OK, So now I’m getting into the social bookmarking thing. I found a bunch of classic car related blogs that I’ve subscribed to, bookmarked them, and shared them publicly.

You can find them at http://www.google.com/reader/shared/15365479266061866652

Carl

I ran across a question on justanswer from a guy who wants to put an LS1 engine in his 67 Camaro and he was asking what kind of modifications he would need to do. Well, I filled him in. Hopefully that didn’t scare him too much. It sounds like an interesting project.

So now I started thinking about this and my own unfinished 64 Impala. I have a 4 bolt 350 and a pair of 462 Corvette heads I was going to use but since I haven’t started yet, I don’t have much to keep me from changing my mind. I could always put that motor in my 86 GMC Classic.

I checked out the blurb on Wikipedia about the LS series engines, otherwise known as Vortec. They are a seriously powerful motor based on the small block but completely redesigned to allow for increased cylinder head breathing and meeting the emissions standards. I’m no tree hugger but I might be inclined to do my part with my 64 Impala, and get modern perfomance to boot.

I’m still a couple of years away from planning on mounting such a beast on my frame. I would have to stalk the local auctions because I would really need the entire car so I can get the all important wiring harnesses, hardware and electronics. The neighbors are going to love this…a junker in my driveway.

Some of you who are classic car purists might think this is unethical, or immoral. I used to feel that way too, but sometimes a unique twist on a muscle car restoration could start a hot trend. Let me know what you think.

My sister came down from Canada with her husband and kids, as well as my best friend growing up. Naturally the girls wanted to do nothing but shop and the guys had better things in mind, like a day at the junk yard. I spent a bit of time trying to find a good classic car junk yard before they got here and found Leon’s Auto parts, in Leon, Va, just south of Culpepper.

The place was a bit hard to find, if you are driving too fast you’d whiz right by it, which we did, and had to circle back. Leon’s Auto Parts is so big that they don’t allow anyone in after 10AM because they need the time to look around the hundred acres of old cars before the place closes. We needed every bit of that time too, and we were glad we packed a lunch as well. They close for lunch and if you are out in the yard, you are locked in til they get back at 1PM. It was a hot day, and we should have brought more water but we endured.

The yard map was interesting. The owner said that since there was no real plan to start a junk yard, it just sort of happened, that the cars were not organized in a way that was not self explanatory. If you wanted to find a 64 Impala, they were scattered all over the 100 acres. The yard was mapped out in a grid of sorts with a numbering scheme to follow. The trees had letter markers on them to give you an idea of where you were on the lot but the map wasn’t all that accurate. We had to wing it.

TW and CG were with me. BW had to work. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, I was just there for the fun. TW was looking for a few Dodge parts, and CG was looking for some 69 Chevelle stuff. TW has a 69 Dart he is working on back home, and Leon’s had what he wanted. The trick was getting the parts off of the cars since they were generally parked too close together for removing interior parts like bench seats, and having to work around the thorn bushes and other overgrowth.

CG almost bought a 64 Beaumont convertible. After taking a second look at it though, it was pretty rusted out. There wasn’t much left of the floor pans. A convertible,…go figure.

If you’ve got a day to spend checking out the old classics I’d recommend goin in the spring while you can still see the cars and won’t risk heat exhaustion. Some of them are so covered in brush you wouldn’t know there was a car in there if it wasn’t for the glare off the windshield. It was fun, for a handfull of gearheads like us.