Plug and Play
October 11, 2022
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
STRAIGHT-AXLE FEVER
Gary Moore is no stranger to hot rods; he has owned literally dozens of them over the years. Past rods include no fewer than seven Deuces, a couple of altered drag roadsters, three ’40 coupes, three woodies…well, you get the idea. Like many hot rodders, Moore has an eye for the unique, and while his current stable holds a Deuce highboy roadster, a ’27 roadster pickup and a ’51 Ford woody, a couple of years ago he contracted “straight-axle fever.”
Standout Builds from the 2026 NSRA Street Rod Nationals Builders’ Showcase
The 57th Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals rolled into the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, August 6–9, 2026, once again bringing together more than 10,000 street rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, and trucks for four days of horsepower, craftsmanship, and everything that makes this hobby great.
40 Years Later
Carl Casper’s name has been synonymous with the custom car movement for a long time. As a teenager, Casper created his famous ’51 Chevrolet custom, the Exotic Empress. The car went on to win the 1961 NHRA National Custom Car Championship. (You know it was a long time ago if NHRA was promoting car shows!) Carl Casper is a talented guy who can perform virtually every task required to build a world-class custom car, from metal fabrication to paint and upholstery, and while many of his creations took the form of wild custom cars, they were all driveable.
Spotlighter
Winter WOW
World of Wheels Chattanooga Kicks Off the Show Season
Just after New Year’s, when the cold really starts settling in, one of the first major indoor car shows of the year rolls into town. The O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels Custom Auto Show has become a yearly tradition—mixing hot rods, customs, and classics with a dose of pop culture to create a winter event that gives the whole family a reason to get out of the house.
Author
Jamie Dent
Photography by Scott Killeen
58th Annual Chattanooga World of Wheels
The 58th annual Chattanooga edition took place January 9–11, 2026, inside the spacious Chattanooga Convention Center. Held every year during the second weekend of January, the event transforms more than 100,000 square feet of exhibition space into one of the South’s premier indoor showcases of custom automotive craftsmanship.
A Stop on the Legendary World of Wheels Circuit
Part of the legendary World of Wheels circuit, the Chattanooga stop brings together an impressive mix of hot rods, customs, classics, motorcycles, and radical builds—all polished and displayed under bright convention hall lights. For builders and enthusiasts across the Southeast, it’s a chance to debut winter projects, connect with fellow gearheads, and kick off another year of car show season.
A Winter Tradition for Car Enthusiasts
Blending serious automotive creativity with entertainment and family-friendly attractions, World of Wheels continues to deliver the kind of high-energy indoor show that has kept it a winter tradition for nearly six decades.
