Eckler's Camaro World

LET THE SHOW BEGIN!

2007-02-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

The Eckler's trailer is loaded full of parts and show material and headed to Old Town for set up. The weather is going to be beautiful with tempatures in the 70's and a light breeze and I'm sure the crowds will be large. Old Town is known throughout Central Florida as the place to be if you like old cars and each Friday and Saturday night there's a car show. At our show everyone gets to cruise the brick streets in any year of vehicle. These cruises happen on both Friday and Saturday evenings and the crowds love them. So, if you're looking for a place to go this weekend and you love Chevy's look no further than Old Town, it's going to be WILD!

15th ANNUAL CCI/WCA WINTER NATIONALS

2007-02-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the schedule of events for the upcoming Winter Nationals:
15th Annual Winter National Event Schedule
Thursday, February 8th, 2007
Noon - 5 pm Registration, Classification, and Technical Check
Noon – 5 pm Swap Meet
5:30 – 7:30 pm Free Welcome Barbeque at Old Town (Fred Marion’s Restaurant)
BBQ site has changed to Seralago Main Gate Hotel and Suites
Badges & Tickets required - sponsored by Soff Seal
Friday, February 9th, 2007
8 am – 5 pm Registration, Classification, and Technical Check
8 am – 5 pm Swap Meet
11 am – Noon “Ask the Experts Seminar" --Everyone Welcome (Upstairs Old Town Hall)
3 pm – 5 pm Judges and Show Car display meeting (Required attendance for all Chevy and Camaro judges and show car owners)
Saturday, February 10th, 2007
8 am – 10 am Saturday only Cruiser Registration
8 am – 1 pm Show ‘n Shine Judging (Sponsored by Trim Parts)
8 am – 10 pm Old Town Saturday Night Cruise
Sunday, February 11th, 2007
7:30 am – 8 am Non-denominational chapel service by Team RFC Old Town Mainstage Area
8 am – 10 am Awards Presentation Old Town Mainstage Area

Please remember that this show is open to all "F" Bodies from 1967 to 2002. If you don't want to participate in the judge event and simply want to show your pride and joy at the show the cost is $20.00. This is the place to be this weekend!

FROM SEMA NEWS

2007-02-01T04:56:00.000-08:00

STYLE AND RESTO PARTS MOST POPULAR WITH CAMARO LOVERS
Body panels, interior details, even emblems among the fastest moving Camaro goods online.

Exterior parts, interior parts and lighting components are the top three items purchased online by Camaro enthusiasts. Body panels are among the most popular exterior parts, perhaps indicating the health of the restoration market.

This data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions, sheds light on the parts and accessories coveted by fans of all generations of Camaro.

Of the nearly 32,800 Camaro parts sold online between Dec. 29-Jan. 27, nearly a third were exterior components, the most purchased items including doors, bumpers and fenders combined, then hoods, grilles and moldings. Lighting and lamps made up about nine percent of the category.

Popular interior subcategories included dash and console parts, door panels and hardware, and window motors and parts.

Powertrain parts overall ranked fairly low, perhaps due to higher prices and the costs of shipping, although a LS-7 454/465hp crate motor built in 1972 was the most expensive piece of powertrain purchased in the research period.

Interestingly, the most popular products sold under the search term “Camaro SS” were decals and emblems.

How prevalent is Internet purchasing among specialty-equipment enthusiasts?

“The past two years, SEMA research has shown that the highest percentage of automotive enthusiasts indicate they purchased their performance parts and accessories over the Internet,” says SEMA research analyst Ty Michael.

“Interestingly, roughly the same percentage of enthusiasts indicated that they purchased their parts at traditional brick and mortar shops. Thirty-nine percent of enthusiasts said they purchased on the Internet, compared to 31% who indicated they went to a physical location to make their purchases.”

Do online sales tell us anything about how parts move across countertops from brick and mortar retailers? Maybe.

Patti Freeman Evans, a senior analyst who monitors the retail industry for JupiterResearch, explains that while online sales are only a fraction of actual retail transactions, the Internet is a key influencer in buying decisions.

“We see online retail plateauing at 10-15 percent of total retail down the road – about double the penetration that catalogs ever got,” Evans says.

She notes that as online commerce sites continue to develop more sophisticated tools to make purchasing easier and safer, some consumers will shift more of their wallet online.

“But that growth will really be organic, not dramatic. We look to the Internet to remain a highly influential channel for retailers to affect customer purchasing regardless of what channel the actual transaction occurs in.”

Terapeak's Motors P&A Research provides sellers with access to in-depth research on the past year of online auction data and allows users to get in-depth research reports on the competition and themselves. For more information go to www.terapeak.com/motors.

FROM SEMA NEWS

2007-02-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

IT’S CRUNCH TIME!

2007-01-31T07:12:00.000-08:00

The pace is fast here at Eckler’s in preparation for what’s going to be one of the largest Winter Nationals ever held at Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida.
Since this is our first major show of the new season, we’re all excited and every step is being made to ensure that everyone in attendance has a good time. The host club, Classic Camaros of Central Florida is setting the pace ensuring that every detail is covered from evening security to classification assistance. Without host clubs like Classic Camaros of Central Florida our shows would not be successful. Speaking of Camaro clubs if you’re a Camaro enthusiast and would like to join a fun and successful club you need to look no further than this club. These guys and ladies in this club are a great bunch of people! Now back to what we’re doing here at Eckler’s. We’re making parts list for sales items, getting the personnel in place for various assignments, getting the necessary supplies, such as judging and tech sheets, working on awards, handling the large number of pre-registrations, ensuring the welcome bar-b-que event is ready and many, many more show details. Most show attendees will never understand how much behind the scenes work is involved in putting on a show this large. Hopefully this information will provide a little insight. See you at the show!

WENT TO A CAR SHOW!

2007-01-29T06:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, I went to another car show this past weekend, and although I attend numerous car shows during the year as a part of my job description, I still enjoy the local ones. The local car show I attended was held at a golf course club house area, and you could tell that a lot of planning went into this event. The food vendor served a great breakfast and lunch and the overall facilities were excellent. You could set up your lawn chairs and coolers and simply relax until the 3 o'clock awards presentations.
To ensure that all participants were satisfied, everyone who entered the show received a nice glass trophy. The judging was very informal, and the awards were numerous, but people had a good time and that's the most important part of the car shows. I believe these small car show are more family friendly, since you have the opportunity to spend time conversing with many new car enthusiast. Just a fun relaxing Florida weekend.

I CAN'T BELEIVE IT.....

2007-01-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

The Classic Chevy/WCC International Convention scheduled for July 4-6, 2007 in Hagarstown Maryland is on track to be the largest CCI/WCC event ever. The four (4) hotels near the show are completly booked, and a fith hotel in the immediate area only has 50 rooms remaining. This year being the anniversary of both the 57 Chevy as well as the 40th nniversary of the Camaro, makes the owners of these vehicle want to participate in all the festivities. I honestly think that we will exceed our previous record of 800 cars at a Internation show this year. This is going to be a great show season!

PRODUCTS THAT WORK !

2007-01-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

I've been asked by numerous people to recommend or give my opinion about certain performance parts I've used. Providing my insight about performance parts can be tricky because most of the time it's strickly my personal opinion. Take my 94 Camaro with a 502 big block as an example, I will start from front to rear and tell you what I've experienced over the past 4 years with my combination.

Engine: Comp solid roller cam & valve train - worked flawless with no breakage, and many, many quarter mile runs and street driven miles.

Engine Oil: Mobile One 15/40 & Lucus Supplement - Once again no oil related problems and the Lucus is by far the best supplement one can put in their motor.

Carburetor - A.E.D. - Another Great Piece, with no problems.

Radiator - Griffin, 1 1/4 tube size, great for cooling a big block,

Fans: Spal twin fans; these fans will actually pull paper from the road surface, these fans work!

JW Converter - 2years and still going strong, great piece.

Moser Rear - No problems with housing or axles

Spohn Torque Arm - Fairly new piece, and still working on adjustments.

QA1 - Double Adjustable Shocks - Great Parts, you can loosen up the front suspension or tighten it up for the street.

Of course there are many many more parts on the car, but the list above just gives you an idea of the parts that I've used without quality issues.

PRODUCT, PRODUCT, PRODUCT....

2007-01-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

Many of us as car people have certain expectations when it comes to automotive products. The major concern is price, the second concern is availability, and the last is shipping cost. As Camaro enthusiast we are very fortunate to have numerous vendors who sell Camaro parts. Some of the parts sold are U.S. made and some are made off shore. For people that are building that 1,000 point show car, they demand only original GM license parts, and correct labeling such as the little orange stickers on various clutch components etc. These labels will not appear on off-shore products; so be forwarned when someone sells you a part and tells you it's NOS(NEW OLD STOCK). New Old Stock Parts are extremely hard to come by, and the buyer must be extremely careful when he shells out high dollars for these parts. Since many of use are simply installing replacement parts, we know that many of the parts are made off shore and that's a fact of life we have to live with. I can't count the number of times I've heard customers say that I won't install off-shore parts on my car. You will but you just did not know it, and one trip to SEMA/APPEX and you'll be convinced that many of the parts sold today are packaged and made to look like AC Delco, Fram and others. Some USA company have their main parts made off-shore and once the part arrives at their USA plant, they install a bushing, and call it a USA made product. Products, such as Radiator, Ball Joints and other steering components are made off-shore with more and more products being made for sell in the U.S.
The only thing you can do if you only desire USA made products, is to do your homework prior to making your purchase and demand other the products by name that you determine are made in the USA. I hope this information helps.

CRATE ENGINES.....

2007-01-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the auto industry is selling crate engines these days, here are a few tips that may make your selection easier:

- When selecting your crate engine pay close attention to TORQUE not HORSEPOWER!
Torque at lower RPM's is what moves the vehicle. Stroker motors make more torque
at lower RPM's.
- Make sure that your crate engine is built around a new block, since blocks that
have not been bored run cooler.
- Make sure the engine you select is durable and pump gas friendly (10:1 or lower)
- Make sure that camshaft selection will produce good vacuum for power accessories.
- Only purchase crate engines from companies that have great reputations, or better
yet purchase your crate engine from GM, they have warranties.
- Last, if the price seems too good to believe, avoid it at all cost, this will save
you headaches in the long run. Happy Motoring!

GM's NEW LSX SMALL BLOCK

2007-01-16T04:29:00.000-08:00

Now the LS1, LS2, & LS6 guys have something to really shout about with the announcement of GM's new LSX small block Chevy Block. The LS1 and related Gen III and IV family engine blocks enjoy an excellent track record since their 1997 model year debut (1998 in Camaros) but cubic inches and longevity have come into question for those requiring extreme horsepower. Until now the only option was GM's C5R block however, it has not been financially feasible for the average guy on the street. With the practice of resleeving the LS1 block becoming more common, it's clear that consumers want more cubes and stronger blocks. With GM's revolutionary LSX Bowtie Block, a verstile, extreme-duty foundation that will also be affordable for almost any budget. The MSRP of this new block will be approximately $2,500 with actual street prices around $1,800. Now for the good stuff, this block can be safely bored and stroked to well over 500 cubic inches and has provisions for cam sensors in both the front and rear of the block. If you're looking to ramp up your horsepower this may be the block you need. For more information on this block you can go to www.gmperformanceparts.com

15th ANNUAL ECKLER'S WINTER NATIONALS

2007-01-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

February 8th is fast approaching, and if you are not from this immediate area plase be forewarned that the hotels in and around Old Town are filling up fast. Eash year we have a welcome Bar-B-Que, and this year we have 250 people already signed up for the dinner. Since this years show will feature anniversaries of both the 57 Chevy and the 67 Camaro, we expect an extremely large turnout. As with all of our shows parking is on a first come, first served basis, so if you arrive early and want to park with your buddies, regardless of the type vehicle, (Tri-Five/Camaro) simply locate a suitable spot and park your car. If you've pre-registered you can avoid the registration lines by simply parking your car and picking up your badge and the Registration Table. This new "Pass The Line Program" is bound to be a big hit for show attendees who've previously attended the Winternationals and had to wait in long lines. As in previous shows, members of the Classic Camaros of Central Florida Car Club will be on hand to assist Eckler's staff and without them this show would not be sucessful. So,now is the time to put the final touches on your pride and joy and arrive with the intentions of having fun and possibly meeting new friends!

