Table of contents for Volume 4, Issue 33 - June 2023 in Modern Rodding

There was a time when hot rods and race cars were built in home shops. Many older rodders remember these days as the “glory days” of rodding and racing. There will be doubters but this ’32 Ford highboy roadster, which took home the 2023 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster trophy, is, in a manner of speaking, a home shop–built hot rod. No matter how quickly you think you will be able to build your dream hot rod, the fact is it’s a lifetime in the making. There is no getting around the idea that Jack had the inspiration and put forth the effort to come up with the overall design. He then sacrificed countless days and nights to support the effort it took to build his ’32 Ford highboy roadster. Now,…

Tradition is sometimes hard to find, even when something has been around for 70 years but, since 1953, the Detroit Autorama has been able to deliver on its boast of being “America’s Greatest Hot Rod Show.” Through seven decades the Detroit show has demonstrated its perfect blend of tradition and contemporary, with a little sideshow mixed in for good measure. THE BASF GREAT 8 WINNERS Many facets of today’s Detroit Autorama are firmly entrenched in its long history. Celebrity autograph sessions used to feature TV’s Batman Adam West or well-known sports figures; this year’s show featured TV personality Dave Kindig, actor Henry Winkler, and hip-hop’s Falvor Flav. Thirty years ago, the Autorama debuted the Toy-A-Rama, where collectors and fans of model cars continue to meet and trade. More recent additions…

Pickup trucks in today’s world tend to be utilitarian most of the time. However, we have started treating our trucks with more and more attention. So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise about the ’37 Chevy pickup in front of us. And while the ’37 Chevy pickup belonging to Chris and Christin Hubble of Anchorage, Alaska, is “dressed to the nines” the fact is it’s a hot rod with plenty of Bowtie “Heartbeat.” It should be noted that Chris and A.J. Schwichtenberg, of GoodFellows Classic Cars out of Phoenix, got together and decided what the ’37 Chevy pickup needed to come to life. The ’37 Chevy had spent some 20 years locked up in a Conex shipping container before the two did some idea swapping. Chris and Schwichtenberg were talking,…

Some hot rods are more memorable than others. Some become part of rodding history and some go on to become iconic. Such is the case for the former Bob McGee ’32 Ford highboy roadster that gained monstrous fame as the Deuce to become the L.A. Roadsters logo. I’m thinking there aren’t many hot rodders who do not know of the profile of the red ’32 Ford highboy roadster on an oval white background with red and black trim and black lettering (Roadsters Los Angeles). This ’32 Ford highboy roadster has always been known as the “McGee Roadster,” regardless of the current owner. But we must say that car collector of all things cool Bruce Meyer, the current owner (until recently), has taken impeccable care of the once-in-a-lifetime hot rod. He…

ARP is getting into supporting the hot rod industry in a big way. ARP is known for sponsoring two of the most prestigious awards (AMBR and Slonaker) at the Grand National Roadster Show. Now ARP is sponsoring the ARP West Coast Challenge for a four-show series that includes the GNRS, Portland Roadster Show, Spokane Speed and Custom Show, and the Sacramento Autorama. Now there is more. ARP is now the presenting sponsor for the Triple Crown of Rodding for the Street Rod of the Year, Street Machine of the Year, and Street Cruiser of the Year. LMC is the presenting sponsoring for the three truck awards, earmarked for trucks built up to 1972, for those manufactured from 1973-87, and 1988-98. And if that isn’t eye-opening enough, how about the latest…

Jon Hall is the founder of Shadow Rods, a company that makes the XL27 body. This body has the basic shape of a ’27 Ford roadster but has been subtly enlarged to give more interior space and is tailored to fit perfectly on a ’32 Ford frame. Hall recently finished a personal roadster project that features some unique modifications. It was a very strong contender for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at how the perfectly proportioned roll pan was made for the rear of the body. The bottom edge of this body is completely flat, which provides a nice mounting surface for the roll pan. The center body pieces are bolted together…

