Looking for the ultimate custom Mopar, Vinnie Massaro had Dave Kindig transform his 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T into a bitchin’ ride

If you are into cars and haven’t heard of Dave Kindig and his show Bitchin’ Rides on the Motor Trend Network, then you must live under a rock. The show has been on TV for a number of years and has been a favorite with gearheads for a good reason. The cars that roll out of his shop are as the title implies: bitchin’! That cannot be said for all shops that have a show on TV.

When we visited, it was emphatically pointed out that, first and foremost, Kindig-it Design is a business whose top priority is doing high-quality builds for their customers. They just happen to have a TV show too. That mind-set is evident when you see the astounding craftsmanship in every vehicle that rolls out of the shop. Kindig’s dedication to his customer base and the quality of the work are what has allowed him to now pick and choose which projects he wants to take in. If you cut a deal with him on a build, the waiting list is a few years out. It is a bitchin’ “problem” for any business to have.

Customer satisfaction is what brought Vinnie Massaro back to Kindig-it Design for an over-the-top build. He had work done at the shop previously on a 2013 Mr. Norm’s 50^th Anniversary GSSR Challenger and was so satisfied that there was no doubt in his mind as to who he would get to tackle his next car.

When we spoke to Vinnie, he cut to the chase by pointing out that he is a hardcore Mopar guy. This raised the question: Why choose a ’67 Coronet? We were expecting to hear how that was his first car, or perhaps it was just his favorite. We were somewhat surprised by his decision to have the boxy B-body customized, and even more so by his motivation, which was a departure from the mind-set of most car owners.

He told us, “Everyone does a ’Cuda, Challenger, or Charger. I wanted to give Dave something that wasn’t that mainstream to begin with. It’s not that I had some love affair with the Coronet, but I told him when he did it, you have to dig deep into everything that you do because I want people to look at the car and say, ‘What the hell is this?’ And then be able to walk around it and pick up all the stuff that was done to it. I am a Mopar guy, so anything that would be done to it I would not be particularly upset with, but I wanted to test Dave’s limits to see what he could do with a car that most people think of as a brick.”

Vinnie had some very simple criteria that he was looking for on his build. He wanted it to be Hemi powered, have a manual gearbox, have some big skins at the back, and be blue. Beyond that, Dave Kindig was free to do what he does best.

Doing his thing meant that a donor car was needed. Finding a suitable candidate was the first hurdle they faced because old Mopars rust, and starting with a rusty pile would impact the budget at the onset. Purists might want to skip the next sentence. The car they settled on was an actual numbers-matching ’67 Coronet R/T with a four-speed. It was in really nice condition and the perfect starting point. Taking Vinnie’s basic criteria, Dave set pen to paper and came up with a rendering of what he envisioned would bring the Coronet into this century. He wanted to take some styling cues from the current Challenger Hellcat and incorporate them with what he planned to change on the car—and fix a few things he felt the factory got wrong with the design.

Once the donor car rolled into the shop, it was quickly disassembled and sent off for an acid dip. Their hunch paid off because when they got the bare body back, it proved to be as solid as they hoped. From there the cutting saws came out. The complete underside was eliminated and the remaining structure dropped onto an Art Morrison frame. This setup was a plug-and-play option that borrows heavily from the Corvette C6 suspension parts bin at the front, and was ready to go at the back to accommodate the over-the-top tires. After some careful measurements, alignment, and trimming, the remaining body and new frame were welded together, which again made the car a unibody design.

Once they were able to get the Coronet to the roller stage, Dave had his crew start on the next stage of the build: the roof chop. This was the one area of the original design that he didn’t like because the roof sloped to the rear.

Dave explains, “I stared at that car for a long time, and that heading up hill was just messing with me. That chop fixed my problem.”

His goal was to level the roof by doing a pie cut at the lower part of the C-pillar, which would then allow the existing front windshield frame to be cut and angled back, while keeping the stock front and rear glass and only requiring new side glass to be made. This was a tedious task for his guys to pull off because there were many ways to get it wrong but only one way to get it right. The result is subtle and only noticeable if a stock Coronet is placed next to it.

Not as subtle was the plan for the front clip. The challenge that Dave faced was to infuse enough modern elements and custom features to set the car apart. Starting with the existing R/T hood, his vision was to invert the original design. This served a dual purpose. First, it added a custom feature. Second, it also allowed enough underhood clearance for the large scoop coming from the blower.

Crafting this component of the build was handed off to fabricator Chris Elmer. His starting point was a foam buck that he used to define the shape and contours on the raised section of the hood. Also on his plate was the factory underside bracing that needed to be modified, and the fabrication of an opening to accommodate a 3D-printed hoodscoop. Just like the roof chop, this was an equally slow and labor-intensive process that required a great deal of skill. The result was clearly a ’67 R/T–flavored piece of metal that looked right at home.

As with the hood, the lower front of the car was also reworked, yet this work drew inspiration from the current Challenger. The heavy chrome bumper was ditched in favor of a slimmer piece that only hinted at some chrome, while the lower front valance, which was shaped from a number of custom bent pieces and stitched into one unit, was shaped over a wire mesh assembly as a guide.

Perhaps the most ambitious and innovative aspect of this build to set it apart from the herd was Dave’s vision for the headlights: There wouldn’t be any! That piece of magic was entrusted to the in-house engineer, Will Lockwood. Dave’s idea was to create a single thin LED light bar insert that would function as both high and low beam. In low-beam mode, the outer edges would light up, while in high-beam the full light bar would be lit up. The other key element of this assembly was the grille, which was fabricated from a solid piece of billet aluminum. That task was handed off to California-based EVOD Industries. This particular element was also designed to hold the LED turn signal assemblies and, once mounted on the Coronet, actually added a Charger flavor to the car.

The rear of the Coronet underwent a fair amount of transforming. Stylistically it followed the design philosophy that was executed on the front end. Part of that included a full rear-mounted roll pan and the deletion of the stock rear bumper in favor of a smaller thin chrome unit. Also replaced were both white metal quarter extensions. Crafted from numerous pieces of sheet steel, the replacement pieces were welded in place to eliminate the quarter seams at the rear edge, and also to accommodate the new rear taillight assembly. That aspect of the build was a carryover of the front billet grille theme. EVOD did the same stylistic treatment by milling a visually similar billet light bar assembly. Again using LED technology, the rear driving light would run the full length of the rear trunk lid section, with sequential turn signals at both outer edges, and for the braking application the entire unit would light up.

Integrated into the rear pan was also a set of exhaust tips. Designed and assembled by the guys at the shop, these add a modern design touch that was also inspired by the current Challenger.

Also on the list was the removal of the door handles. For that application, a set of Kindig-it Design patented Square Style Chrome Smooth Door Handles was installed. The handles have become a Kindig-it Design signature item. A quarter-panel flush-mounted gas cap rounded out the body modifications.

After all the metal work was done, paint application was the next step. Vinnie wanted the car to be blue and was particularly enamored with a shade of blue that he saw on a Ferrari. Dave reached deep into his bag of tricks. Utilizing his partnership with the folks at AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes, he created one of his Modern Classikk one-off colors called Deep Veridian to truly set the Coronet apart. In the application process, five coats of color and six coats of clear were laid down to achieve the desired look.

After the body was sealed in its new skin, it was handed over to JS Custom Interiors for the next contribution to the build. As with the exterior, Dave had a clear idea of what he was looking for in the interior. That involved taking many of the styling elements found on the original interior and putting a tastefully mild twist on them.

Let’s start with the dashboard. 3D-printed by the folks at Stratasys in Minnesota, it retains the retro feel but houses a cluster of one-off Dakota Digital gauges and Vintage Air controls. It was painted and also partially wrapped in a shade of leather called Dolphin, which was also used on the one-piece headliner. An Iditit steering column and a leather-wrapped Billet Specialties Formula D shaped steering wheel were also fitted in place. The stock theme continued with the front seats. Using the original set that came with the car, JS modified them and also wrapped them in leather. One major deviation was the rear seating arrangement. As a result of the massive wheel tubs, the Coronet was given a rear seat delete, making it a two-seater. They also created a custom-built leather wrapped console that neatly houses the in-house designed shifter and most of the controls for the interior. All the remaining surfaces were either painted or covered in Dolphin leather, while the carpet (a Mercedes velour called Ash) finished off the tasteful interior.

Of the few requests that Vinnie had on the build, under the hood he wanted it kept clean. Anything and everything that could be hidden needed to be hidden. That was accomplished with the fabrication of a smooth firewall and inner fender covers. In between those was a real-deal, modern Hemi. Going in, the plan was to buy a low-mileage mill from a wrecked Hellcat and use it as the powerplant. That didn’t quite work out, so the next step was to start with a fresh Hellcat long-block and drop a Whipple 2.9L twin-screw supercharger on top. Part of that blower installation also involved the fabrication of a custom scoop, with both sprayed in Deep Veridian, while the rest of the block was painted the same Dolphin color as the interior. Beyond the Whipple, there wasn’t much deviation from a stock Hellcat assembly, except for the addition of a set of valve covers from The Crank Shop, and pulleys custom built by Kindig-it Design.

On the dyno the Hemi produced a healthy 770 horses and 750 lb-ft of torque at 6,100 rpm. A Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed was the bridge to deliver those ponies to the Strange Engineering 9-inch, and fulfilled Vinnie’s request for a manual gearbox, while the exhaust recipe consisted of a set of 1 7/8-inch headers from Ultimate Headers mated to a pair of custom 3-inch stainless pipes, and Borla crate mufflers. For the full-on exhaust sound experience, the flip of a switch opens up the Zoomie exhaust cutouts.

The last key element, one that was a “make it or break it” deal, was the choice of rolling stock. From the outset, much of the car was planned around using big skins at the rear. Early in the fabrication process, the 24×15 rear and 20×8.5 front wheel sizes had already been etched in stone. Much like the various one-off pieces on the car, these wheels were custom designed by Dave and machined by Billet Specialties. Pirelli PZero tires were also chosen early on as the rubber of choice: 405/25R24s for the rear and 235/35R20s up front. While the rubber is decidedly modern, Dave had the guys at Tredwear redline all four tires for that retro late-’60s look.

Back when Vinnie embarked on this project, he’d given Dave some basic requests for what he was looking for, but left everything else up to his discretion, to the point that he didn’t want to see the car until it was finished. Not all car owners dropping serious coin for a custom build are as trusting, but to Vinnie’s credit, he had full confidence in what Kindig-it Design would be able to pull together. He recalls, “It was just stunning. Seeing it in person was just incredible, and the reaction I had when I first saw it was what I was hoping for.”

