Hot Stuff
January 26, 2026
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
JOHNSON & JOHNSON ’CUDA
Say what you will, but function is back! We find more high-profile cars built to be driven, and driven hard. Everywhere you look, car owners and builders are searching out new ways to put the fun back into driving the wheels off the rides they build, and they’re looking to the past for their inspiration as they recreate older brands to kick the snot out of new, overpriced super cars. It’s an old technique, as aged as the hobby itself.
VALUABLE LESSONS
Building an engine at home is exactly what you make of it—your first experience could be a good one if you choose to do it the right way, or it could be a bad one if you take short cuts along the way. As cheesy as it may sound, with engine building, you determine your own destiny with how you go about the build. Buy the right parts, talk to the right people and you may just have a long-lasting engine that puts a smile on your face every time the loud pedal hits the floor. Buy junk parts and think you know it all from the get-go and you’re looking at a big disappointment when it comes time to fire that bad boy.
FLAMIN’ HELL
It seems to more than the occasional observer that there are about five Fords that make up the heart of the super rodding and custom car culture: the ’27 T pickup; the ’32 roadster; the ’33-’34 Ford coupe; the ’40 coupe; and the ’49-’51 “Shoebox” Ford, in all of its deviations.
Spotlighter
HIDING NOT FAR FROM HOME
July 31, 2026
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Back in the days of hand-writing letters and lickin’ stamps, opening the mail at RODDER’S DIGEST was always interesting. In December of 1998 we received this letter and three photos of one very cool ’38 Ford Standard Coupe. While it
Product Spotlight: Posies SuperSlide Springs
July 30, 2026
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Let’s face it—old leaf springs don’t always deliver the smoothest ride. Between years of wear and the natural friction created as steel leaves slide against one another, it’s no surprise that many traditional hot rods and classic trucks can feel
Rearview Mirror
July 24, 2026
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While AutoBuilder will supply you with all the latest and greatest happenings in the hot rod world, we felt looking back at how we got here would be fun and equally as important. The changes over the past sixty-plus years
The Ultimate Street Machine Showdown: Goodguys Crowns the 2026 Street Machine of the Year
July 23, 2026
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The Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, has long been the proving ground for some of the finest builds in the country. Each year, the event brings together the builders, designers, and enthusiasts who continue to push the boundaries
The Ultimate Street Rod Showdown: Goodguys Crowns the 2026 Street Rod of the Year
July 17, 2026
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There’s no shortage of incredible hot rods rolling through the gates at the Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. With more than 6,000 of the country’s finest 1999-and-older hot rods, customs, trucks, classics, and muscle cars filling the Ohio
JOHNSON & JOHNSON ’CUDA
July 8, 2026
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Say what you will, but function is back! We find more high-profile cars built to be driven, and driven hard. Everywhere you look, car owners and builders are searching out new ways to put the fun back into driving the
Great News for Builders: EPA Recognizes SEMA Certified-Emissions
July 2, 2026
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The agency has officially recognized SEMA Certified-Emissions as a legitimate way for manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with federal emissions standards. Translation? Companies now have another legal path to sell emissions-compliant performance parts in 49 states.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Dynamat Xtreme – The Upgrade You’ll Appreciate Every Time You Drive
June 30, 2026
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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
Secondhand Rose
June 29, 2026
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The coupe was a seedy, lumpy refugee from the Southern California dry lakes and dusty old dragstrips. It had an ancient Cadillac engine and Plexiglas windows, the frame was butchered, the rollcage was a joke and the floorboards were gone—but
Hidden Gems and Head-Turners at the Erwin Marine Sales Car Show
June 26, 2026
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Think you have to attend a giant national event to see world-class builds? Think again. The Erwin Marine Sales Car Show was proof that some of the baddest rides around show up at the smallest gatherings. Tucked along Chattanooga’s scenic
