Get to know your classic car community! Here are some area car and truck enthusiasts' pride and joy. To submit your vehicle, please email your contact information, vehicle description/story, and photos to monty@cmyryd.com.
1961 Corvette Convertible
When talking to Corvette owners they mostly agree that this is the true Corvette with the solid rear axel. Corvette nationwide is considered the true American Sports Car. I agree to that having owned a total of 86 cars from the time I was in high school. Only one of them happened to be a Corvette. The 1961 with its external trunks were history after 1962, these trunks allowed for space to secure golf clubs and other personal items. The overall construction of the '61 Corvette was considered the best in history for quality of those built in Saint Louis. In 1957, General Motors went along with a ban on factory participation auto racing. Corvettes had to find a way to satisfy both the racing driver and also the person who just wanted street performance. To purchase a Corvette of this year you can pay from $50,000 and on up, that is if you can find one for sale. Serial numbers range from 10867S100001 to 10867S110939.
Image:
1929 American LaFrance Fire Truck
America has a long tradition of honoring the courage and dedication of our firefighters. Ron Lucero of South Ogden, Utah decoded to restore this old 1929 American LaFrance, it was more than just a fire truck. It became a way to preserve our heritage. The restoration took nine years to complete. The seat was comprised only of a frame.
It was built in Elmira, New York in 1929, it can pump 750 gallons per minute. Its water tank would only hold 60 gallons of water making it completely dependent on fire hydrants. The body is 22 feet in length and a full 7 feet in width. It is powered by a 150 horse power 6 cylinder in line engine. It has a brass bell for the driver to ring while on the way to a fire along with the siren. "This fire truck is a tribute to all our firefighters" past and present.
Image:
1964 Ford Fairlane 500
A rare one, indeed. This Ford Fairlane 500 Sport Coupe is completely stock. This car has all matching numbers, paint, power train, upholstery. Out of 21,431 sport coupes produced in 1964 only 4000 carried the "K Code." Only 110 were known to have survived. The Guardsman Blue is the original factory color. The sport coupes came with a sportier trim, bucket seats and a console and gauges. It was equipped with a "289 Hipo engine." On the drag strip it was a strong competor against the Chevrolet 409. This car sold for about $2500
Image:
1951 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery
Yes, this is a true story, It was the fall of 1978. Mick's dad had been looking for a Sedan Delivery to use in his business to make deliveries of flowers. He wanted this to look like the one that he and his bride started the business with. It needed a ton of body work, which proved to be the tip of the iceberg to make it what it is today. Just four months later Mick's dad passed away. The job now would become the task of the family to make his dream come true. To give you an idea what they were faced with, both doors were welded shut, the bumpers were also welded on and the roof was caved in. The old 216 cid engine was in need of major work, from the looks of the oil it had never been changed. It now runs like a dream with the old 3-speed on the steering wheel. Mick called upon his friends with the Big Sky Street Rod Assoc. to help. In just 45 days, this sedan delivery was up and running, all painted along with graphics and lettering. How did it get its name ? Mick's "MOM" was the driver with 3 kids in tow in the back end while flowers were being delivered around town. What better name than "PANIC WAGON" could you come up with. This Delivery Van represented the first Christmas with out their dad, "The Founder" and to their mom Betty, The "Panic Wagon Driver."
Image:
1956 Airstream Luxury Trailers
The first Airstream was built in the 1920s in a backyard out of Masonite by a student lawyer by the name of Wally Byam. It was in southern California where the weather was warm year round. The name was not given to it until 1936, over 80 years ago. The rounded design of this trailer made it very aerodynamic when pulling on the highway, cross winds did not affect it. The fuselage was like that of our airliners. It received its name after the very first trans-Atlantic seaplane. During the great depression of 1936, there were over 400 trailer builders, yet only Airstream survived. Airstream had a guideline for who would be the best prospect to buy an Airstream. If you drove a Chevrolet you might afford the smallest trailer, if you drove a Oldsmobile you were considered more likely to purchase the next step up in size.
After World war II, Airstream Parks sprang up and the public had a new form of recreation. A major buyer was the military who would place them in the cargo hold and would have an Airstream to stay in where ever they were.
Image:
1957 Ford "Thunderbird"
The wind in your hair and the warm sun are just what the Doctor ordered for a nice Sunday drive with your favorite girl. Mine happens to be my wife of 58 years. The two major sports cars of the '50s were the Corvette and the Thunderbird, both great cars made to express who we really are, and the youth we never want to lose. Restyled for 1957, the Thunderbird was given a new grill and front bumper. This Bird came with the optional 312 cid engine with had 285 bhp. This became one of the most recognized iconic sports cars of the year, it has been on postage stamps, television, movies and advisements. Ford GM Lewis Crusoe could not understand why we could not have a sports car like Europe had at the "Paris Auto Show." Crusoe asked Designer George Walker about it. He made a call to Michigan and told them he wanted a sports car by the time they got back from the Paris show. It had been on hold for some time. This T-Bird came with bucket seats, hard top and a soft top which was a power top. Many options like push button radio, automatic windshield wipers, Dial-O-Matic power seat which controlled the volume of the radio. The T-Bird could hit 146.3 mph, during the Daytona Speed Weeks, although speed wasn't what the new Bird was all about. Rather it was a stylish, luxurious, upper-middle-class cruiser. Yes, this was the perfect car to give your girlfriend or wife for a cruise up-town for showing off.
