By Dave Chapman
The News-Herald
WYANDOTTE — It has been common for years for car companies that have more than one nameplate to make more than one car on the same platform with only minor changes from nameplate to nameplate.
Larry Caruso is quite aware of it as his 1969 Plymouth Valiant 100 is commonly mistaken as its first cousin, the Dodge Dart. Worse yet for Caruso, a fan of all things Mopar, some people mistake the car’s tall, slender tail lamps as one on a mid-1960s Chevrolet Chevy II.

The Valiant’s original slant six engine was replaced with a more modern 360-cubic-inch power plant. The engine has had an aftermarket cam and other performance upgrades to increase its power. A shift kit was added to the transmission to allow it to put more of its power to the pavement. A custom-built aluminum radiator was added to help the engine to keep its cool on hot days.
Caruso is accompanied by his daughter, Emily, when the car is on the road or parked at cruise nights.

By Dave Chapman

FLAT ROCK — Cruisin’ Downriver is a great place to see thousands of classic cars of all sizes, shapes and types. It also is a place where friends come to hang out and talk cars.

One person who is looking forward to this year’s cruise for that exact reason is Bud Ransford.

Ransford’s car club, Downriver Modified, is having a reunion during Cruisin’ Downriver on June 30 at Park Tire, 2256 Fort St., Lincoln Park.

Ransford said Downriver Modified is one of 13 original National Hot Rod Association clubs. Many of the club members worked at the old Detroit Dragway in Brownstown Township in the early years as flag men and technical inspectors.

At the reunion, Ransford will have his 1927 Ford that he has had for many decades. It has gone through many changes over the years since he purchased it for $75 and was able to bring it home in a station wagon.

As with many hot-rodders, Ransford came up with some amazing ways of saving money, such as using shocks off a motorcycle for the rear suspension. He also hand-bent the steel for the rear bumpers.

Should you like to learn more about the history of the hot rod days of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, stop by Park Tire during Cruisin’ Downriver and spend some time with Ransford and other club members.

By Dave Chapman

It isn’t Herbie the Love Bug.

Most Volkswagen Bugs from the 1960s were docile creatures that putted around town with their little four-cylinder engine tucked neatly underneath their rear bonnet. However this is not the case for Dave “Woody” Barsodz.

Barsodz’s 1969 VW has a 690-horsepower supercharged 331-cubic-inch small-block Chevrolet engine neatly tucked in its fiberglass 1940 Ford front end. The VW’s steel body is mounted on a tube chassis and has a Ford 9-inch rear end with a 456 gear.

On the rear of the VW are a custom aluminum wing and a set of wheelie bars, which are a must for this car when it is launched hard.

Barsodz did not say how fast the car could go, but he did say that it takes both hands on the wheel to handle it.

By Dave Chapman

SOUTHGATE — A father-and-son project took much longer than thought, but the end result was worth the time and effort.
When Dave Grybel and his son, Steve, began the restoration of their 1972 Chevrolet Corvette, they had no idea how long it would take and the problems they would encounter.
Dave Grybel bought the car in 1973 and drove it until 1994 when it taken off the road because it was in need of repairs.
“The car sat for a long time,” Grybel said. “I had a wife and family, and they came first.”
As he started getting some spare cash, he started buying parts.
The project got started in earnest about 3 1/2 years ago. Grybel decided that he would let his son do most of the work and help where and when needed.
The car’s engine was reworked by Fred Whaley and now produces more horsepower that when it came from the factory. The ’Vette’s suspension was changed to an all-air system so that the ride height can be adjusted at will.
The car’s interior was customized with a TV added to the center console, and a port was added so that an iPod or iPad can easily be plugged in. There is even a custom duck shifter handle.
A sharp eye will be needed to notice that the keyholes for the doors have been shaved, and so have the brake calipers to give the car an extra-clean look. Plus, the car’s two-piece T-tops were replaced with a custom one-piece unit. The car’s color was custom mixed by Steve especially for this project.
As with most projects, there were some disagreements. However, after the car was done, all that was forgotten, and father and son could not be happier with how their project turned out.

