2023

Many believe that the ’70 Chevelle is the best-looking muscle car ever built. The new bulges on the sides give the car a meaner appearance, and this was the first time that a mid-size car could be ordered with a cowl-induction hood and stripes on the hood and trunk.

When Bob Naudascher hauled home his self-described rust bucket, it was far from show quality. The typical oxidation process had taken its toll on the car with the floors and lower extremities of the body requiring replacement. After repairing the considerable rust and getting the body structurally sound with all panel gaps fitting perfectly, Naudascher had Jack Consonza and Carl Chuppa drop the top on the sedan two inches. In the process, the front vent windows were eliminated. While the sheetmetal was being moved, front fenders were molded, the headlights frenched and the hood was filled and shaved of all trim. The stock grille remains but has been relieved of all stainless steel in favor of a monochromatic approach.

There’s a Million Ways To Build a Cool Rod, But There’s Only One Alloway. Alloway has built a lengthy succession of exciting cars, each with its own style, and all with a level of detailing that is a trademark of Alloway’s creations. This kind of finish work has earned him the coveted Ridler Award, along with every honor and title that one could garner from this hobby.

Hardcore rodders have a history of searching for vintage tin, even though the number of old cars (and trucks) sitting behind barn doors, in fields, under tarps and alongside garages has dwindled as interest has increased. This steady decline of available vintage steel is the very reason why so many businesses presently produce fiberglass and steel reproduction bodies and body parts.

Cabriolets have become popular over the past few years, and the ’37 is an enthusiast favorite. They have become so popular that numerous reproductions have been made. Because of the original’s low production figures—only 10,184 were built—most, but not all, of the ’37 cabriolets attending rod events are fiberglass. The problem with the originals is that for years they were only marginally desirable and many were junked. The ones that weren’t were parked outside where the weather had taken its toll. When the tops rotted, the cabriolets would begin to rust from the inside out. That means that finding a nice, solid, rust-free cabriolet can be difficult.

The Hypertech Max Energy Spectrum flash programmer is a device designed for the performance-minded individual looking to extract the most from their car or truck. This advanced programmer allows for full control of the vehicle’s ECM, enabling the user to adjust a wide range of parameters that influence the vehicle’s performance.

Adding a nitrous spray bar to an intercooler is a proven way to lower the intake air temps and consequently give a more dense charge to the combustion chamber for more horsepower. We’ve been seeing more and more intercooler spray bars popping up on both performance and show-n-go cars.

We saw extreme boost levels in our quest for horsepower from the little supercharged V-6 with out ’94 Supercoupe. With the Magnum Powers MPx supercharger clearly capable of more airflow than we could support (boost climbing north of 23 psi), it made sense to work on the heads-and-cam combination to better deal with some of that boost.

Pickup trucks from the ’30s were never meant to be high-quality hot rods, but several builders, including Jeff Lilly Restorations, are ready to change that theory. Lots of beater trucks are being built and driven frequently, and it’s great to see some of the cool ideas that come from these old farm or service trucks. Pickups are hot right now, and while some rodders are using low-gloss paint for their final coatings, many opt for a super-slick appearance with precision gaps and laser-straight panels.

Tom Lawson was attending the Goodguys West Coast Nationals with his family and friends when a friend of his father-in-law, Bill, also a street rodder, walked up and started talking to everyone in the group.