It all started in 1969, with the introduction of the new Mach 1. Here was a performance-oriented Mustang designed and engineered to look and perform with the best-of-the-best 1969 had to offer. The Mach 1 competed with cars like the Pontiac GTO Judge, Plymouth Roadrunner, and even in-house competition such as the Mustang GT and Boss 302.
What set the Mach 1 apart?
For 1969, Ford offered seven different performance-oriented Mustangs – the GT, the Mach 1, the Boss 302, the Boss 429, the Shelby GT350, and the Shelby GT500, demonstrating very boldly that Ford was dedicated to serving motoring enthusiasts. The Mach 1 supplanted the GT by year’s end. It was in showrooms and people couldn’t figure out why they would want a GT. The Mach 1 offered a higher degree of style and creature comforts, and it was the “latest” thing. By the end of 1969, over 72,000 Mach 1s would be sold, versus just over 5,000 GTs. While this means the GT is rarer, it doesn’t really equate to more valuable, in many cases.
The Mach 1 was available only as a SportsRoof model, no coupes or convertibles allowed. It was set up with a blackout hood finish, a hood scoop (optionally a real “Shaker” hood), hood pins, pop-open gas cap, a Deluxe Interior Package, a chin spoiler, rear deck spoiler, and rear SportSlats, aka louvers.
The standard engine was the 351 CI V-8 with a 2-barrel carburetor and a 3-speed manual transmission. A 4-barrel was optional, as was an automatic transmission, and for those looking for more “GO,” there was the 390 CI V-8 or even the 428 CI V-8. A symphony of gearing differentials was available as well. The chassis was upgraded with performance parts like sway bars, springs, shocks, and so on, of course the bigger 390- and 428-equipped cars received additional equipment to provide flatter turning and better braking.
Was the Mach 1 fast?
In a word, yes. To prove their worth, in 1968 racecar drivers Mickey Thompson and Danny Ongais took three Mach 1s to the Bonneville Salt Flats to demonstrate their performance to “Hot Rod Magazine.” While doing so, they set 295 speed and endurance records over a series of 500-mile 24-hour courses. It was a grueling time, but well worth the effort.
Car and Driver magazine tested a 1969 Mach 1 with the 428 and found 0-60 took only 5.7-seconds. The ¼-mile was completed in a mere 14.3-seconds. And, the top speed was estimated to be about 115 MPH. For 1969, these were very solid numbers. Interestingly, a 351 with a 4-barrel could find 60 from naught in about 6.5-seconds, which was still nothing to sneeze at for the day. By comparison, the almighty 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger would thunder from 0-60 in about 5-seconds, but the 440/6-Pack would need about 5.5-seconds – roughly the same timeframe and the Mustang cost considerably less.
How long did Ford make the Mach 1?
Ford introduced it in late 1968 for 1969, revising its styling for 1970. For 1971 an all-new Mustang bodystyle would emerge, and the Mach 1 would be offered once again, sustaining through 1973. For 1974, another all-new Mustang would be introduced. The Mach 1 was a part of the lineup. Interestingly, the initial year, no V-8 was offered at all, but for 1975, the 5.0L/302 CI V-8 was offered and standard in Mach 1. While it was a performance dud, it looked terrific and outsold all the previous Mach 1s combined.
Like the original 1969, the 1974 Mustang II Mach 1 struck a chord with buyers of the time. The 1978 model year would see the end of the line for the original Mach 1 lineup. In 2003 and 2004 Mach 1 would return, and then again in 2021 and 2023.
Why do we like the Mach 1?
In a word, styling. The 1969 Mach 1 knocked it out of the park in terms of overall styling. It was handsome, but offered a number of really cool design elements that made it ripe for the late 1960s-early 1970s muscle car wars. It was the kind of car that appealed to high schoolers as well as young people in the workforce. The Mach 1 had a lot of amenities as standard and offered a lot of performance for the money. There is little to dislike about the Mach 1.
If you’ve read some of my restoration articles, you’ll know that I did the bodywork on most of the cars. I’ve often been asked about how I usually go about this process. There are certainly different ways of doing bodywork and the steps taken here are the ways I do it. I am not saying it will be done the same by everyone, and people will have their own opinion, but if there’s anything that is insightful for you based on my experiences, then this article has served its purpose.
FIRST: DISASSEMBLY
I start all my restorations by totally dismantling the vehicle. I remove the drivetrain, all electrical, interior, doors, hood, fenders, trunk lid, glass, all moldings, and anything that can be removed for blasting. The vehicle is then put on a rotisserie, balanced and leveled, in preparation for blasting.
SECOND: SURFACE PREPPING
I have a mobile blaster come out and do soda blasting. It is quite convenient on a rotisserie because the vehicle can be manipulated to any angle to make sure all parts of the vehicle are addressed. I prefer soda blasting over bead blasting because you can easily wash the remaining soda off with a power washer and soapy water. I then wipe down the entire vehicle to remove the remaining water. (The reason that I do not like bead blasting is because you can never get all the sand or media out of all the crevices, and this causes problems during the priming and painting phases.)
