BUILD A BENDER
April 27, 2026
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THE AUTO BUILDER
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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
Now, it may seem crazy that anyone would take sandpaper to a new paint job, but if you want to have a glass-like finish that is exactly what happens. Of course, it is special sandpaper, and the person doing the work needs to know exactly what he is doing or that paint job can be toast. One of the things that makes color sanding possible is that the paper used is meant to be wet while the job is taking place. The water not only works as a lubricant, but it also removes the fine paint sludge from the area. The problem is getting that water in the proper place and having enough of it to do the job. After all, who really likes sticking his arm into a cold bucket of water time after time?
VISIONS OF Grandeur
Discover the convenience and necessity of adding Specialty Power Windows’ electric two-speed wiper kit to your ’55 GM truck. Say farewell to the challenges of sourcing and rebuilding old wiper parts and welcome the simplicity and reliability of aftermarket solutions. Precision Street Rods & Machines provides a step-by-step guide for an effortless weekend installation.
ALMOST NEW
Some folks talk about the great muscle car wars of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but it’s hard to find a car guy who experienced it, enjoyed it and still owns the same car. At 66 years of age, Mike Overly was able to experience the muscle car era during his twenties, which is the perfect time to go fast in a cool car. The car seen on these pages is a ’70 Mustang, one that Overly has owned since 1970. Less than a year old, the Mustang sat at a used car lot in Indianapolis, Indiana, wearing black paint and an asking price of $2,300. From his inspection, Overly knew the original owner had already upgraded to a Boss 429 hood and scoop, so it may have been raced in its short life—the 2,000 miles on the odometer were probably not the easiest of miles.
Spotlighter
SMOKIN’ SS – Part 4
Installing a Wilwood Brake System and Fabricating Custom Seats
In part 3 of Smokin’ SS, Mark Davis and his students designed, fabricated and installed custom suspension components that will make this Monte Carlo handle like a racecar. Custom tubular control arms and hand-built spindles now ride under the car, along with AFCO coilovers on all four corners. Such an inspiring suspension is great, but to pull off this car, and to allow it to operate within its intended envelope, the Monte Carlo also needs a matching brake system.
For that, Davis knows the Wilwood brake component lineup—he used them for years—so the choice for this project was obvious: race-ready brake parts from Wilwood. In fact, he ordered the entire braking system, including the pedals and master cylinders, from Wilwood. When the parts arrived, the students went to work fabricating brackets for the calipers and welding them to the rearend housing and custom spindles.
After setting up the rotors and calipers, the crew mounted the pedals with a mock-up seat in place to make sure it would be comfortable for any person willing to slide behind the wheel. First and foremost, Davis wants his students to drive the car, but before any of this can happen, and to eliminate the problem areas going in, considerable work needs to be done, including seat fabrication, deciding just where those pedals will go and how that relates to the steering wheel, and the list goes on.
As progress continues on the Smokin’ SS Monte Carlo, we see more and more function, as well as innovative details throughout the car, ensuring that this will not be your average street machine. Functional details such as a true cowl induction were not overlooked, but more than that, every part of this car has a function, and that reveals Davis’ racing background.
If there was ever any doubt about this car being fast—and it will be fast—plans call for a small block that will make well over 500 hp at the flywheel, but we’ll elaborate on that in a later installment. For now, take a look at the steps involved to set up the braking system, fabricate custom seats and build a custom air cleaner for the true cowl induction system.
ARTICLE SOURCES
Metalcraft Tools SkillCenter
17 Park Lane Spur
Crossville, TN 38571
931/707-7778
Speedway Engineering
13040 Bradley Ave.
Sylmar, CA 91342
818/362-5865
Wilwood Engineering
4700 Calle Bolero
Camarillo, CA 93012
805/388-1188
