Manufacturers
There are a lot of reasons why people choose to build and drive the cars they do. Most of the time, it is because a particular car was one that they wanted or liked when they were young, and such is the case with Allen Bernd and this ’62 Chevy Impala SS.
When we look back over the past decades and all the cars that have benefited from the creative mastery of super rodding, we should consider ourselves lucky. After all, just about every car we’ve ever dreamed about has found new life through the vision of today’s enthusiastic owners and builders. It’s like being a kid in a candy store and having a pocketful of money—it’s all within reach and we just can’t get enough. Still, there are a few favorites that are often overlooked, which has many of us asking—why?
Gary Moore is no stranger to hot rods; he has owned literally dozens of them over the years. Past rods include no fewer than seven Deuces, a couple of altered drag roadsters, three ’40 coupes, three woodies…well, you get the idea. Like many hot rodders, Moore has an eye for the unique, and while his current stable holds a Deuce highboy roadster, a ’27 roadster pickup and a ’51 Ford woody, a couple of years ago he contracted “straight-axle fever.”
If you were to check your rearview mirror and find this hunkered-down Camaro behind you, there’s no question it would get your attention. And when it pulled alongside you, the brilliant red paint would certainly require a double-take, although there would be little time for anything more as it speeds toward the horizon. This is what a well-built super rod does to people.
In the world of high-performance builds, attention to detail sets great cars apart from the rest. That’s why Factory Performance™ Parts, a division of PROFORM® Parts, has taken a fresh approach to a time-tested workhorse with the launch of the new Slant-Edge 100 Amp Alternators—a stylish, high-output evolution of the iconic GM 10SI. Designed for those who care as much about what’s under the hood as how it looks when the hood is up, the Slant-Edge delivers form and function in equal measure.
The year 1954 was a big one for the Ford Motor Company. That was the year that Ford’s new Y-block V-8 replaced the long-serving Flathead V-8, and it was also the final year before a major styling redesign. Thus the ’54 models are somewhat unique.
Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago became known as the world headquarters for great deals on new Dodge performance cars. This dealership fully dyno-tuned the performance cars it sold and often equipped them, as requested by the customer, with headers, bigger carburetion and other go-fast engine modifications—all right from the dealer.
It’s a classic type of buildup: a big-block 396 in a ’66 Chevrolet El Camino, sprayed a glorious red with in-your-face yellow flames. Meticulously created by Bob Nation of Twin Falls, Idaho, like so many great builds, this one comes with a story.
Starting from the ground up, Chamberlain and his good friend Owen Hopes created a new chassis for the truck using 2X4 boxed steel tubing. Since he was intrigued with the Pro Street look, Chamberlain located some of the widest street legal tires made at the time, knowing they would set the tone for the rest of the project. Almost fat enough to qualify for separate zip codes, the 21-inch wide Mickey Thompson tires were rolled into position and Chamberlain began adjusting everything until they fit.
There was a time in this country when automotive platform sharing wasn’t as blatantly obvious as it is today. Cars that shared platforms didn’t necessarily also share 90 percent of their parts and styling; for example, the difference between Fords and Mercurys was more than skin deep. So, when Mercury decided it wanted to produce its own version of Ford’s smash-hit Mustang, the company knew it had to do more than give the car a new grille. The car it created—the Cougar—became an instant classic: it shared its basic underpinnings with the Mustang, but no sheetmetal.