After the vehicle has dried, I apply a metal etching solution so there are no adhesion or paint problems. I prefer to keep the vehicle indoors out of the elements to protect it from rusting, bird droppings, sap, or any other contaminants. I then apply two coats of primer to keep the metal from getting any surface rust. Some of this primer will have to be sanded back off in preparation for welding.
THIRD: METAL WORK & WELDING
The metal work stage is now started by identifying any damaged or rusted areas. These days most metal replacement parts can be purchased from different vendors. I will order the metal aftermarket parts like quarter panels, door skins, trunk pans, and floor pans. Removing factory spot welds on floor pans and trunk pans is the next step and this can be easily done with a spot weld cutter that fits into any common drill. The spot welds are all cut out and the damaged or rusted pieces can be removed.
When replacing a part of a metal panel (or quarter panel), I will overlay the replacement panel onto the original making sure that everything lines up and attach it with a few self-tapping screws. Using a 4” grinder with a thin cut-off wheel, I cut through both panels at the same time cutting at least 6 inches past the damage or rust. This will give you the proper alignment and a small gap for welding the new one in place.
The primer applied in the second step is sanded back a few inches to get a good clean weld. I will then apply a weld-through primer on both sides of the seam where the panels will be welded. (This also applies to plug welds.) This protects bare metal from corrosion and rust during welding by liquefying and galvanizing the metal around the weld. I use Intergrip panel grips to align and hold the replacement panel to the existing panel.
I will start on one end and do a small tack weld, moving at least six inches away to do the next weld. This distributes the heat and reduces the chance of warping the panel. This is a continuous process of doing small tack welds moving across the entire seam until every inch of the seam has been welded. The next step is to grind the welds down. I use a 4” grinder with an 80-120 grit flap disc. Just like the welding process, you should move across the whole seam. If you create too much heat in one spot, you will start to warp the metal, which creates a lot more work in smoothing the panel.
Next, I will use a dolly and hammer to start smoothing the metal from dents, warping, and any other imperfections. This process will ensure that you do not use too much body filler. This is a tedious process and takes time to master.
FOURTH: POST-WELDING, USING FILLER & SANDING
For any welded seams I will then apply a thin layer of Evercoat Metal 2 Metal filler. This has excellent corrosion resistance and will not sag. It is moisture-proof, rustproof, and easily sands to a fine featheredge.
And that is the next step. Use 80-grit sandpaper to get the metal filler knocked down somewhat flat and then follow up with 180-grit sandpaper. After all the metal filler has been smoothed out it is time to apply more primer to all the areas that have been worked on thus far.
Next, apply Dura-Gold Premium Black Dry guide coat. This is applied with the provided sponge to the entire surface of the car and is used to see any depressions or protrusions. This is a vital step in making sure the body panels are straight. The guide coat will remain in any depressions and will be easily sanded through on any protrusions.
After the guide coat is applied, I sand the entire body with a variety of sanding blocks, beginning with 180-grit sandpaper and then moving up to 320-grit. Some are stiff and others are flexible. I use the stiff ones for flat panels and the flexible ones for contours. This is a long process, and I use a crosshatch method to sand the primer down. Once I have sanded the entire body I can see where the depression and protrusions are with the help of the guide coat.
At this point, you may have to do some more hammer and dolly work to fix any depressions or protrusions. In most cases, this is the time to apply a thin coat of lite weight body filler to any areas that may still have a small depression. I use Evercoat Lite Weight Body Filler because it is easy to apply with a body filler spreader and easy to sand. After applying and waiting the proper drying time, sand with 180-grit followed up with 320-grit. After you think you have everything flat and smooth to the touch it is time for another round of primer.
FIVE: MORE PRIMER & SANDING
I use DuPont 2K-Urethane Primer-Filler. I apply three medium coats to the entire surface. This high-build primer lays down nicely and fills in any sanding marks from the previous steps. After proper curing time, apply another coat of the guide coat and repeat the sanding steps again. (180-grit followed by 320-grit, using the sanding blocks.)
*TIP: Before I could afford sanding blocks, I would use paint stirrer sticks from a hardware store with the sandpaper wrapped around them. This worked quite well as long as the sticks were straight.
SIX: FINAL STEP BEFORE PAINT
After all sanding has been completed and I am confident the body is ready for paint, I apply seam sealer on the seams. This step is just like the factory did on the floor pans, trunk pan, firewall, and any other areas that require it to keep water out. The drip rails, if the car has them, will also be filled at this time with 2K Self Leveling Seam Sealer.
After proper curing time for the seam sealer, the car is ready for paint.
Coming from a small family construction company with a loyal customer base, one of many things we were taught first and foremost was Customer Service. Absolutely no business will survive without the customer. Satisfied customers will usually return as repeat customers, but unsatisfied customers won’t return at all, and are the first to tell their friends about the bad experience they had. And today, the ability to spread the word about a bad experience is all too easy, thanks to online resources. Ironic, considering more and more companies are based online, and it’s my observation that with that shift, customers are lost in the shuffle, thus creating a broader possibility for poor customer service. Take for example so many companies passing their customer service off to offshore facilities – it’s often difficult to understand what those customer service representatives are saying, let alone convey our problems and get them solved. I guess I should be glad someone is answering the phone and trying to help – no matter how large or small, a business should have someone available via phone. Being old school, there are many times I just want a live voice to answer the questions I have and prefer not to play the email game. Car Corral is not looking to reinvent the wheel, but we will persevere to keep the tire inflated.
