Modern Rodding is dedicated to early and late hot rodes - from Model Ts to GTOs and everything in-between. It features the latest in custom builds, technical articles, new products, and special features.
I’m recovering from four 10-hour days walking, standing, and talking with all sorts of hot rodders who strolled the aisles that were at the 74th Annual Grand National Roadster Show. As is the norm, the show produced plenty of cool hot rods and customs, both inside and outside the multiple buildings that make up the Pomona Fairplex. As is the norm, there was one exhibit that caught my attention. Cool car with cool memories. The “Cop Shop Coupe” is both a way-cool looking hot rod and also brings back memories of a former staffer I worked with for years: Tony Kelly and his monthly “Cop Shop” column. Kelly was a retired police officer who began making extra folding money (not much) writing a monthly piece, “Cop Shop.” Turns out the…
At the 2023 SEMA Show, Holley was awarded a SEMA “Best New Product” in the Engineered New Product category. Featuring cutting-edge LiDAR technology to precisely measure fuel level, Holley’s Easy Level Fuel Level Sender presents a new way to solve an old problem within the fuel sender market with its unprecedented accuracy and ease of installation. The product uses laser technology and a long-life sensor to quickly read fuel levels with zero contact. It requires no moving parts and is compatible with most fuel tanks and electronic fuel gauges. For more information on the Holley Easy Level Fuel Sender visit https://www.holley.com/products/gauges_and_gauge_accessories/gauge_accessories_ and_harnesses/parts/19-250. Ringbrothers unveiled its latest custom creation, “TUSK,” an unbelievable example of the iconic ’69 Dodge Charger. Engineered and fabricated from the ground up at Ringbrothers, TUSK features the…
1. SCISSOR HINGES These compact scissor hinges are machined from 6061 T6 billet aluminum with stainless steel hardware and nylon bushings for smooth articulation. Available in a machined finish, a polished billet aluminum finish, or in a solid black anodized finish, they are 7 inches when completely open and are 3-1/2x3-1/2 inches in the closed position. Universal billet aluminum scissor hinges are typically used to open panels or compartment doors. Sold in pairs. For more info, check out All American Billet by calling (623) 580-7214 or visit allamericanbillet.com. 2. HIGH-DEFINITION COLOR SHIFTING House of Kolor released a dramatic color-shifting technology that creates an instantaneous, hard-hitting shift in color without a gray area or mottling in between colors. Kameleon FX packs, which are part of the Shimrin2 paint system, contain pearls…
There is a story behind every hot rod, and many times there’s more than one. Don Granata of Ventura, California, has spent a lifetime with the ocean as his life’s backdrop. Living next to the ocean has led to him enjoying surfing and being a collector of vintage surfboards. At age 5 Don took an interest in beach movies and surfing. Mike Granata, his cousin, took 7-year-old Don to the 1965 Grand National Roadster Show. Next up were model cars and a budding interest in hot rods. Given these life topics, it should come as no surprise that his ’29 Ford highboy roadster plays an important role. The copper-colored Model A is an excellent example of an early ’60s-era hot rod. Based on the original Model A sheetmetal and frame…
Let’s take a step back to a time when the ’57 Ford Del Rio station wagon shown here rolled off the end of the assembly line. Because it was 1 of 46,105 examples of a Deluxe two-door Ranch Wagon with Fairlane trim that was built that year, it had a base price of around $2,500. To put things in perspective, the average family income that year was $5,000 and the average price for a home was $12,220. We can only imagine how happy the beautiful, new, shiny station wagon made its original owners. But eventually, the Ford’s useful life was over; the stylish yet practical family hauler lost its luster, eventually becoming what most people considered to be just another old used car. And like most old cars of its…
https://youtu.be/18qiT1rAHQ4 Each year, February is the time to visit the Pomona Fairplex in SoCal for the annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) Presented by Meguiar’s. The 74th annual show this year gave hot rodders all they could wish for, with 450 cars under the roof competing for such awards as the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) trophy and the Al Slonaker Memorial Award, along with many other prizes and awards. The show focuses on these two significant awards representing the pinnacle of building within our hobby, but there is much more to the tune of 500 individual awards. Both major winners received smaller versions of the perpetual trophies with their names engraved. The iconic 9-foot AMBR trophy has been around since 1950, and the Slonaker Award, which…
