The Alien
May 16, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Product Spotlight: DIESELSITE 17-Row COOLERMAX Transmission Cooler
Rated at a monster 59,000 BTUs, this cooler doesn’t just compete—it sets the bar. Standard factory units limp along at 15k–30k BTU. Even most “heavy-duty” aftermarket coolers top out well below the COOLERMAX’s rating. That extra capacity can mean the difference between cruising safely at 180° or cooking at 240°. In the real world, that translates into drops of 50–60°, longer fluid life, and transmissions that simply last.
E-BODY MOPAR AIRBAR
If you lived during the muscle car era or have any experience with the E-body Mopars—’Cudas and Challengers—then you understand that these were factory rocket ships that were pure excitement to drive. Perhaps you recall those Plum Crazy 340 six-pack ’Cudas and 440 six-pack Challengers—they were hot back then, and they’re even hotter to own now.
CANDY COUPE
It all started when Jacky White found a basket case ’32 Chevrolet coupe. The old Chevy may have come home in pieces, but at least the pieces were very good. The coupe was complete, and for a 70-year-old body, it was in excellent condition. After getting all of the pieces back to his home shop, a quick inventory indicated that the car was complete, from the cowl lights and bumpers to all four steel fenders. In short, Jacky White had everything he needed to build a ’32 Chevy street rod.
Spotlighter
Old-School Cool Lives On at the 2025 GNRS Suede Palace
The Heart of Traditional Hot-Rodding
Author
Jamie Dent
Photography by Scott Killeen
The Suede Palace at the 2025 Grand National Roadster Show was, as always, the ultimate hotspot for anyone who lives and breathes traditional hot-rodding. Tucked into Building 10 of the Pomona Fairplex, this gathering wasn’t about high-dollar billet builds or over-polished show queens—it was a raw, authentic tribute to the early days of hot-rodding, where creativity, attitude, and a little grease under the fingernails mattered more than a six-figure paint job.
A Step Back in Time
Step inside, and you were instantly transported back to a time when young gearheads wrenched on their rides in backyard garages, piecing together speed machines from whatever they could scrounge. The show was packed wall-to-wall with era-perfect customs, from hammered ’32 Fords and channeled Model A coupes to tail-dragging Mercs and stripped-down roadsters, all oozing vintage style. Every car had a story—whether it was a survivor from the ’50s with decades of history in its paint or a fresh build that looked like it rolled straight out of a smoky dry-lakes pit in 1949.
More Than Just the Cars
But it wasn’t just about the cars. The Suede Palace had a vibe all its own—rockabilly tunes playing, vintage-clad showgoers swapping stories, and the unmistakable scent of oil, leather, and just a hint of exhaust in the air. This was more than just an exhibit; it was a full-throttle celebration of the roots of hot-rodding, a place where tradition ruled, and old-school cool was alive and well.
Standout Builds of GNRS 2025
Now, check out this killer selection of builds that made the Suede Palace the standout scene of GNRS 2025.
