Builds
At first, it appeared as though the bright red Mustang didn’t have an engine in it, but once the seller, Eric Rizner, opened the hood, Holden and Wunsch could plainly see that the engine had been set back in the chassis. Was this the elusive Mustang “racecar” that Holden had been looking for?
With fenders or not, an early-’30s roadster is easy to build, and there are a great number of parts available for them.
Ford fans will willingly tell you that the Mustang is the No. 1 muscle car built in America, but its style, affordability and performance has earned this popularity title all by itself. The 2005 Mustang GT is a prime example of Ford’s success, and it seems to only be evolving to an even higher level of popularity today. Some say the Mustang was getting long in the tooth and was becoming boring in recent years, but believe it or not, Ford addressed it just at the right time with its new retro-style pony. Maybe the Mustang was evolving too far away from its muscle car roots and Ford decided to bring it back to tighten its focus; then again, perhaps it was just a coincidence of timing.
One look at a car is generally all it takes to determine pretty much what it’s made of—whether it’s fast, incredibly slow or falls safely somewhere in between. There are always typical small details that reveal a car’s true identity, whether it’s a huge exhaust, healthy underpinnings, aggressive rubber on wide wheels, a large, efficient cooling system, a well-laid-out induction with appropriate fuel delivery, sturdy engine mounts and/or mounting, the size and scope of the ignition, as well as the inlet air system.
David Salvaggio at Perfection Autosport says the intent behind its latest project, “Insidious,” was to do as Dodge is about to: rework an original ’70 Dodge Challenger with a range of insightful alterations intended to build on a solid resume.
For the most part, automotive enthusiasts tend to display a degree of loyalty to their brand of choice. It’s rare to find someone who has equal parts Ford and Chevy in the garage; most owners tend to favor one or the other. Mopar fans, though, typically take the concept of brand loyalty to a whole new level. Those who don’t own Mopars tend to think of Mopar owners as something of a cult. Is it a fair comparison? Well, the verdict could go either way, but we can think of worse obsessions to have.
Have you ever been driving down the freeway or working on your car when that brilliant idea hit you? The more you thought about it, the more brilliant the idea became. When you called your friends for reinforcement, to see if the idea was actually as brilliant as you thought, there was always the chance they might pop your bubble. There are times you find the idea might only be brilliant to you, but other times it could be a life-altering idea, and the start of something that will endure over time. Dick “Scritch” Scritchfield had one of those brilliant ideas back in 1957, when he was working for the National Hot Rod Association’s Safety Safari. It turned out to be a great idea that received plenty of support from his peers. He wanted to start a car club for roadster owners that would reinforce the hot rod hobby.
Even in a crowd of first-rate ’69 Camaros, few will mistake the look and sound of the limited-edition RCR Series3 Camaros, a stunning expression of automotive passion, excitement and history.
At GNRS 2025, bare metal builds were everywhere. Let’s be real— some of these builds aren’t finished. They’re just out here flexing. Builders are putting their raw, unpainted cars and trucks on display like they’re staring in the mirror, admiring their own reflection. We saw last year’s AMBR winner in bare metal, and it was absolutely stunning. This year? There were a few builds that could easily walk away with the trophy—if and when they ever get finished.
When Scott Killeen picks up a camera, good luck getting him to put it down—and honestly, we wouldn’t want him to. We’re still sorting through the endless shots from GNRS 2025, so here’s another batch of custom cars to admire.
