Quick Thinking Lands Carjacker In Police Custody

No sooner do we do another article on car theft and carjackings when another story is in the news. Just breaking this morning as an article out of North Hollywood, California. A carjacker forced a man into his own car, allegedly by gunpoint, and had him drive, turning the initial carjacking into a kidnapping in the process.

However, the quick-thinking victim managed to drive to a local police station and alert the police, who were able to apprehend the suspect and arrest him for kidnapping and carjacking. (For the whole story, and the video, see more below.)

Just last week, Guy Algar wrote an article on this blog entitled, "They Shoot Car Thieves Don't They?". It was a piece designed to get people to think of solutions to this increasing problem. A television program over the weekend documented the issue of cars and even 18 wheelers being stolen, driven over the Mexican border and delivered to car theft rings who then sell the stolen vehicles.

Fancy imports reportedly are in big demand from mid-East countries. These stolen vehicles are smuggled out of Mexico via containers, slipped on large cargo ships and delivered to pre-arranged buyers.  The 18-wheelers are quickly becoming a favorite purchase by drug cartels who use the large transport trucks to deliver drugs and contraband back across the U.S. border.

Clearly, we have a big problem on our hands. Classic car and muscle car owners are worried. It's becoming more and more difficult to enjoy classic car ownership without driving yourself crazy with anxiety. Where to park when you do go out, how to avoid a carjacking, and even how to protect your classic car while it's parked at home are now a daily concern to many owners. These are no longer just a minor worry.



RESOURCES:
northhollywoodpatch.com - At Gunpoint, Man Drives Alleged Carjacker to NoHo Police Station
Classic Car News - They Shoot Car Thieves Don't They?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Inspiring Our Youth Through Classic Cars and Trucks

I'm always excited when I hear of youth becoming involved with classic cars and trucks. Whether their inspiration comes out of their love for muscle cars, classic cars, old trucks, hot rods or race cars, so much can be learned in the process of learning about these vehicles.



Photo credit: uccsalem.org

In the desire to learn more, boys and girls read and research. Opportunities to join groups that share similar interests can instill confidence and feelings of self-worth and satisfaction. If these youth go on to start projects one day, they learn perseverance, patience and accomplishment that are hard to achieve in other endeavors.

So, there's no wonder that Guy Algar and I were very pleased to receive the following in an e-mail to our classic car shop:

"I came across your page (http://www.motorheadsperformance.com/HotRodLinks.html) while collecting resources for a machine history guide my youth group is putting together. A couple of our young members took special interest in classic cars and trucks, and found your reference page very helpful. I just wanted to send a quick thanks for the info!

"They suggested I pass along another great article we found on vintage and antique trucks. (Link Below).

"I thought this was a very thoughtful suggestion and I think the boys would be thrilled to see their recommendation added to your page. Please let me know what you think, thanks very much! :)

I'd like to thank this youth group for their generous contribution. Guy and I are so pleased that their group has taken an interest in classic cars and trucks, and wish them the very best in pursuing these interests. I'm in the process of added the link to our site so that other visitors can benefit from their generous suggested reading. I hope you enjoy!

RESOURCE:
thetruckersreport.com - Trucking Timeline - Vintage and Antique Truck Guide

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Recent Classic Car Auction Yields Disappointing Results - Is it a sign of trouble?

I've always been a fan of the classic Corvette Stingray. There's just something about the lines of the car that are so artistic. So, when I heard of an upcoming auction that was featuring a well-known 1963 Corvette, I was ready to follow it. Of course, it didn't hurt that there were also a collection of world-famous funny cars that were part of the same auction.

Harley Earl's Personal
1963 Corvette Stingray Convertible

 Last month Velocity TV covered Mecum's Windy City auction. One of the main draws was to see one of the crown jewels of Corvettes come across the auction block. Mecum offered up almost a thousand cars. Only 64% of the cars were sold.  Some blame the weather as having an effect on both the crowd and the bidding, which was very low.

