Backfire
Kudos to Matthew Litwin and all who work to put the At the Auction segment together each month. I have learned a great deal on what to look for when considering the purchase of a classic model or when selling one. It is my go-to-first section each month.
Scott Stevens Brookville, Indiana
Terry Shea’s “Car Speak” column in the February issue popped my clutch. He got rubber in all four gears. When I was 14 and listened intently to AM stations for The Beach Boys “Little Deuce Coupe” I scrambled for a pencil to jot down “she’s ported and relieved and stroked and bored.” What the heck is that? I dug deep into the venerable pages of Hot Rod magazine for the answers. If you had a three on the tree you needed a “conversion kit” from Spark-O-Matic or a Hurst Mystery Shifter. Thanks, Pontiac, for “Tri-Power,” but we called that three deuces. Thanks for enlightening our younger car guys and remember this: ”He’s hot with Ram Induction but it’s understood, I got a fuel injected engine sittin’ under my hood!”
Wally Kowalik Byron, New York
While I (like many) will always miss Jim Howes’ Howe-To column, I must compliment Jim O’Clair on his Parts Locator column. It’s extremely helpful and informative in doing restoration or just repairs on my cars.
Rex Wanlass Bakersfield, California
Mandrick’s 1968 Olds in the February 2022 issue of and thank you Jeff Koch for writing it. I have my own funny story about that car to share with you. I, too, attended the 2013 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in the Chicago area when the was revealed to the public. The Olds had the premiere spot at the show, right inside the front door and was the first car that one would see. When I walked into the show I saw a crowd around the and proceeded to make my way through the crowd to see the car. When I was just steps. Mrs. Mandrick gently and quietly gave me the history of the car from George Hurst’s ownership, to the subsequent owners, and to when she and her husband acquired the car. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing all about the history of the car and wasn’t sure what I had done to deserve all this attention.
