Grit, Gravel, and Guts: What Every Albertan Mountain Driver Should Know

As we at Dale Adams are based in Calgary, Alberta, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains, it is important that local drivers headed to the mountains understand the safety and maintenance tips associated with driving in extreme conditions. Weather, road conditions, animals and loose rocks are always present, as well as extreme climbs and descents. Are you and your vehicle ready for the summer mountain season? Check out this helpful and quick read to guide you in your travels. Book your seasonal maintenance now and make sure your vehicle is ready for what the powerful Rockies has to offer!

The 2025 Shelby Super Snake is the pinnacle of our performance cars based on Ford's next generation S650 Mustang sports car.

Shelby's new Super Snake Mustang ushers in a new era of automotive excitement, boasting a range of thrilling features designed to redefine performance for the next generation S650 Mustang. With a striking all-new look, this iteration of the Super Snake stands out as the most engineered and driver-focused production model to date. Its heart-pounding performance is driven by an impressive 830+ horsepower supercharged V8 engine*, meticulously calibrated to deliver exhilarating power and performance.

“The Shelby GT350 and the Shelby GT350R are back for 2025,” said Gary Patterson, President of Shelby American. “Just as Carroll Shelby envisioned in 1965, this sports car is designed to be exhilarating and competitive on both the street and track. The Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R each have unique personalities that are very different from our halo Shelby Super Snake. The 2025 Shelby GT350 models are pure sports car, while the Shelby Super Snake is the highest performance super car in our lineup.”
Get your quote at Dale Adams Automotive Today!

Why Trusting a Local Garage Like Dale Adams Automotive Beats Big Corporate Shops

When it comes to maintaining or repairing your vehicle, the choice between a small, trusted local garage and a large corporate shop can make all the difference in your experience and your car’s performance. At Dale Adams Automotive, serving Calgary, Alberta, since 1977, we’ve built our reputation on trust, quality, and personalized service. Here’s why choosing a local garage like ours often surpasses what corporate chains can offer.

Ford Mustang GTD Shatters Records at Nürburgring: What It Means for Your Mustang's Potential

When the Ford Mustang GTD recently completed a lap at the legendary Nürburgring in just 6:57.685, it didn’t just make headlines—it made history. Ford set a new American production car record on one of the most grueling racetracks in the world, a feat that cements the Mustang’s reputation as a powerhouse of engineering, performance, and raw muscle. For fans of performance cars and Ford enthusiasts alike, this was an electrifying moment that showcased the Mustang’s incredible capabilities.

Dale Adams Automotive is happy to offer our classic car clients the best in LED headlight technology for your classic and vintage automobiles. Holley Retrobright has partnered with Dale Adams to offer you these lights on sale now for a limited time.

All the details on how to convert your vehicle are below. Take advantage of these discounted prices while you can.

Contact us for information and ordering.

Sale Details

• 5.75" Round Lights - Regular Price: $248 each now on sale for $210 each!
• 7" Round Lights - Regular Price: $276 each now on sale for $229 each!
• 5" x 7" Rectangle Lights - Regular Price: $276 each now on sale for $229 each!

HOW TO CONVERT YOUR CAR TO LED HEADLIGHTS WITH HOLLEY RETROBRIGHT

We restore, maintain, and upgrade them lovingly, often balancing modern improvements on a razor’s edge to maintain the nostalgic charm these vehicles have in spades. The look, the sound, and the feel crave harmony. However, when the sun sets, a woeful, dimly lit inadequacy, too often overlooked in our vintage rides, appears. The tired, sealed-beam headlights struggle to deliver more than a few car lengths of highway glow.

Holley RetroBright headlights incorporate modern LED technology into a direct-fit, easy to install housing that looks right at home on a classic vehicle.

Headlights that were once a touted advance in automotive evolution leave much to be desired by today’s standards. A simple swap to a brighter bulb seems obvious, but previous solutions to the problem have been clunky and aesthetically out of place.

Ill-fitting aftermarket housings welcomed moisture, required substantial mounting modifications, and many Jeep-sourced lights had a look unbecoming of a classic car. Then there was the issue of wiring, which often required cutting, splicing, and sometimes even greater surgery to yield a mediocre result.

