March 2017 Newsletter
1968 Ford Thunderbird Owned by Steve and Shilo Hiltz-Tanner
Stephen and Shilo Tanner of Nova Scotia Canada own this 1968 Thunderbird which was originally sold out of Halifax Nova Scotia. It boasts a 429-4bb, 400 HP. It spent its first years with the original owner and later was given to his son who stored it for close to 30 years. After buying the car Steve spent close to 3 weeks cleaning over 30 years of tar undercoating from around the engine bay area and fenders and then had the valve covers chromed along with a couple of other items to spruce it up. Since then the car has been stripped down to bare metal and painted a Tangerine Orange with metal flake and some Candy to give it an incredible depth and an equally incredible shine was performed by Pierre LeBlanc out of Shediac New Brunswick. She is still sporting the original Gater Vinyl roof, engine and interior. The Wheel/Tire package consists of 17×8 American Racing Rims in front and 17×10 at the rear and is dressed with Pozenza tires, 245.45.17 front and 275.40.17’s on the rear.
It is said headers cannot be put on 67, 68 and 69 T-Birds because of clearance however they found a way despite a tight fit. Along with headers, there was an X pipe and 2 1/2″ system installed by Adam Fleet who was one of the best in his field and who recently has sadly passed away.
Shilo, Stephen’s wife, is a “Car Gal” in and of herself. She never lets the Bird go on display with dirt on the rims. She and Stephen love to travel the beautiful Canadian countryside to car shows throughout their area. This Thunderbird catches the eyes of everyone when showed. Pictures speak a thousand words. Chip Foose, the beautiful Courtney Hansen and look for Stephen and Shilo’s T-Bird on an upcoming episode of My Classic Car with Dennis Gage. We very much appreciate Stephen and Shilo for letting Myklassic display their Beautiful Thunderbird. Every vehicle, whether restored, original or custom has its own character and this Bird radiates with character.
For more pictures of the restoration of this vehicle CLICK HERE
This 5th generation 1968 Ford Thunderbird Coupe is powered by a Rare “N-Code” Thunderjet 429 cubic-inch V8 engine and mated to a C-6 automatic transmission and 9″ Posi rearend with 350 gears. It has the factory console, flip steering wheel, power steering,and power brakes. There are sequential turn signals which is a unique feature to the Ford Motor Company and only appeared for a few years on select automobiles.
The N code is a very rare and important option and offered for only half of the model year in 1968.
BEWARE OF DAMAGE
Classic and vintage cars have become a lifestyle that individuals of all ages and financial brackets have engaged in. Whether you’re a one-time classic car buyer or an avid enthusiast with a vast classic car collection, there are many variables that influence the true value of a classic vehicle. I have been a “Car Guy” my entire life and so was my Father. He taught me early on that you must look much deeper when evaluating the value of a classic car.
It’s very easy to conclude a vintage car’s value from classic car shows and auctions on TV, review prices that individuals and dealers are asking on Ebay and other advertising mediums when determining a value. However, without actually looking at a car, you really have no idea of what damage is lurking behind the scenes of the cosmetics and the cameras. In this article, I would like to concentrate on the actual body of the vehicle and how to competently inspect a classic car in order to determine if it has indeed had any extensive bodywork. After all, a competent value is based on many variables with past body damage being one of those primary variables. When buying a classic, one must be able to properly inspect the vehicle in order to evaluate whether there has been damage and if that damage was repaired in the proper manner. A good evaluation of this potential damage will enable you to calculate a more accurate value, which in return will enhance your investment and make your classic car experience much more fun.
There are four visual areas of interest that must be focused on when searching for past body damage on a vehicle:
Body Lines
Body Panels
Paint
Bumpers & Body Trim
Body Lines: Most “Car Guys” have heard the phrase, “ This car has great lines”. When approaching a vehicle, the body lines should be your first area of focus. The body lines consist of the areas or spaces, as some call it, between the doors, quarter panels and fenders, between the doors themselves if it is a 4 door, the lines where the trunk meets the quarter panel on both sides and the upper decklid panel and the body lines where the hood meets the right and left fenders and the upper cowl panel. As you begin this inspection, keep in mind that the lines should be very uniform in distance (See example A). Start by analyzing the doors. Both sides should have a similar gap between the front of the doors and the fenders and between the rear of the doors and the quarter panels. This does not mean you need to buy a micrometer, the eye is a sufficient judge. If there is a noticeable differentiation between the door’s gaps in any area, this is an indicator that there could have been a past collision that was not repaired properly (See Example B). If the door lines look uniform move on to the hood and trunk, but if there is a discrepancy, STOP and investigate further.
