As a young boy, growing up in Fort Chambly, Quebec, from time to time, I would hear stories of George Foote Foss’ (my grandfather’s) invention. At times, I would overhear these stories as my father shared the details with friends and neighbours who were visiting our home. However, the stories that I most often heard came directly from my grandfather, as we visited him frequently. I recall fondly, sitting on a footstool near his feet as he sat in his large, comfortable chair, recounting the steps he took in tinkering, planning and ultimately, building a gasoline engine automobile, which was to be the first in Canada – later dubbed: “The Fossmobile.”
In the early 1960s (I was only about age 7), I recall that everyone around me was talking about a flurry of renewed interest in his accomplishment. It was then that he was presented with two honorary memberships: one from the Vintage Automobile Club of Montreal (VACM) and the other from the prestigious Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA). Only two Canadians have ever received this latter honour. The other Canadian to receive this was Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin, who started the McLaughlin Motor Car Company in 1907, which was one of the first major automobile manufacturers in Canada.
With these two initiatives, there came a swarm of media attention and I can recall being shown newspaper clippings, many of which I still have in my possession today. Not only were there photographs and articles written about his honorary memberships, but many of the local papers also reprinted his earlier writing of: “The True Story of a Small Town Boy,” originally published in 1954, by The Sherbrooke Daily Record.
Having a relative with historical significance meant that most of his descendants have ended up using his invention story and the various publications about it, as a topic for school projects. I remember using his story as a topic for one of my school projects, both of my two children did, and just a year ago my 6-year-old granddaughter did a “show and tell” at her school about her great-great grandfather’s invention.
George Foote Foss (September 30, 1876 – November 23, 1968) was a mechanic, blacksmith, bicycle repairman and inventor from Sherbrooke, Quebec. During the winter of 1896, he developed a four-horsepower single-cylinder gasoline powered automobile. In the spring of 1897, he completed his invention: the first gasoline-powered automobile to be built in Canada, which was, later referred to as the “Fossmobile”.
It was in early 1896, during a trip to Boston, Massachusetts to buy a turret lathe for his expanding machine shop, that my grandfather saw his first automobiles. These cars, electrically driven broughams, were rented out for $4.00 an hour. He paid the fee to have a ride, but unfortunately, after a ride of only half an hour, the batteries died.
Returning to Sherbrooke, he decided to build an automobile that would address this problem. My grandfather drove his car in and around Sherbrooke, Quebec for four years. He later moved to Montreal, Quebec, where the car sat idle for a year before he sold it for $75 in 1902. He had previously turned down an offer to partner with Henry Ford who went on to form the Ford Motor Company. He turned down the offer, as he believed Ford’s Quadricycle vehicle to be inferior to the Fossmobile. He also turned down financial backing to mass-produce the Fossmobile, citing his inexperience to do so, as he was only 21 years old at the time.
I am often asked if I know if my grandfather had any regrets about not partnering with Ford or not mass-producing his invention. From everything I recall hearing him say, he had no regrets. He enjoyed a simple life and I heard him say on more than one occasion, that: “you don’t live a long life with the stresses of running a big business.” He passed away at age 92, so perhaps his theory was right, at least for him.
Recently, I re-opened the Foss family archives, to better understand and accurately document my grandfather’s remarkable accomplishment. My objective has been to find ways to share this historic Canadian event with automotive enthusiasts, historians and future generations of Canadians. To this end, I have established a business, as a means to build networks, foster collaboration and share important historical memorabilia.
As George Foss’ grandson, I have talked with some visionaries and I am seeking the help of other potential experts in “Vintage Automobile Restoration,” for a very special project. The goal is to use reverse engineering (the reproduction of an inventor or manufacturer’s product), to create a “Tribute Automobile,” emulating as closely as possible, the specifications of George Foss’ invention of the first gasoline powered automobile built in Canada: the Fossmobile. There are no original drawings, so the Tribute Automobile will have to be based solely on detailed scrutiny of original Fossmobile photos.