Fast Facts
1967 Dodge Coronet
Car Owner: Vinnie Massaro, Boston, MA

Engine
Type: Gen 3 6.2L Hemi
Bore x Stroke (in.): 4.09 x 3.58
Block: Cast-iron
Rotating Assembly: Forged steel crank, forged connecting rods
Cylinder Heads: Gen 3 aluminum heads, 54.3mm stainless intake valves, 42mm exhaust valves
Pistons: Forged aluminum
Compression: 9.5:1
Induction: Whipple 2.9L supercharger running 10 pounds of boost, Holley Dominator fuel injection, Whipple 102mm throttle body, Whipple injectors, air-to-water intercooler, K&N cone air cleaner, Vaporworks fuel pump (vaporworx.com)
Exhaust: Ultimate Headers 1 7/8-inch headers, custom stainless 3-inch pipes, Borla Crate mufflers, custom-built exhaust tips, Zoomie exhaust cutouts with One-Touch module
Ignition: Holley Dominator ECU, stock crank trigger, Holley coil, custom Taylor Cable plug wires, NGK spark plugs
Cooling: Ron Davis custom-made aluminum radiator with dual electric fans
Fuel Tank: Rick’s Tanks 16-gallon stainless fuel tank

Drivetrain
Transmission: Tremec T56 Magnum, QuickTime bellhousing,
Clutch Disk: RX1000 Solid Hub twin disk
Pressure Plate: RAM Competition
Shifter: Kindig-it Design custom built
Driveshaft: QA1 carbon fiber
Rearend: Strange Engineering 9-inch
Ring-and-Pinion: Strange Engineering 3.55:1
Axles: Strange Engineering 31-spline

Chassis
Frame: Art Morrison custom Max G Sport steel frame, 118-inch wheelbase
Track: 71 inches front, 75 inches rear
Front Suspension: Art Morrison, based on a C6 Corvette; C6 Corvette front spindles; JRi 450 rate 2.5×9 springs; JRi shocks; 1.25-inch sway bar; polyurethane bushings
Rear Suspension: Art Morrison 4-link with a Panhard bar, JRi 2.5×9 220 rate springs, JRi shocks, 3/4-inch sway bar, Johnny Joints polyurethane bushings
Steering: Detroit Speed rack-and-pinion
Front brakes: Wilwood 6-piston calipers and 12-inch rotors
Rear brakes: Wilwood 4-piston calipers and 12-inch rotors with internal E-brake

Wheels & Tires
Wheels: 20×8.5 Kindig-it Design Rally style wheels by Billet Specialties in front; 24×15 Kindig-it Design Rally style wheels by Billet Specialties in rear
Tires: Pirelli PZero 235/35R20 redlined by Tredwear in front; Pirelli PZero 405/25R24 redlined by Tredwear in rear

Body
Sheetmetal: 1967 Coronet RT (modified)
Modifications: Unibody cutout and fitted to an Art Morrison chassis, channeled and custom-built floor and tubs, modified stock steel hood with 3D-printed scoop, one-off lower valance, custom rear roll pan, stretched rear wheel openings, custom-built full belly pans, Kindig-it Design patented Square Chrome Smooth Door Handles, custom gas cap flush-mounted into quarter-panel, 1 1/2-inch front chop, front window laid back 2 degrees, LED surround headlight, LED front sequential signal markers, EVOD Industries CNC-machined 3-piece taillight grille housing a full-width LED light and sequential turn signals and marker lights fitted into CNC’d and chromed housings, silvered bumper, 1-piece front glass, 1-piece custom windshield trim, 3D-printed windshield flange, custom-built and chrome-plated roof rail trim, sculpted engine bay and firewall, constant radius hood hinges, Corvette hood latches

Interior
Dashboard: Custom designed by Kindig-it Design and 3D printed by Stratasys, wrapped in leather.
Instrumentation: Custom one-off Dakota Digital gauges
Wiring: American Autowire builder 19 kit; wiring performed by Kindig-it Design
Steering Wheel: Billet Specialties Formula D 14-inch wheel double-wrapped in leather
Seats: Stock modified front, rear seat delete
Headliner Material: One-piece leather headliner (Dolphin)
Upholstery Material: Leather (Dolphin)
Carpet Material: Mercedes velour (called Ash)
Steering: Ididit tilt steering column
Upholstered By: JS Custom Interiors, Salt Lake City, UT
Air Conditioning: Vintage Air

The post Dave KindigTransformed this 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T into a Bitchin’ Ride appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Re-covering the seats in your Mustang is a big step toward restoring an interior to like-new condition

Resurrecting the interior in a vintage Mustang is an important part of its restoration. While the cabins in many of these cars need a lot of help, it’s often a worthwhile endeavor since many vintage ponies these days are worth some fairly to very serious scratch. A standard course of action usually involves replacing a bunch of highly visible things like the interior carpeting, door panels, sill plates, quarter-pillar panels, and the rear package tray. Here, we’re going to concentrate on the biggest thing—the front and rear seat upholstery.

As is the case for all the above-mentioned items, everything is available from National Parts Depot, which conveniently has warehouses in California, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan. NPD can get just about any vintage Mustang part you might need to anywhere in the lower 48 states within a day or two. As far as installing the covers, unless you’re adept at doing your own upholstery work, you’ll likely want to enlist the skills of a good local upholstery shop in your area.

We’ll additionally note here that besides the upholstery kit, NPD also offers new seat foam, which was also installed in the following photo-and-caption sequence that outlines the highlights of the process. Let’s get started.

The post Re-cover Classic Mustang Seats Like a Pro appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

HOT ROD has ventured into the sandbox of Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and home of the first-annual Global Auto Salon. Held on a massive festival ground at the outskirts of the city from November 21-26, the show features more than 450 vehicles, 250 vendors, and celebrities from across the automotive industry. Unlike the SEMA Show, most of the cars on the property will be for sale in an auction taking place at the end of the show. Sprinkled throughout the festival will be drifting demos, stunt driving, a Hoonigan’s pop-up Burnyard, and after-hours concerts.

This all sounds like the makings of a killer show but, after scoping out the grounds today, we are more than a little way from seeing all of that. Cars are still rolling out of crates and containers, and the vendor displays are still being constructed as you read this. With hammering, scraping, welding, and drilling providing a soundtrack to the venue, the vehicles quietly awaited their place. Take a look behind the scenes and scroll through the hasty load-in of the Global Auto Salon.

The post 2019 Global Auto Salon Move-In Gallery: All the Cars from the Middle East appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Bolting the supercharger to the small-block bullet and dropping it into our Week To Wicked 1990 Mustang

We stayed a little bit later than usual last night here in the Santa Ana shop, making sure all of the Maximum Motorsports (MaximumMotorsports.com) suspension was installed and dialed in, then spent the first half of today dressing the Ford Performance Parts (performance.ford.com) X302E 302ci crate engine with its accessories and the Vortech (VortechSuperchargers.com) supercharger. Once the blower, Pypes (PypesExhaust.com) headers, alternator, power steering pump, and a/c compressor were bolted in place and the belt secured, we used our trick new Snaptrac crane apparatus to lower the engine into the Fox body’s previously painted engine compartment, and that’s when it got real—this is going to be one nice Mustang!

The next step was lifting the Performance Automatic (PerformanceAutomatic.com) 4R70W automatic transmission into place, using a Stiffler’s tubular trans crossmember and Energy Suspension (EnergySuspensionParts.com) bushings. The Stiffler’s (buystifflers.com) crossmember has an integral driveshaft loop, so if the worst should happen and the front U-joint breaks under all the power, the driveshaft will neither dig into the ground (pole-vaulting the car) or come crashing through the trans tunnel and pummeling the driver.

With the engine and trans in place, it was time to install the complete Pypes bolt-on exhaust system. The Pypes kit we used features the company’s stainless steel shorty headers that lead into the X-pipe with catalytic converters (part number XFM30E). It’s a 2.5-inch mandrel-bent system made in 409 stainless steel (304 stainless for the converters) and is EPA compliant. Aft of the X-pipe and cats was part number SFM13V cat-back system with 2.5-inch tips, with the Race Pro mufflers to give the Mustang a good bark to match its bite.

Once the exhaust was buttoned up, we set the rearend at right height to measure for the driveshaft length. Driveshaft Shop will then build us a driveshaft at the correct length and have it here on Friday. Once we had the measurement, the car was lowered on the hoist to finish the fuel line plumbing in the engine bay, and that’s the point we called it for a night.

Check back in tomorrow when we dive inside the car and install the interior, gauges, stereo and more, and then Friday when we fire this bad boy up.

#1990W2W
#WeekToWicked
#keepitclean #keepitclassic #covercraft #carharttseatcovers #TheNewTraditional
#e3sparkplugs, #E3ProMod, #E3borntoburn, #whatareyourunning
#EatonPerformance #DetroitTruetrac #Eaton
#ebc, #ebcbrakes, #ebcbrakes, #yellowstuff, #ebcbrakesracing
#EnergySuspension, #HyperFlex, #PerformancePolyurethane
#KONIshockabsorbers, #KONIimproved, #KONIshocks, #KONIequipped
#MMequipped, #MaximumMotorsports, #MustangsThatHandle, #MaxGripBox
#OdysseyBattery, #PureGuts
#PerformanceAutomatic, #PerformanceAutomaticTransmissions, #4R70W
#sctperformance, #scttuner, #scttuned
#tmiproducts
#poweredbyvortech, #vortechsupercharged
#Derale, #deraleperformance
#spikesperformanceandrefinishing
#houseofkolor
#fordperformanceparts

The post Week To Wicked, Day 3: How to install engine, transmission, and measure for the driveshaft in a 1990 Fox-body Mustang appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Covell Metalworking Workshop
Ron Covell has been teaching metalworking classes for more than 20 years. Covell’s weekend workshops provide a great way to improve your skills in all aspects of metalworking. The workshops cost $250 per day and run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch provided. Participants can attend for one day or both. There is no prerequisite for any workshop. The classes are given as a lecture/demonstration, where some of the best learning may stem from participants’ questions. For more information, or to register for any of Ron Covell’s Metalworking Workshops, visit covell.biz or call (831) 768-0705.

Metal Union / Atlanta, GA
March 14: Track Nose Buck
March 15: Track Roadster Nose

Trick Tools / Pella, IA
March 28: Beginning Steel
March 29: Advanced Steel

Rydell GM Auto Center / Grand Forks, ND
May 1: Bucks & Forms
May 2: Advanced Metalshaping

Roseville Rod & Custom / Roseville, CA
October 3: Track Nose Buck
October 4: Track Roadster Nose

Austin Speed Shop / Austin, TX
November 21: Extreme Metalshaping 1
November 22: Extreme Metalshaping 2

Top 100 Gets Better For 2020
We’ve made some changes to the Painless Performance Products/STREET RODDER Top 100 program. STREET RODDER staffers will be at the events below, selecting 10 cars or classic trucks from each show as Top 100 winners for 2020. Each winning vehicle will get magazine and web coverage, and owners will receive a custom Top 100 jacket. To be eligible, bring your vehicle to one of these events:

Road Tour Car Underway
The first STREET RODDER Road Tour car was “The Blue Skunk,” the blue and white 1933 Ford coupe built by Lobeck’s V8 Shop. We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Road Tour with a 2020 version of that car, built by Danny Tesar and Larry Brunkala at Precision Hot Rods and Fabrication in Macedonia, Ohio. The fiberglass body from Redneck Street Rods will wear black paint with charcoal stripes, in a pattern similar to “The Blue Skunk.”

At the 2019 Street Rod Nationals, title sponsor Lokar Products displayed the Precision Hot Rods chassis with the Ford Performance 427 engine, Gearstar transmission, and John’s Industries rearend.

Micheal Castiglione, aka Casti, provided this illustration of our latest Road Tour rod.

The post Latest News From the Street Rod Hobby appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Nick Weber fell in love with the first-generation Corvette design back when he was a kid. “I saw a ‘58 Corvette at a house where I was helping my dad redo a kitchen. I was around 12 or 13, I think. That’s when I fell for this body style,” he says. Nick and his father, Nick, Sr., are Chevy guys through and through, so it’s only natural that, since then, there has been a constant parade of Bowtie builds in and out of the family garage. One of Nick’s builds, the killer uni-body Chevelle, was featured in the November, 2016 issue of HOT ROD. It showed that Nick had further solidified his propensity for doing things outside the box, all while working inside “The Box”, his dad’s one-bay garage where they do all their work. The GT40-inspired 1969 Chevelle made plenty of waves over the last few years and has been a top performer out on the streets and road courses across the US.

Once Nick had finished the Chevelle, it was only a matter of time before he reset his mind, cleared the garage, and planned the next build. He needed a change of sorts. “I wanted something, smaller, lighter, and more nimble,” he says. True to form, a needy C1 Corvette was soon on a trailer parked outside the house, waiting for its turn in the Weber garage.