GM's ED PEPER INTERVIEW

2007-01-12T05:10:00.000-08:00

Autoblog: Let's change gears and talk performance. Obviously, there's Corvette, but let's stay away from that for the moment and focus on the Camaro. You've already mentioned the convertible concept which obviously telegraphs your intent to do a production version.

Ed Peper: Yes.

Autoblog: The styling's been a hit for both the coupe and the convertible. How closely are you looking to match the concept's styling -- especially the interior -- on the production version of the Camaro.

Ed Peper: It's going to be very, very close. I have seen the production coupe, and if you saw the two of them side by side -- the production coupe and the concept coupe we introduced last year -- you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It is very minute. I mean, obviously you have to make some exceptions when translating a concept to production, but it's going to be very, very close. This is not like a wild concept that we come back and can't realistically build the same sort of vehicle for production. No, it is going to be very close.

Autoblog: Have you guys arrived at a final decision for the top powertrain?

Ed Peper: No, not yet. We will have a V8, a couple of V6s -- you know, we'll have a fuel efficient V6 and we'll have a high performing V6 and we will have a high performing V8 but we haven't settled on the engine in that yet.

Autoblog: 500 horsepower appears to be the magic number with the musclecars that the other manufacturers are coming out with, so is that your target?

Ed Peper: Certainly we haven't made a decision yet, but it's in our scheme – it's in our scheme of thoughts, yes.

Autoblog: Is there concern about stepping on the Corvette, power-wise?

Ed Peper: No. Because again, the capabilities of a Corvette are world class. I mean, we are talking about a vehicle that competes in the American Le Mans Series with Aston Martins and all –no, there is no concern because what the Camaro is going to be is what it has always been, which is a really great looking vehicle that will have a muscle car or muscle car set of derivatives with it, but that will also have a fuel efficient version. It's a vehicle that you really, really can drive every single day -- a four seater and so forth, while Corvette is in a class all by itself. It's one of our ultimate brands at the company that just continues to do well. We try to keep the production, you know, in line and not build too many so it keeps a very strong demand. The Z06s are some of the fastest turning vehicles that we have. Ghe dealers just can't get enough of them and, you know, we intentionally in some ways want to keep it that way because we want to make them very, very tight and hard to get and that is what builds a really strong brand.
__________________

CAMARO CONVERTIBLE SPECS REVEALED

2007-01-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

The star of this years North American International Auto Show in Detroit was the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept. There are minor changes to accommodate the convertible top and a different wheel package, 21-inch fronts and 22-inch rear wheels. The trim plates, vents, seat handles and safety belt buckles feature a smoke satin aluminum finish. The Shifter and pedals are made of billet aluminum, and a separate ignition button is used to start the engine.

Camaro Convertible Specs

* Wheelbase: 110.5 inches
* Length: 186.2 inches
* Width: 79.6 inches
* Height: 53 inches
* Track: 63.8 front; 63.3 rear
* Powertrain: V8 engine with manual transmission
* Suspension: four-wheel independent; MacPherson strut front; multilink rear,
progressive rate coil springs, gas-pressured dampers
* Brakes: four-wheel disc, 14-in rotors with four-piston calipers
* Wheels: cast aluminum, 21-inch front and 22-inch rears
* Tires: 275/30R21 front, 305/30R22 rear

You can view the Concept Camaro on GM's web site.

CAMARO CONVERTIBLE CONCEPT...

2007-01-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

This message was forwarded from Scott Settlemire:

A Year ago, Chevrolet unveiled the Camaro Coupe Concept to rave reviews at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was the hit of the show, and it led to the announcement that Chevrolet will again produce the Camaro Coupe, starting in 2009. The goal this year was to top last year's announcement-and we have, by blowing the top off!!
On Saturday, January 6, 2007, at the GM Style Event in Detroit, the Camaro Convertible Concept will be unveiled for the first time. In the same manner that the original Camaro concept raised the pulse of enthusiasts everywhere, I believe the new Camaro Convertible Concept will continue to represent for Chevrolet the direction of its vehicle line up-expressive style, spirited performance and great value.
From its updated Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat paint with twin gunmetal gray sport stripes to its four auxiliary guages located near the shifter, the Camaro Convertible Concept celebrates many of Camaro's heritage features in a contemporary way. Although this is a show car and not the actual production vehicle, it was designed to represent the production model that will follow within a year of the Camaro Coupe production.
For further information regarding the Camaro Convertible Concept, the press release has been attached to the end of this message. Shortly, you will receive a copy of the hero card poster that is being distributed to the public at the North America n Auto Show. In the meantime, you and your customers can gain further details and pictures by visiting www.chevy.com/performance. This website will be available for viewing starting on Sunday, January 7, 2007.
The Camaro has touched many lives with nearly 4.8 million being produced over 30 years. The love and lore of Camaro remains strong. The Camaro concepts redefine the Camaro for both existing and new generations of fans in a contemporary way with responsive performance and modern technology. We look forward to its rebirth in 2009!
Sincerly,

Ed Peper
General Manager-Chevrolet

WHILE WE WAIT…….

2007-01-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

Camaro enthusiasts around the country are patiently waiting for the arrival of the 5th generation Camaro and now we’re teased with a convertible version of this beautiful car. I for one would rather hear about the corrections/changes for this car, or options that may be available such as; the LS7 engine, or an SS version. The main concern is the rear end in this car; it just does not work for straight line performance. Ford tried independent rear ends one year in the Mustang, the end result, numerous warranty issues and the end of the independent rear suspension and the return back to the live axle. I don’t understand why GM would include a more expensive rear end that’s prone to failure after having numerous problems with the S10 rear end in the 4th Generation Camaro. All they need to do is contact their warranty department and it would be clear that this is a mistake that should not be repeated. The engineers in the past had a true understanding of components that needed to be strong to handle the power of both big blocks and powerful small block Chevy’s. Maybe I might be premature in my thinking, and GM is planning to offer a strong live axle rear end as an option for their high horsepower LS7engines, we can only hope. The announcement of the 5th Generation Camaro was the best news yet, but GM should now provide information to their Camaro enthusiast about the nuts and bolts options. I know this will not happen anytime soon, but I would love to see a GM press release informing everyone about the options, special engines, wheels, striping, etc., this is what gets our motor running. What’s your feeling?

UPCOMING CCI/WCC WINTER NATIONALS

2007-01-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

The 15th Annual Classic Chevy/Worldwide Camaro Club Winter will once again be held at Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida on February 8th thru the 11th. This year's pre-registrations for the show is at an all time high due to celebrations of the 57 Chevy and the 1967 Camaro anniversaries. If you havn't made your hotel reservations I strongly urge you to do so now. Most of the area hotels are booked for this show. For a schedule of events please refer to our web site, worldwidecamaro.com.
This show as well as all of our sponsored shows are designed around the "Fun" factor and most Camaro owners don't worry about the lost of a point because of drop of oil on the intake, they simply enjoy the judged event and strive to score higher at the next show and most of all have fun in the sun! See You At The Show!!!

ANOTHER CAMARO ACCIDENT

2007-01-04T05:20:00.000-08:00

It happens again and again, high speeds and the non use of seat belts. Yesterday in Edgewater Florida two young ment were killed in a 1990 IROC Z in Edgewater Florida while traveling at a very high rate of speed. The driver tried to avoid a Semi which was traveling in the opposite direction when the Camaro crashed into a wooded area and both occupants were ejected upon impact. Now wearing seat belts may not have save these young men, but there's always a slim chance they might, and no matter how much it is preached that speed kills our young people will not listen. It was suggested that they might have been racing but that has not been determined. Just another tragedy!!!

HAPPY 2007!

2007-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

I always feel blessed whenever I'm able to see another new year. I've been involved with cars all of my adult life and not one single day passes that I don't think about ways to improve performance on my Camaro or one of my friends cars. 2007 starts another great show season, and I can honestly say that I look forward to seeing Camaros from other areas, and of course meeting new enthusiast. I understand that cars are part of my life and to be honest I wouldn't want it any other way. Some people are focused on golf, others on bowling, but I still think that if a person is involved in the automotive industry he'll meet twice the number of people that are willing to help him in many ways such as providing advice or actually rolling up his sleeves and providing manual labor. I started the new year off today by solving a engine miss in a friends car, which by the way was traced to bad spark plugs. So my circle of friends continues to be car people, and I'm ok with this. I'll end this by saying, "Get your cars ready for this years show season, because 2007 will be a year of wonderful memories" HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAY'S

2006-12-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

We at Worldwide Camaro and the entire Eckler's family would like to wish everyone a Happy and safe Holiday and we're excited about the coming new year. Please use your seat belts and never drink and drive, not a single drink!!!!

SANTA PLEASE BRING ME….

2006-12-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

We’ve all heard the saying “the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys” and since it’s Christmas time I have my own personal wish list. First on my list is a new 555 cubic inch motor to bring a bigger smile to my face. Next is a pair of new drag racing tires to help me launch all this new found horsepower better. And last the winning lotto numbers so I can build that dream shop to house my new race car rig. Now that I’ve awaken from this dream, I only want time to speed up so I can buy the new 2009 Camaro (Silver with Black Strips) and continue enjoying the passion of owning one of the best cars ever made.

PERFORMANCE RACING SHOW

2006-12-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

The Performance Racing Industry held their show at the Convention Center in Orlando Florida December 14-16, and it was a great opportunity for dealers to speak with directly with vendors. Although most of the performance vendors were at SEMA we didn’t have the opportunity to speak at length with them due to the large crowd. One new part that caught my eye was the Patriot Performance Aluminum Cylinder Heads for small block Chevy’s. These heads are a great addition for early Chevy owners that want to improve the performance of their cars at an affordable price. For under $900.00 you can purchase a pair of aluminum cylinder heads complete and ready to bolt on. Look for these new parts on the Eckler’s Camaro parts web site soon. Another new part was a complete LS1 short block, ready for the user to install their heads and enjoy the new found performance. Also available is a complete 427 LS6, long block engine only requiring the intake, water pump and other exterior parts to satisfy your thirst for power. This year’s show was far better than the first year, and it’s a shame that it’s not opened to the general public, its well worth the visit.