I have begun the process of acquiring vintage parts from the era, with the hope of building this automobile, replicating parts only when it is absolutely necessary. I will provide oversight for this process and collaborate with automobile historians and experts. Along the way, the journey will be documented, while ensuring attention to detail.
The hope is to honour my grandfather’s legacy and bring to greater light, this significant chapter of Canadian history. With its completion, this Tribute Automobile will be a tangible embodiment of the first gasoline car built in Canada. There is a growing interest in showcasing the completed Tribute Fossmobile in classic automobile shows. However, it will eventually be donated to a Canadian museum to enhance historic education for current and future generations.
Further information can be found on the website: http://www.fossmobile.ca. Fundraising has been initiated, hoping to attract personal donations and corporate sponsorships to help with the cost of building the Tribute Fossmobile. Anyone wishing to participate can access a “Go Fund Me” link from the Fossmobile website or use the search word “Fossmobile” on the http://www.gofundme.com website.
Let’s talk about what you think about Halloween. Well, I think about ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, black cats, monsters, scary movies, and candy. Also, think about decorating things like the house, classic car, school, or room.
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Image of witch and black cat in a classic car with pumpkins courtesy of Pixabay
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Spooky Classic Cars?
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So, what car do you have? A classic car? A street rod? An antique vehicle? A muscle car? Any other classic car?
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Well, decorate it however you want. How about a cat in your mirror, a witch on a broom out of your back window, or a monster on your front window?
However you want to design your car for Halloween, do it.
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Let’s talk about some of the basic Halloween decorations you could use for your classic car.
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Spiders Dangling From the Rear-View Mirror
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.You can have a dangling spider hang from your rear-view mirror. Dangling decorations are fun because you never know who you can scare with them.
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Imagine someone petrified of spiders gets into your car, sees the spider on your rear-view mirror. They scream and run, and that’s what Halloween is all about.
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Scary Interior Decorations for Halloween
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So, what can you do to have your vintage car stand out at Halloween?
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Skeleton in Classic Car at Halloween image courtesy of Pixabay
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Well, you could add cotton-like clouds to your seats, dashboard, and/or rear window and could put spiders, a dead hand, or maybe some fake blood on it.
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They have all sorts of decals for windows. Stay away from adding anything to the paint job, because while they may say they’re safe, do you really want to take that chance?
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However, whatever you decide, I hope you have a great holiday, and scare someone this year.
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When looking for a unique classic to cover for today’s post, I ran across this 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside that’s listed for sale on eBay. (That’s an affiliate link, by the way.)
1964 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside for Sale on eBay
Information About This 1964 Chevy Corvair Rampside
The eBay listing for this Rampside doesn’t offer a lot of details, but there are quite a few photos and the seller shares contact info in the listing. So, I’ll give you a quick summary of this truck’s details and then fill you in on some of the history of the Chevrolet Corvair Rampside.
This Rampside is located in San Jose, California. It has a gasoline engine and manual transmission. It has a blue interior and a two-tone blue exterior, as shown in the image.
General Information About the 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside
Another example of the 1964 Corvair Rampside Joe Ross from Lansing, Michigan CC BY-SA 2.0
The Rampside is also known as Model 1254, according to Concept Carz. It was able to manage loads weighing up to half a ton, and like other Corvairs, it had a rear-mounted engine powering it. It came standard with an 80-horsepower, 6-cylinder air-cooled engine.
This Corvair is fairly rare, with only 851 produced in 1964, according to Old Cars Weekly. The Rampside was only produced from 1961 through 1964, with 1961 and 1962 being the years with the biggest production runs – right around 11,000 Rampside Corvairs were made for each of those years.
More information about the model, in general, is available by visiting Corvanatics – in case you would like to read more about the GVWR or the type of windshield wipers that came in the ’64 Rampside.
Classic cars and real estate… two investments you can enjoy while they go up in value if you choose carefully and maintain them well.
Albuquerque Real Estate and Classic Cars image courtesy of Pixabay
It’s a fairly common saying that your home is an investment (hopefully one you enjoy) and classic cars have the potential to be great investments, too.
