Plug and Play
October 11, 2022
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
FREDDIE’S ’55
Once a West Coast gasser, this ’55 Chevy made its way to Lebanon, Ohio, thanks to longtime Chevy enthusiast Freddie Green. That was back in 1978, when his son Jason was just four years old. Fast forward a few years, and Jason, professing to be a Chevy man since birth, took ownership of the car from his father at the age of 10.
BUDDY’S BUILD
They say don’t mess with it if it isn’t broken. This straightforward build of a 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL puts that advice into practice. Honda’s foray into the truck realm seems to have tapped into something big: that some people really want their truck to be more like a big, spacious car. Those people, for whatever reason, like the idea of driving a truck, but deep down they prefer something more comfortable and more refined. That is exactly what the Honda Ridgeline delivers.
So when Buddy Rice, Honda and Fesler Built started talking about customizing a Ridgeline, the conversation didn’t involve an all-out overhaul. Instead the team wanted to rely on the designed-in features that have made the Ridgeline so popular.
GET IT HANDLED
Before the advent of the “smoothie look,” people were slicking down the lines of their cars and trucks in numerous ways, and shaving door handles was one of the more popular mods. Today the trend is to fit later-model door handles rather than no door handles at all. This still provides a simple way to clean up your vehicle with very little effort, yet retains the convenience of manually opening the door. If you have the patience, talent and imagination, you can borrow the parts from a donor car or truck and fit them to your own project, thereby achieving a cool, smooth look that will be unique to your vehicle.
Spotlighter
2026 Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run
Part car show, part traffic jam—an all-out automotive takeover.
Author
Jamie Dent
Photography by Scott Killeen
When Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run rolls into Pigeon Forge, it doesn’t just put on a show—it takes over the entire town.
From April 16–18, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge became ground zero for some of the cleanest, hardest-hitting builds in the country. Inside, it’s all business—high-end restorations, pro-touring muscle, custom cars, and serious contenders chasing Top 25, Ultimate 5, and King of the Hill. This is the polished side of the Rod Run, where the bar is high and the details matter.
The Parkway Is the Show
But that’s only half the story.
If you were stuck in traffic trying to get to the LeConte Center, you didn’t miss the event—you were in it. The Pigeon Forge Parkway turns into a rolling car meet that stretches for miles. Cars stacked bumper-to-bumper, lined up along every shoulder, spilling into lots and side streets.
This is where things get raw. Driver-quality classics, street machines, project cars, and off-the-wall builds that don’t care about trophies—all mixed in with the occasional jaw-dropper. No ropes. No judges. Just engines idling, people talking, and a constant flow of metal.
In Case You Missed It
Our galleries focus on what we could reach—in and around the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. That’s where the heavy hitters show up. The builds that came to compete, to be seen, and to push the standard.
But make no mistake—the Pigeon Forge Rod Run doesn’t stay contained. It spreads across Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, turning the entire town into one massive, unfiltered car culture experience.
Bottom Line
This isn’t just a car show—it’s slightly controlled chaos with horsepower.
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