Table of contents for Volume 5, Issue 51 - December 2024 in Modern Rodding

The bustling atmosphere of the Pomona Fairplex echoed with excitement as car enthusiasts gathered for the 74th Annual Grand National Roadster Show. Vibrant colors and polished chrome, but one build caught everyone’s eye—a stunning, striking masterpiece that drew a crowd around it like moths to a flame. But it didn’t stop there as this 1932 Ford highboy roadster, owned by MeKenzie Murphy, went onto the 2nd Annual Triple Crown of Rodding, capturing the Best Street Rod and a stunning array of other awards. Standing beside the gleaming machine, I realized I once stood alongside it during the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) judging. Now I find myself staring from radiator to trunk while it’s being judged for the Triple Crown of Rodding—a car that’s turning quite a few heads! To…

The 1936 Ford three-window coupe is a good-looking car, but it has often been pushed aside just a bit and is thought of as a “sleeper.” The 1936 Ford coupe, Model 48, was an update beginning in 1935 over the previous 1933-1934 (Model 40). It was caught in-between two styling changes, starting in 1935, and then once again in 1937. While it does make a great-looking custom, the stock-appearing body makes for a good-looking street rod. After seeing Hans Geerke’s effort under the capable hands of Roy Brizio and his crew at Roy Brizio Street Rods, rodders might begin looking more closely at this year as a great hot rod potential. The 1936 three-window coupe pictured here features a great deal of stock sheetmetal as the bulk of the body…

Every builder in the customizing business has a knack. Whether they’re known or unknown, they’ll add their unique touch to set a car apart from the crowd. Somewhere along the way, identifiable styling cues will give away whose hand touched it. In the example of Harold’s Hot Rod Shop, based in Enid, Oklahoma, all one must do is lift the hood and look for a shaved firewall where ordinarily a bulky factory air conditioner would be. For components like brakes, frames, or powertrain options, Harold’s Hot Rod Shop looks to a few select suppliers, but when it comes to air conditioning, Harold’s singular choice is always Vintage Air. To equip a custom-installed air conditioning system, Harold’s begins at the engine with a Vintage Air Front Runner serpentine belt accessory drive.…

I remember the first time I encountered the name Dean Jeffries. It was on the glossy pages of car magazines, especially the revered Rod & Custom. At the time, I was just a kid with a heart full of dreams, captivated by the world of custom cars. Then, there was the “Mantaray,” a creation that seemed to leap right off these glossy pages and into my imagination. I recall how the Mantaray became a holy grail among us young enthusiasts during my slot car days. Ah, those were the days of wooden carrying boxes filled with chassis and speed-calculated gear combinations, each piece an essential part of the “kool” aura you needed to carry onto the neighborhood racetrack. The Mantaray’s debut at the 1963 Grand National Roadster Show was monumental.…

World’s Most Beautiful Truck Another great weekend in SoCal in Pomona, California, as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show rolled into town for its second year, showcasing the West Coast’s most stunning collection of trucks, vans, and SUVs. The Fairplex excitedly welcomed over 400 vehicles of every shape and size. One vehicle stood out among the rows of gleaming chrome and vibrant paintjobs: Ed Ganzinotti’s stunning, dazzling 1956 Ford F-100 pickup. Classic Car Studio accomplished the faultlessness build. Initially started by the late “Fat Jack” Robinson, who had a vision for the build, the project saw its completion after his death in 2020. With its iconic stance, custom wood bed floor, and impressive Jon Kaase Boss Nine 540ci V-8 engine, Ganzinotti was not surprised to be awarded the…

Two of the most recognizable names on the contemporary hot rod scene are Mike Finnegan, host of Finnegan’s Garage and co-host of the Road Kill television series, and “Blasphemi,” his supercharged Hemi-powered 1955 Chevrolet gasser. Recently, Finnegan became involved with another well-known name, Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs, when he decided to convert his Chevy from a straight axle to an independent front suspension. Of course, there were those who were quick to criticize the decision to remove the straight axle from a traditional gasser, but there were a number of reasons for making this suspension swap. Blasphemi was known for pulling amazing wheelies, but when the Chevy did come back to the earth, the suspension would compress enough that a variety of frontend components would hit the Hemi’s oil pan…

