STEVE MCQUEEN’S DUNE BUGGY DAYS

Steve McQueen-- rockin' the Aran sweater & enjoying a smoky treat, behind the wheel of his dune buggy from "The Thomas Crown Affair."

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Steve McQueen & Faye Dunaway with the dune buggy from "The Thomas Crown Affair."

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Steve McQueen's highly-customized, Corvair-powered, Meyers Manx dune buggy from "The Thomas Crown Affair."

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Steve McQueen on the “Thomas Crown” Dune Buggy–

“Crown lives at the beach, and he has a sand Dune Buggy.  I helped them design it, so I’m kind of proud of that.  What it is, it’s set on a Volkswagen chassis, with great old wide weenies – big wide tires on it with mag wheels. Corvair engine stuffed in the back, and a semi reclining position, somewhat like my formula 1 car.  It’s very light, you know, I think we are around about 230 horses, and the vehicle weighs about 1000 pounds.”

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All the Dune Buggy stunt scenes from The Thomas Crown Affair were performed by Steve McQueen himself– with actress Faye Dunaway bravely sitting by McQueen’s side like a true sport.  Man, how I love the howl of that souped-up Corvair engine in the clip below–

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Next up, A Steve McQueen dune buggy on some serious steroids– the Legendary Hurst Baja Boot.

The Hurst Baja Boot was envisioned by Vic Hickey who was regarded as one of General Motors top engineers of the time. GM had a “no racing” policy in place that initially stopped any plans of producing the Baja. But under the shadow of darkness, Hickey and Drino Miller completed the Baja Boot in 26 days at the Hurst facility in Michigan. The chassis was constructed out of SAE- 1010 13/4-inch steel tubing that weighed 3,450 pounds. The suspension system included parts from a Corvette rear drive assemblies and a Dana transfer case to support the 112 inch long hybrid four-wheel-drive buggy. The Baja Boot could operate from a Front wheel drive platform through an inverted drive assembly that allowed the driver to disengage the transfer case. Other Innovative features included a collapsible steering column, 11-inch Hurst-Airheart disc brakes, a 20-inch-diameter six-blade fan with reversed pitch, and a 350ci V-8 engine that was installed backwards.

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Steve McQueen, Bud Ekins and the legendary Chevy-powered Hurst Baja Boot, only 2 were ever made.

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Steve first raced the Baja Boot in the ‘Stardust 7-11′ off-road race in June 1968. A gruelling 320 mile odyssey for both cars and motorbikes, the race started at the Stardust raceway in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran across the potentially lethal Amargosa desert. Friend and fellow racer Bud Ekins was also with Steve in the Baja Boot in the role of rider-navigator.

In the lead up to the race Steve told the media - “I’ve lined me up a sweet machine for this one called the ‘Baja Boot.’ Chevy powered. Four hundred and fifty horses under the bonnet. Space frame construction. Four-wheel drive. Independant suspension. And ‘smooth’! I can notch close to a hundred over a sand wash and you better believe that’s moving.”

Steve and Bud were performing well in the race, until, in Steve’s own words, as related to writer William F Nolan– “We were really battin’ along, feeling good about the car and our chances with it, when we see this big fat wheel rolling along beside us. It’s our wheel!  The axle had popped.  Well, that did it. We just sat on our tails in the desert ’till help came.”

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Steve McQueen and the Hurst Baja Boot 1968

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McQueen also took the Baja Boot for a spin in 1969′s ‘Baja 1000′, which as the name suggests, is a 1000 mile long off-road race.  Set on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, also known as ‘The Devils Playground’, the Baja 1000 is the longest off road race in the world.  It is also arguably the toughest and most dangerous– 1969′s event claiming two lives.

Steve McQueen was accompanied by co-driver Harold Daigh this time out, and the pair were travelling well, but, with just 237 miles completed, disaster struck when a broken transmission put them out of the race.

McQueen later told William Nolan– “In the fast sections, it was not unusual for us to get airborn for 50 to 70 feet over road dips.  The Boot rides so smooth you can overdo things.  Even in bad, choppy sections it’ll do 60 or so, and if you slam into a big rock at that speed you can crack an axle or worse.”

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Steve McQuen and Bud Ekins in the legendary 450 HP Chevy beast-- the Baja Boot.

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Thee Hurst Baja Boot driven by Steve McQueen.

