Stuban’s Statement
August 21, 2026
Spotlighter
Featured
ROLL WITH IT
The name Cusco is synonymous with high-end, well-made performance parts. Even though we don’t often see Cusco parts on U.S. soil, when someone has them, people seem to recognize the parts immediately. Cusco specializes in many specific aftermarket automotive parts, but this month we’re going to get a firsthand look at the ins and outs of installing a six-point Cusco cage into a Nissan 240SX.
CUSTOM STOPPING POWER
If you own a Ford or Chevy, most of the parts you will need to build a street rod are readily available, and from a variety of suppliers. We have written numerous stories about kits for these cars in our family of rodding magazines, and some of them were a direct replacement for the original. By and large, they worked perfectly and bolted right in, as designed. These types of kits are convenient for many street rod builders, as well as street rod shops, and they are part of what has helped grow our hobby into such a broad special-interest group. But in addition to the “normal” and most popular rods, there were many other great cars made in the pre-war era, and some of them can be a real challenge to street rodders because there are no pre-manufactured parts, and no kits that make them easy to build. Sounds like the old days, right? Well, that’s the modern world for you–even our hobbies have become targets of convenience.
BAD BOWTIE
Some guys love their Chevys so much that they’ll go out of their way to flush out and record every bit of their cars’ histories. Such is the case with Gene Lavine of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Lavine is 65 going on 35. A car guy since he was 16, he served his country as a jet fighter pilot and then went on to fly for the Federal Aviation Administration. He also has a Ph.D. and now is vice president of a company that manages collections for more than 30,000 businesses.
The Auto Builder’s Hottest Product Picks from The Triple Crown of Rodding 2026
There’s always something new to discover at the Triple Crown of Rodding, and the fourth annual gathering was no exception. Held September 11–12, 2026, at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, the event brought together an impressive collection of hot rods, customs and trucks, along with many of the builders and
CROWN WORTHY: THE TOP 6 WINNERS OF THE 2026 TRIPLE CROWN OF RODDING
The 2026 Triple Crown of Rodding delivered a winner’s circle loaded with horsepower, imagination, and extraordinary craftsmanship. From a sparkling ’32 Ford roadster to a towering Squarebody Chevrolet, this year’s six top winners covered a remarkable range of styles. Each brought its own personality—and enough beautifully executed details to keep
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: HEAVY-DUTY 6-BOLT LS IRON BLOCK by SMEDING PERFORMANCE
Big horsepower gets expensive fast. Between the rotating assembly, cylinder heads, valvetrain and power adder, an LS build can burn through a budget before the first bolt gets tightened. Your engine needs a strong foundation—but buying one shouldn’t derail the entire project.
JEEP INVASION 2026: THE SMOKIES GOT CRAWLED
For three wild days in August, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, didn’t just welcome the Jeep community—it was completely overrun by it. The 2026 Smoky Mountain Invasion stormed into the LeConte Center August 20–22, bringing an army of Jeep owners, clubs, builders and aftermarket heavy hitters from across the country.
ONE REMARKABLE DAY WITH THE LEGENDARY XR-6
It was summer of 1981 when the phone rang. On the other end was Bob Juliano, calling to tell me about a car we might be interested in for Rodder’s Digest Magazine. The car was none other than the 1963 Oakland Roadster Show winning, XR-6. While the XR-6 remained on
WHEN “THE HEAT” GOES HOT RODDING
Hang out with your hot rod buddies and I guarantee talk will turn to days gone by. Some stories are more complex than others, but all are fun and most are true. Our latest Rear View Mirror takes a look at Jack Klingel’s tales of the open road. To
INSTANT AWESOME
It seems that everyone with a talent for building something is finding a career in television these days. Channels that were once dedicated to the preservation of rainforests and historic perspective have turned their attention to various forms of reality shows centered on street rods, choppers and wicked creations that
HOT ROD POWER FEST TAKES OVER ATLANTA
HOT ROD brought the Power Fest name back for 2026, filling Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway with a weekend of fast cars, cool builds and nonstop action. Held August 28–29, Power Fest transformed the NASCAR facility into a giant automotive playground with drag racing on pit road, an autocross course, a huge
THE YORK BEFORE YORK
Central Pennsylvania has long been a hot bed for traditional hot rods. When the N.S.R.A. moved the Nats East from Timonium, Maryland to the York County Fairgrounds in 1975, the town of York, and the associated York County Fairgrounds became synonymous with the NSRA Nats East. But wait, there
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Stainless Headers MFG’s Ceramic Coating Service Has You Covered
There are plenty of jobs you can tackle in your own garage. Professionally ceramic coating a set of headers probably shouldn’t be one of them. Sure, you can buy products that promise a ceramic-like finish at home, but getting the kind of results you’d expect on a professionally built car
