This 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Costs $159,000
Cars are rarely a good investment. If you buy them new, you get hit with massive depreciation. If you start to modify them, well, you’d be better off addicted to drugs from a financial standpoint.
Every so often, a person has the foresight and restraint to buy a cool car and just wait. If stored properly and if it becomes a popular classic car, like a Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang, you may just be rewarded with a pretty decent return. This sure beats watching a stock go up and down, but the key here is living past the time it takes to appreciate.
It’s not a venture that always works out, but when it does, it makes for an incredible story. And. speaking of incredible stories, we’ve got a real doozy in this 1979 Pontiac Trans Am.
The Story of This Classic 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SE
Back in 1978, an 18-year-old William Leland III had the inclination that the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am was going to be worth big money one day. He also knew most would be bought and trashed, so the only way for this to be a sound investment would be to store the new car as if it were the original Mona Lisa. William, otherwise known as Bill Jr., needed a co-signer for the purchase and was able to convince his father to take on the risk. His dad agreed, but only for a maximum purchase amount of $10,000. Bill went straight over to Pell Pontiac in Massachusetts, and ordered the most optioned version of a black Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am that his 10 grand would buy.
Back then, his money went as far as his 1979 Trans Am, sleek body style and all, was almost fully loaded. The special edition collector car came with the 6.6-liter V8 engine, three-speed automatic transmission, starlight black and gold combo, and looked like it came straight off the movie set. We were even expecting Burt Reynolds to show up!
Knowing exactly what the plan was for this limited-edition coupe, Bill instructed the dealer not to wash it or drill a front plate bracket, but to basically leave it exactly the way it was delivered.
He drove the 20 miles home, and the car sat unregistered for years. When Leland moved, he drove it another 20 miles, and there it sat for another 17 years, never being taken out or seeing any kind of weather. He would start it up, row through the gears, and change fluids, but that’s about it.
Eventually, Bill Jr. was sadly diagnosed with Melanoma cancer and passed away at the young age of 42. In 2013, Bill’s father sold the car, and, the next year, it won the “Survivor Award” at the Pontiac-Oakland Club International All GM Car Show.
With only 65 actual miles on it, the special edition muscle car was listed on RK Motors for an asking price of $159,000 and was eventually sold. A true showroom beauty!
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Burt Reynolds Net Worth: The Hollywood Legend's Financial Struggles
Burt Reynolds was one of the most successful box office actors of the 20th Century. From 1978 to 1982, he was number one on the list of highest-grossing movie stars. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, and racked up numerous other accolades, like the Florida State Drama Award. But, for Reynolds, who died of a heart attack on September 6, 2018 at the age of 82, finances were a constant struggle.
Even someone as successful as Reynolds was capable of suffering financially. Throughout his career, he accumulated a host of money and health issues that landed him in heaps of trouble.
Burt Reynolds’ Life and Business Ventures
The Lansing, Michigan-born Burt Reynolds led an interesting life, even outside of his acting career. He dated and married some of the most prominent actresses of his time, including now ex-wife Loni Anderson (with whom he adopted his son, Quinton), Judy Carne, Dinah Shore, and co-star Sally Field.
Besides acting, Reynolds persisted in several other entrepreneurial, artistic, and personal pursuits. Interestingly enough, Reynolds owned Mach 1 Racing, which was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. Harry Grant drove his No. 33 “Skoal Bandit” car.
He also opened a dinner-theater in Jupiter, Florida and a night club Atlanta, Georgia called Burt’s Place. Later, he opened another restaurant in Fort Lauderdale with Jack Jackson called Burt & Jack’s. A lifelong football fan, Reynolds was a majority owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits.
Reynold’s Florida-based dinner-theater was primarily focused on promoting emerging actors, and, later in life, he endorsed the construction of a performing arts facility in Sarasota, Florida. Florida State University issued him an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters for his work as an actor and within the acting community.
