Street Trucks
Old-style rods, nostalgia rods and rat rods are increasing in popularity across America, and we are beginning to see a growing number of them at car shows outside California, where the movement seems to have set strong roots. These styles are generally seen in large numbers at shows such as NHRA’s Hot Rod Reunion (in Bakersfield), the West Coast Kustoms Show (in Paso Robles) and even the L.A. Roadster show (in Pomona). For the last two years there has been a special room for such cars at the Detroit Autorama (held at Cobo Hall), and this year was the biggest display yet.
When Billy Durant approached Louis Chevrolet about designing a new automobile, Chevrolet was a famous race car driver whose exploits in the Indianapolis 500 were legendary. The year was 1911 and Durant, who could see the writing on the wall for his horse-drawn buggy business, figured who better to design an all-new, high-performance vehicle than a successful driver. Chevrolet, a company that was founded by racers and has produced some of the best high-performance vehicles ever to hit the pavement, has once again gone where no other manufacturer has dared to venture. With truck sales making up nearly 50 percent of their sales volume each year, Chevy wanted to create a Flagship vehicle for their pickup line. It had to be a totally new idea in pickups. But what was to be the angle? Luckily, someone at Chevy figured that since the Corvette holds that title for the autos, maybe the new truck should be equally as high performance. With that, the new Chevrolet Silverado Coolside II was born.
Columbus brought the heat—literally and figuratively. At this year’s Goodguys Nationals, the metal was shiny, the builds were wild, and the vendor midway was packed with gearheads showing off the next big things. We walked the aisles, kicked tires, talked shop, and came away with a short list of standout products we think deserve your attention. Whether you’re wrenching on a street truck, building a corner-carving pro-tourer, or chasing big boost, here are some of the best parts we spotted.
Let’s be honest—there was a time when trucks were the stuff you parked behind the show field, used to haul parts, or maybe pulled your “real” hot rod to the event. What once might have been considered second-tier to muscle cars and traditional hot rods is now front and center, with classic pickups, slammed cruisers, high-horsepower haulers, and fully reimagined showstoppers filling the Ohio Expo Center grounds.
If you’re stuffing big power into a classic muscle car, restomod, or street bruiser, don’t let your transmission be the weak link. The SuperMatic 4L75-E REMAN from Chevrolet Performance is the no-nonsense, overbuilt four-speed automatic your LS-powered project has been begging for—and Gandrud Performance Parts has them in stock and moving fast.
Some of the greatest feelings in life come with a rise in rpm, a dropped clutch and tests of traction stretching the boundaries of our physiology. These are the emotions many of us cherish, and while many factors can evoke such emotions, the single most influential force behind these kinetic kicks is torque (which is then equated into horsepower).
At The Auto Builder, we’re always on the lookout for products made by real enthusiasts—folks who don’t just sell parts, they live them. That’s why we like the team at DIESELSITE. They don’t just talk the talk—they walk the walk. These guys live and breathe diesel, and they know firsthand the problems truck owners face. They take a hard look at factory OEM designs and make them better. Period.
In an unmarked garage in north central Oklahoma (parked next to an original ’70 Boss 429) sat the Econoline. After moving the dead varmint skeletons and wiping off many years of dust, Kirk’s rolling time capsule was ready to see daylight again. Since the 406 Ford FE big block was no longer “politically correct,” a modern powerplant was decided upon.
You’ve probably heard those Zen sayings that ask questions like, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” or, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” Those particular questions may be a little weighty for the scope of this article, but Ford’s new Vehicle Personalization plan has us asking a few questions of our own.
When building a high-performance vehicle or performing an LS engine swap, your transmission is just as critical as the engine. The 4L65E transmission from Gearstar offers the perfect balance of strength, reliability, and adaptability—custom-built to handle up to 650 horsepower and tailored to your exact specifications.