STOLEN CAMAROS

2006-12-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

This is a subject near and dear to my heart because as Camaro owners we not only take pride in our cars, we spend numerous hours cleaning and maintaining them. It’s heartbreaking when I hear that another Camaro is stolen, and striped. During 2006, first, second, third and fourth generation Camaros were stolen from all parts of the country in places as crowded as the Woodward Dream Cruise, from home garages, a transmission shop and at car shows. Thieves know the value of these cars and will not hesitate to steal your car if you let your guard down and don’t use the common sense.
Many Camaro enthusiast living in colder climates, have their cars stored for the winter, and although the cars are in a warm garage, I would still lock the doors, and remove the battery and put the car up on jack stands. Many of us travel during the holidays to visit family and friends and nothing is worse than retuning from a festive holiday only to discover your pride and joy missing. One of my personal security measures is to put locks in the garage door rails to prevent the door from being lifted from the inside, or use short bolts with special allen heads to prevent removal without special tools. You can also park another vehicle in front of your garage door when you plan to leave home for an extended period of time. Just think security, you have something that everyone wants, a pretty Camaro!

WE CAN’T BELIEVE IT!

2006-12-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

Car guys and girls are an interesting group of people in the sense that their budgets always include additional parts for their pride and joy. The sales industry as a whole shows average growth, but the automotive parts industry is growing faster than ever. Many young people are spending money on their cars that rival us “back in the day” folks. It’s nothing for a young girl or guy to have thousands of dollars invested in automotive sound equipment, wheels, and body parts. The same can be said for the “baby boomers” that are retiring, and investing large amounts of money in their cars and trucks as future investments. It’s not uncommon for some guys to invest tens of thousands in a car, just to have bragging rights of having the prettiest car on the planet. I’ve checked with vendors in the automotive industry and they too have witnessed sharp increases in production; an indicator of sales growth.
I simply can’t believe the growth, and I’m proud to be a part of a hobby that continues to prosper, and is sure to lead us to a much brighter future!

BOOKS, BOOKS & MORE BOOKS

2006-12-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

I've often wondered how certain individuals have the answer for every car question that they are asked. I for one am surrounded by technical manuals, and other car how to manuals, and although I'm a car guy I will be the first to admit that I don't know everything. Several times per week I hear customers say "you are the expert" and I'm calling you to ask the type of paint located on a chrome trim piece of stainless body molding. My first statement is the fact that I'm not an expert but an enthusiast just like you. Some indidivuals spend months learning the paint colors codes and trim numbers, while I spend my time trying to enhance the performance of my vehicle or the performance of my friends vehicles. The books that interest me are books like CarTech Auto books which have subjects like; Installing and Using Nitrous Oxide, How To Build Max Performance Chevy Rat Motors, How To Build Big Inch Chevy Small Blocks, and Street Supercharging. These books won't make me an expert but they will enhance my automotive knowledge as well and make me look smarter to my friends. I firmly believe that books are the key to knowledge and for those that live in cold climates, this would be a great way to spend your winter months. So after you've finished watching "Pinks" visit our web site and select several performance books, you'll be glad you did.

AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY

2006-12-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

You may not have heard that Ford & GM have taken turns besting the Toyota Camry in quality surveys for the past two years, but the media will never tell you this. Last year the Chevrolet Impala beat the Toyota Camry in initial quality according to J.D. Power & Associates, and Consumer Reports just announced that both Ford Fusion and Mercyry Milan scored higher than both the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord this year. Also missing from the media was the fact that Toyota recalled more vehicles than it sold in the U.S. last. Did you hear about the Toyota senior manager quote that stated "We used to do quiet recalls called "service campaigns" to deal with defects but we're not going to hide anything anymore. The JD Power 2006 Vehicle Dependability Survey reports that Mercury, Buick and Cadillac (in that order) grabbed the number 2,3 and 4 spots to beat Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW and everyone else (except Lexus) in having the least number of problems per 100 vehicles. Perhaps someday the American media will give GM and Ford the credit they deserve. And once they do, perception among the majority of the American public will rightfully change. GM and Ford aren't only doing what they should to make gains in the American market to deserve American consumer loyalty; they're also doing what they should to make gains in the markets of China, Europe and across most of the rest of the globe.

Information was obtained from a article written by Roger Simmermaker, Author How Americans Can Buy American.

WHAT IS SANTA GOING TO BRING YOU?

2006-12-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year where every car guy and girl thinks about the wonderful gifts that await them. If they happen to be racers, then a new transmission, or engine part would certainly be a nice gift. If they are the show and go types, a new set of wheels to add that additional "bling" would really bring a smile the their faces. We are all big kids at heart, and the only thing different is the price of our toys. One of the great things about being car guys and girls is attending car shows that provide an avenue for giving something back to the community. We often hear about the homeless not having food to eat or children needing clothes, and hopefully through our unselfish gift giving we can brighten up the holidays for the less fortunate. So please continue to have fun with your toys but don't forget what this holiday period really means, the art of giving!

40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CAMARO

2006-11-30T04:32:00.000-08:00

As previously announced Eckler’s Camaro and General Motors Corporation will host the 40th Anniversary of the Camaro & Firebird in Detroit, Michigan. If you plan to attend this “once in a life time event”, it’s extremely important that you PRE-REGISTER to avoid the long registration lines at the host hotel (Best Western Sterling). We know that Scott Settlemire wants a 1,000 F-Bodies at F-Body events and he should not be disappointed at the number of F-Bodies in attendance at this event. Camaro & Firebird enthusiast from across the country are planning to converge on Detroit to celebrate the car we all love, so make plans to be a part of this great event and REGISTER EARLY!

GM EXTENDED WARRANTY

2006-11-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

GM recently released a bulletin #05513 for all 2000-2002 Camaro & Firebirds equipped with the 5.7 LS1 engines (VIN Code G) stating that owner of these vehicles may experience a failure of the left or right catalytic converter. This special warranty coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles, or whichever occurs first from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service regardless of ownership. The repairs will be made at no charge to the customer.

This information was provided by our NH State Rep, Ken Howe Sr.

HELP IS AT YOUR FINGER TIPS

2006-11-28T04:18:00.000-08:00

As car guys we are probably some of the most informed people of any type of hobbist. Automotive information is available thru various sources such as; books, TV, other automotive enthusiast and of course the internet. I feel that the internet is the best source of information available to us today. Just this morning I was reading one of the Camaro forums and a individual was looking for a clutch fluid cover for his car. Another informed individual quickly replied that he saw one at a auto parts store in the help section. This kind of information just 10 years ago was not available and numerous phone calls were required before you located your part. Camaro guys continue to rebuild cars and although most parts are available for the 1st generation Camaros, the later generations still require a lot of searching for most of their parts. This is where the internet becomes an invaluable tool for locating parts. Some of the best web sites are CAMARO Z28.COM, LS1.COM, CHIRPTHIRD.COM and if you're into drag racing; RACEJUNK.COM. There are many more excellent web sites out there, and everyone knows about YAHOO.COM which you can use to find car parts, bikes, cars and much more. Each morning I answer e-mails from customers requesting parts information, and believe me I really enjoy this quick and easy method of replying to the customers needs. Although I'm still old school and still like to use the telephone, there's only so many hours in a day, and the internet makes much better use of my time. So for those of us that are changing with the times, this computer age has really been an asset and I still wonder how I was able to live all those past years without one!

DAYTONA TURKEY ROD RUN

2006-11-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

The Daytona Beach Florida Turkey Rod Run Show was the place to be if you're a car guy or girl. This area was full of some of the finest early model cars in the country and many of them were for sale. I spoke to several guys who purchased cars for members of their family, and there were great deals to be had at this event. I saw a beautiful 69 Hugger Orange Camaro that was well worth the asking price of 36,000 and this car probably could command much more at a Barrett Jackson auction. Not far from the Daytona Speedway was a large car show on A1A which (not affiliated with the Turkey Rod Run) with mostly hot rods, street cars and a few full blown race cars in attendance. There were cars in excess of $200,000 which really wowed the crowd of hot rod enthusiast and the only bad part of this event was some of the show attendees lack of knowledge about car shows; such as not leaning or touching cars on display, parking in front of show cars and simply being bad sports. I saw lots of lack of common sense, which could have clearly lead to fights, and I quickly came to the conclusion many of the people attending this show simply had consumed too much alcohol. One idiot even managed to hit a very high dollar street machine and although he caused only minor damage this could have been avoided if he used some common sense. This being said, the car show was still a
great event, and the Turkey Rod Run was even better, with all the automotive vendors bringing out the best deals for this end of the year event. I also had to opportunity to meet several new Camaro enthusiast and I provided details about our club. It was a fun event!

THANKSGIVING

2006-11-22T05:46:00.000-08:00

This is a special time of the year were we should give thanks for the freedoms we are privileged to have as well as the special bonds with friends, family and co-workers. I personally would like to thank each and every member and customer of Worldwide Camaro Club and Eckler’s Camaro Parts for our successes this year. I would also like request that everyone thinks “SAFETY” during these holidays and remember that SEATBELTS really do save lives. I know that I don’t need to remind Camaro enthusiast about drinking and driving but I will say these few words “DON’T DO IT”. Have a safe Thanksgiving!

NEW PARTS FOR CAMARO’S

2006-11-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought that new parts for Camaros would slow down someone comes up with new suspension designs that truly enhance the steering and handling of 1st generation Camaros. Heidt’s Hot Rod Shop introduced a new bolt-in 4-like kit that allows suspension tuning with adjustable 4 link mounts. Detroit Speed introduced a complete front end sub-frame kit with tubular A-Arms, coil over shocks and rack & pinion all completely installed in a nice sub-frame package. Now you can purchase a complete 69 Camaro body, install a new sub-frame and rear end package, purchase a new LS7 505 horsepower engine and have a car that not only looks good, but will out handle most new cars built by the big three. These are exciting times for car enthusiast in the U.S., since it no longer necessary to purchase a very well used body, and spend years on a never ending project. The SEMA show was full of early model Camaros with late model engines from LS1 to the monster 572 cubic inch motors which really make these cars more desirable to own. Exciting times are here…….

CAMARO CLUBS

2006-11-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

Many who are Camaro enthusiast tend to be Camaro loners, declining to join local or regional Camaro clubs for various personal reasons. I personally think that they are missing half the fun of owning such a wonderful vehicle because they miss out on the wonderful friendships that can be made as a member of a Camaro club. There are hundreds of Camaro clubs throughout the U.S., some as small as five members and others with more than a hundred members. With each club the common goal is to put on fun events as well as fund raisers that benefit various charity groups. Many Camaro clubs like; Classic Camaro Club of Central Florida, Western & Eastern Michigan Camaro Clubs, Northwest Jersey Camaro Club, Delaware Valley Riverfront Camaro Club, River City Camaro Club, Jacksonville, Florida, Riverfront Camaro Club of Maryland and many other Camaro clubs sponsor fund raisers, participate in parade for veterans, travel on sightseeing trips, assists fellow members with their project cars and many, many other activities. For Camaro owners who have young sons and daughters this can only enhance their feelings about these cars because they see the passion display by their fathers and mothers. I truly enjoy seeing these young people at our national and international events walking around looking at these beautiful cars. We someday must pass the Camaro torch on to our young people and they are very capable of continuing the passion……

VETERANS DAY; A WAY TO SAY THANKS!

