Rotting In Style - 1974 Pontiac Ventura

If you’ve been following this blog or YouTube videos recently, then you know the last two featured cars on Rotting in Style of been in Juneau, Alaska.  Well, now we are off to Ketchikan, Alaska, and if you look hard enough behind the trees, you may find this 1974 Pontiac Venture.  This car is hidden, and grungy, but I found it to show you guys.

This car is a mess though.  The metal is rusted, the chrome is corroded, the interior is torn, the dash is cracked, but even with all that, this car still looks badass!  There is something about an old American steel car with a V8 and grunge that is just so appealing to me.  I’m not a big ratrod fan, but this “style”, I am a fan of.  Since I doubt this car runs, it is a sad sight however.

Speaking of a V8, this car came with either a 250 cubic inch (4.1L) inline six, or a 307 cubic inch (5.0L) V8.  Now based off of what looks like a three speed automatic column shifter, I am going to guess this car has the 307 V8 which made around 200 horsepower.  Not much by today’s standards, and not even that great for 70s standards, but it’s a V8 in a two door car, so it has that “cool factor” going for it.

Now, when poking around here in places I shouldn’t be, I really took a close look at the interior and saw that it had about 74,000 miles on it.  I would assume those are all original miles, but there are some parts on the passenger seat.  I don’t know if it was being fixed, or rebuilt, or what, but for now it remains rotting in style.

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Rotting in Style - 1973 Jaguar XJ

I now would like to bring you another car from the capital of Alaska.  Now, for most cars I say something along the lines of, “this car has seen better days,” but this 1973 Jaguar XJ that I found in Juneau, Alaska actually looks like it was recently abandoned because it is in really nice shape.

I’m no expert on these cars, but based off of some research and deduction of the rear badges, I’d say that this car probably has the smallest engine of this generation of XJ’s, and that’s the 2.9L inline six.  This cars pumps out 140 horse power which may not sound like a lot, but to put things in perspective, Ford’s 1973 Mustang with a 302ci (4.9L) V8 also made 140 horse power.  However, this Jag weighs about 3,600 pounds.  So, it’s a pretty heavy car.  It still gets up to 60 from zero in 11.5 seconds.  Don’t get me wrong: that’s slow, but decent for what it is.

I have never been a big fan of cars with curves.  I like sharp (or sharpish) angles.  However, even with this car’s curves, I like it.  I picture someone like a spy or some person of royalty to be either behind the wheel, or being chauffeured around in the back.  It just has that “prim and proper” kind of look to it.

As I mentioned, the exterior is in really good shape, and from what I could see of the inside, it looked like it was in really good shape as well.  Even the moldy bread in the driver’s seat didn’t look like it was in that bad of shape.

Regardless, this car is still rotting.  Slowly, and in much better shape than most cars featured on here, but it’s rotting none the less.  

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Rotting in Style - 1965 Plymouth Valiant

It’s been a while since a new car has been posted in the Rotting in Style section.  In short, I have been away from stable internet for the past sixth months.  However, to look on the bright side, I have many more interesting cars to bring to you.  For example, let’s jump right into the car at hand: a 1965 Plymouth Valiant.

This car was found in Juneau, Alaska.  Well, what’s left of it has been found.  As you can see, it is more rust then paint.  This area of Alaska is part of the Tonguss National Rain Forest, so I guess that’s what’s expected.  Even new cars have quite a bit of rust in Alaska.  The interior of the car is partially bad, and partially not.  The seats are torn, but the dash is mostly in good shape.  Why is this?  Well what is usually the main harmful component to dashboards?  Sun light.  Well, there is not much of that here.  I guess that’s why is pretty decent.

Now, I am guessing that this car has the 273 cubic inch V8 under that hood based off the engine parts in the back seat.  I don’t know if it has the Commando 273, but it’s a 273 none the less.  An interesting fact is that this car was supposedly the cheapest V8 car in the world at the time.

I’m not sure what it was worth then, but I can tell you it’s probably not worth much now in its current condition.  I personally don’t even think this car is the best in terms of looks when it looks new, but in this current condition, it has a bit more appeal to me.  It has a cool grunge factor going for it.

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The Other Best Quick Detailer - Dash-iT

 

Everything has competition.  Most competitors will tell you that their product is better than the next.  It’s a pretty bold statement when that is the name of your company: One Better Car Care Products.  That is exactly the case here.  When the Random Automotive posted the review on what I thought was the best quick detailer ever (Bead X), One Better contacted us and said that they had a product that was one better called Dash-iT.  We decided to put that statement to the test.

