Custom 1965 Dodge D200 Truck at Goodguys This blog is well over due, but oh well. I need help writing these things, so if you're a struggling writer or just a car/bike freak with some extra time, why not give this a try? So here's Mike and Luz Wilson's 1965 Dodge D200. I met Mike at the Scottsdale Goodguys show when the sun was setting. I caught a couple good photos that I wanted to share. This truck is ultra clean and straight as an arrow and these pictures show it. Who's ever even seen one of these? Mike told me that the military and forest service were the ones buying up these trucks for a tough life, so the haven't survived well. Mike worked at Norman King Dodge back in '65 and since his pops needed a truck, the deal was made. I could have been Mike's plan all along to get the truck, but he had to wait 30 years before his dad was ready to let it go. Here's another D200: ICON 1965 D200 Crew Cab at SEMA 2012 The engine is a late model Hemi...

When you're a new website, the only advertising you can afford is FREE advertising. So, I am combing Myspace for other gearheads who might be interested in sharing their passions here at MyRideisMe.com. After navigating past all the, "Click here for my REAL profile..." and all the other scam BS, I found some worthwhile profiles, especially this one from Fred Boatman. From 1962 to 1976 Fred published his car art in several Petersen Publishing magazines, especially one I remember called CARtoons. After a few emails, Fred and I talked on the phone and I learned more about the man and his book: Cartoons on Wheels. Fred's book explains why he wrote the book for his four grown kids: I would like them to know just what I was doing in my basement studio those evenings I wasn't helping them with their homework, or playing hockey with them in the driveway. I wasn't just down there nursing a Wild Turkey and Ginger,... well maybe just a few. I've enjoyed reading the book Fred sent to me. It's like a time capsule of hot rodding and American history. The characters such...

While cruising Myspace looking for car and bike enthusiasts to bring to the light of MyRideisMe.com, I learned of the 16th Annual YOKOHAMA HOT ROD Custom Show 2007 that happened December 2nd in Pacifico Yokohama sponsored by Mooneyes Yokohama. I’ve got a special interest in what’s going on in Japan since I work for Nissan and I lived in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan in 2000. When there, I’d occasionally see a car that was completely out of place: an old Chevy wagon or a vintage Mustang, but nothing like what’s at this show. To find the best pics of a Japanese show you look at Japanese websites, right? Good luck! That's where a new friend from Myspace named Jiro from Gifu, Japan (near Osaka) helped me find some of those websites, especially this one: SP@RETIME. Maki Kurata from Nagoya, Japan runs Sp@retime and it is LOADED with outstanding pictures of the bike and hot rod scene in Japan. The picture to the left was just loaded. Maki and his buddies are riding in Japan now and it is COLD there now! This gallery's called: いつものメンツで極寒ナイトクルーズ！ which loosely translates to: "The...

With a name like KillaCycle, why wouldn't you want to ride it? Here is the world's fastest electric drag bike. Being a devout, fossil fuel burning, carbon dioxide emission making biker I’m usually skeptical of anything linking the words electric and motorcycle. However, this bike garnered my interest for two stories that I heard. First, it holds the world record for electric motorcycles by running the quarter mile in 7.824 seconds at 168 mph. Second, it made quick work of the owner, Bill Dube of Denver, who attempted a burn out and nearly proved that the bike’s moniker is accurate. It appears that the bike is about 200 pounds of batteries connected to two DC motors than run a chain drive to the rear wheel and not much else. For plenty of pictures, video and information check out...

Where do I start? Gregg’s cord of woody wagons, Dale’s nostalgia RPU or their dad Terry’s custom gauge panels? When you meet a family as nice as the Seaholm’s out of Tucson, AZ, their story needs to be told. Stories like this define My Ride is Me. My dad and I have been going to shows and swaps forever, so I know what it’s like to be there with family. For kindling, here’s Gregg’s other woody… (click on any picture to make it bigger!) I didn’t grab too many details on this one, but as you can see it’s got perfectly restored wood, a killer stance and Radir wheels with wide white walls. I dig the picture I got where it’s behind Gregg’s prize. This woody is one of my favorite rides from the entire show. Dug out of a garage in Pasadena, CA, stored since 1964 by the 2nd owner, dig this 1940 Ford Woody. Can you believe, after all that time, in 2006, the guy’s wife said, “Get it outta here!” Gregg’s got a good friend in Wes Aplanalp over at Woodies USA in Cave Creek, AZ...

Evel Knievel, the man who could make Harleys fly, died yesterday at the age of 69. The recipient of a liver transplant in 1999 had been in poor health for quite a while, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis. Everyone, whether they are part of the motorcycle addiction or the real world, knows the name Evel Knievel and can probably even name the place of his worst crash. Caesars Palace, 1968. He certainly came closer than most of us ever will to using up his nine lives and getting away with it. That's what made him a legendary daredevil. So, RIP Evel Knievel. Links of Interest:Evel Knievel's Official Website Knievel article from Australia Knievel article in Motorcycle News The picture on the main page is from the Smithsonian and the copyright allows for the use of it in news reporting. The original source is here:...