2006-11-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day was celebrated last Saturday, and across the country many Americans gave thanks to our country's service men and women. One of the nicest tributes in Central Florida was the Veterans day parade held in Orlando. The Camaro Club of Central Florida participated in this parade with numerous Camaros crusing in the parade as their way of saying thanks to our nations veterans. This was a very nice jesture, and we appreciate it guys! We often get wrapped up in our day to day activities, forgetting that our citizens are still dying in foreign countries. Although we may not agree with the war we must support our troops who are sent in harms way. Recently while on a trip to Las Vegas, I saw two young Marines in the hotel and I inquired about their duty station, and I was informed that in three days they were being shipped out to Iraq. I thanked them for their service to our great nation, and also let them know that I was also a war veteran but due to the unpopular Vietnam war no one thanked me, and bid I them farewell. Let's keep our men and women Soldiers, Sailor, Marines and Airmen in our prayers.......

ANOTHER GREAT SHOW SEASON!

2006-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

Well we've had another great show season, and I've had the opportunity to meet many new Camaro enthusiast this year. We've travelled from Florida to Sacramento California, Springfield Missouri and on to St. Paul, MN, Detroit, Michigan,and other wonderful places around the US. One of the best comments I've heard this year came from individual who was relunctent to enter his car in the judging event because he felt his car was not as nice as the others in his class. After the judging was over and the awards were handed our he came over to me an said "I don't believe this" my car scored a 990, I'm thrilled! People place a lot of importance on how well their cars do at our shows, forgetting that the main theme of our shows is "fun". Most learn the hard way that they are often to worst critics of their cars and when a group of judges screen their cars it's a lot nicers than they thought possible. Where was the hottest show? That's easy, Springfield, Missouri where it was in the high 90's all weekend, with one day reaching the 100 degree mark. I thought it was hot in Florida, but Missouri was unbelieveable! After returning from what I call our "fun show" SEMA in Las Vegas, we prepare for our last local show in Daytona Beach Florida the "Turkey Rod Nationals" and we'll have approximately two months of "Down Time" before the 2007 Winter Nationals in Kissimmee, Florida.

JUST RETURNED FROM SEMA!

2006-11-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

Well another SEMA Year has come and gone and my legs are sore from walking the million square feet of the Los Vegas Convention Center. This years show was better than last year, and I thought it would be hard to top last years event. The vendor spaces seemed more organized this year, and although the crowds were extremely large the lines to various facilities went fast. One thing I noticed was the quality of cars at the show. Some individuals spared no expense when it came to building a car for display at this years event. There were cars from the mild restoration to the very wild restoration including one car which had a 57 Chevy front end, a 1958 mid section and a 1959 trunk all combined on a 2006 Corvette chassis. I'm sure that this car will be featured in many upcoming car magazines, it was truly wild. Outside in the parking lot Ford Mustangs driven by women outfitted for autocross racing were speeding and sliding around with precision. I was amazed at these ladies skill levels. These drivers would take passengers for rides around the specially coned off area at very fast speeds while manuvering between cones without hitting any. It was a great show! The great thing about this event is attendees have the opportunity to speak directly with members of the technical staff, and I brought several questions to this show, and they were quickly answered by the experts. There were many new parts on display, some of them still in the production stages, but many are ready for the wholesellers to introduce to catalogs and web sites. If there were one new invention I'd like to see, it would be mobile side walks that could make it easy on the feet. I've gotten more exercise this week, than I have the entire year, and yes these old legs are sore. It was fun, and I'm looking forward to SEMA next year.

IT'S TIME FOR SEMA!

2006-10-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

The SEMA show begins next Tuesday October 31st and closes on Friday November 3rd. This is the worlds largest trade show with more than 100,000 automotive vendors,and wholesellers in attendance. The SEMA show grows each year, and the convention center really rolls out the red carpet for their guest. I can honestly say this is the show of shows for those of us who are in the business of locating new parts, solving issues with current parts and passing on to our vendors suggestions from customers. I discovered numerous new products from last years show, and many of those products became "best sellers" for Eckler's. While walking the floor and listening to various vendors instructing me about their product, I would think "why didn't I think of that". Some of these ideals were so simple, it really makes you wonder just how the "off shore" people think of these designs. Walking, walking and more walking is the order of the day, and row and row after row of vendors explaining how great their products are is exciting. There's state-of-the-art product displays, technology demonstrations and one-on-one evaluations for company representatives. The "New Product Showcase" is a nice place to visit, to view specialize products entering the market. In short, this is the place to be, and if you get the opportunity to visit SEMA don't pass it up!

WHAT DOES SERVICE MEAN TO YOU!

2006-10-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

We often hear about customers who experience "the nightmare from hell" type of service while purchasing goods from various outlets. A friend of mine purchased a big screen TV from a company and when the TV was removed from the box the screen had a large hole in it. When she inspected the box this same hole was on the outside of the box indicating that something had penertrated the box. When the store was contacted about this problem, the immediate comment was "it didn't leave the store like this. Once the TV was returned one of the stock clerks stated that this TV was in fact a damaged unit and not supposed to be sold, and the store manager was left with the look of dismay on his face. He was not aware of the problem, but immediately assumed that the customer must have damaged the TV. The automotive parts business is no different, but some customers get upset when they are informed that most electrical parts cannot be returned. The reason is simple, a vehicle can have electrical problems, i.e. alternator, starter or battery, and by installing a new electrical part, these other problems can "fry" the new installed part. Once this happens, the customer thinks that the electrical part recently purchased must be at fault. This is not to say that all electrical parts sold are 100% perfect, but most are tested prior to leaving the factory. We are very "customer service friendly" here at Eckler's because we believe that a satisfied customer will continue to purchase parts from us, and for the price of most electrical parts it's not worth causing customer dissatisfaction. I can't tell you how amazed I am when customers call Eckler's and report receiving an extra part that they did not order. I think that the honesty of our customers is simply amazing since many people in our country would simply keep the product. Our customer service department is well trained in customer satisfaction because they know we want your business!

THE HITS KEEP COMING!

2006-10-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful Camarofest last weekend, Eckler's is having the Corvette Reunion this weekend where they expect to have more than 1,000 Corvettes. If someone is interested in purchasing a Corvette, the Corvette For Sale Coral will be full of these fiberglass beauties at very good prices. This weekend is also Super Chevy weekend at Gainesville Florida, and although there's a slight chance of rain on Sunday, Worldwide Camaro Club will be represented in the Drag Racing Event. Next weekend is the World Street Finals which actually starts on Thursday October 26th at Race Rock, in Orlando. If you've never attended this event, you are missing a great door slammer event. Some of the baddest, No! the baddest door cars in the country converge on Orlando to determine who has the "baddest of the bad" street appearing car. There are four qualified classes of 32 each and just watching qualifiing is a special treat since thousands of a second determine if you in the field or headed back home. This is the one event drag racing enthusiast look forward to each year. It's like a big three day party at the track, and my excitement grows with each passing day. This use to be a little guys sport, but that quickly changed into a big money sport with customer made chassis, extremely high dollar engines, and large customer car haulers. Where does all the money come from? We all ask this question and it's amazing that our answers varies from individual shop owners, to corporate guys just spending their stock shares. We can only hope that those lucky numbers come in some that we too can jump in the fray!

CAMAROFEST WAS SUPER!

2006-10-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well the 3rd Annual Camarofest is in the books and the show was super! The quality of the Camaros at this years show was superb. You could not ask for better weather and a better place than Old Town to have this show. With over ninty top quality Camaro including race cars, Central Florida's fastest street car (8.20, 169)and one 1st Place Show winner at any show (a 69 Blue Camaro with a Motion built 572 cubic inch motor) everyone got to see cars of their personal taste. Some of the best door prizes where handed out like clocks, t-shirts, Polo Shirts and Camaro CD provided smiles on the lucky winners faces. The Drag racing event held Friday night was also a success, with numerous Camaros owners taking advantage of the free food and fun at track side. By popular vote everyone would like Eckler's to hold this show at Old Town next year and we also agree there is no better place to hold this show.

OPEC Confirms 1Million Barrel Oil Cuts!

2006-10-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

OPEC will cust global oil production by 1 million barrels said the Nigerian oil minister and OPEC president Edmund Daukoru on Wednesday. The cuts will begin at the end of the month so the oil producting countries can prop up oil prices. Oil prices have fallen sharply in recent weeks. On the New York Mercantile sweet crude oil reached a eight month low at $1.44 a berrel. Now I will add my two cents worth on this subject. It's time to start raising the prices of grain, beef, and other comsumable products we send to these oil producing countries. Make them understand that it's a two way street and that they need our products to live! Now watch the oil prices come down and the greed stop. You can't eat oil!

ON LINE MAGAZINE

2006-10-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

I remember many years ago receiving the various car magazines and the excitement I had just reading about fast cars from California, Michigan, New Jersey and other states. When you live in an area where it snows, it's nice to read about car guys in other states making horsepower, and what they did to achieve the fast drag racing e.t's. Well times have changed and although we still have various magazines on the book shelves, most contain stories about show cars, and owner claimed e.t.s that simply can't be true. It's not uncommon to read about 1,000 horsepower street cars in todays magazines, and although turbo cars make outrageous horsepower most don't make that kind of power. Today's magazines do a good job of including a variety of subjects but most of us are truly interested in hard core, power to the ground subjects. Now to my point, the new on-line magazine, MAXCHEVY.COM fills this void for us, and it's on the cutting edge of what car guys really want. I throughly enjoyed the interview with Vic Edelbrock and I'm sure you will also. These guys have found something that's been missing in the automotive market for many years and I hope they have continued success with the on-line magazine. Read it for yourself I'm sure you'll enjoy the articles.

FOUR MORE DAYS!

2006-10-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

That's right! Just four more days until the beginning of Camarofest which actually starts Friday night (Oct 13th 6PM) at Orlando Speed World. We will have our Eckler's Truck & Trailer at the race track, free food for Camaro/F-Body owners and track testing. Once we leave the race track we'll head to Kissimmee where we'll wash our cars and relax in the hotel parking lot talking about what else, "Camaros" Saturday is going to be a great weather day, from our pre-entry results, we expect a much larger show that previous years. Several Camaros from South Florida have also pre-entered and some coming from as far as Georgia. If you're looking for a fun event, you love Camaros and F-bodies in general, don't miss this show.

GM MERGER TALKS

2006-10-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Talks of a marriage of convenience between General Motors and Nissan-Renault have broken up over disagreement about the value of the proposed tie-up. Neogotiations faltered on General Motors insistence that Nissan-Renault pay a "control premium" if it brought 20% of GM's stock as part of the alliance,The Wall Street Journal reported. Rick Wagoner enthusiastically touted the strides General Motors has made in excuting a turnaround aimed at regaining market share and stemming massive financial losses. This may be the reason the talks with Nissam-Renault were terminated.

SEMA

2006-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time flys, it seems like only a few months ago we were in Las Vegas at the SEMA show and now it's time to return. Last years event was nothing short of spectacular. The best thing about an event such as SEMA is it allows us the opportunity to speak directly "face to face" with the manufactor about our concerns such as quality issues and back orders. Last year we had a method for visiting vendors and that method was simple, each day we would select a floor and walk that entire floor making sure that we did not miss any vendors. With more that 100,000 industry professionals in Las Vegas visiting SEMA just walking the floors can be an experience. I truly enjoyed viewing the various "new products" and last year and I could hardly wait to return so I could show case some of these new products in our magazine and our web site. This years show promises to be better than last years event so I once I return I will report my findings to you.

ECKLER'S CAMAROFEST!

