Classic Car Studio is shifting into high gear, (Car reference anybody?) We are performing a restoration to the social media aspect of the company. This includes the likes of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn as well as our Blog space. While we have attempted to integrate these as much as possible, (and will continue to do so), please do Like, Follow, Link-to, Friend, Connect, Your Verb Here, Grab, Join, or “Become-involved-with” the given channel of Social Media with which you are attempting to become involved. You can find us at Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Classic-Car-Studio/110378849048764?ref=tn_tnmn Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ClassicCarStdio YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/ClassicCarStudioVids?feature=mhee and LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/classic-car-studio
May 15, 2012
March 13, 2012
February 15, 2012
Keisler Tremec TKO 600 and 500
One of our most popular services for Classic American cars and Muscle cars is the 5-speed transmission swap. These days we are finding that even our most conservative of collectors are looking to add some modern performance to their classic cars. One convenience that we take for granted on our modern cars is an overdrive gear on our manual transmission. In a nutshell, the transmission acts as the intermediary between the engine and the final drive gears in the rear end allowing the driver to use different ratios for acceleration at different speeds. Back in the day, manual transmissions were not offered with any type of low gear so when the car was cruising at a constant higher velocity, the RPMS would be pegged. This final low gear is beneficial as it reduces the RPMs, reduces noise, and improves fuel consumption greatly. In terms of performance, a transmission with a over drive gear allows for closer spacing in between the first four “higher” gears which provides greater flexibility.
So where does Keisler Engineering come in you ask? Keisler offers the Tremec TKO 500 and TKO 600 in kit form for your particular car. These guys don’t just send you a transmission while you cross your fingers and hope that you will be able to put together all of the other parts to make the transmission work in your current ride. After determining your current year/make/model, engine set up, horsepower, rear end set up, tire size etc… Keisler provides a custom set up for you that will suit your exact needs, and fits perfectly. All the parts you need to make the transmission swap come from Keisler including the driveshaft. We’ve never had an issue to speak of and the parts quality is second to none. 
January 17, 2012
Rock Valley Gas Tanks Review
When building custom American cars, it’s nice to come across high quality parts that are made in the USA. We’ve found that these custom car parts are almost always higher quality and it’s nice to support the craftsmen that construct these parts here at home.
We are in the mock up stage of of O’s 1979 Trans Am and we ordered a custom stainless tank from Rock Valley to fit up in the rear of the car. Out of the box, the tank is a finely crafted piece. All tanks feature a baffled interior, spill proof caps(where applicable), a ball check vent(non vented caps) and can be set up with the sending unit of your choice.
Our projected is mini tubbed and has a DSE 4-link suspension so the switch from the stock unit was a necessity. Luckily the tank really steps it up from the stock unit as the construction is beautiful. The tank is comprised of custom formed metal panels that are then TIG welded together. The stainless unit comes with a mild polished finish which allows the builder to choose any number of final finishes. A painted or powder coated finish almost seems like a shame as it would hide a lot of the fabrication work!
For the builder looking for an excellent gas tank replacement option for his/her street rod, classic car, or mild custom, these tanks offer a high quality, customizable alternative from the stock unit and they are fabricated in the US. 
January 16, 2012
-Auction Action-
We know you’ve seen it all on TV, but this year, you just had to witness the madness in person. You arrive in Scottsdale with passes to all of your favorite auctions and you are ready to buy a classic car, something, anything, a Volkswagon Thing! Why the heck not?
Every February we get an influx of customer’s classic cars that were just purchased out in Scottsdale that need a ton of restoration work and don’t seem to be exactly what our customers thought they were really buying. Let’s face it – most classic cars are in need of something at any given time. No matter what the level of restoration, something always needs a little bit of attention, but nobody wants a big surprise when they bring their new classic car home from the auction.
Let’s run through the paces really quick and save you some time and money.
Quick tips—
The Back Row Bidder:
No matter what the game plan was, this bidder just saw a car on stage he or she has never looked at before that appears to be the best deal on the planet. The number is right, the collector car is shinning like a diamond up there and all of the sudden he’s a serious bidder. This guy would have never purchased a car from 50 yards away in his life, but now he’s not going to lose this one. Put on the brakes!
Those lights on stage make everything look good so forget the number and question the quality. It’s time to sit on your hands because this type of bidding behavior almost never turns out well. No matter what happens, never buy it unless you eye it first. It sounds like common sense but we are all guilty of this behavior, and there are plenty of horror stories.
