Sunday, December 27, 2009

Stainless Steel 1936 Ford



This is the 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan built for and owned by Allegheny Ludlum Steel.

This is 1 of only 4 in existence and is the only one currently running and in roadworthy condition. The frame of the car and it's interior is in exceptional condition. All 4 cars each had traveled over 200,000 miles before they were removed from service.

The cars were built for Alleghany as promotional and marketing projects. The top salesmen each year were given the honour of being able to drive them for one year.

The V-8 engine (max. 85hp) ran like a sewing machine and was surprisingly smooth and quite.

Apparently, the dies were ruined by stamping the stainless car making this the last of these cars ever produced.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Colour Co-ordination



BMW 600 (1957 - 1959)

A very fashionable female is presenting the new BMW Bubble Car.

This is a larger model of an earlier version, the Isetta from 1954.

It was a larger body to contain 4 seats, was powered by a massive 0.6 litre flat 2 cylinder engine.

Maximum power output was 19.5 horsepower - awesome !

A blistering top speed of 64 mph ( that's about 102 kmh ) !

The main feature of this car was that you could probably buy it in any colour to match your existing wardrobe, as the model so elegantly demonstrates. I am curious to see just how much decorum she will retain upon entry and exit whilst she is delicately avoiding all that pesky driving equipment !

Cool Car : Chevy 789




The 789 Chevy.

This was sent to me by an friend of my business ( thanks Mike ).

This car is built by N2A Motors ( No Two Alike ).

The cost : US $40,000 plus the $44,000 cost of new Corvette C6.

The company is planning a production run of about 100 vehicles.

It sits on a Corvette C6 chassis, has a front styled like a '57 Chevy, the sides like a '58 and the rear end like a '59.

Hence the designation "789". You pay for the 'Vette, they do the mods - at a price !

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Truth of Fine Polishing

Cut and Polish is an old fashioned term for rejuvenating paintwork. It is actually a two stage operation, and may be more, if you want a truly excellent finish to your car's duco. Because modern paintwork is much softer, I prefer to call the process, Buffing and Polishing.

Paint technology has changed a great deal recently; some cars are now sprayed with water based paint and many colours are enhanced by spraying a clear coat over a base coat. On many newer cars you can actually see the true colour, before the clear has been applied, in the engine bay and inside the boot or fuel door.

Other cars, depending on the brand, age or country of origin may be painted with acrylic or enamel, with or without a clear coat, or even finished in metallic or pearl. There can also be vast differences in quality between different makes, country of origin, intended country of sale and factory or custom paintwork.

Be careful when buying any products labeled "Cut & Polish", it is normally a very abrasive compound and can quickly damage the paint if not used properly. Remember, it should be a two stage process and should therefore be two seperate products.

The key to successful polishing is patience, persistence and a gentle touch; not quick agression and abrasion. Most of the scratching on newer cars is in the clear coating which can be very soft. That is why your car loses its brightness after repeated washings - the clear coat is being rubbed and damaged.

Some cars show signs of Buff marks and Swirls, this is evidence of poorly executed cut, buff and polish work. Please be aware that there are some very clever products that claim to remove these - they are mostly just very fine filling polishes that offer a temporary fix and are only disguising a poor job. There should never be any of these patterns or blemishes in the first place!

There are also some very, very expensive polishes and paint protection products available. However, I fail to see the benefit of these because they are only truly effective if the paintwork has been properly prepared with specialist cutting or buffing work.

Be wary, also, of paint protection services and products offered to you when buying a new vehicle. They are a clever way of asking, "do you want fries with that" - that is, upselling, whereby increasing the car dealers profit margin. Any repair work, or colour matching or even buffing and polishing will often void your warranty for the product and I very much doubt the validity of, for example, a five year warranty. I would suggest you consider yearly attention by a professional such as Excell Buff to maintain a superior finish on your vehicle at a total lesser cost.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Car Show Event Calendar 2014

ExcellBuff recommends these events as places of interest to visit if you are interested in Hot Rods, Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Motorbikes or Swap Meets.

2014

January

19  KCC Park Swap Meet. Catering for all makes and models of Vintage, Veteran and Classic motor  vehicles. At KCC Park (Dog Centre).(Melways 128 J120. Western Port Hwy, Skye.

19  22nd Annual Centre State Swap Meet and Family Day. At Lords Raceway Trotting Track. McIvor Hwy. Bendigo.

