2011 DODGE CHARGER REVIEW notes its MUSCLE CAR ANCESTORS housed at PORTLAND MOTOR CLUB

Can one be sleek and brawny at the same time? If you're the 2011 Dodge Charger, the answer is a definite "yes"!

This very positive Maine Sunday Telegram review of the re-styled 2011 Dodge Charger pays homage to its ’60s and ’70s muscle car roots and even mentions the impressive seven early and recent models currently stored and/or living at Portland Motor Club recently featured on Bill Green’s Maine. Fans of “The Dukes of Hazzard” will appreciate this playful review written by Maine Sunday Telegram/Portland Press Herald Automobile Editor (as well as Executive Editor) Scott Wasser. You can see it/touch it/drive it in person at SouthernMaineMotors.com, Bill Waldron’s new Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealership which he bought from Jolly John Pulsifer (Jolly John’s Auto City) in the fall of 2010. Sadly, the iconic Jolly John passed away recently unable to enjoy his well-deserved retirement from his impressive auto-mobile/auto-promotion career of many decades.

You will see most if not all of the Chargers on site watching video tour of Portland Motor Club on our homepage.

Some nice new lines on the rear have a touch of "retro" -- catch 'em if you can!

CALLING ALL CARS AND CAR SHOWS…… 2011 Maine Car Show Calendar in the works

We’re starting to put together our calendar for the 2011 Car Show and Cruise season and just want to remind anyone and everyone to send in your listings for any type of car-related event to us at info@portlandmotorclub.com. We’d like to think that we have the most comprehensive listings in the state but if we don’t know about it, we can’t let others know! So get ’em in here and we’ll get ’em out there! Looking forward to another great car events season.

We’re hoping to have one new car event this season (in addition to our 2011 Labor Day Toys-for-Tots Car Show/Cruise and perhaps a 2011 Fall Exotics Gathering) — an event organized by the Portland Police Activities League (formerly “Athletic” League) — a Youth-Oriented Car Show & More especially designed for teens and other young people. We expect to have some sort of People’s Choice Car Show, some cool late model cars, some old and new police cars, some special educational and safety activities (a texting-and-driving danger demo, mechanical and detailing demos and contests), prizes, raffles, music and more! The crew from Portland Detailing (http://www.PortlandDetailing.com) will also be on hand to teach some detailing and cleaning tips.

This is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 25. The success of this will depend on getting the word out to young car enthusiasts — kids who are interested in classic and the latest hot cars, mechanical skills, car care, public safety, and more. Something special to do with the right young person — your child, your grandchild or a friend of the family. We are also looking for volunteers to help out with this event. If you are particularly interested in cars and young people showing an interest in them, please be in touch with Portland Motor Club via our website (http://www.PortlandMotorClub.com) or by phone (207-775-1770).

Labor Day Car Show… Ferrari & Exotics Cruise… New Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dealership… Winter Storage… Whew!

LABOR DAY TOYS-FOR-TOTS BENEFIT CAR SHOW… Well, another huge success! At least a couple hundred cars were on hand and several hundred people to enjoy a truly impressive selection of all types of vehicles. See photos.

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we sent the Marines back to their secret hide-out with hundreds of toys which will be distributed actually in the very near future to needy families in Maine — and there are lots of them these day, let’s not forget. Our huge lot filled up before the opening bell and they kept coming. At one point, almost all of Presumpscot Street was lined up with cars from one area club as they arrived en masse to support the event.

Many thanks to all who joined us and helped out in many ways — especially Stan and Cheryl Page who tirelessly promote the event all through “cah season”, the United States Marine Corps to receive and organize the toys, Portland Motor Club for providing the space (it’s not really “our” event — it’s the combined effort of all the clubs that participate), the toy donors and money-for-toys donors, the Monday Night Posse (MondayNightPosse.com) for making some great noise, the vendors and especially the folks who brought out their amazing vehicles to support the event. It wouldn’t be nearly as impressive without the cars!

Plan on it for next year.

FERRARI & EXOTICS CRUISE… Less than a week after the Labor Day show, we had a very exciting special event in collaboration with Ferrari of New England. It was our first annual (?) Fall Exotics Cruise. We had fun appreciating each others’ cars and enjoying a light Italian lunch in honor of the Ferraris (including a rare SuperAmerica model), Maseratis and Lamborghinis that were the centerpiece of the event, but other more-than-fine vehicles were represented including an Aston Martin DB9, a Bentley, a Mercedes SL 55 AMG, a customized BMW, a Corvette Z06, a new Dodge Challenger, etc., etc.