So, How Can Real Estate Be Connected to Classic Cars?
I’m going to use Albuquerque real estate as an example for this, though some variation of the idea can be expanded on anywhere in the country…
In an area like Albuquerque, where weather conditions and New Mexico classic car scene provide an abundance of low-rust cars that haven’t seen snow or road salt in winter, there are some things car enthusiasts may want to look for when shopping for real estate – mainly a good place to park their classic cars, of course.
Real estate tip #1: One of the first things experts recommend looking at in real estate is location. Some basic tips are to (a) check the crime rate for the neighborhood you’re considering, (b) check out the landscaping at neighboring homes to see if neighbors tend to their lawns, and (c) browse around the neighborhood to see if houses seem t have junk piled around them. (This is kind of linked to the well-maintained lawns, but junk piled around neighboring homes can bring down the value of all properties in the area even if the front lawn is mowed.)
Real estate tip #2: If you want to keep your classic car or cars at home, look for a property that either has a decent garage or room to build a garage. If you invest in classic cars, you don’t want to leave them sitting outside, so having a climate controlled garage space is part of keeping your vintage autos in good condition.
Real estate tip #3: Look for property that has a security system, or consider having one installed. This makes the home worth more, keeps your family and property safer, and it helps keep insurance costs a bit lower, which is great because it helps offset the cost of the security system.
Classic car tip #1: This may seem obvious, but consider the value of the kind of car you like best… Are you looking for a driver that makes you feel like a kid again with everyone turning to look at your car when you drive past? Or, are you looking for a show piece that won’t be driven often or at all? Investment-wise, you may want one that’s not driven much, to keep the mileage low – but if you want one to drive and enjoy – you might look more at the style that gives you the eye-appeal you want over rareness or its price sticker.
Classic car tip #2: Check out the production run numbers to find out how many of the model you’re considering were made. This helps you determine how rare – or how not rare – it is.
Classic car tip # 3: Get an assessment of the classic car’s condition. Condition is as important with classic cars as location is with real estate. Then, use the condition information to get an accurate estimate of the car’s value.
So, with these few tips in mind, it’s your turn to start dreaming about how great your new-to-you classic car is going to look sitting in front of your house, and how safe it, and your family of course, are going to be in your great new home.
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If you have any tips you would like to add about making the most of your real estate and classic car investment dollars, give us a shout out in the comments below, or visit one of our Facebook pages like Best Classic Cars for Sale Online, to join the conversation there.
1939 BMW image By MartinHansV (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The BMW or (Bavarian Motor Works) car first made it’s debut in the year 1916, when the first vehicle as rolled off the assembly line. Of course it would be many decades until this line of luxury and high performance vehicles would take it’s rightful place as possibly the most highly recognized name in high end cars on the road today.
BMW is well recognized for the wide variety of vehicles that they manufacture, which has allowed them to dominate in several distinct sectors of the automobile market. In fact, they solidified their dominance with the introduction of the X-5 SAV series of Sports Activity Vehicles in 1999 to represent MBW in they highly competitive SUV market, which this series has done quite well.
Since then, BMW has followed up with the X-6 series of Sports Activity Coup, which gained a fast reputation as a reliable, high performance, very “in demand” sports vehicle. BMW plans on introducing yet another addition to their SAV line with the Concept X1, which is expected to be the most expensive and highest performing of all their Sports Utility Vehicles as of yet.
BMW introduced the public to their 3rd series or what is also known as their executive class line of vehicles in 1975. They are currently in their third generation and are synonymous with luxury and performance, as well as their easily recognizable distinct smooth lines. The current 5th generation of BMW third series includes but of course is not limited to the E92, the E91 Family Wagon and the E90 luxury performance sedan.
1939 BMW 335 image By MartinHansV (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Due to the incredibly positive reception that their 5th generation 3rd series vehicles have received worldwide, BMW now offers them with a wide range of unique feature options. These include amenities such as a DVD player with four separate LCD screens, remote engine start system and DMW high performance headlights.