24 - 27   49th Annual Victorian Hot Rod Show. At Royal Exhibition Building. Carlton.

25  One Day Holden vs Ford Display, (as part of the Hot Rod Show). At Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton.

25  One Day All American Display,  (as part of the Hot Rod Show). At Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton.

26  Freedom Ride (Protest for Bikers rights to Associate). Leaving from - BP Officer - inbound, Princes Hwy at 10.30 am and riding to Parliament House, Melbourne.

26  Hog & Rod Poker Run. Meet 2pm at X Piston Bayside Saloon, 4/9 June Ave. Dromana.

26  Annual RACV Federation Vehicle Display. At Kings Domain Park, St. Kilda Rd, Melbourne.

26  Australia Day Show and Shine Swap Meet. At Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve, Wonthaggi.

26  Gasolina Custom & Classic Motorcycle Show 'n' Shine. At 25 Dukes Walk, South Wharf, Melbourne.

26  Corvette in Warnambool. At Lake Pertobe, Warnambool.

**** Please note. Current Motoring Events are posted on my ExcellBuff Facebook           https://www.facebook.com/excellbuff



.


2013

January
1 Picnic in the Park. The 'Confederates Rod & Custom Club' present the New Year's Day Cruise and Picnic at Mornington Park, Mornington.
13 Hot Rod Happening. Every 2nd Sunday during daylight saving months. At 'AJ's Moto Cafe' from 9am. 335 Maroondah Highway, Healesville.
19 'Tractor Pull' at Tooradin.
20 Classic & Vintage & Veteran Car show at the Mornington Racecourse, Mornington.
26,27,28 'Victorian Hot Rod Show' at Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton.
26 Mustang Display. By the Victorian Branch of the Mustang Owners Club of Australia. From 10am untill 2.30 pm at Bayswater Park, corner of  Mountain Highway and Bayswater Road, Bayswater.

February
2 Swap Meet at the Berwick Reserve, Berwick.
3 Chryslers at Carribean Gardens, Stud Rd, Rowville.

3 Epping Swap Meet. At Epping Recreation Reserve, High Street, Epping.
10 Picnic at Hanging Rock - Big, big classic, custom & hotrod car event. Hanging Rock.
17 Swap Meet at Pakenham Racecourse, Pakenham.
23-24 Ballarat Swap Meet. Gates open at 7.30am. At Ballarat Airport, Mitchell Park.
24 American Classics Show at Lilydale Showgrounds, Maroondah Hwy, Lilydale.

March 
1 Cruze Night - hosted by Silvan Football Club. From 6pm 'till late at Silvan Recreation Reserve, Monbulk Rd. Silvan.
3 Swap Meet. Hosted by the Vintage Drivers Club at Yarra Glen Race Course, Yarra Glen.
5 Peninsula Cruise Night. For all pre-'75 rods, classics and muscle cars. 5.30pm onwards. Cruise on the new Peninsula Link Freeway to the Peninsula Homemaker Centre, Bungower Rd. Mornington.
10 Chryslers by the Bay Car Show. Geelong Grammar School, Corio.
16 Ultimate Burnout Challenge. Avalon Speedway. 210 Old Melbourne Rd, Lara.
20 Wandin Custom Car and Bike Show. Wandin East Recreation Reserve, Wandin.
24 Mountain District 7th Annual Car and Bike Show. Heallesville Showgrounds, Don Road, Healesville.
24 Morwell Swap Meet. Toners Lane, Morwell. 
24 Koroit Swap Meet. Victoria Park, Koroit.

April
7 Shannons American Show. Flemington Racecourse. Flemington.  
14 Rosebud Rock'n'Rods Festival. Hotrods and Classics. Bands playing inc: "Fender Benders, BlackHill Ramblers, Step Back, Rockin' Daddies". Eastbourne Primary School. Rosebud.
14 The Pakenham Picnic at Pakenham Racecourse, Customs, Classics and Rods and Oldies - (Hosted by the Dandenong Valley Historic Car Club). Pakenham.
21 RACV Classic Showcase. Open to all English and European classic/historics. Flemington Racecourse.
28 Classic Car Picnic. Cruden Farm, (the home of the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch) Frankston - Crandourne Rd, Langwarrin.

May
5 Renegades Swap Meet Show & Shine at Werribee Racecourse, Werribee.