The Atlanta film scene also has a special connection to the late Reynolds, as he is cherished as the first industry insider to make movies in Atlanta, which is now the filming location of hundreds of high-grossing movies.
Burt Reynolds’ Career and Struggles
Reynold’s first roles were in productions like Navajo Joe and Gunsmoke, but his career didn’t really catch on until his role in Deliverance. After that, he was able to secure role in films like Smokey and the Bandit, Semi-Tough, The Longest Yard, Hooper, Starting Over, The End, The Cannonball Run, Sharky’s Machine, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Sadly, on the set of the 1984 film City Heat, Reynolds suffered a severe accident. His jaw was permanently damaged, and, over the course of his recovery, he became addicted to prescription painkillers.
During this time, Reynolds was also caught up in the homophobic witch hunt of the 1980s. While recovering from his on-set injuries and subsequent addiction, he lost nearly 50 pounds, which led to rumors that he was suffering from HIV. As a result, he had an extremely difficult time finding work in the film and television industry for years.
However, his career found its footing again in 1997 following the release of the hit box-office drama Boogie Nights. After that, he was able to secure roles in films like Big City Blues, Hard Time, The Hunter’s Moon, The Crew, The Last Producer, and The Hollywood Sign. He also voiced Avery Carrington, a main character in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Unfortunately, Reynolds continued to struggle even after his career revival. His businesses fell into bankruptcy, and he also went through several house foreclosures. He himself filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996.
Burt Reynolds’ Net Worth
Reynolds lost most of his peak $60 Million net worth by the time of his passing, however, he did manage to overcome his bankruptcy and returned well into the black. At the time of his death in 2018, he was worth about $5 Million. Ever the proud hedonist, Burton Leon Reynolds only had one regret when it came to his finances. In an interview not long before his passing, Reynolds stated that he only wished he had spent even more.
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The Legend of Bigfoot: The Story of the First Monster Truck
The Bigfoot monster truck is no ordinary pickup truck. At its core, it was a Ford F-250 modified by its original owner, Bob Chandler. Of course, the legacy of the Bigfoot 4x4 off-road legend goes far beyond that first Bigfoot. In fact, they are currently on Bigfoot 21. And, you might even say that the legend of the Bigfoot monster truck has grown well beyond just the physical parts that make up these massive reincarnated trucks.
Here, we’ll take a look at the Bigfoot monster truck and its accomplishments. You might be surprised just how far this custom build made it, as Bigfoot is largely responsible for the entire monster truck racing phenomenon.
What Makes the Bigfoot Monster Truck Special?
Bigfoot isn’t just a monster truck. It was the first monster truck ever built. Bob Chandler, currently a member of the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame, began modifying his truck in 1975 when the axle on his F-250 broke. By 1979, the custom-built truck had gained a reputation as the original monster truck.
Chandler decided to sell the parts that he, his wife Marilyn, and friend Jim Kramer had made. They used the original Bigfoot truck to demonstrate that these parts were extremely durable, and in ‘79, he was invited to do his routine for the Denver Car Show.
A couple of years later, a primitive form of Monster Jam formed when Chandler decided to see if he could crush two crap cars with his massive Bigfoot creation. Turns out, he could.
Given this first car crushing success, he decided to take his act to the public. After a few local events, Chandler added more modifications to his massive truck and took it to Detroit, Michigan, where he performed in front of 68,000 people at the Pontiac Silverdome. Bigfoot 2, as it was known in this iteration, had a 640-cubic-inch engine and was the first monster truck to use 66-inch tall tires.
In 1986, now on his fifth Bigfoot, sponsored by Firestone, and having performed countless times at Monster Jam events as a member of the St. Louis, Missouri-based Bigfoot 4x4, Inc. racing team, Chandler was riding high. The Bigfoot team ended up setting the world record for the largest pickup truck ever that year, with the Bigfoot 5 measuring in at 15 feet, 6 inches.
