A Tale of Two Tensioners
March 6, 2024
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THE AUTO BUILDER
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Hot Rods, Customs, and Muscle Cars of Detroit Autorama 2026
Every winter, the custom car world storms into the Motor City for one of the most legendary indoor shows in hot rodding history—Detroit Autorama. Inside the sprawling halls of Huntington Place, the temperature might still read winter outside, but on the show floor the atmosphere is pure horsepower, chrome, and adrenaline. Thousands of enthusiasts flood the aisles to see the machines that define the cutting edge of hot rods and muscle cars craftsmanship.
StreetFighter Trans
Discover the critical role of a properly matched transmission in your truck’s performance and longevity. This article delves into the signs of transmission failure, emphasizing the impact of driving habits on transmission health. Explore an alternative to the common flatbed trip to the dealership by learning about TCI Automotive’s StreetFighter transmission. With its robust build, enhanced performance features, and no-core-charge policy, TCI offers a convenient and reliable solution for truck owners. Follow a detailed account of a 4L60E StreetFighter transmission installation, providing valuable insights for DIY enthusiasts and a glimpse into the meticulous craftsmanship at TCI Automotive’s Mississippi facility.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
There’s a lot to like about vintage engines. Just the sheer fact that it isn’t a small-block Chevy is enough to inspire many hot rodders. Now, don’t get us wrong; the small-block Chevrolet is nothing less than awesome, but it is also the default engine of most hot rodders. Often, there is no thought involved as many rodders simply want the 350/350 treatment. That’s probably fine for most hot rodders, but there has been a real resurgence in putting vintage motors in vintage hot rods, and we love the concept. The Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick Nailhead and Hemi are all great candidates for powering a vintage hot rod. Parts are still available for most of these engines, some being tougher to find than others. A surprising amount of speed equipment survives for these engines, too, and companies like Offenhauser still produce a lot of vintage speed equipment.
Spotlighter
Junky Genie
“Barn Fresh” Your Next Project May Be Anywhere
Have you ever seen a pictorial like this that tells where the location actually is? We didn’t think so, but don’t you just love a good mystery? Good, because that’s exactly how the owner wanted this incredible story left: unfinished. So we had to make part of it up. But which part? The interesting thing is this: Just when you think there are no old cars left to rebuild, think again!
Author
Dave Hill
Story & Photography
A Figment of Our Imagination Takes Us to a Dream Come True
The Unexpected Find
At a small swap meet somewhere back in the hills of eastern Tennessee last fall, we bought a box of assorted old chrome parts just to get one cool-looking hood ornament for the garage wall. In the bottom of the box was what looked to be an old teapot, half full of dash knobs. Upon dumping them out, we noticed that the pot might actually be silver, not chrome. We closed the lid and grabbed a rag to try wiping it off.
A Magical Encounter
After a few rubs, we thought we heard someone in the shop. Looking around and seeing no one, we rubbed some more and heard it again. It sounded like a woman’s voice saying to please open the lid. We went back to rubbing and she asked again. Without wondering what was going on, we opened the lid. The pot appeared to be full of smoke, clouding what looked to be a beautiful young woman’s face. She said, “Oh, hi there. I’m Genie, Junky Genie. I can grant you one wish on three conditions: One, this wish will take you anywhere you want, but for only three hours, and it must be decided in the next 10 seconds. Two, it must involve junk. Three, you must take me back to the next swap meet and resell me in a box of your own junk.”
The Wish Granted
Um, okay. How about going to an old junkyard full of cars, trucks and cool stuff? “Your wish is granted. Please close the lid and look into the spout. Have a nice trip.”
Exploring Vintage Tin National Park
You’re looking at what we saw and where we went. Luckily for you, we had our camera in our pocket. We have no idea exactly where we were, except for the collection of Colorado license plates we found nailed to a barn door. We were alone, and we didn’t see any “No Trespassing” signs or nasty-looking dogs. With only three hours to our wish, we got right to exploring. The place was huge, with as many treasures inside as out. After about a dozen choice finds, we remembered the camera and figured we’d better not come back without any pictures to share.
An Unexpected Encounter
Three hours fly by when you’re touring “Vintage Tin National Park.” We were down to about 10 minutes left when we came to a gate with a new modular house and a big garage beyond it. Just then this radio station portable disc jockey van pulled up and a street rodder (you could tell by the T-shirt) got out and waved us over. It turned out the whole place was his dad’s, who ran a general repair and speed shop out of it from the early ’40s to the late ’60s. Just as he was asking how we came to be in there our three hours were up, and just like that we were back in our shop. We never got a chance to ask the guy where we were or what he figured on doing with everything. So what you see is what we got.
The Mystery and the Message
We hope you enjoy the tour, and be sure to dig through every old box of junk at every swap meet you go to from now on. If you see an old chrome teapot buy the box, take it home and, in the privacy of your garage, give it a rub to try your luck.
