Get in Your Garage – August 2020
Above – Did somebody say hot rod? We’re digging the look of Al Sandvig’s ’31 Model A roadster from Wisconsin! “I started two years ago with just a frame and a 1957 Corvette engine,” Al says. “I wanted this build to be a traditional hot rod that resembles a car built by a WWII veteran in the late-1940s that was originally Flathead powered but in the mid-1950s scored an engine from a wrecked 1957 Corvette. The body is from Brookville, frame JW Garage, 283c.i. SBC Corvette engine with correct WCFB dual fours, Turbo 350, and a Currie 9-inch rearend. Waiting on a windshield and interior then it’s fun, fun, fun this summer.”
There’s no time like garage time and hot rodders across the country have had plenty of it so far this year. With few events happening and many of us finding some spare time on our hands, it seems that many Goodguys members are channeling time and energy into hot rod and custom projects in their garages.
The weekly Get in Your Garage campaign from Goodguys strives to inspire these projects and keep them moving forward. We’re sending out inspirational videos and how-to advice, links to technical information, examples of cool project cars, great deals from our aftermarket partners, and other useful content that has hopefully sparked your desire to pick up some wrenches and get to work.
You’ve responded by continuing to share photos of your projects with us. You’ve got some incredible hot rods, muscle cars, customs, trucks, and other four-wheeled creations in the works! We’re excited to start seeing some of these projects in person in the coming months at a Goodguys event, but are happy to share them here now to celebrate your initiative – and to inspire others who might need encouragement to get out in the garage.
Dane Cabral sent photos of his ’47 Chevy coupe, which is getting closer to being able to attend a Goodguys event – perhaps the rescheduled All American Get-Together in Pleasanton, which is not far from his home in Hanford, California.
Bob Jamieson checked in from Colorado to say he’s really enjoying the Get in Your Garage series. “Here’s a photo from my shop and my ’67 El Camino getting ready for some suspension upgrades with new shocks and sway bars,” Bob says. “Looking forward to seeing you guys at the shows later this year!”
George and Mary Ann Gasparro say their ’82 Corvette has updated steering, brakes, plus a new gas tank and fuel pump. It shares space with the couple’s 2017 Camaro SS in their Mesquite, Nevada garage.
Jerry Kjensrud’s ’41 Dodge pickup has some serious metalwork – and attitude! “I have been working on this project for about six years now,” Jerry says, adding that it has a handmade bed and bed cover, custom front diffuser and rear wing, ’41 Cadillac headlights, and much more. Underneath, a triangulated rear suspension and RideTech make way for 275-series front and 305 rear tires. A 426c.i. wedge big block with dual FiTech throttle bodies and a Tremec five-speed should help it around the AutoCross track and allow it to live up to its nickname – “Jus’ Business.”
We’re digging what we can see of Roland Glenn’s ’47 Chevy convertible, which was getting rewired when he shot this photo to send to us.
Steve Cox was in the process of moving from Iowa to Texas when he sent us the photos of his ’56 Nomad. It’s updated with a CPP steering box, disc brakes, an IDIDIT tilt column, Weld wheels, and a 383c.i. stroker small block backed by a 2004R overdrive transmission. Painless wiring, AutoMeter gauges, and Vintage Air help round out the upgrades on this maroon-and-silver beauty. “Eight months into the project – less than a month away from going to the upholsterer,” Steve says.
It’s always cool to see before, during, and after shots like Todd Lombard shared of his ’54 F100. “It is a complete ground-up restoration that took 3.5-years to complete with over 2,000 hours invested,” Todd says. The truck sports a new Coyote crate engine with a 6R80 transmission, Baer brakes, a Mustang II-style IFS, four-link rear suspension, plus modern conveniences like A/C, power windows and locks, LED lights, and keyless entry. We’re hoping to see Todd and his Arizona-based F100 at the Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale later this year.
Walt Nowak shared a couple of cool projects with us, including his latest – a ’52 Hudson Wasp. “Suspension is all Detroit Speed with 1978 Camaro front components and a rear QuadraLink with a 9-inch Ford,” Walt says. Power will come from a 468c.i. big-block Chevy with a TorqStorm supercharger and Tremec Magnum six speed. “Car is now in the stage of final paint,” Walt says. “I am 70 years old and this project is a lot of work, but I think I am on the home stretch now.”
But wait, there’s more! Walt also shared photos of his Manta Mirage kit car project. “Bought kit at age 29, completed at age 69 with many changes to the original car,” Walt says. Those changes included an extensively modified frame using a Mustang II-style IFS and a Corvair-based rear suspension with home-built components patterned after the geometry of the Dick Guldestand Corvettes of that era. A mild small-block Chevy provides plenty of power for this exotic-looking machine, which Walt says is licensed and street legal in Pennsylvania.
Mark and Carol Pait have not just one, but two rare Rambler American two-door wagons! The chopped blue-and-silver ’61 has been to several Goodguys events – you might have seen it in coverage from the Kentucky Nationals – or in its online feature at FuelCurve.com. The red ’62 is their latest project and will keep a stock body with updated underpinnings designed for trouble-free road miles.
Found in Georgia, the ’62 is being built with the help of Steven Wyatt of Emergency Repair Inc. in Smithfield, Kentucky. It’s getting a four-link rear suspension, Fatman front suspension, coil-overs, disc brakes, and 17- and 18-inch Rocket wheels to make it road friendly. Power will come from a LS engine with a Brian Tooley cam, Holley injection, Hooker headers, and a 4L80E transmission. Mustang bucket seats, Vintage Air, and other amenities are planned to keep the inside comfortable.
“We are looking forward to sharing our new ’62 project with the car community when completed later this year,” Mark says. “We plan on parking our ’62 Rambler with our ’61 at upcoming events. We are truly enjoying building our new project as a very fun and rewarding journey and look forward to the destination!”
