1968 Camaro Restomod sees the LIGHT OF DAY

rear and front suspension systems are fitted and double checked for alignment

Project sees the LIGHT OF DAY as it awaits the arrival of 572/620 hp GM Crate engine and its team mate the Tremec Magnum 6 speed transmission

Project sees the LIGHT OF DAY as it awaits the arrival of 572/620 hp GM Crate engine and its team mate the Tremec Magnum 6 speed transmission

Project sees the LIGHT OF DAY as it awaits the arrival of 572/620 hp GM Crate engine and its team mate the Tremec Magnum 6 speed transmission

Car Show Season in Northern Kentucky

    Being a true Floridian (actually 3rd generation) one of the most awesome things that I love about my move to Kentucky is the season changes(yes I even love winter).  However, my favorite season I must admit is spring and car show.  In this area,  as I am sure is the case for most at least 1/2 of the U.S., Car Show Season ...is a season as well.  After a long winter, this Floridian is ready for some sunshine!  We have had a few cruise-ins the first weekend of May but this last weekend was our first car show in our area.
     So, we attended two!! 

1968 Chevrolet Camaro Restomod - Week 3 begins and we continue onfabricating mini tubs

Front frame with coil over/wilwood brakes fitted, close up of front suspension

rear seat springs fabricated to fit over rear suspension and mini tubs

establishing the stance

establishing the stance

1968 Chevrolet Camaro Restomod... step by step

     The build project is based around a rough, yet sound platform of a non-descript 1968 Camaro Coupe that rolled off the assembly line as a Green, Six Cylinder car.

     The build plan is based on utilizing the major components that came with the project car at purchase. Specifically, the build will be based on a 383 Stroker Engine, a 700R Transmission (from a 1991 Caprice), pushing power to a 308 10-bolt posi-traction rear differential. The 383 Stroker Engine is considered by many car enthusiast as a ‘Bad Ass’ power plant. The Chevy 383 Stroker draws much of its popularity from the fact that it uses and improves upon the 350 Chevy block. Because many of the parts interchange between all small block Chevy engines, upgrading another on to a 350 or 383 Stroker is easy and cost-efficient. This has led many of the horsepower seeking Chevrolet enthusiasts to the 383 Stroker.

Florida's A1A in March with Ken

What does Florida have in March? Sunshine, Convertibles, Custom Motorcycles, Hot-Rods and Awesome Beaches!

   

Oh! Did I mention the weather? As in WARM weather, you know, without FREEZING and the “so-sick-of-it-by-now” Cold winter!  Did I mention Mallory and I are in northern Florida on the Atlantic Coast at a beautiful serene beach. By the way is aptly named in honor of one of the early big shots in Florida's sun drenched Atlantic coast history. Yeah, I'm  in the city of(albeit a small one) Flagler Beach, on Highway A1A.  Our front yard just happens to be on Flagler Beach, located just north of the two most legendary beaches in American Motorsports history. 

Resto-Mod Dream

The Resto-Mod Dream!

      You know just how much we all love our cars, most all cars!  True, we don't much care about Jay's wild interest in those old timey " Steamers", ah, each to their own.  Jay does have some very cool and very rare and very awesome cars too. We're much more into and focused on machines that sound thunderous when we fire 'em-up and look “bitchen" when we show up at events. If the car is cool and fun to look at and it can rattle the windows in our neighbors bathroom, yeah, then we begin to get excited. If its scary and stupid fast, then and only then, do we really start to enjoy the flavor much more. When it comes to "cool cars", we all become Boys again and the ladies, well they all become Goyles again. So, what's the big mystery here?
    
     We want to make it wild and more exhilarating for you to stomp on that carbon fiber covered gas pedal and have all hell break loose.  Something just sort of crazy happens!

Carl Casper's Custom 52nd Annual Auto Show, Louisville, KY 2015

Barret-Jackson & Russo-Steele with Ken Rooke, Scottsdale 2015

    

     Ah! welcome back to blog-o-sphere by Kenny at Insignia.  Yep, more talk of cars, cars, cars!

Is it not wonderful to have someone to talk to that loves American Muscle Cars just as much as you

all do? I think so. Let's put this 6-speed in reverse and back-up just a bit, you see, Patrice, yep,

that Patrice. Bless her heart, she continually tries to keep me in-line and focused, not an easy task

by any measure. Okay, back on track we go and this means back to hangin' with Mike at the

Russo-Steele Classic Car Auction in sunny Scottsdale AZ.  I know, some of you car nuts are

freezin' yer ...'s off, can't help you man, should have come to sunny Scottsdale for a brief (get it) thaw.

     But you didn't, so I'm here to share some of the Barrett-Jackson and Russo-Steele auctions highlights.  Let me assure you guys and gals, they were aplenty, you know like those sugar coated things we used to buy

Meet Ken Rooke

      Ken Rooke is an employee of Insignia Automotive Group, which is based in Erlanger, KY. Mr. Rooke resides in Northern California, with Mallory.  He has raced motorcycles at Daytona and Pocono Raceway

Everyone at Insignia Auto Sales is sure busy!

     Hello car freaks, gear heads and all the rest of you cats that just love cars, got a lot going on these days around the Insignia Auto camp. So, let's get rockin',fire that bad-boy up and and smoke 'em til you're just spinnin' on the steelies!

     When I left you last week I was just a few miles from the Sky Harbor Airport just off I-10 East in Phoenix, AZ.  Trying to get to the Delta terminal to pick up my partner in crime, Mike Stinson, and the Sky Harbor airport is not an easy place to figure out on your first go round, no, that place has (4)terminals and each of those has a north and a south, meaning of course you only have (8)choices for which to make a wrong choice. Well, I made several of those as I burned laps around the harbor in the sky. I made several calls to Mike too, "where the he.. are you Man? Ah, finally we connected and all was good, so off to the Sleep Inn on Scottsdale Blvd., and to the concierge to check-in, easy enough, thank you Patrice.