High sale of the auction was Harley Earl's, known as the father of the Corvette, personal, one-of-a-kind, 1963 Corvette Stingray convertible which experts say should clearly have sold for more than the $1.5 million. Another sign that the bidding just was not as aggressive as in years past. This has some worried over why one of the most sought-after Corvettes in history (noted as one of the five "Crown Jewels") did so poorly in comparison to other recent auctions, such as the 1967 L88 Corvette which sold for $3.2 million at  Mecum’s Dallas auction. 

1967 Corvette sold for $3.2M

Another surprise of the auction was when the “Hemi Under Glass” Mopar funny cars, famous for their “wheelies”,  failed to meet the reserve. In fact,  the seller's expectations were so shattered that the four car collection will be broken up and sold individually in Kissimmee, Florida, in January. Guy Algar remarked, "It was a big surprise when a set of true collector cars with such an incredible, documented history did not meet reserve. And this with an auction company that usually sets all sorts of records." Does this mark a slow-down in the industry? 

While some insiders show signs of worry, others simply pass this off as one of those things that can happen at an auction when the attendees just don't get hyped up and excited. Some note the fact that most of the bidding occurred from phone-in bidders, and the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, probably had a lot to do with the surprisingly poor results. There are many more auctions to come, and it'll be interesting to see whether this was indeed a "fluke" or if this is a new and disturbing trend in classic car and muscle car collecting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

They Shoot Car Thieves Don't They?

Guy L. Algar
Motorheads Performance
ASE Certified Technician

I love old Western movies. Growing up on John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and others who fed my appetite for adventure. As I entered my teens, my attention turned to another type of horsepower...cars. And not just any car, I preferred the oldies. My very first car was a 1955 Chevy Belair that I saved up for and purchased before I even got my drivers permit. I still have that car.

Oh, I still had interest in the old Western movies, and now that I turned my training and work experience as a mechanical engineer to running my own classic car repair and performance shop, I find that my two worlds collide with the question of how to get a handle on the ever-growing problem of car theft. When I hear stories of treasured classic cars being taken from owners who have poured blood, sweat, tears and loads of money into their rides...only to have them ruthlessly parted out, I get upset.


Old West Hanging
Photo Credit: Legendsofamerica.com

That's when I return to my Western movie roots. Back in the early years of America, the horse WAS the equivalent of the car. A horse was essential to one's survival. It was a family's means of transportation and of providing food and housing by plowing fields, herding cattle and sheep, carting timber, pulling wagons and transporting people across all sorts of terrain and in all types of weather that we, alone, could not have accomplished. And, more importantly, the value of horses was widely recognized. Without your horse it was commonly thought that you were as good as dead.

This is why horse thieves were shot or hanged. To steal one's horse you were taking away their livelihood. A common phrase heard in the Old West was, "There ain't nothing lower than a horse thief!"

My opinion is that today's automobile, whether it's a classic car, muscle car, old vintage truck, antique, sports car, hot rod, or a modern car, is essential to us. We depend on our cars for so much in our daily lives in most all areas outside of the big cities where alternatives exist that can replace the need for cars.

So how do we stop car thieves?

If stealing a horse was seen as a hanging offense in the Old West, why not send a message to modern day car thieves by making the punishment for car theft just as bold?

Thieves today know that the justice system is broken. They know that with a good lawyer, or perhaps even with a public defender, they stand a good chance of getting off with a slap on the wrist. And it's a slap in the face of those of us who pour our heart and souls into the restoration of pieces of American history. If there is no fear of just punishment, the crimes will go unchecked and more of us will become victims.

The preceding is only an Opinion Article. I raise it in an attempt to get people to begin looking at where we stand in our attempts to Keep Our Rides Safe. On a much bigger scale, where we are plunging head-first in  "political correctness" that threatens many of the building-blocks that made America a great country. Preserving the "rights" of the few should not override or hinder the rights of all others, and it should not override good common sense. I realize that we can't and shouldn't return to the days of hangings and public lynchings. We all have rights of due process. At the same time, we need answers to the epidemic of car theft. Automobiles are our modern day livelihood and few can afford to have them taken from us.

