New Mustang Magazine Set to Reignite Mustang Magic

Mustang Magazine Cover

A powerful new Mustang magazine, created by a dedicated group of experienced Mustang aficionados, has begun. They say their veteran staff aims to capture the excitement and spirit of the great ’64½-’73 Mustangs.

“As big corporations have taken over, they’ve gravitated toward late-model Mustangs and neglected the classic ’64-’73 models,” said Publisher Curt Patterson. “Mustang Magazine will correct that out-of-balance situation with a fresh, new look at the great, vintage Mustangs.”

One of Patterson’s first moves was hiring experienced editor, Tom Shaw. Shaw, like Patterson, worked at Dobbs Publishing, a highly influential Lakeland, Florida-based company renowned for innovation, aggressive growth, and taking on giants. Shaw’s extensive background in Fords, 20-plus years as a magazine editor and contributor, and reputation for quality photography is expected to propel Mustang Magazine to become the new leader in its class. Patterson has successfully launched over 20 new titles.

Patterson stresses that it will not be a rehash of well-worn themes frequently repeated in other magazines. “Every page, every component of Mustang Magazine will have to live up to our new, higher standards,” Patterson promised.

Tapping into the high-spirited excitement of the original Mustang is what Mustang Magazine is all about. The first issue has already been printed. It features a guest editorial by Larry Dobbs; some great articles on Mustangs like a 1965 K-GT, a 1969 Boss 302, a 1967 Mustang Restomod; and more. The photography is great.

They are offering you a free issue on their web site, or you can subscribe online.

Need more info? Check it out at www.mustangmagazineonline.com

Happy Birthday, Ford Falcon!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years since the Ford Falcon made its debut in the fall of 1959. In fact it was on this very day. It’s strange to have watched these little cars change over the years.

From 1960-63 they stayed the cheap little compact car.

Then in 1964-65, the bodies changed and the car had more stylish good looks. You could get sedans, hardtops, convertibles, Rancheros, station wagons, or a sedan delivery! The choices were almost endless.

Then came the 1966-69 Falcon. It was kinda crossed between a Falcon and Fairlane. Ford only offered 6-cylinder, 289 and 302 in these cars. I don’t know why they didn’t offer a big block option. I think that would have been great. Don’t you?

It’s a shame the Falcon didn’t last longer than it did. But then again, if they hadn’t made them they would not have made the Mustang since the Mustang was based off the Falcon.

Now if you ever visit Australia you can still see new Ford Falcons over there. They are really neat! At least somebody is keeping the Falcons from becoming extinct.

So the next time you go to a car show , drag races or even a cruise-in, keep your eyes wide open because you may just see some of that classic Ford history rolling right pass you!

So on behalf of myself, Auto Krafters and all Ford fans….HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY!

Auto Krafters Announces a New Catalog

'73-'9 F-Series and '78-'79 Bronco 2009 catalog cover

The all new 2009 ’73-96 Ford F-Series Pickup Truck and ’78-’96 Bronco catalog is now available. Some of our current customers will notice that we’ve combined two of our catalogs into one. There were so many parts applications overlaps that we thought it made sense to make two smaller catalogs into one catalog. We hope you will like it. We are constantly tweaking our catalogs to make them more readable by changing some formats, adding more diagrams, and, of course, adding more relevant pictures. If you have some suggestions for catalog improvements, we would love to hear them.

You can download the new catalog or order your copy here.

Undercover Speakers

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Looking for an upgrade to your stereo system, but don’t have a lot of cash to put in it? Then check out our new line of Custom Autosound Undercover sub-woofers. Finally an affordable sub-woofer that can go under most automotive seats or even in the trunk, without taking up all your space!

We have a set of these subs in our showroom for display with a Custom Autosound radio and they have an incredible sound! For a sub-woofer and a tweeter, they are crystal clear! I plan on installing some in my car and will let you know how they sound in there.

We have two different size woofers and power outputs available. You can check out the 5.5″ subwoofer here, and the 8″ subwoofer here. Any questions or comments please contact us.

So put your windows down, turn the radio up, and let the good times roll!

Carbecue Anyone?

They call it carbecuing. What is it? It’s cooking food on the engine of your car while driving. OK, I’ve never done this, though my father has said it is quite possible, especially on older vehicles, and that food actually turns out pretty good. I guess it is no more odd than people who cook salmon in a dishwasher or make grilled cheese sandwiches with an iron. I am definitely not advocating that you take your classic Galaxie on a trip from Peoria to Louisville for the upcoming race and make dinner while driving there, you’ve worked hard enough to get your car restored.

I’ve discovered that they do cooking times in miles instead of minutes. Some recipes even specify the speed with the mileage. One of the main things they recommend is finding the warmest spot on your engine – usually the closer to your exhaust manifold, the better.

There are loads of issues with doing this, such as foil packs leaking, the package moving while in transit, fumes backing up in your engine, and more. So why do it? Some people just find it an easy way to have a warm meal when they arrive at their destination. Some people are just born to multi-task. Still others look for ways to economize while traveling.