Image:
1950 Ford Business Coupe
This is the body style that every classic car enthusiast searches for when he or she wants the true 60's show car. To find one would be like winning the lottery. This American Icon that you are looking at has over 400,000 miles on it. The couple who own this car lived in Florida where he was the president of a university, upon his retirement they made their last trip to Montana where their children live. Trips back and forth wore out two or three engines over the years. This car would be considered a mild award winning custom, at first it was purchased as a daily driver while he restored his '32 Ford. The car now has a 267 V-8 Chevy engine with a 700 RA overdrive transmission and an 8-inch 3.55:1 rear end. More than 40,000 have been driven going to car shows coast to coast. They plan to enjoy this jewel for many years to come.
Image:
1991 Buick Reatta Hard Top
Very few men can say they gave their wife a car that they designed and walked through the assembly line at General Motors. This was a one and only Montana "Sky Blue" color made special for his wife "Pat." This is no ordinary man, David North was retiring as "Chief Designer" having spent thirty-three wonderful years in this position. We often wonder where a car gets its name, In this case David and his wife loved a western movie called "Giant," she also helped him with the nominating of the brand name. This is a sports car that seats two with ample leg room, and comes in both a convertible and a hard top model. The "touch instrument panel" was unique to the industry in '91. Those at Buick knew this car was being made for David & Pat and went out of their way to do some very special enhancements that would not be on cars for the next several years. Of the many cars they were privileged to have owned this was a "keeper" and will always be known as "Pats Car."
Image:
1959 Triumph TR3A The Triumph was a great sports car that gained world wide acceptance. It was in the month of June 1984 that production came to a halt in England. The production company Leyland would close all production plants for the last time. The company had a long history of manufacturing some of the world's most beautiful sports cars. It was in 1983 that a German by the name of Siegfried Bettmann decided to move to England. His first venture was a bicycle factory. The White Sewing Machine Company gave him the operating capital to get started. Business was good until the end of World War I, at that time the Japanese entered the market with motorcycles which dried up the profit that they were making their living with. In the 1860s there was a demand for cheap cars in England. 59 different car companies sprang up about the same time. Triumph was one of them with a new factory that produced the cars that the public demanded. Its sad to say however their cost of production did them in.
Image:
1964 Ford F-100 Custom Cab
Pickups like this never rolled off the production line unless it was for the CEO of Ford Motor Company. The owners of this truck purchased it new and treated it like one of the family. Jonas' dad ordered it with the factory 292cid V-8 & limited slip differential. Factory options included the spotlight and the AM radio. Now is when you wish you lived in the good old days, the price new was just $1979.49. In 1964 Ford offered a wide selection of pickups, Chevrolet tried to match them one-for-one which made for some great competion. The Ford's styleside box featured a double wall design which prevented the loads from ever making dents to the outer box panels. This was the first pickup to have a lever in the center to release the tail gate. This new F-series made available options like Air Conditioning, two tone paint. Another great feature was the tail gate height of just 24 inches, a far cry from the new pickups of today. White side wall tires were common on all F-100 pickups. Owner; Tim & Joan Sleeth Billings, Montana
Image:
2014 Shelby Cobra GT500
"Yes" its fast by any standards, when you add a 662 bhp power plant you better hold on to the seat of your pants and grit your teeth. The electronic Line-Lock is a special feature that should be used only on the track. This feature allows for you to keep the front brakes locked up which will allow you to smoke the rear tires for a solid quick start. The launch control will integrate the brakes, traction control along ensuring a smooth consistent start. The message center will provide instance performance metrics in the center of your instrument cluster. You know there is power when your car provides longitudinal g-forces and acceleration times plus automatic and countdown starts. Some drivers like to adjust their powersteering. You have 3 options, Normal, Sport settings and comfort. The fun just gets better with the manual six speed transmission. It is the smooth shifting that the owners like the most.
Image:
1951 Ford F-1 1/2 Ton Pickup Built to last at a time when there were few garages to work on them. White sidewall tires were a common site on pickups of this era. This '51 Ford had a facelift with a new grille and hood trim. The box underwent a change from a steel floor to a wood floor. The stock engine was a 239 cid V-8 which was rated at 100 bhp. For 1951, Ford offered a total of three engines to choose from. This newly designed cab with its one piece windshield was referred to as a million dollar cab. This was also the first year the name tag "F-1" was used. A selling point was that the tail gate was only 24 inches off the ground. It seems like everyone I talk to is looking for a 1948 to 1951 to restore. A personal note: I drove a 1950 Ford 1/2 ton during High School while living on a ranch 40 miles from town, dirt and gravel roads and it held up like it was a tank.
