Subtle Yet Savage
September 19, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
STOPPING BEYOND DOUBT
NASCAR. It’s the most popular televised form of racing, with millions of fans across the nation. In fact, some believe NASCAR’s Cup Series Racing is the most popular sport in America. For all the money expended in Formula 1 (something in the neighborhood of $300 million a year for each of the top teams), it doesn’t approach the excitement, immensity or competitiveness found in this most American of sports.
STEALTH OPULENCE
Building a cool new truck to show off at SEMA is nothing new for Jim Lewis and his team at ProMotorsports in Edmond, Oklahoma, as that’s what they do. This stunning new ’07 Cadillac Escalade EXT is their most recent creation. Like so many other enthusiasts, Lewis used the latest generation Escalade because it was an immediate hit, especially among the urban lifestyle crowd, so team ProMotorsports thought one would make a great representative demo vehicle for their shop. Billy Lewis came up with the flat black concept, with tons of chrome and polished metal to contrast the flatness of the finish. While the paint may be the first item that attracts you to this truck, the crew at ProMotorsports actually started the build underneath it all by increasing the performance of the Escalade.
TEXAS TRANS-AM
Thirty-four-year-old Mustang enthusiast Dave McMillan of Dallas, Texas, may not have been old enough to remember those wild and woolly days of SCCA Trans-Am racing, but that doesn’t mean he can’t relive that glorious era each time he climbs inside his Trans-Am-style ’69 Mustang SportsRoof.
McMillan is what you would call a certifiable Ford nut, having owned quite a few noteworthy high-performance Fords over the years. The mix has included or currently includes the likes of a ’70 Mach 1, a ’93 SVT Mustang Cobra, an ’01 SVT Ford F-150 Lightning and a ’66 Sunbeam Tiger. “All my buddies give me a hard time for being a Ford man,” McMillan says. “I just tell them that anybody can drive a Chevrolet.”
Spotlighter
HIDING NOT FAR FROM HOME
The Hot Rod That Disappeared for 32 Years
Back in the days of hand-writing letters and lickin’ stamps, opening the mail at RODDER’S DIGEST was always interesting. In December of 1998 we received this letter and three photos of one very cool ’38 Ford Standard Coupe. While it is a great hot rod, the history of this coupe makes it even more compelling. Enjoy…
Author
Gerry Burger
Letter & Photos Marv Silverstein
12/17/98
Gerry,
Gerry, can I call you Gerry? Ok! You can call me Marv. Ask Lance about me, we go back a few years. (Marv is referring to our mutual friend Lance Sorchik).
Here goes, I am a 61-year-old hot rodder and I still have to work almost every weekend. I try to get to York and Macungie each year and a weekend event every so often, but somehow my car and I don’t get much press, Duh!
Anyway, it’s about this car of mine, not only is it a 1938 Ford Standard Coupe, but it was customized in 1951, it has to be one of the first chopped ’38 coupes in the country. I bought it in 1954 as a mess, after it had been abused by owner/builder Tommy Carr from West Virginia. It took until 1957, at the hands of Les Cove of Hillside, N.J. for the coupe to be almost refinished in primer with a few new ideas from me and Walla!! a First Place Trophy the first two times out!
To make a very long story shorter, I sold the coupe three times in a year, only to lose the car forever in 1958. “Forever” was until December 1989 when I advertised that I was looking for the coupe. FOUND! In Wilkes-Barre, PA. by a nice man, Sam Barbose. He called, seems the coupe was used only in 1958 and then garaged until my ad in STREET SCENE magazine. The coupe was out of sight for 32-years.
Sam brought the coupe to me in 1990 and I started to disassemble it in a garage down the street from my house. Once more the coupe was a mess. After three-years of chipping away at the project I heard of this great rod shop in Hummelstown, PA. No not Posies, but another great Hummelstown shop, Lang’s Custom Auto. Bill Lang and his wife Kay and their crew finished the coupe for the last time in 1997. What a beautiful job. It’s a 10! and very different and with my input and suggestions and their expertise I have a show winner, all I have to do is show up. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like trophies, but I think this car should have a feature article in at least one of the best magazines, RODDER’S DIGEST. Hint, Hint!
Thanks in advance,
Marv Silverstein
Lambertville, NJ
ARTICLE SOURCES
Gerry Burger
Gerry Burger has been immersed in hot rodding since the early 1960s, building his first hot rods as a teenager after being inspired by local racer Bob Zorn. A chance meeting with Tom Medley in 1972 launched a distinguished career as an automotive photojournalist, leading to freelance work for dozens of magazines, the founding of Rodder's Digest, and editorial leadership roles at Street Rod Builder and American Rodder. Today, Burger continues to write, photograph, and build hot rods, remaining one of the hobby's most respected voices.