The group then lined up for a cruise over to Kettle Cove Beach in Cape Elizabeth (Two Lights was out because of the gravel road and maneuverability issues). It was a beautiful day and we certainly made the day for some unsuspecting young guys who happened to be in the lot at the beach – that is not something you would expect on a Saturday afternoon in September at the beach – several handfuls of the finest automotive eye candy!

SOUTHERN MAINE MOTORS CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP SUPERSTORE… If you’ve ever been to Portland Motor Club – and our Labor Day Car Show is the one day of the year that we actually open up the facility (somewhat) for the public to take a peak – you might have noticed the very impressive MOPAR muscle car collection – well, it would be hard to not notice. The owner of Portland Motor Club is what you might call a “true believer” in the Church of MOPAR. One his automotive dreams came true this fall when he had the opportunity to purchase his own Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealership.

We can now all say “Goodbye Jolly” and “Hello Southern Maine Motors”. The well-known Jolly John’s dealership in Saco, Maine has been sold and is the proud new home of a renovated and rejuvenated Southern Maine Motors Chrysler Dodge Jeep Superstore at the same address. Next year, there will be a complete remodeling done there to build a top-of-the-line Chrysler Dodge Jeep facility. And we have enjoyed bringing some of the oldies-but-goodies down from Portland Motor Club to the Southern Maine Motors showroom to visit with their modern-day descendants.

So, please visit us online at our great new website at SouthernMaineMotors.com to see all the great stuff that is happening there. Even better, stop by to see the handsome new showroom and other improvements and the lot FULL of Chryslers, Dodges, Ram Trucks and, of course, Jeeps. It’s a great sales and service crew there — we were fortunate to discover an enthusiastic and talented team already working there!

We do expect to have some classic car fun down at the dealership next summer, too!

WINTER STORAGE SEASON… is upon us. With snow in the forecast for this weekend, there’s no use in pretending that that isn’t winter knocking on your door. We did have an amazing summer with near-perfect cruising weather. The fall was more of a mixed bag but with still plenty of vehicular enjoyment opportunities. But now it’s time. If you need to store your special car with us for part or all of the winter, we will make space for you (without crowding anyone). Heated, climate-controlled, secure car storage is available by the month or by the season. We can even provide shorter-term storage if you are going on vacation and want your car to be garaged in our great facility rather than at the less-than-great airport parking lot. And why not get that long-overdue thorough detailing done while you’re gone by our fantastic Portland Detailing crew (PortlandDetailing.com). Be in touch and we can help you coordinate all that. And speaking of Portland Detailing, we will now be offering our car care expertise at our Saco Southern Maine Motors location as well.

Sorry to throw all that at you at once but it’s been a busy fall, especially with getting our new dealership off the ground. If you’re more of a Volvo or Saab type, please check our PortlandVolvo.com and PortlandSaab.com websites if you’re in the market.

Yes, it’s cars, cars and more cars around here – and that’s the way we like it!

Merriconeag High School Car Mechanics Class at Portland Motor Club

TWO-UNDERA group of students from the Merriconeag Waldorf High School in Freeport, Maine chose what must have been one of the coolest electives ever at a Waldorf school  — “Introduction to Auto Mechanics” taught by Portland Motor Club owner and muscle car enthusiast (and Merriconeag parent) Bill Waldron.

How did this get to be part of the Merriconeag curriculum? Waldron answers, “After a development meeting where the conversation turned to high school age kids and driving and cars, I was approached about the idea of doing a practical hands-on class about cars for the high school. I figured that some of the kids were probably like me when I was their age and might like working with engines and machines and getting their hands dirty. For me, it was the beginning of a lifelong passion. Hopefully this class really made a connection for some of them.”

The class ran eight weeks and the eight students were transported weekly back and forth from the New Gloucester, Maine high school campus to state-of-the-art Portland Motor Club facility on Presumpscot Street in Portland. The curriculum covered a lot of ground from the engine components and basic workings of the motor including the fuel system and spark plugs to wheel, tire and brake care. Students got practical experience with changing the oil, working on the brakes and even learning how to detail (professionally clean) a car’s exterior and interior. Topics related to safety and roadside emergency were also covered.

GROUP1When the students are saying things like, “class was too short” and “it’s fun to participate”, you know you’re on the right, well, road. They liked the hands-on aspect of the class, taking things apart and putting them back together, and learning useful things that will come in handy some day (on the side of the road).

If anything students would like to have had more time in class and even suggested that they’d like to “take an engine apart and put it together”. That may be a whole curriculum unto itself!

One of the most practical items learned in class? “Don’t stand under the oil filter while you unscrew it!” Good advice for us all — literally and metaphorically.

Portland Motor Club was very pleased to be able to produce this pilot program for the Merriconeag High School.