There are a lot of folks out there that are intimidated by electricity, let alone the automobile electrical system. To bring some clarity to the mystery, let’s dive right into the basics.
What are the main components of a car electrical system?
Here’s a short breakdown of an automobile electrical system to get us started. The main components of the system are:
Battery, the primary power source.
Alternator, recharges the battery and also powers the electrical system while the engine is running.
Starter Motor, the starter turns the engine over when attempting to start the vehicle.
Wiring harness, the harness connects the electrical components.
Fuses, the fuses protect the electrical system from overloads and possible electrical fires.
Probably the two most overlooked things are clean 12-volt power and good ground. Most components, MSD ignition, stereo, amplifier etc. usually call for clean 12-volt power, meaning that 12 volts, not nine for example, is supplied directly to the specific component. Quite often this requires running the wiring directly to the battery. Grounding is the other common issue. When connecting a ground wire, it has to attach to a clean, unpainted, rust-free surface somewhere on the vehicle. Clean grounding will ensure that we have the required clean 12-volts needed. If we attach the ground wire to paint or rust, this does not achieve a perfect ground. The alternator is sometimes also overlooked as we add more and more accessories to a vehicle such as cooling fans, radios, fuel pumps, and such. The more accessories we install, the more of a load on the system, thus requiring higher output alternators.
What is a good alternator?
Most modern vehicle alternators run upwards of 200-amps, however, upsizing an alternator too far can also be problematic if the wiring cannot handle the increased load.
Automotive wire size is measured in AWG (American Wire Gauge). The smaller the AWG number, the larger the wire size (diameter), and the larger the AWG number, the smaller the wire size. Therefore, 22 AWG is smaller than 10 AWG. The key factor in determining wire size is the wire’s current-carrying capacity. Wire should be sized to handle more current than a particular fuse to ensure the fuse blows (fails) before the wire overheats or melts. Wiring should also be of different colors as this will make any future troubleshooting so much easier.
What does a fuse do?
Fuses are used to protect the car’s wiring system from excessive current that can lead to component damage and electrical fire. When the current passing thru a fuse exceeds the amperage the fuse is designed for, the fuse will fail internally, thus preventing any damage to the wiring. Using too small a fuse and you will constantly be blowing fuses; conversely, using too large a fuse allows too much current to pass through the fuse, allowing the wires to heat up and possibly catch fire. The manufacturer of each specific component will recommend the size fuse that you should use and the wiring needs to be sized accordingly.
I have found when installing something on one of my builds that it is usually easier to mount the device in the desired location first and then run the wiring accordingly, whether using a provided harness or you are building your own. This allows for a cleaner look when running wires. Few things are as unsightly on a beautiful car than when you open the hood and the wiring looks like a rat’s nest. There is so much information available on the web these days that any of us can make electrical work fairly painlessly and look beautiful.
The year was 1976, I was 13 and for some unforeseen reason my father decided to do one of those infamous father-son projects. Early on a Saturday morning, we piled in the truck with the trailer in tow and headed to the small town of Akron in the eastern plains of Colorado. Later that morning, as we pulled onto a farm, there it sat with the rest of the long, run down farm equipment. Enter one 1930 Chevrolet two-door sedan, or as Chevrolet marketed it, the Chevrolet Coach, complete with a 194 CI, 50 HP, inline six-cylinder engine, and a 3-speed manual transmission. What a basket case.
The two front side windows were broken out. There wasn’t one spec of paint left on the car. The soft top had fallen inside the car. There was no upholstery left, and there was every bit of 8- to 12-inches of dirt on the floor. Most of the interior wood inside the body panels was rotted pretty badly. The big tear-drop front fenders were cracked so badly that 1-x ¼-inch thick metal straps had been bolted to the entire edge of the fenders in order to hold them together. The front bumper had been welded solid to the frame. We have to think that the fender repair, along with the welding of the front bumper, were most likely done because road conditions were fairly rough back in the ’30s.
For the next three years, the old girl went through an extensive, ground-up restoration. We started by pulling the body off of the frame, and my brother and I sanded every square inch of the frame with 3/8 electric drills and wire wheels. What a job, it seemed like it took forever. Once the undercarriage was cleaned and sanded it was all painted black. Then my dad and I replaced all of the interior wood with solid oak pieces.
The interior wood served two purposes, one, for securing the upholstery, and two, for attaching door hardware such as window mechanisms, door handles, and locks. Yes, a 1930 Chevy actually has roll down windows front and rear. The roof structure was made up of 2-inch wide by ¼-inch thick poplar wood strips that ran in two different directions; we made these pieces on an old bandsaw.
The car then headed off for paint. Most of the cracks and body work were done by an old timer that knew how to do lead body work. The body was painted dark blue, and the front and rear fenders were done in gloss black. The white pin striping following the main body line along with the hood louvers was done by hand, just like it had been done back in the day.
