Cars
During the latter part of the 1950s, as America fell into a recession, the American industry machine suffered. The Big Three Detroit automakers felt the hit and quickly began building affordable cars that would appeal to the public.
If you’re a Ford 6.0L Powerstroke owner, you already know the score. The factory stand pipes are a disaster waiting to happen, and most of the aftermarket replacements aren’t much better. Torn o-rings, flimsy oil ports, and cheap materials? Yeah, those sound like problems you don’t want to deal with when you’re halfway through a road trip or hauling a trailer up a steep grade. But don’t worry—DIESELSITE has your back with their Stand Pipe and Dummy Plug Kit, a complete overhaul of the weak link in your 6.0L system.
A stroll through the pits at the local 1/8-mile dragstrip is always fun for us, as you’re likely to see any number of cars that use a full-tube chassis, fiberglass body and monstrous slicks to click off consistent 5-second elapsed 1/8-mile times. However, it’s far more entertaining to see a stock-appearing car hit those same numbers, and that’s exactly what Greg Corbin’s ’98 Trans Am is capable of doing.
With its immaculate details throughout, this ’06 Mustang GT never fails to grab attention, but we’re sure Frank DeFeo isn’t finished modifying his Ford. An aggressive lower valance, smoked headlights and a billet grille lead the way, and the Torch Red finish is complemented by black stripes, painted by McClure Collision of Charlotte.
Doug Schultz of Maple Valley, Washington, is not your typical home builder. Several years ago, he owned Street Works, a shop for hot rod and racecar fabrication. He built a black-and-silver ’62 Impala, which we featured in the December 2002 issue of this magazine, as well as a ’67 Nova that earned Goodguys’ Street Machine of the Year honors a few years back. Today he’s a fabricator and press-brake operator with his local municipal government, but during this time, he never lost his love for cars.
When you’re located far to the North, as in north of the United States border, it isn’t always easy to gain the attention needed to grow a hot rod shop through creative statements alone. Then again, quality workmanship is difficult to miss and is rarely overlooked by knowledgeable people.
Every detail matters when it comes to restoring or customizing a vehicle. Whether you’re smoothing out seams, fine-tuning trim, or upgrading outdated systems, the right techniques can make the difference between a show-stopping build and a project that falls flat. We’ve compiled 34 expert tips to help you refine your restoration skills, sourced directly from the pros at Jeff Lilly Restorations. Dive in and discover actionable advice that will streamline your workflow, enhance your results, and help you achieve the classic car of your dreams.
As enthusiasts, when we build our cars, we tend to stuff as much tire under those cars as possible. This is especially important for rear tires that hook the car to the ground while improving its stance. For those interested in drag-racing their cars, you will need to accommodate larger rear tires or slicks. The current hot trend is the 10.5-inch slick, which seems to work well on many applications, but depending on the make and model of your car, it may require modifications to enlarge the rear wheel openings to accommodate the larger rubber.
For the hot rodder who demands usability and performance, Smeding Performance’s 408” LS3 engines are designed to take your project to the next level. These aren’t your typical cookie-cutter kits—they’re full-fledged, turnkey engine packages built to drop into your classic chassis and turn it into a road-ready rocket. Whether you’re chasing street-friendly power or show-stopping performance, Smeding has you covered with engines dialed in for hot rod perfection.
“It looks like a Chevelle, but what’s up with that grille? Why does this Chevelle have a Pontiac dash in it? Where did you get the special side trim?” These are questions often heard by muscle car enthusiast Nick Hedgecoth, shortly after pulling his ’64 Acadian Beaumont into position at a car show or cruise-in. This mixture of components puzzles many enthusiasts, but it makes for a great-looking car that will always get attention because of its unique styling.