He found this 1960 Corvette online. “I locked the deal in and offered a $1,000 non-refundable deposit to give me first shot at it. A few days later, I went to pick it up the car; it ended up being an almost perfect body with no prior damage. Interestingly enough it was an original Fuelie car that was turned into a drag racer in the ‘70s. It sat in this garage since 1982, untouched,” says Nick. Soon, Nick and his dad began taking measurements needed to build the tube chassis he was going to stuff underneath the body. Now missing all its original parts, this Corvette would live on as a road course racer that will be able to do things that the OEM version could never dream of doing.

Bone Structure
He attached the body to his frame table at the ride height he wanted- 3 inches front (which coincidentally is just above New Jersey manhole height) and 4 ½ inches in front of the rear wheel well. Soon, Nick had all the suspension mounting positions mapped out in three dimensions, a mock engine and transmission in place, along with the suspension and body locations, and a round-tube chassis came together quickly under the spark of Nick’s welder. A C6 Z06 gave up its front suspension and brakes for the build. Out back, Nick made a custom five-link independent rear suspension, which was developed around an ET Enterprises Hammer-Head 12-bolt rear center section with 3.42:1 gears on a Wavetrac. A set of cantilevered RideTech TQ coilovers finish off the suspension duties out back. Speedway Engineering splined sway bars cut body roll through the twisties, and Z06 brakes add stopping power.

One of the more interesting components can be found at all four corners of the frame. “Knowing I was going to do autocross with this Corvette, I decided to add a quartet of AirJax pneumatic jacks to make changing tires a snap,” says Nick. He also installed adjustable jack bolts at all four corners to adjust ride height and corner weight on the fly.

Box Score
Nick had no second thoughts in selecting his power source. “I went with an LS3. I know the engine well, and it would do exactly what I wanted it to do. Plus, I had one on hand from a previous project with low miles,” says Nick. A T56 Magnum transmission and an S1 sequential shifter from Bowler Transmissions get this ride through the gears. Nick built the headers himself, wrapping the tubes through the chassis and out through side pipes to a pair of Stainless Works mufflers. Since his plans include road racing, Nick went with a big 23-gallon fuel tank, placing it over the rear differential for good weight distribution. It houses  Holley’s Hydramat fuel pickup and Aeromotive A1000 pumps and filters to get the fuel up front, even under heavy G-force out on the track.

With the chassis complete, Nick knew that a lot of changes were needed to get the body to sit on the chassis the way he wanted it. He built custom floors to sit the body low on the frame but still have adequate room for the seats, pedals, and transmission tunnel.

Moving to the exterior, Nick made a custom front spoiler and a one-off hood featuring a functional heat extractor modeled after a ’58 Corvette “washboard” hood treatment. The inner fenders were custom made to fit the big meats about to go on all four corners,the trunk was resized, and custom bumpers were made to fit tight to body. Nick finished the body work and then sprayed the BASF black, adding Ruby Red paint to the coves.

Serious driving calls for a serious interior, and Nick built a tight, comfy cockpit to hold himself in place while turning G’s in slalom events and road-course runs. After creating the new floor, Nick fitted a pair of Competition C7 Corvette power seats which are heated, cooled, and have adjustable lumbar capabilities. The custom dash console and package tray were next, the former filled with Dakota digital gauges. “I built all the panels in the car. Then the interior went to Mike Lippincot at Mikey’s Seats where it was covered in Adrenaline Red leather. A Kenwood navigation radio, JBL speakers and amplifier give Nick all the entertainment he’d need off the course. Pushbutton door handles and keyless ignition add a modern touch. Vintage Air supplies the chill breeze when competing in the ‘Vette.

Corvette Summer
Once finished, Nick did not rest a minute. “I built this car and immediately had it on the road, to the Ocean City Spring Fling. It was raining, but I logged 600 miles from start to finish,” says Nick. Yeah, that takes a lot of trust in your build to hit the road running long distance, and in the wet no less, but that was just the start.

Nick was still working out the bugs around his hometown when the unexpected happened. “I had bought that LS engine with supposedly low miles. I ended up detonating it while shaking-down the Corvette before the Power Tour,” he states, so Nick tore it out. In its place went a fresh GM crate LS7 built with some tasty add-ons. “I added ported heads by HeadGames Motorworks of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, a Brian Tooley Racing cam, and a FAST intake up top. An ARE oil pan was added to tie in the ARE dry sump system that I re-used from the LS3,” adds Nick.

In a week’s time, the Corvette was back on the street and ready to roll. “I headed out for the FM3 Road Trip and put 2,500 miles on the car in 8 days; going from my home in Jersey to Brighton, Michigan. I then headed to Indiana, ending at RideTech in Jasper. I finally headed home, with the only casualty being a bad thermostat on that trip. I fixed it on the side of Woodward Avenue in Detroit,” says Nick. After that, he drove the car to Holley’s LS Fest,  an 850 mile one-way ride to flaunt his wares at the show and on the track.

There’s a lot ahead for Nick and his Corvette- more shows, more long drives, and more track time. When he’s back home and settled, we suspect something new will be brewing in The Box. You never know what Nick will bring home next.

The post Stunning 1960 Corvette Rides on a Hand-Made and High Tech Tube Chassis appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Editor’s note: We have kept an eye on Rick Nelson’s Yenko Chevelle since he pulled it out of its garage tomb in 2018 after nearly 50 years of storage (“Yenko Rescue,” May 2018; bit.ly/2Og95Ux). We covered its paint and body resurrection in our Apr. 2019 issue (bit.ly/3738Sg9) thanks to Jamie Cooper at Super Car Restoration. Now it’s time to follow the restoration of the rest of the car. In this issue we cover the chassis; later installments will include the engine and driveline, interior, and final assembly.

The chassis and suspension are often the most overlooked parts of any restoration. They are usually the dirtiest and most worn-out parts of the car, yet people seem to ignore them when doing a restoration, or at the very least cut many corners, believing that what is not readily seen will not be noticed. Nothing could be further from the truth. By the time one gets around to restoring a car, the bushings are all but ready to fall out, the suspension components are ready to break, and the frame is so rusted it has lost half its weight. For safety reasons alone it should all be addressed.

It is very important that, before you start doing any work to the frame, you have it checked on a frame rack at a reputable body shop to make sure it is square and not twisted or has other damage that is beyond salvage. These measurements are readily available on the internet, and some specs are listed in the front of a car’s assembly manual. After all the bodywork and paint have been done is the worst possible time to find out the frame is bent, so ensure that all is well before you move forward.

The frame (and suspension) on our 1969 Yenko Chevelle, though dirty, worn and twisted, was actually in very good shape once it was straightened and blasted, as it had been out of the elements since 1970. The damage caused by the 1970 frontal accident was bad, but not so bad that the frame could not be salvaged, which was very important because it retained all its original date and plant information. The majority of the damage was confined to the front frame horns, with a little twist in the frame. Most of that was easily addressed on the frame rack, although some of it would have to be addressed after the body was removed.

Once the body was off and prior to any further disassembly, it was imperative to photograph every square inch of the frame and chassis to document damage, inspection marks, assembly line decals, codes, tube placement, types of clips and bolts, and so on. This was done not only to understand how it was assembled but also to aid in its reassembly. Finishes were also noted and recorded to aid in the restoration.

We also looked for cracks both in the welds and the framerails, for rusted holes, and for incorrect assembly line or nonoriginal parts (no point wasting time on parts that can’t be reused or are incorrect). Fortunately, our frame was as-delivered from Chevrolet, including the shocks and exhaust, which made it much easier. Some of this may require a bit of research if you are unsure what to look for, but it will pay dividends in the end when done correctly.

Always look for the assembly line VIN stamping on the frame. This is usually found on the top of either rear framerail but can be almost anywhere on the rear section of the frame. Unfortunately, due to rust, it can’t always be found or legible, and some plants, such as the Baltimore assembly plant where this car was built, did not always stamp the frame even though doing so was federally mandated.

Also look for any decals or evidence of them that can be found on the coil springs, driver-side framerail over the rear tire, on E-brake cables, and such. Photograph these decals and very carefully remove them for storage so they can be used as a reference to replace or have them reproduced later.

Lastly, look for assembly line differences. Chevelles were produced at six different plants in 1969 and seven in 1970. They all had their unique ways of doing things with regards to assembly processes and parts usage based on suppliers to that region. You need to restore your Chevelle similar to how that particular plant assembled it originally.

Disassembly
With all the preliminaries completed, it was time to do a full disassembly and catalog all the parts while the frame was being worked and painted. It is best to separate each set of components using different sizes of high-quality zip-lock baggies for things such as the front suspension, rear suspension, brake line hardware, fuel line hardware, and so on; or use some type of string tags. This way items do not intermingle and there’s less of a chance of hardware being reinstalled in the wrong place.

We took lots of photos of each component, their placement and orientation, and the head markings of the bolts used in that particular application. This is more commonly known as bagging and tagging. It is also best to keep every old item that will not be reused until the car is fully restored, even if you intend to throw them away. This will help ensure that the replacement piece is equivalent to the original while you still have it to compare to. You might also find down the road that the buyer of your car wants all the old parts. When storing your parts, I like to keep all the like components in the same area on our storage shelves, which will also aid in the reassembly process and so we won’t comingle parts of the car like suspension with interior.

Blast
By far the easiest and cheapest way to get rid of all the rust and grime is to blast the frame and components with sand or other media. This will allow you to start with bare, clean steel to perform your damage repair and filler work. During the initial blasting, we kept careful lookout for any inspection marks that may have been hidden under the grime, and documented those. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. After welding on a new front section, we had to repair the driver-side framerail that had been damaged in the accident, as well as repair a slight twist in the frame. A little heat and hammering is all that was required.

After the frame was media blasted and all necessary repairs and bodywork were done, it was time to put it into primer. Since the entire chassis was going to be rebuilt including the rear differential, we disassembled it as well as all the other suspension components and blasted them at the same time as the frame. Be prepared before you blast everything, as you will need to put all the pieces in primer immediately or they will rust. Epoxy primer makes for a great sealer, but others work well too.

Repair
Super Car Restoration (SCR) performed the bodywork and paint for us. The crew there acid-washed the frame to remove all impurities and finished with a complete rinse. From this point on it is imperative that you do not handle any of the bare steel parts, as the oils from your skin could contaminate the paint.

The next step was to apply a good quality primer. Jamie Cooper at SCR uses PPG’s CRE-921 high-build epoxy primer, which gives excellent corrosion protection as well as high build for sandability, so you can end up with a smooth finish without lots of additional labor. After priming and sanding, Cooper applied PPG’s solvent-based Deltron basecoat in black, followed by the D8115/D8117 clear mixed to give just the right gloss level. The frame is now ready for assembly.

Assembly
Contrary to popular belief, some of the GM assembly plants did not paint the differential, control arms, and other chassis components that were attached to the frame, such as the crossmember and frame stiffeners. Baltimore is one of the plants that was known for this. Many restorations are done incorrectly. Often to save time and money, or just because the shop or car owner does not like the natural metal appearance, these components are painted black overall when restored. That’s OK for a street car intended to be driven, but not on a concours restoration or on a very high-dollar-value car. Since our Yenko was delivered with many of these bare steel parts, this is how we decided to restore it. This adds much more labor and difficulty because trying to make these parts resemble bare steel is no easy task, especially when trying to duplicate hot welds, cold rolled/welded axletubes, inspection marks, and so on. I also turn my axle flanges, replate the studs, and add any inspection marks that are found during the disassembly.