There hasn't been a new truck iteration since Bigfoot 21 came out in 2014, but these days, Bigfoot is still a household name and an icon in the monster truck community. Over the years, it’s dominated in everything from mud runs to tractor pulls and has impressed spectators with not only its racing skills, but also long jump and wheelie stunts. Bigfoot iterations have been featured in such movies as Take This Job and Shove It, Tango and Cash, and Police Academy, and the truck has also been a mainstay in television and video games. How’s that for the legend of Bigfoot?
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"American Graffiti" Ford Coupe: The Ultimate Silver Screen Hot Rod
When George Lucas’s American Graffiti came out in 1973, a whole new generation of classic car enthusiasts and would-be hot rodders was introduced to pure greatness in the form of the 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe.
While there were a number of incredible old school rides and roadsters in the movie, from the ’58 Chevrolet Impala to the ’56 Ford T-Bird, the 1932 Ford Coupe is on another level of iconic. The real deal. In fact, to this day, replicas of the American Graffiti deuce coupe have been known to draw in serious crowds in showrooms, street rod shows, and hot rodding events all over America. We're sure that eye-popping yellow paint job has a little bit to do with it.
Driven by the character John Milner (Paul le mat), the Ford 5-window coupe hot rod takes down Bob Falfa's (played by Harrison Ford) '55 Chevy in the epic final drag race. Needless to say, the American Graffiti coupe is one of the most iconic movie cars of all time.
Read more at AltDriver.com
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Remembering the Day That Dale Earnhardt Died
Nearly 20 years ago, Dale Earnhardt’s death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 sent shockwaves through the professional auto racing community. Dale Sr. lost his life at the 43rd running of the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" following a devastating collision on the outside wall at Daytona International Speedway. He was 49 years old.
Even after all these years, we still feel the impact of possibly the most tragic NASCAR wreck of all time.
Dale Earnhardt was calm and confident the morning of the 2001 Daytona 500. Though Senior led for 17 laps in his No. 3 Goodwrench car, the real battle that day was between Michael Waltrip’s No. 15 Chevrolet and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 8 Chevrolet. Considering that both Waltrip and Dale Jr. were members of Dale Sr.’s racing team, Earnhardt raced an uncharacteristically defensive race, seemingly content in hanging onto third.
On lap 173, there was a massive wreck that took out 18 cars, and the race had to be red-flagged so that the cars could be removed and the debris could be cleaned up.
During the caution period, Earnhardt chillingly told Richard Childress, the owner of his No. 3 car, “Richard, if they don’t do something to these cars, it’s gonna end up killing somebody.”
The race restarted on lap 180, with Junior and Waltrip still duking it out for first. On the final lap coming into turn 4, Earnhardt made light contact with Sterling Marlin, causing him to slightly lose control. As he attempted to regain it, he collided with Ken Schrader and slammed head-on into the retaining wall at speeds of around 160 MPH.
Schrader escaped his race car with minor injuries. He then quickly went over to Earnhardt’s car to check on his friend. It wasn’t good.
Moments later, Michael Waltrip had won the 2001 Daytona 500. Sadly, his trip to Victory Lane would be shrouded in tragedy. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was pronounced dead at the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida by Dr. Steve Bohannon at 5:16 PM Eastern Standard Time. The autopsy report showed that Earnhardt died instantly of blunt force trauma to his head as well as a basilar skull fracture.
On February 22, funeral services were held for Earnhardt at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Soon after, both a police investigation and a NASCAR-sanctioned investigation were conducted to determine whether there were any preventable causes surrounding Earnhardt’s death. Bill Simpson, whose company Simpson Performance Products made the seatbelt that Dale Sr. wore during the race, resigned following speculation of serious safety flaws with the belt. NASCAR officials implemented rigorous safety improvements as a result, including mandating the head-restraining HANS device.
