Builds
“I started building this car a little over 15 years ago after completing a Pro Street ’70 Camaro RS for my then-16-year-old son, Brad,” says overhead door installation specialist Jim Meltzer of Ventura, California. “I always had the urge to build a ’59 Pro Street Chevrolet El Camino (hence the nickname “U.S. Pro-1”), having owned one of those cars when I was just 21 years old,” he says. “Forty years later, the ’60 came along, and I figured that was close enough. The El Camino project was a joint collaboration with my sons Brad and Rod, and it got off to a great start. We made plans for a big motor and even built a full rollcage for that huge hunk of steel with the intentions of actually racing it.”
“I shouldn’t have sold that car.” How many times have you heard an enthusiast make that statement? It seems that a great many of us regret selling our favorite rides over the years, whatever the reasons.
When starting any project that requires bodywork, rebuilding or even repainting, the first question is always, “What could possibly be lurking under the old paint that could come back and haunt us later?”
First-generation Camaros are all the rage these days, and no wonder. With so many ways to bring them into a new era, they make great selections. So, while the big-block power and a five-speed trans served owner Gary Johnson well over the years, rocketing gas prices led him to a more efficient LS2 option.
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.
Mustangs are usually not candidates for sleepers, because everyone knows Mustangs have plenty of power from the factory for their lightweight bodies. This example, owned by Mike Skiles, looks like an original ’69 Mustang, but as soon as the engine is fired, that logic is thrown out the window.
Not your ordinary Hemi Challenger, this low-slung, force-fed, Hemi-powered G-Machine has more going for it than meets the eye, although what you see initially ain’t all that bad. The R/T hood and subtle R/T markings don’t begin to tell the whole story. Designed by Jason Rushforth, this E-body Mopar has some serious long and fat legs.
If you don’t know the name J.F. Launier, you soon will, as this young craftsman has made a big impression on the hot rodding world in recent years, and from the looks of this, his latest project, he’ll be well represented in the decades to come.
It’s no guarantee that both halves of a married couple will love the automotive hobby. More than one marriage has ended following the ultimatum, “It’s the car or me,” though the same statement has also put an end to a large number of perfectly good hot rod projects. So it’s always nice when a car can bring a couple even closer, as is the case with Dennis and Dixie Gray and their ’63 Fairlane.
Drag racing history buffs are more than familiar with the name Dick Harrell, or “Mr. Chevrolet,” one of early drag racing’s pioneer match race/funny car stars. However, there was also Dick Harrell the innovator, and he should be recognized for his incredible streetcars.
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