Special thanks to Yearbook Photographer Margie Ciolfi, a 9th grader in the class of 2013, who took these (and more) great photos.

Portland Police Chief James Craig Poses with his Z06 Corvette

Portland Police Chief James Craig poses with “The Beast”, his new 2007 Z06 Corvette

When asked where Chief James Craig wanted to have his picture taken for a newspaper article reviewing his first year on the beat here in Portland, Maine, he knew exactly where. Within minutes he and the photographer were in place at Portland Motor Club.

Chief Craig knew that he wanted to show off his new-t0-him handsome 2007 silver Z06 Corvette at Portland Motor Club where “The Beast” lives when it’s not out on the road driving the speed limit under the control of its master.

You can click through below to the actual article which is much more about his great service in our community and challenges he has and is facing as well as his unwavering dedication to keeping young people involved with positive things and working with at-risk youth. But next to his work and family, his love of cars is way up on the list. We’re thrilled to have him and his passion for cars at Portland Motor Club.

Please click here to read the article in the Portland Press Herald… http://www.pressherald.com/news/big-city-experience-paying-off-_2010-05-04.html. And thanks to the Portland Press Herald for granting permission to share this very cool photo of the Chief by staff photographer John Patriquin.

We are so very lucky to have such a great Police Chief in James Craig as well as an active member at Portland Motor Club. We are hoping to work on a car-related project with his department to do something exciting with youth locally and statewide.

CAR PODCASTS GALORE! A comprehensive list of car-related podcasts

Gentlemen and Ladies, gentle and otherwise… start your iPods!

You won’t find another list like this anywhere on the internets — at least where we and Professor Google have looked. These links will take you right to the page were you can subscribe (for free) to these podcasts and almost all of them are current. There were some real beauts out there but they stopped podcasting a year or more ago — so they didn’t make it over the finish line.

Below you’ll find podcast programs about classic cars, sports cars & exotics, NASCAR, F1 and any other type of racing you can think of, new models, concept cars, restorations, auctions and even the comedic/mechanical stylings of Click and Clack.

Do you have a favorite car podcast that’s not listed below? Please send us an email at <info@portlandmotorclub.com> and send us a link — and tell us what you like about it.

Car Talk

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/npr-car-talk-podcast/id253191823

America’s funniest auto mechanics take calls from weary car owners all over the country, and crack wise while they diagnose Dodges and dismiss Diahatsus. You don’t have to know anything about cars to love this one hour weekly laugh fest.

The Classic Car Show

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-classic-car-show/id307258969

Listen to the Classic Car show with Steve Rinaldo every week.

The Muscle Car Place

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-musclecar-place/id317763837

The weekly podcast dedicated to fans of American muscle cars! Join us each week to discuss muscle cars news and trends, get your questions answered, and share YOUR personal story! Hosted by Rob Kibbe of The MuscleCar Place: http://www.themusclecarplace.com

Mo-Pod.com: Raw Footage of the Mopar Nation

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mo-pod-com-raw-footage-mopar/id154588017

At Mo-Pod.com, you’ll find videos that lead you anywhere, from intense drift showdowns and racing champions, to the local garage and enthusiast car shows. You’ll witness Hemi-powered muscle machines and awesome curbside burnouts, old s’kool legends and tricked-out DUB rides. Download a video or subscribe to our podcast to automatically receive the latest Mopar clips — it’s all MoPowered! Send us your Mopar videos to make your debut on Mo-Pod.com! Check out our Web site for more details.

The Final Lap Talk Show Weekly

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-final-lap-talk-show-weekly/id82775064

The Final Lap Chat – Our weekly, long form, talk show format, where a couple of guys just talk some racin’. Lively discussions from everything in the world of motorsports. Weekly headlines, rumors, race recaps, previews, interviews and more. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop –Thanks for listening!

Road Racers Podcast

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/road-racers-podcast/id250127266

The Online Auto Racing Show about Road Racing from the RaceRemotetrade; Motorsports Network – www.RoadRacersPodcast.com

VOD Cars: Fast Cars. Hot Cars. Cool Cars.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vod-cars-fast-cars-hot-cars/id80897643

Car Videos. On Demand. For Free. – The #1 Broadband Car Network. Send your videos to speedracer@vodcars.com

Sidepodcast: All for F1 and F1 for All with Christine Blachford

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sidepodcast-all-for-f1-f1/id220438521

Join the first lady of F1 podcasting as she guides you through all the happenings in the fast-paced world of Formula 1. Aided by her technically-minded friend, she’ll bring you information, gossip, statistics and humour, with the odd race report thrown in as well. But don’t think this is news churned out the normal way – she’ll tell it like it is. Conspiracy theories, honest opinions and irreverent musings all add up to a refreshing listen.