Quite possible the most visible line or series of BMW vehicles is the (i coup), with one of their most popular being the BMW 135i, currently priced in the area of $35,000. For over two now decades owning and driving a BMW from the i coup series has been one of the best ways for a young professional living in the US, Canada or Europe to announce to the world that they have finally achieved a measurable degree of success in their chosen occupation.
Due to the incredibly wide range of vehicles in the complete BMW line that range in price from highly affordable to pricey high end luxury sedans vehicles, BMW’s tend to appeal to an equally wide range of car owners. Not only are BMW’s recognized for their comfort and drivability but they also carry with them a well earned repudiation for reliability that keeps them out of repair shops.
Also, in recent years Luxury BMW sedans have become increasingly popular as a vehicle of choice for limousine conversions. Of course as car buyers become increasingly aware of the need for fuel efficiency in a luxury vehicle, BMW engineers have been busy making their cars even more fuel efficient then they already were so well known for being.
About The Author
Chris Tyrrell writes for Stephen James BMW an award winning BMW London dealership. Visit the website to find out more.
VIN Number Decoding For Classic Muscle Cars
By Timothy Leary
By Jimlaneozark (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsOne of the best pieces of advice I was ever given in regards to buying a classic muscle car was to invest in high quality resource materials so I could crack the code on Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) to make sure that I was not getting scammed.
The best way to find a high quality book is to find what the experts are using. With the internet, you can type a subject like Camaro restoration book into the Amazon search box. You can also Google it and follow the links, which will take you to various forums and websites. Chevrolet by the Numbers, by Alvin Colvin, is the best book I have ever found for Chevrolet part numbers, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN), trim tags, and model ID. The book is an easy read, with chapters designated to the different components. Again, I used this process in my quest to purchase a rare Camaro. Just Google the car you are looking for and follow the links. The best resources will be obvious.
Here is a list of objects you will need when decoding your car.
Small flashlight, notebook, resource or reference book, mechanics mirror, pen or pencil, cordless or corded droplight, floor jack and jack-stands, coveralls, rags, brass wire brush, brake cleaner, yellow or white colored grease pencil, digital camera or camcorder.
If you are continuing to read this information, I can only surmise that buying a classic muscle car with the proper numbers and matching parts is important to you! Good! It should be! If this is true, I will walk you through an example of decoding a car. This will give you an idea of what it takes to properly decode a car.
Be prepared to take your time. I also discovered a sure fire way to determine who your true friends are. Ask them to go along to help you decode a car! Having an extra body can sometimes cut your time in half. I also recommend finding an expert or consultant on your car, and buying a couple of hours their time, especially if you are looking to purchase a special model classic car. It’s been my experience that an extra set of eyes can only help the cause. I found an expert through one of my reference books. Prior to me going to look at my current car, I spent about an hour talking with him, and making a list of things I should be looking for. (Of course, if you want someone to handle the process from A to Z, services are available. This is a great option if you are buying the car from remote.)
The Process
Before I arrived the owner told me the car was basically a roller project, meaning the engine and transmission were removed from the car. The engine, transmission and other components were placed in a pile where it would be easy to look at the numbers. The owner also claimed it was a limited edition Camaro, yet he didn’t have any paperwork like an original order invoice, or a protect o plate (a special metal plate shaped like a credit card that is used for warranty and repair services). This type of paperwork trail eliminates the need for further documentation. If you do not have this type of paperwork, then follow along. When I arrived at the location where the car was stored, the first thing I did was to check the VIN number. The VIN number is probably the most important number on a car. If you do not know how to decode a VIN on a particular Chevrolet, you will be unable to verify other components or numbers. What is nice about the book is it actually walks you through the whole decoding process, including providing the specific numbers location. As a sidebar, any good resource book on your particular make and model car will outline the way to decode your car, including number locations and decoding info. On 1968 and 1969 Camaros, the VIN number is located on the top of the dash board, on the drivers side. The number is visible through the windshield. I wiped the dirt and dust off of the VIN tag, and copied the numbers into my notebook.