June
8-9 Central Victorian Chrysler Club Mid-State Mopars. Mopar Motorkana. www.midstatemopars.com     at the Bendigo Livestock Exchange, (details: Cherie 0418 813 725), Bendigo.
9 Truck, Ute & Rod Show. The 17th annual Alexandra Show in Alexandra's main street from 10am to 4pm. (details: Andrew Embling 0418 266 038), Alexandra.
16 Swap Meet held by the Mornington Peninsula Historical Vehicles Club at the Karingal Shopping Centre, Frankston-Cranbourne Road, Karingal.
23 Rob Roy Hillclimb (always a spectacular event for all classic vehicles) at Clintons Road, Christmas Hills.

July
12-14 Muscle Car Expo - All Australian and American. Royal Exhibition Building, Nicholson St. Carlton.

August
11 Swapmeet at the Cobram Showgrounds, Cobram. 

September
1 Australian Muscle Car Show, Flemington Racecourse.
13-15 V8 Supercars at Sandown.
15 Eagles Hot Rod Show, Dandenong RSL, Dandenong.
22 Ford Capri Car Show, Carribean Gardens, Stud Rd, Rowville.
22 The Renegades  Hot Rod & custom Club present a Hot Rod, custom, street machine & bike show at Westside,corner of Grieve Pde and Doherty's Rd, Altona North. 
22 Austin Healey Display Day at Docklands Promenade, Melbourne.
22 Melton Swap Meet at Tabcorp Park, Western Freeway, Melton.

October 
5 Studebaker Concours held by the Studebaker Car Club at Rye Foreshore, Rye.
6 The Last of the Chrome Bumpers Car Show and Swap Meet at Lardner Park, Lardner. 
12-13 Swap Meet Show 'n Shine hosted by Little Desert Rodders (ph: 0400 074 836) at Dimboola.
13 Epping Hotel Car Classic at 743 High St. (corner High St & Coulstock St.) Epping.
13 Classic Car Show at the Hungarian Centre, Boronia Rd, Wantirna
13 Gippsland Vehicle Collection Picnic at 'The Maffra Shed' at 1a Sale Rd. Maffra.
13 Piston Steel Shakedown at the Hungarian Community Centre, Show and Shine, Classic Cars and hotrods. 760 Boronia Rd. Wantirna.
16 Custom Car and Bike Show (5.30 - 9.00pm) at Wandin East Recreation Reserve, Wandin.
20 Mustang Roundup State Concourse, Dandenong.
20 Chryslers at Caribbean at Caribbean Gardens, Stud Rd. Scoresby.
20 Classic Car Show and Swap Meet at  Chisholm Campus, Cleeland St, Dandenong
20 Swap Meet at Pakenham Racecourse, Pakenham.
20  Family Car & Bike Show at Bundoora Park, 1069 Plenty Rd. Bundoora.
20 All GM Show and Shine Day at Apex Park, Wangaratta.
20 Day of the Volkswegen.Show & Shine, Swap Meet, run by the VW Club of Victoria at The Yarra Valley Racecourse, Armstrong Grove, Yarra Valley.
20 2nd Annual all GM Day at Ballarat Turf Club, Dowling Forest.
20 Swap Meet at Dunolly Football Grounds, Dunolly.
20 French Car Festival at Seaworks, Williamstown
20 Marsh Rodders Show, Shine and Swap Meet at Maddingley Park, Bacchus Marsh.
27 Victorian Torana Club Annual Maroondah Dam Run. Meet for car display at 9.30am at 'Repco' 258 Canterbury Rd. Bayswater and then depart at 10.30am for cruise to Upper Carpark, Maroondah Dam, Healesville.
27 The 39th All American GM Day Car Show at Lilydale Showgrounds, Lilydale.
25 - 27 MotorClassica - The Australian International Concours D'Elegance & Classic Motor Show. Exhibition Building, Nicholas St. Carlton.
27 Mazda Car Club of Australia 2013 Open Day. Lake Merrimu, Bacchus Marsh. 


November
5 Melbourne Cup Swap Meet at the Eastfield Trotting Track. Ph: 0435 192 101 for info. Eastfield Rd. Croydon. (this is a good one !)