 

Race 2 Win Radio: NASCAR Radio at the Speed of Sound

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sidepodcast-all-for-f1-f1/id220438521

Every Thursday afternoon from 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET, NASCAR veteran Jeff Holtzclaw, Heather Meyer of the Stock Car Gazette, RCR Development driver Tim George Jr. and Camping World Truck Series competitor Caitlin Shaw discuss the latest happenings in the world of NASCAR and welcome some of the top names in the sport as special guests. Recent guests include Brian Vickers, David Reutimann, Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte, AJ Allmendinger, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray, Reed Sorenson, Regan Smith, David Stremme, Scott Speed, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, Sterling Marlin, Ron Hornaday, Mike Skinner, Kyle Petty, John Roberts, Kenny Wallace and many more. Race 2 Win Radio features the “Keys to Winning” segment with Mike Calinoff, spotter for NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth. Award-winning journalists Kenny Bruce of NASCAR Scene, Rick Minter of Racin’ Today and Jeff Gluck of SBNation.com are featured in a weekly segment called the “Writer’s Block.” Listeners are always welcome to join in on the show. To comment on any topic or to ask a question to any of our guests, send an email to radio@race2win.net or call 646-200-4485.

 

Motor Mouths with Godwin Kelly & Ken Willis

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/motor-mouths/id311801905

Motor Mouths is all about racing, from the cars on the track to the people that put ’em together to the people that watch ’em go. Every Wednesday, from Daytona Beach News-Journal Motorsports editor Godwin Kelly and sports columnist Ken Willis.

 

SPEED Last Laps

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/speed-last-laps/id276059715

Get all the Last Laps racing action they’ll allow us to publish, right here! Featuring races from American Lemans, ALMS, Rolex Grand Am, SCCA, Rally racing, World of Outlaws, auto racing, dirt racing, ARCA, motorsports, sports cars racing, MotoGP, World Super Bike, WSBK, AMA, Superbike, Supercross, Supermoto, Motocross, Motorcross, dirt track, flat track, motorcycle racing and more!

SPEED Engine Block

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/speed-engine-block/id268614231

SPEED’s Engine Block delivers the finest muscle machines in all their glory – featuring best of clips from SPEED Originals including Alonso Boden’s 101 Car’s You Must Drive, SuperCars Exposed, Chop Cut Rebuild, American Muscle Car, Unique Whips, Victory by Design, Pass Time, Livin’ the Low Life, Barrett Jackson, Pass Time, Gearz, Wrecked, Hot Rod TV, SPEED Test Drives and more! Check back a couple times per week and load up your iPod with the best of SPEED! SPEEDtv.com the motorsports authority for NASCAR, Formula 1, auto racing, moto racing, cars, bikes, automotive, motorcycles, Pinks & more: Automotive, Cars, Muscle Cars, Big Block, Racing, Acura, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Camaro, Corvette, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes, Mustang, Porsche, Shelby, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Pontiac, Thunderbird, Lincoln, Buick, Rolls Royce, classic cars, cool cars, collector cars, convertibles.

PINKS All Out

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pinks-all-out/id263466965

PINKS – Lose the Race, Lose your ride! & PINKS ALL OUT – heads-up racing with no negotiations and no tomorrows! Hosted by Rich Christensen, PINKS used the setting of a classic 1950s drag race. PINKS pits contestants in a best three-out-of-five format, with the loser handing over the title (pink slip) to their vehicle. Called the “hottest car show on television” by Hot Rod Magazine. PINKS ALL OUT pits hundreds of the best drag racers in the country bring their game to the track in search of glory and their share of $18,000 in cold, hard cash in PINKS All Out. Host Rich Christensen hosts the all-day shootout that pits egos and cars against one another on the quarter mile. It’s pedal-to-the-metal action from the start line until the last car crosses the finish line. Every driver thinks they’ve got the stuff it takes to win, but only the top 16 make it to the finals where it’s heads-up racing with no negotiations and no tomorrows. SPEEDtv.com the motorsports authority for auto, moto and drag racing, cars, bikes, automotive, motorcycles and more! Featuring hot rods and dragsters, muscle cars, big blocks, racing, Camaro, Corvette, Mustang, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Pontiac, Mopar, Cuda’s, classic cars, jet cars, cool cars and more!

Serious Wheels

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/serious-wheels/id206892605

Serious Wheels, the Internet source for high-quality classic car pictures, wallpapers, and information. From vintage vehicles to muscle cars to modern sports cars, this video feed is the official video source created for Serious Wheels’s 2.8 million regularly visiting auto enthusiasts.

