We’ve all heard stories about rare muscle cars found in a barn, basement, or garage. Back in 1983, North Carolina resident Danny Caldwell found his 1969 Mercury Cyclone 428 CJ in a local salvage yard, thanks to a call from a friend who worked there. The
Hot rod folks and hybrid cars may seem like an unlikely union, unless it’s a half-truck, half-car like the Ford Ranchero. Mike Long’s 1957 Ranchero known as “Cool Ranch” is a fresh take on what Ford’s original hybrid truck might have looked like in the
Scotty Hooper and his wife Karen are fortunate to have a number of incredible cars to their name, but surprisingly, they were missing a 1957 Chevy pickup to round out their tri-five 3100 series collection. A couple years ago, Scotty finally found a suitable pickup
GM was tardy to the pony car bonanza that Ford started in 1964, but when the General finally showed up, it was fashionably late with the prettiest pony in the corral. The 1967 F-bodies were perfect from every angle, voluptuous yet rugged, tame enough for
After five decades in the paint-and-body shop trenches at a collision shop, you’d think Jerry Detweiler would want to relax when he retired a few years ago. But that was not the case. With a little extra time on his hands, the ’70 Ford F100
Steve Weaver is no stranger to Corvettes. Like many American guys of a certain age, he grew up enamored with America’s Sports Car. His fondness was further fueled by an uncle who collected and built Corvettes. Steve would watch and occasionally help his uncle work
Hot rodders have come to expect a lot from modern muscle machine builds. They want classic American sheet metal paired with updated ride, handling, braking, and comfort characteristics. And they want big power without compromises. That usually means a modern fuel-injected engine that generates impressive
Back in early 1986, Marine Corporal Dave Erdmann was standing in the Chevrolet dealer lot looking over a maroon ’86 Monte Carlo SS he just finished test driving. As he looked past the salesman and over the roof of the Monte, Dave noticed a light
(After talking to Jim Thomson, the owner of this restored 1968 Firebird, we thought it would be fun to let him explain the history and features of this Pontiac!) Back in high school in New Jersey in the ’70s, before I was old enough to drive,
Small projects (just a repaint and updated interior, please) frequently turn into full-blown rebuilds in the hot rod and old car world. Sometimes it’s a plan that grows and evolves. Often, though, the small-project prep work uncovers the need for a more significant change in