This product is VERY similar to our beloved Bead-X.  Perhaps the main differences are the color, scent, and Dash-iT has a wax enhancer, along with being a couple bucks cheaper.  It’s a spray on detailer that does not contain any abrasives or alcohol.  It’s safe on glass, paint, plastic, and chrome, and it’s for that “just waxed look”.  Sounding a lot like Bead-X, right?

It might sound like I’m comparing this to Bead-X a lot.  Well, it’s our benchmark, like the auto industry compares cars to the BMW M3. 

Anyway, how does it work?  Very well.  While it may be mind over matter, it seems to spray out a bit thicker than Bead-X.  It could be the bottle, or the formula.  We were told that we only needed to “dash it” on each section of the vehicle since the formula is more concentrated then Bead-X.  A gentle buff with a microfiber towel will take all the crap off the car and leave behind a very smooth, silky finish that feels and looks just like wax.  When rain hits the product, it beads up, just like Bead-X.

So is this product Bead-X?  Pretty much.  So I guess the competition comes down to the small stuff.  Green?  Not liking that choice.  The scent is green apple.  It matches the color, but I have never been a fan of green apple.  It smells good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not my choice.  The scent of Bead-X is intoxicating.  Similar to when car guys geek out over the exhaust scent of a carbureted car, or the smell of Hoppe’s 9 to gun owners.

All in all, Dash-iT by One Better is a very good product.  Compared to Bead-X, it seems equal (except for the scent and color).  Would I use it again?  While I am a diehard fan of Bead-X, if I can save a few bucks by getting this, then sure.  I guess the big question is, is it really one better?  I’m not sure about that, but it is a great product none the less.

If you have any questions about this product, or Bead-X, feel free to tweet us @TheRandomAuto, or leave a comment below!

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Rotting in Style - 1961 Austin A40 Farina Mark I

The United States was, is, and probably will be all about big cars.  Sure some cars made in the US may be smaller these days, and there are some imports, but over in other parts of the world, small was usually the way to go.  That is no different for this little 1961 Austin A40 Farina Mark I.  That is quite a mouthful.  Regardless, that is what we have here in the group of cars known as the Gabel Collection. 

This car was purchased by the owner from a lawyer, sight unseen.  After he purchased it, he realized there was quite a bit of rust in and on the car.  For that reason, and other poor condition reasons, he parked the car and laughed at it for three straight months.  After that, he began to drive it and like it.  While the car seems small on the outside, there was quite a bit a storage space on the inside, and that was useful for the owner.

It wasn’t all that bad; this was a small car with a small 948cc engine.  Sure it made only about 28 horsepower, but small car plus small engine equals good gas millage.  The current owner described it as “terrific”.  Back in the day, this car was said to get 38 imperial miles per gallon, which equals about 32 miles per gallon in the US.

After a while, this car began to sit.  The original rust problem definitely did not get better.  As you can see, the front and sides of the hood is pretty much nonexistent.  There is rust under the car, inside, and in quite a few other locations.  You can even see daylight through the driver side floor/wall.  That is not something you want to see.

Even after all this neglect, all this sitting, all this rust, deterioration, and all this abandonment, she still fired right up.  It probably would even be able to go for a drive.  With the current state of the rust and flaking paint, you may not come back with as much of the car as you left with, but you could still go for a drive none the less.  For now, it’s not going for a drive.  It just sits here rotting in style.

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The Men Behind The Mustang: Where Are They Now?

The big five-oh of happened for the Mustang.  It’s hard to believe that America’s most popular pony car first rolled of the assembly line fifty years ago.  It’s common for people to be fascinated with movie stars.  Everyone wants to see what the kid from Christmas story looks like now and what not.  What about us car guys?  What do we get to see?  Ladies and Gentlemen: I now present to you (in no particular order), “The Men Behind the Mustang”, today.

Lee Iaccoca

The Father of the Mustang

Lee Iacocca is known for overseeing the development of the first Mustang.  It was this man that revealed the 1964½ Mustang at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.  Today, Iacocca continues to be a legendary name in Mustang culture.  In 2009, for the 45^th anniversary of the Mustang, the legacy continued with an exclusive, hand-built production of just 45 Iacocca Mustangs.  Iacocca currently spends most of his time with the Lee Iacocca Foundation, the Iacocca Institute, and other “philanthropic endeavors.” 