VIN number
I was able to determine that my car was originally a V8, it was a 2 door sport coupe, made in 1969, assembled in Norwood Ohio, and it was the 662,8XXrd car built at that plant in that year.
Trim tag.
In 1969, all Camaro trim tags were located in the engine compartment, riveted on the upper left hand corner of the firewall. I took my rag and cleaned all of the dust and gunk off of the trim tag. Since the numbers were not that clear, I recleaned the trim tag, and removed the rest of the gunk. I used my flashlight to illuminate the numbers, and then copied the numbers into my notebook. Some of the trim tag numbers matched up with the VIN tag numbers, which was a good sign. The remaining numbers indicated that my car body was number 353,XXX to come down this plant’s assembly line. The interior was originally a standard black interior, and the car was built in the first week of June, 1969. The car was originally painted dusk blue and it was equipped with a spoiler package and a chrome trim package. So far everything was lining up. The reason for all of this detail is to illustrate how you can confirm that what you think you are buying is exactly what you are getting.
Before I move on, I want to share how this is relevant. A husband and wife from my car club went to look at a Chevelle. The car was advertised as a Super Sport. During the inspection process, and referencing the above book, they uncovered a number of inconsistencies. According to the numbers, the car had originally started out as a plain Jane 6 cylinder car. The car was now painted a different color, had a different color interior and a different engine. You get the picture. Over the years, one (or more) of the previous owners modified the car and tried to make it into a Super Sport. The point is it may have not been done maliciously, but the car still did not start out as a true Super Sport. And having the Super Sport option obviously raises the value of the car.
Engine code identification.
The engine is stamped in (2) places on a 69 Camaro. One is on the right front engine pad. The other location is on the rough casting portion on the rear of the engine, just above the oil filter. Again I wiped off the areas I just described with brake cleaner sprayed on a rag. You need to have a clean surface, and normally brake cleaner will do the trick. The front engine pad numbers appeared to have been restamped at one time, maybe after the engine block was decked (Decking in a machine process to check the flatness of the block deck for irregularities that cause compression and water leaks.) The tricky part is reading the numbers on the area above the oil filter. I recommend a really bright light and a magnifying glass. If that doesn’t do it, then I suggest taking a little muriatic acid an applying it to the numbers. This should make the numbers readable. The reason this number is sometimes hard to decipher is because these engines were hand stamped, and punched onto a rough surface. According to the numbers, I determined the engine was a 425 horsepower high performance engine, with a 4 speed manual transmission. The last numbers also corresponded with the last numbers in my VIN, which meant this was the original engine to this car. The numbers told me the engine was assembled June 14, which fell in line with the build date. The engine block part number that is cast into the rear of the block was cleaned with a rag and brake cleaner as well. The block part number indicated ahigh performance block used for Camaros. Another piece of the puzzle confirmed.
Rear axle identification.
The numbers on a Camaro rear axle are stamped on the top of the right axle tube. My experience has been that this area is normally pretty crusty and rusty. And this rear axle was no exception. After considerable wire brushing, I wiped the area clean with brake cleaner. Laying on my back, I shone the light on the area, while holding a mirror. It still wasn’t clear enough for me to read accurately. I then took my grease pencil, and ran it over the numbers. The purpose of the grease pencil is to provide contrast with the metal of the axle tube. When I put the mirror back over the area, I was rewarded with a very sharp image of the part numbers, which I copied into my notebook. According to the numbers, this rear axle assembly had a 4.10:1 gear ratio, limited slip. The axle was assembled June 16, 1969. Are you seeing a pattern starting to appear here? The axle numbers also indicated the axle to be original to the car based on the dates codes referencing June 1969 build date. I took the same approach with the other parts.
