Gunner's Garage with John Gunnell

MUSTANGER TAKES 8 HOURS TO DETAIL CAR
Posted by John

When people see Tom Mangert’s ’69 Mustang Mach 1 they ask where he got the paint job and how much it cost. They’re pretty surprised when he tells them the price. It seems low today – but then they find out that Tom had the car painted nearly 20 years ago. The Mach 1’s factory fresh appearance is a credit to the painter he chose and to Tom’s skill in washing and waxing collector cars. Tom has been detailing cars for 38 years. Four years ago, he decided to work at it full-time and started Tom’s Auto Detailing in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Since then, he has beautified everything from a ’29 Packard straight eight to a ’67 Chrysler 300. He also refreshes modern iron from sports cars to minivans. “Some modern cars are pig pens on wheels,” Tom joked. “They should have a drain in the floor to let the dirt out; collectors take more pride in their cars.” According to Tom, washing, waxing and detailing a vehicle is a full 7-8 hour process. Most customers drop the car off at 9 a.m. and he tells them to pick it up at five. “To do a car right, you have to give it your full attention,” he explains. “The ’29 Packard was clean, but I worked on it for eight hours straight without taking lunch; those big ‘bicycle’ wheels were a challenge to clean.” Most jobs start with a complete hand washing of the vehicle to get the loose dirt off. Mangert uses an exploded-tip brush with a 48-inch-long handle. The exploded-tip brush has ultra-soft bristles that won’t make small scratches in the paint. “Stiff bristles will scratch the paint and all the little scratches will have to be buffed out later,” he points out. “The exploded-tip brush doesn’t scratch and it can also get into all the hard-to-reach corners.” Tom says the 48-inch handle allows him to do all the nooks and crannies from one side of the car. Tom uses store-bought Zip Wax for washing. He describes it as a “soapy wax.” It puts a nice sheen on glass areas, has nice sudsing and sheeting action and dries without water marks. After washing the car with this product and the exploded-tip brush, Tom uses a pressure washer. He recommends pressure washing the entire vehicle, door jambs, trunk lip and engine compartment. “The pressure washer sprays stuff right off,” says Mangert. “For bugs I use a 50/50 mix of cleaner and water, which softens up bugs and road tar.” According to Tom, the cleaning solution loosens up dirt and the pressure spray knocks it off the car. He also rinses with the pressure washer to totally remove soapy residue. For cleaning the windshield, windows and backlight, Tom uses a home-brewed mixture of ammonia, rubbing alcohol and water. “I wipe it off with a moist chamois and it leaves the glass clean with no streaks,” says the detailer. Tom cleans the interior of the vehicle with an industrial wet-vac. “It has to be of the 2-inch-inlet variety,” he explains. “Then, it has the power to pull sand and dirt out of the carpets.” Tom also uses an air compressor to blow out insects, food crumbs, beach sand and other types of dirt that get inside a car. To shampoo carpets and upholstery, Tom brews up his own 50/50 blend of industrial carpet cleaning solution and water and puts it in a trigger-spray bottle. “This works really well,” he advises. “You vacuum to get the main dirt out, then a light spray of water and a scrub brush are used to really work at getting things clean.” According to Tom, vacuums can’t get into corners as well as a scrub brush. He says the spray of water won’t hurt carpets that have a rubber backing. “But if the spray goes right through the carpet, stick to the vacuum cleaner,” he warns. “The carpets in older cars may have a more open weave.” Before waxing the vehicle, Tom details the tires. He uses a Bleech-White product, then lets the tire dry. Next, he applies