10 The 50th Anniversary Show & Shine.The EH Holden Car Club of Victoria. At the Caribbean Gardens, Scoresby.

8-10 Historic Car Racing at Sandown.
13 Monbulk Late Night Shopping Cruze, 6pm - 9pm, (and every 2nd Wednesday of each Month) Main Street, Monbulk. 
16 Show and Shine. Hosted by the Tribe of Judah Victoria. At the Cranbourne RSL, 1475 South Gippsland Highway, Cranbourne. (for enquiries phone Ned, 0439748690)
16 -17 Bendigo Swap Meet.At Bendigo Showground, Holmes Rd, Bendigo.
17 Aces by the Bay. Car and Bike Show. Hosted by the Smokin' Aces Rod, Muscle and Custom Club. At the Seaworks Maritime Precinct, Ann St. Williamstown.
17 The 3rd Eastern Bike & Car Show and Shine. 12 noon onwards. Immortals Clubhouse, 11 London Drive, Bayswater.
22-24 V8 Super Cars at Phillip Island.
22-24 Shepparton Springnats. Shepparton Showgrounds, High Street, Midland Highway, Shepparton
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
24 Classic Car and Motorbike Day at the Melbourne Fire Brigade Training College at 450 Burnley St. Richmond.
24 Jaguar Car Club of Victoria Annual State Concours and Display Day, VIC. 10am-3pm. Wesley College Glen Waverley Campus, 620 High Street Road, Glen Waverley.
24 American Breed Car Show. 10am-3pm. The Manhattan Hotel. Cnr Heatherdale and Canterbury Roads, Ringwood.
24 Chrome Daze. Presented by the Chevrolet Car Club. Swap meet and Car Show. 8am-2pm. Bundoora Park, 1069 Plenty Road, Bundoora
24  Garfield Car Show and Swap Meet. 7am-2.30pm. Garfield Recreational Reserve, Beswick Street, Garfield.
24 Classic Car Show. TGS Classic & Muscle Cars. 95 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin. 
24 Historic Commercial Vehicle 32nd Annual Display. Sandown Racecourse, Sandown.23-24 V8 Supercars Championship. Phillip Island 400 at the Gran Prix Circuit, Phillip Island.

**** Please note. Current Motoring Events are posted on my ExcellBuff Facebook           https://www.facebook.com/excellbuff



* Please be aware that these events are correct at time of publication.

* I will be continually updating this calendar, so please stay tuned.

















* Please be aware that these events are correct at time of publication.

* I will be continually updating this calendar, so please stay tuned.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

How other people wash a Car.

Three recommended ways to have your car washed:

Please view these videos ( just Google them)....Careful, some content may offend!

1. Jessica Simpson Car Wash - (Giving The General Lee a Bath).
"These Boots are made for Walking" (3.10 minutes in).

2.Paris Hilton - "Carl's Jr" - Car wash commercial.

3. Pink - "Stupid Girls" - video (2.39 minutes in).

Maybe I should say, "Ways to watch having your car washed" - I certainly do not not suggest these methods are beneficial to your paintwork!

How Not to wash your Car !

"Save money and give your car a professional car wash at home using a hose and two simple products."

This is the introduction on a Website titled How to wash a Car, with JJ Burkhart. The address of this site is: http://video.about.com/housekeeping/car-wash.htm . If you are looking for information on how to wash your, please visit this site. I highly recommend you watch their promotional video; it shows everything you should NOT do when washing your car.

I will detail the misinformation from this alleged "Trusted information source" in order of its presentation:

1. Do not place equipment and materials on the duco. This only increases the risk of scratching, denting, or transferring contaminants. (where had that bucket been sitting?).

2. The car is not parked in the shade. It is a prestige car, a Cadillac, and is also black( a most difficult colour to maintain).

3. Too much detergent is used. This will streak or bleach the duco, especially in the sun!

4. Do not rub so hard with the wash mitt. This is only scratching the duco and taking off any wax that was previously on the surface.

5. Do not start from the top and soak the car with so much soap. The sun is baking those wonderful cleaning chemicals onto the duco.

6. Do not use the mesh side of the mitt to scrub headlight lenses and external mirrors. They are no longer made from scratch resistant glass, but normally, a plastic/perspex compound.

7. Do not dry with a cotton towel. Every rub or wipe is leaving scuffs or scratches. Loop pile cotton is notorious for absorbing contaminants. It is also rarely 100% pure cotton and usually is partly composed of nylon - even worse for causing scratches.

