America Road Trips

06/07/2023

More progress pics on the 1966 Mustang Convertible. California Special striping almost complete, further engine progress and windshield molding!

05/15/2023

Progress continues on the 1966 Emberglo Mustang Convertible! Fuel lines are in, exhaust installed, and wiring almost complete. Getting close to firing up the 331 stroker!

04/27/2023

331 Stroker motor arrived from ATK and is in the 66 Mustang! Performance should be impressive with 414 ft-lbs of torque and over 380HP on the dyno. Should sound great as well with the Magnaflow Street Series dual exhaust! Can't wait to take this car for a spin (pun intended)!!

03/26/2023

Suspension installed on 1966 Emberglo Mustang Convertible! Interior wiring complete! Waiting on the 331 stroker motor from ATK. The car is going to be stunning!

03/12/2023

1966 Emberglo Mustang Convertible build progresses! Suspension ready for install, wiring almost complete, emblems and trim installed, taillights, gas cap, rear stripes complete. No one ever built a 1966 Mustang California Special Convertible. This car will be a one of one!

02/06/2023

Great time at Barrett Jackson and Bonhams auctions in Scottsdale Arizona last month! Dave Grotto was able to find a couple nice Mopars that fit the bill - a 1970 Cuda and 1970 Challenger with a 440 six pack. Overall, there were a couple deals to be found but for the most part prices were sky high!

01/06/2023

The annual Food Drive at The Cobra Experience will take place June 10th, a day full of fun activities! There will be a Cars & Coffee during food drop off from 8-10am. A gorgeous 1966 Shelby GT350H sweepstakes car will be awarded to the lucky winner at 10am. To conclude the day, The Cobra Experience Museum will be open from 10am to 1pm. Click the link below for ways to contribute to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and enter the sweepstakes for the Shelby, both very worthy causes!!

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d7058c014089d0001c21d93/t/6369aae09055480b6c7da5f8/1672972472908/2023+Food+Drive.pdf

11/29/2022

Reassembly continues with 1966 Emberglo Mustang Convertible! Electronic power assist steering (EPAS), Vintage Air Conditioning and upgraded wiring harness (American Auto Wiring) in process!

10/20/2022

1966 Emberglo Mustang Convertible reassembly begins after wet sanding and buffing!

09/22/2022

A free two day rental in our award winning 1965 Mustang Convertible was offered in this year's Food Drive as an incentive to get additional donations benefiting the Contra Costa and Solano Food Bank. The winning couple spent an enjoyable weekend earlier this month taking the car for a spin in the California "Gold Country" Foothills. The 2023 Drive for Hunger is scheduled for June 10 at The Cobra Experience. Stay tuned!

09/10/2022

1966 "California Special" Convertible Mustang build progress - Paint!

08/15/2022

America Road Trips wine tour to benefit Calaveras County California Habitat for Humanity! Bidding begins August 22nd. Thanks for your support!

https://hhcalav2022.ggo.bid/bidding/package/13877308

07/09/2022

We used our award winning 1956 Ford Victoria for a fun day cruising to three Calaveras County wineries. Proceeds from the day benefit Habitat for Humanity Calaveras

06/07/2022

The vintage burgundy America Road Trips Mustang convertible was rented for another wedding this last Saturday. The sun broke out for photos at the reception at Ironstone Winery in Murphys California. A great start for Emily and Michael!

06/01/2022

The 2022 Food Drive at The Cobra Experience on April 16th generated 3,126 meals in spite of the weather! Thanks to all those who contributed!

05/23/2022

Kudos to GrottoWorks for another award winning custom build!! The 1965 vintage burgundy America Road Trips convertible won Gold at the national Mustang Club of America show in Suisun, California this weekend! Gold is achieved with a judged point total of 480 to 500 points out of a max of 500 points possible. The car was also featured in the October 2021 Mustang Times and featured on the cover of the December 2021 Hemmings Motor News. This car is available for Event (including photo shoots) and Wedding rentals through Hagerty DriveShare!

05/15/2022

1966 Mustang Convertible rental almost ready for epoxy primer! Grotto brothers Mike and Dave have done a great job with the fiberglass trunk and quarter panel extensions. Some very cool custom features on this build which will make this car another unique build! Also found time today to cut and polish the 1965 Mustang convertible in preparation for displaying it at the Biggest Little National, a national Mustang Club of America show which will be taking place next weekend in Suisun CA!

