Antique & Classic Cars Blog

John Gallagher, publisher of Car Craft magazine, was looking over events at the Summer Nationals right by the Power to the Wheels dyno test (where I managed to take this cluttered, blurry, lo-res photo of him to prove my street cred as a car guy).

The dyno test is one of the things Gallagher’s excited about in this year’s show. You will be too, if you’re nearby when a car like this 427 Camaro starts singing through dual exhausts at 3500 rpms before they kick in the resistance to measure horsepower and torque.

It’s one of three tests car entrants can put their cars to to show they’re more than driveway showpieces. The others are the Baer Brake Stop Challenge and the QA1 Autocross. Cars competing in all three categories should make for some interesting results. How does a car making 1,000 horsepower do in an autocross, for example? Can you keep the wheels stuck coming out of a turn when the engine’s unleashing that much twist? Time will tell….

Of course, the show is not solely about horsepower, of which there will be a broad range. The 427 Camaro above, owned by John Erdman, made 330-plus horses at the wheels. There are cars on hand making less–and much more.

Take, for example, the replica 1903 Olds at the GM display. It’s not an ordinary ‘03, but a reproduction of Ransom E. Olds’ speed record car, The Pirate. “Replica” is never as exciting as the word “original,” but this isn’t a car made from modern parts. GM wrencher, Jim Guiles, who is working the display, says the car was built with genuine 1903 Olds parts–from a few vehicles–and about 65% of it is period, like the engine, axles and steering box.

This car was modified with electric start mainly because the original was started by flinging the flywheel by hand–something no one wants to do today, especially with that large open drive chain nearby. Most interesting about the early Olds is how similar the pieces are in function, if not look, to a modern car’s. The lobe in the shot above is the camshaft doing its valve work in broad daylight. Back in the speed record days an “oil man” kneeled beside the driver with an oil can lubing parts as the car roared along. Given roads and road manners in that period, this would not be a first-pick occupation for the feint of heart.

Here’s some other random shots of the sorts of vehicles on-hand. They range from highly modified and polished custom jobs, like this stereophile’s chariot . . .

To this mouth-watering ‘55 Chrysler 300. . .

To this rare ‘87 Camaro IROC convertible built by custom house ASA of NY with a factory-fitted Corvette engine.

As for me, I’d be happy to ride in a ‘66 Charger, which a friend had in high school nearly like this one. Excellent interior in the ‘66–very comfortable and nice looking.

Now through Sunday, there will 5,000 cars like these at the fairgrounds for anyone who wants a gander. As Gallagher says, if you love these cars and don’t yet have one, this show is the start of “someday…” dreaming.

With its huge and knowledgeable enthusiast population, and the incomparable venue offered by the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, this event in St. Paul is one of the Car Craft staff’s favorites of the year.

I’ll be there tomorrow and would enjoy meeting any readers who’d like to say hello. There won’t be any sort of booth–only my creditors clamor for my signature–but I will be by the dyno testing a little north of the 4-H building from 11:45 to 12:15 in red cap and black Star Tribune T-shirt if anybody wants to walk up and say hi. I’d love to hear what cars you’re grooving on and to see your own car, if you bring one. (Don’t worry if you don’t know North (Snelling runs N/S)–you’ll hear the dyno tests if they’re going.)

This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.