Brakes
The brakes are completely rebuilt using original assembly line springs and hardware, and restored in the colors that were found during disassembly. Original wheel cylinders and bonded brake shoes were used, not the riveted style as the replacements are. All the hardware was restored and replated and the backing plates finished in a bare steel color to resemble the factory appearance exactly. Brake hoses are re-ink-stamped with the original stamps and dates as were found on this car.

Front Suspension
The front suspension was restored to the same colors, finishes, and plating as originally done by Chevrolet. I riveted replacement new old stock (N.O.S.) ball joints to the upper control arms, as was done on the assembly line, and replaced all the bushings. Riveting is not easy but is much better than using bolts to install them. The brake hoses were re-ink-stamped with the correct color, font, and dates that were found on the original hoses, and all associated hardware restored exactly the same. Backing plates were restored to resemble the original galvanized steel, and decals were made to match the originals.

The calipers and rotors were completely rebuilt using as many original GM parts as possible. All of the steering components were restored with replicated colored inspection marks that we found during disassembly. All of the original shocks were still on the car, and these were completely restored.

Every single component was either restored or replaced with N.O.S. or an excellent used piece. Fortunately, with only 19,895 miles on the car, and given its unmolested condition, we were able to reuse most every original component—such as brakes, emergency-brake cables, shocks, brackets, and bumpers—and restore them like new. Even the driveshaft was easily restored to its natural finish, including original inspection stripes. Everything was assembled back onto the rolling chassis, decals applied as well as inspection marks, and the chassis was now ready to have the body bolted on.

Thing of Beauty
Jamie Cooper of Super Car Restoration shot these “after” photos of the chassis when it was at his shop ready to be joined to the body. Note that there are components here that we will write about in future installments of the project.

The post Watch a Cruddy 1969 Yenko Chevelle Chassis Become Like New appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

The ever-evolving chase for the story behind this very rare Mr. Norm–built 1965 Dodge Coronet 500

In this Coronet’s last 54 times around the sun, there are some very clear things we know about this amazing car.

• The car was originally built as a 1965 Coronet 500 with a Street Wedge 426ci/365hp engine, a four-speed transmission, and lots of cool performance stuff.
• The car was delivered to the new owner by the famous folks at Mr. Norms Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, as documented by the original factory punch card that came with the car.
• At some point it was upgraded with a date-coded 1966 426cid Hemi engine dressed with twin Holley carbs on a chromed cross ram intake, a 1970s date-coded Dana 60 rearend, and a fiberglass front that includes the very cool drag race–inspired hoodscoop.

So what does that all mean for current owner Brad Toles? That he has an amazingly cool Dodge with lots of unique history. Best of all, that Dodge gets him as excited as a kid on Christmas morning every time it lights. As we follow behind the Dodge to the photo location, he said, “Just look at that thing! That’s so awesome! It looks small but is bigger than a ’Cuda and the lines are just perfect. Can you imagine that this car rolled off the dealership lot? You gotta love it!”

Yep, just like Christmas.

Grand Spaulding Dodge

During the late 1950s and 1960s, the number of car dealerships jumped dramatically across the country. Manufacturers reasoned that if prospective buyers had a dealership in their neighborhood, the companies would sell more cars. In this Golden Age of American car production (1955-1970), some dealerships began to focus on performance cars as a way to generate additional traffic. Yenko in Pennsylvania, Motion in New York, Dana in California, Royal in Michigan, Galpin in California, and others all specialized in delivering high-powered cars to a thirsty public. Most importantly, car manufacturers took advantage of this specialization, creating unique cars with bigger engines and other performance options to help push cars.

For Mopar fans, no dealer was more performance-oriented than Norm Kraus’s Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, which opened in 1962. At the corner of West Grand and North Spaulding Avenues on the west side of Chicago, what started out as a dirt lot was to become the place where “Hemi” and “Max Wedge” were spoken fluently and black tire marks on the surrounding street simply signaled a successful test drive. To that end, Mr. Norm’s service department would performance-tune each car before delivery on their not one but two onsite Clayton dynamometers. It was not long before Grand Spaulding Dodge became the highest-volume performance Dodge dealership in the U.S.

Along with the street-worthy high-performance Dodges that rolled off the lot, Mr. Norm believed that racing was good for business. Mr. Norm considered racing to be his favorite marketing tool. Together with his friend and fellow Chicagoan Gary Dyer, Grand Spaulding–sponsored racecars became a common sight on race tracks around the country for several decades. From factory Super Stock through Altered, Factory Experimental machines and on to nitro-burning Funny Cars, the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” mentality was in full force at Mr. Norm.

Racing and performance cars drove sales of production cars in the 1960s and into the early 1970s. To feed the frenzy, Mr. Norm offered racing parts that were prototyped in its facility for racers worldwide. In kind, Chrysler began offering these parts for sale to other dealerships and customers. Specialty racing-oriented engines, lightweight body parts, and stronger suspension and drivetrain parts all brought a higher level of clientele that would generate money for these “enthusiast” products.

Chasing Its Roots

To chase down additional information concerning how Toles’ current Dodge came to be, we turned to longtime current Mr. Norm vehicle expert Larry Weiner, who to this day carries on the work of the famous Chicago dealership. (In fact, if you want to create the ultimate late-model Dodge, Charger, or Challenger, Weiner will take your order and build you a documented, certified, tire-melting machine. Check him out at mr.norms.com).

So we sent over the photos that you see here to Weiner and asked a few questions about how this car may have come to its current form. Weiner was a racer back in the day and knew all the players, including Kraus and Dyer. Over the years he has seen quite the assortment of cars but delivered a sad fact that was to make the rest of our investigation considerably tougher.

“A fire destroyed all of the paperwork surrounding the legacy of Mr. Norm’s car sales in 1968,” notes Weiner. “For that reason there’s no way to tell if a car prior to that year was originally ordered by the dealership. Even worse, there’s no way to tell how many cars were actually created. This makes it hard to prove if any car came from the dealership unless the car retains the original sales documents. Even the stickers that the dealership would proudly apply to the cars as they left the lot really hold no significance since reproductions are common.”

Toles’ Dodge is one of the lucky ones. The original Grand Spaulding Dodge invoicing material is still with the car, including the all-important IBM punch card that was required to order the car from the factory. But, as noted earlier, it would require significant sleuthing to figure out the root the engine, body, and rearend changes made to the car.

“It is clear that the changes to the car, such as the rearend, were done sometime after 1970 due to the date coding on the part,” continues Weiner. “The bellhousing is a hydro-formed unit with a block plate, which would have been popular around the early 1970s, the earlier cars using the Ansen cast iron units for clutch safety.”

If the upfits to the Hemi engine were done in the 1970s, as would seem to be the case, then finding a 1965 Dodge K-member to accept a 1966 Hemi engine might not have been so easy. As our car demonstrates, the modifications required to make it fit were extensive. Weiner notes that Mr. Norm’s shop did use the Milodon oil pans of this type on its builds, but so did a lot of other folks during the era.

“I made a call over to Norm Kraus, the original Mr. Norm, and asked him about the car,” says Weiner. “He’s 86 years old and still excited about cars. He believes that due to the crude nature of cuts made to K-member to fit the Hemi engine, that the upgrades would not have been completed at Grand Spaulding Dodge. In addition, things like the rear welded wheels would not have been used—most customers would have bolted up a set of Cragar S/S five-spokes and sent him down the road.”

So will the mysterious “customizer” of the Hemi-powered Dodge Coronet come forward? Time, and perhaps this article, will hopefully reveal that answer.

Fast Fasts
1965 Dodge Coronet 500
Brad Toles, Palm Springs, CA

Engine
Type: 426ci Hemi; 1966 date code (original engine: 426ci Street Wedge)
Bore x Stroke (in.): 4.250 x 3.750
Block: 426ci Hemi block
Rotating assembly: Original Street Hemi engine components including factory forged crankshaft, rods, and aluminum alloy pistons
Cylinder heads: Original Mopar Street Hemi engine components
Compression: 10.25:1
Induction: Chrome-plated cross ram intake manifold with twin 600-cfm Holley carbs
Oiling system: Milodon high-volume race oil pan with high-pressure pump and internal windage tray
Exhaust: Hooker slip fit headers into twin mufflers and complete exhaust; car was originally equipped with fenderwell headers
Ignition: ACCEL ignition with Mopar regulator

Drivetrain
Transmission: Original New Process A833; 18-spline input shaft
Shifter: Hurst 4-speed original
Driveshaft: Factory original
Reared: Original Dana 60 with 4.11:1 gearing, Sure Grip, date-coded 1970

Chassis
Front suspension: Factory original with factory-correct markings.
Rear suspension: Factory original with Hemi
Front brakes (in.): 10×2.5 factory drum brakes
Rear brakes (in.) 10×2 factory drum brakes

Body
Fiberglass front end: Perhaps Mr. Norm?
Paint: Factory/dealership paint
Paint: Factory black

Interior
Instrumentation: Factory original cluster radio-delete panel; Moroso Tach and auxiliary aftermarket gauges
Upholstery: Factory original-style vinyl bench seat

Wheels & Tires
Wheels: 5×15 steel wheels in front, 10×15 widened and welded steel wheels in rear
Tires: 205/70-15 Cooper Trendsetter Radial in front, P295/50R-15 McCreary Mini Star in rear

The post 1965 Dodge Coronet 500: One Very Rare Dodge and the Mystery of its Origin appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

From 2000 to 2011, Ford and Harley-Davidson (you know, that motorcycle company in Milwaukee) have teamed up to put the Harley touch on F-150 pickups, and in 2002-2003 the package was applied to the supercharged Lightning, which even in stock form was a fast truck. The connection is obvious to fans of both Ford and Harley-Davidson; both companies started business the same year, 1903. The H-D package was mostly appearance-based, with distinctive Harley features. After a few years without the Harley F-150s, the duo is back with a vengeance for 2019 and later.

The new H-D trucks are being built by Tuscany Motor Co. in Elkhart, IN, a Ford Motor Company specialty vehicle manufacturer (SVM) in the personal-use segment. Tuscany is the same company that helped design and build the Shelby F-150s as well as the trucks for FTX, Black Ops, and Tonka. Based off the best-selling Ford F-150, the new Harley trucks have distinctive parts and looks that are not available anywhere else—meaning the individual parts are not sold separately to apply to a base F-150, keeping the Harley trucks unique to the name. With the optional supercharger, the 5.0 Coyote makes over 700 horsepower. We grilled Tuscany’s Eric Brown for a more specific number, but he was tight-lipped.

We went to the reveal of the Harley-Davidson F-150 at So-Cal’s enormous Galpin Ford to check out the truck and take it for a drive, and it was pretty impressive. Harley bits are visible throughout, including the orange and black leather seat patter, which is very nice looking. For a 5,200lb 4×4 pickup, it moves good and does 2WD burnouts with ease. It won’t keep up with a Mustang GT of course—you can’t expect a big truck like this to do that—but it’ll embarrass plenty of pedestrian rides and should be killer off-road even though we seriously doubt that very many people laying down almost $100,000 will take it rock-climbing.

Tuscany and Ford sold about 70,000 Harley-Davidson F150s from 2002 to 2012, and after seven years off, the demand grew enough that they decided the time was right to team back up again for 2019. Mike Graber, President of Tuscany Motor Co. said, “The demand for the new Harley-Davidson F-150 has been extremely strong. Since the previous generation was powered by a supercharged V8 engine, fans of the super truck have asked for that option on the latest model. To kick off this dealer option, a supercharger will be installed at no cost whenever a new 2019 F-150 Harley-Davidson is purchased from a participating Ford dealer’s current inventory at MSRP.”