a concours dressing that he puts in a pump-type “hair spray” bottle. “This is really a vinyl protectorant with anti-static characteristics,” says Tom. “It’s not like ‘wet look’ sprays that sand sticks to the first time you drive the car.” Tom checks the air in all five tires. “You’d be surprised how many people drive around with a flat spare tire,” he warns. Tom’s favorite wax is a 100 percent carnauba wax with a name that indicates it originates in Brazil. “I’ve used other products, but this one works well and lasts,” says Mangert. “I try to stay away from silicone-based polishes and waxes, since they are a problem for body shops if you have a fender-bender.” Tom’s view on this agrees with that of Waupaca High School body shop instructor Bill Kroseberg, who tells students that silicone products can become imbedded in metal and cause “fish eyes” in paint if the panel has to be refinished. When asked if he applies wax with a buffer, Tom answered, “No, I don’t. Most people use too much wax and using a buffer to apply wax promotes this practice. I use a micro sponge that puts a blotch the size of a quarter on the metal. I use this much to do areas as large as half of the hood on a typical car.” Tom waits about five minutes after applying wax. He then goes over the waxed area using a foam “waffle” pad on his buffer with the buffer set at 2,000 rpm. “You do not have to use a new pad every time, but when it gets ‘gunky,’ pitch it,” Tom advises. “The foam pads don’t last a long time because they catch on sharp corners and bumpers and tear, but they do a really good job.” Tom proceeds waxing one panel at a time and buffing it using foam pads. If the paint on the vehicle has been exposed to weather for a long period, Tom recommends using an extra-cut rubbing compound on a wet surface and buffing at slow speed, with a wool pad on the electric buffer. He suggests keeping the paint surface wet by applying water with a trigger sprayer and working small areas (about 2 x 2-feet wide) to prevent scuffing the paint. If further shining is desired, Tom recommends the use of a polishing glaze that is less abrasive. In some cases, this may be all that’s required before final waxing. According to Tom, car waxes have cleaning agents blended into them, while polishes do not. “Polish is good stuff, providing you’re using it on clean, high-quality paint,” says the detailer. “But most paint is dirty, so you want the cleaning agent.” Tom says that many car dealers prefer a “cleaner wax” over a conventional wax because they expect the car will be sold within 30 days. “Products with heavy cleaner content make the car look great, but they don’t give the lasting protection of products with less cleaner and more wax.” When his customers want a car to have what Tom calls an “ultimate shine,” he recommends waxes that use a new “nano” technology. According to Tom, such products use ingredients that are smaller than “micro” size so they can fill in the finest scratches and swirl marks. This leaves a smooth surface that doesn’t diffuse light rays. But, Nano wax is more expensive than other wax. After the car is waxed, Tom uses a micro cleaning cloth – a cloth with a special weave that lets it get into little cracks and crevices -- to clean up leftover wax. “This is very important for removing the wax that gets into corners or picking off wax residue,” he explains. “I even use my older micro cleaning cloths to pick the wax out of grained vinyl dashboards, which is very hard to do.” After finishing a car, Tom advises the owner to take the vehicle to a brush-less car wash about once every two weeks. “At first, the basic wash should do,” Tom believes. “Later, the full wash-and-wax treatment is probably a good idea. If the detailer did a good job, the car wash wax will work fine to maintain the finish, but most people – at least those with modern cars – don’t do a thing.”