2006-10-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Since I attend car shows for a living throughout the year, one would imagine that I could not find excitement in attending another car show. The truth of the matter is I find attending car show not only fun but time to speak to friends whom I known for years about cars as well as personal matters. I for one fully understand just how short life can really be, and losing my car friends is a personal tragedy that I hate to experience. When I'm on the road attending car shows and people find out that we are from Florida, they comment how lucky we are to have car shows in the winter time. We are lucky, but on the other hand we have access to so many car shows that we either can't chose which one to attend or the weather is the deciding factor.
Well it's been my experience that you simply make a conscience decision to go to the show of your choice and have a good time, and if you don't have a good time, you find another show that's better than the last one you attended. Our Camarofest will be fun because we included a special event called the "early bird special" which will be held October 13th at Orlando Speed World. We will have our truck & trailer at the track so stop by and sign up for the show or obtain club membership information. As a added bonus, anyone with a F-Body that records a perfect reaction time (000) that evening will receive "free entry" to Saturday's event.
If you've never attended an all "F" Body event, don't miss the start of this show, and after we leave the track follow us to Kissimmee Old Town for our car wash and spend the night at the hotel. This is going to be a great show!

17 DAYS UNTIL CAMAROFEST!

2006-09-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

Time is fast approaching for the upcoming Camarofest scheduled for October 14th at Old Town in Kissimmee Florida. This years show is promising to be bigger than the previous years thanks to the support of Camaro Clubs like River City F-Bodies. They promised to come out in full force with more than 17 Camaros and Classic Camaros of Central Florida members also plan to attend. There are numerous car shows throughout Central Florida as well as the entire state, but it's nice to have a show where F-Body owners can attend and display the true passion they have for these cars. The month of October is full of events, such as The Super Chevy Show, World Street Finals, Eckler's Corvette Reunion and others so we were able to squeeze our show into this fun filled month. If you're able to attend I promise you will not be disappointed, and if you miss this show, oh well there's always next year! Please visit our web site www.ecklerscamaro.com for show information.

WHAT A WEEKEND!

2006-09-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

My weekend started Friday evening at the drag strip, where I was ask by a friend to help him with the testing of his 67 RS/SS Camaro. This Camaro is a small block 406 with a small nitrous kit and was recently tubbed and a ladder bar kit was installed.We decided that it would be best to make a motor pass first just to make sure that the car was leaving the line straight and it did not have any ill handling problems. The first pass was an easy 11.87 run and from my observation point the car left the line straight and it made a good run. We decided that it was time to hit the nitrous on the second pass, and a hit of the botton and the car bolted sideways and he straighten the car for a 10:86, 124 mph pass. After adjusting the air pressure, on the next pass the car left the line hard and headed for the center line and the run was aborted. This would have been a great pass since the 60 foot time was a 1.47 but bad runs are not worth tearing up a car for. Adjustments to the ladder bar suspension will be made and it's back for more testing. This week I will be testing the 94 502Z, and I'll report back to you next week.

Now for the remainder of my weekend, I helped another friend of my install his 383 stroker motor in a 1967 Nova. After getting the motor started, we noticed a bad vibration in the motor, and turned off the motor immediately. After several people making what they thought were problem solving tips, it was determined that the flywheel was the problem since it was bolted in the wrong position on the crank shaft. Since 383's are externally balanced motors, it was important to install the flywheel in the correct position, however, there wasn't a dowl pin to ensure that the flywheel installation was correct. After moving the flywheel, and rebolting it, the motor was fired up, and the vibration was gone. It's always the simple things!

I get a laugh when customers call and ask me if I ever work on motors. If they only knew that I'm around race cars, fast street cars, and even machine shops weekly they would be amazed. I'm a very hands on guy, and I'm sure that I even dream about how to make cars go fast.

EBay Motors Sells 2 Millionth Vehicle

2006-09-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

EBay motors announced that they recently sold its 2 millionth passenger vehicle in the U.S. "Only six years ago, the thought of going online and buying a car you've never seen from a seller you've never met was an unfamiliar concept to most people, said Rob Chesney, senior director of eBay Motors. Frank and Gina Fuzy, the owners of Century Motors, said they have made selling cars online a significant part of their business. In business 25 years, the owners said they were originally skeptical about people actually buying a car sight-unseen on ebay Motors. They went on to say that Century Motors listed its first car only after a friend convinced them to try. The owners said they were amazed when bidding quickly excalated. Today, Century Motors has grown its business and now sells exclusively on eBay Motors, currently selling about two cars a day.

NEW FUEL IN 10-15 YEARS!

2006-09-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

That's right, hydrogen will replace the requirements we current have for gasoline!
I hope I'm around to see the day that we no longer have to depend on foreign oil producers to ship oil to the United States. I often wondered what it would be like when those countries rich in oil, no longer are rewarded for the high cost they charge for a natural resource. Foreign counties that spend money on gold facets, expensive cars, private planes, fast boats and expensive trips around the world may soon come to the realization that the party may be coming to a close. I for one can only hope that the big three that will produce these hydrogen vehicles do so quickly because the United States can no longer afford to be held hostage by high oil prices. Exciting Times Are Coming!

OCTOBER, A CAR ENTHUSIAST DREAM MONTH!

2006-09-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

Each year I look forward to the month of October for several reasons. The first reason is Eckler's is at the downside of the show season and we don't have to travel as much. The second reason is the month of October is full of car shows and racing events. As an example; October 14th is Ecklers Camarofest and this year's event is expected to be more exciting than the previous years because it's going to be held at Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida. Old Town is a man made facility that has shops brick streets, and is set up to look like a "Old Town. October 21-23 is Eckler's Corvette Reunion held in Titusville Florida and there's going to be more than a 1,000 Corvettes in attendance. On this same weekend Super Chevy will hold their show in Gainsville Florida. On October 26-29 is the World Street Finals, and if you're a drag racing fan of "door cars" only, this is the race to attend. As an example of the speed, last year's #1 qualifier for the Drag Radial class ran in the high 7 second zone on a Drag Radial Tire. Folks that flying! This event starts on Thursday at Race Rock Cafe on International Drive, and some of the baddest street cars in the world are escorted down the street by motorcycle police officers to the parking area. What an awesome sound and beautiful sight to see cars capable of running more than 200 miles per hour rumbling down Internation Drive in Orlando.
So if you like cars shows and drag racing, you need to come to Central Florida for these events you won't be disappointed.

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

2006-09-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I said that I would not waste time on computers searching for information that I could find in a magazine. I'm sure that I've read over 10,000 car magazines in the span of 40 years, and to this day I continue reading car magazines to keep abreast of new parts, and the latest trick of the month. Well times have changed and I find myself spending countless hours each day on the computer and like the saying goes, "this is an information age". I'm an old drag racer, and I continue to drag race my Camaro during the cooler months here in Florida and I throughly love the sport of drag racing. I'm glad that Terry Cole is the editor of the new Drag Racing On Line web sit, because he's a true drag racing enthusiast. If you love the sport of drag racing, I invite your attention to this new web sit that full of information, such as; a 762-inch Rat Motor making 1100 horsepower on 89 octane pump gas, a complete drag race monthly calender, and surveys such as the fifth-generation Camaro "retro-styled or modern styling. Check out the site I'm sure that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

ECKLER'S CAMAROFEST!

2006-09-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

From all indications the upcoming Camarofest to be held October 14th, will be much bigger than last years event. We've received calls from several neighboring states informing us that Camaro owners intend to make a weekend attending the show and tourist attractions. At Eckler's we are busy making preparations for this show trying to make this event better than the two previous shows. Although it's a one day event, the early bird drag racing event on Friday followed by an evening meal and car wash should be fun. Saturday morning is really going to fun because we will have the entire Old Town to ourselves, and the attendees can take two parking spaces to ensure that they can open their doors for final cleaning. During the event prizes will be given away every 30 minutes, and of course there will be 10% discounts and free shipping for shoppers. Everyone is encouraged to bring your family and simply have an enjoyable and relaxing day at Old Town. Don't Forget this event is open to ALL F-BODIES! SEE YOU THERE.

SOME CAMARO OWNERS, JUST DON'T GET IT!

2006-09-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you the number of shows that I've attended where there were some of the prettiest Camaros ever built in attendance. The thing that always impressed me was the care taken for vehicles that were nearly 40 years old. Camaros ownership is the dream most car guys have, and the 1969 Camaro is the most sought after car in the generations of Camaros. Although I happen to like the late body styles, simply because I always like the newer look of cars (Can't wait for the 5th Gen Camaro)some 4th generation Camaro owners should simply give their 4th Gens to those of us with a passion for these cars. As an example; while traveling to work this morning I saw a very nice 4th Gen Silver SS Camaro and it had a set of spinner wheels on it! Spinner Wheels, I had to look again to see if my eyes were deceiving me. Now I know that everyone has the right to do what they want with their Camaro, but we as Camaro owners; either race, show, or simply enjoy our cars without making them look like an after thought, with "what can I try next from the JC Whitney Catalog". Maybe I'm simply getting out of touch with the new age, and I'm "too old schoolish" but I'm ok with how I feel, and I still believe that some Camaro owners Just Don't Get It!

LEAVING FOR THE MILITARY

2006-09-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

Eckler's is like a big family and when you have a family member leave for the military you're both sadden and excited. Sid Hartsell was accepted into the U.S. Army Helecopter Flight program and will begin training next month. Sid is a Chevy man through and through and he currently owns two Corvettes. During our conversation this morning he informed me that he can't wait to purchase a new Camaro when they arrive at the dealerships. We are often consumed with our daily activities and we forget about the hardships faced by many members of our Armed Forces. Some of the simple things that we take for granted such as going to a movie and having a nice evening dinner, are only dreams to those members in combat zones. I told Sid that when he's sent into harms way, we at Eckler's will send him books, and magazines to help keep his spirits up, and I encourage others to do the same for members of their family that serve in our Armed Forces.

DISAPPOINTED AGAIN!

2006-09-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

While I was reading a magazine I read an article about various places to search for parts for Chevy and other vehicles. What really disappointed me was the lack of information about our companies, Eckler's Corvette, Classic Chevy, Late Great Chevy and of course Eckler's Camaro. Eckler's Industries has combines companies that have been in the restoration car business some for more than 30 years, under one roof. The omition of our companies from the list of restoration companies cannot simply be a mere over sight since we have a combined sales of more than 40 million dollars. Anyone that has ever owned a Corvette knows the names of Eckler's, and during previous years some of our hundreds of tech articles have appeared in this same magazine. I certain understand that the restoration business is highly competitive but people who are trying to make a decision as to where they can find quality parts at a competitive price must be given complete and factual information. Thank goodness our customers are informed, and they don't rely on one source for factual information. Those of you that have purchase parts from Eckler's Industries know that we stand behind our products, provide technical information where available, and offer price matching on like for like products.
Although my comments indicate that I am displeased I am more interested in our customers and our Worldwide Camaro club members and subscribers. It's easy to provide disinformation in the world today but thankful the companies that we do business with know how important our business is to their overall success. Thanks for letting me blow some steam!

PINKS! THE TV SHOW

2006-08-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

I'm sure by now everyone that's into cars has seen the weekly TV series called "Pinks". The show is about drag racing "street style" where the loser signs over his Pink Slip (Car Registration)to the winner of the best of fives races. When the show first aired it was entertaining but now I think it the cars need to be grouped closer to their performance levels. Giving cars 7 or 8 car lengths is not very entertaining. If this show is supposed to represent the old days of street racing, from what I heard cars were staged side by side to race. No one in their right mind would race for money giving someone 6,7 or 8 car lengths. Back in the mid 70's I actually witnessed a title for title race between some very fast cars in the back streets of a GM Plant that was closed for the weekend and to me that was a stupid race. Giving up your pride and joy after hours upon hours of labor to prove your car was the baddest car around made little or no sense to me. Those days are long gone, although there's reports of high rolling car guys racing for more than $50,000 one race winner take all, the price of cars these days are out of control. I treat shows like "Pinks" as mearly entainment and I watch it if nothing else is on TV, after all it is racing and it's better than watching roller blading or a dart match.

