Cars
It is very apparent that when Frank Mauro wants something, he has the patience to wait for it. Take this ‘38 Chevy pickup, for example. Mauro had seen it in a storage yard for many years, but couldn’t convince the owner to sell it to him. It seems that the previous owner had a handle on patience himself, as the truck had actually been sitting for 25 years.
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In 1992, Bruce Richards bought a new 5.0 Thunderbird. He wanted a spirited family car and daily driver, and he drove this car for 10 years before deciding that it had served its purpose. It now deserved a better, faster and powerful life. Richards liked the idea and wanted anything but a cookie-cutter T-Bird. He wanted a car that would run with the best of them, including Mustangs. The only problem was the size of the Bird. As it left the factory, the car weighed 3,940 lbs and made only 205 hp, so Richards’ decision was clear—he needed the car to have more power and weigh less.
It’s funny how certain car-related associations work out. Maybe timing really is everything when it comes to cars. When Arvada, Colorado’s Ken Godsey was a teenager, his dream car was a ’67 big-block Mustang. “I always wanted to own a 1967 Mustang Fastback,” Godsey SAID. “And when I went looking for my first car with my father, we found a ’67 Mustang Fastback, one with a 428 FE engine that had been installed by the previous owner. It was the perfect car for me!” Godsey’s father, however, thought otherwise. “What I ended up with instead of that 428 Mustang was a ’70 Chevelle sedan with a 307 engine in it. I never forgave old dad for that one,” he SAID with a smile.
As recognizable as the first-generation Camaro coupes and convertibles are, distinguishing a ’67, ’68 or even the extremely popular ’69 can be difficult for the uninformed. This can be especially true when considering the number of available options, including hoods, SS and RS option combinations and custom body modifications. However, making an accurate and quick identification of a potential project car, as well as tracking its history, options and drivetrain, is simple if you’re armed with the correct information and tools.
In much the same way that one person prefers chocolate and another vanilla, chicken over steak, college ball versus pro ball, Chevy enthusiasts tend to lean toward particular vintages, models, powertrains and other special Bow Tie features, which may be nothing more than a vehicle loaded with unusual options that make that car more unique, and valuable, than the next. Our love for such things is generally based upon a range of influencing factors.
Long before we ever saw it in person, we were familiar with the ProRides-built SR61 Starliner. We ran a rendering of the car back when it was still on the drawing board, and we heard updates on its progress from time to time. But our first real introduction to the car was at Air Ride Technologies’ Street Challenge at Putnam Park Road Course. Among the sights we must admit we thought we’d never see was that of a big-dollar, 3,800-pound ’61 Starliner ripping around a road course. Immediately, we fell in love—a car this size, this expensive, this good looking, and a builder who’s not afraid to test his work to the limits? That sounds like the kind of car for us.
When it comes to enhancing the performance and reliability of performance cars, it seems as if enough is never enough, regardless of the vehicle, drivetrain or chassis. Then again, when you consider the problems that often cripple our cars despite the inherent strengths or improvements upon them, it’s often the driver that has the most detrimental effect on everything above the pavement.
It’s all about girl power. Over the past few years, we have featured more than a handful of female-built and owned rides. It doesn’t matter how many times we feature a girl’s ride, some guys still assume that women can’t build cool rides. You guys all know the saying, “Don’t assume cause it makes an a** out of you and me.” So with that said, please don’t assume that this is just another ordinary four-door Integra owned by some girl.
Jon Therriault is no stranger when it comes to building high-profile cars. We received a message from Therriault a while back, informing us that he was working on a new top-secret project—a new ‘07 Satin-White-Pearl Subaru WRX. He went on to inform us that this car was to be considerably different than his last project.
If you’ve attended a Goodguys event in the past couple of years, chances are you’ve seen this blue ’69 Camaro, owned by Stacy Tucker of Detroit Speed & Engineering. The car rarely sits still at a rod run, especially if there’s an autocross event on the grounds—then it’s time to race.