Here is a link to one site that can get you started. Cook Food on Your Car’s Engine

Manifold Destiny

You say you need a cookbook? Well, there is one. It’s titled “Manifold Destiny” and you can still find copies of it around. In fact, there is a 2008 edition now including cooking on newer car models such as the Scion and Escalade. It has recipes such as Baked Gilroy Garlic Highway 101, Maryland Crab Imperial and include the approximate number of driving miles needed to cook them.

If you come up with some good recipes for cooking on your car’s engine, let me know. I think it might be fun to share them. Just be sure to note the speed and number of miles it takes to get the meal done.

Bon appetite!

Auto Krafters Announces the Release of 2 New Catalogs

2009 Falcon Catalog Cover

The all new 2009 Falcon catalog is back from the printers. We’ve added a lot of new parts and accessories in this issue for the 1960-70 1/2 Falcon, 1960-65 Comet, and the 1960-66 Ranchero. The cover features a stunning 1961 Falcon 2-door sedan from a customer in Front Royal, Virginia. It’s one of our nicest Falcon catalogs yet.

2009 Pinto Catalog Cover

We have also introduced a 12 page catalog for the 1971-80 Ford Pinto and 1975-80 Mercury Bobcat. We know the jokes that have been around for years about the Pinto, but we have had so many requests from Pinto fans to start carrying items for the car.

Be sure to take a look at both new catalogs. Check out the Falcon catalog here. Check out the Pinto catalog here.

Just to let you know what’s coming up next, we will have a new truck catalog that combines both the 1973-79 F-Series and the 1980-96 F-Series. It will also include the 1978-96 Bronco. Keep an eye out for it.

Ford Model Consolidation?

Thundercougarfalconbird

There has been a lot of talk lately about consolidating model lines to save money for auto makers. Some years ago, Futurama had an episode that featured the all new “Thundercougarfalconbird”. Here’s my take on it. Hope you enjoy it.
(No, this is not a real car.)

Balancing Your New Styled Steel Wheels

Back Plate of a Styled Steel Wheel

Just a quick note for all customers who have bought or are considering buying a set of Styled Steel Wheels.

All Styled Steel Wheels should be “Lug Centric” balanced. This balances the wheel by using the 5 lug holes, and is the most accurate from of balancing. Cone balancing is the most common method of balancing and some smaller shops may not offer “Lug Centric” balancing. Cone balancing assumes that the small hubcap hole and the large backing plate hole are both on true center of the wheel. Request that your Styled Steel wheels be “Lug Centric” balanced.

If you have any further questions about your wheel purchase, please email us or give us a call.

My 1963 Falcon Project Car

Do you remember the first time you ever saw a Ford Falcon? I do. I was 10 years old when my dad came home from his buddy’s house with this gray primer ’64 Falcon Futura. I thought,  ”This car is awesome!” It had a 351w with a C4 tranny, a 9 inch rear with 411 gears. That car was fast. Ever since then I’ve been addicted to Falcons.

Here’s a picture of my ’63 Falcon that I got from my dad. It took me 5 years to get it, but I finally did.

My 1963 Falcon

The car is a 1963 Falcon 2dr. hardtop. The original 260 V-8 and 2-speed automatic are long gone! So far in the past year I have mini tubbed the car and painted it with a great buddy of mine. As for the drive train, it now has a 347 stroker with a world class T5 tranny. It also has a 200hp shot of nitrous. The rear has a Mustang 8.8 with 3.55:1 gears with 31 spline Moser axles and an Auburn pro locker posi unit. We had the cowl hood made about 6 years ago. The car does have air conditioning as well. I love to go fast, but at the same time I like to stay nice and cool.

So far about 85% of the parts have come from Auto Krafters. Be looking for some interior shots as well as the disc brake conversion I am in the middle of doing right now.

What about the Ford trucks, huh?

Ole Yeller

There seems to be a lot of blogging about classic Ford cars. How about let’s hear from you Ford truck owners out there. Auto Krafters has three catalogs covering Ford pickup trucks, ’53-’72, ’73-’79 and ’80-’96. A lot of parts from Ford for the ’80-’96 trucks are going obsolete now. Check out our catalogs if you are having problems finding parts for your classic Ford truck. 

I had a 1979 Ford F-150 4WD. It was the best truck ever! A friend of ours was a big GM guy and one night he and some friends of his were four wheeling in a rather muddy field with his Chevy and a few Toyotas. One got stuck, then another and the one left, a Toyota, couldn’t pull them out. Our friend called us late at night and asked if we could bring “Ole Yeller” down to get them out. It took all he had to make that phone call. My husband took our ’79 down and pulled them all out. Didn’t hear much about Chevy vs. Ford after that from our friend. Please GMC, Chevy, and Toyota fans don’t be offended or get too defensive. I don’t want to start a war. We probably had better tires or my husband was a better driver than the others. It just makes a good story to tell now and then.