By now, this isn't breaking news, but I just heard it. I thought I kept up with hot rod and general car news, but I guess not. On top of that, I'm a big fan of Chip Foose. There are several good blogs that are writing about this story. Basically, Unique Performance has been busted and raided. Check it out: Shelby severing ties with Unique Performance Round 2: Unique Performance fires back at Shelby Foose Cuts All Ties With Unique Performance Unique Performance raided by local police What a mess! Uniqueperformance.com website is DOWN... I'll try to update this story as I follow it. I hope Foose's name is cleared. Everything I've seen or read says he's a solid guy. The NY Times added this: A Cloud Over Reborn Shelby...

Written by MyRideisMe feature Member: Mr. Freeze Let me start off by saying that I didn’t think that Goodguys Scottsdale would be the premier show for this build or that the truck would set new standards in the hot rod world. Goodguys was only a time goal for this build. The 40 Ford Cab was purchased for some parts for another project and then it was to be discarded or sold. The more I looked at it the more I thought that it would be a neat build. A friend and I started building the 2x3 box frame Z’d 6” in the front and 14” in the rear and after only a week we got it rolling. We chose a 292 Y-block and for that eye candy factor topped it off with a 6 deuce intake. After some deliberation we decided that this ride would be much cooler with a three speed. Out back, we chose a 56 Ford 4:11 truck axle with 56 front brakes. But it was soon pushed to the side for another project. Here's where we sat so far... It sat for a while and...

Custom Van with a Blown 428 Pontiac So you’ve owned it since you were 16?Yes.And that was when?1973.So then, what’s the next obvious question…Why’d a 16 year old kid buy a van?I’m a drummer! Mark Greenwell of Phoenix, AZ drove this 1966 Chevy Van to the 2007 Scottsdale Goodguys show and immediately caught my eye.The sun setting on those retro-perfect murals blew me away.I knew right away this van had a story.Check these out: (click to enlarge) I hadn’t looked inside yet. The original murals were painted in 1978.That was right after the van was totaled in an accident coming back from Flagstaff, AZ in the snow.$550 bought the van back from the insurance agency and Mark, a mechanic by trade, went to work.His work paid off when the truck was featured in the 1982 centerfold of Truckin Magazine.Back then, it ONLY had a turbocharged 350 mounted between the seats.Then, in 1987, Mark rebuilt the truck again.This time, he went over the top.Take a look inside: You’re looking at a twin turbo 428 Pontiac with and Hillborn Fuel Injection backed by a Powerglide trans with race converter and trans...

You have surely seen the image before, a race bike coming hard out of a turn with a light front end and serious headshake. Occasionally, this oscillation gets more violent turning into a full-fledged tankslapper where the handlebars are thrown from stop to stop. Sometimes the result is the rider being catapulted from the bike in spectacular fashion. Most street riders have experienced the phenomenon that leads to tankslappers to some extent after upsetting the suspension by hitting a rock or pothole (or landing a wheelie a little off center), etc. In most instances, a light grip that allows the bike some freedom to move will allow a shake on the front end to settle down. Now, if you have never experienced a tankslapper then simply imagine amplifying the shake of the previous example by ten fold and multiplying the odds of dirty leathers by at least that much. The purpose here is to briefly describe why tankslappers happen and some solutions to reduce chance of being bucked off because of one. All motorcycles can experience oscillations in the front suspension, but some motorcycles are much more prone to...

Like the better known Volkswagen Typ 1, the Ural motorcycle too has been produced since the late 1930’s and remained relatively unchanged. The staggering defeat of Russia in the Winter War with Finland demonstrated the cost of using obsolete technology in combat. A new motorcycle design was desperately needed considering the increasing momentum towards war with Germany. So, the Soviet army covertly acquired 5 BMW R71 motorcycles in Sweden and took them back to Moscow for reverse engineering. Every detail of the design was studied and reproduced in the 1941 Ural M-72. Thousands of Urals were put into service on the Russian frontlines during World War II. After the war, military production of the Ural was moved to Ukraine from the Irbit Motorcycle Works near Siberia and the original factory was converted to civilian production. Since then over 3 million of the R71-based Urals have been built and can be seen on roads around the world. Yes, they are available here in the United States. What you get today is a shaft driven motorcycle powered by a 750cc air-cooled flat twin rated at 40 horsepower with some pretty unique...

Thanks to our new freinds at T and L Engine Development, Inc for this How-To article. Stay tuned for an article and build info on their 575 HP all aluminum Ford Small block 427! Also, be sure to check out their Ebay Store for the best in Ford and Chevy engines. Upgrading to a roller camshaft; is it cost efficient? Pictures and text by Eric LaBore Camshafts have always been and continue to be the basis of argument among many engine builders and car enthusiasts alike. How much lift, the right duration, lobe centerlines and separation angles, there are so many aspects and conditions to consider. It requires many years of research, experience and an in depth understanding of the internal combustion engine to become an expert in choosing the best possible design. However, one thing that is widely agreed upon; for the best performance and reliability, a roller camshaft is the way to go. There are two basic categories among camshafts; flat tappet and roller. Flat tappet cams are the ones most people are familiar with. Most of your V-8 engines in the muscle car era came standard...