I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT!

2006-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

With more than 4,000,000 Camaros built and many of them still on the roads today, I can't understand why more Camaro enthusiasts don't subscribe to a "Camaro Only" magazine. Our Camaro World magazine is unlike other car magazines because it's not filled with advisements and little content. As an example the next time you receive or purchase a Chevy magazine count the pages of advisements then count the pages of actual car stories and you will find out how really useless the magazine is. On the other hand if you read Camaro World, you will find the entire magazine is filled with Camaro stories, how to Tech Articles, new products, Camaro show information and more. Printing cost continue to rise and without support from Camaro enthusiast a certain demise loomes in our future. Worldwide Camaro Club contines to be the best Camaro voice in the country and we want to ensure our club is a club for the future. If you've ever attended one of our shows, you'll have the time of your life in a relaxed environment. So help us help you, join us now!

40th CAMARO ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

2006-08-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to start planning for the upcoming 40th Camaro Anniversary Celebration to be held in Detroit Michigan on August 9th thru August 11th, 2007. The host hotel is Best Western Sterling at a rate of $94.00 per day. The hotel is located near the GM Tech Center, and if you are bringing kids they will love the large indoor water sports park. Don't miss out on this very special event! Make those room reservations now, because this show will also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 57 Chevy which means, cars, cars, and more cars.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OIL?

2006-08-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

How much do you value the engine in your car? Think about it, because the life of your engine depends in no small part on the quality of the oil you put in it. Oil is the lifeblood of your car's engine. Mineral oils are based on oil that comes from dear old Mother Earth which has been refined. Synthetic oils are entirely concocted by chemist in laboratories. The only other type oil is semi-synthetic, sometines called premium, which is a blend of the two. Synthetic oil bases tend not to contain reactive carbon atoms which create acids. Synthetic oil are custom-built oils that are designed to do the job efficiently but without any of the excess baggage that accompany minerial based oils. I my opinion there is no reason to use mineral based oils in later years Camaros. GM even recommends that Mobil 1 be used in all of it LSX engines, for the simple fact that synthetic oils prevent wear better. I spoke to a friend of mine that builds high dollar NHRA Super Stock engines and he stated that since the Federal Government is limiting the use of Zink in mineral based oils he's noticed more engine failures, and has personally experienced piston wrist pin failures because the zink is no longer present in mineral oil. He informed me that since I used synthetic oils that I should not have a problem with my engine. Just select a good quality synthetic oil, change it often and use a "Filter Mag" these things really work!

AUTOMOTIVE BLACK BOXES

2006-08-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

Beginning with the 2011 model year vehicles, automakers will need to disclose the existence of the technology (black boxes) in owners manuals. The data recorders will also need to be more durable to protect the information during a crash to allow the auto industry to collect a uniform amount of data to help in the development of new safety regulations. With more than 40,000 motorist killed on the roads each year, supporters of the black boxes contend they give investigators and automakers an extensive database that can help them design better vehicles safety features and improved roads. Some privacy experts worry that the information could be accessed by anyone and also argue that most motorists don't know the black boxes are installed in their vehicles. The rules do not require the data recorders to be used in all new vehicles, despite past recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board that the devices be mandated.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

2006-08-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Star reports that General Motors will build the new Camaro at its No.2 plant in Oshawa,Canada. Production is set to begin in 2008, with the new Camaros hitting the showrooms in early 2009. The move came after the Canadian Auto Workers union agreed to 2,500 early retirements to reduce costs at the plant to win the rights to make the new car. The plant was scheduled to be closed in 2008 but will now stay open, saving about 2,700 jobs. The new Camaro is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the 1969 icon. GM has indicated that the production version of the Camaro is going to look almost identical to the "Best in Show" concept vehicle first featured at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year.

THE LOSS OF A TRUE CAMARO ENTHUSIAST!

2006-08-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

We at Worldwide Camaro Club were sadden by the news that our North Carolina State Representative Mike "Willard" Scott passed away Friday, August 18th. Willard was a true Camaro enthusiast that travel great distances to attend Camaro shows. He was one that was always more that willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. We have so many good memories of Willard preparing his Camaro for judging, and his many stories about the good old days when Camaros didn't have all that computerized stuff. Willard touched many lives, and we wish to offer his family our sincere condolences. He certainly will be missed by all of us here at WCC.

GM ARE YOU LISTENING?

2006-08-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Ok now that we know that the 2009 Camaro is coming, certainly there must be more information as to the types of Camaros that will be built. Enthusiast want to know about convertible models, types of engine options, stripe options, and if the Z28 model will be the top of the Camaro line? I'm probably jumping the gun by asking these questions since I'm sure that the powers to be at GM are hard at work trying to first figure out where the car will be produced. I pray that this car will be produced in the United States so that GM can put more Americans to work. This is an American icon as as such these cars should roll off American assembly lines in my opinion. Just think how great it would be to be able to follow the assembly of your Camaro from start to finish. If GM can do this for its Corvette customers, they certainly can do it for Camaro enthusiast who've wait patiently for numerous years for the return of our car. GM ARE YOU LISTENING?

JUST HAVE FUN WITH YOUR CAMARO!

2006-08-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

We've all seen the car build up shows with a team of builders that can build that perfect Camaro, but most of these cars are rarely driven. People like you and I make modifications to our cars, to enhance the overall beauty as well as the performance, without the fancy shops or lifts. Many of us has garage floor marks on our bodies as proof that we know how to get down and dirty, but that's the fun part of owning our Camaros. We can take great pride in the fact that when we attend a local or national car show people come over to admire our work. I would love to chrome various parts on my Camaro to enhande that "show quality look" but I also understand that chroming adds weight and since I also like to occasionally drag race my Camaro, more weight equals less performance. I take the simple approach of simply cleaning the engine compartment, polishing certain components and waxing the exterior. I would love to have a large shop, and have the time to completely disassemble my Camaro however, since I don't, I do the best I can with what I have. Don't ever let anyone tell you that your Camaro is not good enough to be brought to a CCI/WCC show. Every car out there has flaws, of course some people want that "Perfect Camaro" and they spend a great deal of money seeking the top prize, but they don't have the same fun as we do. So keep driving, and keep coming to car shows, just have fun that's what it's all about!

PRAY FOR A TRUE CAMARO ENTHUSIAST

2006-08-16T04:40:00.000-07:00

Mr. Mike Scott is a life long car nut and a true Camaro enthusiast. He's attended Camaro shows for years and he's always there to offer a helping hand to someone with car problems. I know for a fact that he can talk for hours about his passion, Camaros and his other love, racing. Mike was advised by doctors that he only has a short time to live due to terminal cancer. Mike is our North Carolina Camaro State Representative, and being a true Camaro enthusiast he made sure once he was advised of his illiness that a suitable replacement was made. He also offered training for his replacement and sent his replacement all of his training material. Our program has vastly improved because of Mike's suggestions and he is a person that can be counted on to assist any fellow Camaro enthusiast. I asked that everyone take a few moments to pray for Mike and his family. Thanks

5th Generation Camaro

2006-08-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

Now that the 5th generation Camaro production has been announced, it's time for all Camaro enthusiast to express how they would like to have their Camaro built. Many of you are too young to remember the days when you could walk into a Chevy dealership and pick up a sales order blank and special order your Camaro. I personally feel that those days should return because you as a consumer should be selective about car you're about to spend your hard earned dollars on. If you have plans to road race the car, you should be able to select a 1LE option with heater and AC delete, special suspension and all the good road racing options. If you want strips you should be able to select strips, not just walk the dealers parking lot trying to find the correct color and hope that strips are on the car of your choice. There are some very special and rare Camaros across America and the reason they are rare is the fact that the customer had the power of choice. One Camaro that was auctioned was so heavily loaded with options it commanded a very high premimum which was paid by the new owner. I personally want the lightest low option Camaro without T-tops I can buy, because this car will be headed for a complete overhaul to make it a monster on the streets and drag strip. So although we will have to wait for a few years to get our hands on a new Camaro, there's light and the end of the tunnel, let's be patient!

BACK TO THE OFFICE- AT LAST!

2006-08-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

As previously written in my blog, I was in Springfield, Missouri at our International Convention, when I received a call from GM advising me of some very important news. The was like the shot heard around the world when I heard there would be an announcement that the Concept Camaro would become a reality. My flight was changed and off I went last Wednesday to Detroit so that I could be present at the GM Tech Center for the much welcomed news. Thursday morning I arrived at the GM Tech Center, and what a beautiful sight to see so many Camaros of all generations sitting in the field. After approximately one hour sirens were heard and it was a wonderful sight seeing a Camaro Police Car escorting our new Concept Camaro down the street. On the hill near the GM Tech Center there were hundreds of GM employees watching the event, and once the Concept Camaro was driven onto the field Mr. Ed Wilburn GM VP of Global Design exited the car. This project was one that he saw from the inception to the beginning of production. Mr. Wilburn spoke to the crowd and he stated that the new Camaro was be available at dealerships the first quarter of 2009. Although many expected the Camaro to be produced sooner, it was announced that the vehicle started from a clean sheet of paper, meaning a new platform, which would required tooling for an entirely new vehicle. Well, I for one am just glad that the car will once again be produced. You can bet that I will have on in my garage, will you?

SUPER SPRINGFIELD SHOW!

2006-08-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Although the weather was hot, the cars that came to the show were hotter. Some of the best cars the midwest has to offer were in attendance at the 32nd International Convention. We even had a 1000 point car, a 1970 Chevelle that three judges felt was perfect in all catagories. Mr. Barry Berstein brought his beautiful 1969 Blue Camaro ZL1 to the show and it certainly wowed the crowd, since very few cars that attend Classic Chevy Shows are worth 7 figures. There were several trailered Camaros in attendance that scored extremely well, and the driven Camaros made their presence known by collecting trophies. Look for the entire show story in a upcoming Camaro World magazine. The host hotel rolled out the red carpet for all of us, and the welcome barbeque was held Thursday night was extremely tasty. If you get a chance next year to attend the International Convention, check the dates and make your plans now. This show is expecting at least 500 cars!

