Aurabella: The 2025 Al Slonaker Memorial Award Winner
February 3, 2025
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: DieselSite’s 2008-2010 Ford 6.4L Billet Impeller Water Pump
The original equipment (OE) Ford water pump utilized a plastic impeller that was prone to cracking and breaking off the hub, leading to costly repairs. In response to this common problem, DieselSite has developed a lightweight yet sturdy alternative. Crafted from a billet aluminum alloy, the new water pump ensures exceptional durability, providing peace of mind and protection against impeller failure.
The Cars & Trucks That Defined PRI 2025
PRI is where performance gets honest. No hype cycles. No trend chasing. Just builders, engineers, and racers showing exactly what works when the gloves come off. At PRI 2025 in Indianapolis, the show floor was packed with innovation—but only a handful of cars and trucks truly separated themselves from the noise. Those are the builds we’re spotlighting here.
SUBTLE CONVERSION
If you’re searching a crowd, you’ve got to look hard, and still you might miss the builder of this astounding yet subtle Corvette. It’s almost as if the man and his cars are one and the same—loaded with talent, with their most impressive aspects available only to those who take the time to notice.
Mini-Truckin’ Revival Takes Over Kentucky Splash
The mini-truck movement never really died. It just went quiet for a minute while other trends took the spotlight. Now it’s back in full force, and events like the 3rd Annual Kickin’ It at Kentucky Splash Presented by Minitruckin Magazine are proving the culture is not only alive—it’s evolving harder
STROKIN DIESEL’S TAILGATE SHOOTOUT 2026 BROUGHT THE HEAT TO ALABAMA
On April 18th, the STROKIN DIESEL TAILGATE SHOOTOUT 2026 lit up Alabama with a back-to-back assault on horsepower, starting on the dyno and ending under the lights at the dragstrip. Backed by Diesel Motorsports, this wasn’t a sit-around-and-look kind of show. This was a run-it, prove-it, break-it-if-you-have-to kind of day.
POWER PICKUP!
To say Tom Long has an interest in cars is to say the Pope has an interest in religion. Long has always been a “car guy,” just like the rest of us. Having owned several specialty vehicles over the years, he still has a ’32 Ford sedan street rod that
ALMOST NEW
Some folks talk about the great muscle car wars of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but it’s hard to find a car guy who experienced it, enjoyed it and still owns the same car. At 66 years of age, Mike Overly was able to experience the muscle car era during
BUILD A BENDER
Bending irons have been used in the industry for many years. We first became aware of how handy they are during a 10-year stint in the can industry.
A NEW FLAME
Boughn started looking for a new truck, and when he saw a shiny red ʼ99 Chevy Sportside Extended Cab pickup at his local dealership, he knew it was the one. He purchased the truck and drove it home, but as with any true hot rodder, this was only the start
TIME MACHINE
Big billet wheels, custom suspensions and modern power plants—that’s what we’ve come to expect from a first generation Camaro. And while these items are great if that’s what you prefer, we just can’t help but love a car that stands out in a crowd, like this 1968 Camaro vintage street
ONE OF ONE
If there was ever a time of automotive wonderment and absolute freedom among designers and enthusiasts alike, it was the early 1950s. This was a special time when automobile manufacturers were exploring new territory previously held by the foremost automakers of Europe, and the Americans were going all out to
BACK IN BLACK: Jamie Musselman’s ’33 Ford Roadster
Forty-four years have passed since Musselman teamed with Boyd Coddington in creating one of the most amazing rods of its day, an excetpional car that took its place in history as the Oakland Roadster Show’s “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” in 1982. This was also due, in part, to the efforts
MERC-O-MATIC MAKEOVER
Gil Losi, the owner of this super-slick ’54 Mercury Monterey—which was a year in the making—has quite a liking for the ’54 Mercury body style. He’s owned several of the stylish Monterey hardtops, but this one tops them all with its slammed stance, laser-straight paint and bodywork and 32-valve DOHC
