Brandon Flaner, founder of East Bay Speed and Custom, didn’t have an average childhood. Instead, he had colorful upbringing steeped in hot rod history. Comic books, endless baseball and soccer games, and cartoons weren’t really on the menu. He was literally thumbing through the pictures
Vintage Color Studio founder and boss man Darryl Hollenbeck had zero choice when it came to his path in life. Born in 1965 to Bay Area custom car enthusiasts Carol and Dale Hollenbeck, he is a 3rd generation painter and customizer. His grandfather Lester painted
As car junkies, when we think Woodstock, it’s not the music festival – it’s Schwartz Performance. We envision slick looking muscle cars that turn on a dime and haul ass – a Schwartz Performance hallmark. Woodstock, Illinois is located about an hour northwest of Chicago and
Like so many rodders, Bobby Walden, founder of Walden Speed Shop, got bit by the bug while watching the 1973 Made-for-TV movie “The California Kid”. The B-movie starred Martin Sheen but the draw for Walden was Pete Chapouris’ black ‘n’ flamed ’34 3-window. The coupe
The World of Speed Museum is Portland, Oregon’s motorsport mecca. Portland is known for many things — progressive politics, bike commuters, a brew pub/pot shop/coffee house on every corner, hipster overload, and of course, the TV series Portlandia, which mocked all of the above virtues
East Bay Muscle Cars was founded on Steve Keefer’s insatiable desire for fast cars. A veteran mechanic for BMW, he learned the fine art of blending horsepower with precision handling and balance – a hallmark of the beasts from Bavarian Motor Works. When it came
Sid Chavers is hot rodding’s signature stitch man. He has been sewing things for nearly 55 years, hot rod upholstery accounting for the last 42 of those. Just barely a teenager, his uncle taught him how to sew using an old Singer. Being industrious and
The Hot Rod Garage in Oklahoma has been doing things the right way for over 20 years now. “What better way to make a living than to do what you love with your family?” Those words spoken by Jason Smith of the Hot Rod Garage in
Steve Frisbie, founder of Steve's Auto Restorations in Portland, Oregon, is an unassuming sort. Quiet, serious, studious. With eyeglasses and a full-beard he projects the appearance of an academic, which, when you think about it, he is. But rather than mastering French Linguistics, he majors
Florida’s Velocity Restorations began in 2006 when Brandon Segers bought then restored his first Ford Bronco - a 1969 model. He had long admired these wall-climbing machines made famous in American pop culture way back when Ted Nugent was filling stadiums across America in the
