VALUABLE LESSONS
August 19, 2026
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RETRO IS ALL THE RAGE
Hot rodders are a picky lot; some want their rides to look as if they stepped out of a time warp, but they also want them to be equipped with the latest of mechanical improvements. Disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning and even full surround-sound stereos and videos are the norm. So it should come as no surprise that the benefits of electronic fuel injection have been fully embraced by those who drive vintage trucks. But with notable exceptions, the look of the fuel injections systems was mostly unpleasing to the eye.
CIMTEX RODS SUPER CAMEO: PART 8
In part seven of our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo Buildup series, we covered the installation of our Stainless Works four-tube ZR1 headers and Cimtex Rods-fabricated 3-inch custom exhaust system, as well as the fabrication and installation of our Cimtex Rods-constructed 22-gallon fuel tank and the accompanying MagnaFuel fuel system. Now we’re going to cover the mockup of our Powerdyne BD-11A SilentDrive twin supercharger system. But first let’s digress and take a look at the big picture. One of the key criterion in our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo buildup was to elicit that all-important “wow” factor throughout the entire series. When it came to the engine, we didn’t want to install just any old run-of-the-mill, multi-carbureted GM small or big block, much less a late-model GM crate engine straight out of the catalog. Going in we figured that the Cimtex Super Cameo powerplant should be something special.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Cam Covers for GEN/3 Coyote from Pyramid Optimized Design
You can bolt all the horsepower in the world under your hood, but if that engine bay looks like a tangle of plastic and wires, it’s still missing something. That’s where the new GEN/3 Coyote Cam Covers come in — from the same team at Pyramid Optimized Design that scored Best New Product in Street Rod/Custom Car at SEMA 2021.
Product Spotlight: BMP Aluminum 440 Wedge Engine Block
The Bill Mitchell Products BMP 088550 Aluminum 440 Wedge Engine Block gives your next RB build a fresh foundation with 357-T6 aluminum construction, billet steel main caps, and replaceable cylinder sleeves. Bring the big-block ambition. This is where you start bolting it together.
Product Spotlight: BTR 5.7L Red Hot 580HP Power Package
The Brian Tooley Racing 5.7L Red Hot 580HP Power Package gives the smaller LS a serious naturally aspirated attitude adjustment, with a combination built to keep pulling upstairs. BTR reports 580.9 horsepower at 7,425 rpm and more than 450 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to make “it’s just a 5.7”
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Intellitronix Analog Gauge Panel for 1964–1966 Chevy Trucks
A classic Chevy truck’s dashboard deserves the same attention as its paint, stance, and engine compartment. It’s where every drive begins—and where tired instrumentation can leave an otherwise finished interior feeling unfinished.
The Intellitronix AP6002 analog gauge panel gives 1964–1966 Chevy trucks a fresh focal point with a direct-fit replacement
Product Spotlight: BTR Godzilla Truck Norris Camshaft
Godzilla already has the displacement. Truck Norris brings the attitude. If your idea of a good truck involves a rumbling idle and a healthy appetite for throttle, Brian Tooley Racing’s Godzilla Truck Norris Camshaft deserves a spot on your build sheet.
THE NSRA NATS WEST 1983
In 1983 when the NSRA rolled into Merced, California, they would be celebrating the sixth-ever NSRA Nats West and the final year to visit this rod friendly town. Merced always welcomed the hot rods and this year 1,797 hot rods passed through the gates to tree lined streets of the
Bucket Brigade: AutoZone’s Popular Giveaway at Cruisin’ the Coast 2026
There were hot rods worth a second mortgage, muscle cars with horsepower to spare, and enough swap meet parts to turn “I’m just looking” into an expensive afternoon. But one of the most popular take-home items at Cruisin’ the Coast 2026 didn’t have chrome, a camshaft, or even moving parts.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: ALL NEW Classic GM 350 from Gandrud
Say “350” around a group of car people, and you probably won’t need to explain yourself. For generations, the GM 350 small-block has been the engine under the hood of a first truck, a favorite cruiser, or the project that taught someone how to turn a wrench. It’s familiar, straightforward,
CRUISIN’ THE COAST 2026: DAY 6 – Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, & Ocean Springs
By Friday, October 9, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 was heading into its final weekend, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast was still overflowing with vintage iron. Six days into the 30th anniversary celebration, hot rods, muscle cars, customs, and classic trucks continued turning the coastal highways into one enormous rolling car
CRUISIN’ THE COAST 2026: DAY 5 – Pass Christian, Biloxi, & Vicari Auction
By Thursday, October 8, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 was showing no signs of slowing down. Five days into the 30th anniversary celebration, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was still crawling with hot rods, muscle cars, customs, and classic trucks. But Day 5 brought a different kind of excitement, with smoking tires,
CRUISIN’ THE COAST 2026: DAY 4 – Biloxi Block Party & D’Iberville
By Wednesday, October 7, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 had hit its stride, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast was looking more like a rolling automotive museum than a vacation destination. Hot rods, muscle cars, customs, and classic trucks were everywhere, with thousands of enthusiasts making the most of the event’s 30th