 

SPEED Report

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/speed-report-full-audio/id281190463

The SPEED Report is motor sports news and insightful storytelling, reaching fans through multiple SPEED delivery platforms. Serving the lifelong fan and the curious newcomer alike, The SPEED Report will connect the world of motor sports in a truly distinctive fashion. From breaking news and press conferences to tales of courage and the will to win, The SPEED Report will keep viewers up to date and wondering what’s next in a style unique to SPEED. Full audio podcasts every Monday morning. SPEED Radio, SPEED Podcasts & SPEEDtv.com the motorsports authority for NASCAR, Formula One, F1, Indy Car, Indy 500, American Lemans, ALMS, Rolex Grand Am, NHRA, SCCA, Rally racing, World of Outlaws, auto racing, dirt racing, ARCA, Karting, motorsports, sports cars racing, MotoGP, World Super Bike, WSBK, AMA, Superbike, Supercross, Supermoto, Motocross, Motorcross, dirt track, flat track, motorcycle racing.

 

SPEED Radio Weekend Preview

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/speed-radio-weekend-preview/id291205318

Host Rob D’Amico (Race Day on Fox Sports Radio) covers all the weekends’ motorsports events. SPEED Radio, SPEED Podcasts & SPEEDtv.com the motorsports authority for NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Formula One, F1, Indy Car, Indy 500, American Lemans, ALMS, Rolex Grand Am, NHRA, SCCA, Rally racing, World of Outlaws, auto racing, dirt racing, ARCA, Karting, motorsports, sports cars racing, road racing, MotoGP, World Super Bike, WSBK, AMA, Superbike, Supercross, Supermoto, Motocross, Motorcross, dirt track, flat track, motorcycle racing and more!

Road and Track Speed Radio

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/road-track-speed-radio/id128863695

Join host Ed Justice, Jr. as he brings you the inside track on everything pertaining to the Auto & Racing world. Ed’s longtime connections and friendships within the automotive & motorsports industries enables him to have the top leaders and legends for “one-of-a-kind” interviews, only heard on ROAD & TRACK SPEED radio. Every week. . .two hours. . .all you need to know. . . ROAD & TRACK SPEED radio!

Gareth Jones On Speed

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gareth-jones-on-speed/id77817580

THE podcast for petrol-heads, by Gareth Jones (of ITV1’s Speed Sunday & How2, and A1GP pit lane reporter) and his F1 and car-mad mate Zog. With satire from Richard Porter (Sniff Petrol, and BBC Top Gear) and car games from Violet Berlin (GamePad). GJOS covers everything on 4 wheels — from Audi to BMW; Ferrari to Williams; Renault to Mclaren; Ford to Porsche; Alfa to Mercedes; VW to Jaguar; classic cars to concept cars; road cars to racing cars. There’s every kind of motorsport — Formula One, WRC, Le Mans, A1 Grand Prix, GP2, Indy Car, IRL, Champ Car… And drivers, from Damon Hill and Ayrton Senna to Schumacher, Alonso, Raikkonen and Jenson Button. Where else can you find auto racing, motors, F1, rally, motor sport, road cars, comedy, news comment, Formula 1, songs and games all in the same place, served up with a wry grin?

Marty’s Garage

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/martys-garage/id348666934

Follow along with Marty as he restores a 1973 MG B and takes on a variety of other projects.

FormulaPod

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/formulapod-formula-1-podcast/id73329981

The original Formula One podcast: Outside the lines of F1 racing this F1 podcast takes a no holds barred approach to the sport of Formula One. The F1 Podcast for serious F1 fans

Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction Highlight Clips

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/barrett-jackson-collector/id289640349

For nearly four decades, Barrett-Jackson auctions have captured the very essence of what defines the worldwide obsession with cars. Millions of TV viewers on SPEED. Thousands of collector cars. The legend is unsurpassed in every way. Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Las Vegas. Barrett-Jackson is The World’s Greatest Collector Car Events only on SPEED. Going once…Going twice…SOLD! SPEED is your exclusive home for highlights of the Barrett-Jackson classic car auctions from Scottsdale, AZ, West Palm Beach, FL and Las Vegas, NV. SPEEDtv.com the motorsports authority for NASCAR, Formula 1, auto racing, moto racing, cars, bikes, automotive, motorcycles, Pinks & more: Automotive, Cars, Muscle Cars, Big Block, Racing, Acura, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Camaro, Corvette, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes, Mustang, Porsche, Shelby, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Pontiac, classic cars, cool cars, collector cars, convertibles and more!

 

Garage 419

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/garage419-car-guys-love-to/id269309179

Let the debate rage and the flaming begin. Garage 419. The ultimate automotive show that brings you the details you want about the cars, shops, racers, and experts you want to see.