Beware of the Info Card:
The info card in the window is a great place to start, but if you’re concerned about originality, try to verify it first hand. If the classic car is matching numbers, really check the car out. You will find that a lot of classic car terms are fairly subjective in nature, so your idea of “restored,” or “matching numbers” may be quite different than that of the seller. When in doubt, it’s OK to pass and if you can find him, ask the owner some questions.
Caveat Emptor:
Once you buy it, you own it. There is little recourse for buyer’s remorse at the auctions so due diligence will be rewarded in the end. Look at everything very carefully, gather your facts, and once the bidding starts know exactly what you want to do.
The auctions are a great time and an excellent place to see thousands of collector cars in one place. Play it safe and you will be rewarded with a nice car in the end.
January 13, 2012
Prepping for Power
Muscle Cars had big power in their day, but these days we are really spoiled by horsepower. With 4 door sedans making 500 plus HP, we get a lot of requests for big HP upgrades to classic American cars. Here we have Pollo Loco, a 1979 Trans Am in for a 800-900 HP engine swap. The original uni-body has no good way to deal with the amount of power, so we are in the process of upgrading the suspension and uni body to make this car safe, stable, and an excellent handler.
So far we have installed mini tubs to allow for 12″ rims with 335 tires in the rear. A DSE quadralink suspension has been added to help put down the power and also to strengthen the rear suspension of the car. It’s a very trick, totally adjustable 4-link set up with coil overs that comes with weld in pockets for the 4- link bars and really nice coil overs.
Stay tuned for the next items-
4-link suspension
September 17, 2011
Sound deadening material
Our customers want fast and loud cars but these modification usually compromise noise levels inside the interior of the car as well. New rattles and vibrations come out of nowhere and all of the sudden you are riding around in a rattle trap. In all of our rotisserie restoration jobs, we take care of these sound related problems in advance by installing a few different layers of sound protection. We start with Dynamat as the first layer which works well to stop the rattles and reflect heat coming from the engine compartment and exhaust. Next we run a layer of Dynaliner which is a great sound barrier for road noise, and engine / exhaust noise. Finally we use heavy padding under the carpeting to really give the vehicles a luxury car type experience in the interior of the vehicle. Stereos sound better, passengers are happier, and you get that solid thud when the door closes.
September 15, 2011
Model A repairs
This fantastic and fully restored Model A gets driven by it’s owner daily which in our opinion is the way it should be done! The car just had a little run it with an electrical fire while on the highway so she’s in for some repairs. Luckily we don’t have any major damage to the cosmetics of the car and while we are in there, we are going to repair a small, but growing leak in the radiator.
December 13, 2010
1965 Honda CB 160 Cafe Racer Build
This neat little Honda 1965 CB 160 just came in for a cafe racer build up. We’re going to start by cleaning things up a bit and smooth out the frame and get rid of some the extras like the air box, tool box, extra frame brackets etc. Then we’ll upgrade the suspension with some more modern components and rebuilt the motor to give it some extra ooomph. Stay in tune for updates. 
August 5, 2010
1966 Mustang Upgrades
The ’66 Mustang pictured below came to us equipped with the wrong spindle and wheel bearings. We’ve just replaced the misfit spindle and preformed a disk brake conversion, along with inserting stainless steel brake lines and a new battery box. As of now, we’re preparing to put in a 4-speed transmission in place of the 3-speed, and waiting for the rebuilt rear end to return from Camdup Racing. Stay tuned for more details!
July 30, 2010
Vinnie the Cat
Classic Car Studio welcomes ”Vinnie the Cat”, more formally known as FC’s 1960 Pontiac Catalina. Vinnie is being restored and safety-prepped for its comeback in vintage racing. Just a little general maintainence to make this kitty purr, and before we know it Vinnie will be ruling the race track once again. Check out the pics!
Stay tuned for the final result and more cheesy cat metaphors!
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- Driver’s Seat and Roll Cage
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- Vinnie’s Pontiac 400 out for repairs
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- Back View of Roll Cage
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- “Vinnie”
July 13, 2010
Custom Header Jig for Hellcat Camaros
The Hellcat headers are a tight squeeze in the engine compartment given the nearly 600 CI motor and thus, extremely difficult to fabricate inside the car. Ken–our Hellcat extraordinaire–recently created a header jig to allow for subsequent headers to be built outside of the car. This model was built using an existing header that was custom fitted inside of a Hellcat as a template. The dips and turns of this header were precisely measured to determine the set up for the jig.
