Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

Kids these days are hard to shop for. You want to give them something they will use but also something that they can learn from. Lucky for you and them there is a new toy out there meant to get them eager to learn to earn a spot alongside dad in the garage! Hammacher Schlemmer specializes in unique and unusual toys. Their latest endeavor is The Car Lover's Engine Repair Set. It is modeled after the front half of a car and allows for your aspiring mechanics to change the oil and tinker with the engine. The toy comes with removable components such as wing nuts, spark plugs, and removable cowling. Once a repair job is complete, kids can even get behind the wheel to turn the ignition key and hear how the engine sounds when it starts. The car has a working horn and headlights, and the set comes with a screwdriver, wrench, and other tools sized to fit little grea ... read more

Crossing the block at Mecum’s Austin 2014 auction, December 12th and 13th, will be one of the three famed original Eleanor Mustang hero cars from the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds” The unlikely star was specially built for the 2000 remake by Hollywood’s Cinema Vehicle Services. Inside, Eleanor resembles your typical top-of-the-line Mustang, with period accurate ’67 dash, gauges, steering wheel, and enhanced of course with the ‘Go-Baby-Go’ shift knob. Underneath the hood the sweet girl packs enough punch to match her high powered looks. The Mustang fits a burly 351-ci Ford Racing crate motor, complete with a Holley 700 four-barrel carb and backing up to a four speed manual gearbox. A positraction rear end and 17-inch Schmidt wheels help put that power to the ground. Although it’s designated as the seventh of 11 Eleanor Mustangs built for filming, this fine example and its two sister hero cars were the only ones used in scenes involving the star-studded cast. Considering the origin of Gone ... read more