Tabla de contenidos para Volume 6, Issue 55 - April 2025 en Modern Rodding

Not many guys drive their high school hot rod 38 years later. Jason Troilo, of Leesburg, Virginia, has owned this 1957 Chevy 150 since he was a kid. With help from his dad, he’s improved it over time to a very high level. Jason’s father, Joe, has been a hot rod builder for years. Joe’s 1932 Ford Sport Coupe made the rounds last year and was very well-received. Both cars are featured on the 2025 NSRA East Coast Nationals poster. Joe builds new cars frequently while Jason is happy to keep driving the car he’s had since he was 14. As a junior in high school, Jason was riding his BMX bike when he saw this 1957 Chevy under a carport. He told his dad about it. “We literally got…

In my conversation with Howard “Mike” Michels from Stockton, California, he shares a fascinating story about how his lifelong dream transformed into the 1932 Ford Tudor sedan you see before you. It all started back in those high school days. “As a freshman, filled with dreams, I purchased my first car: a 1949 Ford convertible, a 5-year-old beauty that set me back just $125. To afford that purchase, I saved every penny from my work on the farm driving tractors, irrigating fields, and dealing with the inevitable muck that comes with barn duties,” Mike says. Each dollar felt like a hard-fought victory, and he felt like he could conquer the world behind the wheel. While visiting a friend on a sunny afternoon, Mike stumbled upon another 1932 Tudor—a dark primer…

Bell Auto Upholstery is remarkable for a variety of reasons; they not only handle projects from high-end show cars but also daily drivers with the same level of care and quality. Started by Manny Hurtado Sr. and his three brothers, Bell Auto Upholstery has been in business for over 60 years. Today, Daniel Hurtado and his brother Manny Hurtado Jr. carry on the family tradition. Recently, our cub reporter, Brian Brennan, stopped by and found Daniel installing a headliner in a 1970 Chevy Nova. With his trusty box camera in hand, Brennan followed along, only occasionally getting in Daniel’s way. Typically, headliners are given their shape with metal bows inserted into channels sewn into the material with the edges secured with some sort of trim. In that regard, the Nova…

MeKenzie Murphy is a real auto enthusiast. When she decided to build a 1932 Ford highboy roadster, she turned to Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop in Gadsden, Alabama, to construct this unique ride. Alan Johnson has a long history of turning out traditional-style hot rods fitted with unique upgrades, and Murphy knew she could count on him to add his special touch when building the car of her dreams. While the hot pink color is unusual, it has helped to gather a lot of attention for the car, which won the 2024 Street Rod of the Year award at the Triple Crown of Rodding show in Nashville. It was also a Top 5 finalist for Street Rod of the Year with Goodguys and a finalist for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster…

Larry Olson from South Dakota knows hot rods inside and out, especially those made by Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop. He has a “barn” packed with these unique creations, each one more spectacular than the last. If you want your hot rods made from early “vintage tin,” then the 1933 Ford five-window coupe in front of you is exactly what you need. (He also has 1960s muscle cars, customs, and Corvettes to round out his collection of high-performance rides.) The highlight of this 1933 Ford five-window coupe is undoubtedly the V-8 tucked under the stock hood. It boasts a “427 Ford Tunnel Port side oiler,” which, as the name implies, is 427 ci of Ford big-block iron. The “side oiler” directs oil to the crank, followed by the cam and valvetrain,…

The 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback Shelby G.T. 350 may sound like a modern car, but it actually hails from six decades ago. Many of us recall the Shelby G.T. 350, perhaps not as a contemporary vehicle, but as a quintessential muscle car that many dream of having parked in their garage today. This month, we take a closer look at this vintage muscle car and its legacy. When it debuted, the sticker price for a 1965 Shelby G.T. 350 was $4,575. The “R” model featured alterations such as a modified front bumper, valance, rollbar, and 15x6 Cragar/Shelby alloy wheels, compared to the standard 15x5.5 wheels. The Shelby G.T. 350 was a “lightweight” at just 2,790 pounds, housing a 306hp 289 small-block Ford engine that could reach speeds of 140 mph.…

1. HOOD HINGES FOR 1968-70 DODGE CHARGERS Auto Metal Direct (AMD) has introduced new Trunk Lid Hinge Pivot Arms specifically designed for the 1968-70 Dodge Charger, catering to the needs of classic car restorers and enthusiasts. These precision-engineered components ensure smooth trunk operation while maintaining the Charger’s authentic look. Each pair is manufactured to replicate original specifications, ensuring a perfect fit and preserving the vehicle’s originality. Key features of the Trunk Lid Hinge Pivot Arms include exclusive compatibility with the 1968-70 Dodge Charger models, a factory-correct design for an accurate appearance, and durable construction from high-grade materials for reliable performance. The kit includes left- and right-hinge pivot arms, offering comprehensive support for the trunklid, and is designed for easy installation as a direct replacement for original parts. These products are…

It has become relatively common to rework the bumpers on high-end builds, usually tucking them in to fit closely against the body panels rather than hanging “out in the wind” like the original bumpers typically did. Old Anvil Speed Shop took a different approach with this 1962 Chevy Impala project. Not only did they want the bumpers to hug the body, but they also wanted to add air intakes in the front bumper and a diffuser at the rear. When considering the feasibility of these modifications, they found a host of issues with the original bumpers, which had waves and defects that would have been very challenging to straighten. After lots of deliberation, they hit on the idea of making the bumpers from scratch, from 0.090-inch aluminum sheet. There is…

There’s nothing finer than flicking on the lights in the shop and bringing a classic black-and-white movie to life on the screen while working on your hot rod. Its soundtrack echoing in the background helps transport you back to a simpler time when high-octane was king and factory V-8s ruled the streets with just the right amount of swagger. With his latest build, Jeff Norwell of Mildmay, Ontario, Canada, artfully blends a subtleness laced with attitude into the 1957 Ford Custom Tudor sedan laid out across our pages. With a nod to the classic Robert Mitchum film Thunder Road, it’s easy to see the hopped-up moonshiner influences built into the car’s presence. It’s especially evident when you peel away the layers, looking into what makes it so cool. In the…

When it comes to passenger comfort, one of the most significant additions that can be made to a modern hot rod is the installation of air conditioning—or, more precisely, a contemporary heat and cool climate-control system. Like most things, the more you know about these systems, the easier it will be to select one that is right for your application, install it, and maintain it properly. While there are aftermarket units that are air conditioning (A/C) only, true climate-control systems that include A/C, heat, and defrost are the most often installed. These systems can be divided into two types: those for universal applications and those designed for specific vehicles, such as Vintage Air’s SureFit series. But regardless of the type being installed, the same individual components are involved and they…