The Other American Musclecar
January 8, 2026
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Bonneville: The Final Frontier
Bonneville is that final frontier, a place where a man or a woman with a better idea isn’t punished with a bunch of extra weight or politically ruled out of racing. It’s a place where a person with a better idea gets in the record book until someone with a better idea takes it away. It’s that simple, and it’s speed racing at its purest.
TA-LOW
Though only 27 years of age, Mike MacKellar has built an impressive résumé as not only a truck builder, but also a businessman. As the owner of a financial services company, MacKellar is well aware of how much things cost, and it seems that he spared little expense when he set about building this 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. He also knew just how he wanted his latest project to be.
Back From The Dead
Leon Sneed and Chris de Melo are the men behind Big House Customs, a Mustang restoration and customization shop in Dayton, Tennessee. We met them after moving our company to Dayton, the town we now call home. Like anyone else who runs their own shop, they are constantly on the lookout for project cars to fill in the gaps when customers don’t bring in cars, and that’s exactly what De Melo was doing when he saw a newspaper ad selling miscellaneous Mustang parts.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Pro’s Pick FANTOM Tonneau Cover for 1973–87 Chevrolet/GMC Fleetside Trucks
Your squarebody deserves a strong finish. The Pro’s Pick FANTOM aluminum tonneau cover delivers flush styling, a paintable surface, and manual or electric lift options for 1973–87 Chevrolet/GMC Fleetside trucks.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: CFI Enforcer Series Classic
You can teach an old carb new tricks. The CFI Enforcer Series Classic adds electronic fuel control to your existing carburetor, delivering modern driving convenience without a complete fuel-system rebuild.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Gandrud Chevrolet Performance L8P Crate Engine
There’s something satisfying about an engine that brings plenty of cubic inches to the party. Add modern fuel delivery, a performance-focused valvetrain, and some Corvette DNA, and things get interesting fast. The Chevrolet Performance L8P crate engine delivers 523 horsepower and 543 lb.-ft. of torque, combining the L8T’s heavy-duty foundation
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,