The engine was eventually rebuilt using the original babbitt bearing method. The upholstery was replicated to its original design by utilizing old photographs of other cars from that period. The wiring harness, along with the spark plug wires, had become victims of the farm mice. We made our own harness and spark plug wires with modern wire.
The most amazing thing of the entire ordeal was the fact that after that old car had sat for some 30 years, the engine turned over and fired right up after the fourth or fifth try. Man, they don’t build them like that anymore. That car was definitely a basket case and was my first experience with a restoration project.
Interestingly, while there are plenty of people who still snub the notion of a kit car, there are seemingly more motoring enthusiasts roaming the planet today who appreciate them. What began in the 1950s with people scouring junkyards for frames or entire chassis to build their dream cars, grew into a formidable industry that crested the $130 billion mark in 2023.
Indeed, the kit car industry has come a long way from those Frankensteinian machines patched together so long ago. Granted, there’s a blurry line between the kit car and the hot rod. It’s important to be careful differentiating the two, and then there’s the replica.
What is a replica?
And here we go, down the rabbit hole. When shopping for a kit car, per se, many misspeak, thinking they mean a kit car when in reality they mean a replica. Kit cars can run the gamut from specially-designed cars that no one has ever seen before. Using a common chassis, such as a Volkswagen Type 1 under belly, kit cars are often assembled by Do-It-Yourselfers (DIYers) in their shops and garages. These cars usually use specially-designed bodies made of fiberglass produced by the kit car manufacturer, along with all the other odds-and-ends required to produce an actual road-going car. A perfect example is the Meyers Manx. Conversely, there is the replica.
In the world of the replica, we have cars that look like cars that are unattainable by most people. For example, the Shelby Cobra and Porsche 356 Speedster are both prime examples of replicas. Very few originals were built, and they are staggeringly expensive to buy. This is where the replica industry has become very popular. Buy your dream car at a fraction of the price – imagine a fully-loaded, completely-sorted Shelby Cobra for $85,000. It’s possible. Thanks to the replica.
And, like the Meyers Manx, replica cars can be delivered as turnkey, rolling chassis, or as a kit that needs to be assembled. Today, most people just buy a turnkey example and call it done. But, there are still some people out there who want the experience of actually assembling the car. Per federal regulations, often the buyer will need to install the running gear on their own. Or, at least pay another shop other than the replica maker to do it for them. Why? Something to do with becoming an actual manufacturer of cars versus building tribute cars.
But, here’s the thing – in the real world, the terms replica and kit car are fairly interchangeable. A kit car can be a replica, and a replica can be a kit car.
What is the Meyers Manx?
Largely considered the grandaddy of the dune buggy movement, during the 1960s, Bruce Meyers popularized the idea of the dune buggy with his original Meyers Manx. By designing and making a single-unit fiberglass body and affixing it to an old Volkswagen Type 1 belly pan and assorted components, Meyers created the original dune buggy. The vehicle could go pretty much anywhere, and was especially happy on the sand, so it was immediately associated with that special, whimsical beachy lifestyle, suggesting freedom, youthful excitement, adventure, and more all in one.
Hugely popular, Meyers would be the victim of dozens or more copycats building similar DIY kit buggies, thusly watering down the market. But the seed was planted that just about anything could be built from a Volkswagen Type 1 under belly. It’s possible that the most popular replica ever is the Porsche 356 Speedster, the original of course being largely based on the Type 1. It was a shoe-in to reproduce. The trick was to make the body as close to the original as possible, which, in the beginning was a trick – but as time moved on and manufacturing technology and methods improved, the bodies became closer and closer to the originals.
Arguably, this concept was derived from the work of Bruce Meyers and the Meyers Manx.
What is the most popular kit car?
A hot button question for sure, the Porsche 356 Speedster and Shelby Cobra are certainly among the most popular replicas ever devised. The Speedsters are fairly simple to reproduce, thanks to their natural tie-in with the Volkswagen Type 1, but advances in construction have shown to ditch the VW flat-4 engine for a more powerful and sophisticated Subaru mill, with or without a turbo, and more capable 4-wheel disc brakes, etc. Similarly, the Cobras lend themselves to a multitude of engine options and chassis upgrades over and above the original cars. On top of this, of course, are the number of companies out there producing the replicas. All of this, and more, likely make the Cobra and Speedster the most popular replicas ever.
What are the benefits of a kit car?
In a word, drivability. Keeping the Speedster and Cobra examples on the forefront, it takes a special kind of owner to drive a genuine example of either. Both are extremely expensive, and to insure them not only takes a bit of coin, but also a serious understanding between the insurance company and the owner. Not to mention, any sort of mishap has the potential to drastically reduce the value of the car.
With a replica, those worries are exceedingly lower. One can drive a reproduction special interest car and enjoy the experience as close as possible to the original or nicely modified to perform as if the car were built to modern standards – take for example the aforementioned Subaru-powered Speedsters. Fuel injection, disk brakes, rack and pinion steering, better springs and shocks, and so on all play into the drivability of a replica. And all of this engineering also stands to make the replicas faster and safer than the originals.