Iacocca recently wrote a book entitled “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” after noticing that this nation is lacking strong men such as Iacocca.  You know you’re a badass when you have earned the right to say (in regards to writing this book), “I can’t sit on the sidelines while this nation needs me.”  For more information about this great man, Lee Iacocca, please click here.

Donald Frey

The Product Manager

Donald Frey worked with Lee Iacocca to make the Mustang a reality.  At the time, Frey was Ford’s assistant general manager and chief engineer.  In 1962, Frey had come up with the initial design for the 1962 Prototype Mustang, which was a two-seater, mid-engine, roadster.  After, he oversaw the design and engineering work for what would become the Mustang as we know it.

Frey would meet in secret to discuss the Mustang.  Since Henry Ford II was not in support of the Mustang, when he finally approved the project, Ford said that he would fire Frey if the Mustang was not successful.  I guess we can see that “success” of the Mustang is an understatement.  Donald N. Frey passed away in 2010 at the age of 86.

Joe Oros

The Chief Designer

Joe Oros was a man who designed many cars for Ford Motor Company included MotorTrend’s Car of the Year in 1958: the Thunderbird.  Of course, he also went on to work on the Mustang.  Oros wanted the Mustang to be appealing to woman, but wanted men to want it as well.  It’s ironic that the 2015 Mustangs are all about European styling, when Oros actually wanted the original Mustang to be based off of European styling as well.

After his time with Ford, Oros continued his artistic endeavors at home.  Two years ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with his daughter, Janet.  She told me that when she was little, she met all of the famous names covered in this article.  She also told me that Oros had developed very bad Alzheimer’s, and was placed in an assisted living facility.  Sadly, Joe Oros had passed away later that year (2012).

Carroll Shelby

The Power Adder

It’s really hard to think of Mustang and not think of the man known as Carroll Shelby.  When Iacocca was president of Ford in 1962, Shelby pitched the idea of the now famous Shelby Cobra.  With Shelby creating these high performance Cobras that continued to win races, Ford requested Shelby to create some high performance Mustangs.  The rest became history.

He took the existing, growingly popular Mustang platform, and went to work.  The product?  The Shelby GT350, and the Shelby GT500.  We have all seen them, and love them.  Shelby continued to work with Ford to create arguably one of the best modern day muscle cars: the 2013 Shelby GT500 which set quite a few automotive records.  Unfortunately, Mr. Shelby passed away on May 10, 2012.

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The Automotive Dream Team

There are many other names that are synonymous to the original Mustang.  If it were not for all of these people, the famous American icon would not be where it is today.

John Najjar (1918 – 2011) – Co-designer of Mustang prototype

Philip T. Clark (1935–1968) – Co-designer of Mustang prototype

Daniel Sexton Gurney (born April 13, 1931) – Test driver of Mustang 1 prototype

These are just seven people.  With the aid of more, the car originally unwanted by Henry Ford II became America’s most popular muscle car.  We have seen 50 years of the Mustang.  Even through hard time, government regulations, and more, the Mustang lived on every year.  The car will continue to live on, and continue to win over the admiration of many.  Regardless of styling, technology, and the names associated with it, it’s still a Mustang, and will always be one.

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Wax Daddy Bead X - The Last Quick Detailer You'll Need

When it comes to detailing cars, there are TONS of products that you can choose from.  Of course you have some of the big ones like Mothers, Meguiars, and stuff like that.  There are even more products then just the ones you can find at Walmart.  There are a bunch of little guys in the market that should be the big guys.

I wipe down my car every day before I drive it.  Yes, this may be overkill, but that’s what I do.  So very frequently, I will find myself needing a good quick detailer.  In 2010, I was walking around a car show after I finished setting up my car.  There was this vendor selling a purple-liquid product named “Bead X”.  He said he swore by this product so much, he gave me his personal bottle and told me to wipe down my car.

I had just clayed and waxed it, so I didn’t notice anything extreme.  I decided I would take a chance and buy a spray bottle of it.  From the next time I used it on, that’s all I have used as a quick detailer.

So what is Bead X?  Bead X is the “super water repellent”, and “the quickest way to maintain that just waxed look.”  At least that is what it says on the bottle.  You know what?  The bottle is correct.  This spray detailer is made by the “Wax Daddy” (aka “the godfather of car care”) and Formula 113.  It is a purple spray detailer that is really darn good.

As I said, I wipe down my car before I drive it.  I use this spray to remove surface dust (sand, and pollen), and occasional road muck spin off and bid poop.  A very light spray does quite a bit.  The bottle claims that two ounces takes care of an entire car.  While I have not measured, those claims are probably true.  I use a very light mist per area, and wipe it down with a microfiber towel.  The product contains no alcohol or abrasives.