A concept of the Harley-Davidson branded truck was displayed at the Harley-Davidson 115-year Anniversary celebration in Milwaukee. Strong reaction to the truck led to the collaboration for an all-new Harley-Davidson F-150. The production version of the 2019 Harley-Davidson F-150 pickup truck was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year, in Ford Motor Company’s exhibit.

The 2019 Harley-Davidson F-150 includes over 70 proprietary parts that make the truck stylish, comfortable, and unmistakably Harley-Davidson. Styling was inspired by the famous Harley-Davidson Fat Boy® and CVO® models—the wheels specifically were designed to mimic the H-D Fat Boy motorcyle. The motorcycle inspired components and proprietary parts that add to the aggressive look of the truck. Under the arrangement, Tuscany provides the F-150 and manufactures the interior and exterior components with Harley Davidson’s direction.

The special supercharger offer goes in effect November 13, 2019 and expires on December 31, 2019. Any 2019 F-150 Harley-Davidson truck purchased prior to 11/13/19 is not eligible. This promotion is only valid on new contracts from 11/13/19 through 12/31/19.

Tuscany is building 500 Harley-Davidson F-150s for 2019, and after pre-orders there are only 250 left to buy, so if you want one, find a participating Ford dealer now and warm up your checkbook. The base price of the F-150 is $63,738 and after Tuscany’s Harley-Davidson modifications, including the supercharger, the truck is $98,433 out the door. There are only two options: with or without the supercharger; and the color—black, white, or gray. Surprisingly, though we thought black would be by far the most popular color (Harley’s colors and black and orange), Brown told us that customer research showed that black was only favored by 10 percent of potential buyers, white was slightly more popular, and gray was by far the top choice.

The post Return of the Harley-Davidson F-150 appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

It’s a safe bet everyone reading this magazine has built at least one model car kit in their lifetime. If you’re over 40, the likelihood goes way up. Regardless of age, it’s a fact that many car fanatics—from Detroit designers to local mechanics—are also model builders. Arriving conveniently in the years when we’re in our late childhood and early teens, 1:25-scale plastic model car kits often serve as our first introductions to the world of Chevrolet. They’re also an excellent way to exercise our “real car” building instincts when we’re otherwise unable to do so because of school, marriage, incarceration, or inconvenient living arrangements.

For me, at age 55, I can say I’ve been a model car fanatic for nearly half a century, and yes, my very first model car kit was a Chevy. You’ll read about it here. Though I’ve built models of plenty of Brand X machinery, here, I’ve conjured a humble list of what I consider to be the five most influential Chevy-themed model kits of “my time.” Here’s hoping this story rekindles good memories, or maybe even triggers your next Chevy model car purchase.

Badman ’55 Chevy Gasser by Monogram
As if its bright-yellow plastic parts, Boss 302 inspired “vert-agonal” fender graphics, mile-long traction arms, front beam axle, wheelie bars, and chromed in-grille Moon tank weren’t enough to bend my 10-year-old mind when I first saw it in 1974, the 1:24-scale Badman gasser’s key features were its translucent red windows and hoodscoop. Taken together, the finished kit tickles the retinas without the need for paint.

Like most Monogram custom car kits of the early 1970s, the Badman was designed by Tom Daniel, one of the team that “put the hot in Hot Wheels” a few years earlier at Mattel. Though mature eyes now see the kit’s many inaccuracies: its 6-71 supercharged V-8 connected to a three-speed manual transmission and the “396” engine has siamesed exhaust ports—like a small-block—none of it takes away from the Badman’s overall cool factor. I’ve purchased at least 10 of them over the years, how ’bout you?

Jungle Jim Camaro Funny Car by Revell
Revell was already well known for dozens of highly realistic plastic model car kits by 1971 when the very first, of many, Jungle Jim Funny Car kits was released. But unlike the exquisite Skippers Critter Anglia gasser, Mooneyes Dragster, and Mickey Thompson Challenger land speed record kits from the mid-1960s, the Jungle Jim Camaro Funny Car is not one of them. Seemingly designed by Revell’s B-team or less-skilled apprentices, it suffers from heavy-handed details, chunky workable steering, and the Camaro body shell is very poorly proportioned. Worst of all are the super-wide, cartoon-like slicks and flash-encrusted five-spoke chrome wheels.

So why is this abomination one of my top five? Simply because it time warps me back to the very first day I ever wore corrective eyewear (glasses). I was 12, and after years of shirking a proper eye exam (I knew I needed glasses since I was 8. I feared the geeky stigma that came with them), Mom finally cornered me. To ease my unhappiness, she bought me this very Jungle Jim Camaro kit on the way home from the optometrist. Thanks to my new glasses, I fully enjoyed the fire burnout box art. By the way, in the years since, the “geek glasses” have served me very well. Thanks, Mom!

Twister Chevy Nova Altered Wheelbase Funny Car by AMT
I’m a few years too young to have seen AMT’s groundbreaking altered wheelbase Twister Chevy II Funny Car as a new model on the hobby store shelf. When these things were the hot deal in the 1967-’69 period, I was still pushing Matchbox cars through piles of mashed potatoes. But that hasn’t stopped modern-day reproductions and re-releases from setting things right.

When new in 1967, AMT whipped up a simple pan-type chassis with a shortened wheelbase to suit reworked (with altered wheelbases and hoodscoops) body shells of its ’66 Mustang, ’65 Falcon, ’66 Mercury, ’63 Tempest, and ’65 Chevy II. After plugging in a suitable Ford, Pontiac, or Chevy engine, AMT had something for Funny Car fans to build without spending a ton on multiple chassis and suspension tools.

The Twister isn’t an exact replica of any particular real-life race car, but with its stubby wheelbase, Hilborn eight-stack injected Rat, front beam axle, and gutted interior, its less-is-more vibe captures the Match Bash aesthetic perfectly. I got my first Twister as a built-up parts car at a model car swap meet (yes, they exist!) around 1981. But after Model King re-released the once-rare kit around 1999, anybody with $30 could build their very own Match Bash Nova with factory fresh plastic.

Funny Hugger II Camaro Funny Car by AMT
With the successful launch of the hastily rendered Twister Nova and others, AMT decided to spend some real money on fresh Funny Car subjects. Among them were the Funny Hugger, a 1967 Camaro flip-top kit released around 1970, and the Funny Hugger II, the 1969 Camaro flip-top featured here, which was released around 1972.

I bought my first Funny Hugger II in 1973 at the local drug store and remember being mesmerized by the exciting box art illustrations. Then again, without a single photographic image of the kit hiding inside the box, it took a leap of faith to make the purchase. But me and my model building friends generally knew the AMT brand logo—as well as MPC, Revell, Monogram, IMC and JoHan—was trustworthy from past experience. Lesser brands—Palmer, Hawk, and Lindberg—had to be approached with caution. Their fanciful box art illustrations often concealed terrible model kits and sometimes showed components that weren’t included in the box.

Like virtually all AMT kits (and many from MPC), the Funny Hugger II required paint, but with a twist; while its body shell was rendered in pure white polystyrene and needed coloring, the tube chassis was molded in metallic silver. It was something I’d only seen in AMT’s huge fire truck and military model kits of the day. But when the re-release hit the scene around 2005—once again courtesy of Model King—the gray was gone, undoubtedly to simplify manufacturing.

1970 Chevy Monte Carlo by AMT
This was my very first 1:25-scale plastic model kit … ever. The year was 1972, I was 8 years old and Mom wasn’t convinced I was ready for stinky (and toxic) model cement just yet. AMT’s screw-together 1970 Monte Carlo was part of its short-lived Motor City Stocker Series (which also included simplified replicas of five other American cars from the 1970 model year). Priced at $1.00, the Motor City Stockers combined the external realism and detail of a $2.25 glue kit with the simplicity of a snap-together dealer promotional toy.

As soon as I pulled its big 1:25-scale body from the box, the pre-assembled 1:64-scale Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Corgi cars I’d been playing with, collecting, and trading with my friends suddenly seemed so lame. I remember examining the kit’s Rally Wheels and marveling at how they looked just like the real ones I saw in traffic every day. The same held for the grille, speedometer, and dual exhaust system.

The only downsides were the sealed hood and engine plug between the front wheels. But they only served to make me even more curious about the world of glue-together model kits where miniature replicas of just about every Chevy ever made seemed to be available at the local hobby shop. It all started with this kit!

Honorable Mention
C4 Corvette by MPC

Despite taking a beating from the video game arcade boom of the late 1970s, the domestic model kit industry continued to hobble along into the 1980s. One of the bright spots was MPC, who doubled down with a series of strong model kit offerings that reflected popular tastes. One of MPC’s best kits of the time was the C4 Corvette.

Not only was the real-life motoring world excited by America’s totally renewed sports car, MPC re-ignited model builders’ curiosity with new levels of detail and accuracy. To help fan the flames, MPC released a limited run of 1984 Corvette kits molded in metallic gold. They were found in specially marked boxes, while the normal run was molded in black plastic. I remember being amazed by the crisp detailing of the suspension and chassis.

Bloopers and Blunders

Chevy Chevette by MPC
Since it takes roughly the same amount of money and resources to take a model car project from idea to reality—about $500,000 in modern funds—you’d expect model makers to shoot for the stars every time. When MPC released this Chevette kit in 1978, plenty of hobbyists complained that the effort should have been expended on any other Chevy product.

Whether this model kit was a knee-jerk hangover from the days when MPC automatically released yearly kits of significant annual models or a brave experiment to put some mpg in MPC, we’re sure the project wasn’t a grand slam like MPC’s 1978 Pontiac Firebird Special Edition or Dukes of Hazzard General Lee Charger—both of which broke the million-unit mark.

We have to ask, was the Bear Bait graphics and decal theme a shrewdly calculated tie-in to the big rig/CB craze of the mid-1970s or was it a last minute “think of something … anything” Hail Mary so the kit wouldn’t bomb on its own terms? While the resulting kit is a very decent replica of Chevy’s T-car, MPC management took a huge risk green-lighting such a mundane kit during the rocky road that was the kit industry of the 1970s.

The post Top 5 Chevy Model Kits of All Time appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

For way more info on the Cybertruck, go to motortrend.com/cybertruck

If George Peppard were here to see the 2022 Tesla Cybertruck, he’d chew his cigar a little faster and maybe rub his hand at the prospect of a Damnation Alley remake. Don’t get the reference? Google it. We’ll wait…

Any human who views Elon Musk’s angular stainless swipe at the lucrative half-ton market will have a similar reaction. What does it remind you of? Cylons? That hot chrome Stormtrooper from The Force Awakens? For us, it was Dean Jeffries’ gleaming ORV used to fight radioactive scorpions. We really couldn’t imagine it towing a race car.
Somehow, we got a third-party look at the ultra-secret photos and spec sheet before the launch of the Cybertruck in Tesla’s Hawthorne facility on November 21. We were interested to see if it is, in fact, a truck a guy could use. Since we don’t have one to drive, let’s look at the facts and make some wild guesses.
Starting with the business end, we can’t see a receiver for a hitch but the reported towing capacity is 7,500 pounds with what we believe to be the GCVWR of 14,000 pounds and a payload capacity of 3,350 pounds. A quick cross reference with a Ford F-150 shows this to be average against the best-selling half ton.

