Steve McQueen's Car Reborn.

 I have seen this car before at work but very rarely have i been able to examine one let along take some shots of it. And due to this particular Mustangs low production numbers, some people may not be able to tell what kind of Mustang it is.

What it is, is a 2008 Ford Mustang GT "Bullitt" Edition. This special trim level was introduced to pay homage to the 1968 Mustang GT-390 driven by Steve McQueen in the "Bullitt" movie. Only 7000 were produced and this one is one of those, not a replica or kit.

Ford took every opportunity to make the new car look almost the same as the old one from the Dark Highland Green paint job to the pony-less grille with the aluminum strip surround to the removal of the GT spoiler from the rear deck. Black wheels with silver rims and black brake calibers completed the exterior design.

The interior of the car, was done up in black leather with satin aluminum trim pieces, shift knob and pedal covers. The engine was tweaked with a cold air intake, remapped ECU, and a much wider diameter exhaust, which helped it develop 315 hp and 325 foot pounds of torque. To help with the handling a strut brace was added to stiffen the chassis as well as upgraded suspension.

This is by far, one of the best attempts i've seen at making a classic movie car modern, and I'm sure that if Steve McQueen could see it now I'm sure he would have placed an order.

Zimmer Golden Spirit: Old Time Looks, New Age Heart.

Here is a car I see often at work, usually tucked away in the rarely used portion of the side parking lot. It’s a car I love to puzzle passers by with by making them guess its age. Most say its from the 20 or 30s. You of course can imagine the astonishment I get from them when I tell them it’s a 1980s car.

The Zimmer "Golden Spirit", is a car that been in production by the Zimmer Motorcar Corporation in Syracuse New York. Since 1978 the company has been handcrafting what they refer to as "neo-classic" cars, which combines the stylish lines of the 1920s and 30s with the engineering and comfort of today. The flagship of the company is the "Golden Spirit", which is considered to be the finest all American neo-classic car in production.

The process of manufacturing a Golden Spirit, starts with the rolling chassis, cabin, interior trim and engine from an existing Ford production car, a Ford Mustang GT for the two door model and a Lincoln Town Car for the four door models. The front axle is then moved forward before the new fiberglass front and rear clips go on. This allows the car to have a much longer hood, adding to the "Great Gatsby" era styling.

The neo-classic idea of the Zimmer, provides a couple of distinct advantages over owning an actual classic car. Because the Zimmer is based off existing production cars, it has all of the modern car touches making the driving much easier. Also, because of the connection with Ford, a Zimmer can be serviced under warranty at any Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

Museum Spotlight #1: Ragtops Motorcars, West Palm Beach.

Ragtops Motorcars in West Palm Beach is a classic car museum located on Old Dixie Highway between Okeechobee Blvd and Belvedere Rd.

Opened in 1980, the museum is situated in a former Cadillac LaSalle dealership built and credited in 1929 as being the largest building of its kind north of Miami. The collection, is distributed through both the single story former showroom area and the first 2 floors of the attached 3 story garage, the second floor being accessible either by a staircase or the fully functional car transport elevator. A second building, Club LaSalle offers more collection space

The Showroom area of the museum, is designed as a 1950s diner, with a glass brick and mica soda bar which sells water and soft drinks. The room is decorated with juke boxes, diner booths and vintage license plates adorning the walls. The "Garage" Gift shop is also located here selling Ragtops branded clothing, toy cars, and unique items which include handbags made out of old license plates and belts adorned with bottle caps.

The first floor of the 3 story garage, known as Memory Lane, is made to look like a small town's main street featuring store fronts as well as "Ragtops Beach" a surf themed display featuring a sand sculpture of the museums logo. Finally the 2nd floor, known as the "Drive In", features a large projection screen with the cars parked facing it.

Contrary to its title, Ragtops's collection isn't limited to only convertibles. The cars featured, range from coupes and sedans to trucks and station wagons. It is also home to one of the few surviving Amphicars. The collection also isn't limited to just classic cars. In one visit you can encounter a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air one minute and a late 80s Mercury Colony Park the next.

What sets Ragtops apart from other museums, is that it was primarily built as a classic car dealership and still functions as such today. Many of the vehicles there, have a price tag. If you have the right money, you can walk in, make an offer, and drive off with your dream car, and even have it stored on site as part of the collection. Ragtops, also has the ability to host special events either in the main building or the adjacent Club LaSalle.

So if you are a classic car buff, and looking for a place in West Palm Beach to check out, Ragtops Motorcars Museum and Dealership may just become your new favorite place.