Holley RetroBright headlights incorporate modern LED technology into a direct-fit, easy to install housing that looks right at home on a classic vehicle.

To deliver a better solution for improved lighting and visibility, perfect fitment, and plug-and-play installation, Holley teamed up with industry-leading LED lighting designer Morimoto. The result: Holley RetroBright, a new line of LED, sealed-beam-style headlights in round and rectangular styles that deliver a classic look with modern illumination.

LED vs Halogen

Shown is a RetroBright light (left) as compared to a conventional sealed-beam headlight (right). Unlike retrofit headlights sourced from Jeeps, RetroBright housings are intended for OEM, shallow headlight buckets and don’t require any modifications to install. RetroBright lights are also constructed from durable polycarbonate which is much more durable than glass.

Halogen sealed beam lights were the industry standard for the better part of half a century, but much like the rotary dial telephone or the typewriter, they have been superseded.

Halogen headlights contain a tungsten filament in a glass housing that is filled with inert halogen gas. When the light is on, electricity flows through the tungsten filament inside the glass capsule. Electrical resistance in the tungsten filament causes it to heat up, to approximately 4500º F, and glow. This is referred to as an incandescent process– hence, the term incandescent bulb.

LED VS HALOGEN CURRENT DRAW

An LED, or light emitting diode, works in a completely different manner. Electrical current passes through a diode, a semiconducting material, which then emits photons (light). LEDs do not rely on heat to create light which makes them run cooler, and last considerably longer than a comparable incandescent bulb. A typical incandescent bulb lasts about 2,000 hours whereas an LED has a lifespan of 50,000 hours.

The light generating process of an LED is also much more electrically efficient and draws roughly half as much current. This is a major win for vintage vehicles that are still operating OEM style alternators where amperage capacity is often in short supply.

Plug and Play

Retrobright lights incorporate plug-and-play-style pig tails which easily connect to the OEM vehicle wiring harness. There is no cutting or splicing required, nor do in-line resistors need to be added. Adapters for non-standard H4 wiring plugs and pin outs and splitters for quad beam hi/lo set-ups are also available.

Previous LED headlight conversions fell heavily into the universal category. That typically meant cutting and splicing in new connectors and even wiring in current-limiting resistors, which if left out could cause the LEDs to burn out. There’s always a place for universal products in our hot-rodding hobby but for the brunt of enthusiasts, a direct-fit option is the most convenient, easiest-to-install route. RetroBright’s OEM connectors allow the factory wiring to plug directly into the new housing. Adapters for non-standard H4 wiring plugs and pin outs are also available (PN H820 for non-standard H4 adapters).

RetroBright Sizes and Colors

Holley RetroBright lights will be available in 7-inch round, 5.75-inch round, and 4x6-inch, 5x7-inch rectangular sizes which encompasses a huge expanse of American, European, and Japanese vintage automobiles.

Holley RetroBright lights will be available in 7-inch round, 5.75-inch round, and 4x6-inch, 5x7-inch rectangular sizes which encompasses a huge expanse of American, European, and Japanese vintage automobiles. The lights will also be available in two different color temperatures: 5700k, which is a modern white, and 3000k which delivers a more nostalgic warm classic yellow color, without sacrificing any brightness. Lights will also be available with clear or yellow "euro-style" lenses.

RetroBright headlights are available in 5700k, which is a bright white color, and 3000k, which offers a nostalgic yellow tint with no loss in brightness. A 5700k version with a euro-style yellow lens is also available.

Classic Looks Meet Modern Performance

With the lights off, one would be hard-pressed to know anything had been changed at all. With them on, the driver can enjoy a safer, more confident night-driving experience. RetroBright is the perfect combination of classic look meets modern performance.

At the end of the day, there is no beating the look of a classic vehicle, and RetroBright offers the rare chance to add significant performance, safety, and modern convenience without losing that classic charm.

Contact us for information and ordering.

Summer Maintenance Tips for Your Vehicle

As we enter our second year of the COVID 19 Pandemic, keeping our sanity and getting away from home will now be more important than ever before. Many of us will rely on our vehicles more than ever this year as well. As we slowly come out of winter here in Alberta, we welcome the warm summer winds.

