SO HERE IS THE DEAL

I saw Lou on Speed Channel this morning on Livin the low life which I very rarely watch. Pete Chapouris was on there as well. Lou met Mike Watson I think? and talked about low riders and how the evolved from the 60's.

Outstanding! Best thing I heard in days. Good luck Lou.

Great news..Lou does this mean i should stop checking in on the FullMetalTV web page for any News.? Best of Luck..We'll be WATCHING..!!
What do you tv guy's say "break a leg" ??

cosmicfrog,  did you happen to notice that the trucks was made to look worse than it was? The staging on that show was pretty dam bad as well. "OH NO THEIR NOT GOING TO MAKE THEIR DEADLINE"  But in the end on the last day the bodies painted and interior is finished. Give me a brake. Ugly ass colors too.

-cementshoes

Yeah, it was pretty sad. I think someone sold the idea and then had to produce. I could do better than that show. I did it in the 70's on local TV. I'd love to get back into broadcasting, especially with a gear head show. I even paid to make a demo a few years back. The production compnay got sold and I never saw any of my video or got my demo disc. They want 20 something guys and I'd probably get a smile and be told they'll call me and then that will be it.

Gawd, Lou, please hurry! I'm ready to go all Gunny on my TV!

There ain't diddly on. I bust my ass 14 hours a day and spend a couple fixing things around the house and I need something to drink my adult beverage of choice to...

Yayyy! I still watch the Muscle Car show, but those guys have as much personalilty as a paint can.

My 7 year old son has his own TV interests, but he misses Lou too! He'll enjoy watching Lou's new show.

Just wanted to let you know, Lou, that you've got adult, and kid fans! It will be awesome to have you back on the tube.

Sean

67 Cutlass Supreme convertible, sloooooooowly getting restored
I keep some old MuscleCar shows on TIVO, and I rewatch for the info, and to get a dose of Lou's style.

Yayyy! I still watch the Muscle Car show, but those guys have as much personalilty as a paint can.

-seanm

   This weekend the MuscleCar guys were talking about the muscle cars that were made. Sheez, talk about revisionist history. They cited Wikipedia (?) that said muscle cars were built from the late 60's. GM always brags about the GTO being the first even though it was no where near being first. SD Pontiacs, Max Wedge Mopars, and such were around in the early 60's and the mid fifties were no slouch either. The 1956 Chrysler 300B had one horsepower per inch available and you can go even farther back than that. Not counting the high money stuff of the 30's, Joe Average could buy a mid sized car with a big car engine in 1949 with the Oldsmobile Rocket 88. They took the Olds 77 and dropped the Olds 98 engine in it. I wish they would research things better than that.

Well, those late 50s early 60 "muscle cars" were big engine in big cars. Muscle cars were big engine in a little car. Look at the weight difference between, say, a 409 Impala and a 64 GTO. I still think they have some knowledge gap on Muscle Car the show, but I mostly watch for picking up tricks I haven't seen before.

I'd like to see 'em hunt up a Studebaker Hawk. I used to know where there were a few Studebakers that need restoring, but I haven't been out there for a long time. The guy even had a Lowey-era President. Now, that would be cool with an R engine, and a true Muscle Car.

I just watched the Muscle Car show for this week, and one thing they didn't mention was the 70's Monza, Sunbird, and other GM H-Bodies that came with V6 and V8 engines. They weren't as fast as the 60s cars, but they were still faster than what was available then. And, with a few minor mods, they were pretty darn quick and handled a lot better than any of the cars from the 60s.

Well, those late 50s early 60 "muscle cars" were big engine in big cars. Muscle cars were big engine in a little car. Look at the weight difference between, say, a 409 Impala and a 64 GTO. I still think they have some knowledge gap on Muscle Car the show, but I mostly watch for picking up tricks I haven't seen before.
I'd like to see 'em hunt up a Studebaker Hawk. I used to know where there were a few Studebakers that need restoring, but I haven't been out there for a long time. The guy even had a Lowey-era President. Now, that would be cool with an R engine, and a true Muscle Car.