Thursday, November 19, 2009 4:56:30 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

PRESIDENT'S CAR MUSEUM DOES SHOW
Posted by John

Wayne Lensing’s “Historic Auto Attractions” Museum in Roscoe, Illl., wound up its regular 2009 season with a big car show on Oct. 4. Lined up near the museum were numerous classic cars. The annual fall show drew well over vehicles from a Ford Model A racing car owned by Curt Flannery to an MGB roadster. The car show incorporated a swap meet. Tours of the 70-car Lensing Museum were only $5. The museum features presidential cars, Hollywood cars, racing cars and other collectibles. “Our club did a tour to the museum awhile ago,” one of the Corvette show car owners pointed out. “It was hard to see everything in a day, so we decided to come back for the show and re-visit the museum.” Anyone interested in planning a tour to the museum can reach Historic Auto Attractions by calling Cathy Ellis at (815) 389-7917 or send an email to museum@historicautoattractions.com.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:18:58 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Monday, November 16, 2009

ANTIQUE CAR TIRE MANUFACTURER HONORED
Posted by John

During the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the Tire Industry Assoc. elected antique car tire maker John Kelsey, of Camdenton, Mo., to the Tire Industry Association “Hall of Fame.” Kelsey said he was the first antique tire manufacturer to advertise in Old Cars Weekly when the publication started. Kelsey’s recent award is one that is presented to two individuals each year for their accomplishments in the tire industry. Four other people are chosen for awards based on the historical perspective of their prior contributions. Kelsey told members of the organization “It is a humbling experience to have one’s life’s work recognized in this manner.” He said that other TIA members allowed him to move the arena of vintage auto tires forward. “My earliest insights into vintage auto tires were handed to me in the ‘40s by my father, my first mentor,” Kelsey told the group. “He started his auto collection in 1928 with a 1909 Maxwell (a car John Kelsey still owns). As a collector, he gave me the opportunity to learn tire and rib designs from their earliest inceptions.” Kelsey also pointed out that his involvement in vintage tire marketing and sourcing over the past 40 years had led him to all corners of the earth. He gave Goodyear Tire Co. a special thank you for helping him fit his vintage tire program into their manufacturing system.

Monday, November 16, 2009 2:13:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

GUYS WHO KNOW THE CORVETTE MARKET
Posted by John

If you walk up to D & M Corvette’s big, black semi at a swap meet or show, you’re likely to wind up talking to a bunch of guys with hard-edged Chicago accents. Don’t expect to be sweet talked by them. They’ve seen the Corvette market soaring and they’ve seen it in the pits. But, unlike the fast talking TV pitchman, they’ll be honest with you! If you’re interested in owning what you might describe as a “tuff ‘Vette,” you have probably come to the right place. With their straight-talking attitude, their combined years of knowledge and their overriding passion for cool cars, the crew at D & M Corvette Specialties is tough to beat. Located in Downers Grove, Ill., D & M specializes in the sales, service and restoration of C1 through C6 Corvettes. Owner Dave Glass will tell you that 2008 started out a tough year. Glass is a car guy through and through and likes everything from classic glass to straight-axle gassers. His bread-and-butter late-model ‘Vette sales are taking it on the chin in today’s economy. Thankfully, the market for classic Corvettes is holding up well, as is the workload in D & M’s restoration shop. D & M has built its reputation on 24 years of experience and growth. It now takes up a whole row of buildings on a main drag in Downer’s Grove. Each building in the complex is set up to handle a different aspect of the operation: parts, sales, body shop, fabrication work and service. There is also a boutique where Corvette collectibles are sold. And a ‘50s-style “malt shoppe.” In addition to Corvette sales, service and repairs, D & M has expanded into servicing and selling gassers, street rods, muscle cars and classics. However, the main focus is still on America’s only sports car — the ‘Vette. “There are no short cuts,” says Glass, who feels that perfection and performance count. “Our combined experience in body work, custom paint, service, restoration, fabrication, engineering and design exceeds 100 years.” The type of work produced by body shop manager Peter Kramer and his team is aimed at the goal of perfection that Dave Glass has established for D & M. Scratches, collision repairs and custom paint work are done the “right” way, whether the body shop is working on someone’s daily driver or a collector’s prestigious investment-mobile. Kramer uses painstaking techniques and demands attention to detail. “There are no short cuts,” is his creed. Restorer Cary Kuczkowski worked on a 1953 Corvette owned by General Motors, plus over 100 other award-winning cars. His experience is only surpassed by his love of cars. Kuczkowski was the youngest restorer to ever to receive a Duntof Award. D & M also has its own vehicle fabricator, something you don’t find in every shop. Ken Macal offers customers a lot of experience and a track record of innovation. He combines attention to detail with the creativity needed to take a client’s vision and turn it into a uniquely customized Corvette. The history of D & M began in 1984 and the company has grown into a large facility with a high-quality team doing what it knows and loves best — Corvettes and other great cars! The Western Chicago company‘s hard work and dedication is well known in the Corvette industry and the cars it has sold or restored have taken Gold Certification, Top Flight Awards and Gold Spinner Awards. “GM trusted us to restore its ‘53 ‘Vette,” says Dave Glass. “And other clients can trust us to handle their cars the same way, down to the last detail. Dave can be contacted at: D & M Corvette, 1804 Ogden Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Ph: (630) 968-0031.

