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Larry Stanley, a retiree from Indian Wells, California, fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning a 1966 Mustang convertible with the help of Eric Bishop, the owner of Bishop Custom Cars in Palm Desert, California. Larry wanted a brand-new Mustang with a mean and lean look, and Eric was able to deliver. The car was built in just 18 months and features a custom chassis, a NASCAR-style 351 Windsor engine, and various modifications to the body and interior. Larry has already put about 1,300 miles on the car and has won several awards at local car shows. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides an overview of Troy Trepanier and his shop, Rad Rides by Troy, which is located in Manteno, Illinois. Trepanier is a well-known car builder who has been in the industry for over 30 years. Unlike many custom car builders who focus on a specific genre, Trepanier's shop has produced a wide variety of vehicles. The article discusses Trepanier's early experiences with car building, his involvement in Bonneville racing, and some of his notable projects, including a '36 Ford Roadster and a third-generation Camaro. The article also mentions future projects, such as a '39 Hudson pickup. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the customization of a 1960 Ford Thunderbird by Hollywood Hot Rods. The owner of the car, Peter Chifo, was inspired by an illustration in a magazine and decided to modify his Thunderbird. The modifications included removing door handles, emblems, and faux air vents, as well as changing the front bumper, headlights, and taillights. The interior was also customized, and the suspension and engine were upgraded. The car made its debut at a car show and has been well-received by the custom car community. [Extracted from the article]

Beth Meyers and Roy Brizio Street Rods collaborated to build a '32 Ford Phaeton, which won the 2024 America's Most Beautiful Roadster Award. The Phaeton body design, featuring four doors, a folding top, no side windows, and a removable windshield, was not exclusive to Ford. The couple modified the body extensively, including reshaping the back, shortening the doors, raising the rear wheelwells, and narrowing the body. The car was finished with a mirror-finish black paint job, flames, and pinstriping. It is powered by a 347 small-block engine from Roush Racing and features a Tremec TKO 600 five-speed transmission and a Winters quick-change V-8 rearend. The interior is refined with custom seats and door panels wrapped in black leather. Beth's car was the first by a woman to be added to the America's Most Beautiful Roadster trophy. Beth and Ross Meyers also run a museum called 3 Dog Garage in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, which houses a collection of over 100 cars and trucks, a restoration shop, and a library. Admission to the museum is free and can be scheduled for car clubs or community service organizations. [Extracted from the article]

Kindig-It Design won the 2024 Ridler Award for their hand-built 1953 Corvette. The Ridler Award is a prestigious prize for custom car builders, and the competition has evolved from building hot rods to creating works of art. The winning Corvette was completely unique, with no parts from an actual 1953 Corvette used in the build. The car took years to create and was kept a secret during the process. It featured a custom-built aluminum body, a powerful LS-based V-12 engine, and a one-off suspension inspired by Formula 1 and Indy Car designs. The car was meticulously painted and finished, with every detail carefully crafted. The winner of the Ridler Award is chosen from a group of finalists, and the competition is sponsored by Meguiar's. The builder, Dave Kindig, expressed his desire for the competition to continue pushing the boundaries of design and raising the bar for custom car building. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the latest creation by Ringbrothers, a custom car business run by Mike and Jim Ring. The car, called Tusk, is a modified 1969 Charger with a 1,000-horsepower Hemi engine. The Ringbrothers took a fresh approach to the vehicle, making various modifications to the body and interior while adhering to certain stipulations from the owner. The result is a meticulously crafted car that pays homage to the original 1969 Charger. [Extracted from the article]