READ ENTIRE ARTCLE
Michael Steel “America’s Ringman”
I grew up in the auction and car business. I remember playing in all the cars at my dad’s auctions in Orlando and Cocoa Florida. But I also remember the action in the ring when all the ringmen were yelling, beating on the cars on the block in the ring and running around to the dealers trying to increase the bids. Some dealers would only work with certain ringmen, due to their style, technique or attitude. Several years ago and long after my memories of the early 70’s scurrying around my dad’s auction as a kid, I ran into a guy named Michael Steel at a classic car auction and his energy, attention and dedication took me back to the days of watching the ringmen at my dad’s auctions.
.Michael Steel has been in the auction business for over 20 years, serving as a ringman, and the now politically correct version “seller’s ambassador”. Michael is also an auctioneer and obtained his license in 1996. Each week he works a variety of dealer sales in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. Throughout the year, he is hired by the top auction houses in the nation, such as Leake Auction Company, Dan Kruse Classics, GAA Auctions, the Branson Auction, Motostalgia Auctions D’Elegance, GPK Auctions and Kruse Energy to serve as a ringman and seller’s ambassador. He has competed and placed in the World Automotive Auctioneer Championship on three occasions. Recently he has made appearances on four popular reality shows, Fast N’ Loud on Discovery and The Car Chasers on CNBC Prime, Dallas Car Sharks on Velocity and Bidding Wars on NBC Sports. When he is not traveling to auctions, Michael spends time working on motorcycles in his bike shop, Bottoms Up Chop Shop and promoting Hoochie Shine, a bike and car cleaner he personally developed. Michael generously donates his free time to many charity auctions around the country such as the Make a Wish Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Oklahoma Aids Care Fund and the Child Protection Center.
As all of us in the classic car industry, Michael has a passion for what he does. He is personable and gives the bidders the proper attention needed to make them feel comfortable through the bidding process. We are proud to announce that Michael will be working with Myklassic NEWS giving us video auction updates during our upcoming 2017 News Casts.
Watch for Michael on our premier News Cast in February and follow his movements in the auction industry. If you have never attended a classic car auction, we highly recommend visiting one where “America’s Ringman” is present, Michael Steel.
Story by: Rick Duncan
Brought to you by MyclassicNEWS’ Official Classic Car Transporter:
Most classic cars don’t see the harsh conditions of winter. They only come out on special occasions or in ideal driving conditions, usually not when the road is covered with ice, snow, and salt. If you’re planning to ship your classic vehicle during the winter, here are 3 tips to prepare it for transport. Since your classic rarely leaves the garage in colder weather, you may not have put antifreeze in it. To make sure it doesn’t freeze up during transport, it’s a good idea to check your antifreeze. Although your classic car won’t be driven to warmer climates, it will still go down the same wintery roads. Make sure you mention to the auto transport company you’re using that you want to ship with a hard-side enclosed trailer. This will give you maximum protection from the road grime, especially the salt solution. Even though the majority of your transport is done by carrier, you’ll still need to get the vehicle on to the trailer. Make sure to watch the 10-day forecast so you can be prepared for the day of pick up and delivery. Flexibility is key to a successful auto transport, and knowing the weather helps you to be more prepared. This is especially important if you have to meet the carrier because you live on a street that’s not car carrier friendly. With a little extra planning, you’ll be more prepared when it comes to shipping your classic car. Don’t let something simple like antifreeze or a change in the weather cause an issue. Being better prepared means having a little more peace of mind during transport!
Ready to ship your car? Get your free quote on our website or call to have one of our auto shipping experts get you started: 847-557-0200 www.executiveautoshippers.com
Thanks for reading Myklassic’s Newsletter. If you would like to enter your classic car for the Myklassic of The Month contact us on the contact form on this site or email us at rick@duncanwalls.com
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