REFERENCES:
legendsofamerica.com - Lynchings and Hangings in America
mnhs.org - The Waseca County Horse Thief Detectives
netposse.com - Old West: Wyatt Earp - Was Wyatt A Horse Thief?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Guy L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Guy Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together with his wife Andrea they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Chevy's 2014 COPO Camaro Looks Like A Winner

Chevrolet's upcoming 2014 COPO Camaro was unveiled at the SEMA show and we're sure that they're turning heads!

These are great looking cars! But, what makes the limited production factory COPO Camaro so unique is that each race car is hand built on the same body shells that professional racers purchase from Chevrolet Performance. The COPO-specific parts are built for each car and include NHRA-approved roll cage, solid rear axle system and chassis and suspension components that are rated for performance racing.

2014 Chevrolet COPO Camaro

The 2014 limited production COPO Camaro will offer two race engine choices, including a new naturally aspirated 427 engine as well as a supercharged (2.9L Whipple screw-type supercharger) version of the 350 engine. Naturally aspirated 350 and 396 engines are also available.

Customers will need to select the engine based on their intended NHRA racing class. Chevrolet is also offering an option where customers with big pockets can purchase all four engines, each serialized to match the car!

To purchase one of the exclusive COPO Camaro's, potential customers must sign up for the COPO Camaro mailing list at Chevrolet Performance's website (see link below).

Serial number 1 of the limited-production run is a one-of-a-kind, painted in a beautiful metallic ice blue, which will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson’s annual auction in Scottsdale, Arizona this January. Proceeds of the Barrett auction will benefit the Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, an organization dedicated to helping wounded veterans.

Only 69 race cars will be built for NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock competition, and they will all carry the new styling of the 2014 COPO Camaro.

And, there's now great news for those wanting to take advantage of the great power of the high-performance COPO Camaro engines. The same race engines used in the COPO Camaro production race cars are available as crate engines for racers building their own Camaro race cars. Each of the new crate engines is engineered for NHRA’s Stock Eliminator and Super Stock classes.

The COPO crate engines available for 2014 include:

• 427 7.0L naturally aspirated engine
• 5.3L supercharged 327 engine with Whipple twin-screw 2.9L supercharger 
• 5.3L supercharged 327 engine with 4.0L Whipple supercharger
• 396-cubic-inch naturally aspirated engine
• 350-cubic-inch naturally aspirated engine

Each high-performance engine is hand assembled at GM’s racing engine shop in Wixom, Michigan.

RESOURCES:
achillesinternational.org - Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans
barrett-jackson.com - Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, AZ
chevroletperformance.com - Chevrolet Performance's COPO Camaro (use link to sign up)
nhra.com - National Hot Rod Association

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

Today's Texas NASCAR Race Should Be Exciting

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Yes, today's AAA Texas 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway (3 PM EST on ESPN) should be exciting to watch, even if your not a regular NASCAR event watcher. Why? Because the race is tight and two racers, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth share identical point totals – 2,294.

Add caption

You can bet they'll both be racing hard to break the tie and become the points leader. There is much more at stake than you'd think, as a shared points lead with only three races remaining in the racing season has never occurred since NASCAR began it's points system in 1975!

I have to admit, I've become somewhat disenchanted with NASCAR racing over the past 9-10 years. Preferring to watch a quality drag race event, I will, however be lured to the television this afternoon to see some familiar names fight it out to see who'll end up on top.

Hope you enjoy the race!

REFERENCE / FOR MORE INFORMATION:
journalpatriot.com - NASCAR Heavyweight Slugfest Heads to Texas
nascar.com - NASCAR Website
mattkenseth.com - Matt Kenseth's Website
jimmiejohnson.com - Jimmie Johnson's Website

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.