My Classic Car with Dennis Gage

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/my-classic-car-season-7/id352087616

My Classic Car, with host Dennis Gage, visits some of the most prestigious car shows and events in North America. With muscle cars, hot rods, local cruise-ins, museums, and more My Classic Car has something for everyone.

Cruise Control Radio

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cruise-control-radio/id76291273

Cruise Control Radio – America’s truly unique automotive talk radio show. What makes Cruise Control different from every car-related show is its wide-ranging coverage of everything automotive. It includes new car product information, automotive industry news, reviews of vehicles driven by the show’s on-air team, motorsports updates and collector car information. To find out more go to www.cruisecontrolradio.com

Concept Cars. Driver27

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/concept-cars-driver27/id329199177

CONCEPT CARS. DRIVER27 is a broadband video magazine bringing cinematic displays of concept machines of the past, present and future, short documentaries and short automotive glamour videos. Composed and edited by the team from 29HD Network, CONCEPT CARS is part of a group of over 300 broadband2.0 editorial spaces that make up one of the largest collection of automotive editorial spaces online.

 

Sports Cars. Driver27

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-cars-driver27/id326697853

SPORTS CARS. DRIVER27 is a broadband video magazine bringing cinematic displays inspired by the fast road machines of the past, present and concepts of the future, short documentaries, short automotive glamour videos and great photographs of the modern day chariots that roam the roads in every corner of this globe. Composed and edited by the team from 29HD Network, this daily is a compendium of the over 300 broadband2.0 editorial spaces that make up one of the largest collection of automotive spaces online.

Racing Cars. Driver27

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/racing-cars-driver27/id326697852

RACING CARS. DRIVER27 is a broadband video magazine bringing cinematic displays inspired by the racing machines of the past, present and concepts of the future, short documentaries, short automotive glamour videos and great photographs of the modern day chariots that roam the roads in every corner of this globe. Composed and edited by the team from 29HD Network, this daily is a compendium of the over 300 broadband2.0 editorial spaces that make up one of the largest collection of automotive spaces online.

Super Cars. The Daily Motor

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/super-cars-the-daily-motor/id333643717

SUPER CARS. THE DAILY MOTOR is a broadband video magazine that showcases the super fast machines that ply the black tar roads and tracks around the world. The Daily Motor editorial, a broadband daily filtering breaking news, along with bringing original stories, short documentaries, short automotive glamour videos and great photographs of the modern day chariots that roam the roads in every corner of this globe. Composed and edited by the team from 29GPS/29HDN, this daily is a compendium of the over 300 broadband2.0 editorial spaces that make up one of the largest collection of automotive spaces online.

Car and Driver Radio

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/car-and-driver-radio/id124784786

From the pages of the world’s largest automotive magazine, Car and Driver radio brings you all the latest automotive news, product reviews, celebrity guests and more. Hosted by award-winning automotive expert and Car and Driver contributing editor Alan Taylor. For many years, Alan’s expertise and quick with has entertained millions on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, FOX, and the Speed Channel. Listen to our Webcast live each Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. at www.radioamerica.org

TK Wheels TV

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tk-wheels-tv/id364877524

Thanks for checking out TKWheels TV. www.TKWHEELS.com You can also catch some of our recent shows on Time Warner Cable on Demand in NE Wisconsin. Channel 411 in the Appleton area. Otherwise watch them here from start to finish. We are working hard to upload all the episodes, check back often for more! You can look at the archive link on the website to see all the episodes or click on the Episode Guide link on the site. If you have an iPod Touch, iPhone or use iTunes, click on the Subscribe button to download the episodes you want to watch.

Motor Trend Radio 2010

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/motor-trend-radio-2010-enhanced/id272422403

Motor Trend Magazine,airs on Saturday mornings and features interviews with Motor Trend editors, industry leaders, celebrity drivers, and other prominent automotive experts. The program offers segments on car buying tips, new auto releases, information on auto shows, races and other events. The show is packed full of news and features not heard anywhere else. Motor Trend Weekend is a real road show airing on Sunday mornings. It features broadcasts from auto venues throughout the country and the world. Bob Long promises to put the pedal to the metal and offers the comments of the industry professionals and interviews on-site at the most important auto events of the year. Listeners hear about cars and how to enjoy them directly from the experts and celebrities alike. There are many ways to listen to Motor Trend Radio. You can listen live on your local radio station, Sirius, XM or on right here on iTunes where dozens of past shows and our free podcast is available.

