Eckler's Camaro World

It’s time for another great event in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The 15th Annual Camaro Superfest! (June 30 – Jul 2nd) This is the longest running All Camaro event in the United States. Last year was the first time I had the opportunity to attend this event and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Since I’m a drag racing enthusiast I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived that the first highlight of the show was drag racing at Milan Raceway. I was so excited to be attending the show; I went straight from the airport to the first event without checking into the hotel. This year’s event will be held at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti and the Marriott Hotel at Eagle Crest is the host hotel. This year’s tribute is to Cops In Camaros! Don’t miss this event!

If you haven’t seen the new General Motors commercial you are missing a very special treat. I’ve watched this commercial several times and I can say that each time I watch it I get that renewed excitement about the 5th Gen Camaro. The entire commercial brings me back to the days when the streets were filled with hot rods and muscle cars, and we lived for the weekend cruises. I can’t believe that after all these years I still get excited when I attend car shows and I feel that GM really hit the mark when they renewed my excitement through this commercial. I’m a dye in the wool true GM guy and I’ve been a Chevy guy all my life, so it’s great to see that the GM folks recognized the need to keep us excited about the new products on the horizon. Although I’m a Camaro guy, Chevy has a new Nomad concept car that is nothing short of amazing. The car if built will sell because it appeals to everyone both young and old. So keep that GM excitement, and watch this wonderful commercial!

This is just my opinion but it seems like I’m seeing more and more Mustangs on the roads these days. That’s ok with me, but I can’t help but think that some of the owners of these new Mustangs are former Camaro owners that could not wait for the arrival of the new Camaro. I can’t count the number of times I’m asked will there be a new Camaro and my answer is a positive “Yes”. I firmly believe that GM needs this car more than anything because they need a big shot in the arm and this car will provide that. Hundreds maybe even thousands of e-mails have been sent to Mr. Lutz the Chairman of General Motors from people across the country stating that they want this car. The Concept Camaro has received thousands of favorable responses whenever it’s placed on display and there is no way GM will let a car like this simply die off. Sure there are plenty of issues hindering the announcement of a production date, but you can rest assure that GM will build this car with a few minor modifications. GM’s Pontiac Division is also moving in the right direction and there sporty new two seater is just the beginning. So I say to all Camaro enthusiast that are waiting for the day they can purchase an 08 or 09 Camaro hang in there it’s coming. And for those that switched to the new Mustangs, keep watching your rearview mirror because something real fast is about to pass you!

Having recently attended our Western Nationals in beautiful Sacramento California I'm of the opinion that the folks our here really take their car shows seriously. This is the first show that I've attended that so many first time car show attendees brought cars out that have never been shown before. These cars were beyoud being called first rate they were "Barrett Jackson" quality. A couple of cars really had me shaking my head in disbelief because they were flawless. One was a red 55 Chevy 150 sedan that was what we call "over the top". The paint was unbelieveable and the interior was simply a work of art. Look for photos of this car on the Classic Chevy web site. Now for Camaros there was a 1967 Purple Camaro Convertible that could have easily scored 1000 points if the owner had chosen to enter it in the judging part of the show. There were many fine details on this car, and it will grace our magazine in the very near future. There were also two great 1969 Camaros owned by brothers that there's no question that words "attention to detail" applies. The entire show was fantastic and I truly look forward to attending next years West Coast Swing.

Having attended car show for many, many years the one thing I notice is how intense some car owners can be about awards. I understand that many people attend car shows simply to win awards and if that’s their thing so be it. But the thing that bothers me is the comments made by some that don’t win awards. I still believe that peer judging is the best form of judging simply because most don’t play favorites since they don’t know the owners of the cars. After the judging is over and the awards are handed out, some thinks that the winners are not deserving of their award. This “My car was better than his” comment would be better served when shared privately and not in a public forum. I really enjoy seeing the first time winner who simply entered our show, cleaned his car, has a good time at the show and as icing on the cake, wins an award. The young guys that are new to the show car scene try to learn from the older ones as to how to really detail a car which will produce a show winner. More and more ladies are also winning show awards and as far as cleaning vehicles they are second to none. I saw one young lady with a box of cue tips cleaning the mirror gaskets located between the body and the mirror on her first Gen Camaro. Her car scored well and she won a much deserved award. Car show are all about having fun and meeting new car people, not just getting awards!

While driving to work this morning I stopped for a red light and a black Camaro SS driven by a young lady stopped next to me. She had the music on and you could tell that she was already enjoying the morning. I thought for a moment how great it would be to see the next generation Camaros on the streets again with enthusiast enjoying their cars. I remember back to the day I first bought my Camaro and how excited I was just to drive it to work each morning. Just hearing the sounds of the exhaust and feeling the power as I merged onto the express way made the beginning of each day fun. If you ask Camaro enthusiast what they enjoy most about their cars, you will probably get various answers, but I can tell you from experience that each and everyone that owns a Camaro enjoy the power offered by their cars. I hope that once the Concept Camaro is in full production that the independent rear suspension is an option and not a regular production item. Camaros are made to be driven hard and fast on the race courses and GM engineers only have to take a look at the new Mustang upgraded model to see that these powerful cars have a live axle, none of this IRS stuff.
We’ve waited patiently for the rebirth of the Camaro so GM if you’re listening, please don’t disappoint us by dumping a bunch of stuff on the car that we don’t need or want. Probably 90% of Camaro owners make modifications to their cars and these modifications include wheels, tires, exhaust, striping kits and engine modifications. We operate on; Give us the basics and we’ll personalize our own cars. Now I will admit that I plan to purchase a new Camaro just as soon as production starts, but you can rest assure I’ve already planned my modifications and I get excited just thinking about my new black Camaro in my garage.