In either regard, the Speedster or the Cobra, both were tremendous machines for their day. Very quick, very agile, very fun. But today’s manufacturing methods, engineering advances, and general build construction make the replicas considerably safer on top of their drivability. Tire technology alone has evolved leaps and bounds and provides for a much safer, better driving experience.
Going back to the Subaru-powered Speedster replicas, similarly, Cobras can be powered by any multitude of engines ranging from the original Ford 260, 289, or 427 CI V-8 – or the buyer can opt for something entirely off the wall. A very popular choice among Cobra replica buyers is the Ford 5.0L and 5.8L V-8s – the 302 and 351, respectably. They are powerful enough to have a great time with, and light enough that handling is much improved. But, thanks again to engineering, chassis improvements make the big 427 much easier to handle as well. This lends an idea as to how much better a modernly-engineered Cobra might be with a smaller, lighter engine.
Outside of the norm, some people step out of the schoolyard completely and go in an entirely different direction, employing engines from GM or Chrysler, such as the 350 CI and 360 CI V-8s. Again, smaller, lighter, excellent handling. And don’t forget, divisions like Ford Racing and GM High Performance and so on offer brand new, turnkey engines and transmissions that maybe haven’t been thought of yet. Another benefit to a replica, the sky is very close to the limit.
Comfort – we’ve covered drivability and safety, but we can also add comfort to the benefits of a replica. Do you want carpeting and leather seats with better cushioning? How about a little sound deadening and a heater? Heater and ventilated seats? Maybe an air conditioning system and a kickin’ stereo? It can be done – how about colors. Back in the day, colors were kind of a weird thing for either car, especially inside. But with today’s kit cars, you can have whatever color you desire. However, should you do any of these modifications to an original Cobra or Speedster, and you’re liable to get hung. But with a replica, no ramifications.
Are kit cars worth it?
That is all up to the buyer and user. As mentioned before, the population accepting replicas and kit cars is growing. In fact, the practice of owning a replica or kit car is becoming more interesting to the majority of the motoring populous. Why? Everything we’ve talked about – drivability, safety, enjoyment, expense. They’re fun cars, bottom line. Are they perfect? No way. No car is. But they’re fun. They bring smiles to people’s faces and they’re something unique and shareable.
And, to the question, “Are they worth it?” We think so, yes. You can have a much-improved driving experience over an original, if for no other reason than the reduced stress levels. Driving a replica is much less stressful than driving an original. Worrying about paint dings and little dents or full-blown accidents is much less, thanks to the knowledge that it’s not an original. Are they worth it? Yes. They’re fun. They’re something to spice up your life, a memory maker. Will they go up in value? In some cases, we think they will, if for no other reason than they are becoming more interesting to the motoring populous.
After exiting the North American market in the early 1980s, Fiat returned for the 2012 model year with the diminutive but adorable Fiat 500. Available in a multitude of variations, the Fiat Abarth 500 would be the family hot rod.
The MultiAir 1.4L inline 4-cylinder engine was tuned up with a liquid-cooled turbo, a 16-valve aluminum head, and a few internal mods to deliver 160 HP and 170 lb-ft of torque. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, keep in mind that a standard Fiat 500 1.4L was good for about 100 HP, and the 500 weighs in right around 2,500 pounds. Needless to say, the 160 horses are plenty to pull the little car around with ease and enjoyment.
The factory further tuned the Fiat Abarth 500 with Koni shocks, a lowered ride height, 0.9-degrees of more front-end negative camber, and a rear sway bar. Wide Pirelli P Zero Nero tires wrapped lightweight, 17-inch wheels, the entire package harnessing the power put down on the front tires. Interestingly, though, despite all the power hitting those front tires, Abarth 500s were known for tenacious grip and little torque steer. The revised Abarth 500 chassis proved 40-percent stiffer than the non-Abarth 500 and yet, offered a reasonably compliant ride and a quiet cabin, despite its raucous exhaust note.
And that’s where the Abarth 500 all comes together.
Yes, it handles fairly well, it’s as quick as a hiccup, and it’s got a great, racy seat-of-the-pants feel, but the exhaust note is an absolute symphony. Especially in tunnels. Open the windows and blip the throttle in a lower gear – it’s almost a religious awakening. The Fiat Abarth 500 has the ability to turn non-car people into absolute fanatics, largely thanks to that exhaust note. Which makes sense, considering Carlo Abarth’s history in exhaust systems, but that’s another story.
Is the Fiat Abarth fast?
While the Abarth 500 will sprint to 60 in less than 7-seconds, not bad, considering it’s a little 4-banger doing the work, driving an Abarth 500 is more than setting light-to-light records. It’s about being alive. Feeling the fun. Enjoying the moment. It offers all the excitement of a circus gone mad. It makes all the right noises, pulls with unexpected aplomb, offers refined but slightly quirky handling traits, and is entirely, unapologetically Italian. An Abarth 500 turns every commute into an event. So, is the Fiat Abarth 500 fast? Meh – for what it is, yes, it’s quick and likely faster than what it should be. But these cars are so much more than just quick transportation.
How much is the Abarth worth?
Whatever someone is willing to pay. Okay, a cliché answer, but correct. That said, fully loaded, they were in the upper realms of the $20,000 range when new. Prices dropped significantly, opening the door for people who wanted to enjoy speed on a bargain. Sadly, many of these cars were driven to within an inch of their lives, making it necessary to absolutely scrutinize buying one today.