Sunday, November 15, 2009 4:44:02 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

CHEVROLET MUSEUM IS OPEN
Posted by John

Opened March 2009, the brand new Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum on the south side of Decatur, Ill., includes a large collection of some of Detroit's finest American made iron (and fiberglass) manufactured by Chevrolet. On display at the Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum is an extensive collection of Chevrolet's hottest cars and memorabilia from the 1920s thru today. Racing cars, Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars and Show cars fill the museum. All of the great Chevys are there to see. You can enjoy a good old-fashioned cheeseburger from Dreamers Diner, located next door, then cruise into the Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum. There are plenty of Corvettes included in the exhibit. Museum services include a Classic car consignment area, available climate-controlled indoor storage and secured outside storage. The Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum can also provide banquet services for all types of celebrations or car club events! Admission to the Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum is: $7 for adults A season pass is available for $35. Children under 12 get in free when accompanied by a parent. Call (888) 9-bowtie or (217) 791-5793 for more information or visit www.chevrolethalloffamemuseum.com.

Saturday, November 14, 2009 3:02:34 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Micro Car Magazine on line
Posted by John

The Automotive industry invaded Las Vegas Nevada once again for the 2009 SEMA Show and oine of the new hobby connections we ran into there was MicroCarMag.com -- a website for small-car enthusiasts. MicroCartMag.com was in attendance to cover all the little cars (and trucks) at the annual trade show. For fans of vintage microcars, they included a rare Subaru van, an Isetta with a very eye-catching paint job and a bright yellow Fiat 500 drag racing car.MicroCarMag.com was founded by Thomas Musante who began his car writing experience with his scion fan site www.scionmag.com.

Thursday, November 12, 2009 5:36:59 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Classic car carrier hooks up with Nickey Chicago show
Posted by John

Reliable Carriers has announced a strategic partnership with the Nickey Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show coming to Chicago’s Rosemont Convention Center in November. Reliable will be the “Official Transporter” for this Nov. 21-22 event and clients using their car-transporting services will benefit from a variety of perks. Reliable is offering show participants a complete transportation package that goes beyond just pick up and delivery of a car. The new VIP Shipping Program will include: !) First-in arrival with no waiting in the check in lines because Reliable customers will bypass the lines and drive directly into the building; 2) Guaranteed inside loading and unloading, eliminating worries about inclement weather (Reliable will have an exclusive designated indoor loading/unloading area) and 3) On-site concierge service so the car owner and Reliable driver will have an on-site representative to oversee handling of a car. Reliable operates a fleet of over 350 trucks and company owner Tom Abrams is an avid car collector himself. “I know what it takes to get your pride and joy from point “A” to point “B” safely, securely and on time, “ Abrams said. For information call General Manager Bob Sellers,or Special Events Coordinator Norm Elliott at (734) 453-6677. Caption

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:40:00 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:28:56 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

