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CROWN WORTHY: THE TOP 6 WINNERS OF THE 2026 TRIPLE CROWN OF RODDING

September 15, 2026

Grand National F-100 Show Packs Pigeon Forge with Over 1,100 Classic Ford Trucks

The Smoky Mountains were once again overflowing with classic Ford truck horsepower as the 2026 Grand National F-100 Show took over Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for another massive weekend of Blue Oval domination. Held May 14-16 at the LeConte Center, the event continues to cement itself as the largest classic Ford truck show in the world — and judging by this year’s turnout, it’s still growing at full throttle.

FROM RAW TO REALITY

In the midst of all the wait comes this brand-new and, dare we say, quite revolutionary roadster/convertible, and a whole new wave of “…there’s not a chance.” Opinions surfaced. We took the high ground, as we have sat and listened intently to the plans for HRH, have visited facilities where some of the early work had been done, and are of the opinion that what the company has set out to do is not much different than any of us, only HRH bit off a whole mouthful.

Flare with Style

Arnold Hemedinger, a self-employed European auto mechanic and a die-hard Jeep lover, discovered an 88’ YJ Jeep Wrangler that had been stored in a barn and obviously seen better days. Arnie, being the visionary he is, instantly saw the jeep as a diamond in the rough and with a little tender care would polish out brilliantly. His wife on the other hand saw the jeep only as another mid-life crisis project that would sit among two and half acres of other would-be diamonds.

Spotlighter

SUPERBIRD REBIRTH

Replacement Sheetmetal Panels From Year One Recreate a Solid Body for a Complete Restoration

Author

Josh Kaylor

Photography by Bill Woodard

The Introduction of the 1970 Plymouth Superbird

In 1970 Plymouth introduced the Superbird. It was equipped with an aerodynamic nose, a shape that was ahead of its time, and it had a ridiculously high wing that gave it track performance and a unique trademark. Only in 1970 were the Superbirds produced, and a mere 1,920 left the factory. Of those, 23 percent were painted Lemon Twist. The Superbird did very well in NASCAR, as it won its first race at the 1970 Daytona 500, with Pete Hamilton behind the wheel of a Petty Enterprises Plymouth. After it did so well in ’70, NASCAR developed a rule stating that winged cars were limited in engine size, and so Chrysler decided to pull the plug on the program.

The Decline and Resurgence of the Superbird

In 1971, Plymouth introduced the new model year of cars, and the Superbirds just sat on showroom floors, as dealers almost couldn’t give them away due to their high price and unusual styling. With the sudden rage in anything Chrysler and Plymouth from the ’60s and ’70s, people are beginning to pull these spectacular-looking cars out of hiding and spend some serious money to bring them back to life.

Jim Smith’s Lemon Twist Superbird

Jim Smith of Dayton, Tennessee, has owned this Lemon Twist 440 four-barrel car since it was new. Jim was the owner of Smith-Clayton Dodge in the early days and purchased this car for himself. After some years Jim retired but kept the Superbird seen here behind his barn. Eventually, he decided that it was time to bring it back to life.

The Restoration Process Begins

To do so, Jim enlisted the help of Bill Woodard, longtime friend and master bodyman. Bill and Jim determined what they would need for the Superbird and then called Year One, located in Braselton, Georgia, for the beginning of a long list of parts that would be required to bring the car to as-new condition. In about a week, new trunk floors, wheel housings, and rear quarter panels arrived at the shop, and the work began. We plan to follow this car through to completion, so read along as we revive one of America’s most sought-after muscle cars.

1. The driver’s side of the quarter panels was missing the bottom couple of inches, and it looked as if it had been crushed at a NASCAR event.

2. The trunk floor and the floorboards were full of rust holes where water leaked in and sat in the trunk, which deteriorated the sheetmetal.

3. The trunk floor was rough, as you can see in the photos. It was easier to drill out the spot welds and replace the rotted floor with a new one from Year One.

4. The trunk floor was completely removed from the car to accommodate the new pieces. The steel frame has surface rust but is not rusted through anywhere.

5. Installing the new trunk floor will require a few tools and a full weekend. A side grinder, a drill equipped with a hole saw and a small bit also will be needed.

6. The new floorboards come with original-style high-quality stamping, which resembles that of the OEM parts.

7. The side portion of the trunk was gone, so Bill clamped the side portion to a piece of the new floorboard and welded them together.

8. These are nice parts. Year One prides itself on trying to make every piece fit better and look nicer than the originals.

9. Each of the braces has held water, as you can see, which helped the rust grow. The braces are cleaned up to prevent any further damage from occurring.

10. If you are wondering what all these lines are, Plymouth spot welded the floor along these lines every 3 inches.

11. Here you can see Bill as he traces the next piece for the lines.

12. Bill is a perfectionist: A ruler was used to make sure that every 3 inches a hole was drilled for spot welding. This car is being restored back to factory-original condition.