Honoring a Legend
February 6, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Curves, Chrome, and Legacy: Fat Attack 2026
The Fat Attack exhibit at GNRS 2026 rolled in with curves, chrome, and attitude, and at the heart of it all was the undeniable legacy of Pete & Jake’s Hot Rod Parts. Pete Chapouris and Jim Jacobs didn’t just make parts — they made a movement, showing the world that 1935–1948 fat-fender cars could be bold, street-ready, and built to impress. With Fat Jack Robinson riding shotgun in the history books, these curvy machines were a mix of drivable street heroes and jaw-dropping showpieces, proving there’s room for both in the fat-fender world.
JET-AWESOME
We’ve seen lots of cool, stout VWs over the years, but only a few awesome Jettas have made us do a double- and triple-take, which is just what happened when we first caught a glimpse of Todd Sollar’s awesome wide-body Jetta. Our mindset went from “damn” to “wow” about that quickly.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
In the summer of 1977, a young couple expecting a son decided to purchase a new family vehicle, one that would provide ample room, safety and the ability to handle their love of camping and the outdoors. After deciding on a Chevrolet, the couple headed out and purchased a new ’78 two-wheel-drive Blazer from a dealer in Knoxville, Tennessee. Optioned out nicely for the time, the Blazer was equipped with A/C, a 400-inch small block, an automatic transmission, power disc brakes and a factory tach-equipped instrument cluster.
After driving the Blazer for several years, the couple decided to present it to their son, Travis Griffin, as a 16th birthday present. He drove the Blazer to and from high school, and then was given the opportunity to have the Blazer painted for graduation.
Spotlighter
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Intellitronix LED Digital Gauge Panel for ’73–’87 Chevy/GMC Trucks
The Smartest Way to Modernize Your Vintage Chevy Interior
Upgrade your square-body dash game with the ultimate blend of modern precision and classic truck aesthetics. If your ride is a ’73-’87 Chevy or GMC and you’re ready to swap out that outdated cluster, this digital panel means business.
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photos courtesy of Intellitronix
Striking Looks, Real-Time Feedback
The digital gauge panel brings a sleek new face to your truck interior—think bold LED read-outs, crisp graphics, and that aggressive dashboard presence your build demands. Speedometer capacity hits 255 MPH, the tachometer sweeps up to 9,900 RPM, and fuel, oil pressure, and water temperature readouts are instantaneous and accurate. With the smoked plexiglass faceplate, you get a stealth-look interior that screams pro-level craftsmanship.
Tech That Works as Hard as You Do
This isn’t just a visual upgrade—it’s a performance-driven instrumentation solution. One-button speedometer calibration works across any tire size, gear ratio, or transmission type. Senders for oil pressure and water temp ensure you’re reading real data, and the panel handles mechanical or electronic transmissions with ease. For builders running modern swaps, it’s plug-and-play capable and ready for serious duty.
Premium Upgrades for Next-Level Builds
🎨 Custom Colors – For enthusiasts who want to dial in a personalized look, the Intellitronix analog gauge panel offers seven vibrant LED color options—blue, green, red, white, teal, orange, and pink—so you can match your dashboard glow to your build’s vibe. Whether you prefer a subtle white backlight or a bold teal pop, the color options let you fine-tune your interior aesthetic without sacrificing performance or readability.
⚡ Universal Gauge Harness — Clean, pro-style wiring made simple: an 8-foot color-coded harness with quick-connects and full support for water temp, oil pressure, tach, voltmeter, fuel level, speedometer, dash lights, turn indicators and high beam.
🔥 LS Swap Kit — Perfect for GM modern-engine installs: includes 12 mm & 16 mm bushings plus a 10 K-Ω ½-watt resistor so your new powerplant talks perfectly with the digital panel.
🚀 Optional GPS Speedometer Sending Unit — A true plug-in solution with 3-wire hookup, built-in GPS, and compatibility with 4,000 / 8,000 / 16,000 PPM speedometers to eliminate errors from tire or gear changes.
Installation & Package Details
You get the full kit: sending units, sensors, hardware and the installation instructions required for your classic truck. The fitment covers ’73-’87 Chevy and GMC pickups, and the panel includes a lifetime warranty—so you’re covered on performance and reliability.
Why It Wins
If your build is all show and performance but the stock dash cluster is holding things back, the Intellitronix digital panel delivers exceptional style, accuracy, and durability. Whether you’re on main street or on track, your instrumentation won’t just look sharp—it’ll perform like it matters.
LIFETIME WARRANTY. DIGITAL PRECISION. SHOW-CAR LOOKS.
They come with a Lifetime Guarantee and are made in the USA! If you’re not 100% completely satisfied, then just arrange to send it back!
👉 Ready to upgrade? CLICK HERE to hit the Intellitronix’s site and bring your dash into the future.
ARTICLE SOURCES
