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BACK TO BASICS
Simplicity is the key here, as this ’55 Chevy perfectly embodies the sleeper theme with a no-frills look and monster power. It doesn’t even feature all the stainless Bel Air or 210 trim you normally find on most tri-5 models; but even though this is a plain-Jane 150 devoid of trim, Ernie Lankford’s all-black ’55 certainly doesn’t get overlooked.

GLORIA
A wave of surreal sweetness swept over Tim Pasillas as he got off the phone. Auto Connection had just informed him that his car was waiting for him at the shop. “It’s actually here,” he thought to himself as he rushed down to the importer’s warehouse to pick up his long-awaited prize.

CIMTEX RODS SUPER CAMEO: PART 4
In parts two and three of The Auto Builder’s Cimtex Super Cameo series, we followed along as Cimtex Rods primaries Tim and Darrell Cimbanin instatlled one of Flat Out Engineering’s Corvette C4/C5 front and rear independent suspension crossmember kits beneath a 1956 Chevrolet 1/2-ton pickup chassis.
Of course, this was followed by the actual installation of the 1984-1987 Corvette C4 rack-and-pinion-steering-equipped IFS and the bolting up of the 1984-1987 Corvette C4 IRS, which makes for a pretty nice-handling street truck.
Along the way, some modifications to the Corvette C4 front suspension were made for the sake of simplicity and an enhanced ride. For openers, Flat Out Engineering designed its kit to incorporate a pair of 12-1/2-inch Aldan Eagle 659/450 coilover shock absorbers, which replace the somewhat antiquated GM designed Owens Corning Corvette C4 monoleaf fiberglass front spring.
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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.









