industry: Austin Rover to Ford, and Leyland to GM. Interestingly, as Ian Nicholls at AROnline tells the story, the ramifications of those talks—and of the abrupt end to the talks—may have played into Ford’s decision to approve the Miata for production and certainly opened the door to Ford’s purchase of Jaguar, BMW’s of Mini, and Chinese ownership of MG.

On 3 February 1986 the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher admitted it was in talks about an American takeover of a large chunk of what remained of the British-owned vehicle industry. The talks were described as being at ‘an advanced stage’. General Motors was interested in acquiring the loss-making Leyland Vehicles division. Ford wanted to buy Austin Rover, Britain’s last home-owned volume car manufacturer. Labour Front Bench spokesman John Smith asked: ‘Is there nothing not for sale?’ Workington MP Dale Campbell Savours accused the Government of ‘dropping the Union Jack and raising the Stars and Stripes over British industry once again.’ This was at the time of the Westland crisis when two cabinet ministers resigned and the Government was accused of selling out the national interest to American big business. On 6 February 1986, the Government discontinued the Ford/Austin Rover talks.

5. Last weekend, I featured a trio of videos looking at ancient steam, electric, and gas-engined vehicles, and as a few readers pointed out I didn’t include anything on hybrids, so let’s take a look at this video featuring the one-off 1896 Armstrong hybrid.

AutoHunter Spotlight: 1965 Plymouth Barracuda

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1965 Plymouth Barracuda.

This Barracuda two-door fastback is finished in red complemented by white striping down the middle. It features wraparound rear glass, chrome brightwork, and a split-section grille. The listing states that there are two small scuffs and a small dent on the hood. 

1965 Plymouth Barracuda

“The all-red interior is fitted with vinyl low-back bucket seats up front and a bench in the rear, matched to the door panels, dash, and carpeting,” the listing states. “The dash is trimmed with bright accents. Equipment includes floor mats and a push-button radio.”

This Mopar rides on factory 13-inch wheels with whitewall tires.

1965 Plymouth Barracuda

Under the hood is a 273ci V8 engine paired with a floor-shifted three-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

273cid V8

The sale includes a clear Oregon title.

This auction 1965 Plymouth Barracuda’s auction ends on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 12:20 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Pick of the Day: 1971 Ford Mustang

This past weekend I had the opportunity to judge at the Concours event of the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. It is always an honor to be asked to judge at these events, and the best part of it was that I had the rare chance to judge in the Muscle Car class. The winner of Best in Class was one of my favorite 1970s cars, a 1973 Ford Mustang.

1971 Ford Mustang

The 1971 to 1973 Mustang was very different than the earlier Mustangs in that it moved more upmarket, being both longer and heavier as a result, and ended up being more of a GT car that a sports or muscle car. Since my favorite cars are GTs, this generation Mustang is the one I find myself most drawn to. It also does not hurt that 007 drives one in “Diamonds are Forever.”

Another reason I like this generation of Mustang is that they tend to be among the most affordable of all the classic Mustangs on the market today.

1971 Ford Mustang

The Pick of the Day is one of these more luxury-minded Mustangs, a 1971 Ford Mustang listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer located in Lutz, Florida.

1971 Ford Mustang

It is finished in the wonderful combination of Medium Yellow Gold paint with a Medium Ginger vinyl interior, and the seller states that this car was built with the “Hardtop Special Value Package,” which was a spring promotion created to drive sales after a lean winter. In the case of this package, the base coupe received a hood with NASA-style scoops, a Mach 1 grille, color-matched front bumper and sport mirrors, and Boss side stripes. Only around 9,000 coupes were built with this package out of a total of almost 150,000 Mustangs built for 1971.

This vehicle, while receiving a recent repaint in its original color, is extremely stock, something rare for this generation of Mustang. It is powered by a numbers-matching 302 V8 and backed by a three-speed automatic transmission. The seller states that it is an all-around good driver with power steering, and power brakes with discs up front. The Mustang has a nice set of modern white-letter tires on Magnum 500 wheels, though the stock hubcaps and trim rings are included with the sale.

302ci V8

Finally, this Mustang comes with plenty of paperwork that includes the original window sticker, warranty cards and owner’s manual.

The Mustang’s original window sticker, warranty card and owner’s manual.

If you are looking for one of the last classic Mustang deals available, you might want to act on this one. I say this because with an asking price of only $24,995 this is a Pick of the Day I would consider buying myself.