Getting ready to go off to college is a big deal but having your father help you find and work on a black ’55 Chevy Delray coupe as your daily ride is even more memorable. Such was the case for Mike Stowe of Northern Michigan. Turns out the ’55 Chevy in question was powered by a 265-inch small-block Chevy backed by a Powerglide. Given that Mike’s dad was a car guy, the first order of business was to remove the emblems, lead-in the holes, and then lower the stance. Sounds like a great college course in “What Matters in Life.” Life continues and Mike, who is no stranger to hot rods and our industry, having been involved in the ownership of Classic Instruments in the early days, decided back in…

If you live in Nebraska, the name Kuck is synonymous with great cars. Kuck Motorsports houses a private collection of over 100 cars, ranging from vintage racers to classic hot rods, muscle cars, movie cars, and modern-day race cars. The late Gary Kuck was the driving force behind the original collection. Today, as a family, the Kucks, Sue and her son Scott, are both total gearheads, so it should come as no surprise that during a bench racing session talk turned to building a full-tube chassis muscle car, a street legal racer based on a ’71 Plymouth Barracuda. In the beginning the seafood recipe was kept simple. One ’71 Barracuda, blend well with a wrecked ’04 Viper, and spice things up with a heavy dose of horsepower through a ’70…

1. UPGRADE YOUR FALCON OR COMET Total Control Products now offers a g-Bar Canted-4-Bar Suspension that is designed specifically for the ’60-65 Ford Falcon and Mercury Comet models, providing improved performance and handling when compared to the original leaf spring suspension. With adjustable suspension geometry and the option to choose between coilover or air-spring shocks, this suspension upgrade offers enhanced control and stability on the road. The triangulated four-link design offers improved traction and handling. The suspension can also be used with either a leaf spring rearend housing or a fabricated Ford 9-inch housing. For more info, check out Total Control Products (800) 722-2269 or visit totalcontrolproducts.com. 2. A NEW STUD ON THE BLOCK ARP’s unique accessory studs with a rounded “nut starter” nose are specially designed studs for securing…

The “backstory,” the story behind almost any hot rod, is the one usually of utmost interest. You know, the story that’s behind the scenes and isn’t often told unless you really sit down and begin talking hot rod stuff. Such is the case for this ’53 Buick Special convertible, 1 of 6,701 that were originally built. Chris Carlson is no stranger to hot rods, owning his own shop, Chris Carlson Hot Rods in Mulvane, Kansas. As we said, it’s the backstory. So, let’s have Chris tell us in his own words what’s up. “The ’53 Buick Special convertible was two weeks from being completed when it was damaged in our shop fire. After a lengthy fight with the insurance company and the owner, the car became ours. It was a…

While quarter-mile elapsed times were once a hot rodder’s chief factor in assessing a car’s performance, today we expect a more well-rounded approach—we want them to go fast in a straight line, negotiate corners like they are on ’rails, and stop on the proverbial dime. While that sounds like a tall order for vintage Mopar aficionados, Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) now makes all that possible with their new suspension upgrade for ’66-70 Mopar B-body platforms. Known for their superior chassis and suspension components, AME’s new bolt-in K-member assembly follows their well-established reputation and comes with rack-and-pinion steering, tubular control arms, Strange Engineering coilover shocks, and C6 Corvette–style knuckle assemblies. According to AME, the tall, forged knuckle assemblies provide several suspension geometry benefits—the lateral roll center migration is minimal, while the…

It’s a story we know all too well. As we grow older, we keep those high school memories and we promise ourselves that one day we will have that dream car. For Dale Deburger, of Seymour, Indiana, it was this recurring high school memory of a friend who had a ’59 back in the day that made an impression. The time came and Dale found this ’59 Chevy Brookwood wagon. He liked the look and it was in great shape. Not only that but it was the rare two-door model. With the project in hand Dale and fellow hot rodder Tom Culbertson began the building of a dream. The Chevrolet Brookwood was built from 1958-61 with a “second” go around from 1969-72. Available in both a four-door—the more popular in…