We don’t’ expect the bed and tailgate development to be at the level of automatic fold out steps, beer coolers, or gun safes but we are going to presume there will be Tesla-style tricks that certainly include automatic up-and-down, and it looks like there is a small storage area at the rear of the bed floor. You can’t see it in the photos, but the rumor is a roll-away tonneau cover that disappears between the fore end of the bed and the cab, like a storefront shutter in that neighborhood you don’t go into.
The bed is 6.5 x 4.5 so it is going to pass the standard sheet-of-plywood test with the tailgate down, like your Home Depot parts runner. We’ve also heard that the entire body is made from 3mm stainless steel, a metal that is known to be hard, but heavy. The properties of good stainless are resistance to corrosion and a durable finish. In a move typical of Elon Musk, the body and windshield reportedly can repel a round from your 9mm. Their words, not ours.
The cab, again, looks like something from a modern half-ton Crew Cab. There is a third seat in the front row and three seats to the rear. Since this is a Tesla, there are no gauges, just a giant touch screen. The rear view mirror is more than likely a screen as well with 360-degree cameras. Hopefully one is pointed at the trailer hitch.
We’re not sure what is under the hood, if anything. But, somewhere on the truck are a pair of electric motors that Motor Trend estimated to make around 650-700 hp and 825 lb-ft of torque if you believe in the conversion factors. There is also a three-motor “Plaid” combo that could boost the calculated horsepower to 800 and torque to 1,000. The plaid reference is a nod to something faster than ludicrous speed from the movie Space Balls. Range is 300-450 miles depending on the battery options.
Would you feel comfortable backing your bass boat down the ramp or unloading the drag car in the Cybertruck? We don’t know either. As car guys, we can’t deny there is a fashion show element to what we do, and the Cybertruck is a sci-fi train wreck what will get you all the attention you need, good and bad.

The post Tesla Cybertruck: The 39k Electric Sideshow is Here, But Can it Tow? appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Mocking up the cooling system and handling some small but important details in our Week To Wicked 1990 Mustang

Want to see the whole build? Don’t miss any of the Fox-body action!
Check out Day 1 here!
Check out Day 2 here!
Check out Day 3 here!

Every project car build has glorious, dramatic days—dropping the engine in place, paint, that sort of thing—but they also have days of small details that are completely void of glamour, but mandatory nonetheless. Today’s action in our Week To Wicked build of a 1990 Mustang LX was an example of the latter.

Most of the day was installing the little stuff under the hood, such as the windshield washer tank, some wiring, etc. while Tom Longo and the guys from Derale were fitting the BeCool radiator and Derale fans and shroud. The radiator is larger than stock so it took some ingenuity to make it both fit under the hood and clear the Vortech supercharger. It took a while to figure out how to package it all together and make it all fit, and the Derale crew is bringing a modified shroud back tomorrow that will fit (the supercharger threw a wrench into our plans). When we’re done, no matter how much power the car makes and how hot the weather gets in its Florida home, it won’t overheat. Derale also installed the transmission cooler (after making the cooler lines) and air conditioning condenser while Mark Houlahan handled all those little things we mentioned, as well as installing the Holley SysteMax upper intake manifold, and Accufab throttle body. Mark also prepped the SCT mass air meter, and Anderson Ford Motorsport Power Pipe for the Vortech supercharger.

Tomorrow is when the real fun starts. On tap for Day 5 is finishing the cooling system, installing the wheels and tires, TMI will be here to install their custom front and rear seats, the Pioneer stereo will go in, and the Dakota Digital dash will be installed. Then it’s fluids and a few last-minute details and it’s start and drive time! Come back and watch as this one is going to seriously roast the tires!

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#e3sparkplugs, #E3ProMod, #E3borntoburn, #whatareyourunning
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The post Week To Wicked, Day 4: Mocking up a BeCool Radiator and Derale Fans and Shroud in our 1990 Fox-Body Mustang appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Fierce Ford Friday

Ford really did things right with their tribute to World War II, triple ace pilot Colonel Bud Anderson. This Mustang GT is a joint effort between Ford Motor Company and Roush and is named “Old Crow” in honor of Anderson, who nicknamed his P-51 Mustang fighter plane “The Old Crowe” after a whiskey of the same name. Fighting as a member of the 363rd Fighter Squadron, Anderson served two tours of combat during World War II and spent 30 years in the armed forces.

To honor this legendary veteran, Ford has produced this one of a kind Mustang with a P-51-inspired paint scheme draped over Roush rear fascia and a Ford Performance front racing spoiler. The hood features custom heat extractors that will help expel the heat of the Roush-supercharged 5.0 lying underneath. This land-locked Mustang makes 710 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque. Ford’s factory MagneRide damping system comes standard, but Roush upgraded the internals with a new air induction system and X-pipe, while Ford Performance tacked on an active exhaust.

Inside the cockpit, the military-inspired cabin gives drivers the sensation of being a fighter pilot especially when strapped into the seat by the four-point harness.

Ford auctioned off the “Old Crow” Mustang GT at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) 2019 AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, WI with the proceeds going to benefit the EAA’s youth and adult aviation programs.

The post Fierce Ford Friday: A tribute to a World War II Legend: USAF Ace Bud Anderson appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

John Lennon famously said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. It’s a truism we can all relate to, especially when it comes to car projects and the career demands, family obligations, and plain-old procrastination that conspire to thwart them.

Joe Guzek’s grand plan for restoring his one-off, special-order 1970 Buick GS 455 Stage 1 was literally decades in the making. Why so long? Life intervened. The once-formidable A-body, which was the stoplight scourge of Lansing, Michigan, languished for years in restoration purgatory. Just as time was beginning to loosen up for him and the project, a life-changing medical condition saw the Buick’s rebirth once again thwarted.

Fortunately, a loyal and dedicated group of friends and family stepped in, not only with a commitment to Guzek’s day-to-day support but also with pushing through the rare Buick’s restoration. We’ll get to that support a little later, but first the backstory on Guzek and his one-of-a-kind GS, which has a special-order exterior color—a Cadillac color called Cinnamon Firemist—and came with a special-order 3.91-geared rear axle.

Guzek ordered it that way back in the fall of 1969, and it took some arm twisting to get it done. As an engineer at auto supplier and wheel manufacturer Motor Wheel Corporation, he had connections within General Motors, and they helped push through the special order. He had been driving a 1968 Z/28 that wore an early set of the distinctive Motor Wheel Spyder wheels, but found the car all but impossible to drive in the snow and ice of Michigan winters.

“It was a fun car to drive for about half of the year,” says Guzek. “But in the winter, with its 3.73 axle, it was just about useless.”

Connections
Through his work at Motor Wheel and his connections at GM, he’d spent some time in an early Buick GS Stage 1 development car and also drove a prototype Stage 2 development car that was built out of a 1969 GS 400.

“It had 12:1 compression, a hotter cam, and a Holley carb,” says Guzek of the prototype. “What impressed me the most, like the Stage 1 car, was how smooth and tractable the engine was. And all the torque. Those Buick engines made loads of torque, and it felt great.”

Sold on the Stage 1, he started the ordering process with the help of GM engineer friend Denny Manner. Manner tried to convince him to go with an automatic, but Guzek was adamant about a four-speed.

He encountered the first hurdle after insisting on a special-order 3.91 rearend, which wasn’t available. The only cog set offered with a Stage 1/four-speed combo was a 3.64 ratio. But Guzek’s connections paid off, and a 3.91 axle was ordered.

Now, before many of you start writing in to protest, throw shade, or skeptically ask which axle was installed at the factory (i.e., a specially fitted “corporate” axle or perhaps the Canadian-market Chevy 12-bolt), the short answer is we don’t know. Guzek blew it up not long after taking delivery, and his local dealer couldn’t service the oddball axle. The original went to the scrapyard decades ago, and Guzek doesn’t recall what axle was actually installed, only that it had the 3.91 gears he wanted. The replacement was the standard Stage 1 setup with 3.64 gears; it has been replaced in the restoration with a 3.91 gear in a custom setup from DTS.

The special-order paint was perhaps even more of a challenge for the factory because GM really, really didn’t want to spray the car that color. A similar hue dubbed Fireglow Orange had been offered by Buick in 1969, which is when Guzek took a liking to it. But the burnt orange metallic color proved very difficult to spray with an acceptable appearance quality, and it was quickly dropped from the order books. Undeterred, Guzek pushed ahead with his order. Because a similar color was offered by Cadillac for 1970, the special paint order was finally accepted.

“Back then you could pretty much order any color you wanted as long as you were willing to pay extra for it,” says Guzek. “But because that color was so difficult, there was a big pushback against it for my car. They ultimately did it, but they didn’t want to do it.”

Turns out the factory was right in abandoning the color, as Guzek admits the finish wasn’t good.

“It was splotchy and uneven,” he says. “It was easy to understand why they discontinued it and why the factory was so reluctant to spray my car that color.”

With the car built in Flint, Guzek arranged for a factory delivery of the GS and had a nearby friend pick it up and put a few shakedown miles on the car. Soon after, on the advice of his engineer contact Manner, Guzek spoke to Buick engine performance pioneer Jim Bell (later of Kenne-Bell fame) and ordered a camshaft package and a set of Mickey Thompson headers.

There was one more thing: a set of custom-made, 15×8.5 Motor Wheel Spyders. That made them a half-inch wider than the widest off-the-shelf version, as Guzek wanted the widest possible contact patch on the street.

“The car was very strong and ran in the 12s through closed exhaust and on street tires,” he says. “I’d pump up the air pressure to about 35 pounds or so. They were just right when they left two solid black stripes on the street. If there wasn’t any or much black in the middle of them, there wasn’t enough air in the tires.”

Swamped
Guzek drove the car daily for about five years. In the winter of 1975, while the Buick was parked, his storage building flooded. The special-order Buick was swamped up to the center of the steering wheel, triggering a nearly 45-year quest to return it to its original condition. The first few years were spent collecting parts. Guzek rounded up just about every N.O.S. panel, knob, and trim piece he could find.

He also met restorer Bob Reeve, who would take on the car’s restoration and work on it as time and Guzek’s budget allowed. It’s a relationship that has spanned about 30 years, as Reeve and Guzek’s network and friends and relatives pushed to get the resto over the finish line in time for the 2019 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. Its debut there would represent the first time the car had been seen in public since the flood sidelined it 45 years ago.

Ironically, despite more than four decades of perpetual restoration, making the deadline proved a challenge. Parts had to be chased, and the eye for assembly detail required for a first-class restoration couldn’t be rushed no matter how many years had passed since the project commenced.

And let’s not forget about the special paint. The color had long since disappeared from the paint chip books, so Reeve mixed and mixed again until the correct color was matched against a sample on an original panel that hadn’t been exposed to sunlight. It took 14 tries until he nailed it.

Guzek is quick to point to the assistance of his wife, Mary, and longtime friend Paul Aurand for spearheading the project as he dealt with his medical issues. Bob Reeve deserves more than only the credit for the bulk of the restoration work, too. He toted the car from shop to shop for the better part of 30 years, as the long-term project stretched over decades.

“This wouldn’t have been accomplished without them,” Guzek says. “This car represents a lot of great memories from a time when I wanted to show taillights to anyone who challenged. I always knew it would get restored. I just couldn’t have imagined it would take this long.”

It’s also noteworthy that a number of people supporting him with the restoration are part of the crew behind the Michigan State University Project W-31, which was featured in “Independent Study: Project W-31” (Nov. 2018; bit.ly/2PwamZU). Guzek helped the team back in the early 1970s, and they helped him with the Buick.

The important thing is this rare Stage 1, with its special-order features, is back on the street, thanks to a tremendous group effort. But that’s life, when you’re making other plans.