Bobby Alloway, a traditional hot rod builder at Alloway's Hot Rod Shop in Tennessee, is known for his commitment to preserving the historical narrative and techniques of hot rod building. While younger builders embrace high-tech tools and materials, Alloway focuses on time-honored fabrication techniques and craftsmanship. He has won numerous awards for his hot rods and muscle cars, but he has decided to step back from competing and instead focus on building cars that he and his customers want to build. Alloway acknowledges the advancements made by younger builders but values the craftsmanship and love for the sport that comes with building hot rods. He has a diverse range of projects in his shop, including a 1955 Chevy with a blown LS COPO motor, two '56 Nomads, a '32 Fordor sedan, a '66 Corvette, a 356 Porsche, and a Pantera with a Boss 429 engine. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the Pro Street look in the world of car building, as described by builder Steve Strope. Strope reminisces about his early days attending car shows and his love for the aggressive and attention-commanding Pro Street style. The article also includes Strope's recommendations for building a Pro Street car today, including a 1961 Pontiac Catalina, a 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and a 1970 Dodge Challenger. Strope emphasizes the importance of embracing individuality and building something unique. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the resurgence of the Pro Street movement in the world of hot rodding. David Freiburger, a MotorTrend TV host, has acquired a 1969 Chevy Nova to work on as a Pro Street project car. The car features a four-link rear suspension, large slicks, and an 8.50-certified cage. Freiburger decided to use a supercharged 555 engine known as the "Tunnel Cram" for the car, which has been successful in previous testing. The article concludes by mentioning that although the Nova experienced traction issues during its first run, Freiburger's project demonstrates that Pro Street will always be cool. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the Pro Street era of car customization, particularly focusing on two iconic vehicles: Rick Dobbertin's 1985 Pontiac J2000 and Matt Hay's Thunderbird. Both cars gained fame in the 1980s for their unique designs and engineering. The article highlights the craftsmanship and self-taught skills of the builders, emphasizing that they were average people working with limited resources. The author also mentions the upcoming display of these cars at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show, sparking speculation about a potential resurgence of the Pro Street movement. [Extracted from the article]

The Smoothster 1937 Ford roadster, Aero Coupe 1937 Ford, and Shock-wave 1934 Ford roadster are famous examples of the trend. Below: Hollywood Hot Rods is another (of many) hot rod shop that blends traditional, traditionally inspired, and modern parts into their builds. A huge change in hot rod style was marked by the 1926 Ford Model T sedan featured on the cover of the December 1974 issue of HOT ROD. [Extracted from the article]

The sedan cost $2400 to buy, and the roadster was traded for the sedan and $100. The roadster was a completely original car, with headlights, taillights, cowl lights, a windshield (which would be chopped 3 inches), a grille, and other components that the sedan didn't have. This '31 roadster street rod was intended to be a low-budget car from the beginning. Each car had its advantages; the sedan had a boxed frame, a dropped front axle and a late-model rear suspension. [Extracted from the article]

WES ALLISON I's amazing that nearly 70 years have passed since Chevrolet married a Corvette front end to a wagon rear end and created the Bel Air Nomad concept car. GM brass, however, correctly surmised that the production version was better suited to the Bel Air underpinnings than those of the Corvette station wagon show car. Following the original Nomad concept, GM teased the public with other two-door station wagon concept cars in 1979, 1991, 1999, and 2004. [Extracted from the article]

Mike and Sean both loved the big 409ci engine up front, as it just reeked of hot rod goodness. Once Mike and Sean took delivery of their new hot rod, things were quickly put into motion. While attending the Race of Gentlemen in 2018, identical twin brothers Mike and Sean Tucker were casually browsing an online automotive marketplace over breakfast. Fortunately, Mike and Sean were raised under the umbrella of the Tucker legacy and are fully versed in its robust history. [Extracted from the article]

Exactly 75 years ago, Bob McGee drove his red '32 roadster in front of historic Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California and a photograph was taken that would become the cover of the October 1948 issue of HOT ROD magazine. In 1940, a young Bob McGee of Huntington Park, California, had built his first roadster-eight years before his now legendary roadster graced the cover of HOT ROD. MCGEE/SCRITCHFIELD ROADSTER TIMELINE 1940: Bob McGee builds his first '32 Ford roadster. Since the famed McGee Roadster was the first 1932 hot rod to be on the cover of HOT ROD, and a Los Angeles car, it checked all the boxes for what Bruce was so passionate about. [Extracted from the article]

Jeff Smith went back to the well in 1990 by putting a peach and teal Pro Street Studebaker on the cover and devoted nearly a dozen pages in that issue to the theme. A quick scan of our digital archive shows that the first instance of the "Dare To Be Different" cover theme was the July 1989 issue. "Dare To Be Different" became a staple cover theme from that moment on. [Extracted from the article]

Steve and Bob selected none of the above, and instead sent a Chrysler Cordoba 360 engine to Ed Pink Racing Engines in Van Nuys, California, where it was stroked to 418 cubic inches. Steve fabricated a three-piece aluminum spoiler for the decklid and a pair of '68 Charger parking-light lenses were integrated into the front bumper in the style of a '70 Road Runner. Bob Florine and Steve Strope both said that to me, even though we were talking about the incredible hot rod that is disproving their assertion everywhere it shows up. [Extracted from the article]

