A Grand.
September 15, 2022
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Myers Fenderless ’36 Takes the Trophy at the 75th Grand National Roadster Show
If you caught this machine in bare metal at the Rad Rides booth last year, you knew it was gonna be special. But now? Fully finished and flexing some seriously next-level craftsmanship, it’s the total package. From the hand-built body to the insane drivetrain and killer stance, this car just oozes cool.
628HP LS7X BUILD
Some of the greatest feelings in life come with a rise in rpm, a dropped clutch and tests of traction stretching the boundaries of our physiology. These are the emotions many of us cherish, and while many factors can evoke such emotions, the single most influential force behind these kinetic kicks is torque (which is then equated into horsepower).
Dress Up Your 496
There’s no denying that the MerCruiser 496 has been a success. But no one is claiming that it’s a sexy beast. The plastic engine cover has been referred to as a George Foreman Grill or a turtle back. Vortech Engineering thought it could help out in the visual area, and the company’s new dress-up kit is a big improvement.
Included in the kit is a Vortech flame arrestor as well as a new polished billet engine cover that transforms the look of the 496. Maveric Marine had a 25-foot Cole in the shop that was darn good-looking, but the owner hated the black plastic engine cover. As soon as Maveric owner Eric Bortman heard about the new Vortech kit, he made plans to install one.
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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