32ND Annual International, Springfield, Mo

2006-07-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

Well it’s time for our show team to head to beautiful Springfield Missouri for our International show. The International show is our largest out of state event and we try our best to ensure that our guest have the time of their lives. Many of our club members only travel to one show a year and the International show seems to be the show of choice. The Clarion Hotel, our host hotel intends to roll out the red carpet for all of us to ensure that we enjoy our visit. Since I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri many of my family and friends will visit the show. This is also exciting because I have not seen some of my friends in more than 20 years. Well enough of that, for those of you that plan to attend this show please be forewarned that it will be extremely “hot” due to the heat wave in the mid-west. For more information about the International show please visit www.classicchevy.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

CAMARO TECH ARTICLES

2006-07-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Each month Camaro World magazine is sent to our members with member pride articles, sales and of course our Tech Articles. We've done tech articles on numerous subjects from brakes to mirror installs, and we try to simplify these installs with detailed photos as well as parts needed to accomplish the job. In the real world every one of these installs should go smooth without any complications, however, this is often not the case. One such install (mirror with compass) which I felt would be a very simple install turned out to be a real pain because the manufactor did not include the correct instructions for this installation. After we connected the appropriate color coded wires, replaced the dash panels and prepared for a test drive to calibrate the compass, power to the mirror failed. After rechecking our wires and rereading the instructions we determined that the instructions did not mention the fact that the power must not be a "switched" power as indicated in the instructions. The reason for the power failure was the fact that our instructions stated to connect a certain color wire to a wire under the dash which was an automatic interior dimming wire. Once we determined the correct wire, I contact the manufactor and explained the error in their instructions. Our job was now complete!
Our tech articles are great for the person that wants to perform installs at home using simple hand tools, and we try to find trouble spots prior to introducing a new product to our customers. Very few companies actually install the products they sell but simply allow their customers to spend their hard earned money on untested products. If you asked me about brakes, I can tell you what stops my Camaro at more that 128 miles per hour on the drag strip. If you ask me about shocks, I can tell you that the QA1's on my Camaro work extremely well after I determined the correct settings. The list goes on, but the point I'm trying to make is both Classic Chevy and Camaro World magazines takes that extra step to tell you first hand who really works and what does not. If I don't like something about a product I will contact the vendor and explain my dissatisfaction. I've used performance products for more than 30 years and I know that all products fail but if I could have spoken to some of these parts vendors years ago, I would still have money in my pocket today!

ANOTHER WAY TO STEAL YOUR VEHICLE

2006-07-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

You would think the dealerships would require verification of ownership but they just want to “serve the customer” so they can make a buck. It seems that car thieves have found yet another way to steal your car or truck without any effort at all. The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or truck, write down the VIN# from the label on the dash, then go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #. If you want proof of this simply call your local car dealership and report that you’ve lost the keys to your vehicle and inquire as to what’s required to obtain another key. In most cases the will simply instruct you to bring the VIN #, and they will cut you a key on the spot. So the car dealerships Parts Department will make the thief a duplicate key from the VIN # collect payment from the thief and the thief can return to your car insert the key and drive away without attracting any attention.

TO AVOID THIS SIMPLY PUT A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE, DUCT TAPE OR A WHITE 3 X 5 CARD ACROSS THE VIN METAL LABEL LOCATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS PREVENTS THE VIN # FROM BEING VIEWED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD BY THE THIEF.

WHICH WEB SITES PROVIDE THE BEST INFO?

2006-07-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

The information highway gets faster by the day, with information about any subject or any question a person may have. There some very popular Camaro web sites such as Camaro Z28.com, Chirpthird.com, and various Camaro clubs web and racing web sites. Information provided by various web sites can be a valuable tool if a person wants to determine how to repair a problem with their car or make more horsepower by adding power adders. I’ve personally reviewed most automotive web sites and I really pay close attention to the responses to Tech questions. Some of the answers provided are not correct or misleading and if I’m a member of the site I add my input (only if I’m positive of the answer). My responses to drag racing questions come from years of experience on drag strips all over the country class racing in both NHRA and AHRA. Occasionally I still have the need for speed and I go to the local drag strip for an evening of fun, so I still can offer someone interested in drag racing, answers to their questions. One thing I make clear to everyone is the fact that I don’t have all the answers, but my many years of experience working on various cars and racing them may be of value to the younger generation. It is extremely satisfying to attend a Saturday night racing event with my legally licensed Camaro line up against actual race car during eliminations and win. This rates high on the “Fun Meter”!

MEETING NEW FRIENDS

2006-07-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

The one thing I like most about our show seasons is I get the opportunity to meet new friends. Sometimes I meet them under bad circumstances such as parts failures while attending a show. I can remember two recent shows where I had the opportunity to meet two very nice couples and the fact that I was able to help them during the car shows I’m sure will have lasting memories for all of us. Over the years and the hundreds of car shows that I’ve attended, I thought that I would become a “car show burn out” and grow increasingly tired of them, but that’s not the case. I still look forward to the shows Eckler’s sponsors as well as local once a month shows. It’s not really about the cars as much as it is about the people. We can share ideas, talk about various things and reminisce about being “back in the day” when week end cruises spots were filled with high performance street vehicles. Sometimes at local shows I meet individuals that are truly interested in my conversion from a small block to a big block in my 4th Gen, and I readily provide as much information as possible. By providing this information I quickly become acquainted with new people that have the same interest as I as well as providing my assistance. It’s the love of cars that makes “true car guys” tick, and although some are very secretive about their engine combinations guys like me don’t really care. I quickly tell them the cam lift, duration and if I have it I will give them the cam number. I don’t care because I know what makes cars perform on the drag strip is a combination of things; correct rear end gearing, transmission converter size, and suspension work. It’s extremely hard for someone to duplicate the exact combination from one car to another, and if I can help someone have the same “fun factor” as I do then so be it!

FOREIGN AUTOMOTIVE PARTS

2006-07-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

You would be surprised at the number of request we received each day from our customers that request only American made products. These requests are extremely difficult to honor since many aftermarket products are manufactured in China, Korea, Mexico, India and other foreign countries. One only has to look at the label inside your shirt to see the words “Made in China or Made of imported products” to understand where this free trade has taken us. The automotive industry is well known for its off shoring practices. More than 2,000 parts are necessary to build a car and only 70 percent of the individual parts used by the three major US automotive manufactures are made in the United States. The remaining 30 percent of the components are made in foreign countries and then shipped to the United States.

I’ve purchased thousands of performance parts during the past 30 years and although I made my purchases from established American companies I could not be certain that the parts I purchased were “Made in America”. When making a purchase I ask the sales representative if the part I intend to purchase is made in America and they will say yes, or I don’t know. I’m not too concerned about foreign made parts if they are “non moving” such as valve covers, and dress up items, but cranks, rods, pistons and other high stress parts must be made in the USA. I’ve heard numerous horror stories about crankshafts breaking, and normally these were the cheaper foreign made brands that were not tested properly prior to leaving the plant.

I certain don’t blame our customers for requesting American made products and in some instances their request can easily be honored but in other instances the parts they seek are only foreign made. If we find a problem or our customers inform us about a problem with a foreign made part sold by us, this part is taken off the shelf and our vendor is informed that we will not longer carry this part. This ensures that our customers will be satisfied with their purchases and will continue to buy their products from Eckler’s.

One final not worth mentioning; I was speaking with a machinist and he informed me that items like disc brake brackets and spindles coming from China had unbelievable quality. This machinist states that several years ago China bought as much US steel as possible and now this same steel is reentering the US in a finished product. So the quality issue may not be a problem.

What’s your thoughts?

GM ALLIANCE TALKS TODAY

2006-07-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t heard the news General Motors and Renault/Nissan are talking about some type of merger. Renault and Nissan may be interested in buying a combined 20 percent of General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, according to people familiar with the proposal. This may be a good thing for GM employees since this alliance may stop some of the job losses, and probably reduce some of the plant closings. This is no longer a rumor but a statement of fact since Carlos Ghosn, Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor Company/Renault and GM CEO Rick Wagoner will meet today at an undisclosed location to discuss the alliance proposed two weeks ago by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, the biggest individual investor at Detroit-based GM.

Just keeping everyone informed, since we have a vested interest because we are loyal GM buyers.

GM’s LATEST INTRODUCTION

2006-07-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

It seems like every month I read that GM is introducing another new vehicle. The Acadia was introduced yesterday (July 12th) is just what GM needs another SUV. Now GM has the Chevy Equinox an HHR, Pontiac Torrent, and Vibe, the Saturn Vue, the Buick Rendezvous and the Cadillac SRX. The Acadia is called a crossover which is a small utility vehicle with the “Professional Grade” standards of GMC. Now I’ll admit that I am impatiently waiting for the announcement of the production date for the new Camaro. It appears that all the talk by the powers to be at GM about needing the Camaro to fill a void in the performance market is more hype. If this car was needed so badly production dates would be released! GM should have been a leader not a follower, and quickly announced the production of the new Camaro shortly after the Detroit Auto Show in January 2006. Chrysler announced that production of the Challenger will begin and the vehicle will be sold as a 2008 model. Although many of us are die hard Camaro enthusiast it seems apparent that GM is about to lose more potential Camaro buyers to both Chrysler and Ford and instead of being a leader in the performance automotive industry GM will follow the others with a late production of the Camaro. Ford now has release their new GT500 Mustang which as $42,000 is in the 500 horsepower neighborhood as the Corvette ZO6, Dodge Viper, and the Porsche 911, more lost sales, GM are you listening or reading the automotive magazines? GM here is the deal; announce the production of the new Camaro, and ramp up for an RS model with the LS7 motor and we will make our purchases. It’s that simple!

LEGISLATIVE QUICK HITS

2006-07-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hawaii/Illinois Exhaust Noises: Currently, Hawaii prohibits any exhaust system that increases “the noise emitted by a motor vehicle above that emitted by the vehicle as equipped from the factory.” This law does not supply law enforcement with a clear standard to enforce, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether or not a modified exhaust system is in violation. This bill died with the close of Hawaii’s legislative session. SEMA Action Network also killed an Illinois bill that threatened to ban vehicles equipped with a “muffler or exhaust system that clearly has been modified to amplify or increase the noise of the vehicle.” Under this measure, vehicle determined to have been modified by virtue of a “visual observation” would have failed emissions inspection. How emissions inspectors would have determined that an exhaust system increases noise through a visual inspection was not explained in the bill. Another bill died in the legislative session.

South Carolina Antique Vehicles: The South Carolina Legislature approved SEMA Action Network-supported legislation to provide an exemption from property taxes for motor vehicles licensed and registered as antiques. South Carolina law defines an “Antique” as every motor vehicle which is “over 25 years old, is owned solely as a collector’s item and is used for participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades and similar uses, but in no event used for general transportation.” The bill now goes to the governor for his signature and enactment into law.

CAMARO’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY

2006-07-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday June 29th 1966, Chevrolet Motor Division announced a new personal-size car named “Camaro” which will be included in its 1967 model line. This new car was called a “four-passenger package of excitement.” The new Camaro is aimed at the fast growing personal sports-type market that was pioneered by Chevrolet’s Corvette in 1953 and further defined by the Corvair Monza in the 1960’s. The aerodynamic design of its all steel body was perfected in a jet aircraft wind tunnel. The name Camaro reflects the purpose of the car because in French Camaro means “comrade or pal.” It suggests the real mission of the new automobile to be a close companion to its owner, tailored to reflect his or her individual tastes and at the same time provide exciting personal transportation. With the introduction of the new Camaro was an all new “tele-conferencing” where newsmen in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, New York and Washington were linked by a long distance telephone network.

Next year we will celebrate Camaro’s 40th Anniversary and hopefully in the next few months we will hear the great news that Chevrolet will once again produce our Camaro! The Passion Still Lives!

WHICH CAR MAGAZINE DO YOU PERFER?