Alfa Romeo launches classic-car restoration program

Alfa Romeo has an illustrious past dotted with numerous much-loved classics. From the humble Spider, which had a starring role in “The Graduate” and was built from 1966 to 1994, to concours winners like the 8C 2900B of the 1930s and 33 Stradale of the late 1960s, early Alfa Romeos cover a wide spectrum of the classic car world.

To help ensure all of those classics remain on the road, Alfa Romeo has launched an in-house heritage department offering certification services as well as repairs and full restorations.

Called Alfa Romeo Classiche, it is the latest addition to the wider Stellantis Heritage Department, and will be formally launched during the 2022 Auto e Moto d’Epoca classic car meet running in Padua, Italy, from Oct. 20-23.

One service offered is a Certificate of Authenticity, where an expert pores over the car, verifying the authenticity of the car and its components. This can either be done in Turin, Italy, or at the owner’s home if requested.

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Speciale tipo Le Mans race car

A simpler service is the awarding of a Certificate of Origin. Similar to the Porsche Production Specification service announced on Tuesday by Porsche, this service certifies the car’s year of production and original factory specification. It includes details such as model specifications, engine serial number, and original exterior and interior details, all of which will be a boon for anyone looking to restore an Alfa Romeo to original condition.

Beyond this are repair and restoration services. Also handled in Turin, these services can include the repair of an individual part or aesthetic components, or something as complicated as a complete tear-down restoration.

Alfa Romeo will soon add a new section to its official website where owners of classic models will be able to connect with Alfa Romeo Classiche.

Many classic cars have proven to be shrewd investments for their owners, and it’s not surprising many automakers have made efforts to capitalize on the trend by offering certification and restoration programs. In many cases, the right certificate can substantially affect a car’s value.

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

Go big or go cool? Do both and win everything.

Jaclyn Sunseri has been running the numbers at Hemmings from her Charlotte, NC base and she lives by one defining mantra: “Stay close to the money and you’ll always succeed.” Another saying at Hemmings is, “You can’t live this life without a good truck.” Sure, that means Hemmings is in good hands, but it also means that her 2021 GMC Yukon is well-taken care of, too.

North Carolina is the jewel of the American Southeast, but Charlotte’s weather can be surprisingly unpredictable: the summer heat comes with that famous southern humidity and the winters can see some infamous northern snow. Jaclyn reminds us, “If you don’t like Charlotte weather, just wait five minutes and it’ll change.” So, to stay cool under pressure, and in any extreme weather, she has to make sure her Yukon never lets her down.

There are SUVs and then there’s the Yukon from GMC. It’s big. It’s powerful. It’s smart. And it’s cool. Especially in Onyx Black – Jaclyn’s favorite color. But, as much as her Yukon takes care of her, it needs some attention paid to its vital fluids. Regular drivetrain fluid changes are necessary, and the thick Southern summer air demands a coolant designed specifically to move nearly three tons of American steel – and Jaclyn’s hectic schedule – with ease and reliability. PEAK’s Original Equipment Technology™ 50/50 Antifreeze + Coolant for North American vehicles is designed expressly for her SUV and everything she demands of it:

• Warranty Coverage: Jaclyn expects her Yukon to last well past the factory warranty and she puts it to the test every day. She only uses PEAK’s Orange Original Equipment Technology™ Antifreeze + Coolant 50/50 Prediluted mix, which matches the vehicle manufacturer’s technology and color requirements while providing guaranteed service life protection of up to 5 years/150,000 miles with a complete flush and fill.

• Color-coded with Inhibitors specifically for Jaclyn’s GMC: Mix water with metal and sooner or later, rust can form. Scale inhibitors make sure that corrosion and flakey, “scale” rust won’t form in all the channels of your radiator as liquid circulates through it. PEAK’s OET Antifreeze + Coolant’s high-quality organic acid corrosion inhibitors are free of borate, nitrite, silicate and amines chemicals, so it meets the performance requirements of ASTM D3306 and D4985 as recommend by General Motors for Jaclyn’s demands on her SUV.

• Specific fit: Jaclyn’s ’21 GMC Yukon is a precision machine designed so that she never has to worry about the engine keeping its temperature regulated. And PEAK has designed its Original Equipment Technology™ Antifreeze + Coolant 50/50 Prediluted mix specifically for any American vehicle requiring ORANGE phosphate-enhanced organic acid technology extended-life coolant. That’s a mouthful, but it means that she can top off her SUV’s cooling system with PEAK’s OET prediluted antifreeze and rest assured that it’s the right liquid for the job.