Bernie's Barrett Jackson: Orange County Picks

The greatest Automotive auction is returning to Orange County!!! This weekend, Barrett Jackson will auction off some gorgeous, mostly vintage cars. One day, I will make it there, but until then, I'll feature my favorite picks that's on the chopping block.


First up, this gorgeous 2005 Ford Mustang GT Platt & Payne Signature edition. Located on lot 1002, all of the proceeds will go to benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. So whomever buys this Mustang will help others as well. Two for the price of one!!!




Next up, 1 1954 Land Rover Fire Truck straight from New Zealand!!! And get this... it comes with a ladder rack and hose. It runs and drives like a 1954 Land Rover and is so much fun to own and show. Remember, this is a right-hand drive vehicle. The siren works, the lights all work. The New Zealand license plate is original. I'm jealous.



Presenting a 1951 Ford Victoria 2 Door Hardtop, and isn't it gorge??? Completely restored from the frame up. All receipts for restoration, photos, manuals, books and sales brochure are included. This could potentially replace my dream 1953 Pontiac Star Chief, but the Star Chief has significance.



The 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible. Original Black Plate car with original body panels and interior leather inserts. Very rare 300 in excellent condition. 413 Cross-Ram engine. It's beautiful, isn't it?



A 1965 Ford Mustang Custom 2 Door Coupe. *stands up and claps* A beautiful built Mustang reborn with a freshened restoration with upgrades. Blue and white exterior with blue and white pony interior. If I had the money, this would be mine.




1968 American Motors AMX Custom 2 Door Coupe. Finished in the same color combo as the 1968 Playboy Playmate of the Year car. Equipped with the 390cid "Go Pack" option and OEM automatic transmission. Optioned well having high bucket seats with headrests, side pipe exhaust and magnum finished wheels. The color pink has been growing on me lately. Probably because it's really not a common color.



A 1962 Chevy Corvette Convertible. Frame-off restoration with all matching numbers. This stunning car is configured with white over red. The last year of the C1.




1959 CADILLAC COUPE DE VILLE 2 DOOR COUPE. Very well restored and sorted out Cadillac icon with air conditioning. Correct interior and drives very well, as the engine and all mechanicals are newly rebuilt. From the Dee Elias Collection. That Persian Sand color looks like a pinkish-purple to me.



1968 FIAT 500L TARGA. Purchased from original owner. All original. Fun car. Tan with tan interior. 499cc 2 cylinder engine with 20hp and 7.1 compression ratio. Estimated mpg is 40-55 miles on regular fuel. VIN in front of trunk. 59,324 original kilometers, which is less than 37,000 original miles.



We all know I'm a little strange, so I had to add the 1963 Volkswagen Split Window Safari Bus. Wonderfully restored 1963 split window bus in Turkis and white exterior and Como and Phosphor Green interior. Restored with meticulous attention to detail inside and out. All windows on the bus have been replaced with safari style glass including front windshields and the rare small back glass. Powered by a 1,600cc German crate motor and a 4-speed transmission this bus runs and drive beautifully. I know, I'm a strange girl.

There were A LOT OF MUSTANGS AND CAMAROS FOR SALE!!!! Every body style of each vehicle was for auction. There's still 400 cars left to show off (and click here to see them). If I were to make it to any Barrett Jackson auction, I would rather go to Scottsdale, Arizona. I haven't checked out the Vegas lineup or the Palm Beach one, but it seems like Scottsdale has better cars for auction. I know one thing, I saw quite a few Chevelles up for auction. If they knew what I know, they could have shipped it to Atlanta and someone would have bought them in a heartbeat. Chevelles from 1969-1972 are GOD in Atlanta. It's like what Bel-Airs are to Los Angeles. But Orange County doesn't have that many cars where the model year is prior to 1960.

P.S. But the one thing I like about the Orange County auction more than the Scottsdale one, other than the fact that Orange County is next door to Los Angeles County, but Most of the cars are up for grabs, they didn't bid before the auction like they do at the Scottsdale.

New 2011 Dodge Challenger Bumper Grilles by T-Rex Grilles

T-Rex Billet has released photos and ordering information for their new grilles for the 2011 Dodge Challenger. Of course, I would go for the grille on the left (the mesh) over the one on the right (the billet).