     You may have caught Mike Stinson's blog from this past week, as he kind of took you on from this point and onto the Russo-Steele auction just up the road from our motel. Mike mentioned

Mike Stinson, First visit to Barrett Jackson, Scottsdale

     My first experience at traveling out west to Arizona. I had been to Arizona once before but my stay was limited. In 2002 , I had the opportunity to fly my plane that I sold (Maule M7-235C) to a gentlemen at the Deer Valley airport. My stay was limited at the Airport , because all I did was to fly home and look for another plane. Which I later purchased a Twin Baron. But this time, I got to enjoy the sights with my compadre, Ken ROOKE, Mr. Wikipedia on classic, muscle, European sport, hot rods, you name it, he walks, breathes,  sleeps (only after his elixir) Fine AUTOMOBILES. Arizona, what can I say, can I move there. Such an incredible atmosphere. 

   

Ken arrived at the airport after his journey driving in from Cali. We wasted no time, checked in at the hotel and went straight to the Russo and Steele Auction. That was Thursday evening. I was impressed with the non authentic cars going for 25-45k, they looked the part and I am sure made they sellers happy. The car that stole the show briefly was a 1960 Convt. Caddy. It brought 50k. and was gorgeous. I was shocked. The buyer was in his late 20s but

Road Trip to Barrett Jackson, Scottsdale AZ

  

The 44th annual Barrett Jackson Scottsdale Classic Custom Car Auto Auction was over the top "custom-diculous".  There were so many outrageous vehicles on display and up for auction, many offered at no reserve.  Some sellers would not gamble with their prized possessions and therefore chose to offer their cars for bid with a set reserve.

     In the end it really didn't matter that much, as thousands of buyers came to the desert with pockets bulging and various brands of sunscreen. The drive was gorgeous, not just sunny gorgeous,but even the air and the mountains  reaching up into the pristine skies above the valley were as well.  It's no wonder so many professional major league baseball franchises have chosen the greater Phoenix area (including Glendale, Peoria, and Scottsdale) as their spring training homes away from home.  It was breath taking!

I'll give you a personal recent experience of just how gorgeous it was in Scottsdale during "Auctions" week..... but first I have to get there!

Who went to Barrett Jackson?

We were there! Wow what an event. 

Our guys will be telling you all about it in our next blog...see you back here in a couple of days!!

Check out the HISTORIC HIGHS FOR THE 44TH ANNUAL BARRETT-JACKSON SCOTTSDALE AUCTION

How to Evaluate the Asking Price of an American Muscle Car!

1965 Pontiac GTO

     This page may help potential buyers comprehend how true to original this beautiful example of a very Rare Tri-Powered, Tri- Black Convertible we at Insignia Auto Sales are offering. The GTO is the EPITOME of the beginning of the "True" MUSCLE CAR Era.

     Try to find one. Just one unmolested 1965 GTO Convertible. Once you are fortunate enough to purchase one, then what?

2015 Cavalcade of Customs in Cincinnati OH

Welcome to my post, Cavalcade of Customs Car show blog. The 39th annual CCC was held at the Duke Energy Center in Downtown Cincinnati , Ohio, WOW!!! What a GEAR HEAD Extravaganza, oh my God, if YOU like/love cars and missed this show, we really feel for you, it was truly out-freakin'-rageous!! Plain and Simple.

So much eye candy, so much Horsepower and Torque under one roof, the 39th Annual Cavalcade of Customs was delicious as always, hope to see you all there again next year, forget about the 7 or 8 degrees outside, once inside, you could begin to feel the sculpted metal and the insides of those "Blown Hemi's", talk about the heat.

 As could and forever should be expected, the CCS continues to grow in numbers of participants, and paid attendees alike, who could think that so many of us Distinguished Car Nuts are actually all located so close to one another so as to have such an awesome turn-out, I was really impressed and once inside the building, I felt right-at-home.

     So, what kind of cars would you like? Great question!

Welcome to Insignia Auto Sales

To all of you at Insignia Auto Sales and to all that have come on board to enjoy Insignias new and recently released  website, I welcome you while thanking you for your participation. As always, it's a pleasure to discuss CARS, All cars Any Car, Anytime with each and everyone of you, Why??  because We Love CARS, it's that simple. so Let's talk cars! And by the way, my name is Ken Rooke, my email is ken@insigniaauto.com

The A-Team at Insignia Auto Sales think I know something about cars and decided to bring me onboard to help out and assist in building-up Insignia Auto's inventory of Muscle Cars, including Classic Cars, Custom Cars, good old style Hot-Rods and all Cars of Special Interest, so please do go to our brand new website; Insigniaauto.com to review all of our VERY COOL and Very Fast CARS presently on display at our Erlanger, Ky. location and take my advice and please call ahead to Mike Stinson office 859-795-2964 or cel (513) 429-8588 and make an appointment with him, this way you'll surely be  able to confirm your intended visit as Mike is always on the "Go", be it chasing down hard-to-find parts or tracking a rare classic car, or just possibly out jBlowing someone's doors off in our Black 32 Valve dohc '94 ZR-1 Corvette, whatever the case, Mike wants to be there to greet and welcome you into our brand new location and while assuring you plenty of time to "droole", did I say that, I meant to say "plenty of time to look over and inspect" our beautiful and varied performance driven assortment of HEAVY METAL. Heck, wild horses couldn't keep me away, so please take the time to call ahead to Mike, as he's our"Go To Guy" and our Team Manager in Erlanger, you can also email Mike at mike@insigniaauto.com.  To keep up with everything going on at Insignia Auto, like us on facebook.