-e-merlin

    Well, the Olds 77 was a light car. The 98 was a bigger car with a bigger engine. The Rocket 88 was a 77 body with the 98 engine. Big motor in a mid sized car. That's a muscle car any way you look at it and in 1949 too. The '51 Saratoga from Chrysler was similar in concept. It was the same body but stripped down from the New Yorker and would really haul with the 331 Hemi under the hood. A cousin had one with the fluid clutch replaced with a regular clutch and he was a terror on the streets. Chevy was a late comer with V-8 power and if you listen to the Chevy guys, they led the way. I drove a '54 Dodge Coronet with the 241 Hemi and Powerflite transmission for about 10 years and it surprised more than one Mustang and Camaro.

I just watched the Muscle Car show for this week, and one thing they didn't mention was the 70's Monza, Sunbird, and other GM H-Bodies that came with V6 and V8 engines. They weren't as fast as the 60s cars, but they were still faster than what was available then. And, with a few minor mods, they were pretty darn quick and handled a lot better than any of the cars from the 60s.

-e-merlin

   The Monza was more of an early 80's car. It was a rebodied Vega which was turning into a decent car after Chevy worked the bugs out. like the Corvair, by the time they fixed the problems it had a bad reputation and nobody wanted to buy it anymore. I dropped a 400 into a 4 banger Sunbird once. We had a wrecked Monza with a 262 V-8 and used a lot of the parts to make it fit. The transmission was the hardest part. Getting it to live behind the 400 was almost as hard as the rest of the installation combined.

No, the Monza, Sunbird, Starfire, and Skyhawk were only made until 1980.
 
Anyhow, I've had at least one of each H-body, one of each body style, and at least one of almost every engine/transmission combo. You could get everything from that miserable Vega all-aluminum piece of crap up to a 350 small-block from the factory in different cars.
 
I love those things. My favorite car of all time was a 1976 Sunbird with a 231 odd fire Buick V6 and a T-50 5-speed. We cammed it and put headers on. It would tear up the 5.0 Mustangs that everyone thought was hot stuff back in the early 80s. It sounded like a pack of Harleys coming down the road!
 
I never got my 79 V8/Auto Sunbird running the way it should have. It must have had a stuck exhaust valve because it started backfiring out the exhaust. I sold it in a moment of financial difficulty and kind of wish I hadn't. It was probably the last factory V8 H-Body ever built.
 
I still have my 80 Sunbird Formula, but I think someone made off with the spoiler. It started life with an Iron Duke 4, but I jerked that and stuck in an even-fire Buick V6. I've got to finish it up, but it's been sitting for a long time and it needs a lot of work now. In fact, this Chevette I'm doing right now is kind of a warm-up for the Sunbird.
 
The one I haven't had, but would love to, is the Cosworth Vega. That, by all accounts, is a perfect balance between power and handling.

What the heck is the deal with the different type sizes????

I will tells you guys this, I'm in Cali right now shooting the new show.

chop chop

While we talk about early muscle we shouldn't forget some of the US/EURO blends.  Mr. Shellby's creations come to mind.  Both big and small block cars,  and what about a Sunbeam Tiger?  One of my pesonal dream cars is a Pantera ( I know, more in the super car class), not that I can afford one mind you, but we all need a dream.  Back on this side of the water, Mercury built the Cougar with some crazy optional egines, 427,428. 
  Anyhow, taping is good but how about air time and date, sorry , impaitiet,

                                                                                Z

The Shelbys, Sunbeams, ect. were more in the Corvette camp. They get credit for being muscle cars because of the Hp/weight ratio, but they were more properly identified as sports cars.
 
Shelby Mustangs were a different thing,
 
I've always wanted to shove a Buick V6 in a Lotus Super 7. Love that Buick V6.
 
Go, Lou, go! Can't wait.

I will tells you guys this, I'm in Cali right now shooting the new show.

-lou-santiago

    You're typing while taping? Seriously, any idea on air dates? Any good looking gals prancing about on the show? I mean, you're a very talented fabricator and I've learned a lot by watching you, but snug jeans on a pretty gal is always a hit.

Stacy David was stuffing a small block Ford in a Miata last weekend. Aperently someone makes a kit. 

 I suppose you could put the Shelbys and Sunbeams in the same group as the Vett but folks road raced them as well as Corvetttes, Mustangs, Camarros, Cudas, Firebirds, Chalengers,  Cougars.......   Still not much out there that beat the 0-100-0 figures of the AC Cobra.  Some times muscle  stopps and turns corners too.

                                                                          Z

Chop, chop. We're waiting. What's up Boss?
jtjohnston at jtjohnston.net