PUMP THE POWER: PART 1
July 16, 2023
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Triple Crown of Rodding 2025: Top 30 Review
In its third year, the Triple Crown of Rodding keeps getting smoother, stronger, and more refined—like a finely aged bourbon, each year’s competition distills the craft down to its boldest, most balanced builds. The 2025 event brought a level of intensity and talent that proved just how far the hobby has come. Builders came prepared, and the competition was fierce, with every entry pushing boundaries in creativity, engineering, and execution. This wasn’t just a show—it was a proving ground where only the most exceptional rides could shine.
Remembering When
When Ricardo Lopez began building this 1955 Chevy he had some help, as well as a plan. In the beginning, this little Chevy pickup was to provide an excellent chance for Ricardo to spend some time with his son, Ricky, and to be able to show the boy some of the tricks that he had learned over the many years he had worked as a customizer, bodyman and painter. As owner of Paint By Lopez in Compton, California, Ricardo had hopes of his boy taking over for him in the years to come, maybe even calling the shop Paint By Lopez & Son. Unfortunately, Ricky was taken from Ricardo and his wife, Monica, in a freak accident. At first Ricardo was going to sell the truck, as the sight of it was almost too much to bear. But upon reflection he changed his mind. Ricardo thought that finishing the project was not only a perfect way to work through his grief, but it would also give him a chance to feel connected to the son he had lost. When the Chevy was completed, it would be a way to honor Ricky’s memory.
Scrap Yard Binders
Since we don’t really have to search for vintage parts anymore, gone are the days of scouring the local “Pick-a-Part” in search for that illusive part that will interchange or convert your muscle car to bucket seats, tilt steering, A/C or some suspension upgrade. But there was a day when you and a rodding buddy could venture to your favorite junkyard and come home with a whole truckload of cool vintage goodies that would aid you in your rebuild, all in the span of a day.
Well, those days aren’t completely gone. While at the local wrecking yard looking for any useful hot rod parts, we stumbled across another enthusiast, Sean Rievley, who is in the progress of upgrading his ’71 Chevelle chassis
Spotlighter
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Dynamat Xtreme – The Upgrade You’ll Appreciate Every Time You Drive
Turn Down the Noise Without Turning Down the Fun
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photos Courtesy of Dynamat and Scott Killeen
You can spend thousands on horsepower, paint, wheels, and an incredible audio system, but if your ride sounds like an empty beer can every time you hit the highway, you’re missing one of the biggest comfort upgrades you can make.
That’s where Dynamat Xtreme comes in.
For more than 35 years, Dynamat has been the #1 name in automotive sound deadening, helping enthusiasts build quieter, cooler, and better-sounding vehicles. Whether you’re restoring a classic, building a Pro Touring machine, finishing a street truck, or simply improving your daily driver, Dynamat Xtreme delivers a noticeable difference the moment you close the door.
Kill the Noise at the Source
Unlike cheap insulation that simply tries to block sound, Dynamat Xtreme attacks the problem where it starts.
Its 100% butyl rubber core bonded to a 4-mil aluminum layer absorbs and controls the vibration in your vehicle’s sheet metal. Less vibration means less road noise, fewer annoying rattles, reduced panel resonance, and a cabin that feels far more solid and refined.
The result? Instead of hearing every pebble, tire hum, and exhaust drone, you hear what you actually want to hear.
Your Stereo Will Thank You
One of the biggest surprises after installing Dynamat Xtreme is what it does for your car audio.
Your doors become solid speaker enclosures instead of vibrating metal boxes. That means tighter bass, cleaner vocals, better high frequencies, and a much wider dynamic range—even if you’re running a factory stereo.
Simply put, you’ll hear more music and less car.
More Than Just Sound Deadening
While noise reduction is what made Dynamat famous, that’s only part of the story.
Dynamat Xtreme also helps reduce heat transfer, making your interior more comfortable during those hot summer cruises. Add it to the floor, firewall, roof, doors, trunk, quarter panels, or even the hood, and you’ll notice a vehicle that feels tighter, quieter, and more refined from every angle.
It’s one of those upgrades you don’t necessarily see—but everyone notices once they ride in the car.
Built for Real Builders
Whether you’re tackling a complete restoration or knocking out a weekend project, Dynamat Xtreme is designed to be installer-friendly.
The material is thin, flexible, easy to trim, and features a strong self-adhesive backing that permanently bonds to properly prepared surfaces. It conforms easily around curves and contours, making installation straightforward without adding unnecessary weight or thickness.
Professional installers trust it. Weekend garage builders love it
Award-Winning Builders Trust Dynamat
Award-winning builders around the world rely on Dynamat to deliver unmatched heat control and noise reduction that stands the test of time. From professional restorations to world-class custom builds, Dynamat has become the trusted solution for creating quieter, cooler, and more refined driving experiences.
One of Dynamat’s most recognized and respected partners is Kindig-It Design—a shop known for creating some of the most breathtaking, detail-driven custom vehicles on the planet. With tens of thousands of hours invested into every build, Dave Kindig and the Kindig-It Design team understand that true perfection goes far beyond what you see on the outside. Every component, finish, and hidden detail plays a role in creating a vehicle that stands apart.
From the stunning 2024 Ridler Award-winning “Twelve Air” Corvette Corvair Concept to countless other show-stopping creations, Kindig-It Design relies on Dynamat to deliver a premium in-cabin experience with dramatic noise reduction, enhanced audio performance, and lasting control of road noise and heat. Because when a build is this exceptional, every detail—from the flawless exterior to the quiet, refined interior—has to be built to win.
The Gold Standard
Since 1989, Dynamat has helped enthusiasts around the world create quieter, more enjoyable vehicles. Today it’s trusted in more than 3 million vehicles, sold through 3,000-plus dealers, and used in over 30 countries.
Whether you’re chasing a luxury-car feel, trying to get the most out of your stereo, or just tired of listening to road noise on every drive, Dynamat Xtreme remains the benchmark for sound deadening, vibration control, and heat management.
Because sometimes the best upgrade isn’t one that makes your car louder—it’s the one that makes everything else sound better.
Dynamat Xtreme Features
- 100% butyl rubber core with 4-mil aluminum constraining layer
- Reduces road noise, panel vibration, and interior rattles
- Improves speaker performance and audio clarity
- Helps reduce radiant heat transfer
- Thin, flexible material installs easily on complex surfaces
- Strong self-adhesive backing for permanent installation
- Ideal for doors, floors, roofs, trunks, firewalls, quarter panels, and hoods
- Made in the USA
- Trusted by enthusiasts and professionals for 35+ years
Experience the Dynamat Xtreme Difference
The best builds are defined by the details you don’t always see—the ones you feel every time you open the door, fire up the engine, and settle in behind the wheel.
With industry-leading vibration control, sound reduction, and heat management, Dynamat Xtreme helps transform any vehicle into a quieter, cooler, more refined driving experience.
CLICK THE LINK below and discover why Dynamat remains the choice of serious builders worldwide.
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