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Cool Cruisers' Photo Gallery ClassicAire® Coolers appreciates feedback from users |
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Ford Model T The highly successful Model T put America on wheels. The Coupe was a two door, two passenger style often called the Tall Coupe or Doctor's Coupe because it was just right for the local doctor driving over rough roads making a house call. By the 1926 model year Ford had eliminated most of the wood and the Model T body was all steel. It was advertised as the "Improved Car". This street rod is all Henry Ford steel from the firewall back. The engine is a 350 stroked to 383 with B&M 4-71 blower and Holley 950 double pumper on top. Drive train is a 350 Turbo with 10 bolt Chevy rear end. The interior is custom with buckets and tilt steering. For comfort and enjoyment in hot summer cruising weather it is equipped with XM radio and ClassicAire®. Now that's a really improved car!
1926 Model T, Tall Coupe Owned by Walter Graves, Springtown, Texas
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Henry Ford was a farm boy with only a sixth grade education, but he changed the world. As a young man he worked as a machinist and became interested in combustion engines. He set out to democratize the automobile by making a durable and affordable vehicle for regular people. He did this by perfecting a highly efficient production system to keep costs low while paying a high wage to his employees. Ford figured that loyal employees were important and in addition he wanted them to be able to afford his cars. The Model T was a great success with over 15 million produced from 1908 to 1927. It was one of the longest production runs in the history of automobiles. But even more striking, the price fell from $1,000 for the first Model T produced to under $300 for the last one. Ford had perfected the moving assembly line to bring the work to his workers instead of the other way around. Henry's innovation enabled faster production with less labor and lower cost. The famous quote of Henry Ford saying that "You can get a Model T in any color as long as it is black" was true but it didn't mean Ford didn't care about his customers. In those days black paint dried faster and didn't slow down the assembly line like other colors would. Besides, black was the most durable paint. Ford knew his customers wanted a good car at a low price more than they wanted different colors. In addition to the assembly line, Ford used technology. He set up a mill to manufacture vanadium steel that was three times as strong as regular steel. The improved steel enabled critical parts of the Model T to be lighter weight and more durable. Being a master machinist Ford established precision tolerances to assure parts were interchangeable. That eliminated labor intensive hand-fitting and sorting . By the end of the Model T production, Henry Ford had accomplished his goal: the automobile was no longer a luxury only available to the wealthy, it had become useful and affordable transportation for the ordinary citizen. (After car paint was improved, Ford did offer his Model T in different colors.)
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VW Super Beetle The Volkswagen "bug" has a well-deserved reputation for reliability and sturdiness. Literally translated "the people's car" had the longest production run in history with over 21 million produced from 1938 to 2003. The Super Beetle was built from 1971 to 1979. Improvements included a MacPherson strut front suspension which gave better turning radius and almost double the trunk space (remember the trunk is in the front). This example is a 1971Super Beetle used as daily driver in Southern California as well as for longer trips to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Bend, Oregon. The air-cooled rear engine has been known to get 40 miles per gallon which makes long trips more practical. Even more so with the ClassicAire® Car Cooler.
1971 Super Beetle Owned by Patrick D. of Anaheim, California
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Hudson Unibody The Hudson Motor Car Company began in 1909. It provided motorists with innovative engineering, style, and value. In just 20 years Hudson grew to be the third best selling U.S. auto maker. Like other manufacturers during WWII all production was converted to government contracts until the end of 1945. When production of civilian motorcars began again, the models were based on prewar designs for several years. Then in 1948 Hudson introduced a revolutionary new low slung unit-body design. It was sleek. It was streamlined. It was a car that provided better handling and a more comfortable ride. For the safety conscious it had full perimeter frame rails for structural integrity. With its deep foot wells the new Hudson was called "the car you can step down into". The new approach provided a low center of gravity and was well known for its stability. Motorists bought the Hudson for its "hug the road" ride, luxury, and safety. Refinements to this basic platform continued through the 1955 model year.
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Aerodynamic Design & Enclosed Rear Wheel Accentuate the Low Slung Silhouette
NASCAR Racing
For 1952 Hudson added an optional high output engine to its line. The inline six-cylinder provided 220 horsepower and plenty of low end torque. With already great handling and newly increased power the Hudson Hornet dominated stock car racing in the early 1950's. NASCAR was in its infancy and Hudson won 27 of 34 Grand National races in 1952.
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