Words by Mike Mastracco and photos by Dalton Dobson: Kaiser Darrin, also known as the Kaiser Darrin 161 or in short terms as the “Darrin” was an American sports car designed by Howard “Dutch” Darrin and built by Kaiser Motors for the 1954 model year. In this one year production run, a scantly 435 […]
Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Chris Penree: For Marcia Dunn, a ‘47 Indian Chief parked in the breakfast area of her small kitchen will probably be the best medicine in her journey of healing. “It’s something that when I look at or touch it, I always think of Tim,” her late husband who recently died
Words by Bob Sblendorio: The 24 Hours of Le Mans and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 are impressive races – but how about a non-stop, 169 day, 22,000 mile race from NYC to Paris – in 1908! Is that even possible? Well, it did actually happen, at a time when horse and carriage was still
by Mike Mastracco After attending a car show in Ogdensburg with his 1977 Dodge Charger SE, Liverpool resident Tom Rose took a drive past his grandparents’ house in the area, opening a floodgate of memories. The Charger lived in the house’s garage for almost 20 years, collecting dust, before it soon became Rose’s. He had
Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio: A 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 is a car that you just don’t get to see very often…or ever. It’s a legendary car. “The 427 is just monstrous to drive” is how Jim Taylor describes driving the car. Of the many cars in his collection, it’s one of the
Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio: “I love it — why else would I drive three hours a day to come and work here,” explained Ron Alexander, an instructor and the Department Chair of the automotive program at Morrisville College. He’s not alone in his passion because 15 of the 16 instructors in the
When you think of horse racing and New York State, it is almost impossible for Saratoga Springs not to come to mind. Dating back to 1863, it is arguably one of the most important pieces of history in the whole state. All summer the local news stations report on the latest odds, race results, and
Words by Bob Sblendorio and photos by Dalton Dobson: Passion — is when you work on cars all day long, all week for your business — and to relax, you work on your personal cars. Oh yeah, when you really want to relax, you build racing go-karts with your sons. That’s a passion! Meet
For most, the Indian Arrow is a forgotten motorcycle due to modern bikes plethora of power, features, and technology. But where did it all start? What made motorcycles so popular? I found out by riding John Brojakowski’s 1949 Indian Arrow among the now century old buildings of Little Falls. The year was 1949. It had
There are many his & her items on the market today, wedding bands top the list. Other than tying the knot there are sweat shirts, mugs watches and even vanity sinks. Here’s a Baldwinsville couple with his & her Austin-Healey 3000 MK I roadsters. Pete Sanborn owns this two tone “Healey Blue-Old English White” early
Parked at the peak of the driveway at Borys Buniak Fayetteville home is a 1971 Jaguar E-Type (also known as an XKE). It is the kind of car that would make any Englishman smile, but then spit out their tea and crush their biscuits in anger when he starts it. The E-Type is a British
Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio: After a long time of resisting anything electric, especially an all-electric, there are now cracks in my reciprocating only mind. Meet Dave Griffin, owner of a 2014 Tesla Model S and a resident expert in all things Tesla. Henry Ford (and others) experimented with producing electric cars
I’ve always said that if you give two guys a couple of grocery carts they will figure out a way to race each other, and after the race is over, they will go in search of someone to help them make it “Go Faster”! That’s what this story is about, one of Rome, New York’s
Sixteen year old high school junior Devin Wojcik is working hard to fulfill his dreams as an open wheel race car driver. Five years ago Devin started his career in go-karts, and now is competing in the USF-2000 championship series for ArmsUp Motorsports. Wojcik is paving his way toward the Verizon IndyCar Series. We were
Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio: The cover features a very special 1964 Corvette that was recently donated to The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum. That car was on display at the 1964 World’s Fair in NYC and is now back in New York…that’s huge! It is fuel injected and has 15 coats of
In its 26th year, the Automotive Technology and Service Expo (ATSE) is the premier show in CNY for the automotive and collision industries. At the show, there was some of the latest equipment on display by the 60+ exhibitors. Also provided was training and seminars on a wide range of automotive related topics. New for
Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio Nike’s famous slogan is “Just Do It.” Meet Ray Hedger, a master at fabricating, and whose work many people feel is legendary…and I agree! When I asked about the skills to perform the highly specialized work as a fabricator, Ray said, “I just started doing it.” In other words…the skills
The phrase “just do and ask for forgiveness later” is how Jeff Lyman described the building of his street legal Jeff Gordon NASCAR car…and it worked! So what exactly does that mean? Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, upon finding out about the completed car, had to legally agree to the finished car, with certain terms
“Danny [Koker] fights tooth and nail to keep it real because car people know when you are faking it. We do everything we can to keep it real, the stories are real, the cars are real, and it’s the reason it takes so long to do the episodes,” explains Kevin Mack from the popular TV
Words by Bob Sblendorio, Photography by Thomas Sblendorio A rare barn find…the dream of every car enthusiast! That dream came true for Jim Staley several years back when he found a 1930 Packard Roadster that was “a total disaster.” It was in the bottom of a barn south of Syracuse and it was “a total
Although this 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat lacks any large badging or space age looking aero packages to indicate its pedigree, the second you open the door it’s clear that it’s something special. The beautiful leather seats tightly grip your body while the car’s heated steering wheel ensures your hands won’t be too cold to handle
Street Scene is on Saturday, August 19th! This event has grown tremendously each year and this year will likely be no exception. What started out in the summer of 2013, with about 200 cars, has grown to a premier event with well in excess of 1,000 cars from all over the Northeast. It is at
This is a milestone year for the “Central New York Porsche Club of America.” They will be celebrating their 60th year as part of a larger automotive organization that spans all of the United States and Canada. That being said, they are the third oldest Porsche club in this organization. It all began late in
When most people think of a Ford Focus they think of a small sensible hatchback car that gets good fuel economy. They know that it can easily haul four adults or a multitude of large objects with the rear seats folded down. In most hatchbacks, this level of practicality usually exists at the expense of
Owner: Butch Dreher This Rat Rod started its life off as a shop truck for Butch’s father in-law’s boat shop. After his passing the truck fell into disrepair and was bound for the scrap yard! That’s when Butch came into the picture and brought what was left of the Scout home and promptly chopped 12 inches
On May 6, 2017, Detail Johnny hosted the Central New York Porsche Club of America for a detailing seminar. We discussed wet sanding, polishing, clay bar treatment, and how to perform a 3-step paint correction. The event had about 40 people and was hands-on format with a lot of good questions and feedback. Detail Johnny
Stewart Friesen –– an accomplished dirt track racer –– with 11 Big-Block Modified Championships has moved up to a full-time ride with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2017. Even with that added commitment, he is still racing dirt track venues throughout the Northeast as well…how is that possible? “It’s pretty crazy, the truck
Dan Leone first caught the Honda bug in 1997 when his close friend and fellow Team MCM skateboard club member Chad introduced him to the scene. “I bought my first Honda in 1998, a Honda Civic EX coupe that that I still own to this day. I’ll never part with it because it has so
At first sight of Vic Oliver’s Studebaker you’re mesmerized. Its two-tone paint job calms your eyes, making it a pleasure to study every angle of the exquisitely proportioned car. Its chrome accents and white leather interior give it the chic and sophistication of a 1950s Lincoln, while its convertible two-seat design with dual fins protruding
It never ceases to amaze us here, at Apex Automotive Magazine, the range and talent of the automotive businesses that exist in Upstate NY. For example, when a 1972 Lamborghini Miura wheel made of magnesium has a hairline crack the wheel needs to be replaced, right? Wrong! Meet the experts at Rim Doctor! A
