custom interior
As we’ve come to learn, there’s something special about a ’55 Chevy, particularly when it is fitted with one of the popular Chevy engines that have become so common today. But that’s not the case when the hood is opened on this ’55. It is not the celebrated 265, or one of the more respected LS engines, or even a Chevy big block that captures your attention here. This is something different, and not a Bow Tie at all.
Upon its introduction, the ’55 Chevy became an instant success, and over the years, it has remained a favorite of Chevy enthusiasts, with the ’55 Bel Air hardtop being one of the most popular.
The Lexus IS300 is not only stylish in its outside appearance, but because of its acceptance as a true sports sedan by most tuner enthusiasts, it’s a desirable starting base for creating a potent street performer. This RWD Lexus is factory-fitted with the rugged 2JZ-GE 3.0L DOHC inline V-6 engine, as used in Toyota Supra models in past years and updated with VVT-i Variable Valve Timing. It also features double wishbone front and rear suspension systems, as equipped from the Toyota factory. A limited-slip differential option helps put the power to the ground, and the edgy Lexus body produces an impressive 0.29 coefficient of drag. This is definitely a slippery package with both good looks and ample performance.
“If these four walls could only talk, what great stories they could tell” is an old adage that is certainly apropos from a historical perspective. In the context that we Americans have an ongoing love affair with the automobile, it could also be said that if a classic car could only talk, it could tell some pretty great stories as well!”
The path old hot rods travel is often an amazing one; some hot rods saw a world of change in their many years of service, while others remained hidden from the saws and torches, thus saving them from mutilation and lackluster workmanship. The ’34 Ford on these pages is one such example of a car that maintained its integrity through nearly three quarters of a century. Finding this jewel was a dream come true for John Cox, when he bought the coupe as a driver and realized it had lived an easier life than most, even though its original chassis had been modified.
Some decades ago, Louis Jackson was a lucky 15-year-old boy. He had his first car, and it was a ’55 Chevy, a car that was already a classic at the time. He was not lucky enough to have the funds or the skills to finish the car the way he really wanted—he was after a Pro Street-style car, but building a car like that is a tall order for someone still in high school. Though he couldn’t create his dream car that early in his life, he vowed that someday he’d have that Pro Street ’55.
Chris German knows his way around a Camaro. He currently owns two—the car you see here and a ’69 Pace Car. He’s owned six more of them in the past, and he’s built 10 of them at American Muscle, his shop in Cleveland, Tennessee. When he came across this car, it was in great shape. It had been the focus of a restoration about 20 years ago, and German says he probably could have started and driven the car with almost no effort at all. But the Camaro wasn’t the way he wanted it. He wasn’t after a restoration or a drag-style car. His Camaro would have to be able to handle the corners well, and he wanted to be able to autocross it at Goodguys shows, and autocross it well.
What Do You Do When You Want the Power and Performance of a Dodge Viper but Need the Utility and Space of a Quad-Cab Pickup? Well, you can buy a Dodge Viper and you can buy a Dodge Ram pickup, or you could buy a Dodge Ram SRT-10. The Ram SRT-10 is a limited-edition pickup that Dodge built as a regular cab from 2004 to 2006 and in a Quad Cab from 2005 to 2006. These trucks appear to be the result of some aggressive engineering, combining the racing pedigree of the Viper with a pickup truck, resulting in outstanding performance—and it works!
Keith Samrany was poking around at a swap meet about 25 miles from his home in Grand Island, New York, when he found a ’35 Buick Series 40 business coupe that was just begging for a new owner. The coupe was in remarkably good condition, having been driven until around 1985, when a previous owner began a restoration that was never finished. Samrany, owner of KS Auto Stores in North Tonawanda, New York, had been a car guy for years, so he was very knowledgeable about the myriad of parts needed to build a hot rod. Enlisting the help of Dave Klock and Mark Morer, Samrany started to work on a project that eventually would take eight years to complete.
This was a time when car manufacturers improved on their cars with much better suspension systems, larger and more efficient V-8 engines, and all the stylish creature comforts new-car customers expected. Chevrolet evolved, too, using more modern technology and a performance parts supply that enabled Chevy enthusiasts to build upon the factory offerings. Chevrolet changed what was once a basic industry, and even though those were simpler times with no computers, cell phones or electronics to speak of, the suspensions were new—but still a long way from what is available now. However, tri-5 Chevys were fast and provided a blast without all those fancy gadgets found in luxury cars at the time—just give them a two-tone Chevy equipped with a V-8 and whitewall tires, and it was all good.