But since the Fiat 500 left the market a few years back (it’s recently returned as an EV), values seem to have stabilized and, in some cases, are climbing. Of course, the Abarth leads the charge, as the hot rod of the family. It’s rarer and factory modified; it features a number of specialized appointments and details that set it apart from the rest of the crowd – and, of course, there’s that exhaust system that everybody loves.
So, how much is it really worth? Whatever someone is willing to pay. Is it fully loaded, or a convertible? Is it a manual transmission? Those seem to command a slight premium.
Remember, we encourage people to find the best one that they can – in other words, it’s not abused, it’s not overly modified, unless it’s done well, it’s been well kept… cars talk, if only buyers would listen. But, all this said, expect to dial in some issues. Few cars trade hands in mint, ready to enjoy conditions. That said, thanks to that sudden drop in value when they were just a few years old, many of these cars have been abused.
So, if you’re willing to adopt a problem child, you can probably pick one up for a song. But if you’re seeking to enjoy the baby and not the labor pains, we suggest looking around, getting to know the Abarth 500s, and finding the best one you can. Who is selling it? Does it look like they were good owners? How long did they have it? How many miles are on it? Do they have service records? Our bottom-line advice is to find the best one you can and be willing to pay for it.
Fiat Abarth vs Mini Cooper S
In most comparisons, the Mini Cooper S comes out on top. Right off the bat, the Abarth holds a distinct advantage with its lower price. The Abarth normally sold for thousands less than the Mini Cooper S, but, the Mini Cooper S brought with it a multitude of advantages over and above the Abarth.
For one, it was slightly larger and could hold more stuff in the cargo hold. In a pinch, people would be more accepting of taking a backseat in a Mini Cooper S than an Abarth, albeit with a begrudging attitude. The Mini Cooper S weighs a bit more. Its wheelbase and width and lower roof height allow for more planted, predictable handling. While the Abarth has that magnificent sound from the specialized exhaust system, the Mini Cooper S doesn’t sing off key. And, in most tests of the day, the Mini Cooper proved to be slightly quicker than the Abarth.
But, again, in most comparisons of the day, testers all agreed that the Abarth was infinitely more fun to drive. It brought a rawness rarely seen in today’s automobiles, a kind of rough-n-ready approach to motoring that is normally reserved for small performance cars of the decades gone by, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Mini Cooper S brought a higher level of civility to the table, but the Abarth reminded people that life was meant to be lived.
In Conclusion
We adore the Abarth 500 for many reasons. Mostly, for its ability to remind people that cars can be fun, that maybe driving should be fun. Imagine every commute being an adventure. Every arrival, an event. Were they perfect? Far from it. They had reliability issues like any other modern car, and their driving nature took a little getting used to. But once you’ve experienced the magic of the Abarth 500, other cars will largely pale in comparison. They’re great on gas, easy to drive, fun to drive, and encourage driving. If they have a serious drawback, it’s likely the size. It’s not for people touting around more than one other person – the backseat is more for decoration than anything else. There isn’t a lot of luggage room, even when the backseat is folded flat. But if you’re single, or looking for a weekend toy, the Abarth aims to please.
One of the deepest communities in the motoring world is that of the hot rod. At least, in the United States. In the good ol’ US of A, the hot rod is really its own culture, it’s not just a community, it’s a way of life – truly. Hot rod fanatics span far and wide and come from various walks of life. The history of hot rodding is rich and varied and full of grey areas where no one seems to know for sure – or at least, for every one story, there may well be an alternate. This argument begins with the name, hot rod.
Where did the term come from?
Some people believe ‘hot’ derived from the term ‘hotting up an engine,’ or ‘hotting up a car.’ The bottom line was making it a faster, hotter performance machine. The ‘rod’ part of the term most likely has to do with the rod connecting the crankshaft and the piston, but there are some who feel the word is a kind of derivative of the word roadster, which was normally a description of a smaller, lighter-weight vehicle with few frills. Because of their lightweight nature, it was easier to get them to move much faster than average. Interestingly though, in the earliest of the hot-rodding days, these high-performance cars were often called gow jobs – like saying cow, but with a ‘g.’ They were also known as hopped up, or hop ups.
The story goes something like this: back in the 1800s, to make a horse go faster, the trainer would give it drugs – nothing new here, a practice that’s illegal, but continues to taint the horse racing industry today. But, back in the day, the horses were given drugs known as gow – gow up the horse. The drugs made the horses run much faster than they should. This, of course, led to the natural phrasing that the horse was ‘hopped up,’ much like people get hopped up on drugs and alcohol. Now, as interesting as this is, and possibly true – there’s another equine relationship that’s a little more believable. Neil Gow.
Neil Gow was the name of a British champion horse that won seven out of 10 races in one season, making him one of the fastest horses ever seen. He was retired around 1910, but his popularity among horse racing enthusiasts stretched along well past his death in 1919. There’s a thought that somehow the name made its way to the USA and was used to describe a modified car. Neil Gow was well known for his ill-tempered behavior as well; he was very hard to control and very strong headed. He also made quite a lot of noise, if we can believe all the tales surrounding him. All of this can easily match a description of a hot rod.