By Dave Chapman

RIVERVIEW — In the 1960s, horsepower was what muscle cars were all about. Downriver Kruzers car club member Mike Lane’s 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 has more than enough under its hood. In the past, there was even more horsepower when he was running the dual quads on top of a tunnel ram manifold.

Lane was very happy with the horsepower the setup put out and the way the car looked. He even won some awards for how good the engine looked. The problem was the amount of time and effort to keep the engine clean. Lane drives his car, and whenever it got caught in the rain, it would take him hours to clean the engine to his high standards.

To make his car more cruise-friendly, he replaced the tunnel ram manifold with a much more hood-friendly one so that he can drive his car rain or shine without spending days cleaning the engine.

If you would like to see or talk to Lane, he will be hanging out at the Lung and Sleep Disorders Center, 18025 Fort St., Riverview, at Cruisin’ Downriver on June 30.

By Dave Chapman


TRENTON — Classic cars from the 1930s and ’40s are great vehicles. They are easy to work on and have great lines. The problem is they don’t have many creature comforts and, for some, the creature comforts make newer classic cars a better choice.

Dave Devour had a classic Packard, but its lack of power steering made it hard to drive.

Devour still wanted to own a classic car he could drive and enjoy. He went to look at a Chevelle that he saw for sale.

“I went to look at the Chevelle,” Devour said. “I just couldn’t buy it. Everyone has a one. I saw the Pontiac and bought it instead.”

The Internet is a great tool for those who are trying to find things — especially for those looking for classic cars.

A good example of what you can find online is Kevin Shay’s 1965 Pontiac Tempest convertible.

“I’ve liked Pontiacs,” Shay said. “I was looking for a 1964 Tempest when I found this one online. It was available for a good price, so I got it.”

The car was restored in 2000 and has 76,000 original miles on it. To set it apart from other Tempests, it has a fiberglass GTO hood and a set of American Racing 200 S wheels on it.

TRENTON — Even though Terry Barrett might not be a star, at least his car is.

That’s right — his 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo has been on the silver screen. Even though it might have been a bit part, the car was used in the filming of the movie “Semi-Pro” starting Will Ferrell.

Barrett has owned his Monte Carlo for eight years. It has a big-block 402-cubic-inch motor under the hood and is all original.

What makes his car unique is not what it has, but what it doesn’t have. While it was very popular in the 1960s and ’70s for cars, especially the personal luxury cars like Monte Carlos, to come with a vinyl top, his does not.

By Dave Chapman


When Downriver Wanders car club member Betty Blanchett purchased her 1963 Chevrolet Impala convertible 23 years ago from California, she had no idea how long and what it would take to finally finish the car.

The car sat for years in a garage until her and her husband got to finally start the car’s restoration. During the restoration, her husband died and the car once again sat.

A while back, her grandson, Marcus Blanchett, asked her what was under the car cover. She showed him. After seeing the Impala, he said they had to restore the car, and process started once again.

“My grandson and I had help rebuilding the car,” Blanchett said. “I did whatever I could. I helped hang the bumpers. My grandson did the glass for the car and I did the interior.”

The car’s original 327 engine is under the hood, complete with its California emission in place and working.

Blanchett said that the rebuild was difficult at times, but she is more than happy with the car.

If you would like to see the car up close and personal, she is at many of the area’s cruise nights and car shows.

By Dave Chapman

HURON TWP. — There are many reasons someone buys a classic car. It could have been there first car, a car they always wanted or it could be a deal they could pass up.

For Bill Marton, anyone of these reasons might have applied to the 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle he purchased. However, the man reason he purchased it was the color.

“The truth is my wife, Betty, saw that the car was yellow and had to have it,” Marton said. “That is the reason why we have the car.”

While the car’s sheet metal was not in bad shape, the same couldn’t be said for its drivetrain. The engine was in sad shape and leaked oil badly. It was decided that it should have a new engine, and his son-in law was going to take care of that, which he did with the help of Marton’s credit card.