2006-07-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

Each month the book shelves at the local 7-11’s and book stores are filled with automotive magazines and I will admit that at one time or another I’ve read all of them. If you’re a Corvette enthusiast there are magazines for you, and if you’re like me, a person who likes all performance automobiles there’s a broad selection for us. Some magazines really go all out with their covers making you think that the entire magazine will have content worth reviewing. Of course on many occasions I’ve purchased a magazine because it had one article worth reading and unlike others I don’t stand at the book shelf reading magazines. Magazines as you know are full of advertisements from car parts to items that are of interest to males only. I would be willing to bet that if you were to cut out all of the advertisements you would have just a few articles of interest. We’re all aware that publishers of magazines supplement there printing cost through ads and I’m ok with this since I would rather have more magazines to choose from than not. Some articles in these various magazines are not totally correct but a sharp reader will see this and simply read the article for content instead of reading it as an instructional guide. Since I’ve read car magazines for more than thirty years I will list my favorite magazines from top to bottom. Please remember these are my personal choices only, not a rating of the magazine.

• Camaro World
• Drag Race Action
• Chevy High Performance
• Popular Hot Rodding
• GM High-Tech

One thing I think is worth mentioning is the unbelievable horsepower claims some individuals list in the articles sent to magazine publishers. When I see a photo of a car and the owner claims to be making 900 horsepower with a 350 cubic inch motor without a power adder, I know that’s a pipe dream. So don’t believe everything that you read, simply read the magazine during you quiet times and enjoy life!

LET’S GET SERIOUS!

2006-07-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Fifty percent of us are into making our Camaros go faster and fifty percent of us are into making our cars look good. Today’s blog is for those of you that want to extract more horsepower from your cars. There are some real horsepower junkies out there and the age old question of how much horsepower does your motor make without power adders continually comes up. Being a former drag racer I fully understand what it takes to go fast, Money! If you have the money you can buy horsepower and not be really concerned about how this power was achieved. On the other hand if you’re really into “what makes the motor make the claimed horsepower”, then you’ll be willing to try various horsepower improvements. I believe in a strong foundation first, and then add a power adder to the combination. The power adder can be nitrous, blowers, or turbo but power adders are key to any combination that I build. Since my car is designed for limited street duties I tend to go overboard and forget about drivability. The car is probably a little too wild for the street but who cares, I’m having fun and I never lack for excitement. Although I’m a big block Chevy guy, I still like the LS1/LS6 motors. These little motors can really make big horsepower and their light weight makes the Camaros fly at the drag strip. Many of the LS guys are stroking the LS2 to 404 cubic inches and easily achieving well over 500 horsepower and approximately 520 foot pounds of torque. Now World Products is offering a new LS1/LS6 block that can handle the really big horsepower needs (1,200-1,400) for the guys that are trying to break into the seven second or faster zone. The new “Warhawk LS7X engine block is stronger than anything that GM makes and can easily be stroked to 454 cubic inches. The cost of this block is $3,999 which is much cheaper than the C5R block that cost over $6,000. This new Warhawk series also has heads in both 12 degree and 15 degree series. One big problem with LS motors is the “ballooning” around the cylinder walls once you reach a certain amount of cylinder pressure. With the new Warhawk series this problem is eliminated because the cylinder walls are much thicker. For more information see the World Products web site at www.worldcastings.com.

VEHICLE SECURITY

2006-07-06T04:59:00.000-07:00

While attending the Camaro Superfest in Ypsilanti Michigan I walked around the parking looking at the beautiful Camaros on display. One thing that I could not help but notice was the number of vehicles that had keys in their ignitions or left on the seat and the owners not in sight of their cars. If you’ve never experienced the theft of a vehicle let me tell you first hand that it’s a horrible feeling. One of the previous vehicles I owned was stolen and the windows were up and the car locked but that did not stop the thieves from stealing it. It was recovered but the damage was too extensive for repairs so the insurance company totaled the vehicle. We often have a false sense of security at car shows because the majority of the people attending these shows are also car enthusiast. There is not better place for a car thief to look for a high dollar vehicle than at a car show. When I attend a car show and I leave me vehicle I roll the windows up and lock it. I also suggest my friends do the same; since we’ve spent untold hours working on our cars it makes no sense that we invite someone to steal it by making it easy for them. Another thing every car enthusiast should do is make a simple list of identifying features on their vehicle so if it is stolen and repainted you can check the frame or firewall for identifying markings.
More and more cars are stolen each day and high performance cars are “hot market” items and all the thief looks for is “Opportunity”, so don’t make it easy for them!

CAMARO SUPERFEST

2006-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

For those that missed the Camaro Superfest held in Ypsilanti Michigan let me give you a first hand report. This show for exceeded last years Superfest. The show setting was changed from a college parking lot to a beautiful park setting in Depot Town, Michigan. This park setting with numerous shade trees and beautiful green grass made the show a much better place to relax and the children loved having such a large play area.
For those of us that were vendors, we could not have asked for a better location and we had something that we’re not use to, power and water next to our trailers. Having such great weather and some of the finest Camaros I’ve ever seen together in one area and the joint efforts of two Camaro clubs made a show like this hard to top. If you wanted to see large samplings of Camaros of all generations this was the place to be. The Saturday evening dinner held at the Marriott Hotel was excellent, and the guest speakers kept everyone’s interest by sharing the Concept Camaro build up. Everyone was treated to the unveiling of a beautiful red concept Camaro which everyone in the room stood up and applauded for. There were of course a few “Hard Luck” stories one which I really feel is worth mentioning; Al Poulin owner of Extreme Memorabilia was trailering his Camaro and his products when he ran out of gas on the New York Turn Pike. According to Al he was given a safety vest at the toll plaza to wear while he walked approximately a mile to obtain fuel. Once he returned he discovered that his truck and trailer missing and was towed by the transit police because toll plaza personnel told the police they did not know the owner’s location. Al contacted the tow lot and was told that he could not obtain his truck and trailer until 8am the next day. Al explained that he needed to be in Michigan by 8am, so he was allowed to obtain his truck and trailer early. After paying both the cab driver ($40.00) and the towing fees ($130.00) Al was once again on the road and he arrived at the show on Friday. There’s more detailed information to this story but as you can tell from the information I provided, this was poor Al’s worst nightmare and he’s very fortunate that his Camaro and products were not stolen. Look for additional Superfest coverage in your upcoming Camaro World Magazine!

CAMARO SUPERFEST

2006-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

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!

THE NEW GM COMMERCIAL

2006-06-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

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!

HANG IN THERE!

2006-06-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

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!

WEST COAST CAR SHOWS

2006-06-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

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.

CAR SHOW AWARDS

2006-06-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

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!

DO YOU STILL GET CAMARO EXCITEMENT?

2006-06-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

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.

DON’T OVERLOOK THE FEMALE HOBBIST

2006-06-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

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!

TIMES ARE CHANGING FOR BRAKES

2006-06-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

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.

HOT ROD POWER TOUR KICKOFF

2006-06-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

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.

HOT ROD POWER TOUR 2006

2006-06-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

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!

NOT AGAIN!

2006-06-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

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…….

Atlanta F-Body Gathering

2006-05-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well I just returned from the Atlanta F-Body Gathering and once again Andy Archer and his group rolled out the red carpet for everyone. Although it rained briefly Friday the remainder of the weekend was great. Plenty of events were scheduled such as cruises, a road rally, slow drags and other events to keep everyone busy. Matt Murphy of GMMG brought several display vehicles to the show including Dale Earnhart Jr’s former race car and Scott Settlemire brought numerous specialty vehicles. For those that simply chose to relax by the pool or sit under shade trees and talk cars this was the place to be. There were a few hard luck stories such as an alternator failure, water pump failure and flat tires and all repairs were made prior to the end of the event. The most exciting part of the event was the arrival of the Camaro concept car. Just seeing this Camaro rumbling down the parking lot with Camaro enthusiast from all parts of the country standing and applauding was awesome. Once the Camaro was parked by Scott Settlemire the crowd surrounded the car for a closer look with cameras in hand for photos. This car was more impressive in the sun light than during the unveiling at Detroit. When Scott Settlemire was asked if the car would be built he replied “that decision has not been made yet but the response has been overwhelming”.
There’s so much more to a gathering such as this that I could continue writing for hours, but unless you’ve attended an f-body gather in the pass you’ll never know what you’ve missed. It was a fun filled weekend for everyone!

LATEST NEWS FROM GM

2006-05-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

According to Product Chief Robert Lutz, he thinks General Motors can sell more than 100,000 units of the Chevrolet Camaro. Mr. Lutz said that’s the number required by GM to build a production version of the concept which was unveiled at the Detroit auto show. Mr. Lutz also said that approval for the Camaro is still not finalized by GM, although GM executives have strongly hinted they will build the Camaro. The Camaro would be aimed at the Ford Mustang, which sold 160,975 units last year. The Camaro would be part of GM’s coming lineup of midpriced to premium-priced cars on a new rear-drive architecture developed by Holden. North American production of those vehicles is expected in 2008 or 2009.

• The source of this information comes from Crain Automotive News.

INTERESTING FACT

2006-05-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

Back in 1969 Chevrolet release sixty-nine ZL1 all-aluminum 427 equipped Camaros for NHRA racing. Many of these ZL1’s were found roaming the streets instead of being on the race tracks. Chevrolet rated these engines at 425 horsepower, but in reality they produced nearly 600 horsepower. In the early 70’s GM sole the engine rights for the ZL1 to Yenko Performance, which was owned by Don Yenko. He only produced a mere handful of “authentic” ZL1 Yenko 427 engines. How rare would a fine like this be? Well an extremely rare Yenko ZL1 was found on e-bay and the auction wars began. On April 3rd the auction ended for this extremely rare engine personally owned by Don Yenko as a backup engine which sat in his trailer unused. The numbers on the heads, intake manifold, and water pump on this engine are listed at “COPO Connection” under ZL1 engine parts. There were 93 bidders trying to obtain a piece of Yenko history with the highest bid being $43,101, however the reserve was not met and the engine remains unsold today.

* Thanks to Jim Tomkoswki for supplying the North Eastern Ohio Camaro Club with this interesting fact.

A CAR SHOW FILLED WEEKEND!

2006-05-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Car shows were held throughout Central Florida with some of the larger shows drawing the crowds. One such show was held in Apopka Florida and there was a mixture of vehicles Mustangs, Camaros, Chevelles, Novas, GTO’s, and the list continues. Although the weather was hot people enjoyed themselves under the numerous shade trees in the park.
One thing that holds true at every car show is “car talk” and there certainly was no lack of that at this show. This type of car show were the kids can come out look at the cars then go to the play area was perfect for the parents.
I can tell from my conversations with Camaro owners that the upcoming Atlanta show is the place that everyone is headed. A look at the upcoming schedule of events list everything from Dyno Testing, Road Rally, dinner with Scott Settlemire and of course the main course; The Car Show. I will be leaving for the show Thursday morning and will try to update everyone after the show ends.

EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING!

2006-05-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

Only 7 days remaining until the 10th F-Body Gathering in Atlanta Georgia and my excitement is building. I normally don’t get excited about car shows because this is the business I’m in and I attend car shows throughout the country every year but this show is different. This show seems to me to be a more relaxing show with some of the finest Camaros in the Southeast present and it gets bigger and better each year. I’ve been invited to travel to the show with members of the Classic Camaros of Central Florida and this year there will be a caravan of more than 10 cars in our group. Hopefully, we will take the time in our travel schedule to visit the new Summit Racing facility. From what I’m told this facility is a sight to behold and a high performance enthusiast dream. This years F-Body Gathering will be really special since the Concept Camaro will present for all Camaro enthusiast to closely view. If you have not had the opportunity to see this car now is time to make plans to visit the show, it’s awesome! So last minute details are in the works with a Thursday morning travel day and we’re rolling, rolling, rolling! See you there!