Inside this issue, there were several articles covering various drag races around the country, but the one that stuck out most was Eric Rickman's accounting of two back-to-back events in New Jersey and New York. We really like the look of HOT ROD's November 1954 cover. It captures the essence of what today's vintage drag racing events strive to be. [Extracted from the article]

Besides a great representation of American vehicles (most of which were customized in Japan) you get to see how they customize Japanese-market vehicles, many of which have never even been heard of in the States. For 30 years, the folks who own Moon-eyes - which encompasses two parts houses, one in Santa Fe Springs, California, and the other in Yokohama, Japan - have put together an awesome hot rod event, which was the first such indoor gathering in Japan when it began in 1992. But nowadays, plenty of good craftsmen and hot rod car clubs in Japan turn out exceptional vehicles done to a level that easily rivals anything found in the States. [Extracted from the article]

The Graham is powerful, and it "rides like a new car", Dick said, thanks to the suspension system he put together and the crossmembers he grafted into the unibody. In the Graham, Dick oriented it north-south to retain the car's rear-wheel-drive layout. Dick Raczuk's 1941 Graham Hollywood is wild, certainly, and it is also unlike most prewar cars that typically get the hot rod treatment. [Extracted from the article]

John had done all the heavy lifting during his ownership, and Evans only found a few things he wanted to change. As Evans explained, "The car is set up as a cruiser. Evans called the owner, John, the next day and was regaled with the story of what was turning out to be quite a find. [Extracted from the article]

This '31 Model A coupe was sitting on a shelf in the yard at Hollywood Hot Rods and Troy thought it would be the perfect starting point along with the Brookville Lakester frame leftover from a stillborn project. What does internationally renowned hot rod builder Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods, do on his one day off? Note the reversed eye spring, bolt-on lower shock mounts, fabbed upper shock mounts, and the SO-CAL headlight brackets (which might get reworked as the front end develops). [Extracted from the article]

A/Gas cars can run EFI if it is used on a traditional stack-type intake manifold or traditional supercharger hat, but B/Gas is limited to carburetors or mechanical fuel injection. PT. 2 A couple of fun, old-school categories are nestled in the wide range of categories that make up the eBay Motors Powers HOT ROD Drag Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive event: Gasser and Hot Rod. Vehicles in Gasser A/Gas must be manufactured between 1928-1968 and Gasser B/Gas between 1938-1968, and be an American car or pickup truck, Fordson, Thames, Anglia, or Austin. [Extracted from the article]

Nelson agreed to travel to Florida to look at the prospective car for Rich. For Rich Rossi of West Nyack, New York, having an Olds in the garage brings back copious memories of good times from his well-spent youth. Nelson has built several cars for Rich, including his last Olds custom and a radical '66 Nova which graced the pages of Super Chevy magazine just a few years ago. [Extracted from the article]

Requirement was supplied quite handily by Holleyand Edelbrock-equipped 327 Chevy coupled to Turbo 350 trans and '57 Chevy rear. In the January issue, we featured Gray Baskerville's '32 Roadster. We could dwell on the fact that while Siroonian manufactures his own wheels (Western Wheel Co.), he equips his own rod with Zenith wires, "because they go with the car better.". [Extracted from the article]

The whole point of Translammed is to point a big neon finger at the company's tire graphics, and crafting a set of turbine-style wheel covers gets the job done in spades. Michael was in first, but it didn't take much to convince Lee, who liquidated the family hardware business to go into business with Michael to form TredWear. Take one look at TredWear's "Translammed" 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, and you'll be smitten. [Extracted from the article]

Although "barn find" is still a popular buzzword in the hot rod world, you'll find that it is much more common to find an old car in a field or backyard. Although there are no major body modifications, a car like this coupe would've been a great hot rod candidate in the 1950s and 1960s, even though cars like the '32 and '40 Fords seemed to steal the show from these middle-of-the-road Fords. The running boards and rear fenders have been removed, likely during an attempt to kickstart a hot rod project car. [Extracted from the article]

Tom Medley, editor of Rod & Custom at the time, spotted the car on the parking deck and inquired about its owner, eventually offering Gray a staff job at that title. From about 1966 until Gray's death in 2002, the car was not only synonymous with Gray, but it was also synonymous with HOT ROD itself. As a preface to this narrative, let's travel back to 2002 when then-Editor David Freiburger took on the task of eulogizing his mentor, Gray Baskerville, vis-a-vis a feature on his car. [Extracted from the article]