July 7, 2010
1947 Dodge Pickup Upgrades
This ’47 Dodge pick-up has pro air-ride suspension, plush red leather interior and a beautiful oak bed, but there were still a few things the lucky new owner wanted done before the truck left Classic Car Studio for its new home…
These Dodge trucks were originally equipped with windshield wipers on the top of the windshield. These original wipers were removed when the truck was restored, so to compensate, we installed a new wiper system fitted to the body on the bottom of the windshield with the wiper motor neatly tucked away in glove box.
The truck also received a few new goodies under the hood including: cast aluminum retro valve covers, blue spark plug wires and some nifty flex hoses for the heater core with a gold-plated cover.
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- Cast Aluminum Retro Valve Covers
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- Valve Covers and Flex Hoses for Heater Core
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- Gold-Plated Cover on Flex Hoses
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- New Wipers
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- Flawless Fit!
May 21, 2010
Custom one off Carbon Fiber parts
Pictures are some one off custom carbon fiber parts that we had made for the Hellcat Camaros. They will go on the gauge cluster that DSE made for our cars. We’ll have some other parts coming down the line soon including door sills with carbon inlay, shifter surrounds, door inserts etc..
March 24, 2010
1970 Mustang restoration
Pictured is BF’s Mustang which is being treated to a rotisserie restoration. We’ve just complete a complete tear down to prep the car for soda blasting. We already know that we will be using new full floor boards from our friends at Mustangs Unlimited and suspect that we’ll be doing new quarters and new fender wells.
We’ve contracted Keith Craft Performance to build a new 351c for the Fastback and we’ve sent the C4 transmission to Camdup Racing for a serious build to handle the new engine which should put out a solid 400 HP. As for the looks of the engine, it will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing built to look exactly like these motors did when they came off the show room floor.
Stay tuned for more updates!
March 23, 2010
1941 Cadillac Series 62-Upgrades and Special Features
Now that the rewiring job is nearly finished, we are moving on towards other exciting upgrades. We’ve fit the car with new lever action shocks that attach to the axle in the rear and the upper control arm in the front. These lever shocks absorb significantly more than the stock system. Other things to get excited about: new master cylinder and hydraulics!
Underneath the hood, we’ve introduced a new distributor, and replaced the original oil bath air filter with a modern filter that fits in the ’41 housing.
This Cadillac has a few special features that are worth mentioning… Not only is this car extremely advanced for its time, but it may very well be one of the first Cadillac models to feature these parts.
- automatic defroster
- seat heaters
- windshield wiper fluid–in a glass jar!
More to come!
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- rear lever shock-will be attached to the axle with a rod
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- new distributor
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- seat heater
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- automatic defroster
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- wiper fluid jar
February 27, 2010
Ford Galaxie 500 Convertible
This gorgeous Galaxie 500 convertible needed a complete front end suspension rebuild. After pulling all of the components off the car, we blasted and refinished them in satin black prior to re-installation. Check out the photos!
February 25, 2010
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Rewiring
PB’s 1941 Cadillac is easy on the eyes, but she’s in need of new wiring. Judging by their eroded and aging appearance, the wires we’re replacing are those of the car’s original fixings! Replacing nearly 70 years of old wiring will notably help this vehicle’s reliability and safety. Pictured below is the used and new wiring; notice the drastic contrast between the old/new metal and cables.
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- old corroded wires
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- frayed cables
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- wiring harnessed to the front fender
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- view underneath the dash
February 19, 2010
NASCAR!
Shown is a NASCAR, Car of Tomorrow from the Hall of Fame racing team. They were affiliated with Yates Racing last year and featured Bobby Labonte as their driver. We’re not sure what their plans are for next year, but we have been put in charge of storing the car in our showroom -
This isn’t the first kind-of-maybe-famous car we’ve stored. Here are some other almost great automobiles:
Dan Rather’s 1990 Oldmobile Cutlass Ciera
Ricardo Monteban’s “fine Corynthian Leather” Chrysler Cordoba
Kim Jong Il’s “Mini Dictator Edition” nuclear Power Wheel
Frank Sinatra’s cousin’s sister’s friends’ Aston Martin
