Hot Rodding at Its Purest
July 18, 2023
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Top 10 Camshaft Tips
The camshaft is often called an engine’s “brain,” and that’s an apt comparison. The cam controls all the major timing events in the valvetrain, which means it is responsible for how efficiently the engine can ingest and combust the air/fuel mixture. Choosing the right cam profile for your engine
combination is the key to making the most possible power.
LITTLE DEUCE COUPE
LEGENDARY. For something to become a true legend (which actually may be a contradiction in terms), it must survive a certain amount of time. Our Funk & Wagnalls tells us this: “Legend (lej’end) n. 1. An unauthenticated story from earlier times, preserved by tradition and popularly thought to be historical. 2. A body or accumulation of such stories as those connected with a people or culture.” Under these guidelines, the famous blue coupe on these pages is legendary by definition. The fact that it survives today perpetuates the legend.
Installation Tips For Those Tough Spots
Most every pre-’48 car came with fender/body welting, consisting of a simple combination of a narrow strip of vinyl (or similar material) folded over a small-diameter woven cord and glued shut. Its purpose was, and still is, to insulate one piece of body metal from another when bolted together—not an electrical or temperature insulation, but essentially to eliminate squeaks and rattles, and to prevent paint from chipping (or cracking) as the two pieces flexed and vibrated together under normal road use. Generally referred to as fender welting, this product can also be found throughout certain car models; used to mount grilles, running boards and bumper gravel shields.
Spotlighter
CRUISIN’ THE COAST 2026: DAY 4
Biloxi Takes Over, Hot Rods Hit the Streets, and the Tires Start Smoking!
Author
Jamie Dent
Photography by Scott Killeen
By Wednesday, October 7, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 had hit its stride, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast was looking more like a rolling automotive museum than a vacation destination. Hot rods, muscle cars, customs, and classic trucks were everywhere, with thousands of enthusiasts making the most of the event’s 30th anniversary celebration.
Day 4 brought one of the week’s biggest attractions, the Biloxi Block Party, along with autocross competition, tire-smoking drifting, and an evening of celebrity appearances and live entertainment. If you couldn’t find something to get your motor running, you probably weren’t looking hard enough.
Biloxi Block Party: Downtown Goes Full Throttle
If there was one place to be Wednesday morning, it was downtown Biloxi. The annual Biloxi Block Party turned the streets and Town Green into a sea of vintage iron, with cruisers rolling in early to claim their spots.
From chopped customs and traditional hot rods to big-block muscle cars and beautifully restored classics, there was enough automotive eye candy to keep spectators busy for hours. Throw in live music, local food, and thousands of enthusiasts, and downtown Biloxi became one giant celebration of everything we love about the automotive hobby.
Courtney Hansen, Cristy Lee, and Chris Jacobs were also part of the festivities, adding some star power to an already impressive gathering of machinery.
Autocross: More Than Just Pretty Paint
Not every car at Cruisin’ The Coast was built to sit still and look pretty. At the Scarlet Pearl Casino in D’Iberville, the Autocross Guys gave registered participants another opportunity to put their machines to work.
Tight corners, quick transitions, and plenty of horsepower made for some entertaining competition as drivers pushed their rides through the course. From vintage muscle to heavily modified street machines, it was a reminder that these cars were meant to be driven, not just admired.
Drifting: Getting Sideways at Scarlet Pearl
As if autocross wasn’t enough, Wednesday also brought a drifting exhibition to the Scarlet Pearl Casino. This was something different for the 30th anniversary celebration, trading the usual slow-moving parade of chrome for tire smoke and sideways action.
The exhibition gave spectators another reason to stick around as drivers put on a display of car control and horsepower. It wasn’t about polished paint or spotless engine bays. This was about making noise, burning rubber, and having a little fun behind the wheel.
Celebrities, Classic Rock, and a Night to Remember
After a full day of automotive excitement, the action shifted to the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, where the evening brought celebrity appearances, autograph opportunities, and a little classic rock to keep the party rolling.
The celebrity signing gave fans a chance to meet some familiar faces from the automotive world, including Kevin “KevDogg” Schiele and Dave Kindig from Bitchin’ Rides, along with Chris Jacobs and Courtney Hansen from Overhaulin’. Meanwhile, a Fleetwood Mac tribute concert provided the soundtrack for an evening of entertainment.
It was a fitting way to wind down another busy day along the Coast. After all, Cruisin’ The Coast has always been about more than just the cars. It’s about the music, the people, and the good times that go along with them.
Four Days Down, and Still Plenty of Road Ahead
With downtown Biloxi packed with classic cars, autocross competitors putting their machines through their paces, and drifting adding a little tire smoke to the mix, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 proved that 30 years hadn’t slowed it down one bit.
And the best part? The week was only halfway over.
Stay with The Auto Builder as we continue our look back at eight days of chrome, horsepower, and automotive attitude along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
← CLICK HERE TO SEE COVERAGE OF DAY 3 or CLICK HERE TO SEE COVERAGE OF DAY 5 →
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