05/03/2022

Great weekend in Healdsburg California to celebrate a wedding and birthday! Stayed at the historic Calderwood Inn. The America Road Trips Vintage Burgundy Mustang convertible was rented for a beautiful wedding at Montage in Healdsburg. Used the convertible for wine tasting and exploring the beautiful Alexander Valley the following day. A great weekend indeed!

03/19/2022

Spent a couple hours yesterday at the Mecum auction in Glendale Arizona. Lots of nice cars including two early prototype Mustangs! Not quite the crazy hammer prices that we saw earlier this year at Mecum Kissimmee and Barrett Jackson Scottsdale. Market still very active though with what appears to be a relatively high sell-through rate.

03/02/2022

Mike has completed the sheet metal repair on the 1966 Embergo Mustang Convertible. Just finished coating the undercarriage of the car. Looks fantastic! Really happy with how the car is progressing. Next we will be completing the body work and prepping the car for epoxy primer. The 2.3L Ecoboost powered 1965 Mustang which we completed last year was a very unique build. The 1965 was featured in several magazines including the Dec 2021 Hemmings Motor News and Mustang Times. We have plans for this 1966 Emberglo Convertible which will make this car another one of a kind! Stay tuned!

02/02/2022

Nine of us took a side trip to Barrett Jackson Scottsdale last week. Amazing event! Classic car auction prices were sky high this year so no new additions to the America Road Trips rentals but a great time had by all nonetheless!

01/19/2022

2026 marks the 100 year anniversary of US Route 66. Route 66, also known as the Mother Road, was established on November 11, 1926. The purpose of our October 2021 Route 66 trip from California to Chicago was not only to have a great time, but also to research the events planned for the Route 66 Centennial! An article on the trip was published in this month's Mustang Times.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d7058c014089d0001c21d93/t/61e1af0e1330635d940ddde9/1642180374586/January+2022+Mustang+Times+Route+66.pdf

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01/13/2022

Sheet metal repair has begun at GrottoWorks on the 1966 Mustang Emberglo Convertible Rental!

12/31/2021

The 2022 Drive for Hunger is planned for April 16th at The Cobra Experience in Martinez California. The first Food Drive in 2020 generated 4,555 meals for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The 2021 Food Drive generated 6,034 meals. The goal for 2022 is to exceed that! Here is the 2022 Food Drive flyer for more information including registration information -https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d7058c014089d0001c21d93/t/61ce27ba0d71cd78bdc9525d/1640900539543/2022+Food+Drive+.pdf

12/13/2021

1966 Mustang convertible build progressing at GrottoWorks! Our Emberglo rental is in the shop post media blast for fiberglass trunk/rear spoiler and tail light test fit. Fiberglass and tail lights look fantastic! Metal repair and bodywork next...

11/28/2021

1965 Mustang rental car made the cover of Hemmings Motor News! Inside is a great six page article which details the history of the car as well as the upgrades. Cudos to builders Mike and Dave Grotto for another great restomod!

11/24/2021

Progress on the America Road Trips Emberglo 1966 Mustang Convertible Rental! Media blasting to remove old paint and reveal areas for rust repair. Upon completion this car will be available to rent in addition to our 1965 Burgundy and 1966 Springtime Yellow Mustang for weddings, photo shoots, getaway weekends, etc!

11/17/2021

October 2021 Route 66 trip California to Chicago Illinois. Day 10, Springfield to Chicago Illinois. What a final day on Route 66! We started in Springfield Illinois with a quick stop at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site - a must see! From there it was on to the World's Largest Railsplitter Covered Wagon. Sprague's Super Station in Normal Illinois made for great photo opportunities. We got a personal tour on our next stop at the Pontiac Museum in Pontiac Illinois! After quick stops at the Odell Gas Station and Gemini Giant, we made it the our final Route 66 destination, Chicago!! 10 days, eight states, 2,609 miles. What an incredible trip!!

11/15/2021

October 2021 Route 66 Trip - California to Chicago Illinois. Day 9, Cuba Missouri to Springfield Illinois. After a quick stop at the world's second largest rocking chair, located in Cuba MO, we drove to St. Louis to check out the Gateway Arch and enjoy a treat at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. From there we drove by the world's largest catsup bottle on our way to our hotel in Springfield Ilinois.