SEMA surprises enthusiasts with its vitality
Posted by John

“SEMA was a wonderful surprise, with loads of people and just a great show,” said John D. McLeod III, of Classic Instruments Inc. John had traveled to the giant auto aftermarket trade show in Las Vegas from his company’s headquarters in Boyne City, Mich., and felt the trip was definitely worth it. As usual, the Nov. 3-6 show brought thousands of exhibitors to the Las Vegas Convention Center. There were some empty booths, it was easier to hop a cab and the lines for the Las Vegas Monorail were a little shorter than they were during our 2007 visit. At the same time, there were signs of improving strength in the hobby marketplace and plenty of good business-building seminars and round tables to attend if your hobby sales needed at shot in the arm. SEMA is still the largest of 22,000 trade shows and conventions held in Las Vegas every year. The show remains aimed at business-to-business commerce, rather than the public. It is where those who manufacture products for the automotive aftermarket display what they make to retailers and catalogers. The show is divided into 11 sections for different types of products, from hot rod equipment, to tires and from tools to tires. One section, called Restoration Marketplace is for auto restoration products. However, car restorers will find products and services they can use scattered throughout the show. This year the Restoration Marketplace was filled with exciting developments. Coker tire introduced new products and announced its participation in the making of a movie based on the first Indy 500. John Kelsey, of Kelsey Tire Co., won an important tire industry honor. Egge Machiine launched a celebration of its 95th anniversary. Marquez Design, of West Sacramento, Calif., introduced a reproduction ’56 Chevy convertible body as a new product. Antique car tires were displayed in the Tire Hall, restoration tools could be found in the Tools & Equipment area and waxes that hobbyists used were promoted in the Car Care & Accessories section. Other “old-car” parts vendors could be found throughout the show. This year Barrett-Jackson — which seems to move around — was set up adjacent to the GM exhibit and not far from Meguiar’s indoor booth. Other hobby vendors — as well as some stock classic Fords (a Model A and a Deuce) — were exhibited in front of the convention center, not far from Meguiar’s “Car Crazy TV” stage. Leslie Kennedy, the VP of that production, said SEMA 2009 “was better than our expectations going in.” SEMA is famous for its hot rods, its wild customs and its “girls gone SEMA” models and this year was no exception. A hot rod that won lots of attention was an exact clone of the T-bucket that “Edward Kookson III” (actor Ed Byrnes) drove on the old ‘77 Sunset Strip” TV series. The replica was built by Johnnie Overbay’s Reno Rod & Custom in Oklahoma City, Okla. Overbay said that the actual “Kookie Kar” also exists, but has been heavily modified over the years. “This copy is as close as you can get and the owner is selling it,” he said. Exhibitors in the Restoration Marketplace included Original Parts Group, Dynacorn, Custom Autosound, Rare Parts, J.C. Taylor Insurance, Mid America Motorworks, Steele Rubber, Bob Drake, Garage Scenes Ltd., Auto Appraisal Network, Pilkington Classics, Classic Tube and many others. Eaton Spring company is another SEMA vendor offering very specialized suspension rebuilding services to vintage vehicle restorers. Owner Mike Eaton was excited about a new product he is launching — a reproduction of the unique rear leaf spring used on straight-axle Corvettes that has passed muster with the National Corvette Restorers Society. Much of the credit for the organization and success of the Restoration Marketplace has to go to ARMO (Automotive Restoration Market Organization) which represents the interests of restoration parts suppliers within SEMA. ARMO held both a council meeting and a round table at which many ideas for improving the restoration industry were discussed in detail. ARMO is also developing an educational program that could help young enthusiasts learn to restore cars.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 2:20:27 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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Sunday, November 08, 2009