The 1959 Impala built by BBT Fabrications is exceptional in many ways. Some of the most sensitive work was perfecting the fit and finish of the car’s dozens of pieces of stainless trim. If you have ever worked with stainless trim, you can appreciate the difficulty of this task. Most trim is only about 0.025-inch thick, and thin stainless distorts a lot when it’s heated. The work done on the trim is a real testament to the crew’s talent at BBT, and we all can learn something from examining the steps they took to perfect the trim on this car. A decision was made to angle the joint at the rear of the doors to help mask the gap. The door trim needed to be extended, and an extra piece…

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle is one of the most popular, made from 1964-1977. In 1970, the sheetmetal revisions produced a car with more of a “Coke” body style along with redesigned interiors. (It should be noted that the 1970 Chevelle and Buick Skylark share the same roofline.) Zach Hightower of Texas wanted to keep this inspired muscle car appearance, and he did. Ryno Lieberman of Rynobuilt Rod and Custom added a 900hp V-8 from a Don Hardy–built Dart 427 supercharged aluminum V-8 resting within a Roadster Shop road-hugging chassis. The original 1970 Chevelle with its SS trim package, 396, 427, or, the ultimate, 454 badging, made a statement on the street. To this, the front grille was another distinctive, in-your-face presentation with its badging. The body design featuring angular lines…

1. COMFY CORNER The new 1978-1980 Dash Pad with Center Speaker (PN L241195) was explicitly designed for the El Camino and Monte Carlo. RESTOPARTS takes pride in recreating these essential interior components with exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail, using original Madrid grains and textures just as General Motors did. Customers can choose from their professional vinyl-wrapped foam or solid urethane options, crafted with quality tooling and precise factory finishes. Enhance your classic car’s interior with this vital replacement. For more info, check out Original Parts Group by calling (800) 243-8355 or visit opgi.com. 2. TIMELESS ALLURE OF 1957 CHEVY GAUGES Intellitronix proudly announces the release of its 1957 Chevy Bel Air Direct Fit Analog Gauge Cluster (PN WL1102) in the stunning White Lightning Edition. Offering seven vibrant LED options—blue,…

While only in its second year, the Triple Crown of Rodding (TCR) presented by PPG Refinish event has proven it is made of the “right stuff.” The car and truck count (3,224) and spectator gate (over 20,000) doubled from last year, while the automotive exhibitor list jumped to 162 of the industry’s finest, an increase of 30 from last year. The “good vibe” was clearly in the air, and everyone breathed it in. The TCR consisted of various activities, such as judging, vendor/exhibitor booths, a Show and Shine, a Celebrity Meet and Greet, a Nitro Dragsters Exhibition, a Pinstriper Charity Auction, an awards presentation, and a concert. Oh, did we mention the weather? It was warm on Friday but couldn’t have been any better on Saturday. The Nashville Superspeedway was…

Heralded as “The Great One” in advertising brochures for 1969, Pontiac focused on separating its GTO from the heavy competition for muscle car supremacy by showcasing its wide-track performance and road-hugging capabilities. This was further personified by the proclamation of it being a “Master of Macadam” thanks to several engine and transmission options to let it dominate regardless of whether it was on the street, strip, or carving its way up a mountain pass. Coupled with the visual dynamics of a color-matched Endura front bumper, long flowing hood, curvaceous bodyline, and luxurious interior, it’s easy to see its charm. The 1969 model laid out across Modern Rodding pages, owned by Marc Grondahl of Rye, New Hampshire, showcases the latest performance upgrades and a fantastic story. There’s nothing quite like a…

Our project 1936 phaeton is making steady progress. Like most things in hot rodding, the dashboard project has taken on a life of its own. We could have installed gauges in the existing factory holes, but that would have been way too easy, or as one hot rod sage once told me, “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” So, the dashboard modification involved shortening the glovebox (Modern Rodding Aug. ’22), modifying the 1935 Ford hood trim, and, finally, building an entirely new center panel. We bought an N.O.S. 1947 Ford speedometer and clock at a swap meet. From there we hit speedwaymotors.com to order some traditional-style, black S-W gauges to go with our non-winged 1961 S-W tachometer. We had the clock converted to a 12V and serviced by The Clock…