Cars
Many companies in the automotive industry have developed a reputation for building crazy cars. Companies such as Tein, GReddy and HKS have gained significant media exposure by building vehicles that are outfitted with each company’s signature parts made for their specific project cars. Not only do these vehicles bring excellent exposure to these companies, but they also show the public what creative minds can do with specific vehicles.
It’s often said that perception is reality, and yet our perception varies greatly depending on our vantage point. As children, our hopes and dreams often seem so far off, almost beyond reach. As parents, it seems as if our children and the dreams we have for them come overnight, passing as if in fast-forward, and yet there is middle ground.
Back in the ’60s, a youthful Barry Wallner was well known in and around Illinois for his modified ’57 sedan delivery. It was a tough competitor at the local dragstrips, but time took its toll, and most of the dragstrips have disappeared, giving way to housing and shopping-center developments and industrial complexes. But this hasn’t stopped Wallner, who was an adept restorer. So, from the late-’60s through the mid-’90s, he has gone on with other ’57 Chevys to win top show awards.
After one look at Jim Taylor’s Chevelle, we all tucked our shirts in, stood up straight and talked like we were members of the local country club. This silver gem is one stand-up, top-notch, upscale Chevrolet!
Once a West Coast gasser, this ’55 Chevy made its way to Lebanon, Ohio, thanks to longtime Chevy enthusiast Freddie Green. That was back in 1978, when his son Jason was just four years old. Fast forward a few years, and Jason, professing to be a Chevy man since birth, took ownership of the car from his father at the age of 10.
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.
Street rod trends are constantly changing. What once looked good now seems dated, and so it will someday be for today’s cutting-edge look. Eventually, some of these trends come back into vogue—hence the birth of terms like newstalgia. Other aspects of this hobby never change; the tires are still round and cars take up more of our time and money than we’d like to admit.
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.
