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Between 1967 to 1971 the De Tomaso Mangusta was an Italian sports car with American flare. Italian designed, yes… but underneath its sleek European exterior beat the heart of a 289 cubic inch V-8 from Ford (which was exchanged to a 302 V8 for the North American Market).

American’s and our gas guzzlers… but who could blame them back in 1967 with gas set at $0.33 a gallon.

The Mangusta was designed and built by Alejandro de Tomaso (an Argentine race car driver) . What made this design so special back in 1967 was its mid-engine layout. Conceivably, this design should have helped to balance out the large chassis, but unfortunately due to its overly flexible platform, the Mangusta proved quite a handful to drive.

He added wide rear wheels to try to bring back control over this beast, but the Mangusta had a mind of its own… especially during high speed maneuvering. Disappointing as he was, the car was still a beautiful design. Its curves were sexy, its engine note was ferocious, and its features were quite unique for 1967. Some would even say that the car was ahead of its time with its futuristic appearance.

As for the American buyer, who’s muscle cars have most always been designed more for the straight away than the twisty countryside… the Mangusta was well received. A total of 250 out of 401 were sold in America for around $10,000. The Mangusta slowly became a success over its 4 years in existence and paved a bright future for what became the Pantera (which reined from 1971 to 1982).

The successful mid engine design of the Mangusta has even been said to have scratched the chins of a few GM designers who tossed around the notion of a mid-engine Corvette for awhile before dismissing it.

The 289 used in the Mangusta was as American as Apple Pie… well of course, its 289 was the same from the Ford Mustang! The 289 was actually tuned the same as for the infamous Shelby Mustang GT-350. Rumor has it that De Tomaso had actually been promised engines from Ford that ended up being used for the “Cobra”.

So, to let out a little of his frustrations to the Ford plant, Alejandro named his car after the Mangusta, or “Mongoose”… in reference to the Mongoose’s documented Cobra killing skills. True or not, it sure makes a great story!

Now could the De Tomaso Mangusta really eat a Ford Cobra for breakfast? Probably not, but it would give it a run for its money!

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Just like wintertime, the summer offers its own perils. The human body and automobile are both most comfortable in moderate climates of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Anything above or considerably below can become a dangerous situation.

Heat Stroke- While cold is unpleasant and if becomes extreme can cause death, heat stroke is a dangerous situation for both children and animals, especially when left in an automobile unsupervised. A car interior can reach temperatures of over 180 degrees when left out in the sun. Yes, water and keeping the windows rolled down helps some, but even better is just not to ever leave anything in your car for much over 5 minutes on a summer day.

Surprisingly, a study by Standford has shown that a parked car can even become dangerously hot during mild temperatures (72 degrees). So, don’t judge just by the feel of the outside air.

Overheating- While more of a problem in the vehicles that are several years old, overheating is still a danger in certain climates for any car that is put through an extended amount of heat build up. Over steep mountain passes in dessert country is of particular danger to your cars engine. Overheating of an engine can cause the radiator to boil, or the engine to freeze up entirely. Many older model vehicles are particularly sensitive to overheating when the air conditioning is on.

If your car does over heat due to overheating from the air conditioner, one of the most effective things you can do is turn the heater on to help expel excessive heat soak in the engine bay. This is a double whammy of course to the driver and passengers on a hot day, so if this tactic does not do any good within a few minutes, it is best to just pull over and let the car cool down before continuing on with your journey.

Have your air conditioning checked for leaks and charged if necessary early on in the summer, don’t wait until one of those “dog days” to find it’s on its last legs.

Breakdown- Summer breakdowns can happen just as often as winter ones. This can be due to weak belts, malfunctioning wiring, low fluid levels (leaks), or cracked hoses. For this reason it is important to have these checked at the beginning of every summer and then carry an emergency kit at all times.

The emergency kit should not only have water, (nonperishable) snacks, a first aid kit, and a thermal blanket (it can get cold in the dessert at night), but it should also have an extra belts, hose mending kit, tire “fix-a-flat”, spare tire in case the leak is severe, jack, lug nut wrench, jumper cables, flashlight, cell phone, flares, map (GPS), extra fluids (radiator, brake, power steering, windshield fluid, oil, transmission, etc.)

Summer is bright, sunny, and colorful, which can give the impression that it is much less dangerous than the bitter cold winter months. Don’t let it fool you however, summer has its own dangers and deserves its own form of careful preparation to keep both you and your family safe!

Well, perhaps you wouldn’t want to exactly switch over some of the above mentioned classics into electric vehicles… but you could!

While plug-in electric vehicles are not much of a revelation these days, many people are detracted from them by their high cost and relatively few manufacturers who are making the conversions. While the newer and improved batteries are still reserved for certain newer hybrids currently in production or soon to be, there are still plenty of conversions using older technology. These are still plenty effective in saving you money, as well as the planet.

While electric cars have not gone into mainstream production as such, entrepreneurs and hobbyists have been perfecting kits for electric conversions and you might be surprised at the number of converted electrics you have driving around in your area that you would have never guessed.

These kits range from $5,000 on up to $15,000 for a full conversion, but if you are talking about using one on a 1984 V6 Camaro, you would be well below the cost of buying a brand new Hybrid from scratch. Try as much as $25,000 below is many cases.

Basically how it works is the gasoline engine and drivetrain are pulled from the and replaced with an all new electric drivetrain and motor. Yes, it is true that todays technology has developed newer battery prototypes that last 250-plus miles and charge completely in less than 10 minutes, but the older technology is usually appropriate for most daily commutes of say 50 to 100 miles.

Compared to the average $200 to $300 per month most of us are paying for gas, $5,000 could be paid off is just over 2 years, and that’s not adjusting for any future increases in gas prices. Some folks have even offered the advantage of converting a newer high priced vehicle to make its monthly payments more affordable, as you will be able to spend an extra $200 to $300 that you would not have normally not had for the month.

Porsche 911 GT2 (0-60 in 12 seconds), here we come!

While we certainly wouldn’t recommend defacing a Porsche 911 GT2, there are a lot of practical cars that would be perfect for this technology. Here is an example of a Porsche 912 electric conversion in the process:

The following is a short list of companies doing such conversions. Do a search on Google, you just might have one in your own hometown.

The Green Shed Conversions (http://greenshedconversions.com/default.aspx), Fort Pierce, Florida

Rocky Mountain Motor sports Fabrication http://www.rockmonstermotorsports.com/), Las Vegas, Nevada

Ampmobile Conversions (http://www.rockmonstermotorsports.com/) Lake Wylie, South Carolina