Mesh Bumper

Polished: #55416
MSRP: $285

Black #52416
MSRP: $250

Sport Series Mesh Grille

Polished: #44415
MSRP: $275

Black: #46415
MSRP: $255

Billet Bumper

Polished: #25416
MSRP: $125

Billet Grille

Polished: #21415
MSRP: $165

Billet Grille Benefits
• Overlay Design - Grilles install easily with basic hand tools. Great for mobile installers!
• No Assembly Required – Grilles have mounting brackets pre-attached – No loose items!
• Attention to detail – Grilles are De-Burred for a clean and finished look – No sharp or jagged edges
• Superior Finish - Grilles are treated to a 3 stage polishing process to insure a show shine finish
• Durable Coating – A Black Semi-Gloss powder coat protects the Billet Grille and adds depth to the overall appearance

Mesh Grille Benefits
• Grilles install easily with basic hand tools. Great for mobile installers!
• No Assembly Required – Grilles have mesh & mounting brackets pre-attached – No loose items!
• Fully Formed Mesh – Our Mesh is formed for a luxury appearance - A key feature unmatched in the industry!
• Attention to detail – Rubber trim around mesh edges – No sharp or jagged edges = No scratches or injuries

T1 Series Headlamp Bezels - 2 Pc.

Polished: #11415
MSRP: $130

T1 Series Hood Scoops - 2 Pc.

Style 1 Factory Look #11416
MSRP: $85

Style 2 Mesh Look #11417
MSRP: $85


See their website or youtube for Install Videos and other T-REX Products

Phone 1-800-287-5900 Fax 951-270-5391
website: www.trexbillet.com
contact: info@trexbillet.com
Find the fun and interactive side of T-Rex at,
www.myspace.com/trexgrilles
www.facebook.com/trexgrilles
www.twitter.com/trexgrilles
www.youtube.com/trexgrillesusa

Bernie's Car Show Coverage: 1st Annual Blackout Car Show

Usually I'm apprehensive about first annual shows, especially that crappy show in Madison, GA last year. Last week, I received an email where I was personally invited to the Blackout Car Show. I'd figured since it's in Atlanta, I'll go just to check it out.

Obviously it wasn't a bad show if I'm providing coverage. I'm usually the first one to go if a show is bad, like the Stuntworld Car Show in Montgomery. I can't wait around, especially if I came a few hours after the gate opened.

This past Sunday was the First Annual Blackout Car Show at the Moreland (Ave) Flea Market in Atlanta. I went with very low expectations, but I was proved wrong. Check out some of the shots, and of course my infamous commentary...






Yes, this Monte Carlo does have crushed velvet interior. I hope their air conditioning works, because that's worse than leather and suede.


Gorgeous. I love old school cars like this. I feel that if you're going to buy a car that's considered old school, then you should go old school


Hey everyone, Big Rob came!!!! Fastest way to my heart is to have a license plate like this...


... as well as...


... this in the interior.


I love a blacked out vehicle, even though I'm not a fan of loud colors. And they were bold enough to smoke out the headlights. Love it.



I know this Charger isn't the first car to have this, but it is the first time (in person) where the iPad is installed into the car.


The owner of this car, Neil, is selling this car for about 10K (well that's what he told me), which does include the wheels, tires, amps, 10+ speakers and more. If you're seriously interested in it, send me an email.


I do love this paint job. I don't like the color, but the metallic finish and as well as it was done looks great.


Can't have a car show without a lowrider...


... Or two...


... Or three...


... Or four...



... Or over five. And this one used bandanas as the floormat.

The Blackout car show was honestly not a bad show. I hope that they continue and have a second annual show that'll be even bigger and better... Thanks for the invite.

To see the rest of the photos from the First Annual Blackout Car Show, just click here.

Recapping Episode Seven of Funkmaster Flex's Full Throttle (The New York Auto Show)

Last Sunday's episode of Full Throttle, Flex decided to leave the comfort of his garage in the Bronx and traveled to midtown Manhattan to the New York Auto Show (yes, the same show I was suppose to attend).

At the show, Flex caught up with "next on deck" rappers: Tinie Tempah, Joell Ortiz and Big Sean, newcomers who are making a lot of noise (in a good way) and getting a lot of attention. Tinie's car choice was the Audi R8 where he continued to say that the car is extremely popular in his native country of England. Tinie continued to shine light on how they do things across the pond- when people have enough money to spend on a high end car, they don't customize it in any way, they leave it stock. No wheels, no grills, no tint. The ONLY customization that's acceptable to a high end car is to custom paint it with a matte paint. I see it's the complete opposite in the US. Also Tinie mentioned how he can't ride in a convertible because he's too recognizable in Britain.


