Get in Your Garage – November 2020
Goodguys members welcome the chance to get in their garages and do some wrenching, welding, tuning, detailing, or even some good ’ol bench racing. Our garages have been ideal places of refuge during a year of social distancing and postponed or canceled events. When times are stressful, uncertain, or just plain slow, there’s nothing like a little garage therapy to help get you through.
Month after month this year, you have wowed us with the garage and project photos you’ve shared. Goodguys members are working on some incredible rides – making progress on ongoing creations and refining the finished ones. It’s impressive to see the do-it-yourself spirit alive and well in our old car community! Thanks to your ongoing interest and participation in the Get in Your Garage concept, we’ve got another great lineup to share.
We’ve found that this Get in Your Garage series is not only information, it’s inspirational. Seeing other enthusiasts getting things done can be just the incentive a rodder might need to tackle a few projects of his own. So, let’s keep this going! If you have photos to share of your garage or your project, email them to us at [email protected]. Remember to use Get in Your Garage as the subject line and be sure to give us a little bit of info about your project so we can tell other Goodguys members about the cool stuff you’re working on.
“Here are a few photos of my garage, which is home to my ‘32 Roadster, a 1965 Miller V-Drive boat, and my ‘29 Model A roadster project for Bonneville,” says Brian Basquez of Sacramento, California. We have to admit we’re envious of his tidy space. Wood floors and area rugs in a garage? Nice!
“The ’29 is a Speedway Motors Stage 2 Chassis that I have been mocking-up in my garage,” Brian says. “Parts include a Pete & Jake’s I-beam axle, So-Cal Speed Shop front shocks, Wheel Vintiques Kidney Beans, M&H Front Runners, and QA1 rear coil-overs.
“The ‘32 Roadster is a Brizio Built Hot Rod with a Smeding Performance 383 stroker, Duvall windshield, and ET Wheels,” Brian continues. “The ’32 has a top speed of 152mph at the Bonneville International Speedway. In 2008, the ’32 was a Finalist for Hot Rod of the Year and also won the Street Rod Shootout at the 2010 Nostalgia Nationals. The ’65 V-drive wood-deck boat has a matching trailer, a 454c.i. big block Chevy, and Moon accessories.”
Bruce Teague sent us before, during, and after photos of his ’39 Chevy Master Deluxe sedan. “The car was built over six years, mostly in my home garage,” Bruce says. “This is the fourth summer we have had the car on the road and have logged over 17,000 miles through several states so far.”
A Fatman chassis with four-wheel disc brakes helps the Chevy soak up road miles, with power coming from a tried-and-true 350c.i. small block backed by a 700R4 transmission. Beautiful maroon paint covers the body, while the two-tone tan upholstery is augmented by maroon accents and a birdseye maple dash insert. Air conditioning and cruise control are just a few of the creature comforts aiding in the car’s road trip ability.
“Can’t have enough projects during the pandemic,” says Craig Cooley, who’s keeping busy in his Colorado shop with a collection of ’50s and ’60s Ford projects. The red ’61 Starliner is a project for one of Craig’s friends in Tennessee, and there’s also a ’57 Mercury, ’56 Ford truck, and ’63 Ford 300 sedan in the works. Looks like plenty to keep Craig busy for months to come!
“I’ve always wanted a ’57 Ford with a blower sticking out of the hood and I finally have one,” says Douglas Hodges. He has built this ’57 Skyliner from the ground up and the finished car is sure to shake the ground thanks to a 460c.i. Ford big block with an 8-71 blower, fuel injection, and a C6 transmission with a Gear Vendors overdrive unit. Big 13-inch Wilwood front disc brakes will help bring the car back down from speed. Other enhancements to the car include RideTech Shockwaves, Painless wiring, Vintage Air, and Dakota Digital gauges. This classic is sure to look – and sound – wild when Douglas gets it on the street!
“Love my F100s!” says Lyn VanMeter, who is retired from Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant. Lyn’s personal project is this ’64 F100, which has been upgraded with a 2005 Crown Victoria front suspension and a 351 Windsor backed by an AOD. With slick black paint on a body that’s nicely lowered over five-spoke wheels, it’s a great example of classic F100 style.
Vern Hupp’s ’66 GTO project is nearing the end of a very long rebuild process. After nearly four years of his “five-year” plan, Vern says it’s starting to come together fast.
“It sat set in a field for over 20 years with the windows shot out,” Vern says. “My boss bought it and started; he got screwed by the builder and took it back. It was blown apart and many parts missing when I decided to go for it. I have a soft spot for GTOs; I had to save it.”
Vern says the 400c.i. engine came out of a ’67 GTO and has a March Performance serpentine accessory drive system and a Muncie four-speed transmission, with chassis upgrades including rack-and-pinion steering and coil-over shocks.
“It is all new metal from top to bottom,” Vern says, finished with brilliant ruby red tri-coat paint. Additional details are being handled by Karl Kustoms in Des Moines, and Vern says he hopes to have the GTO at the Heartland Nationals next summer. “It is my dream car come to life,” Vern says. “I have replaced every part, nuts and bolts on this ’66. My DNA (with my blood – LOL) is on it to its core.”
“My garage houses two cars,” says Len Beal, “my ’62 Corvette and my wife of 52 years has a ’79 VW Beetle convertible we purchased last October. Amazing, both colors are original colors and seem to match.
“My garage has all the normal tools, plus a MIG welder and my last Christmas present was a plasma cutter,” Len continues. “The gas pump I restored about 17 years ago. We have been the all over the country with the ’62 including West Coast Nationals and Hot Rod Week, Hot August Nights in Reno, Monterey and the drive down to Big Sur. I do all my own work, so I installed A/C on the ’62 plus disc brakes and electric fan.”
The VW has been treated to a new gas tank and new Empi eight-spoke wheels and some updated wiring. Len’s do-it-yourself spirit goes way back, as his father had a Flying A gas station in Southern California in the ’50s and ’60s, leading Len to open Flying B Hot Rods when he retired. The ’Vette and VW combo seems like a natural extension of that heritage.
“The ‘32 Ford roadster, known before as the Crafty b, became a love story when I surprised my wife with it on ‘Bitchin Rides,’ says Jonathan Drabek. While some work was completed by the Kindig-It team, Jonathan tells us the car is now being reimagined in a number of different ways. “Hope to debut the ‘Bitchin Bomber’ at the 2021 Goodguys Spring Lone Star Nationals at Texas Motor Speedway,” Jonathan tells us. “Here are some pics of it in fab, body and paint.”
“With a 20-year build, you take a lot of pictures,” says Barry Flemming of all the images he sent us of his ’35 Chevy four-door sedan. Barry tells us the original car was found in Oklahoma City and shipped to his home in Phoenix, where he performed a complete frame-off rebuild with lots of help from friends. They boxed the frame, did the bodywork and paint, and installed new wiring and a 385hp small-block engine backed by a 700R4 overdrive automatic.
Barry hand carved the dash and overhead console from mahogany, as well as the running board inserts. The Chevy has actually been on the road for more than three years now and has traveled 60,000 miles. “If Covid is ever under control, I plan on getting back on the road creating GREAT MEMORIES!” Barry says.
