Street Rods
“The Grand Daddy of Them All,” The Grand National Roadster Show just took place this last weekend. Held annually in Pomona, California, is a premier event celebrating the artistry and craftsmanship of custom automobiles. Established in 1949, it has earned a reputation as one of the longest-running and most prestigious car shows in the world. Spanning multiple days, the show features an eclectic mix of meticulously restored classic cars, innovative hot rods, and custom-built vehicles, showcasing the creativity and passion of automotive enthusiasts. Attendees can marvel at the intricate details of each vehicle, from flawless paint jobs to finely tuned engines, and interact with passionate owners and builders.
America has just crowned a fresh beauty in the world of roadsters. As the curtains fell on Sunday evening at the 2024 O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show, Beth Myers’ jaw-dropping 1932 Ford Phaeton clinched the coveted title of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, securing both the prestigious trophy and a generous $12,500 check from ARP (Automotive Racing Products). This triumph marks the third AMBR victory for the skilled hands at Roy Brizio Street Rods in South San Francisco, led by master builder Roy Brizio. And if we trace the lineage of AMBR winners associated with Brizio over the years, including the 2023 winner crafted by Jack Chisenhall, the tally only grows.
If a hot rodder were to have built an EV charging station, we think it would have looked like the heavy-duty version Lincoln Electric has built. Now for the nuts and bolts information from Lincoln Electric themselves on the new single and dual Velion™ Chargers. Like ourselves most people reading this article may have a hard time comprehending all the abbreviated terminology listed below but here it is to inform you on the knowledge of Lincoln Electric’s EV chargers.
Explore the standout rides and jaw-dropping innovations at SEMA 2023! Join us as we revisit the show’s hottest builds, from the iconic 1957 Nash Metropolitan to the cutting-edge Arrington Hydrogen Monster Truck. Get an exclusive look at the custom creations, unique body kits, and powerhouse engines that stole the spotlight at the premier automotive aftermarket event of the year. Don’t miss out on the highlights captured by The Auto Builder Staff and photographers Wendy Miles & Kim Cooley. Feast your eyes on the unforgettable designs and ingenious engineering that left a lasting impression at SEMA 2023!
Though clutches rank below power-adders on the desirability scale, they are every bit as important. In fact, you’d be better off not spending the time and money on a trick blower or turbo kit if you do not plan on upgrading the stock clutch assembly. Sure, it is possible on some applications to improve the performance of your motor without a clutch and pressure plate upgrade, but you can only take things so far. Eventually, the engine will let you know by racing to the moon when you least expect it. Your clutch will likely slip under full throttle, and most probably at the highest load. Better hope you have a rev limiter or things can really get ugly. But have no fear … Advanced Clutch Technology (ACT) has come up with a variety of effective combinations to cater to the needs of performance enthusiasts and racers.
Every year, the NSRA Street Rod Nationals hosts an event to showcase the newest and most advanced automotive products. These products compete for the title of “New Products of the Year,” and one exceptional item is awarded the NSRA New Safety-Related Product of the Year. These innovations have played a crucial role in making car construction simpler and improving driving safety, and they have become industry standards over time.
Throughout the years, we’ve seen a wide variety of products gain widespread recognition and become essential tools that greatly aid in building cars and making driving safer. Now, let’s take a look at some of the groundbreaking new products featured at this year’s event.
Every year, automobile enthusiasts and vintage car aficionados gather in Louisville, Kentucky, for the highly anticipated NSRA Street Rod Nationals. This event is a celebration of automotive craftsmanship, where classic car owners and builders from around the nation come together to showcase their meticulously restored and customized street rods. The show offers a unique blend of nostalgia and innovation, as attendees are treated to a mesmerizing display of vintage vehicles, creative modifications, and impressive engineering.
Having already gathered a number of special Fords in his collection, Tennessee’s Kayo Erwin was more than pleased when he first located a ’63 Ford Galaxie lightweight. It was in relatively good condition and certainly ready for a complete restoration, although not all was as it seemed. What Erwin didn’t realize was that beneath the numerous layers of paint were the remnants of true history, and if not for the vision of Erwin’s wife, Brenda, the dramatic finding could have been wiped away forever. Ready to chemically strip the body of its outer layers, Brenda’s concern over what might be hidden beneath led Erwin’s restoration team to take a more involved path that would eventually uncover a truly amazing discovery. Slowly but surely, with each pass of the dual-action sander, a little more evidence came to light, first with one word, then another, and then three words that would prove to be very informative: “South Bend, Indiana.”
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If you think you’re particular about your street rod—the quality of the build, the effectiveness of the drivetrain and chassis, and the aesthetics of the entire effort—consider what it must be like for someone who has specialized in high-level manufacturing for most of his life.
So it’s been for Joe Stuban, a lifelong car enthusiast who has been closer to the source of automotive invention than most us will ever have the chance to explore, creating tens of thousands of stampings and assemblies for every imaginable vehicle that’s rolled out of Detroit over a period of 25 years. Yet, while his experiences have certainly been a blessing, in that he knows what it takes to achieve greatness, it’s that much more of a challenge to attain those goals building the cars he loves so much.
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In the midst of all the wait comes this brand-new and, dare we say, quite revolutionary roadster/convertible, and a whole new wave of “…there’s not a chance.” Opinions surfaced. We took the high ground, as we have sat and listened intently to the plans for HRH, have visited facilities where some of the early work had been done, and are of the opinion that what the company has set out to do is not much different than any of us, only HRH bit off a whole mouthful.
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