Continue reading »]]> In an effort to make more “Portly” customers feel good about purchasing a Hybrid GM has decided to introduce models that appear “weight impaired” like their “chubby” owners. GM has not disclosed what the name will be but has axed names like “Blubber-mobile” and”Fat-a-sourus” People from deep inside GM has confirmed the new car will be named “The Rosie O’Donnell”

Continue reading »]]> With dreams of Vintage Vw’s and VW parts dancing in his head Carlisle Johnny headed to the 2013 Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals. The horrible getting off Long Island traffic made the drive more Horse and Buggy slow than usual but after 7 grueling hours of driving Carlisle Johnny arrived car-lagged on Friday night. Ready with his extra large canvas bag he searched the Carlisle Fairgrounds for bargains for his 74 Super Beetle. The Carlisle Fairgrounds was crammed full of all kinds of Import Show Cars. Everything from Alfa’s to Volvo’s. 

The swap meet was a good size and skys were getting gray but that did not stop the search for Old VW junk. The problem was that 80% was British and the other 19% consisted of German, Swedish, Italian, Japanese and French vehicle parts. Except for a few small vendors little or no air cooled Vee Dub junk. I did find one vendor selling new VW parts and was able to get my stud kit for the VW’s customer wheels. Besides that there was plenty to do and see.

Famed racer Peter Brock was on hand and spoke at a seminar. The show field was full of classic and new import vehicles of all kinds. Some standouts were a 280SL Benz that was done resto-mod style with a S55 AMG running gear. A 1932 Morgan 3 wheeler and a stunning vintage Fiat 500 coupe. There was constant music and bands provided by The River 97.3  One bright spot on a cloudy day was very pretty girls dressed in outfits from different countries. The Import Show always brings out a different crowd and vendors. My favorite was The Cigar Lady. 

 Saturday was also a day of old friends and spiritual healing. Funny The Lord works in odd ways, even at a car show. The skys got misty by late Saturday afternoon but still had a wonderful time. As night we feasted on some great Sushi in Carlisle at Mt Fuji. Even with the low VW turnout Carlisle Johnny plans on going to the 2014 Import Carlisle for more fun and mayhem.        Enjoy the slideshow of scenes of the 2013 Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals

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I’m 50 years this July 4th. A milestone to be sure. As I’m getting older I see that certain choices in my life were good and others not so good. Now don’t get me wrong picking the correct wine at dinner is not a life changing event. By choices I mean life changing decisions. Back in 1999 after over 20 years of going to Carlisle Events car shows I moved to Carlisle Pa. We all had spent years going to Carlisle Car Shows and Swaps in all kinds of campers and devices to house our motley crew.

With luck and a conversation with Bill Miller I rented my little house on Spring Rd between gates 2 and 3. Car guy heaven to be sure. I found alot of great things in Carlisle but mostly I found myself. I found my sanity. I found how strong my Mom could be when my Dad passed away. I found a church. I found out how amazing the car community was when Chip Miller left us.

I found that good friends last a lifetime. I found that I trust the wrong people sometimes. I found that you can take a concrete fish pond and make a swimming pool out of it. I found that taking the governor off a Golf Cart will make it go 40mph but get you in trouble with Fairgrounds Security.

 I mostly I found how much I would miss it after I left. The Fairgrounds and where I lived was filled with good neighbors. One of those was Chip Miller. You could be a major player or Mom an Pop vendor he would always give you a smile, a handshake and his “Life is Good” attitude. When he left us all to soon it made me understand how loving and caring “Car People” are. I was asked to attend his memorial in Building “T” That honor and memory will stay with me forever.

I went back to Long Island for alot of reasons. Partly dumb choices and foolish pride. Things I tend to beat myself up over on more than one occasion. I missed my life as a Classic Car Appraiser and I see my life is going back down that highway again. I understand only recently that Gods plan was for me to spend the last four years of my Moms life with her in Long Island.  

But when a place touches your heart you never forget. You tend to romance about the good things and forget the bad. The town of Carlisle and the magical place called The Carlisle Fairgrounds will remain that way to me. A lifetime of memories and friends will never be taken away. If Gods plan for me is to go down that road again I plan on listening. I just need to turn down the volume in my head..

