Tall lift kits used to mean a rough ride. Times have changed—the suspension aftermarket has figured out how to accommodate huge meats without inflicting permanent kidney damage on the driver and passengers. Computer-modeling and other engineering advancements prioritize ride quality into the suspension design. Spring packs with more, thinner leafs is an example of how tall-truck suspension philosophy has evolved.
Native American Russell Youngblood is a man you’d love to powwow with. Bloomfield, New Jersey is the home and base camp for one of the coolest late-model classic Chevys you’ll ever see. Many feel that the 1994-1996 Impala SS models are to today what the 1955-1957 models were to the ’50s. Youngblood will certainly agree. His dark green-gray metallic is custom from stem to stern—so much so that we’d consider it one of a kind.
While Ferrari, Corvette and other historic vehicles may come to mind upon seeing these bodylines, the GDT Speedster stands alone as a prime example of advanced engineering, creativity and, most of all, individuality. Constructed of fiberglass over a steel frame/chassis structure, the fit and finish is as good as it gets, as it shows the real-world functionality of this one-of-a-kind machine.
When Tony Gonzalez says that it is his business to be cool, he really means it. Gonzalez owns an air conditioning repair and installation company, but what gets him hot in his spare time (read, winter) is to build and ride in his 1995 Chevy Silverado.
The minute you get in, turn the key, and get into gear, you know you’re in a living, fire-breathing machine, and it’s beyond doubt one of the most exciting and easiest-driving cars that I ever handled,” said Carroll Shelby in his 1965 book “The Cobra Story.”
Some decades ago, Louis Jackson was a lucky 15-year-old boy. He had his first car, and it was a ’55 Chevy, a car that was already a classic at the time. He was not lucky enough to have the funds or the skills to finish the car the way he really wanted—he was after a Pro Street-style car, but building a car like that is a tall order for someone still in high school. Though he couldn’t create his dream car that early in his life, he vowed that someday he’d have that Pro Street ’55.
When the sun is high and you want to reach for something cool, the presence of this surf-inspired ’60 Mercury station wagon is meant to provide onlookers with the next best thing to a refreshing SoBe beverage. We think the effort is successful—the Merc is a refreshing approach to vehicle personalization.
Say what you will, but function is back! We find more high-profile cars built to be driven, and driven hard. Everywhere you look, car owners and builders are searching out new ways to put the fun back into driving the wheels off the rides they build, and they’re looking to the past for their inspiration as they recreate older brands to kick the snot out of new, overpriced super cars. It’s an old technique, as aged as the hobby itself.
To baseball fans, Reggie Jackson is one of the all-time greats, earning the nickname “Mr. October” with his stellar performance in the 1977 World Series. And yet, beyond his passion for baseball, Jackson has always enjoyed a strong appreciation for special cars, as evidenced by the extensive Chevy collection he’s explored throughout most of his life.
In early 2005, a funny thing happened to David “Stroke Daddy” Taylor from Ewa Beach, Hawaii. One morning, Taylor went out to buy a new pair of work shoes. He returned home, however, driving a brand-new ’05 Ford Mustang instead. we’ll let Him tell the rest of the story.