This also signifies that it is time after a long winter to make sure that your vehicle is up to date in maintenance, and it's time to think about getting the winter tires off of the vehicle. This is a very busy time for us here at Dale Adams so we strongly encourage you to book your service appointment ahead of time.

Here are some tips on the basic maintenance your car will need as summer approaches.

Get a Fresh Oil Change

The oil in your car or vehicle should be changed about every 5000 kms or three months. As Alberta is so dry and as cities spread dirt on the roads to melt ice, there are often dust particles that can contaminate your intake. The extreme temperature changes can also mess with the oil’s viscosity over a long tough winter. There isn't much better than a fresh oil change after winter.

Change and Inspect Your Tires

First of all, it's time to swap those winter tires for your summer tires. This is a great time to inspect both sets of tires now that you can view them off of your vehicle. Be sure that they are wearing evenly and you can use a Sharpie marker to mark the position you took the tires off from to ensure proper rotation next time you swap them. Be sure to check the tread depth and for any imperfections. If you need help, advice and new tires, be sure to ask us. We have access to the best tires in the city!

Check Air Filters

You really only need to change-or at least clean-your air filters about every second oil change. Similar to the above, as you know, we have a dry and dusty climate. Even when you think you are avoiding dust in the winter, that isn't true due to the accumulation of dirt on the roads during winter that gets whipped up by drivers. 

Inspect the Belts and Hoses

It seems there is a trend here, but guess what else wreaks havoc on belts and hoses? Yup, it's the extreme temperature swings. Most vehicles in Canada are designer with cold winters in mind, but checking these belts and hoses regularly is key to avoiding break downs. You won't believe how many issues we see because of neglected belts and hoses. Though you can check yourself, we recommend letting a mechanic (namely, the Dale Adams team) inspect these, as they know what they are looking for.

How are those Wiper Blades?

Yes, temperature and thick ice and snow also do a number on wiper blades. As these are so easy and inexpensive to replace, and annoying when they don't work, we highly recommend changing these often. Don't wait for that April rainstorm to find out you can't see as the wipers aren't wiping. Don't forget those rear wipers too!

Check Your Radiator & Cooling System

When winter ends, it is not uncommon that you may have to top up radiator fluids. As cold as it can get in the winter here, we also know how warm it can get here in the hot and dry summers. We also live in the spacious prairies where there can be long stretches between service stations. Don't risk having your vehicle, especially older models, overheating and stalling out in the summer. Be sure to get all your liquid levels checked but this coolant will be key.

Don't Forget the Air Conditioning

After such a long winter, it may be easy to forget we even have AC in our cars. We sometimes see that AC systems have had some issues during the winter, but that never gets noticed until that first warm day. Be sure to have your AC checked to make sure it is performing optimally and that it is working as expected. Isn't it nice to think about needing your AC on a hot summer drive?

Closing Thoughts

We aren't going to tell you to floss your teeth, but as mechanics we do want to tell you a very true story. Performing regular maintenance saves you money. Otherwise, the need for more costly repairs due to neglected maintenance will happen. Regular maintenance also increases the life of your vehicle. We have an amazing maintenance program and we can even send you reminders to book again when you are ready. Booking is easy too. You can call or use our online booking system to find a time that works for you. We have very strict COVID protocols in place and offer a free shuttle service. Don't delay, book today and avoid the rush.

Your Dale Adams Team

2020 Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale - Save 15% on Whipple Superchargers
Between 12:00 am on Thursday November 26, 2020 through 11:59 pm Monday November 30, 2020 Whipple is having a very rare sale on their products. Save 15%* on your order placed between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you have been thinking about a Supercharger now is the time to buy. 

Times they are a changing. We all remember our favourite TV shows and movies that were about, or featured our favourite vehicles from the past. But we now have access to the Internet, and video services like YouTube. There is so much amazing, and free stations for all your automotive cravings.

We have listed some of our favourites and combed YouTube for new channels we think you should try. We definitely lean towards North American muscle cars personally, but we feel these channels below will cover most of the bases. 

WARNING!!: We cannot be responsible for your job or family getting upset with you because you've been watching hours of videos. Open these channels at your own peril.

Enjoy!

The Dale Adams Team