Builds
Although few might admit it, Corvette owners owe a deep debt of gratitude to the original Ford Thunderbird. The fledgling Vette, introduced in 1953, was General Motors’ idea of an open-air, wind-in-your-face sports car that was apparently an attempt to recreate Europe’s success with the MG. Unfortunately, the General didn’t get it quite right. The cars were equipped with the underwhelming Blue Flame Six, side curtains for the windows and an experimental body made of that new material called fiberglass, which had more than its share of production difficulties. Only 300 versions of the Polo White cars were completed that first year, and even though 10,000 were scheduled for 1954, only 3,600 actually rolled off the assembly line.
When Honolulu, Hawaii, nightclub owner Fred “Scruples” Piluso was growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he read an issue of Rod & Custom magazine that showed readers how to install a ’59 Ford Thunderbird front bumper onto either a ’55 or a ’56 Ford. “Man, I thought that was really a cool idea! I went right out and installed one of those setups on my ’55 Ford Crown Victoria. It really looked great with that ‘Dago Rake,’ that set of ’57 Mercury fender skirts and the ’55 Mercury station wagon taillights I had already installed.” For being built on a budget, it was definitely one of the most popular customs in the neighborhood for its time!
Few vehicles have done more work or driven more rugged miles than the basic military Jeep. These vehicles covered the globe during World War II, and virtually every soldier since that time has ridden in the utilitarian Jeep. Thousands were built and many were destroyed, left behind or later scrapped, so today a World War II Jeep is something to treasure.
Simi Valley, California, holds the record as having more cars per capita than any other city in the country. As a hard-core car enthusiast, I am constantly on the lookout for cool cars in the neighborhood, and since I moved to Simi myself, I have seen quite a few great-looking rods and classic cars, and I have met some really nice enthusiasts who have introduced me to other owners of top-quality cars.
Every creative endeavor, from fine art to mechanical invention, requires some type of high-wire act—a unique and delicate balance between vision, creativity and capability. When the cogs align, and the elusive look rises to the forefront, there’s no questioning the purity of its origin.
We’d all love to drive the latest, hottest historic vehicles, and those who can should rejoice that they are able to drive whatever currently spins up their tach. Regardless of brand, style or even condition, these vehicles are often extensions of us and are considered with the same regard as friends or family. Rather than overlooking them when troubles arise, every effort is made to ensure that these relationships last and grow through interaction and improvement.
Trucks are hot, and this interest in trucks has been getting hotter over the years. This is not something that started recently, and now with so many companies like Chevs of the ’40s, Early Classic Enterprises, Street & Performance and SSBC offering specific performance parts, you are now able to find such truck-specific parts as replacement sheetmetal, LS1 engine swaps, tubular suspension components and enormous brake systems.
What Do You Do When You Want the Power and Performance of a Dodge Viper but Need the Utility and Space of a Quad-Cab Pickup? Well, you can buy a Dodge Viper and you can buy a Dodge Ram pickup, or you could buy a Dodge Ram SRT-10. The Ram SRT-10 is a limited-edition pickup that Dodge built as a regular cab from 2004 to 2006 and in a Quad Cab from 2005 to 2006. These trucks appear to be the result of some aggressive engineering, combining the racing pedigree of the Viper with a pickup truck, resulting in outstanding performance—and it works!
On the subject of objectivity, determining what is best without being swayed by personal prejudices or emotions is a task not everyone responsible for making such decisions is capable of. An unbiased overview is a basic essential when weighing the artistic expression of any builder today, but then it always was supposed to be this way. What wins when is often based on opinions and feelings. For this reason alone, personal subjectivity leaves plenty of room for
interpretation and debate.
EFIJY… It’s the show car that has taken the world by storm. Everyone from hot rodders to corporate leaders is reveling in the execution of this great design exercise. The only sad part is, this car will not see production, because it was truly an exercise in design, an effort from the car-loving designers who by day create fully functional and very popular Holden automobiles for the Australian motoring public, and who by night lust for the curvaceous lines of times past and tinker away on hot rods in their home garages. Yes, the design team at Holden is laced with true car enthusiasts, and it shows in their daily work. Even more so, it shows in the EFIJY show car they created in a mere eight months.