Here are my findings. The cylinder heads, intake manifold, carburetor, and transmission were the correct part numbers for the car. However none of these parts were date coded to the car. One of the heads was manufactured in April 1968, the other head was manufactured in February of 1969. The transmission was manufactured Jan 24th 1969. The reason I know all of these parts are not correctly date coded to the car is I decoded each one, by researching the part numbers, and date codes. All of this information is important, because not only did it verify what the owner had told me, and it also showed that the other parts were in line with the build date. Thereby providing further confirmation of what I was looking at. During my investigating, I took pictures with a digital camera of all of the parts and part numbers, as best as i could. I spent about 30 minutes walking around the car with a video camera and editorializing what I was taking footage of. I also took the list of things the Camaro expert had told me about and checked them off one by one. Later in the week I called the Camaro expert and shared my findings. I reviewed all of my research, including going over the individual part numbers, and the “things to look for” checklist. By the end of the phone call, I was 99 percent positive that this Camaro was what it was being advertised as.
The last thing I did was to have the car documented and certified by a Certified Camaro appraiser.
GM also stamped hidden VIN numbers in (2) different places on the car. The reason for the hidden VIN numbers was to add another step in preventing and identifying a stolen car. Because it is fairly easy to remove and swap out the VIN tag on the dash, the hidden VIN’s provided a back-up system of check and balances. For example, someone could possibly swap out a VIN tag, but if they didn’t know about the Hidden VIN numbers, a person in the know could easily identify the numbers not matching up. Because the car was bought a roller project, it was easy to check these hidden VIN’s, against the VIN tag on the dash. I wanted the appraiser to check them personally, and he confirmed the numbers as matching and authentic. In other words the certificate authenticates the car. Many appraisers will also supply you with a report on their findings. The nice thing about having a car certified is this type of paperwork is normally viewed as iron clad documentation. It normally raises the value of the car, because of the authenticity certificate. And if you ever go to sell the car, now you have documentation to provide the seller that the car is a real (Super Sport, Rally Sport, Z/28, etc. You fill in the blank)
Some people may wonder why would anyone go through all of this work.
However, keep in mind that many of these muscle cars are 20 plus years old and have gone through numerous owners and modifications. All of that history is prior to it being restored back to showroom original condition. In other words, many parts are bolt on and interchangeable from other models and different years. So just because the parts look ok, doesn’t mean that they even belong on the car. In the above example about the couple and the Chevelle, the car was priced as a Super Sport, yet the trim tag and other numbers reflected a totally different story. Even though the car was beautifully restored, it was really nothing more than a modified 6 cylinder, base model Chevelle that someone converted over to a V-8 at some time in it’s life. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with modifying a car to an individual owners taste. The issue is when the car is sold and the seller forgets to mention (consciously or unconsciously) and inform the new owner of the modifications. Our Chevelle couple would have gladly paid the asking price if the car was a true Super Sport. But, because they knew how to decode the car, they were able to save themselves a lot of time, money and aggravation. At the time the difference between a plain Jane Chevelle and a real Super Sport was over $10,000. Just to throw some numbers out there, let’s be conservative and say it takes 6 hours of research to decode a car. Using our $10,000 figure, that equates to approximately $1,600 an hour. Not a bad return on your time investment. As muscle and classic cars have become more popular, I have seen many cases where just for the fun of it, an owner will start to do research on a car he or she owns.
Discovering your car isn’t really what you thought you purchased can really knock the wind out of you. By investing a small amount of money, and time, in researching and decoding your prospective muscle car purchase you can sleep at night knowing that you received the value you paid for. Anyone else interested in investing a couple of hours for peace of mind when purchasing a classic or muscle car???
Don’t want to deal with all these issues yourself? The experts at Your Dream Car Finder [http://www.yourdreamcarfinder.com/classic_cars_for_sale.htm] can manage the entire process.
Tim Leary is a freelance writer and management consultant that helps individuals and companies exceed their goals. Tim can be reached at [email protected]
I hope you’ll find the site useful and that you’ll find it easy to navigate to the information you’re looking for, but feel free to ask if you don’t find what you are looking for or if you have any trouble navigating the site.
Laure
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