For more: AltDriver.com
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NASCAR's Wildest Fights
Most fans go to NASCAR events for the racing, but everyone once and a while, a fight will break out between drivers that definitely gets the crowd going. Here, we'll look at the seven craziest fights in NASCAR history.
7. Daniel Suarez vs. Michael McDowell
The fight between Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell is the most recent major fight between two NASCAR drivers, so we had to include it. Plus, the scuffle at ISM Raceway’s pit road started with Suarez straight-up throwing McDowell to the ground, which you definitely don’t see in most auto racing scraps.
6. Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch
Sure, this wasn’t a full-on knock-down-drag-out type deal, but Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch’s 2011 altercation with each other at Darlington was different than most NASCAR fights. It simply consisted of Harvick reaching into Busch’s car and smacking him in the face.
5. Jeff Gordon vs. Brad Keselowski
Maybe it had something to do with the sweltering temperatures in the Lonestar State, but this Texas Motor Speedway brawl between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski in 2014 got HEATED. The pit road shoving match that ensued ended in both Keselowski and Gordon walking away with cuts on their faces.
4. Matt Kenseth vs. Brad Keselowski
The 2014 Bank of America 500 was a rough race for Brad Keselowski. His car hit by Tony Stewart’s, he almost got into it with Denny Hamlin, and then, to top it off, got run up on by Matt Kenseth between their team haulers after the race.
3. Joey Logano vs. Kyle Busch
After some last-lap contact from Joey Logano sent Kyle Busch sliding into pit lane at the 2017 Kobalt 400, Busch was pretty damn pissed. Rowdy wasted no time in getting rowdy, coming right at Logano after the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race and taking a swing at him.
2. Jeff Gordon vs. Clint Bowyer
These days, Jeff Gordon is a top executive for Hendrick Motorsports. But, as you’ve already seen, his behavior on the race track was not always executive-like. In this case from back in 2012, Gordon may not have been the aggressor after the race, but Clint Bowyer didn’t just come full-speed sprinting at him WWE-style for no reason.
Here’s a Cliff Notes version of what led to the fight: Bowyer took out Gordon on the track. Gordon retaliated and took Bowyer out. Bowyer wasn’t happy about it. Commence a pit crew brawl of epic proportions.
1. Cale Yarborough vs. The Allison Brothers
The 1979 Daytona 500. The race that basically put NASCAR on the map. And Richard Petty’s win had very little to do with it. Before The King even had time for a Victory Lane celebration, Cale Yarborough was fighting with Bobby and Donnie Allison, following a last-lap wreck that took both Cale and Donnie out of the race.
Both drivers blamed each other for the fight and both were fined. And that was that. That’s old school NASCAR for you.
For more, check out: Altdriver.com
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The EarthRoamer Camper Is the Ultimate Outdoorsman RV
https://altdriver.com/off-road/wos-the-earthroamer-camper-is-the-ultimate-outdoorsman-rv/
The EarthRoamer interior is all luxury, but take a look at the rugged exterior details that make this camper an off-roader’s dream.
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Jeff Gordon’s Net Worth: How the NASCAR Legend Earned the Big Bucks
https://altdriver.com/racing/jeff-gordon-net-worth/
Thanks to a successful racing career, endorsement deals, and a number of other business ventures, Jeff Gordon has become one of the richest NASCAR drivers in history.
With a net worth of around $200 million, Gordon has been raking in the big bucks for quite some time. What a legend!
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Remembering Burt Reynolds' Classic Performances in 'Cannonball Run' and 'Smokey and the Bandit'
https://altdriver.com/general/burt-reynolds-cannonball-run-smokey-and-the-bandit/
In memory of one of the most iconic actors of all time, we look back on two of the movies that helped to define his career.
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13 Fast Facts on the Chevy Impala | Alt_Driver
One of the most legendary Chevrolet's ever produced and possibly the basis for the modern muscle car. Come check out some fun facts on the Chevy Impala!
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