In 1983 when the NSRA rolled into Merced, California, they would be celebrating the sixth-ever NSRA Nats West and the final year to visit this rod friendly town. Merced always welcomed the hot rods and this year 1,797 hot rods passed through the gates to tree lined streets of the Merced County Fairgrounds. It was simply the perfect town and the perfect fairgrounds for a rod roundup.
There’s something about old cars, vintage gas stations, and a good burger that just seems to go together. Now, Chattanooga, Tennessee, has a new destination that brings all three under one roof.
On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Ford’s Garage officially opened its doors near Hamilton Place Mall, marking the restaurant chain’s first location in the Volunteer State. The Auto Builder was there on opening day to check out this latest addition to Chattanooga’s automotive scene, and it’s safe to say this isn’t your typical burger joint.
Thirty years, thousands of cars, and one heck of a good reason to head south. Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 rolled into Mississippi on Sunday, October 4, kicking off its 30th anniversary celebration with an army of hot rods, customs, muscle cars, classic trucks, and just about everything else with wheels and attitude. What started back in 1996 with just 374 registered vehicles has grown into one of America’s premier automotive gatherings. For eight glorious days, the Mississippi Gulf Coast became a rolling car show, with Highway 90 serving as the main artery connecting cruise-ins, entertainment, and thousands of enthusiasts who know there’s nothing better than putting some miles on old iron.
Cowboy hats, wire wheels, velour interiors and plenty of homebuilt hot rods—Gerry Burger takes us back to Detroit for the second annual NSRA Nats North in 1981.
Tucked away in rural Northern New Jersey is a collection of some insanely cool hot rods and I know the mildly insane guy that built ‘em. I’m proud to say I knew Lance Sorchik even before “Jersey Suede” hit the road. It’s hard to believe 45-years have passed since that fateful day when a “mild-mannered” guy stopped by our Rodder’s Digest Magazine booth at the 1982 Nats East carrying a portfolio of his artwork.
It was summer of 1981 when the phone rang. On the other end was Bob Juliano, calling to tell me about a car we might be interested in for Rodder’s Digest Magazine. The car was none other than the 1963 Oakland Roadster Show winning, XR-6. While the XR-6 remained on the show circuit well into the sixties, it had become somewhat forgotten of late.
Hang out with your hot rod buddies and I guarantee talk will turn to days gone by. Some stories are more complex than others, but all are fun and most are true. Our latest Rear View Mirror takes a look at Jack Klingel’s tales of the open road. To say Jack liked cars is akin to saying Elvis liked music.
Central Pennsylvania has long been a hot bed for traditional hot rods. When the N.S.R.A. moved the Nats East from Timonium, Maryland to the York County Fairgrounds in 1975, the town of York, and the associated York County Fairgrounds became synonymous with the NSRA Nats East. But wait, there was a good show in York before that happened.
There are plenty of jobs you can tackle in your own garage. Professionally ceramic coating a set of headers probably shouldn’t be one of them. Sure, you can buy products that promise a ceramic-like finish at home, but getting the kind of results you’d expect on a professionally built car is another story. Proper ceramic coating requires serious surface preparation, specialized application equipment, controlled temperatures and proper curing. Get any part of that wrong and the finished product may not look—or perform—the way you expected.
You can spend a small fortune making an engine compartment look right, but one parts-store alternator can kill the whole vibe. That plain aluminum lump might get the job done, but it certainly isn’t winning any points when the hood goes up.
