AutoEsoterica

Finally got some paint on the body shell of my 1951 Ford Crestliner a few weeks ago! The results are far from perfect -- I've never sprayed a car before, I painted the body right in my garage, and I used a $20 spray gun from Harbor Freight -- but overall, I'm super pleased with the results. There are dust spots here and there, so everything will have to be wet sanded and polished, but still, the finish is nearly good enough to run as-is.

I'm using two-stage paint (separate color and clear) on this project, as close to the original colors as I could reasonably get. The lower hue is called Hawaiian Bronze, while the upper one is very close to Sandpiper Tan. The paint store wanted around $1,200 a gallon of *perfectly matched* Sandpiper Tan, far more than I wanted to pay, especially since I would be spraying everything myself and the risk of screwing things up was high. Instead, I picked a different paint out of their standard color library that was basically indistinguishable and only $300 per gallon.

Now, I have to address the doors and hood, and all the paint will be finished. The doors are ready to go right now, but I still have to sand the hood. Stay tuned for more...

- Craig

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5 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 26

AutoEsoterica

What's your favorite vintage engine? The Ford flathead has its flaws, but this V8 is still a great little powerplant.

This right here is an 8BA I recently got back from the machine shop. The block has been bored out 0.125", hardened valve seats were installed and everything got balanced. With a 4" Mercury crank, this engine will clock in at 276 cubic inches. With an Isky 1007B cam and no crazy modifications, this should be a torquey little engine, but hopefully reliable and efficient, too.

Stay tuned for updates as I assemble this V8 and continue restoring my 1951 Ford Crestliner! We've got big plans for 2026...

- Craig

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1 week ago | [YT] | 25

AutoEsoterica

Long-time friend MotoMan paid a visit to Craig's garage for a deep discussion about the state of the car business in 2025! Watch it on his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq_8H...

If you haven't already, make sure you give him a subscribe. As always, he's talking to some truly fascinating car people you'll want to hear from!

2 months ago | [YT] | 18

AutoEsoterica

We can't be the only ones seeing this... That's right, fall is here. Enjoy 25% off everything, all Labor Day long. No promo code needed at autoesoterica.myspreadshop.com/

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3 months ago | [YT] | 12

AutoEsoterica

Fun fact: the 1963 Studebaker Avanti offered a slide-out vanity which could double as a pen holder. That said, I'll take the one with wood paneling and gold shag carpets, please. From all of us at AutoEsoterica, have a great Labor Day weekend!

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3 months ago | [YT] | 31

AutoEsoterica

Which Avanti headlamp do you prefer?

3 months ago | [YT] | 14

AutoEsoterica

We hopped in the '36 this past weekend and met up with car designer Jason White for some antics at the Woodward Dream Cruise. Were you there? If so, what was the most interesting car you spotted?

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4 months ago | [YT] | 17

AutoEsoterica

See what happens when a professional designer is faced with the challenge of designing a vehicle on demand. Watch the trailer and then check out the full video at https://youtu.be/zxZ2HEAJanU

5 months ago | [YT] | 0

AutoEsoterica

One of the great parts about this business is that while you may move on to other organizations, you never forget your friends, and sometimes you get to work together again. So, AutoEsoterica is excited to team up with our former colleagues, Jodi Lai and Dan Ilika, from ‪@autotrader_ca‬ for a collab you can watch NOW!

We call this special episode "Designing the Dan Wagon." Jason White helped us bring to life Dan's dream vehicle, which he thinks would be perfect for his lifestyle and borrows the best features from all of his favorite cars.

Check it out: https://youtu.be/IZhY39nbVx8

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5 months ago | [YT] | 8

AutoEsoterica

AutoEsoterica was on location last weekend at the All Toyotas of the Midwest car show in Detroit. It was the event's biggest gathering of rare, classic, and unique Toyotas to date, and we took a deep dive into cars you could never buy in the U.S. Video coming soon!

Photo credit: Curt McAllister, Toyota Motor North America. Pictured left to right: Ben Sanders, AE producer & co-founder; Jim Hall, automotive analyst; Craig Cole, AE host & co-founder.

5 months ago | [YT] | 32