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For over 20 years Carlisle Johnny has been attending the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals. This year I will be in search for rare and classic Volkswagen parts. Over the years as I built many odd import vehicles Import Carlisle has been constant source for all kinds of wonderful junk and great memories. I’m sure this year will be no different. So with visions of beer from The Market Cross and 150 acres of wonderful junk dancing in my head I can hardly wait to buy my first rusty part. Stories and loads of pictures when I get back.. 

Continue reading »]]> In the world of automotive Junk-a-teria’s and by gone era relics you will not find a better place to browse than Anthony Automotive in Port Jefferson New York. Owner Anthony Vertucci is a master tech who not only takes pride in his work but cares about his 1000′s of loyal customers. In this day of mega shops its a wonderful change of pace when you get “small town” service at Anthony Automotive. Anthony Automotive at times is a one man shop.

The problem with that situation is sometimes things well ummm can pile up. Parked in his busy back lot is a collection of forgotten often “mold-i-fied” relices from 1950′s to present day. So wonderful is the collection that even your Ole Friend Carlisle Johnny aka Johnny B has dragged and de-mold-i-cated a few vehicles. It must be something about the shade of the trees and the moist air from Port Jefferson harbor but these vehicles get a certain type of mold, slime and rust that we call “Rold” Most of the forgotten fleet even get there very own eco-system going that would make Al Gore proud.

My first “Rold” purchase from Anthony Automotive was a 1987 Dodge D50 Pickup. A cute little 4×4 with the clicky clackity Mitsu engine it had sat so long that the Rold had seized the from brake pads to the rotors. Oddly some fresh fuel and a charged battery and the little D50 started and well ran. Popping the cluch de-stuck the front brakes and using and ice scraper got the black Rold off the front windsheild. my first stop with Old Roldy was the local car wash. The nice Spanish man at first refused to wash it “You truck is Gleen!! Gleen!! No mold in wash!!”

After slipping him a 5 spot we drove it thru. Well it was still Gleen or Green but less Gleen. Once home a combo of Tilex and bleach de-molded it. Well what do you know its Glay oh I mean Grey. I drove that little truck for years. Anthony being well a good guy can not refuse helping people. A friend of ours Tom who is a Ford-o-file like Anthony needed a station car for cheap. Hmmm what to give him? Well how about the 1992 Lincoln Continental with a collapsed air suspension that has been sitting for six years. To say the Conti was a little moldy would be like saying Rosie O’Donnell over eats slightly at Wendy’s. Armed with 2 cans of Seafoam, a few gallons of fresh fuel, air hose for filling the suspension and a jump box Anthony and Tom were going to attempt to get the Conti going. By now the air suspension had fallen to the point were you could not slide a paper plate under the car. Tom being super mondo Ford guy used good old fashioned air a raised the Titanic beast up in to the air. Fresh fuel on top of the tank of sludge topped off with Seafoam. Next hook up the jump box and pray. The doors opened with a sound of slab of salmon hitting a wall..”Schlurp“.. Tom slid behind the now algified steering wheel. The blue leather had turned to the mold version of a Peter Max painting..very colorful but gross.  Anthony hooked up the jump box and with few cranks the Lusitania like beast started up. Idled smooth and after running for an hour it showed no signs of oil leaks or overheating. In fact all major systems worked perfect. Tom lurched the land barge forward and it moved an entire 20 feet with no problems. Fiddling with the different swiches and knobs proved the radio, power windows, power memory seats and heater system worked. While this was all being done the car stood running with not a drop of oil or coolant leaking. If we had access to a dealer plate we would of taken the Conti for a quick ride. Would of been a hoot to go to a snooty place with valet parking. Get dressed in tuxedos and hand the mold riddled keys to the valet parking dude..’Pardon me young man do you have any Grey Poupon“. Ford Guru Tom’s plans for the stinkin Lincoln include gallons of Tilex, a gross of air freshners, a skid of saddle soap and new fluids. If you happen to be in Port Jefferson and you see a shiny white 92 Lincoln Continental with a blue fake canvas roof it just might be Tom. Give him a wave because once again another Mold Wagon has been saved from the iconic Anthony Automotive.