8. Do not use a second dry towel to rub a dry surface, it is just producing more blemishes.

9. Too much wax is applied and over too much area at once. A paste wax like that should be smeared on lightly and evenly. "Wax on, wax off" is a reference from the film The Karate Kid, it realates to the motion of the the arms and refers to the immediate removal of the wax. Leave it on for too long and the paste sticks to the duco like glue ( especially if the surface is not perfectly smooth).

10. Do not apply wax with a sponge applicator unless you are prepared to spend much time removing all the excess wax from under trims, badges, window seals and edges. (Have a close look at your car a few hours later and you will notice all the hard dried wax you missed removing).

11. Glass cleaner applied so liberally is not necessary. The car has already been washed, the glass should be fairly clean. (Try using a damp chamois and a flannelette cloth).

Finally - If you really want to know how to wash your car correctly please send an Email to Mark at masterdetailer@excellbuff.com.au or visit my web site www.excellbuff.com.au to find my cell phone number, and call me personally.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Red or Black

Red is a popular colour for sporting-minded car owners: it is seen as exciting, aggressive and stimulating. However, until the 1990's it was one of the least popular with car manufacturers, because of the difficulties of producing contrasting shades of red with solid, intense colour. There were limitations with red pigments because of the inherent optical properties of their lead based chemistry; large quantities of red pigment are required to be mixed with binders to produce a red that does not seem translucent. Recent changes in paint technology have produced a red pigment that is entirely lead-free with a far superior colour saturation. Subtle alterations to paint chemistry now provide different hues of the spectrum - from yellow reds, through blue reds to violet. Fast moving red cars are used mainly in photographic advertising precisely because of this attribute and the way they react to changing light and the visual appeal to your brain.

Red and white remained the predominant colours into the late 1990's, but colour impression can account for the acceptance or rejection of a product. Some surveys suggest that owners of red cars tend to be outgoing, creative and impulsive; owners of white cars are aloof, dutiful and methodical. Silver owners are associated with success, style and maybe a touch pompous; black owners are seen as ambitious, sophisticated and stealthy. Unfortunately, a sleek black car can also be seen as sinister, not visible and impractical to keep clean or polished.

Ferrari is synonymous with supercar red, and Lamborghini has laid claim to muscle black, and to a lesser extent, flashy yellow - the two colours in its badge.

Henry and Ransom

Contrary to popular belief, Henry Ford was not the first person to mass produce vehicles using the assembly line. In 1902, Ransom Eli Olds adopted a system of moving platforms from another manufacturer, that were pushed along. His vehicles were assembled progressively as they moved down the production line. His 1903 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout was in fact the world's first mass production automobile and was an instant success, with 5,000 being sold in 1904. Ransom Olds left the company that year to found the Reo company. To produce the Model T in 1908, Ford improved on the idea with a motor driven belt.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

In the Beginning

The famous phrase by Henry Ford, "Any colour you like, as long as it's black", is part of automotive history. But the 'black only' policy had more to do with the economies of the era rather than any monetary constraints on Henry's part. Debut Model T's were offered in 'Brewster Green', but as Ford's assembly line process gathered momentum an alternative was necessary.

It was discovered that 'Black Japan Enamel' not only dried faster, but could also be applied with a spray gun instead of the laborious hand preparation and application. This eliminated the time wasted waiting for paint to dry before the next stage of assembly. So, in the interests of getting the completed cars to the clamouring public quicker, black - and black only - was settled on as the T colour.

Black was the only colour offered from 1914 to 1925, and a painted black radiator shell replaced the original brass type in 1917. Four wheel brakes were never available, but electric starters were from 1920. The Model T reached its production peak in 1923, with more than two million cars delivered.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Mastery of the Craftsperson

"The craftsperson develops a knowledge about the work he does that bears its own fruit, the fruit of being present, or attentive.

The craftsperson learns that within the work he does is a jewel hiding beneath the surface.

The thrill of the craft is to discover the jewel. And that there is only one way to discover it: to practise the craft mindlessly. To become one with the work.

To polish and polish, as through with one's heart. That there is no way to know when the jewel will show itself, but to trust with all one's heart that one day when it is least expected, the jewel will be there! It will appear.

It is only through being there with one's work that the jewel will reveal itself, and that it is the work, and only the work, raised to the level of near perfection that connects the craftsperson to the universe."

: Ancient source unknown.