Now, that said – horses aside, there’s the very strong thought that gow was an acronym. That it stood for get out of the way. Afterall, these cars were quick, but didn’t normally stop or turn well. They were also largely held together by bailing wire and prayers. So, if you saw one, you’d better – get out of the way.
All part of the mystique of hot rodding.
What is a hot rod?
In general terms, a hot rod was a car put together with parts from other cars. Normally, hot rodders would literally go to a junkyard and buy a discarded car and go to making it something Detroit never thought of. Hot rodders usually used Fords because there were so many of them built – they were hugely inexpensive. Once someone bought the car, they needed and engine and transmission – again, this normally came from a wrecking yard, and instead of a 4-cylinder engine that might have come from the factory, they would select something like a V-8 or even a V-12, if they could find one and afford it. Sometimes, they would rebuild the engine and transmission, and sometimes they would just drop it in and hope for the best. Another reason so many chose Fords was that in many cases they came from the factory with a V-8 engine and could already put out a lovely power band.
Very often, hot rodders would install specialized heads, multiple carburetors, custom crankshafts, special pistons, and much more all to gain more power to gain more speed. Like those racing horses, they were hopped up.
In the beginning, and still often today, most hot rodders didn’t care too much about the aesthetics of the car – they simply wanted to race them at the open areas where timing took place to see how fast they could make the car. As time rolled on, more and more people began cleaning up the look of the car with new paint, special upholstery, and so on, giving the car a very nice, one-of-a-kind look. In many cases, the cars became true works of art.
What’s the point of a hot rod?
While it might seem silly and juvenile, and in many cases, it is – hot rodding is more than just being a speed freak. It has to do with creating something out of nothing. It has to do with taking something discarded and making it good again, and maybe even better. On top of this, hot rodding fed the beast. Many hot rodders proved their skills so well that they launched their own businesses to help others go fast and build a more durable car. Another large sector of the builders would find themselves going to work for motor companies like GM, Ford, Chrysler, Hudson, and so on, helping them make faster, more robust vehicles for their customers. Hot rodding spawned what would become a multi-billion-dollar industry that spanned the test of time.
Why do people love these cars?
Depends on who you ask – however, when you look at the history, it’s rich and vast and interesting. When you examine the cars and the work that went into them, it’s astonishing in many cases. This attracts people. The amount of effort bestowed on a car to make it something much better than it ever was. People respect that and appreciate it and are inspired by it. So, often times, even if it’s not ‘your thing,’ you can appreciate what’s been spent over a car – and it’s not all about money. It’s the time and labor, it’s the thought processes that went into building the car.
In many cases people will buy a hot rod that’s already done, and improve on that in whatever way they can. Fresh paint, a new engine, a new interior – interestingly, hot rods that were ‘finished,’ with paint and interiors, and detailing, created a new subset of the hot rod genre, the rat rod. This, of course, would he the original form of a hot rod – a car pulled from a junk yard and fitted with a more powerful engine and transmission, but not much by way of looks. The rusty body remained, the grease-stained everything remained – but it could go fast. It was the epitome of a budget build – a car that was built to go fast, not look great.
Does a hot rod have to be a car from the 1920s or ’30s?
Not at all – that’s just tradition as the majority of the hot rods began taking the streets in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s and ’60s. But, hot rodders are a fairly traditional bunch. But, to the bare definition – a hopped-up car… basically anything can be a hot rod.
Interestingly, Porsche was founded because Ferdinand Porsche built a Volkswagen engine with a specialized crankshaft, ported heads, and dual carburetors with larger jetting, ultimately creating a hot rod Volkswagen Type 1, or Beetle as they’re better known. This quick little Beetle was a blast to drive, and Ferdinand knew people would buy them – he knew people wanted to have fun behind the wheel, and that creating a car that moved more swiftly was one way to make them more fun.
So, in a way, Ferdinand Porsche created a hot rod Volkswagen. And, haven’t we all seen hopped up VWs from time to time? While the idea of a hot rod Volkswagen wasn’t in the cards (at the moment) for VW, Ferdinand would take this formula and create the Porsche sportscar company. The original production Porsche was the 356, which was largely based on the Type 1, with much of the formula he used in building the hot rod Volkswagen.
Fiat concepts, celebrity producers, and a Plymouth Barracuda
At the 1963 Turin Auto Show, the Ghia G230 S was set on display. Based on the Fiat 2300, the G230 S used a specially designed and constructed tubular spaceframe. Two convertibles and two coupes were built, but sadly, the car never reached production.
Hollywood television and film producer, Burt Sugarman, saw the G230 S on the cover of Road & Track magazine and contacted his friend, John DeLorean, at General Motors asking for help to get the G230 S into production. While DeLorean wasn’t able to do anything directly, he did meet with Sugarman in Detroit to introduce him to Bob Anderson, the general manager at Plymouth. Chrysler had a lengthy history in building cars with Ghia, and DeLorean felt there would be good synergy between Ghia, Sugarman, and Anderson.