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Restored McQueen Baja Boot with correct Hurst decals and red paint.

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Interior of the off-road Hurst Baja Boot

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The Legendary Hurst Baja Boot off-road monster

from theselvedgeyard

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is one of the most extreme off-road trucks ever offered from the factory, so naturally it's more photogenic that your average pickup. We gathered all our best shots of the factory race truck into one dirt filled gallery.

Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2012

 by Sports Car Digest

Between covering auctions, events, rallies and vintage races, in addition to profiling and reviewing modern and classic cars, collections, historic races and more, 2012 was, thankfully, an increasingly busy year at Sports Car Digest. The grand total of stories published during the year came to nearly 550, an average of more than ten per week and growing the archives to nearly 2,800 articles.

And how could we call ourselves car enthusiasts if we didn’t obsess over numerical statistics and analyses? A mere tally of stories published wasn’t the only thing we were keeping our eye on, we also kept track of the stories and galleries that were getting the most views, too, and compiled the most popular here. Leading the way in page views for 2012 was the Goodwood Festival of Speed, followed by the vast photo galleries from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Le Mans Classic. Just as in 2009, 2010 and 2011, nearly all of the top stories included extensive photo galleries, which accounted for a majority of the page views.

So without further ado, enjoy the year in retrospect with our Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2012.

Top 10 Most Popular Stories on Sports Car Digest – 2012

1. Goodwood Festival of Speed Photo Gallery – Tim Scott’s 440-image gallery of pictures from the hillclimb at Goodwood.

2. Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Photo Gallery – Tim Scott’s 168-image gallery of photos from the Pebble Beach Concours.

3. Le Mans Classic Results and Photo Gallery – Tim Scott’s massive 1025-image gallery of photos from the biennial Le Mans Classic.

4. Silverstone Classic Report and Photo Gallery – Tim Scott brought more than 750 pictures that captured the massive and interesting field of entrants at the Silverstone Classic.

5. 1956 Sebring 12 Hours Grand Prix Profile – From Louis Galanos, an extensive profile and gallery of images from the 1956 Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix of Endurance.

6. Drivers and Personalities from 1971 to 2008 – Bob Harmeyer’s gallery of candid, environmental portraits of drivers, owners and other personalities from four decades of racing.

7. Jon Shirley Collection – Dennis Gray’s interview, profile and gallery of the Jon Shirley automobile collection.

8. Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Photo Gallery – Our initial 150-image gallery from the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, which honored the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 GTO.

9. 1966 12 Hours of Sebring Profile – Another great profile from Louis Galanos, this profile of the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race that saw the Ford GT40 factory team win the race over rival Ferrari.

10. Monterey Motorsports Reunion Report – Dennis Gray’s 200-image gallery from the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra.

Hunting eBay: Motoring & More

By ERIC YANG

To this humble writer, eBay remains one of the last bastions of great finds. Sure, there’s a trove of new listings that hit eBay every minute, but for me, the hunt remains nearly as fun as the buy. Recently the good folks at eBay asked if I could throw in with their eBayFinders initiative to share some of my finds.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing several posts to round up a variety of good things ranging from motoring to style to electronics. If you read GP regularly, then you know we like to chase down the stuff at the crossroads of gear and design, but in our free time (okay, a lot of my free time), you’ll often find us whiling away lunch breaks scouring for the vintage and esoteric. Few make it to the pages of GP, but this is a perfect chance to do just that.

If you’re half the scavenger we like to think you are, then you probably have a good sense of how to find the necessities and readily available goods; but what about some of the loftier gets? Well, our first roundup, which focuses on motoring, includes a few to get you started. But remember, auctions have timelines, and some of these end soon — so if you’re interested in a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL, a 1976 International Harvester Scout, or maybe just a cool vintage Heuer chronograph, we recommend you take a hard/longing look at your finances (and PayPal accounts) and hit the jump.

1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL

Between 1967 and 1971, Mercedes-Benz brought just under 24,000 280 SLs stateside. Originally introduced in 1963 at the Geneva Motor Show as the 230 SL, the W 113 (chassis parlance for MB enthusiasts: the “W” stands for wagen) is unmistakably Mercedes-Benz. However, the iconic design was actually penned by Paul Bracq, a Frenchman who also designed the beloved TGV trains and, later, the 1973 BMW Turbo. Powered by a 2.8 liter inline-6 engine with 170 horsepower (20 more than its predecessors) mated to a 4-speed automatic, the 280 SL exemplifies how the W 113 grew from its original roots as a sports car into a more comfortable grand tourer (it even sports air conditioning). There are myriad advantages to owning a vintage Mercedes-Benz, but one of the greatest is the widespread availability of parts to cars — even for those over 30 years old, meticulous records are kept at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Center.

