Coronado SpeedFestival 2014 : Part 2

In case you missed the first part of our coverage of the 2014 Coronado SpeedFestival, you can view it here: Coronado SpeedFestival 2014 Part 1

Now onto part 2 of our coverage of the event.

A classic GT40 done in the Gulf Oil racing colors.

Coronado SpeedFestival 2014: Celebrating 50 years of Mustangs; Vintage Car Racing; Car Show Part 1

It's been over 50 years since the original Ford Mustang was debuted in New York.  The iconic muscle car ushered in a war of horsepower as other car manufacturers created their own interpretation of Ford's creation.  The Mustang may have been outgunned in horsepower as the 60s came to a close where the Hemi and other big block motors reigned supreme, and the 70s brought about the oil crisis which ended the muscle car period, but in the end it was the pony car which had the last laugh.  The 2+2 sports car is the only one which has stood the test of time, with it's arch rival the Camaro taking a brief hiatus after 2003. 

The Coronado SpeedFestival is open to everyone. 

This year, the Coronado SpeedFestival paid tribute to the Mustang and its various iterations, and there was a parade lap with nothing but Mustangs during the afternoon lunch break. Aside from the focus on the Ford Mustang, the main stars were the race cars dating from the early 1900s all the way up to late model ex-NASCAR race cars.

Car shows/events for September 2013

It's now September!?!  Where did the summer go?  It seems like the fun in the sun days went by in a flash.  With fall coming up in just a couple weeks, there are a few shows here in Southern California that car enthusiasts can check out.

Coronado Speed Festival Part 3, Show and Shine

For our last installment of the Coronado Speed Fest of 2012, we will take a look at the vehicles which arrived for the second day of the car show.

Coronado Speed Festival Part 2: Race Cars in the Paddocks

The Camaro and Ford Fairlane are just a few of the cars which participated in the historic Trans-Am series race.

In part 1 of our coverage of the Coronado Speed Festival, we showed you some of the many different cars which showed up for the car show on Saturday. 

You can view part 1 here:  Coronado Speed Festival Part 1

For part 2 of our coverage, we will show you the various race cars we saw as we browsed the paddocks.

Coronado Speed Festival, a Gathering of Vintage Cars from All Makes Part 1

The Coronado Speed Festival allows attendees a chance to view many vintage vehicles from pony cars to exotic speedsters.

Squeak, squeak.... Vroooom!  Braap, braap braap, braap.  The priming of carburetors followed by the lumpy idle of a high lift camshaft actuating valves breaks the early morning silence.  It is a soundtrack you will become familiar with as you walk the aisles past the various types of vintage cars lining the paddocks at Naval Base Coronado.  As part of its Fleet Week program in appreciation to the troops serving our country, the military holds an annual "Race at the Base" aka Coronado Speed Festival which takes place over an entire weekend.  The race course is setup at the airfield on the base, and this year marked the 15th time the event has been held. 

Datsun West Coast Z Car Nationals 2012

150+ Z cars were on display at the 2012 West Coast Z Car Nationals.

On April 29th, many Datsun Z car enthusiasts converged to a small street in Orange County, California to celebrate the 15th annual West Coast Z car Nationals held by Motorsport Auto.  The Datsun Z specialists sponsored the event, and the gathering was open to any generation of Z car, from the early S30Z chassis Datsun 240Z, to the latest Z34 chassis Nissan 370Z.

Motoring Evolution: Toyota's take on remembering its roots

1957 was a year when the Chevrolet 150, 210 and Bel Air models with the tail fin styling were very popular with the general public.  It was also the year many Elvis fans claim was his most pivotal in propelling him to become the "King" of Rock and Roll.  However, 1957 was also significant for a company from Japan.  This company introduced their first vehicle to the U.S. called the Toyopet Crown.  It's been nearly 55 years (officially on Oct. 31st this year) since the first Toyota drove onto U.S. streets, and quite a bit has changed for the company from their early days. 

The original Toyopet Crown.

The Toyopet Crowns were powered by 1.5 liter 4 cylinder engine with approximately 60 horsepower, and it simply was not able to provide enough power to maintain speed on the highways.  The car had a MSRP of $2300, which was expensive for a manufacturer with no previous history.  (Average vehicle prices were $2200)  Needless to say, the Toyopets did not sell well, and it was not until 1965 that Toyota began to make an impact on the U.S. auto market.