More Fallout from Cash for Clunkers

Last month we took a look back at the 2009 Cash for Clunkers program and found that industry analysts had determined that instead of providing the American auto industry with a boost, the optimistic $2.85 billion program wasted millions of taxpayer dollars and caused the destruction of thousands of used cars. In addition to wasting money and destroying cars, the only real benefit for the auto industry was a forward shift in the purchase of new vehicles at the time,…

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New Sheriff in Town (GM Gets a New CEO)

General Motors wasted no time in naming a new chief executive officer (CEO) after its’ current Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson announced his own imminent retirement. Just one day after the U.S. Treasury Department sold off the last of its stake in General Motors, Akerson’s departure was quickly followed by the news that Mary Barra will take over the vacant slot, a position that makes her the first woman CEO of a major automaker and one of the few women…

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Assets & Apps

Both the demand for and the prices of vintage and collectible cars have been rising to the point that average values across the marketplace climbed by nearly 40 % just in the past year alone. Auction houses and financial advisors have both recently noted that along with high-end jewelry and Asian art, collectible autos have entered the three most active and potentially lucrative collecting categories. The market has shown no signs of topping out and prices continue to climb as…

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The Chevrolet 327 Engine

The 327-cubic-inch Mighty Mouse The Chevrolet 327-cubic-inch V8 originated with the small-block family of engines that first appeared in 1955 with a 265 cubic inch powerplant. Following with a 283 cubic inch version that appeared in 1957, the mighty 327-inch small block made its debut in 1962. Although the 327 was eventually superseded by the 350 across the entire Chevrolet product line, the intermediate displacement 327 was used in just about every Chevy on the market between 1962 and 1969,…

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The Truth about the Cash for Clunkers Program

It appears the old adage that “hindsight is 20/20” is quite true when examining the overall effects of the 2009 governmental subsidy program for new car buyers known most commonly as “Cash for Clunkers.” Even though the current administration has maintained for the last several years that the program delivered real economic benefits to the U.S. auto industry, the Brookings Institution research group and think tank recently issued a report saying the complete opposite. The Brookings group now flatly states…

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Find an Auto Auction Near You

With so many high profile car auctions featured in the news and on television these days, it’s not surprising that large numbers of vintage vehicle enthusiasts have been showing up at the auto auctions held in their own areas of the country. The big televised auctions like Barrett-Jackson have made the general public more familiar with the auction format and seem to have also provided auto fanatics with the incentive needed to get out and try their own luck at…

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The Feds Killed Pontiac

It was a sad day for the fans of all makes of classic and muscle cars when they heard the news that the Pontiac brand was going away as part of the government’s restructured plan for GM back in 2008. At the time, the Pontiac brand was signaling some signs of a resurgence and a return to the days of it's "We build excitement" motto. There were indications of new updates to existing vehicles like the GTO, the G8 and…

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Storing Your Classic Car

When fall rolls around, many car enthusiasts and especially those in the northern climes, begin thinking about putting their classic rides away for the winter. If you live in an area where it snows, sleets or hails in the colder months, retiring a restored vehicle for the season makes perfect sense. However, there are a number of things to do to prepare your car for hibernation before you lock the doors and walk away for a few months. If you…

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The Pontiac Oakland Museum

As the number of new events, shows, businesses, and displays focused on classic cars continues to grow, it seems we learn about another new enterprise dedicated to vintage cars every week. Of course, the venues that spotlight GM-brand vehicles are always of particular interest to us, and although we documented over 40 historical vehicle venues in our “Classic Car History Lesson” posted on this blog a few months ago, we were pleased to recently learn of yet another new automotive…

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Finding Classic GM Parts

No automotive restoration project can move forward without access to the parts needed to get the job done. Time, money, space, skill and tools are all important too, but the ability to get the parts you need can make or break any restoration project, especially when working on older classic cars that are no longer supported by original factory replacement parts. Granted, a lot of restorations are undertaken as long-term projects where a good deal of time will be spent…

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