Spotted - 1963 Ford Cortina

So, I am out doing some sightseeing around Anacortes yesterday afternoon and come back to my car to find this beautiful 1963 Ford Cortina Mk 1 parked next to it. With the Lotus Cortina I posted about some time ago, that makes two sightings in the past year!

Spotted - Ford LTD Landau Coupe

Spotted this beautifully preserved third generation Ford LTD Landau Coupe on it's way to the central part of the island of Puerto Rico. A true survivor.

Cool Engines - McCulloch Supercharged Ford Flathead V8

What a sweet-looking setup! As far as I can tell it looks like a 1930's vintage McCulloch centrifugal supercharger setup for the "flathead" Ford V8. These kits produced between 1937 and 1940 generated a measly 4 p.s.i. so they are not exactly a great performance boost. With a retail price between $85 - $125 USD back then, these don't seem like a great performance part but they certainly look cool!

Ford Ranger Spark Plugs At 178K Miles

As crazy as it sounds, this set of spark plugs I just replaced on my Ford Ranger has 178,000 miles. The plugs were so rusty on  the outside that I was worried I may have problems removing them. Nah, it was a piece of cake. Looks like I got some oil fouling and major electrode erosion going on on #5 but otherwise things look OK.

Pebble Beach 2011 - 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster

I saw this beauty in a magazine not too long ago. Really special to see it "in the metal". There are plenty of details about the history of this Edsel Ford's speedster at the Ford Media site. You can also take a look at the interview done by Jay Leno during the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Spotted - 1963 Ford Thunderbird

Great example of my favorite year of the T-Bird

Spotted - Lotus Cortina Mk1

I had a chance to take a close look at a beautifully restored Lotus Cortina Mk1 earlier today. Ford Cortinas as just rare in the U.S. Coming across a Lotus Cortina, now that was just a special treat!

Spotted - 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner

A real life transformer...

Source: Photographed by the author in Federal Way, Washington.

Engines - De Tomaso Pantera - Chrome

Immaculate De Tomaso Pantera engine bay.

Source: Photographed by the author at the 2010 Goodguys Nationals in Puyallup, Washington.

Spotted - Ford Mustang GT350 Hertz

In the mid-sixties, you could stop by Hertz Rent A Car, pick up one of these and take it racing over the weekend. At least, that is what the urban legend says... Here are three 1966 models that I saw last year at the Kirkland Concour d'Elegance. I read these use to go for $12/day. The contemporary version I rented a couple years ago was a bit more expensive than that but a lot of fun.

Spotted - Two Ford GTX1 at the Triple X

As if coming across one was not a rare event in itself. Here are two Ford GTX1 at the Triple X Rootbeer Drive-in.

Source: Photographed by the author in Issaquah, Washington

Spotted - Ford GT40 - 2010 SOVREN Vintage Races

Got to see a Ford GT40 being taken around the Pacific Raceways track during the SOVREN vintage races last year. Looking forward to the next event later this year.

Engines - Ford GTX1

Source: Photographed by the author in Kirkland, Washington

Spotted - Ford GT40 Prototype Spyder

Started the day this Saturday reviewing the photos of some of the fast Fords I saw last car show season. First one on the list is this fabulous 1965 GT40 prototype Spyder. I read it is 82 pounds lighter than it's hardtop counterparts. Wikipedia has a good article on the GT40' s history for those of you who want to learn more about these fabulous cars. Stay tuned for more photos of others GT40 and Ford GTs at this and other events around the Puget Sound.

Spotted - Fordson E494C Van

Spotted this nicely preserved Fordson E494C van during the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals in Puyallup, Washington back in July of last year. There are other photos about this event on an earlier post.