Classic Good Humor Ice Cream Truck: One Sweet Ride

At the same show as the Caprice/Nomad hybrid i spotted this commercial truck thats perfect to have round on a hot day in Florida....

This is a 1960s Ford F-Series Good Humor Ice Cream truck. This is a mint condition and operable example of an American icon of neighborhood streets. At the show they actually had ice cream stuff stored in the refrigerated storage areas in the back.

I certainly would love to take this to the beach for the day. I could make a killing and always have something sweet on hand if i get too hot.

1957/90s Alternomad Caprice: Two great bowties put together.

At a car show 2 years ago, I spotted this rare beast, a combination of two of my favorite Chevrolets...

This is known as the Alternomad Caprice, a full size interpretation of the Revell Model kit of the same name. It basically started out as a normal 1990s Caprice Classic Wagon. But with a little metal fabrication and welding and window filling, this car has been transformed into a modern recreation of a 1957 Chevy Nomad Panel.

The back end still has the curved roof of the Caprice wagon but now there are 57 Chevy fins adorning the rear end. The custom pin striping adds to the hod rod look. All it needs is the metal slats in the tailgate.

The interior has been livened up with the padded door panel, and the custom steering wheel. And in this shot you can see the Revell plastic model the car is based off of.This car is a real retro cruiser. I would definitely do something like this with a 1990s Cadillac Fleetwood with 59 fins.

1970s Dodge Sportsman Wheelchair Van

Now working half my shift, in a supermarket parking lot, I see alot of those wheelchair loadable minivans by Braun. There mostly based off of Chrysler, Toyota, and Honda Minivans and called "Braun Entervans". Now I always thought Braun was a relatively new company. But apparently this van proved me wrong.

This is a 1970s Dodge Sportsman Braun Wheelchair lift, minibus. It turns out the company has been around for years, and its lifts can be found in both residential and commercial use. The roof has been raised to allow more room for movement inside the van. Most of the new Entervans feature a channeled floor instead

Inside the seats have been removed as well to allow for extra movement for the wheelchair. You can see the lift mechanism on the right.

It really warms my heart knowing that people like the Braun Company have been championing the right of mobility for for the disabled for years!

1960s VW Type 2 Panel Van: Who needs paint?

I was coming out of the Starbucks in the plaza where i work and was taken aback by this car.

Its a VW Type 2 Panel van whose owner had apparently skipped over an important part of the bodywork repair process; paint. It does look like just a wacky paint job under that deep clear coat. Nope, it really is just unpainted, exposed bondo and old paint immortalised under many layers of clear coat.

It's definitely a unique approach, and I must say, on an old VW van, not really wrong either. I'm pretty sure the owner was going for that custom "rat rod" look, and i must say he definitely pulled it off.

On The Auction Block: 1961 Mini Cooper.

Welcome to the next chapter of "On The Auction Block" where I show you some of the unique rides up for sale at the 2011 Palm Beach County Auction. This time, we have a legendary British classic that's been around for ages, and even in its current BMW owned form, proves that you don't need to go big to go fast.

This of course, is a 1961 Austin Mini Cooper, fully restored to it's former glory. The Cooper was the top-of-the-line, go-fast version of the Mini line up. It's definitely a legendary car that has seen everything from the tight turns of British race tracks to the winding closed off roads of the Monte Carlo Rally.

The handling of the car was excellent as the wheels were placed as close to the front and rear of the car as possible. People who have driven it describe it as being a 4 seat go-kart.
Of course it's the size of the car that most people talk about. Its hard to tell, even in the top picture, how small it is. It's smaller than the newer car by BMW, yet despite being 6 foot 2, i actually fit easily in this car. It is of course still in it's right-hand-drive configuration and was a bit disorientating at first having the gear stick on the left.

I've had a new Cooper S in my family and it was a great car. Hopefully one day I'll get to drive one of these originals......just not on I-95.

On the Auction Block: 1934 Cadillac 355 D 2 Door Town Coupe.

Welcome to another chapter of "On the Auction Block" Where i showcase some of the real head turners at the 2011 Palm Beach County Auction in March. This car I'm showing here was probably the rarest car in the auction...

This Al Capone-ish looking car is a 34 Cadillac 355D Town Coupe. This car was definitely the oldest Cadillac up for auction that weekend.

The car featured the original 335D V8 engine and was fitted with most of the optional extras of the time such as a full chrome grille with red slats as well as a cover for the rear mounted spare.

This was probably the only time I would ever see this car. According to the listing this car was one of only seven made, which could mean that this car is the only one left in existence. Still didn't sell.

On the Auction Block: 1969 Plymouth Road Runner

Welcome to the next installment of my "On The Auction Block" Series, where i showcase the cars that stood out at the 2011 Palm Beach County Auction. For this entry we have a 60s muscle car named after one of the fastest cartoon characters ever....

What we have here is a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. This particular car is fully restored, and numbers matching with a factory correct configuration. With its shiny Hemi Orange paint and black stripes, it does look like they had just taken the cellophane off.

Under the air grabber hood we have the 426 Hemi which has been dubbed the "Coyote Duster", letting people know just how fast this car would be. The other feature is the signature Road Runner horn which gives off the trademark "Meep Meep" sound went pressed

This is definitely a toony car with its loud paint and cartoon characters motif on it. Hopefully one day someone will buy it.