Car Tech Live

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/car-tech-live-mp3/id81541696

Every Friday, car nut and tech aficionado Brian Cooley runs down the latest news in the ever-evolving integration between cars and technology. Meanwhile, Wayne Cunningham and Antuan Goodwin drive the newest car in the CNET barn, going over its cabin tech with a fine-toothed comb, checking out off-the-line acceleration, and trying not to crash. Visit the blog at http://cartech.cnet.com.

MAINE CAR SHOW & CRUISE-IN LISTINGS UPDATED for 2010!!!

What an amazing car season we can look forward to in 2010! Thanks to our friends at CruiseMaine magazine and cruisemaine.net sharing their listings and adding some of our own, we have (hopefully) the state’s most comprehensive listing of Maine Car Shows & Cruise-Ins throughout the state. Kind of like that joke about Maine weather — if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute… if you don’t see a car show or cruise-in you like, wait a minute or a day, anyway. There’s something going on every day of every week this summer for cars and their owners. So, get out there and show it off and have some fun. It’s almost too bad that there aren’t any this April because it’s been so beautiful — hopefully a good sign for the summer season.

Here’s the link to the Cruise-in schedule which is also on the website under CALENDAR & EVENTS on the sidebar: 2010 CRUISE-IN LIST

And here’s the link to the Car Show 2010 Season in Maine or go to the CALENDAR & EVENTS button on the sidebar on the Portland Motor Club website: 2010 CAR SHOW LIST

And, by the way, we will be hosting the Labor Day Toys-for-Tots Cruise-In at Portland Motor Club again this year on Monday, September 6 — hard to imagine topping last year’s event but we’re game! We expect we’ll see and hear from our friends at the Monday Night Posse again this year — there’s actually music footage from last year’s show online on their website www.MondayNightPosse.com.

If you have any additions or corrections, please be in touch right at at <info@portlandmotorclub.com> or call us at 207-775-1770. We want this list to be absolutely accurate and could really use your help if you know that something’s not right on it — and thanks!

Getting “Social” with Portland Motor Club… Facebook & Twitter & YouTube now up!

Portland Motor Club was designed to be a fairly social place with a members’ lounge, meeting room, computers w/ WI-FI and HD-TV, but now we’re virtually social, too.

You can become a fan of our FACEBOOK by clicking on the FaceBook link just to your left below “Contact Us” on the navigation strip — it’s right there — go ahead… just click it!!! Or you can find it by searching under groups for “Portland Motor Club” while you’re on FaceBook another time.

You can quip clever and useful things to us via TWITTER (www.Twitter.com/mainecarstorage). We are using @mainecarstorage because using our name was too long and who is going to search for “mtr” instead of “motor” and we’re more about cars and storage than motors and clubs, on some level. Our business name is great for our business but different thinking needed to go into our Twitter strategy. Who ever thought we’d be discussing things such as “Twitter strategy” — but then, who ever thought we’d be discussing it on something called a “blog”?

Below is the link to our first (of many?) YouTube video. Why it’s our own Jason Michel demonstrating how easy it is to install and use both an easy on/off battery switch and trickle charger! Great solutions for short-term and/or long-term battery care when the car is off the road.

You can bookmark our very own YouTube “channel” here: www.YouTube.com/PortlandMotorClub

Easy Battery Care Solutions for Car Storage from Portland Motor Club

We would certainly appreciate your comments and links and sharing this information with your virtual friends and fellow car enthusiasts. We have more video coming including a walk-around the Labor Day Car Show last fall. And please put Monday, September 6, 2010 on your calendar for this year’s Toys-for-Tots Labor Day Car Cruise-In & Show at Portland Motor Club. We’re very pleased to be able to host it again at our amazing facility and can only hope that we would be granted another beautiful day on which to hold it.

0 to 60 in Just a Few Months!

Cars, that is. And that’s a rough number but early interior shots of Portland Motor Club certainly showed lots of room to grow (well, fill, actually). It totally makes sense, of course — we had just opened and we needed customers. Well, customers we have now! We’ve filled up the “Ground Floor” and soon will need to start using the “Mezzanine Level” (via heavy-duty lifts).

Seems that those that stop by pretty much fall in love with the place — the handsome amenities (hi-tech lounge & conference room), polished radiant-heated concrete floors, classic car gallery, onsite expert car detailing shop, professional staff and of course, state-of-the-art security system.

From Ferraris to Things, Mopars to Minis, we have a great random assortment of Classic cars, Muscle Cars, Sports Cars and even some everyday drivers that don’t need to be driven right now.

Thought you’d like to see the place with some color and some metal and rubber in it — enjoy!

