Muscle Car Digital Magazine

[Steve Holmes]

I've been notably absent from The Roaring Season for the last few months. I have an excuse. Its quite a good one. I'm involved in starting a new magazine called Muscle Car Digital Magazine.

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The mag is 100% digital, and will be available through all the App stores to view on tablets, smartphones, laptops, and decktop computers.

The mag focuses on the history of the muscle car, and features factory original and restored cars, as well as period race cars. Its a global magazine, with global content, and being digital, it'll feature both video and audio in the articles, as well as text and photos.

We're nearing completion of the first issue, in which the feature car is the amazing Penske Camaro raced by Mark Donohue to the 1968 Trans-Am championship. The article is about 6,500 words, covering the full history of the car, and also features video and a bunch of neat pics.

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Also featured in this issue is a 1971 E38 Charger in Australia, that was a race car for the first two years of its life, and has remained in the same family since 1973. We also have a 1 of 1 optioned 1970 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet in New Zealand, plus event coverage, and a bunch of other stuff.

Anyway, I hope you'll all be keen to buy a copy when it becomes available. It'll be bi-monthly initially. Hopefully we should be ready to go in the next couple of weeks, but I'll keep you posted. Once things settle down somewhat, I can start to return to my duties on The Roaring Season. Thanks everyone for your support.

[Shoreboy57]

Good luck Steve. Count me in

[GD66]

You are a constantly surprising gentleman.

I'm in, too. :cool:

[khyndart in CA]

Steve,
If ever you are here in California looking for material etc. perhaps we could meet up.
That would be neat.
All the best with your venture.
Ken H.

[Steve Holmes]

Hey you guys, many thanks for that, I really appreciate it. And Ken, yes that would be neat!

[Rod Grimwood]

Great idea Steve, and look forward to it.

[khyndart in CA]

Infineon Raceway.California. June 2011.

Sorry Steve,
I photographed the wrong Camaro.


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George Follmer's Bud Moore Mustang

(Ken Hyndman )

[Steve Holmes]

Neat pics Ken!

[Steve Holmes]

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As part of our indepth feature on Mark Donohue's 1968 Trans-Am championship winning Penske Camaro in Issue 1 of Muscle Car Digital Magazine, we also delve into the turbulent 1967 season, as the steep learning curve the team went through in '67, and the challenges they overcame, were what set the stage for their huge successes in '68.

This photo shows the very first Penske Camaro, originally built from a Z28 road car in early 1967. The Camaro is pictured at Mid Ohio, Round 5 of the '67 Trans-Am. George Follmer stepped in to wrestle the unwieldy Penske machine here, while Donohue was in France for the Le Mans 24 Hour race, driving for Ford. Follmer finished a fighting 3rd, three laps down on the winning Shelby Mustang of Jerry Titus, and Nascar star David Pearson's Bud Moore Mercury Cougar.

Incidentally, this was Follmer's first ever Trans-Am race.

Thanks to Jon Mello for the use of this image.

[Steve Holmes]

We'll be featuring show coverage from the Carroll Shelby Tribute And Car Show in Issue 1. Pics and text by Pauly Baldacchino.

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[Steve Holmes]

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All you film buffs out there will know that the original Eleanor was not a pewter ’67 Mustang with 17” wheels and a bodykit. She was a mustard yellow ’71 fastback made to look like a ’73, and she featured in the original Gone In 60 Seconds movie, released in 1974. She is also the only Mustang in history to receive star title credit in a movie.

The original H.B. Halicki version of Gone In 60 Seconds featured a 40 minute car chase, in which Eleanor starred, and in which 93 cars were destroyed. Halicki himself drove Eleanor throughout the chase scene, in which he was injured twice.

Two ’71 Mustangs were built for the movie, both modified specifically, including both performance and aesthetic upgrades. One car was used for interior and close-up shots, the other, for the chase scene. The chase car is the only survivor.

Pauly Baldacchino snapped this photo of the original Eleanor on display at the Peterson Museum recently, when he attended an event marking 50 years of the Ford Mustang. Pauly has put together a review of the event, plus pics, which will appear in Issue 1 of Muscle Car Digital Magazine.

[John McKechnie]

Thats the Eleanor most of us were bought up with. Neat to see the real car and the wrap- wonder if Leroys Cadillas still around.....

[Jac Mac]

We'll be featuring show coverage from the Carroll Shelby Tribute And Car Show in Issue 1. Pics and text by Pauly Baldacchino.

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What type/model of car are the chassis for up on the rack above the Daytona?

[khyndart in CA]

Steve,
I found this in "Vintage Motorsport" magazine. May/ June 1996. (ex-Donohue Trans_Am champion 1967 Camaro Z28 of Patrick Ryan / Sam White at West Palm Beach, Florida. "Spring Fling" Meet)

Is this the same car as in post # 9 ?

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(Ken Hyndman)

[Spgeti]

Interesting photo Ken.....68 grill, 67 quarter light windows and SS small block bonnet fins....

[Bruce302]

No, they are different cars. The one in post 9 is the first Penske Donohue Camaro, the # 15 car was built later in the season as a lighter, more trick car. During that time the first car was involved in a towing accident that saw it go over a fairly substantial bank/cliff with the trailer and tow vehicle. It was rebuild but faded from the focus of the Penske team as the"lightweight" took precedence.

Bruce.


Steve,
I found this in "Vintage Motorsport" magazine. May/ June 1996. (ex-Donohue Trans_Am champion 1967 Camaro Z28 of Patrick Ryan / Sam White at West Palm Beach, Florida. "Spring Fling" Meet)

Is this the same car as in post # 9 ?

