Street Rods
Taking home a win at the Triple Crown of Rodding? That’s a big deal. This event isn’t your run-of-the-mill car show—it’s where the best of the best go head-to-head, and the judging is no joke. You’ve got to bring something truly exceptional, both in design and craftsmanship, to even get a nod here.
Dave Shuten is a time traveler. Traveling through time is what he likes to do best, but looking at his latest creation we can’t tell if his time travel machine is moving forward or back in time. Here’s the real dilemma: If you’re advancing a trend that ended in the early ’60s, are you traveling forward in time or back? One thing is certain: Dave Shuten loves to visit the golden era of show cars; after all, he’s the guy who did such an awesome job of cloning the Mysterion, an Ed Roth creation that was ultimately parted out and destroyed, only to live again through the efforts of Dave Shuten.
The Blueprint 383 provides the Advanced Design pickup with nearly 400 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty of power for cruising, especially the fair- grounds. During the engine build, Blueprint Engines took the time to photograph the machining process, as the company completely refurbished the Chevy four-bolt main block, machined and assembled it into a brand new horsepower monster.
0Comments
If you’re searching a crowd, you’ve got to look hard, and still you might miss the builder of this astounding yet subtle Corvette. It’s almost as if the man and his cars are one and the same—loaded with talent, with their most impressive aspects available only to those who take the time to notice.
Long before the automotive world was familiar with the name Chip Foose, he had already honed his skills working with his father, custom car builder Sam Foose, at Sam’s Goleta, California, shop since he was a mere seven years old. Armed with this hands-on knowledge of the mechanics of hot rods, Chip enrolled at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
“Rust can put fear into the hearts of many hot rodders, but with enough work, nearly anything can be repaired.“
The Time-Worn Look Is More Popular Than Ever Author Defining Patina in Street Rods Patina is defined as “a pleasing surface sheen on something that develops with age or frequent handling.” When that definition is applied to street rods, a patina rod can take on any number of variations. The exterior can be close to original, with age showing through the painted surface in the form of primer. Sometimes the faint appearance of rust can also classify a rod as having patina, provided the rust has not taken over the entire car. Many times these patina rods are built from those treasured “barn finds” that seem to be discovered by undaunted rodders scouring the country searching for the Holy Grail of hot rods. The Art and Trend of Patina One of the modern trends of the street rodding hobby has been to create that cherished patina look. The art of patina can be tricky. We have seen patina rods crafted in such a fashion that the naked eye cannot tell the difference between real and invented, the real old and the fabricated old. The Appeal of Patina Rods As with all aspects of rodding, each of us has a different definition of what makes a patina rod. There does seem to be one theme that runs through each variation, though: the owners have a lot of fun with their cars. For some, it is a chance to get back to the basics. For others, it is a chance to reverse the high-end trophy-hound trend.
Traditional hot rods are all the rage, and while it’s a great experience to run across a true barn-find hot rod, some folks would rather make their own with the perfect blend of colors, textures and just the right amount of sanding. It’s definitely a way to grab attention, as these so-called beaters steal the show from some of the finest rods around, but there’s no doubt lots of time and money is spent to obtain this look.
There are many ways to finish the bottom of any car. Whether you are building new, from the ground up or even detailing a rebuild that is not the off-the-frame type, you have options. And regardless of the extent of the refurbishing, you could even leave the underside in some shade of primer as it is easy to touch up, and the fenderwells and underside often become marked with use.
For many of us, the culmination of money and time spent on our street rods comes through experiences with our friends, whether it’s at the corner drive-in on the weekend or at a national event with thousands of people. It’s there we can share stories, laughs and the fruits of our labors, namely, the cars that bring us together in celebration of history, creativity and realized possibilities.