Continue reading »]]> I know its hard to admit but the British invented the Sports Car. When American troops after World War II started to drive early sports cars like the MGTD a love affair started with British roadsters. In 1953 when Triumph first started sending the brash TR2 to the USA another love affair started with Triumph Sports Cars. The formula was simple. Ground hugging suspension, superb engine sounds, little or no creature comforts and bull dog like toughness that became a Triumph trademark. More and better TR’s would follow like the TR3,TR4 and the TR250. By 1968 the TR’s needed and update. British Leyland called on German design studio Karmann to do a hurry up restyle of the TR250 thus creating the TR6 for model year 1969. The TR6 was everything a brazen brutal sports car should be. Quick, agile, creaky, leaky and unforgiving. With its lusty wonderful sounding 2.5 liter six cylinder engine it made sounds that would make a Ferrari blush.

The Karmann restyle was crisp and he-man like. Interiors were typical English with a wood dash and full gauges. The TR6 sat low slung on it’s independent rear suspension and its four speed transmission shifted with a resounding thunk. As vehicle comforts improved in the 1970′s the TR6 made no excuses for its leaky top and buckboard ride. As Car and Driver Magazine said in a 1976 road test “It is the last of the hairy chested British roadsters“  Triumph made over 90,000 TR6′s from 1969-1976. It was replaced with the “Shape of things to come” tepid TR7 door stop. When production of the TR6 ended it was the last of its kind. A true sports car in the true sense of the term. Unforgiving, blunt and a drivers car. Having owned a red 1969 TR6 I can say that you either loved it or hated it. Mine was upgraded with Weber Carbs, Ansa four pipe exhaust, Pacesetter header, 72 spoke chrome wire wheels, roll bar and suspension mods. It was my favorite ride on a warm summer evening and it made the most glorious sounds. Despite the reputation for being ahhh ummm British my TR6 never let me down in fact gave me 9 years of thrilling service. The TR6 was full of greatness and flaws but it never went away from its mission. A bold hairy chested sports car. The last of its kind and that’s why Carlisle Johnny has named crowned it The Best Sports Car Of All Time.

Check out this classic Triumph TV commercial

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Did you know?? Mercedes Benz and Studebaker shared showrooms and service departments from 1957-1963.. In the days following World War II Europeon car companies such as Mercedes Benz,Porsche and VW would use importers to send cars to the USA. One of the most famous was Max Hoffman(1904-1981) Max Hoffman was an Austrian born importer and visionary. He was known for his “handshake” deals. Dealers would make request thru him and Max would be the go between the factory and the little known dealers. His influence was so strong that he was a major force with the factories to introduced cars for the USA market. Models like the famed Gullwing Benz and Porsche 356 Speedsters were all the doing of Max Hoffman. Hoffman was inducted into the Automobile Hall of Fame in 2003..Still Mercedes Benz was growing faster than one independent importer could handle.

Seeking to make a deal with en existing dealer network Benz was turned down by all the major USA companies(GM,Ford,Chrysler and AMC) One of the only remaining independent companies left was Studebaker. Studebaker had a strong dealer and service network. They also needed additonal cash to fund the upcoming Lark compact car. A deal was struck and Daimler-Benz paid Studebaker an undisclosed amount of money to be part of their sales and service network from 1957 to 1963. Many Studebaker dealers were unhappy being “stuck” with a “Kraut-wagon” as one dealer quoted in a New York Times article. Mercedes would go on to form a USA dealer network of their own. Studebaker would sell its last car in 1966. Many of the dealers who got “stuck” with free Benz dealers would remain to sell Mercedes till today..What of Max Hoffman? He would go on to import rare and exotic cars for many more years. He and his wife lived in a house designed for him by Frank Llyod Wright. He left a legacy of cars we see everyday on USA highways. His foundation M.O.&M.E. Hoffman provides students with scholarships to enter into automotive engineering. Mercedes-Benz and Studebaker odd bedfellows to be sure…Did You Know??

Max Hoffman