Author Archive: Bryan McTaggart
Rough Start: 1978 Ford Fairmont Box Top – It’s Done, Just Buy The Damn Thing!
Five thousand dollars all-in doesn’t stretch as far as many of us would like it to. Things add up. Tires, for example, will take a humongous bite out of that budget if you have to throw down...
BangShift Question Of The Day: When Did You Last Teach Yourself A New Driving Technique?
Nobody was home. Our nearest neighbor wasn’t home. Even my pain-in-the-ass tattletale of a brother wasn’t home yet. And the yard was pretty much loose turned dirt with a bit of moisture...
Speedy Delivery: A Jeep DJ-5 That’s Been Hybridized With A Grand Cherokee
One of the happiest memories I have is being a little kid, running outside to greet the mailman. At the time, I was living with m grandparents, who were getting on in years and were finally starting...
Mongoose, Panther And More: A Look At DeTomaso’s History From A Specialist
The DeTomaso Pantera is the most well-known example of the brand. How can you not appreciate a Pantera? Ford V8 mounted in the back to a ZF five-speed , the wedge-look that Italy was cranking out at...
Cop Motors, Cop Tires: This Australian Bluesmobile Tribute Gets Down!
Let’s not get into a discussion about the difference between a 1974 Dodge Monaco and a later 1970s Chrysler Valiant. The Valiant platform is the basis of the bones that make up an Australian...
The “WTF?!” Files: Racing Combines Up The Côte de Holtz Hillclimb in Luxembourg
Ten years have passed since this this running of the Côte de Holtz hillclimb was filmed. Ten years ago, some dude with a radically-overbuilt Claas combine that he willfully named the “Green...
Almost To Pretty To Run: This Guy Built His Own Billet Holden 202 Six Cylinder!
One car that has an infamous history in my past wasn’t my car…it was my mother’s. I first saw the 1975 Oldsmobile Omega two-door in 1991…everything from the windshield forward...
Still Love Playing With Flathead Fords? Get Them Started With Powermaster Performance Starters!
Some things will never go out of style. They might age, but they will be loved. That’s the Ford Flathead V8. Sure, there are engines that crank out more power and are more available and more...
Snow-Khana: The Wildest Mark III Supra We’ve Ever Seen!
Everbody praises the Mark IV Toyota Supra as the best of the breed. I disagree. I prefer the boxy, angular Mark III version more. It’s a personal preference issue, but the late 1980s sport...
Money No Object: 1988 Ford Thunderbird – Ready For Battle
Spring is here. Wanna know how I know? The tornadoes that just tip-toed past BangShift Mid-West were the big hint. And yes, in case you are wondering, I haven’t slept well. We’re okay...
Gravity Is Fun: A Trampoline For A Car Looks Absolutely Amazing!
Pity poor Wile E. Coyote. The upright, educated, motivated and hungry member of Hardheadipus oedipus, er…Canis latrans, Mr. Coyote learned seven ways from Sunday just how badly physics were...
BangShift Question Of The Day: Ever Introduce A Non-Car Person To Some Real Live Action?
I’ve been lucky in life to have had a wide range of awesome experiences. I’ve flown five feet off of the ground at over 140 miles per hour in a helicopter before going just about straight...
Want To See An Aussie Burnout Car In Action But Don’t Live In ‘Straya? They’re Coming To The U.S. And Here’s Where!
It’s been one of my life goals to see a no-kidding Australian burnout car in action in Australia. Ever since I saw the first video, of George Separovich’s methanol-inhaling HK Monaro...
Blunt-Force Luxury: Imagine This Lincoln Mark VIII As An SVT Prototype For A Moment
The Lincoln Mark series has been about a two-door with style, power, luxury and an element of…I don’t quite know how to word that last part. For the original Lincoln Continental Mark I,...