Sugarman convinced Anderson to send 50 to 100 Barracuda chassis and drivetrains to Ghia, upon which they could set the body and interior of the G230 S and create a working, sellable car. Anderson loved the idea, but took it a step further, installing an Italian-speaking Chrysler engineer at Ghia, sending a Barracuda, and working with the Italians to create a remarkable two-seater roadster upon the Barracuda’s otherwise simple chassis. To make it all work, a ladder frame was created and the body was widened. The result was the Ghia 450 SS – the 450 denotes the Chrysler 4.5L V-8 engine. Easily serviceable in North America, Chrysler honored the warranty at any dealership – the car should have filled a gap south of the pricing of a Ferrari or Maserati, but north of the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette. As is often the case with a specialty, joint-production vehicle, the Ghia 450 SS saw a few delays and developmental difficulties which drove the price upward into the Ferrari-Maserati neighborhood. Needless to say, with a Chrysler-derived chassis and drivetrain, the sell was going to be more difficult. The hope was that buyers would appreciate the hand-built construction, voluptuous design, and ease of maintenance over the more exotic cars.
While all the engineering and planning was taking place, Sugarman set up a dealership in Beverly Hills, California on Wilshire Boulevard. He also became a distributor for the Excalibur neo-classic automobiles, which initially gave the dealership something to sell as they were readily available. In Europe, Ghia established a sales network as well – the first cars arrived in Beverly Hills in 1966. Despite efforts promoting the cars through popular magazines and word-of-mouth spreading in one of the world’s wealthiest cities, Beverly Hills, the 450 SS sold very slowly. Production ended in the middle of 1967, with just 57 cars produced. Today, it’s believed that just 37 remain in existence between the USA and Europe.
What is Ghia?
The Ghia name stretches back to 1916, when Giacinto Ghia entered business to design and build specialty-body cars, in particular concept cars and cars requiring special materials, especially aluminum. The company’s work has been seen on a multitude of cars, most popularly Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia, and was involved in the production of a number of joint Chrysler-Ghia production cars in the 1950s and 1960s. Interestingly, the Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia was styled by Ghia to resemble the Chrysler Ghia d’Elegance. Despite a lengthy, successful, and colorful relationship with the Chrysler Corporation, an association was forged between Ford and Ghia via Alejandro DeTomaso. Ford supplied a multitude of components for the DeTomaso Pantera, which Ghia styled. Ghia would become part of the Ford empire in 1973, and remains part of the Ford portfolio today.
What cars has Ghia produced?
Ghia has had its hand on a huge variety of cars, but some of the more popular cars bearing the company’s name include the seemingly infamous 1957 Dual-Ghia, the 1958 Renault Caravelle, the 1961 Ghia L6.4, the 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car, and the 1971 DeTomaso Pantera. When Ford acquired Ghia in 1973, one of the first orders of business was to have the styling and design company work their magic on a variety of cars ranging from the Granada to the all-new-for-1974 Mustang II among a string of concept cars.
Is a Ghia worth buying?
In a word, yes. Every specialty Ghia car, meaning not for mass production, such as the 450 SS, the L6.4, the Dual-Ghia, and so on have gained value steadily over the years. While the market is fairly narrow, the trend since about 2005 has seen an increased interest in these unique specialty cars. All of them were wholly expensive when they were new and can largely be considered works of art. Case in point, the DeTomoso Pantera, which was styled by Tom Tjaarda while working for Ghia, has seen exponential monetary value gains over the years, many of them crossing the $100,000 mark – during the 1980s and ’90s, most of these cars in excellent condition hovered in the $30,000 range, showing only limited signs of increasing. Times have changed. As such, many of the design house cars, Ghia, Pininfarina, and Bertone among them, have enjoyed exponential value increases. Cars like the 450 SS are edging near the $200,000 mark, a figure we would expect to see in the next five to 10 years for them.
In 2010, while visiting a local car shop, the shop owner told me about a guy with a bunch of cars that were going to be for sale soon. We’ve all heard various stories over the years, and some of us have even had the chance to chase these alleged cars to no avail, me being one of them.
Getting a name and number, I called the guy with all the cars and learned quickly that he was about 6-hours away, high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. At first, this made me a little hesitant, but then I figured, “no risk, no reward.” So, a couple of weeks later I made the trip with money in my pockets and a trailer in tow.
When we eventually reached this guy’s place, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The small piece of property behind the house had 30 different model Mopars just sitting there waiting for some love. Come to find out, this guy worked in the print shop for the local Denver newspaper back in the day. He would see the classified ads for these cars way before they ever went into print. So, you guessed it, he’d buy a lot of these cars before anybody else ever had a chance.
When I eventually left that day, I had one 1969 Dodge Superbee in tow. Painted T3- Bronze with a black vinyl top and a Saddle Brown interior, it had a 383 big block, 4-speed manual transmission, and bucket seats for $3,000 dollars. I couldn’t believe it; the effort had paid off.
Hard to believe that was 14 years ago. The car is currently stripped to bare metal and I am installing a weld-in chassis-stiffening kit with sub frame connectors, a Tremec 5-speed, a stroked 440, and a Dana 60 rear end. Eventually, it will be painted back to the original color.
By Chris Ochs
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