Image:
Shelby Cobra Replica The story as I was told. Lets call this a "Fathers Love." This car started out about a couple years ago in a secret location in Billings, Montana. This Father wanted to give his son a very special gift when the day came that he would be married. I was told this car was moved around and hidden like a child playing Hide & Seek with all of his or her friends. This car was truly built with all the compassion and love of detail a father could put into it. Rest assured that I was told about this from one of the many who had a part in making this a reality. Some may make a feeble attempt at a task like this, not this father, he did it right addressing every small detail to perfection. I was informed the son is on active duty as a Commander in the United States Navy. I believe the wedding has now taken place and this was the father's gift to his son and his new bride.
Image:
1961 Studebaker Hawk
The "Hawks" were the last Studebakers to be designed by the legendary "Loewy's team." They were good looking and a blast to drive. They operated on curves like a true sports car and hugged the highway at high speeds. The Hawks were descendants of one of the most popular of all, the Starlight Coupe. The 1961 Hawk was up-dated receiving two-tone color panels and a four-speed gear box. Brooks Stevens was given the task to take over the design as an outsider of the "Hawks." One major change was the Mercedes-style grille, Studebaker was distributing "Mercedes-Benz" at the time. The optional 225 bhp would give this Hawk a top speed of 120 mph and 0-60 in less than 10 seconds.
Image:
1956 Ford F-100 1/2 Ton Pickup.
When this truck was made, Ford Motor Company made the height of the tail gate a main selling point by being just 24 inches off the ground. Ford knew that if they did their job they would not have to worry about Chevrolet. The wrap around windshield and the option of a large back window gave this truck a "Back To The Future" look. The larger 272 cubic inch V-8 offered 167 brake horse power. The Canadian version of this truck was called a Mercury. This truck possesses quality that would never be repeated in later years. Seat belts were just made available however very few ever ordered by the dealers do to the cost which added about $9 to the base price.
For the collector this is a crown jewel that the person restoring can do so many different things.
Image:
1957 Chevrolet Hard Top
The '57 Chevrolet defines the car of the 50s that we all wanted with its style, comfort and that "wow" factor. The colors that were available for these cars have never been offered in the cars of today.There has got to be a reason we love these cars like we do.Perfection comes with a price and this car happens to be one of those. This was a frame-off rotisserie restoration. An "Art Morrison Frame" with a new LS-3 engine complete with a 9-inch rear end. 4 link with coil overs, Dakota Digital dash instruments, House of Kolor "Sun Pearl & Sunset. Vintage air and to top it off it has real leather with bucket seats front and rear. No car like this would be complete with out Budnick wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport Tires.
The GTX had fake hood scoops, the important part was the heavy duty suspension and became a true muscel car. The name GTO became so well known Plymouth decided to follow by using the letters GTX.
Image:
1956 Buick Century 4 door hardtop
For the true car collector, the 1956 Buick has proven to be one of the most elusive of all makes. It may be the production numbers or the demand for these cars, who knows. Buick fine-tuned the styling of the '56 to make it one of the greatest body styles of all times. The addition of a new grill and a pointed hood with open rear wheel wells was what it needed. It had a price tag of around $3,000 and production numbers of just 20,891. Sporting a 255 bhp Iron head engine it would power this Buick Century from 0-60 in 10.5 seconds. The author of this article has had 28 Buick's to this date and knows these cars very well.
1948 Chevy Loadmaster Truck Cab All Chevy
3/4 ton Chevy van chassis, 1994 Chevy pickup box over original 48" 2 ton truck frame.
1936 Chevy sedan rear fenders, Color-1950s GM Coral w/Pearl Clear.
Custom interior, Air bags, Rear air shocks, tilt steering w/custom interior.
Image:
1947 JEEP CJ2A
It’s always great when you can trace the history of a vintage automobile back to its origins. This fully restored 1947 Jeep CJ2A was bought new from Davis Motors in Butte, Montana. It was then sold to Leipheimer Ford in Butte and used for business purposes, then on to the family farm in Belgrade. Les Roth purchased the Jeep from a Leipheimer grandson and brought it to his home garage for a full restoration.
That’s when the fun really started…new body, tailgate, front fender; and then transmission work, steering gear, brakes and transfer cases. Luckily, the engine had been rebuilt in 2008 at Engine Rebuilders in Denver.
Les’ goal was to make the Jeep as authentic as possible; based on the Jeeps he drove during his years in the military. Les served in the US Navy from 1960 to 1966 and even wanted to name the Jeep after the ship he served on…the USS Washtenaw County LST 116. He painted it battleship gray and it is authentically restored to match the Navy CJ2A’s he used in Viet Nam.
The serial numbers soon to be added under the windshield will reflect his grandchildren’s birthdates. This Jeep CJ2A was certainly a work of love for this Billings classic car buff.