HOT ROD'S FIRST COVERS CAME FROM LEE BLAISDELL'S PHOTO FILES HOT ROD has enjoyed working relationships with dozens of talented photographers, on staff and freelance, during its 75 years chronicling American speed and performance. PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR). [Extracted from the article]

The Fall 2024 issue of HOT ROD magazine focuses on custom cars and builders, showcasing several impressive builds and highlighting the latest trends and technologies in the industry. The issue also pays tribute to George Poteet, a renowned figure in both the Bonneville Salt Flats and car show worlds, who recently passed away. Poteet's passion for inspiring and motivating others to constantly improve their work is celebrated by various builders and designers in the industry. The magazine aims to inspire both young and experienced builders to try new things and reimagine modifications to their own cars. [Extracted from the article]

Tire shaving, or truing, is something that you don't hear much about these days, and it's increasingly difficult to find any tire shops that even know what it is, let alone how to do it. "Typical land speed tires don't have enough meat to shave, but we have shaved a lot of the Dunlop tires that racers use. However, I did find that Tire Service International has taken on the US manufacturing of what they call "tire truing" equipment, along with other specialty tire shop equipment. [Extracted from the article]

There's a rod shop about an hour west of Boston called East Coast Custom where David Simard and his team build hot rods for customers. On our website last year, we featured a 1933 Ford five-window coupe called The Devil's Coupe, a surviving '30sera hot rod that had been out of commission for more than 50 years before being revived and put back on the street in perfect period unrestored condition. If The Devil's Coupe had a brother, it'd be this channeled 1933 roadster - another perfectly preserved piece of hot rod history - with a pedigree just as impressive and a personality just as wicked as the coupe. [Extracted from the article]

In 1988, a small group of customizers got wind of the Merc's whereabouts and visited McNiel's home, where they were astonished to spot the long-lost icon in hibernation underneath a car cover. It's Gone Hirohata's celebrity Merc continued to undergo changes. The Hirohata Merc was built by Barris Kustom in 1952, sold in 1955, and then disappeared for decades. [Extracted from the article]

Chuck has since spoken with more people who have some connection to the car, all backing up his theory on why this car was ordered the way it was. Chuck Fisher is no stranger to the muscle car hobby. I thought to myself, "this car is not a cop car; it's an anti-cop car", laughs Chuck. [Extracted from the article]

When we met Jeff Wasserman in 2015, we were impressed by his five-car garage and the cars he had there that day. That's the way the little old lady ordered it." 1924 FORD MODEL T BANKER'S COUPE This "center door" Model T belongs to Jeff's friend, Alan Kahan, but has been stored at Jeff's somewhat permanently. By the time Jeff moved in, the garage capacity had expanded to 18 cars, with commercial doors, lots of cabinets, and carpeted floors with rubber mats laid underneath the cars. 1934 FORD DELUXE ROADSTER This 1934 Ford full-fendered roadster is one of Jeff's favorite cars. [Extracted from the article]

Jim McFarland, a Texan with a background in mechanical engineering, had a significant impact on Hot Rod magazine during his time there. He joined the staff in the mid-1960s after sending in a story about a Buick engine swap he had done on his own car. McFarland quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the magazine's editor from 1967 to 1968. He was involved in notable stories, such as modifying the first Camaro to be delivered to the West Coast and conducting personality profiles with influential figures in the automotive industry. After leaving Hot Rod, McFarland continued to teach and write about technical subjects, leaving a lasting impact on the industry. [Extracted from the article]

To see more about Lucky's C10, subscribe to his YouTube channel, Lucky's Garage Show, and follow him on Instagram at @mobiletechlucky. If you're not into performance cars, it would be a diabolical torture chamber to ride in, but if supercharger whine is your drug of choice, Lucky's C10 is your pusherman. Sitting behind the wheel of Lucky Costa's '67 Chevy C10, the thought struck me like a bolt of lightning. [Extracted from the article]

"If we had done this five years ago, it would have been a flop", stated Mark Oja in a serious tone. It was a comment on his California Speed and Custom Instagram account that inspired Mark to build this tribute to the original Belltech truck. Fans of the GMT400 trucks will know that the original Belltech truck would have had the early, squared-off dash. [Extracted from the article]