DETAILING AN ENGINE THE EASY WAY
Posted by John

If you work slowly and carefully, you can do a nice job of detailing your collector car’s engine without removing it from the vehicle. Detailing involves cleaning the engine, painting it, renewing stickers and decals and giving things like belts and hoses a looks-like-new appearance. To detail an engine in a car, you need light. You must be able to see the parts that are greasy and dirty in order to clean them. You have to know what you’re going to paint before you start spraying. Use a flashlight or a trouble lamp to take a good look. When using a trouble lamp, be certain there are no fuel leaks. A shop in this area recently burned when a trouble light ignited leaking gas. When working around carburetors, a flashlight will provide the safest light. Before you can paint an engine, you have to remove as much grease as possible. Paint won’t stick to greasy surfaces. Steam cleaning is an excellent way to clean an engine. If you lack a steamer, you can use a spray-on cleaner. Some of these are soapy solutions that you spray on, let sit and then wash off with a garden hose. Others are grease cutters that you spray on and wipe off with a rag. Wear safety goggles and rubber gloves when working with any chemical spray. . A collection of brushes is handy for cleaning hard-to-reach areas. I keep mine in a tackle box. They include old toothbrushes, steel brushes of various shapes, a toilet bowl brush, scrub brushes, paint brushes, a barbeque grille brush – even a $10 gun cleaning kit with long metal brushes that I can chuck in a drill. Brushes can get cleaning solutions into spots where hands won’t fit. Compressed air is a big help. It can be used to blow dirt out of nicks and crannies. Always wear goggles when blowing dirt out with compressed air. I use a small 2-hp compressor that cost under $100 on sale. It does not run very long, but it still helps me clean engines much better than I could before. To do a really nice job of cleaning an engine, you may want to remove the generator, starter, carburetor, exhaust manifold and air cleaner. How far you take things apart depends on your technical skills, but always remove the air cleaner. You can’t do a good job of painting an engine with the air cleaner in place. Spark plugs should be removed and replaced with old ones that you can get over-spray on. Save the good ones, of course. You’ll have to re-install them later. Plug wires can be removed, taped or simply moved out of the way. If you remove them, tag them so they can be re-installed in proper order. Use masking tape and newspaper to cover parts you don’t want to paint. Always use high-quality masking tape that won’t curl, stick or tear apart. Take your time cutting the newspaper to the right size and shape. Used properly, newspaper can save you a lot of tape expenses. It can also be used to wrap, cables and engine accessories so paint doesn’t get on them. Special high-temperature engine paints are available, but at least one restorer insists that regular enamel works just as well and costs less. He may be right. I bought engine paint from one MG supplier for $14 and wound up with a can of “Truck and Van” paint that costs $4 locally. Whether you need special engine enamel may depend on how warm your p engine gets when it is running. Eastwood advertises that its engine paint is heat resistant to 300 degrees. Selecting the right, authentic color is important to most hobbyists. You can’t go by the color of engines in sales catalog illustrations, which are sometimes inaccurate. Some engine paints are named “Ford Blue”or ”Chrysler Orange” to help you find the color you need. Eastwood, Bill Hirsch and Tower Paint Company all have done research on colors used on certain old-car engines. Car clubs are a great source of correct engine paint color information. In addition to painting your engine block and cylinder heads the right color, you will want to spray accessories like the starter, generator and air cleaner. Today you can get a wide variety of special paints such as Chassis Black, Carburetor Renew and Engine Builder Gray to restore other under-hood components. Spray colors that duplicate aluminum, magnesium, copper, brass and titanium are available. If you plan to detail the radiator, there is a special “thin” black paint that withstands high temperatures without restricting airflow like thick paints do. Special exhaust manifold paints come in black, silver and gray. If your engine still has its original stickers or decals and they are in good condition, you’ll want to try to mask them off so they don’t get painted over. In some cases, it is correct to paint over metal tags. In other cases, you can spray them, then take the finish off with acetone. Many vendors sell reproduction engine stickers and decals to give air cleaners and valve covers the “factory” look. Catalogs are available to determine which decals your car should have. When it comes to belts and hoses – as well as service parts such as spark plugs, distributor caps, boils, voltage regulators and oil filters – the best way to make them look new is to install new ones as part of a spring tune-up. However, if such parts are relatively new, you can still clean and detail them. A soft-bristle toothbrush to break up the dirt and a clean rag to wipe it off with do wonders. Spray protectorants can be used to clean wires, plastic windshield washer jugs, brake master cylinders and so on. Spilt flexible wire loom is used to cover the wiring on many modern cars and can be added to older ones. Such coverings are great since they keep field mice from eating through spark plug wires, but they tend to get dirty. You can renew their appearance with liquid shoe polish. A few hours spent detailing your collector car’s engine in the spring is well worth the time and energy. It will make the car more show worthy and could also increase its roadworthiness n cases where you add new parts or unearth problems as you go through the detailing routine. And should you decide to sell the car, a nicely-detailed engine could help swing the deal.

Sunday, November 08, 2009 1:10:28 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

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