The interior of the car also needed some attention, so a new headliner was installed, along with a new rear window package tray.

After the new engine and a 4:11 posi rear end were installed, test drives reveled  there was a problem with rear wheel hop. The wheel hop combined with many test runs led to the need for a new transmission. A set of ladder bars were added to the rear suspension of the Chevelle, which took care of the wheel hop.

By Dave Chapman


WOODHAVEN — Limited-edition vehicles have always been a favorite with car collectors, with one them being Indianapolis 500 pace cars.

Ron Treichel has long been a fan of Pontiac Fieros and has owned many of them over the years. Presently, Treichel is the proud owner of a 1984 Fiero Indianapolis 500 pace car.

To make his car the same as the actual pace car that led the race at Indianapolis, Treichel found a high-mounted rear strobe like the pace car used and added flashers to the front and rear turn signals.

When Treichel purchased the car, it only had 33,000 miles on the original four-cylinder power plant.

Treichel is a regular at Downriver cruise nights and car shows with his grandson, Jimmy Buber, who is his constant companion.

Besides being a pace car another item about this particular Fiero that makes it special to Treichel is that it was built in February 1984, and his grandson also was born in February.

By Dave Chapman

HURON TWP. — No matter how much you like your classic car, there are some reasons that you know it’s time for it to go. Rod Hopper, retired principal of Huron High School, was the proud owner of a 1966 Ford Mustang for years. Recently, it was replaced with a 1968 Ford Galaxie.

“I have had the Mustang for many years and had grown tired of it,” Hopper said. “Besides, it was a stick shift and my wife, Betty, couldn’t drive it. The new car is an automatic, so she can drive this car.”

Hopper found the car on Craigslist and purchased it from the third owner. It seems that Ford had bought the car back from its first owner with the car being used as a test vehicle for line-of-sight tests of the car with the top down. The engineer of the project purchased the car from Ford and kept it until he sold it to Hopper.

By Dave Chapman


RIVERVIEW — Trucks always have been popular vehicles because they not only are stylish, they can be quite useful. This even applies to classic trucks.

Among the more popular trucks from the past are the fat fender Ford F-100s from the 1950s.

Joe Beck happens to be an owner of a 1955 Ford F-100. As one might imagine, the reason he purchased it eight years ago was its fat fenders, and just loves the way it looks.

Under the hood of Beck’s truck is a 302-cubic-inch Ford power plant.

“The engine in the truck is quick enough to get you into trouble very quickly,” Beck said.

Beck said the only future plans for his truck is a paint job.

By Dave Chapman

FLAT ROCK — Pat Haener has been involved with muscle and classic cars since the mid-1970s. The 1957 Ford Custom 300 he now owns has been in his possession for more than a decade and probably will be for much longer.

“I was looking at Chevelles, Camaros and Fairlanes,” Haener said. “Then I found this car, and I am very happy I did.”

Since acquiring the car, Haener has completely redone it, with all the work except the body and paint being done by him, besides updating the Custom 300’s drivetrain with a 302 Ford racing crate motor and a C-4 transmission.

Haener redid the car’s upholstery and added a set of gauges to monitor his engine. A tilt wheel and new sound system makes cruising in the car more enjoyable.

Not only has Haener improved the car’s “get up and go” and creature comforts, he improved its handling. The suspension was completely updated, including the addition of a power rack and steering. To shorten the Ford’s stopping distance, power disc brakes were added.

Haener had to upgrade the chrome reverse wheels and baby moon hubcaps to 15-inchers as the original 14-inch wheels would not fit after the addition of the disc brakes.

To make room for the flamethrower exhaust that sticks out of the back of Haener’s 1957 Ford Custom, he used a bumper from a 1957 Ford Ranchero, which is much smaller.

By Dave Chapman


WYANDOTTE — Over the years, John Payne has sat behind the wheel of more than one classic muscle car that has had his name on the title. And there’s no doubt more than one them drew stares from people as he drove by.

However, none have gotten the looks of his latest his 1926 Model T, commonly known as a Tall T.