At a Glance
1970 GS 455 Stage 1
Owned by: Joe Guzek
Restored by: Bob Reeve/Carshine Restorations
Engine: 455ci/360hp Buick Stage 1 V-8
Transmission: Muncie M20 4-speed manual
Rearend: Custom by DTS with 3.91 gears and posi
Exterior color: Cinnamon Firemist (Cadillac special order)
Interior: Brown vinyl bucket seats
Wheels: 15×8.5 Motor Wheel Corporation Spyder
Tires: G60-15 Goodyear Polyglas
Special parts: Custom rear axle, roll bar

Doc’ed
It probably comes as no surprise that Joe Guzek kept his one-of-a-kind Buick’s important documents, several of which are seen here. The $4,579 window sticker price for the GS shows the $199.05 price for the Stage 1 package, along with $153.77 for the “S.C.O.” (Special Car Order) that included the custom paintjob. Despite the $4,579 list price for the car, the dealer sales sheet from April 1970 shows an out-the-door price of $4,100—not a bad bit of haggling for a one-off muscle car! The factory production order body sheet shows “Cinammon” at the bottom in reference to the car’s special-order paint.

The post Rare 1970 Buick 455 Stage 1 Drowns and Needs 45-Year Rescue appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Mark Stielow drives out of his lane with a classic, LT-swapped Blazer built to cruise

See one of Mark Stielow’s recent Camaro Builds Here
Here’s a Gorgeous Camaro Built By Sled Alley

Given his trendsetting legacy with early F-bodies, the logical reaction to Pro Touring pioneer Mark Stielow’s latest build is, “that’s a funny-looking ’69 Camaro.” But the visionary builder took a big step out of his comfort zone with an LT-swapped, two-wheel-drive 1978 K5 Blazer.

“I’ve always loved the design of these Blazers, and I wanted to build something for long-haul drives—something that was comfortable, had room for a week’s worth of gear, and was forget-about-it reliable,” he says. “I didn’t build it to race; I built it to drive.”

The project started in earnest more than a year ago, after months of searching online for the perfect candidate vehicle, which revealed itself via a Craigslist ad in North Carolina. A deal was struck and Stielow headed down to the Tar Heel state from Michigan to pick it up.  He drove it around for about a month while searching for the next piece of the project: the drivetrain.

“I wanted to keep it all very simple and straightforward, with an LT engine and transmission from a late-model truck,” he says. “No supercharger, no big cam or anything like that. Just a modern take-out engine and transmission.” He found it all through Ohio-based Stricker Auto Parts, which specializes in salvaging vehicles written off in shipping-train derailments. “I was able to get everything for the swap,” he says. “And I mean everything: the engine, transmission, air box, radiator, cooling fans, fuse box, powertrain control module and more—even the emissions equipment; because I wanted to retain all of the catalytic converters.”

With his busy job at the General Motors Proving Ground, however, shop time was something Stielow didn’t have in abundance, so he turned to Matt Gurjack’s shop, Sled Alley, to handle the installation and supporting fabrication work. “I wanted the truck done for the spring, and Matt could work on it 40 hours a week, while I might have been able to squeeze in maybe 10 hours a week after hours,” says Stielow. “Matt has a great eye for detail, and I knew he’d knock it out of the park.”

He did. It looks like a factory installation under the hood, albeit one that takes up a lot more real estate than the simple carbureted 350 that came out of the Blazer. That’s Gurjack’s forte, though, as he’s had a hand in several of Stielow’s Camaro builds, as well as builds for others you may have heard of, including Hot Rod Drag Week champ Tom Bailey.

The engine is the L83-code, 355-horsepower 5.3L backed by GM’s six-speed automatic transmission. Holley’s LT-swap engine mounts were used for the installation, but custom brackets were required to attach them to the engine. The stock transmission cross member was retained, but simply moved back one set of holes. Sled Alley also fabbed all the brackets to mount the radiator, fuse block, and air box, elements that all look innocuous enough under the hood, but nonetheless took hours and hours of time to build.

Fortunately, things were a little easier with the exhaust system. “We even were able to retain the original exhaust manifolds,” says Stielow. “The only real change was a slight modification to accommodate the driver-side converter, but all three of the original converters were retained, and we simply fabricated an exhaust system behind them.”

One of the other big needs for such a swap was an instrument panel that would accommodate the electronic signals of the powertrain controller, and Stielow turned to Dakota Digital for that. Their direct-fit instruments slot into the original cluster for an integrated appearance that, again, was essentially unheard of only a few years ago. Like the engine swap, they look factory-installed in the Blazer.

The only other significant change or upgrade to the interior, which still wears its original door panels and carpeting, is recovered seats. Stielow turned to SPC Interiors, in suburban Detroit, to stitch together stock-appearing, blue-and-white plaid seat. More than 40 years later, they’re still more stylish, too.

On the outside, the original faded blue-over-white paintwork was retained, but the Blazer was given a more contemporary stance with a Ridetech suspension upgrade and 18-inch wheels. Because Ridetech doesn’t offer a kit specifically for 2WD Blazers, Stielow adapted one of their Square-Body C10 kits. The wheels are 18×9-inchers all around from Detroit Steel Wheels, wrapped in Michelin 255/45R18 tires in front and 275/45R18 rubber in the rear. That’s about it for exterior alterations. The rest of the truck is stone-cold stock; and with the stock 355-horsepower from the L83 engine, it will never pose a performance threat to Stielow’s Camaro builds. Then again, it was never the goal.

The post Pro-Touring Pioneer Mark Stielow Builds a Blazer appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Pictures from the Global Auto Salon are Here!

Every Friday at a Tim Horton’s parking lot in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there is a Car and Coffee meet. Yes, there’s a Tim Horton’s in Saudi Arabia! Since 2014, locals have come from all over Saudi Arabia’s captial city every week to share their passion for the hobby julst like we do in the United States, so we knew we had to check the show out. While we expected to see mostly exotics, we were mind-blown at how many classic American cars we saw, and they were incredibly well kept, and driven often.

It is interesting to note that Saudi Arabia’s import laws are highly restrictive.  We heard that, if a car is older than 30 years, it can’t be driven. Well, that didn’t stop these guys from coming out. “We are prone to be sited,” said Nasser, the event’s organizer. “But we weasel out of it. I never get pulled over.”

Nasser told us that the enthusiast community is trying to work with the government to create new regulations for classic and modified cars. “I was one of the people in the community to help make a set of rules, but it never reached the echelon [in the government] that asked for them.”

No matter what your background, nationality, race, political views, or religion, cars have a powerful way of bringing people together, and it was a real joy to talk with guys from this side of the globe about the cars they love.

The post Photo Gallery: Crazy Cars at Saudi Arabia Cars and Coffee! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Highly Personalized

Detailing your dream ride becomes a hobby in itself

When the exposure to cool, custom cars happens at an early age, it generally remains for a lifetime. Growing up in an enthusiast family not only results in a lifelong hobby but also accrues the benefits from the wonderful acquaintances made in the car community. Kevin O’Grady looks back with fond memories on the cars in his family, made even more special thanks to the bond that occurred with his father while they were repairing or customizing the latest family acquisitions. In addition to being Dad’s gofer, he was the official detailer when it was time to take one of the family rides on a Sunday drive.

During those formative years, there was one vehicle that stood out from the rest, making an indelible impression on young Kevin and the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. A couple of families had C3 Stingrays that were always garage-kept but created quite a stir whenever they rolled down the street. Kevin was sure they were on the way to the country club since, naturally, they were behind the wheel of a Corvette. It planted a seed that took many years before the dream came true.

Based out of Melbourne, Florida, Kevin is a sales and marketing rep for computer hardware and software. He’s gone through many cars and brands in the last few decades, but the Corvette remained that elusive dream until one summer night when he and his young son Jimmy went for ice cream. They were just a short distance from the local Chevrolet dealer in Melbourne when they decided to walk through the car lot, looking at the Corvettes in stock. Succumbing to the pull of those early planted seeds, they both went back the next day for a test drive. As it turned out, father and son were so intrigued with a black 2006 that a deal was completed the following day.

The car was a dream come true, but it got even better when they attended the annual Space Coast Vettes show in historic downtown Melbourne. In addition to being awestruck at the sparkling examples of his favorite car, Kevin was especially intrigued with the numerous custom touches that owners had done to personalize their cars. The show became both an idea source and motivator, with Kevin taking notes and developing a plan to transform his ride into a show winner.

“My black C6 was in great shape but was way too plain for me,” he told us. “Everything was standard, from the stereo and interior to the body and wheels. Even the motor had a boring stock sound.” The time had come to finally fulfill the dream. He started shopping Corvette catalogs for parts that would shape the car more to his personality and he joined the Space Coast Vettes club. It was a great collection of serious car guys who matched his enthusiasm for customizing and participating in the show scene.

Kevin smiles when he says a careful plan would have probably saved more than a few dollars, but impulse buys result in instant gratification. One of his early goals was adding color and texture, intrigued with the contrast of black against red as well as mixing chrome and carbon fiber. However, it was the father and son connection that began the transformation in earnest. Son Jimmy was about 13 when he and Kevin caught a screening of the Transformers film. After the show, an excited Jimmy said, “Dad, we need to add these doors to our Corvette!” Kevin smiled, thinking that would never happen, but a couple of months later the owner of High Class Motorsports in Melbourne called saying he had the first set of ZLR doors in the area and asked if Kevin would like to add them to his car. Since ideas sound better once they’ve had time to germinate, Kevin immediately made arrangements to have them installed. He followed up a couple of years later, having XTC in St. Petersburg refine them even further with Vertical Door’s Lambo-style doors that go out as well as up.

In fact, the new doors not only opened up the car, they also opened a floodgate of changes. XK Glow lighting was added throughout the car, inside and out, along with a front splitter, rear spoiler and diffuser, as well as side skirts. An American Car Craft Blakk Stealth mesh grille, along with parking and brake light covers, add a sinister touch. Torch Red calipers peer out from the new chrome five-spoke 18- and 19-inch Gumby-style wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport run-flats (265/35ZR18 front and 285/35ZR19 rear). The insides of the rims were painted to match the calipers. Kevin discovered carbon-fiber Hydrodip and examples were added everywhere. Detailing began in the engine compartment with a colorful underhood liner along with a dozen more paint and carbon-fiber upgrades. While the big V-8 produced plenty of power in stock form, it got enhanced looks and a big gulp thanks to the dual-cone air intake dressed in carbon fiber. The new set of Borla mufflers finally created the sought-after performance rumble.

Moving inside, Max at Treadwells Upholstery in Melbourne stitched the black with cashmere leather inserts seats with Kevin returning to High Class Motorsports for a sophisticated new stereo sound system. The elaborate package begins with a Pioneer in-dash double DIN, full-featured Bluetooth receiver and 6.1-inch LCD touchscreen controlling four ARC Audio component sets along with a Sub Thump enclosure for the two 8-inch ARC subs. A hidden ARC amp provides 850 watts of power for concert-level sound.

The list of special touches on Kevin’s Corvette filled more than a page on his tech sheet and continues to grow on a regular basis. The goal is to have a Corvette like no other, and with each upgrade his personalized Corvette becomes even more satisfying, clearly with no end in sight. That’s what happens when the seed is planted early. Vette

The post 2006 Corvette With Lambo-Style Doors appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

American muscle mixes with euro supercars in one epic Middle East car adventure!

When Hot Rod was invited to Saudi Arabia for the Global Auto Salon in Riyadh we really didn’t know what to make of it. After all, when you think car culture, Saudi Arabia doesn’t pop to the front of your grey matter. Sure, you picture an oil-rich sheik rocking a Bentley, but you certainly don’t figure American muscle cars into the equation.

Well, things are a changing, along with other reforms it seems that the Kingdom wants to open its society to all sorts of automotive goodness. Before now you could own a classic 30+ year old car, but it was illegal to drive it on the street, so it could be here, in your garage. What fun is that? So to kick off this new way of thinking the government decided to throw a SEMA-like event and invite cars to come nearly halfway around the planet to the capital. They also worked to convince aftermarket parts companies that there’s a cash-backed appetite here for modified cars.

