A New Kind of Cool
July 17, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
New-Age ‘Cuda
Upon approach, it stirs the heart much like the sight of an old friend, with the flowing contours that recall memories of great times and fast, simple cars—before we knew much about automotive computers, CDs or the true meaning of lateral acceleration and G-force. Like a favorite teddy bear from childhood, this welcomed image warms our hearts, yet beneath that familiar façade is a grizzly bear of sorts. One that will grab you by the throat, slam you against the seat back and rip heart-pounding sensations throughout your body. This is no ordinary ’70 Plymouth Barracuda—this is a rush!
Texas Sized Toyota
They say that everything is bigger in Texas. “Everything” applies to belt buckles, women’s hair, and yes, even trucks. Frisco, Texas residents Charles and Vickie Kim’s 1969 FJ-40 Land Cruiser was built using that same “bigger is better” philosophy, in everything from the gearing to the axles to the tires.
Instrumental Insurance
All of your hard work and efforts could go up in smoke before you have a chance to do anything about it. That is, unless you have a quality set of gauges to monitor initial and ongoing engine parameters. Gauges allow you to know exactly what is going on within your engine at a glance. Is the oil pressure too low? Is the engine running hot? Is the battery charging?
Spotlighter
HEMI WITH AN ACCENT
December 12, 2025
No Comments
We know little about European drag racing, other than our sources tell us it is hotly contested and very popular. Frenchman Herve Caen is a drag racer, and at age 35, is the owner of not one but two silver
BAD BOWTIE
December 12, 2025
No Comments
Some guys love their Chevys so much that they’ll go out of their way to flush out and record every bit of their cars’ histories. Such is the case with Gene Lavine of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Lavine is 65 going
FURIOUS PLYMOUTH
December 10, 2025
No Comments
Mike Buzzello has always liked Chryslers and once owned a tubbed Plymouth Road Runner. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and attends rod runs and car shows regularly with his friend Steve Gantz. One year at a Goodguys show, Buzzello saw
Inside the Hottest Booths at SEMA 2025
December 5, 2025
No Comments
The SEMA Show stands alone as the ultimate proving ground for the automotive aftermarket world. No other event brings this level of innovation, craftsmanship, and straight-up creativity together in one place. Everywhere you turn, there’s something new—fresh tech, wild ideas,
SUBTLE CONVERSION
December 3, 2025
No Comments
If you’re searching a crowd, you’ve got to look hard, and still you might miss the builder of this astounding yet subtle Corvette. It’s almost as if the man and his cars are one and the same—loaded with talent, with
CHEVY TRUCK ID: 1934-1972
December 3, 2025
No Comments
Most of our truck-building buddies can date and identify any truck you can come up with from any distance, even from deep in a grove of trees and clear across a fairground show-’n’-shine. That’s what truck guys do: They enjoy
The Hottest Trucks We Spotted at SEMA 2025
November 24, 2025
No Comments
If there’s one thing SEMA delivers every year, it’s jaw-dropping builds—and the hottest trucks at SEMA 2025 didn’t disappoint. From slammed classics to high-flying off-road monsters, each build brought massive personality, insane attention to detail, and a presence that made
Pyramid Optimized Design: The Builder’s Secret Weapon
November 20, 2025
No Comments
When a build needs to go from “cool idea” to “everyone’s talking about this,” the pros call Pyramid Optimized Design. They’re the team behind some of the most talked-about show cars on the planet — using custom automotive design services
Our SEMA 2025 Hot List
November 18, 2025
No Comments
SEMA always delivers sensory overload — the unveilings, the crowds, the horsepower echoing off every hall. But this year, the real thrill came from the unexpected. Tucked between the headline builds and mega displays were the parts that made us
Metal, Muscle & Mastery: Inside SEMA’s Battle of the Builders 2025
November 12, 2025
No Comments
Every November, the SEMA Show turns Las Vegas into the beating heart of the custom car world—but one showdown always steals the spotlight: the Battle of the Builders 2025. It’s the aftermarket industry’s ultimate test of skill, creativity, and innovation—where
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Smeding Performance’s 408″ LS3
December 2, 2024
Electrified
July 16, 2023
INSIDIOUS
March 24, 2025
TAKING IT TO HEART
Sometimes building a street rod can be downright exasperating. The amount of money involved and the stress of chasing down parts and coordinating the efforts of multiple shops can lead to a fair bit of tension in any owner. How many times have you heard someone say something along the lines of: “That damn car’s going to give me a heart attack!”? Odds are you’ve heard it or even said it at least once or twice if you’ve been involved in rodding for any length of time.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: 6.5L DIESELSITE 2011-2016 Ford 6.7L Fuel Filter / Water Separator
The Ford 6.7L engine was outfitted with a completely new type of common rail system from the lift pump, high pressure fuel pump, injectors and fuel filters. What we have discovered (and so have many others at their expense) is that the fuel system components are very sensitive to water and debris, much more so than previous fuel system designs. The Dieselsite 2011-2016 Ford 6.7l Fuel Filter/Water Separator protects your fuel system from being damaged by water and debris.
