Hi, I just joined. I recently purchased a graphite gray, 8,430 mile, SRT6 and I'm awaiting it's arrival (here in California). I live in Central CA, and I enjoy a lot of cars. Currently I'm building five Corvettes ('57, '59, '62, '63 and a '67) I've had these for years and now that I'm semi-retired, I started redoing them all. Three are restro mods with new chassis, supporting C6 suspensions and Viper rear ends, as well as LS3 motors and T56 transmissions while the other two are remaining stock. I purchased this Crossfire mainly because of all I read on the SRT6 and felt it was a car to have. I doubt if I'll put many miles on it, but I do plan to enjoy the ones I do. Being almost 65, I grew up in the "I love cars" generation and how could you not love this little guy? I also have a '36 Ford (five window coupe) which I've played with, a new Vette (C6), a '29 Roosevelt, a '72 Blazer, a C5 Jeep, a '54 Chevy truck, a (19k mile) '79 450 SL, a '27 T, a '57 Porsche, a Dune Buggy and about 30 classic motorcycles.

I own a company called American-Retro, hence the handle.

Thanks,
Dave

 

Welcome Dave,
Ya sound like a busy car guy !!
Welcome to the forum here and enjoy the newest one in you collection

Gary

 

Thanks Gary, I appreciate the welcome, Dave

 

dave, these are the manuals to the SLK see if this works.https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gw3cyp3rdpztdue/c2GqOGQn8C

 

Sounds like you have a collection Jay Leno would be jealous of!!

Welcome to the forum ... and don't be afraid to post pics of your collection ... I don't think anyone will mind 😁

 

Thanks RL,


I just added, if I did it right, a picture of my decopod, which Jay Leno had on his show. It's my profile picture. Once I figure it out, I'll add some pictures in an album.


Dave

 

Thanks cartoonguy, I'll look those up. I appreciate it. Dave

 

Oh hell, I love you already.... welcome aboard. Get ready for a big surprise. I have owned a few cars in my day. '62, '73, '74, '75 LT1 and '03 ZO6 vettes. '69 Z28, '71 SS 396, '92 Z-28 in Camaros. But, I love my two little XF more. Although the new Z-28 is tempting if I wasn't so close to retirement...lol.

 

Thanks Oledoc,


Nice cars, all of them! I'm looking forward to getting this little car, it has been picked up and is somewhere between here and PA, should get it mid week. I probably lost a couple of deals because I waited, I'm 6'2" and 230 lbs, and I wasn't sure if I could fit into one, nor was I familiar on how they handled. I went to a swap meet in Chicago a couple of weeks ago and with my brother in St Louis I was fortunate enough to drive a 93K mile, blue SRT6. I not only fit into it (note years of getting into C1 Vettes helped) but dang, I enjoyed driving it. The traffic was bad and I couldn't really get on it, but I did get on it enough to know it was a sweet little car and I was going to have one. I came on eager to satisfy the inch and saw a black one on ebay, 64K miles, at a Nissan Dealership in LA, I had to go to LA the next day so I thought I would see what I could do, they were asking 14,900. It sold before I got there. I then revisited this one, and I'm glad I went this direction.


Dave

 

You can take the knee bolster out and will help with a little more room. You are a car guy, so I will tell you all the mods that will make it even better. Some are made right there in good ole' Kalifornia. The 'wavetrac' replaces the spider gears as they are open diff cars. This will make it posi-trac. Makes it just like an ole' muscle car. A cold air intake, a pulley change for the supercharger, modified intake manifolds, and a tune by Eurocharged will wake this car up to match any late model vette... Good luck, and have fun with it...but I already know you will with a collection like that.

 

I went ahead and posted pictures of my Tripod. I won Most Innovative for 2013 a Pebble Beach (Quail Run), and later I was invited to the Design Institute at Passendaena, there Jay Leno saw it and got into it (later he had it on his show). Randy Grubb, a good friend, hammered out the aluminum on it, I got the idea of building a bigger, three wheel version of Randy's two wheel Bypod. He later built a couple of more, but mine was the first

I believe Randy is probably the foremost automotive artist in the world. Look his name up on the internet and you'll see all his fantastic creations.

Dave

 

It's great to have you here. We have a good mix of young dreamers and experienced dreamers. Young and experienced do'ers too, but lately they've been moving along. Welcome.

Les

 

Thanks Les


Cars are fun, heck, I enjoy driving anything if it's different.


Dave

 

welcome Dave nice color,, do some mods...jim

 

So, I'm gonna show my lack of knowledge when it comes to cars - is the decopod design I see in your album a restoration of an old style vehicle or is it something you (or Randy) designed?

Very interesting looking vehicle.

 

Hi RL,

As much as I would like to take credit for it, I have to give Randy the nod. I did have my input and since it was the first one ever made, we both had a lot of ideas, but Randy created the design. We took a three wheel scooter, removed the body and built our own. Thinking outside of the box. So no, it's not an old design or vehicle restored, it's number one of six in the world and the only one with two doors (my insistence).

Dave

 

Thanks AMX,

Right now, I just want to get it here safe and sound. It's in an enclosed trailer, somewhere between here and PA. ETA tomorrow through Friday.

Does anyone leave the SRT6 stock? Why all the mods?

Dave

 

So they can totally embarrass Corvettes, Mustangs, Chargers and Cameros at the 1/4 mile.

 

Dave, you are a car guy. You know why all the mods. She will do around 13.1 quarters stock. Most will average 11.7-11.9 with simple bolt ons and a tune. Add nitrous and you can see the 10's. Add a v-8 and you can see the 10's, add nitrous and a v-8 and you can see....well, that hasn't been done yet, sorry...lol

 

Hi Doc,

I guess my point was my test drive in one of these was impressive, I just wanted to know the give and takes on the mods. For example, I installed a better breather system on my daughters truck, it increased hp as well as mileage, and it was CA approved. For five years it's went through the biannual smog inspections with no problem. This year, they changed the rules and the machines the inspectors use. It failed, and then it took me two hours, several phone calls and one call from the mechanic on duty to Sacramento to establish it was ok. If I have this to look forward to in two years, trust me, I'll put it back stock. Working on cars that no longer require smog, (in California) is one thing, working on ones that do, is another.

I can build a chassis, using C6 or C7 for that matter suspension, I can take a Viper rear end and change the ratio from 3:08 to 3:90 so the T-56 (double overdrive) will have something to work with, matching it all with a LS3 and sliding the set up under a '57 Vette who no longer requires smog with no problem. I can build a car to run, but sitting in a shop, for two hours while some kid half my age acts like he's doing me a favor to smog my truck because the air cleaner has been changed, isn't my idea of fun. Note; a CA smog approved air cleaner at that!

So, before I consider any mods, I want to know the pros and cons, especially the cons. Has anyone had their Crossfire smogged in CA after the mods, or maybe i should say smogged with one of the new machines?

Dave