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.
So, I find myself at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, working on the “Cup” project for a magazine article when I stumble across the original (#1) SO-CAL Speed Shop ’32 Ford highboy roadster. This is the two-tone red with white scallop paint scheme that was the original car Pete Chapouris built for the famous Southern California speed shop that he was so proud to be part of. To be exact, while I was in the press room writing up web stories on the Barrett-Jackson Cup, I get a phone call from Dean Livermore of Hot Rods by Dean. (The auction is in his backyard so every year he and I make sure to get a couple of days at the auction to see what’s happening.) There is no doubt…
Triple Crown of Rodding Big news on the Triple Crown of Rodding event, which is slated for September 8-9, 2023 (weekend after Labor Day) at Nashville Superspeedway. PPG is now the Presenting Sponsor for the Triple Crown of Rodding. LMC is now the Official Truck Parts Supplier of the Triple Crown of Rodding and will present the three awards set aside for the three Best Truck categories (Up to 1972, 1973-87, and 1988-98). The awards were originated by one of our very own hot rod designers Eric Brockmeyer. Gibson Brands, Inc. is supplying six very cool Gibson SG guitars that will be engraved with the 2023 Triple Crown of Rodding logo. One will be given to each of the six Triple Crown of Rodding winners! And what about that 2023…
1. RETROTECH FOR YOUR ’42-48 FORD Achieve a drop-in upgrade for your stock ’42-48 Ford car dash with Dakota Digital’s Retrotech package. The Dakota Digital RTX series focuses on retaining that stock look without sacrificing the late-model features you value. Dakota Digital has incorporated OEM design elements regarding the layout, face styling, and indicators into their latest offering. At first glance these gauges look like original equipment, but once you hit the switch and the LED backlighting comes on in your favorite color scheme all doubts will be removed. The CNC machined housings are filled with electronics designed and built in-house, helping Dakota Digital once again raise the bar for aftermarket instrumentation. The high-definition TFT message centers can be fully configured to display just about any piece of information needed.…
It’s been called the Golden Era of automotive design, and this is especially true in the eyes of hot rodders everywhere. The Tri-Five era, 1955-57, has achieved “favorable status” among hot rodders with the major Detroit OEMs. There can be no doubt about the Bowtie contribution, and what about the Buick and Olds of that era? But let’s not forget about Ford and their influence on the period, especially the ’56 Ford Crown Victoria. We are going to look at one amazing effort on behalf of SoCal hot rodder Joe Gregorio. His ’56 Ford Crown Vic built at Wheeler’s Speed Shop (Huntington Beach, California), under the care of owner Bryan Wheeler, is an amazing representation of what can be done with a Blue Oval from this period. Surprisingly the approach…
Work continues on Greg Heinrich’s outstanding ’35 Chevrolet coupe being built by Ironworks Speed & Kustom. This time we’ll focus on the extensive body modifications. The body is lengthened, chopped, wedge-sectioned, and all the fenders are extensively reworked to conform to the big ’n’ little wheels and tires. When doing extensive modifications, it’s important to know when to stop. If you chop a top too aggressively, the result is not likely to be well proportioned. Every element of a car’s body must work with the whole ensemble, so it’s a constant balancing act to keep everything flowing harmoniously. Rodger Lee and his crew at Ironworks have a long track record of getting it right. They did not use specific dimensions for most of the body modifications–they relied on moving each…
Donn Lowe started out hammering on metal at a young age in Connecticut in the ’60s. It was a mecca of customs and hot rods and there were plenty of Mercs and other makes that needed chopping. Donn quickly learned the best way to do that to where the final look was perfect. Down the road a bit he moved to Oregon to enlighten the rodders out there on the proper way to truly build beautiful customs and hot rods. Along the way he built a few of his own that ended up in some of the finest garages in the land. One of the customs he built for customer Doug Beattie, of Vancouver, Washington, was a ’40 Ford called the “Futurama Forty.” That gorgeous coupe garnered top awards at…