Bid Now: Here

Vintage Porsche 356 Poster

Outside of the 911, the Porsche 356 remains one of the most identifiable Porsches on the road. It’s also the venerable company’s first production model, and though half of the original 1948 models are still on the road, they remain a rare sight to behold. But who says you can’t pay homage at home with a fine cutaway poster?

Bid Now: Here

1976 Jeep Wagoneer

There are rumblings that Jeep plans to reintroduce the Wagoneer, but in our minds, nothing will replace the original. Today, a fully restored Wagoneer can be had — but it will cost you a pretty penny. This restored Wagoneer features the handiwork of Norbert at Grand Wagoneer (grandwagoneer.com), a renowned restorer, and sports a significant amount of work ranging from a rebuilt V8 engine and ancillaries right down to the headliner. It’s not perfect, but this well-maintained JGW has the potential to go for an achievable price for the enthusiast — the wood grain trim, bright chrome work, tan leather and blue paint look great. That’s not to say there aren’t a few flaws, like scratches and electric quibbles, but the current owner has taken the time to document everything via photos.

Bid Now: Here

1976 International Harvester Scout

Another fine specimen from 1976, the International Harvester Scout holds the title of America’s original civilian SUV, despite the ubiquity of Jeep. Manufactured from 1961-1980 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Scout’s humble origins belie a storied 24-month development cycle that included a last-ditch concept down to a fast-paced production schedule. During its 19-year life cycle, 7 variants of the Scout were created, ranging from the original production model to a soft top, hard top and even a pickup truck . This particular Scout, a Scout II Traveler, is in showroom condition — having undergone a full 4-year frame-off restoration.

Bid Now: Here

Heuer Stop Watch Rally Car Dashboard Vintage Chronograph Super Autavia

Right off the dashboard of a rally car, this manual-wind chronograph measures a hefty 58mm in diameter not including its crowns and pushers. A relic of a bygone era in mechanical time measurement in racing, not to mention a notable epoch in timekeeping for Heuer, this Super Autavia is destined to be a talking piece for any motoring or racing enthusiast. There are no boxes or papers, not unsurprisingly for a timepiece with this particular provenance, but it’s guaranteed for authenticity and functionality by its seller for a full year.

Bid Now: Here

Bombardier Can-Am Commander X 1000

No, it’s not an actual car, but the Can-Am does boast some incredible specifications. It’s the most powerful side-by-side recreational vehicle ever with 85 horsepower (it can tow 1,500 lbs), and it even features power steering, locking front-differential and meaty 27-inch tires for when the going gets tough. In an all-black livery, the Can-Am Commander X 1000 looks downright sinister — good for buddy bragging or apocalypse credentials alike.

Bid Now: Here

1955 Chris-Craft Capri 19

Chris-Craft makes a wide range of boats, but its 19-foot Capri may be its most recognizable. The last of the mahogany runabouts Chris-Craft produced, the 1955 Capri’s streamlined design makes it look fast, even when docked — no doubt aided by its (new for the time) wrap-around windshield and distinctive clipper bow. Up for auction, this 19-footer still has all its original wood with zero rot. Restored to original livery and specification, it even has two rare options of the time: a spotlight and twin-horn. Whether you use it to tool around the lake on the weekend or just for show, this is a remarkable example of boating heritage.

Bid Now: Here

1976 Ford Bronco Ranger

If you’re sensing a pattern in chronology, your suspicions are correct. Many motoring classics hail from that year, and this rare 1976 Ford Bronco Ranger is no exception. A ground-up restoration that took 4 years, the model has only logged 139 miles since the completion of its restoration. It also includes rare details like a steel cab top, factory air conditioning and even an AM radio, in addition to original ancillaries like the spare wheel and jack and hood scoop. A fine looking machine, the Bronco is painted in a ’60s-era Ford Caribbean Turquoise and Ford Wimbledon
White livery.

Bid Now: Here

@ http://gearpatrol.com