The result is a massive event that was put together in only 3-4 months. A logistical challenge that we can only imagine was more than challenging. For the companies that wanted to come incentives were offered and parts palletized. For the cars there was a catch. Nearly all the cars that came over had to be put up in one of the auctions. One was a live auction and the other more of a silent type. The seller could put any price on their car and if it sold the sellers got a cut and the owners got the rest minus a few fees. If the car didn’t sell for the reserve the show would ship the car back home at no charge to the owner. Seemed like solid deal so hundreds of car owners took the leap of faith and shipped their American muscle cars to Saudi Arabia. As a bonus, any car bought at the event would get an exemption to drive on the street, which is a pretty good incentive for Saudi buyers. Now, don’t get us wrong, we went to Cars and Coffee Riyadh and there were a bunch of vintage American cars and trucks there, but they operate in a grey area where they get driven on the street and hope the police just let it slide. With the new changes coming to Saudi Arabian laws they might be able to finally register their cars for legal highway use. It would seem that it’s the direction the Kingdom is headed and we fully support it.

The Saudis we met were complete gearheads and if a common love of petrol fed performance helps bridge the other cultural differences then it’s certainly worth a shot. Of course where there’s cash flowing, cars other than American muscle were going over the auction block. The VIP area had some of the rarest super- and hyper-cars we’ve ever heard of and in some cases had never heard of. Ferraris of every model sat beside numerous Bugatti Veyrons and the supercar list just went on. Want to own Senna’s F1 car? Well, if you had the cash no problem. A pink Caddy owned by Elvis? Yep, it was here. The classics mixed with the modern iron (or carbon in many cases) made for one of the most diverse and expensive collections of automotive art we’ve ever walked though.

Time will tell how this all works out, but we can certainly see the automotive appetite of the population here is pretty big, so instead of that sheik driving a Bentley you just might catch him rocking a pro-touring first-gen Camaro!

The post Muscle, Classics, Exotics, OH MY! Insane cars go on sale in Saudi Arabia appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Shockingly Good for a C3

Revolutionize your ride with a simple coilover and shock upgrade from Aldan American

Corvettes have a reputation—at least in the domestic market—for their impressive handling capabilities. They regularly outperform cars well above their pay grade and thus offer huge bang for the buck. That is especially true today with the brand-new mid-engine Corvette and was pretty true for each generation of Corvette in in its day. A funny thing happens though, the new models keep getting better and the old models stay the same. So what do you do when you’ve got an older Corvette that just doesn’t keep up with the new stuff? You modify it, of course!

Our specimen for today is a 1980 Corvette owned by Oliver Walton. His C3 Corvette is almost completely stock and has seen better days, so Walton has been in the process of breathing new life back into it. It’s a solid driver, but the outdated shocks and sagging front springs were certainly a weak point that needed addressing. This is where our friends at Aldan American come in. They offer a wide variety of shocks and coilover systems and are constantly coming out with more and more applications. One of their latest developments is for the C3 generation of Corvettes and work with model years 1968 through 1982. Included in the kit is a complete front coilover shock conversion and upgraded rear shocks. Their shocks come standard with compression adjustment for the front and rebound adjustment in the rear.

To install the kit on Walton’s ’80 Corvette, we headed over to Powerhaus in Torrance, California, where we met up with the guys from Aldan American. We were lucky enough to borrow a lift at Powerhaus, but this job could be done in your driveway with a basic floor jack, jack stands and hand tools. It was a relatively pain-free install process that, with a little mechanical knowledge, could easily be a Saturday project.

Whether you are trying to bring your C3 Corvette back to life with some upgraded road manners or you’re building a weekend track car, a set of Aldans are a great option to look into. Keep reading to see the whole install process from start to finish. Vette

The post Coilover and Shock Upgrade for C3 Corvettes appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

Some moments you never forget. Seeing my bride walk down the aisle toward me at our wedding. Driving my first car home. And now, in a somewhat distant but still significant third place: my initial glimpse of the new, industry-changing Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup in a clandestine September meeting at the automaker’s Los Angeles design headquarters.

Few outsiders have ever been inside the top-secret Tesla Design Studio, which is nestled away next to the sprawling SpaceX factory, a Falcon 9 rocket, and a scale replica of Elon Musk’s Hyperloop in a corner of the Hawthorne Airport. Elon and his right-hand man, chief designer Franz von Holzhausen, invited us to be the first journalists, and first outsiders, to see the automaker’s most hotly anticipated debut since the Model 3: the Tesla pickup truck.

Leading up to the truck’s public unveiling, MotorTrend went behind the scenes with the Tesla team, provided feedback, and watched the Cybertruck go from a life-size clay model to a (literally) bulletproof working prototype.

First Contact: 8 weeks ‘til debut

As we approach the studio, Franz scans his key card and holds open the door as Elon leads us into the repurposed airfield hangar, where the first, radical Northrop flying wings took shape. Now serving a much different purpose, the well-lit design studio nonetheless houses an equally revolutionary machine today.

Like a Zumwalt Class Destroyer meets leftover Blade Runner prop, Tesla’s truck looks like none the world has ever seen before.

Its design is deceptively simple. Its profile is diamondlike, with five simple lines. Its nose is wedge-shaped, its sheetmetal quickly merging with a single massive pane of windshield glass—“bulletproof,” Elon says—that peaks above the driver’s head. Just as quickly as that line rises, it drops back down, with the truck’s sail panels (which will include built-in storage in the production version) and garage/tambour door–style roll-up tonneau cover completing its faceted physique.

The head-on view of Tesla’s electric pickup is equally arresting; a cyclopean single LED flows across the nose to join the fender flares, while a second, off-road-oriented lightbar lives at the top of the windshield. Its polished, stainless-steel sheetmetal has a few creases to define the tumblehome, as well as subtle curves as the truck stretches 230 inches rearward—roughly the length of a conventional Ford F-150 crew cab short bed.

Draped in 3mm-thick unpainted stainless steel, the truck features four doors, a small frunk, and a 6.5-foot bed with accessory rails and four tie-downs. Notably, the bed has no wheel well intrusion despite a 57.0-inch overall width and accommodating 35-inch off-road tires. There is a Honda Ridgeline–like trunk cut into the bed floor. The Cybertruck’s wheelbase stretches 149.9 inches, and its steel skin is bulletproof to 9mm rounds. (Really.) If you want a color besides the polished silver of stainless steel, the Cybertruck can be vinyl-wrapped—which lowers environmental impact and costs of a paint shop.

“What do you think?” Elon asks. A collective, stunned, “Wow,” is about all we can muster. All the renderings by the automotive chattering classes? So, so wrong.

Back for more: 2 weeks to go

A month later we had a chance to go back and check in on Tesla’s progress on the Cybertruck. The life-size clay model we’d seen before had—quite shockingly—been joined by a half-finished Cybertruck running prototype. With Black Sabbath and Tool blaring from an unseen stereo, the workshop was frenzied with activity. It was midafternoon Friday; Elon wanted Tesla’s EV pickup assembled and driving through the SpaceX factory by Sunday. The reveal was two weeks away.

What would be running was turning out to be quite interesting: A motor at each axle, Tesla’s new Raven permanent-magnet drive units, to be precise. Up front sat a Model 3 Performance’s rear motor; in back, a well-protected Model S Performance’s rear motor.

Tesla doesn’t publish horsepower figures anymore, but we estimate up to 690 hp and 824 lb-ft of torque combined from the twin motors in the Raven powertrain. The future three-motor Plaid powertrain will certainly find its way into the Cybertruck, and it could put out an estimated 800 hp and 1000 lb-ft of torque. Like all Teslas, the Cybertruck’s motors are backed by a one-speed automatic. Feeding the motors is Tesla’s “latest” battery technology, of which the company has shared little. The standard battery pack is mounted underneath the cab, just forward of the roll-up tonneau cover’s storage compartment (beneath the pickup bed floor), and offers about 250 miles of claimed range. A new, double-stacked battery will give the Cybertruck up to 300 miles of range, Tesla says, and a tri-motor model is said to have a range of up to 500 miles. A base single-rear motor Cybertruck will have up to 250 miles of range. Construction of the prototype is “unibody-on-frame” in the same vein as the new Land Rover Defender, but the production Cybertruck will be pure unibody.

Based on Elon’s experiences growing up with 4x4s in South Africa, great pains were made to keep the Cybertruck’s belly flat, its motors and suspension tucked up and away from the pickup’s armored underbelly, to improve its off-road performance.

Although most off-roaders and pickup owners would sneer at an air suspension, Tesla opted for a significantly beefed up version of the Model X’s air setup with upper and lower A-arms at all four corners. Air suspensions typically offer lots of ground clearance but little meaningful travel, but based on nothing more than watching the Cybertruck get lowered from its lift to the ground, that shouldn’t be an issue with this truck. The amount of travel was, frankly, insane—hinting that Tesla might be targeting the Ford F-150 Raptor’s desert-running credentials.

The air suspension has further benefits, too. Aside from the obvious ride quality and on-road performance implications, it’ll give the Cybertruck multiple ride heights, load-leveling (both fore and aft and side to side), and, most interesting, a mode that dips the truck’s rear end and tailgate to the ground, allowing a motorcycle or ATV to easily roll up into the bed via built-in pull-out ramps.

Projected towing and payload capacities are all preliminary, but Tesla’s early estimates should get the attention of even the most brand-loyal pickup owner. With a single motor, maximum tow capacity will be about 7,500 pounds and payload about 3,500 pounds. Mid-level dual-motor Cybertrucks can carry 3,500 pounds in the bed and tow 10,000 pounds. Cybertrucks with the larger, stacked battery and three-motors should be able to tow about 14,000 pounds and haul 3,500 pounds. Notably, both of those figures beat the aluminum-bodied F-150’s current maximums of 13,200 and 2,309 pounds.

Cybertruck’s interior was still taking shape during both of our visits, but it’ll no doubt be the most familiar to current Tesla owners—and controversial to truck owners. The six-seat cabin features a single, Model 3–style center screen, through which most of the Cybertruck’s features and functions are accessed.

Both rows of seats are surprisingly roomy, with the fronts offering a generous headroom thanks to the peaked roof. Visibility will no doubt be a challenge, as the hood and fenders are largely unseen from the driver’s seat (though this is addressed with a nose-mounted camera). The bed’s sail panels and roll-up tonneau also compromise rearward visibility. Tesla says this will also be addressed with a camera, but reversing with a trailer could nevertheless be challenging.

How Much Will the Tesla Cybertruck Cost?

Tesla says the Cybertruck will start at $39,900 for a single-motor RWD model, while a dual-motor AWD model is $49,900 (coincidentally, the average pickup transaction price) whenever it goes into production. If the 250-mile-range base model and 300-mile dual-motor model aren’t enough, consider the tri-motor AWD for $69,900. That top-of-the-line Tesla truck has an estimated range of over 500 miles. Tesla production cycles are notoriously difficult to pinpoint—the Tesla Roadster was supposed to go on sale by 2020—but given the pace of the Cybertruck’s development and its light manufacturing footprint, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it reach production before that sports car. After all, as one of the Cybertruck’s engineers whispered to me, “Like Elon says, ‘It only takes nine months to make a baby.’”

More on the Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup:

• Tesla Cybertruck Revealed! Photos + Details on the Wild New Electric Pickup
• Is the Tesla Cybertruck *Really* Bulletproof?
• Can the Tesla Cybertruck Go Off-Roading?
• How the Tesla Cybertruck Shatters the Engineering and Manufacturing Paradigms
• Tesla Cybertruck Could Hit 1,000 Lb-Ft of Torque With Plaid Power

The post Tesla Cybertruck Revealed! Photos + Details on the Wild New Electric Pickup appeared first on Hot Rod Network.