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(Ken Hyndman)

[Terry S]

When can we expect the release of issue 1 ?

[Steve Holmes]

Hi Terry, thanks for your interest in the mag. Damn its been a big effort! Issue 1 was delayed, and went from being the Sept/Oct issue, to the Nov/Dec issue.

Its all finished now, and Kerry, my partner in the project, is working through the lengthy process of getting it accepted into the app stores. The Android version that will appear in Google Play is almost there, and, all going well, we're hoping it'll be available tomorrow for download. I'll post here as soon as its ready.

By the way, we're giving away Issue 1 for free!

[Spgeti]

Good luck with it Steve...and yes I am a starter...Cheers, Bruce D

[Steve Holmes]

Folks, we're very pleased to announce the Android version of Issue 1 of Muscle Car Digital Magazine for Google Play is now available for FREE download. We're still working through the process of getting the mag into Apple iTunes and the other app stores, but hope to have these versions available shortly.

Other than the long process of getting the mag into the app stores, we've also being working to resolve a minor issue whereby the video links take the reader to Youtube to view, rather than play in the magazine. We're still working on this, but wanted to release the magazine for download anyway as we've had numerous requests for it.

If you have any issues, please let us know. Also, we want to hear your thoughts, good and bad.

The magazine is available here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.musclecardigitalmagazine.mcdmissue1

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[Steve Holmes]

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How cool is this! Thats Christophe Schwartz (pictured left) with his team and his mighty big block Hemi powered Dodge Charger stock car. As well as the Charger, Christophe also races a Hemi powered 1970 Plymouth Cuda, plus a Dodge Viper. You could say he is a bit of a Mopar nut!

Christophe lives in Germany, but was born in France. Having the interest he does in motorsport history, of course, the Le Mans 24 Hour race is something very important to him, and it was while researching NASCAR stock cars that raced at Le Mans that he first discovered the Olympia Beer sponsored Dodge Charger raced in the 1976 event, by Hershel and Doug McGriff.

That discovery sparked a fascination with this effort, which eventually brought about the creation of this tribute car. Christophe began researching the 1976 Olympia Charger, and this brought him into contact with one of the team members from that program, Dick Pierson. It was Dick who found an original Dodge Charger USAC car for which Christophe began the monumental task to enter the 2006 Classic Le Mans 24 Hour event.

Classic Le Mans is held every two years, and while it takes place over 24 hours, its broken up into several different categories, based on vehicle age. Each group races for 1 hour, then stops while the next group races, rotating through each cycle. So while no car actually races for 24 hours, all going well, each should get in several hours of racing, in both daylight and at night.

Christophe and his team achieved their goal and made that 2006 event, marking 30 years since the original Olympia Charger raced at Le Mans. They've since returned for each subsequent event, and have had a great time doing so.

We'll bring you the full story on both the original Olympia Charger, and Christophe's awesome tribute car in Issue 2 of Muscle Car Digital Magazine.

[kiwisteve]

Just downloaded the first issue. Very nice, as you would expect. One suggestion I would make rtwould be to click to open larger photos. Great effort again.

[Steve Holmes]

Just downloaded the first issue. Very nice, as you would expect. One suggestion I would make rtwould be to click to open larger photos. Great effort again.

Hi Steve, sorry for the slow reply. Thanks heaps for the feedback. Did you find the photos in the articles too small? What sort of device do you have?

Thanks again

[Steve Holmes]

Hi everyone, for those who have Apple iPads, Issue 1 of Muscle Car Digital Magazine is now available for free download. Kerry, my business partner, and the one with the brains in the operation, has been working through the long and tiring process of getting it approved with Apple. The main problem was that we wanted Issue 1 to be free, whereas they are set up to charge for magazines, so this created all sorts of complications having it accepted.

Next step is to have a version available for viewing on laptop and desktop computers.

The FREE Apple iPad version is available for download here: Muscle Car Digital Magazine Issue 1 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/muscle-car-digital/id958945371?mt=8)

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[Steve Holmes]

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Here is one for the detail buffs. This is Craig Murray at Laguna Seca in 1970. In late 1969, Craig bought the '68 Penske Camaro driven by Mark Donohue from round 3 of the 1968 Trans-Am and which won nine of the eleven races it contested that season. Murray made very few changes to the car. In fact, right through to its current owner Tom McIntyre, this car was changed little throughout its career.

Whats interesting here is to note the sizeable gap at the top rear of the fender where it meets to windshield frame. Penske, like other factory teams, had all sorts of tricks for making their cars more competitive, including drooping the front sheet metal for better aerodynamics.

In the case of the Camaros, they cut a section from the top of the radiator support panel, then drooped all the front sheet metal down. This had a flow-on effect of making the front fenders ill-fitting, so they had to be extended and/or cut in specific areas to appear standard. The gap you can see here is either from fitting a standard fender, or not extending the modified fender enough to meet the windshield frame. Pretty cool huh!

About the only change Craig Murray made to this car, other than changing the race number, was to fit a wing mirror. None of the Penske cars from 1968 onwards wore wing mirrors.

Thanks to Tom McIntyre for the photo.

Check out the full history of this car in Issue 1 of Muscle Car Digital Magazine.

[Steve Holmes]

For those who haven't seen it, Issue 1 of the new digital magazine I'm involved with, Muscle Car Digital Magazine, is now available for FREE view on our website. Just follow the link, and click on the Cover image at the bottom of the page to be taken to the magazine. Its available on all devices, including tablet, and laptop/desktop computers.

Check it out here: www.musclecardigitalmagazine.com

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