After the application, my car is not only smooth to the touch, but if it rains, the water beads up just like it would if touching wax.  I can’t confirm how long it stays that way since I apply it almost every day.

I have used Bead X as my go to quick detailer for four years now.  I use it on plastic, paint/metal, glass, and chrome, and it is safe for it all.

At one point, the original spray bottle that this stuff came in leaked.  I emailed the company and mentioned the issue.  I was sent a new bottle right away without even asking.  Since then, I have moved on to the gallon jugs, and I refill a cheap spray bottle I found at a dollar store.

This product is a little pricey.  When I purchased it from the vendor at the car show, I think I paid $10 for a 32 ounce bottle.  The price on their website is $21 for that same bottle, and $40 for their gallon.  Their prices have gone up since I ordered last.  However, to stretch the life of this product out, I dilute it with filtered tap water like crazy!  Even after diluting it so much, it STILL works like a charm.

As I have mentioned, there are tons of quick detailers out there.  Out of all of them, I highly recommend Bead X which is made in the good ol’ USA (New York).  I would love to give you more detail about the company and product, but the Wax Daddy was impartial to an interview.  Regardless, this product should be the last quick detailer you will ever need.

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Rotting In Style - 1963 Formula Vee Formcar Racecar

 

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you get something else thrown at you.  Sitting abandoned and rotting, I’ve seen muscle cars, classic cars, trucks, foreign cars, and more, but even after all that, now I see a racecar.  Sitting in the location known as “The Gabel Collection”, I have for you a 1963 Formula Vee Formcar Racecar.

I’ll start off my saying that despite its dirty and grungy appearance, the owner told me this car does run.  However, we couldn’t verify that because the ignition had been previously taken out.  It still looks like it’s in decent shape.  Unlike others in the collection, this car was mostly covered with tarp.

Most of the parts on this car came from the Volkswagen beetle including the 1200cc engine, four speed gear box, and modified suspension parts.  I was shocked to learn that this car makes only 40 horsepower.  That’s it!  However, it does weight only 1040 pounds.  With that engine and a driver, it’s still enough to get the car up to around 120 miles per hour.

The construction of this car is very simple like you would expect in a racecar.  It has a tubular metal frame, fiberglass body, and doesn’t have anything it doesn’t need. 

For the Formula Vee races, traction control and any type of limited slip differential was not allowed.  As for tires, the only rubber allowed were special tires made for the races by Dunlop.  No other tire could be used for the official races.

Before left to sit in its current state, the owner said he used to race this car.  It would have been cool to hear this thing fire up so I can image what it would have sounded like buzzing down the track, but seeing it will have to suffice.  Even though now, we see it rotting in style.

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Rotting In Style - 1960s MG Midget Graveyard!

It’s more or less considered “common” to find a graveyard of old American cars rusting away in the United States.  It’s not too common, however, to come across a small graveyard of British cars in the US, especially not all the same ones.  Well, that is what I stumbled upon in the Central Florida car conglomerate known as The Gabel Collection.  Not one, not two, not even three, but four MG Midgets deep in hiding.

I know at first you may think that I am showing you pictures of piles of leaves, but there are four cars under the dead foliage.  The Midgets here are mid to late 1960s models, and while I am not entirely sure, I believe they are MkIIs.

This would mean that these cars all came with 1,098cc engines under the hood making a “blimey-fast” 59 horsepower.  That’s it.  That is obviously not much, even for this car which weights only about 1,620 pounds.  However, it was enough to make the cars run and drive at one point.  That is not the case for them now.

These cars do not run.  They have all had the unfortunate title of “parts cars” placed upon them.  As far as I can see though, there are not many usable parts left.  Most of the panels are rusted straight through, the chrome is corroded, and I doubt many mechanical parts are functioning. 

However, the interiors (depending on the car) are in okay shape (compared to the outsides), and are generally intact.  A serious collector would have no problem picking off many usable parts off these cars like the glass, interior trim, and other little odds and ends.

These cars have been rotting away in place for about ten years.  They are being picked away piece by piece by the owner.  As much as I would love to see these cars on the road again, I don’t even think one complete car could be made from all four.  I could wrong, and deep inside, I hope that I am.

For now, they will continue to sit until there is nothing left for a person, or Mother Nature to remove from them.  Cheers to the British automotive history, and hello decomposition.

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