CIMTEX RODS SUPER CAMEO: PART 8
In part seven of our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo Buildup series, we covered the installation of our Stainless Works four-tube ZR1 headers and Cimtex Rods-fabricated 3-inch custom exhaust system, as well as the fabrication and installation of our Cimtex Rods-constructed 22-gallon fuel tank and the accompanying MagnaFuel fuel system. Now we’re going to cover the mockup of our Powerdyne BD-11A SilentDrive twin supercharger system. But first let’s digress and take a look at the big picture. One of the key criterion in our Cimtex Rods Super Cameo buildup was to elicit that all-important “wow” factor throughout the entire series. When it came to the engine, we didn’t want to install just any old run-of-the-mill, multi-carbureted GM small or big block, much less a late-model GM crate engine straight out of the catalog. Going in we figured that the Cimtex Super Cameo powerplant should be something special.
Spotlighter
HEMI WITH AN ACCENT
December 12, 2025
No Comments
We know little about European drag racing, other than our sources tell us it is hotly contested and very popular. Frenchman Herve Caen is a drag racer, and at age 35, is the owner of not one but two silver ’68 ‘Cudas. One is a nitrous-equipped 440 Wedge built by
BAD BOWTIE
December 12, 2025
No Comments
Some guys love their Chevys so much that they’ll go out of their way to flush out and record every bit of their cars’ histories. Such is the case with Gene Lavine of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Lavine is 65 going on 35. A car guy since he was 16, he
FURIOUS PLYMOUTH
December 10, 2025
No Comments
Mike Buzzello has always liked Chryslers and once owned a tubbed Plymouth Road Runner. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and attends rod runs and car shows regularly with his friend Steve Gantz. One year at a Goodguys show, Buzzello saw an interesting car drive by, but he couldn’t identify it.
Inside the Hottest Booths at SEMA 2025
December 5, 2025
No Comments
The SEMA Show stands alone as the ultimate proving ground for the automotive aftermarket world. No other event brings this level of innovation, craftsmanship, and straight-up creativity together in one place. Everywhere you turn, there’s something new—fresh tech, wild ideas, and custom builds that push boundaries in ways only SEMA
SUBTLE CONVERSION
December 3, 2025
No Comments
If you’re searching a crowd, you’ve got to look hard, and still you might miss the builder of this astounding yet subtle Corvette. It’s almost as if the man and his cars are one and the same—loaded with talent, with their most impressive aspects available only to those who take
CHEVY TRUCK ID: 1934-1972
December 3, 2025
No Comments
Most of our truck-building buddies can date and identify any truck you can come up with from any distance, even from deep in a grove of trees and clear across a fairground show-’n’-shine. That’s what truck guys do: They enjoy identifying a rusted old fender at a swap meet…
The Hottest Trucks We Spotted at SEMA 2025
November 24, 2025
No Comments
If there’s one thing SEMA delivers every year, it’s jaw-dropping builds—and the hottest trucks at SEMA 2025 didn’t disappoint. From slammed classics to high-flying off-road monsters, each build brought massive personality, insane attention to detail, and a presence that made the show floor buzz. These weren’t just trucks—they were rolling
Pyramid Optimized Design: The Builder’s Secret Weapon
November 20, 2025
No Comments
When a build needs to go from “cool idea” to “everyone’s talking about this,” the pros call Pyramid Optimized Design. They’re the team behind some of the most talked-about show cars on the planet — using custom automotive design services to transform raw ideas into fully engineered, show-winning, road-ready components.
