Hey Cool Car Fans,
I was going through my emails today, deleting the thousands of SPAM email that I get on a monthly basis and I came across this email that I had received from a friend of mine, Bruce Nelkin, a few months ago.
It included some really cool photos of bumper cars, of all things, that have been turned into street legal mini cars by a California gear head. They come complete with custom paint and would be a great addition to any car collector’s personal emporium as a talking point.
The photos were so cool, along with the story behind how these miniature vehicles came into existence, that I had to share them. So, I thought I would post them here at CoolCarGuy.com for my visitors to check out. Enjoy the photo shoot and see what you think.
You have to love the passion of people when it comes to creating cool cars. Like this guy, who invented these neat little rides, out of old bumper cars of all things! What a great idea and they really look awesome, plus they are fully functional and road worthy.
These are some super cool cars in my opinion and “kudos” to the guy who built them.
Here’s what the story is behind them that came with the email and the photos.
“It’s easy for a gear-head to be discouraged about the state of the world, especially in times of Carpocalypse and Cash for Clunkers.
But occasionally a bright light of awesome renews the spirit.
Road-legal bumper cars do just that.
Yes, you read that right; these little beasties are street legal. They run on either Kawasaki or Honda motorcycle engines and co-opt vintage bumper car bodies into the most awesome form of mini-car we’ve seen in too long.
There are seven of these little monsters floating around California , and they’re all the creation of one man, Tom Wright , a builder in the outskirts of San Diego who figured the leftovers of the Long Beach Pike amusement park needed a more dignified end than the trash heap. They were
originally powered by Harley motors but they rattled like hell and Tom replaces them with Honda or Kawasaki 750’s and a couple have been measured as capable of 160 MPH , which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase.”
I would have zero interest in getting behind the wheel of one of these vehicles and zooming up to a speed of 160MPH. That sounds like a fast way to end up in the boneyard to me. However, the fact that they can reach those kind of speeds is incredible. I don’t doubt that they can do it either because of the power plants found in Honda and Kawasaki 750’s, but can you imagine going even 100 MPH in a vehicle with such short of a wheel base, as the writer of the article mentioned? Yikes!
I imagine that they get pretty darn good gas mileage too and with the bumper car component of the vehicle, they probably are a safe little ride. I wonder what they did to add seat belts to them or if they left those out of the equation?
They sure are very cool little cars and I’m sure they are a hoot to scoot around town in. Definitely a year round vehicle for California or the warmer parts of the United States where cold weather doesn’t come into the picture.
I always find it fascinating what people are capable of creating in their garages.
Cool Car Guy Rating: Extremely Cool!
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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy
John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy
Hey Cool Car Fans,
All of the upgrades, including a 3 inch lift kit were done professionally by 
of the Wrangler series and this vehicle comfortably seats four people with four doors. It came standard with the 4:10 Axle Ratio and the Next Gen. Dana 44HD Front Axle, plus the 4:1 Rock Track HD Part-Time 4WD system, along with Traction Control and Electronic Stability Control. It also has the Rock Rails and Transfer Case Skid Plate Shield and a Fuel Tank Skid Plate Shield, which is why people love these vehicles for taking up in the mountains.
don’t necessarily have the time to use them. Which is a great opportunity for the new buyer, whoever that ends up being to have a nice Jeep that’s ready to roll off the showroom floor without having to go and get the upgrades done on there own. This Jeep is a head turner for sure and it’s not one you’re going to find on just any car lot.
Hey Cool Car Fans,
on it, so they only drove it around 2,300 miles for the past six years! Talk about a rare find and this is a classic looking car with the black on black color scheme. These vehicles are really hard to find, especially with good miles on them.
The Porsche 911 Carrerra 4 Targa had an original MSRP of $70,900. Here are some of the specifications on this vehicle, along with some additional photos for my visitors to check out. It has a super clean interior and looks and drives great.
Details: “The 911 is Porsche’s iconic rear-engine sports car, produced today in coupe and cabriolet versions that was updated for 2009. The 911 first went into production as the 1964 911 Carrera, Porsche’s first six-cylinder model and a replacement for the legendary Porsche 356. For 2004, a 40th Anniversary edition was offered and the Turbo Cabriolet and the Carrera 4S Cabriolet were added, marking the first time since 1989 that a Turbo Cabriolet was offered.
Hey Cool Car Fans,
I also don’t consign just any vehicle since I have an indoor showroom and that space is limited. However, I work with every make, model and price range. I just need to find more time to put cool car shots up here on CoolCarGuy.com for my visitors to check out. I like to have really nice vehicles to showcase for people, who are in the market for the right vehicle at the right price. This 2002 Lexus is a great example though of a vehicle that sold because it was priced right and in fantastic condition. They are difficult vehicles to find as well and my client made more money than had he traded the vehicle that would have been put outside by a Used Car Manager to be beaten-up by the elements. It’s always nice to create a win-win for the buyer and the seller.
I thought I would put the pictures up here for my visitors to enjoy. The older body style on the Lexus IS was pretty cool and it’s a vehicle that is in high-demand because of the appearance of the vehicle. It has a timing belt instead of a timing chain, so if you buy one of these make sure you get the service done regularly. My client had all of the work done at the Lexus dealership and one benefit of that is that all of the service history of the vehicle is recorded within the Lexus dealerships database.
before it arrived in North America. The car is sold in Asia as the Toyota Altezza and in Europe as the IS 200, although with a smaller, less powerful engine. The IS 300 is aimed squarely at the BMW 3-Series; Lexus is hoping to prove that the best high-performance sedans don’t necessarily come solely from Europe. The addition of the 5-speed manual transmission enforces this hope.” – MSNAutos
Hey Cool Car Fans,
I asked my client to send me details on the story of this 67′ Camaro and he wrote a great story, but before I share with you what he had to say, here’s some information on the 1967 Camaro from Wikipedia.com that I think you’ll find interesting.
non-functional air inlets on the hood, special striping and SS badging on the grille, front fenders, gas cap, and horn button. It was possible to order both the SS and RS to receive a Camaro RS/SS. In 1967, a Camaro RS/SS convertible with a 396 engine paced the Indianapolis 500.
SS: 34,411
Along came another 67′ Camaro lover, who fell in love with this vehicle and brought it to Colorado. This gentleman also realized it was beyond his skill level to do on his own, so he sold it to a restoration shop. He didn’t want to sell it, but he needed room, but he had the silver powder coated sub frame and new bushings on the vehicle and made it a roller.
Here are the bullet points…