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Crikey! Tornadoes Wallop Scottsdale, Arizona during Auction week

While getting my daily dose of professional car storage and classic car auction news from the Google machine, I came across these shockers — what horrible timing! Of course, good to keep this in perspective with the true horror of the earthquake disaster in Haiti, but within the car collector universe, this is certainly bad news for the likes of Russo and Steele and Barrett-Jackson and their many buyers and sellers. I do hope the car enthusiast community can think of some ways to make a difference by combining their special passion with a desire to help those in critical need in Haiti. It’s great to see how many folks are finding unique ways of doing something to help. My ten-year-old son’s Cub Scout troop is holding a yard sale next week to raise money (indoors, of course, it is Maine in winter, after all — supposed to below zero tonight).

from the folks at About. com (and see the next one from AZ Central. com)…

Scottsdale on Tornado Watch During Classic Car Auctions

Thursday January 21, 2010

Arizona has been hit hard by heavy storms causing havoc at the Scottsdale’s Annual Classic Car Auctions.  Earlier today, two tents at the Russo and Steele Car Auction collapsed due high winds and sent debris into the nearby Highway, the Loop 101, shutting down both direction for a time.

Barrette-Jackson staffers have been doing their best to dry off cars before coming up on the block in the main tent while concession stands outside are being blown down.

At 8:45pm, Barrett-Jackson’s President, Steve Davis asked that everyone leave the staging lanes and come inside to wait for a dangerous storm cell to pass.  The National Weather has issued a tornado watch for southwest Arizona, which includes the Phoenix metro area, to be in effect until 10 p.m. Thursday night.

Heavy rain and winds are expected to continue through Friday and then clear up for Saturday and Sunday.  We will be curious to see how much damage the storms do to the week’s auction total sales numbers.

And here’s the other one written by Peter Corbett from The Arizona Republic

Russo and Steele car auction estimates $1.5M in damage

Russo and Steele officials assessed damage Friday after an 800-foot-long auction tent blew onto the Loop 101, snarling traffic and leaving hundreds of valuable collector cars uncovered in a pounding rainstorm.

Heavy tent poles struck some cars and uncovered convertibles were pelted with rain in the ongoing storm that has blasted through the state this week. A collector-car insurance executive estimated damages to the vehicles could exceed $1.5 million.Russo and Steele announced late Friday morning that owners would not be allowed to inspect their cars until at least Saturday morning because the Scottsdale fire marshal has not declared the auction site safe.

Drew and Josephine Alcazar, Russo and Steele owners, hoped to resume the auction Saturday, but there was still a lot of cleanup to do.

“By no stretch of the imagination are we down for the count,” Drew Alcazar said Friday as tent crews worked to clear away the damaged tents.

Public safety officials cleared out people from Russo and Steele’s two display tents late Thursday when the high winds threatened the structures, and the auction continued in the main tent, Josephine Alcazar said.

High winds lifted the north tent high off the ground about 6:15 p.m. and it crashed down on the freeway east of Scottsdale Road, she said.

Russo and Steele shut down the auction and cleared the site. The south tent then blew over, but did not go onto the roadway.

Chuck Favour, Hagerty Insurance vice president of claims, said his company has insured about 125 of the cars at Russo and Steele.

After viewing the auction site from the Loop 101, he estimated that as many as half the 600 cars on the lot were damaged with dents and scratches from tent poles and debris.

Among the cars that were stranded on the site Friday was a 1948 Tucker convertible that could draw bids of more than $1 million.

A 1913 White Gentleman’s Roadster was struck by a pole and an uncovered 1916 Ford Model T Fire Chief car sat out in the rain after a flimsy tarp blew off of it.

Favour expected the claims would average about $5,000 per car.

That works out to claims approaching $1.5 million.

He said he would be surprised if Russo and Steele was able to resume the auction.

Favour said a previous auction in Carlisle, Pa., sustained damage when a much smaller tent collapsed a few years ago.

Other Valley auctions continued on Friday. Barrett-Jackson had to move everyone into its main auction tent as a precaution Thursday night, but otherwise the event continued without major disruption.

Craig Jackson, Barrett-Jackson chairman, said his staff circled the tents with tractor-trailers to deflect the high winds that were rattling the structures.

As a car guy, he said, it was very sad to see what had happened at the Russo and Steel auction site.

RM Auctions reported the highest sale of the week so far on Thursday night at the Arizona Biltmore. A 1963 Aston Martin DB4 sold for $1 million.

On Friday morning, the Arizona Department of Public Safety closed the eastbound on-ramp to the Loop 101 at Scottsdale Road because of the cleanup efforts at Russo and Steele.

The freeway was closed in both directions between Scottsdale and Hayden roads for several hours after the tent landed on the roadway.

Russo and Steele, a Valley-based company, is in its 10th year of holding car auctions in Scottsdale.