Our SEMA 2025 Hot List
November 18, 2025
No Comments
SEMA always delivers sensory overload — the unveilings, the crowds, the horsepower echoing off every hall. But this year, the real thrill came from the unexpected. Tucked between the headline builds and mega displays were the parts that made us slow down, lean in, and say, “Okay… now that’s something
Metal, Muscle & Mastery: Inside SEMA’s Battle of the Builders 2025
November 12, 2025
No Comments
Every November, the SEMA Show turns Las Vegas into the beating heart of the custom car world—but one showdown always steals the spotlight: the Battle of the Builders 2025. It’s the aftermarket industry’s ultimate test of skill, creativity, and innovation—where the best in the business fight for glory and the
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Cool Breeze
When Tony Gonzalez says that it is his business to be cool, he really means it. Gonzalez owns an air conditioning repair and installation company, but what gets him hot in his spare time (read, winter) is to build and ride in his 1995 Chevy Silverado.
Sustainable Trails
In the heart of Moab, Utah, an impressive environmental restoration project is underway, setting a new standard for sustainable outdoor recreation. The 3-D Hill restoration project, led by the non-profit organization Tread Lightly!, showcases the importance of community and conservation.
Product Spotlight: Borgeson Street & Performance Series C-10 12.7:1 Power Steering Box
Borgeson Universal now offers an all new modern quick ratio power steering box to replace the Saginaw/Delphi 800 series in 68-86 Chevy C10 trucks. This all new power steering box has a quick 12.7:1 ratio with firm modern steering feel. The Borgeson Street & Performance power steering box will bolt directly to the stock location and fit to the original power steering pitman arms.
Spotlighter
HEMI WITH AN ACCENT
December 12, 2025
No Comments
We know little about European drag racing, other than our sources tell us it is hotly contested and very popular. Frenchman Herve Caen is a drag racer, and at age 35, is the owner of not one but two silver ’68 ‘Cudas. One is a nitrous-equipped 440 Wedge built by
BAD BOWTIE
December 12, 2025
No Comments
Some guys love their Chevys so much that they’ll go out of their way to flush out and record every bit of their cars’ histories. Such is the case with Gene Lavine of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Lavine is 65 going on 35. A car guy since he was 16, he
FURIOUS PLYMOUTH
December 10, 2025
No Comments
Mike Buzzello has always liked Chryslers and once owned a tubbed Plymouth Road Runner. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and attends rod runs and car shows regularly with his friend Steve Gantz. One year at a Goodguys show, Buzzello saw an interesting car drive by, but he couldn’t identify it.
Inside the Hottest Booths at SEMA 2025
December 5, 2025
No Comments
The SEMA Show stands alone as the ultimate proving ground for the automotive aftermarket world. No other event brings this level of innovation, craftsmanship, and straight-up creativity together in one place. Everywhere you turn, there’s something new—fresh tech, wild ideas, and custom builds that push boundaries in ways only SEMA
SUBTLE CONVERSION
December 3, 2025
No Comments
If you’re searching a crowd, you’ve got to look hard, and still you might miss the builder of this astounding yet subtle Corvette. It’s almost as if the man and his cars are one and the same—loaded with talent, with their most impressive aspects available only to those who take
CHEVY TRUCK ID: 1934-1972
December 3, 2025
No Comments
Most of our truck-building buddies can date and identify any truck you can come up with from any distance, even from deep in a grove of trees and clear across a fairground show-’n’-shine. That’s what truck guys do: They enjoy identifying a rusted old fender at a swap meet…
The Hottest Trucks We Spotted at SEMA 2025
November 24, 2025
No Comments
If there’s one thing SEMA delivers every year, it’s jaw-dropping builds—and the hottest trucks at SEMA 2025 didn’t disappoint. From slammed classics to high-flying off-road monsters, each build brought massive personality, insane attention to detail, and a presence that made the show floor buzz. These weren’t just trucks—they were rolling
Pyramid Optimized Design: The Builder’s Secret Weapon
November 20, 2025
No Comments
When a build needs to go from “cool idea” to “everyone’s talking about this,” the pros call Pyramid Optimized Design. They’re the team behind some of the most talked-about show cars on the planet — using custom automotive design services to transform raw ideas into fully engineered, show-winning, road-ready components.
Our SEMA 2025 Hot List
November 18, 2025
No Comments
SEMA always delivers sensory overload — the unveilings, the crowds, the horsepower echoing off every hall. But this year, the real thrill came from the unexpected. Tucked between the headline builds and mega displays were the parts that made us slow down, lean in, and say, “Okay… now that’s something
Metal, Muscle & Mastery: Inside SEMA’s Battle of the Builders 2025
November 12, 2025
No Comments
Every November, the SEMA Show turns Las Vegas into the beating heart of the custom car world—but one showdown always steals the spotlight: the Battle of the Builders 2025. It’s the aftermarket industry’s ultimate test of skill, creativity, and innovation—where the best in the business fight for glory and the