Brooklyn rapper Joell Ortiz had realistic and obtainable dreams and went towards the Chevy area where he had his eye on the Convertible Camaro. At this point, it turned into a battle of the muscle cars: Camaro vs. Mustang (Joell vs. Flex). Joell described the burnt orange Convertible Camaro as scary... cause of the orange color reminded him of Halloween. He hops in, giving us a mental picture of how to act in a Convertible Camaro in his neighborhood in BK: drive real slow so everyone can see, especially those who are envious.

The final rapper Flex caught up with was Big Sean, who likes the stereotypical cars that most rappers go for. He went on and hopped into a Rolls Royce Ghost, and then talked about how he aspired to get a Bentley Flying Spur. Flex asked the question "What kind of car would people wouldn't expect you to like." Sean said an old school Impala: ironically he picked a staple in the Hip-Hop culture. Next Question: Camaro, Charger, or Mustang. Surprisingly Sean went with the Charger, and they made their way to the Dodge section and looked at the Charger from the Fast Five movie.

Out of the Tinie, Joell, and Sean's interview, I liked Tinie's the most. Simply because his had the most automotive insight. Joell and Sean's interviews were too typical.

This episode was extremely reminiscent of Flex's past TV Shows, where he would go to shows and actually converse about cars and nothing but cars. Back when he took Lil' Kim to a chop shop and she bought parts for an old school car. Ahhh, memories.

Here's the entire episode. But I hate the commercial breaks.

Funk Flex Full Throttle - MTV Shows

Bonus Clip: Joell and Flex attempted to talk about old school Buicks and was interrupted.

Funk Flex Full Throttle

Most truthful line of this entire episode: "As we all know, New York is the capital of the world"- Funkmaster Flex.

Recapping Episode Five of Funkmaster Flex's Full Throttle (with Fabolous)

This weekend was episode five of Full Throttle with Flex's Special Guest being Fabolous. The episode was surrounded by Fab as well as Flex's gift to him: 1965 Plymouth Belvedere.

I like Flex's ability to find a car that has seen better days and to flip it to where it'll look good. He's found a Belvedere: a car that's not the typical old school car. Since it was a rare old school car, Fab went with an exterior color on a car that was rare for him to have, since his previous cars have mostly been black. Flex has a huge advantage when it comes to muscle cars, especially the older ones. With the older ones, he can do more with them and show some originality and personality, and it's not the same "cookie cutter customizations" like he does with the newer body Ford Mustang.

They agreed and went with a performance red from Dupli Color. Flex then went to Performance Auto in NY and they created a unique set of wheels that will really stand out. Finally, Flex's crew added a Sony digital sound system, improved the engine, etc. You know Flex never releases the entire specs of a car.

I liked the interview with Fabolous, because it started off about cars and driving. One of the questions was what car did he want before he became famous, and his answer was a Mercedes CLK 500. He didn't exactly get the car once he had the money to. He stepped up and got the CL 500. That "K" makes a world of difference. According to Fab, the CLK gives off the appearance that you have money, while the CL shows that you do have money. Lesson for today.

Here's the full episode:

Funk Flex Full Throttle - MTV Shows

Bonus Clip:

Funk Flex Full Throttle

All in all, it was a good episode. I mean, it wasn't as good as episode four, but I only liked that episode for the eye candy.

Block Entertainment and CarTunes Customize Dodge Challenger

Block Entertainment decided to bring a Dodge Challenger to CarTunes in Sandy Springs, GA to get it customized and fully ready for car shows. First they added a full Sony sound system complete with 4 10 Sony subwoofers and 4 Sony amplifiers to power the new sound system in the car. They topped it off with some Carbon fiber style Vinyl and trimmed it in Red Suede to really make it pop.

Then they went to Advanced Automotive Concepts and Oracle who provided a Multi Color LED Halo Ring set for the Dodge Challenger. This features 4 modes which include a fade, pulse, strobe, and scroll through over 18 different colors. With the LED Halo Ring Set, it provided them with a different look that will make this Dodge Challenger stand out from all the others.

Can't forget about the wheels. Butler Tire came up with a new wheel provided by Savini Forged Wheels to really make this thing pop and continue the silver and red theme of this car.

The final detail that they completed happened to be a Seibon Carbon fiber kit for the lower underbody skirts lower body kit.

Looking great guys... but would you expect anything less from a label owner who calls himself the King of Car Shows...