Payne recently acquired the car from the family of one of his friends who died.

“The car has a unique style and shape,” he said. “I got the car for a fair price, and it would help out the family.”

The car has a steel body and fiberglass fenders, and is powered by a small-block Chevrolet engine.

“I like the stance of the car,” Payne said. “You don’t see many cars like this done like a pro street car with the wide tires.”

While the car is not in perfect shape yet, Payne plans to redo the body once he gets the car running the way he thinks it is capable of.

By Dave Chapman

WOODHAVEN — Willys from the 1940s have long been a favorite of hot-rodders, and if you have seen Lenny Chmaj’s flamed 1941 Willys, you’d know why.

Chmaj acquired his 1941 Willys a few years back by trading his 1953 Chevrolet Corvette replica for it.

The Willys that Chmaj traded for features a fiberglass Dennis Taylor body and chassis. The car already had flames on it, but they were not up to Chmaj’s standards.

With the help of friend Billy Amatucci, the car was prepped for paint. Amatucci’s brother, Jeff Matuch, applied the flames to the car’s body with Matuch’s 16-year-old son, Jeff, painting the Willys’ skull on the trunk.

The 496-cubic-inch big-block Chevrolet power plant recently was freshened by Chmaj. Before the rebuild, the Willys turned 10-second trips in the quarter mile. He hasn’t had a chance to run it since the rebuild, so he is not sure what times it will now run.

By Dave Chapman

TAYLOR — Ray Hood Jr. has always been a fan of early American muscle cars and wanted one of his own.

He did own a 1971 Chevrolet Nova. However, seeing as the Nova was powered by a six-cylinder engine, there wasn’t enough muscle for him and the car didn’t stick around very long.

About six years ago, Hood found his muscle car, a 1972 Chevrolet Camaro RS complete with a rare split bumper. The car is powered by a small-block Chevrolet engine that was recently rebuilt with some updates to add a little more muscle. Hood estimates that after the updates and tweaks, his car now has around 400 horsepower.

A turbo 350 transmission with a shift kit sends the power to a posi-traction rear end with a 373 gear.

While Hood has updated the drivetrain of his classic Camaro, he has kept the exterior of his car pretty much as it came from the showroom floor. The only notable difference is a set of B.F. Goodrich tires on the Camaro’s stock wheels.

As with the exterior, the interior is pretty much stock except for the addition of an aftermarket sound system. Hood added a set of Sun Pro gauges so that he can keep an eye on the how well the car’s power plant is running.

By Dave Chapman

RIVERVIEW — There are many early Fords from the 1920s and ’30s where the owners have taken the easy way out and replaced the stock engine with a small-block Chevrolet.

Steve Suyak said would never think of doing anything like that.

“I worked for Ford and find that they are very dependable cars,” he said. “I would never drive a Ford powered by anything else than a Ford.”

Suyak found his two-door 1934 Ford Sedan 12 years ago.

“When I saw the car, it was love at first sight,” he said. “I was like a kid in a candy store.”

As you would expect from talking with Suyak, his car is powered by a 302-cubic inch Ford engine. Suyak said it puts out around 375 horsepower. However, when you hear it run, one might think his estimate might be just a tad on the low side.

Suyak drives his car to many of the local car shows and cruises. He enjoys the looks the car gets. He said the “car drives so well it almost drives itself.”

To make the driving more enjoyable for Suyak, the car has a tilt wheel and air conditioning to keep him and his wife cool on hot days.

By Dave Herndon
Twitter: @NHDaveH

ROMULUS — Custom semitrucks from across the nation will be on display for American Trucker Appreciation Day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The show, hosted by Detroit Radiator Corp., 15385 Pine, is free to the public.

The headliner of the show is expected to be “Dr. Cool,” a truck that recently was customized by South Carolina-based Outcast Kustoms for a show on the Discovery channel family of networks. NASCAR star Denny Hamlin’s Toyota Camry also will be there.

Tours of the facility will be offered, and there will be music and food.

Call 1-734-284-9070 for more information.

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