Before & After
All the in-betweens are here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/s9santoro/F3WWZP
#wefix #webuild #werestore #hotrods #classics #musclecars #restoration #restomod #familytruckster #familytruck 1965 #ford #F100 #friday #fridaymotivation #flashbackfriday #carsofinstagram #goforaride #instamood #SSC #instagood #ssc_classics #arizona #arizonahighways #localfirstaz #local480 #superstitionspecialtycars
As a kid, I remember hanging out a my dad’s shop AMH Autobody and wondering if I’d be running it someday. I sat at his desk, pretending to ‘take care of business’ assuming great success.
Well, life had a different course and now I get to work up new plans for great success for Superstition Specialty Cars. I’m a lucky duck as my husband and my dad have worked together for years on many awesome projects since 2001 for SSC, however they did start even earlier than that! This sweet 1978 Ford truck was the very first restoration completed by these two, way way back in 1992 when we operated a landscaping company. This truck was a beautiful sight and so much fun to drive. Dave and Al have built many other sweet rides since then, but it is nice to reflect on the first one and feel thankful!
I watched with a grin as she knelt down on the pavement, in her fancy silver snake print jacket, leaning under the rear of the silver 1966 Nova on all fours. It seemed silly to me that she would crawl under a 50 year old car in Scottsdale at the “premier lifestyle event”. Now that Dave is taking on classic car inspections at Superstition Specialty Cars, I get it now. With the frantic pace of auctions, the dim lighting at someone’s garage, the filtered (or just bad) on-line photography, it is really difficult to quickly assess the quality of a classic, hot rod, or muscle car. Especially if your are under a time limit to get it all done. In this case, the car was lined up outside the North Hall at WestWorld ready to cross the block soon. Looking for leaks, rust, straight frame, upgraded suspension parts are all helpful to identify future repair, restoration, or upgrade costs on your new-old ride.
After scouring for a comprehensive collection of what to review, identifying the quickest way through the inspection points, and finding the best course of action for disposition, the creation of 158+/- inspection points allow for an in-depth review of a vehicle. The results often are used to help decide to buy, to keep looking, or negotiate repairs or price during the purchase process.
What we have discovered after over 100 inspections? Nobody checks their wiring, fuses, or bulbs. No back up lights, turn signals inoperative, dash lights out, are all very common findings during an inspection. When a car sits for a while, battery failures, fuel leaks, bad gas all become top of the list to repair, however those larger issues such as transmission failures, bad clutches, top end issues are not easy to pick up on in auction if you don’t have time to do your homework. Most of our inspections occur at consignment venues to be the eyes for the buyer, but inspecting 18 cars in four hours prior to the inaugural Mecum Auction at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix you begin to realize that there are some issues with all of them. They are 50, 60, 70 years old or older, and could have a number of modifications, repairs, or other issues racked up over the years. Clean them up, buff them out, roll them quick over the block, and you may quickly find that your “good buy” turn into thousands in needed repairs to make your ride road-worthy.
It is better to know than to guess. Need some help scoping out your new buy? Contact us at Superstition Specialty Cars (480-774-6809) to schedule your inspection today!
… A rebel is a person who stands up for their opinions despite what anyone else says, standing up for what they believe is right, not against what’s right. It’s all about being an individual and refusing to follow a crowd that forces you to think the same way they do even if it means becoming an outcast to society. True rebels know who they are and do not compromise their individuality and they will sure as hell tell it like it is.
Hot Rods fall into the category of rebellion as post WWII, with some spare change, some spare parts, and newly learned skills from the war, folks decided that the cars being built were not economical or safe. 1946 brought in the first speed shops with Orr, Blair and So-cal, Hillborn’s fuel injection systems, and Billy Burke’s belly tank racers pushing towards Howie Wilson’s record 150 mph in 1948. The rebellion culminated in 1949 when both Cadillac and Oldsmobile released overhead valve V8 engines into production changing the game and rocketing the hot rod’s popularity.
What’s your rebellion look like?
Moving is never easy, but as a good friend once said, many hands make for light lifting. We have a lot of friends to thank in our transition to our new location at 7931 E Pecos Road Mesa AZ, suite 149. First off, our amazing staff got it done! Charlie, Justin, Al and Jessi knocked one out of the park. Lifts, benches, tools, toolboxes – it all had to go, and they made it happen.
Several non-running projects were moved by our friend Steve at Camel Towing, Red Mountain Lifts installed our lifts, special thanks to Craig at Helios Systems for getting our lifts running, and shout out to our longtime friends at Day Auto. Huge thanks to Kitty, our biggest and oldest fan, and to all our former interns Josh, Spencer, Krystina, Jacob, and our new Office Manager Tracy!
Streetside Classics in Mesa hosted a sweet car show last week, where we met lots of new friends at our vendor tent and had a fun time judging the car show. We are now settled in, and busy with repairs, upgrades, and restoration, and oh so thankful for our amazing support team!
Need to get your classic ride back on the road? Need some air conditioning or cruise control installed? Summer is coming… We can help!
Friends don’t let friends drive junk!
Wow, it seems like it took a long time to get here, but we are about two weeks from getting our keys and moving Superstition Specialty Cars. More room all around will help our wonderful growing pains of the last few months, and we are looking forward to calling it done! We can’t wait to greet our friends at our new location, celebrate our 15th year, and thank you all for your continued support!
Dave and I stopped by our 7931 East Pecos Street location to check on the construction status recently. As we drove near the building, I looked out East of Ellsworth Road, to see the skeletal remains of the now closed GM Proving Grounds stretching for miles.
Established in 1953 east of Phoenix, the desert facility was used by all GM divisions running tests on HVAC, propulsion, and competitive testing of various systems in our harsh climate. It was closed in 2009, and is slowly converting to housing. Some of the fencing and high berms still remain on the southwest end, along with the GM muscle car ghosts that still haunt that hallowed ground. Looking at GM’s archives on their heritage center website, they share videos of three generations of prototype Firebirds (1954, 1956, 1958) with the Superstition Mountains looming in the distance.
Most of GM’s muscle car influence rolled through garages and test tracks at this location. The 1953 Corvette, Rochester fuel injection, Pontiac Ram Air IV, Posi-traction, Muncie transmissions, 12-bolt rear axles, Buick turbocharged V-6, and ZR1 all put through their paces on the GM Proving Grounds.
As we push forward with our moving and expansion of Superstition Specialty Cars, knowing that we will be in the shadow of the very location where this awesome hobby got its start is very cool.
“Mom, I need some money”, he said. I’m sure he wanted to just hang out at Coffee Rush with his friends to show off his new “the dude” shirt. I just wanted him to put a leather jacket on and take a few pictures with Danny’s recently completed Plymouth hot rod I affectionately call the Franken-hemi. “Maaahhh! Nooooooo…..” 
I recall just how pissed he was that sunny afternoon as I bartered that exchange. These pics are still my favorite photos of Eric. I think the fact that he was kinda pissed at me really worked out here. Bah! How else do you teach the kids the value of a dollar? Earn your keep!
After 15 years for kicking it in Gilbert, Gilbert decided to kick us back, so we are now on the hunt for a new SSC dwelling. Stay tuned as we start the process of finding a larger facility in the East Valley that will meet our growing needs.
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