Recently while attending a car show a young Camaro owner and his wife just arrived and informed me that the alternator on their Camaro failed to charge. They purchased another one and wanted to install it but did not have the proper hand tools. I provided my tools and offered my assistance in replacing the alternator. While this lady’s husband and I were installing the alternator I was speaking to the lady about repairing or reinstalling parts as if I was speaking to someone that did not have any mechanical abilities. This nice lady allowed me to continue with my conversation then she stated “I’m a mechanical engineer”. Needless to say I had made a bad assumption which resulted in probably the dumbest look on my face. After we installed the alternator the new one did not show by the gauge that it was charging. She immediately stated that she was sold a defective alternator by a Chevrolet dealer. I informed her that she should drive the vehicle and the fields in the alternator would “self excite” making the alternator charge. She said that she’s never heard of this before but was willing to give it a try. Once they returned from a brief trip she had a smile on her face and stated that I was right the alternator is working fine now. I saved face! This proves that we never know who we’re talking to so the answers we provide either from experience or education must be correct. There are many, many females in our hobby and many of them learned about cars at a very young age taught by their “car guy” fathers so be careful of the answers you provide, they may correct you!

In the not so distant future concerns about brake fluid may be a thing of the past. The reason is that electrically-actuated calipers are coming, and coming fast. Brake fluidless calipers will be ready for the 2008 model year introduction and certain upscale models plan to include them in upcoming production models. The old method of replacing pads and servicing rotors won’t change much but scan tools will be needed to signal the actuating device in the caliper to move the piston back. With this new technology this will eliminate ABS system problems because built-up contaminants from inside the caliper-piston bores. The customer will not longer be required to flush the brake fluid to remove wet, stale brake fluid. The potential for leaks will be history, as will the major cause of caliper deterioration, aged brake fluid contained within. The new brake-by-wire system is on the horizon.

The source of this information is Jay Buckley, the Bendix Answerman who is a Master Mechanic with more than 25 years in the industry.

June 3rd Hot Rod held the Hot Rod Power Tour kick off at the Orlando Convention Center parking lot, and it was awesome! Most of the performance vendors were on sight with numerous display vehicles available for the viewing public. GM had the Camaro concept vehicle on display and from comments heard from the crowd this vehicle will be a win, win for GM. The convention center parking lot was full of more that 2,500 vehicles all years, makes and models, from mild to totally outrageous. I saw a few vehicles that were clearly “over the top” in quality. Paint, chrome, fitment, and the list goes on that the builders spend hundreds and hundreds of hours making what they perceived to be a perfect car. Although it was extremely hot this did not stop the crowds of automotive enthusiast from coming to see some of the best cars America has to offer. Restoration is a thriving business and it’s clear that all enthusiasts love their automobiles. This was a fun filled weekend and a big “hit” for Hot Rod Magazine.

The 12th Annual Hot Rod Power Tour will kick off in Kissimmee, Florida tomorrow June 3rd. That’s where the 2005 Tour ended, after moving south from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This year, the tour will go the other way, traversing the eastern seaboard as we head north and have stops in Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, before stopping for the finale at the legendary Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. E-town is a world-class drag strip, so in addition to the huge show that is the Power Tour; expect to see many of the participants racing their cars on the track.

Here are the registration dates:

Friday June 2nd, 2:00pm to 6:00pm -

Osceola Heritage Park

1875 Silver Spur Lane
Kissimmee, FL 34744

Saturday June 3rd, 9:00am to 6:00pm -

Orange County Convention Ct

9800 International Dr.

Orlando, FL 32819

Expect to see more than $500 million dollars worth of High-End Vehicles at the Orange Country Convention Center. As an added treat GM will have the Camaro Concept Car on display.

Don’t miss this event; if you’re car guy or girl, this is the place to be!

Just when we thought movies like “The Fast & the Furist” were over the movie makers decided to make a movie called “Drifters” which glorifies street racing and sliding cars sideways at high speeds. Young kids love to emulate what they see on TV and at the movies and as a result many have been killed or killed innocent bystanders. This not only hurts our hobby but those of us that have high performance cars who drive them in a sensible manner on the streets. How often have we seen exhibitions of speed by those small foreign cars weaving in and out of traffic as if the operator was operating a motorcycle. I’m also aware that there are sports compact owners that operate their vehicles in a safe manner and they certainly don’t want to be grouped with those “crazy drivers”. States throughout the country have enacted laws and stiffen punishments for drivers that “street race” but it has done little to get these kids attention. Drag strip owners have the facilities for these kids to race their vehicles, but again it’s all about the dollar. Many drag strips have “midnight drags” and this has helped curve the need for kids to race on the street, but a once a month event is not the answer. The answer is simple, police departments and race track facilities need to meet and come up with a solution to get these kids off the streets and onto the race track. Until they resolve issues like these, the streets are fair game and street racing will continue…….