"After collecting all the parts, we were in the process of building a chassis for it when I found an old NASCAR Cup car chassis from a Toyota team for $1,600", Shawn continued. Held together with hopes, dreams, and a whole lot of backyard engineering, this DIY 1970 Road Runner Super-bird collected its Long Hauler plaque at the 2021 HOT ROD Power Tour Presented by HP Tuners and Driven by Continental Tire! The LS-swapped car did great on HOT ROD Power Tour 2021; the biggest problem was the wrong-length axles in the rear floater and an A/C line that blew out. [Extracted from the article]

The best description of why this car exists is a movement called wabi-sabi, an ancient Japanese philosophy that explains why John Moss, and an entire generation of car guys, love old cars. Moss added a '53-ish Buick grille and '50 taillights and pulled the chrome side trim. This car is the creation of John Moss, an industrial artist from Huntington Beach, California. [Extracted from the article]

Among the long list of visitors was award-winning builder Dustin Hacker and his team from Nostalgia Hot Rods, who had transported a pair of beautiful Chevrolets from their Las Vegas shop to be a part of the fun. "Here we are almost two years into doing this, and everyone's enthusiasm for The Cruise keeps growing month in and month out", said co-founder Hector (Hek) Valdez. So, if you want a good excuse to get out in the legendary Southern California sunshine and safely drive your favorite car, truck, or whatever, just text "CRUISE" to 21000 for route info and details or check out their Instagram page @ qruisinpch. [Extracted from the article]

By the time this author became Marlan's editor at HOT ROD magazine in 2017, Marlan's place in the pantheon of hot rodding was well established. JOHNNY HUNKINS HOT ROD ARCHIVES, ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN LUGO Marlan was born April 21, 1955, in Staten Island, New York, according to Marlan's younger stepbrother, Eric Steiner - and was adopted a few weeks later by Sylvia and Emanuel "Manny" Davis, growing up in Brooklyn. Around 10 a.m. on January 15, 2022, Marlan Davis died of complications from pancreatic cancer just four weeks after diagnosis. [Extracted from the article]

Then Dave Simard showed up. "Ted agreed to sell the tank to me, less the Chrysler Hemi engine", Dave said. When Ted Frye passed away, Iskenderian purchased the Hemi engine from his widow. According to Iskenderian, the Hemi engine was raced in a dragster that Ted was involved in with Ed Pink. [Extracted from the article]

Dean's Chevy didn't get finished fast; it was roughly 20 years between his initial ride with his 5-year-old son and his first ride in the completely rebuilt Bel Air. Dean Settje, from Raymond, Nebraska, said that for him the influential car was a 1957 Chevy. A lot of us had our taste in cars influenced by the first car we worked on or drove when we were young. [Extracted from the article]

As long as HOT ROD has the '57 Chevy known as Project X in the garage, the editors will continue to modify and change the car to keep up with the styling and technology of the day. The Hollywood Knights version of Project X is most likely what people think of when they envision the '57 Chevy, but that car had been changing for 15 years before it was in the movie, and it would continue to change afterward. STEVEN RUPP HOT ROD ARCHIVES Over the years, there have been dozens of long-term "magazine" project cars, but none as long-lived or as famous as the yellow 1957 Chevy known as Project X. It all started in 1965 (the year this writer was born) when Popular Hot Rodding, then part of Argus Publishing, bought the used '57 Chevy for $250 at a Santa Monica car dealer. [Extracted from the article]

CHAD FARISCHON AND BRETT SCHMESKI When you see a top-shelf show car, it's easy to forget that at one point, it was just an idea, a dream that someone had envisioned as the ultimate ride. Well, this is the story of Chad Farischon's 1969 RS/SS Camaro that recently won the coveted Street Machine of The Year (SMOTY) award at the 2021 Goodguys show in Columbus, Ohio. As Chad explained, "Distinct Customs of Norman, Oklahoma, turned to Relicate for the black Italian Napa leather and suede with red stitching for a modern cockpit, while still retaining some of the 1969 Camaro styling cues. [Extracted from the article]

The car appeared on the cover of HOT ROD in September and December of that year and was named one of HR's Top 10 Hot Rods of 1995. The ride started in Norwalk, Ohio, but for Rick Cox of Lansing, Michigan, it started 26 years earlier than for other participants at the HOT ROD Power Tour 2021 Presented by HP Tuners and Driven by Continental Tire. Twenty-six years after its remarkable 1995 appearance at Norwalk Raceway Park, Rick's prize-winning Pro Street 1961 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 was back at the renamed Summit Motorsports Park to make the Long Haul and relive days of past glories. [Extracted from the article]