Online Hot Rod Magazine and Custom Car Pics

Past America's Most Beautiful Roadster Winners AMBR Award Judging Explained - Click here 2012 America's Most Beautiful Roadster I picked it! I was pulling for Bill Lindig's "Indy Speedster" and was lucky enough to get an interview and pictures before the crowds started pouring into the Fairplex on Friday of the 2012 Grand National Roadster Show.  I started the interview by saying I think the “Indy Speedster” is this year’s AMBR winner. Bill humbly replied, “If the other nine cars don’t win, we will.” Guess what Bill, you did it! Read about the 2012 AMBR Winner here. 2011 America's Most Beautiful Roadster Built in my home town, Chandler, AZ, by Doug Jerger and the gang at Squeeg's Kustoms, this 1934 Ford Roadster stole the show with the new judging rules for the AMBR. Displayed for most of the show with the hood, doors and trunk closed, some claimed the details of the build were hidden... or did that show the true "beauty" of the car. You decide... 2010 America's Most Beautiful Roadster 2010 America's Most Beautiful Roadster Winner - Some controversy followed this winning roadster. Read about it and...

How-To Fix Engine Overheating Problems on the Roadside What do you do when your car overheats? With temperatures reaching the 80's this past week in LA, the 383 small block Chevy in my 1955 Studebaker got hot in protest. Thursday was my first problem. After 30 minutes of freeway driving and 30 minutes of stoplight-and-street traffic, I lost power and came to a stop. After letting Stude cool down, the only thing I noticed upon inspection was that my fluid was a little low. I filled up the radiator with a coolant/distilled water mix and was back on my way, hoping maybe this was all I needed. I got home fine that evening and through the 25 mile drive to work the next day without a glitch. This made me feel better, but I was very worried... Studebaker had a date as a wedding getaway car for some close friends of mine on Saturday. I didn't want her to miss out on the excitement! As I pondered what was going on with my overheating, I knew the most likely candidates were the radiator, water pump, or thermostat. I’ve dealt with...

2011 Grand National Roadster Show From Rodshows.com the hosts of the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show, here's some info about a very special hall at the 62nd Grand National Roadster Show or you might have heard of the "GNRS" and the home of the "AMBR Award" or "America's Most Beautiful Roadster".  This is the show and it's not one you want to miss! 62nd Annual Kragen O’Reilly Grand National Roadster Show Customs: Then and Now Featured at this year’s Grand National Roadster Show will be a classic collection of the most notable and historic custom cars. Building 9 at the Fairplex in Pomona will be filled with over 75 different members of custom car royalty. It promises to be a room full of chopped up beauties, dripping with impeccable colors and intricate paint. Aesthetic detail and flowing body lines will please the eye as you stroll through the exhibit and feel the history of the cruisin’ custom days. This exhibit is sure to represent this car class with pride and will, without a doubt, bring you back to the days when the era began. Though it won’t take place...

Hot Rod Art It started as an email to MyRideisMe.com to see if I would grant permission for an artist to use a photo he found. Thanks to artists Paul And Kimberly Buford for doing the right thing! Turns out, it wasn't my photo, it was taken at Viva Las Vegas by Paul "Swanee" Swanson. Turns out, this is a popular photo: Cars like this Chevy fit right in at Viva and original "Patina" has never been more popular. So I asked Paul some questions about his artwork. Keep in mind, about all I know about artwork and painting is what I like... Why watercolors? - I've worked in several different media, and always come back to watercolors. The idea that you are staining the paper is what I love, and the way the colors mix together either in the palette or on the paper. Why this image (and others similar)? - I have always been drawn to decayed or decaying items (whether it be old buildings, collapsed barns, or abandoned/aged cars). The more I studied them and thought about what it was I got from them the more...

Restomod Corvette "58REDUX" Story by Dave Semel Restomod, protouring, modified,” whatever the terminology used, I say it's the best of both worlds! There’s nothing like the lines of a classic muscle car. They have the ability to turn heads of young and old alike. Many classic cars catch the attention of the young generation that weren’t even alive when 409 Impalas and Boss 429 Mustangs tore up the street as new cars. In others, they spark something that takes them back to a different, often better time. However, those with experience driving classic muscle cars know they’re great in a straight line, but if you need to turn or stop watch out! So what do custom car guys do? How about a Restomod? Restomod Definition: Classic American cars that have been restored using modern components to enhance their performance, safety, comfort and beauty. In short: restored old bodies modified using new technology: "restomod". (Here's an example of a 1959 Cadillac Restomod I called a "Custom Restoration") The possibilities are endless. Imagination, technology and of course a fair amount of money can produce one of these beauties. The great thing...

Truth about Batteries: 8 Myths Revealed! Setting your battery on concrete will ruin it. An AGM battery is a "gel" battery. If a battery is dead, all it needs is a jump. Starting your vehicle up periodically while in storage is good for the battery. An OPTIMA is ruined if it is deeply-discharged. Only off-road guys care about vibration-resistance in a battery. A longer warranty is always better. Dropping a battery will help break up sulfation and restore performance. Do you agree? These are all FALSE! Start story: 1. Setting your battery on concrete will ruin it. FALSE! Back in the olden days, batteries had wooden cases, which could expand if they came in contact with moisture, possibly causing damage to those batteries. Wooden cases were then replaced with hard rubber cases. Electrical current could be conducted through those cases, if moisture on the floor allowed the current to find an electrical ground. Modern batteries of today are constructed with polypropylene cases, which is far more insulated than the hard rubber cases of years past. That means not only can you set a new battery on a concrete floor,...

Hot Rod Pinup Ms. Doris Mayday Doris Mayday, a name well known in the Pinup Up community, has been considered a modern day Marilyn Monroe. Platinum blonde hair, ruby red lips, curves that kill, are just a few traits of this blonde bombshell hailing from Sin City itself, Las Vegas. With a resume longer than some pin ups will ever have, Doris is super accomplished at the age of just 21, and it's no wonder why... one look at her and you'll know why she is at the top of every one's favorite pin up list. Doris is a beauty and has the brains to back up those gorgeous looks. Not just a model, Doris loves to style her own shoots from floor to ceiling and spends a lot of her time scouring antique shops for priceless memorabilia of days gone by to use in her shoots. Doris is one of a kind, in a world full of Brunette Bettie's, this blonde siren stands out. Check her out in Mitzi&Co's 2011 Pin Up Calendar. Pick yours up on Mitzi&Co's site before they are all gone. I could ramble on all day...

Old Cars Take On New Life In The Winter Snow Snow, cold, and winter weather lock up many a classic car in the safety of a garage. Here in So Cal, we're lucky that our old cars get to hit the roads 365 days a year! During a recent trip up to Montana - since there were no old cars on the road - I grabbed my camera and went wondering to find some old beasts out in the snow. Although my inner "mom" wanted to tow these all to safety and restoration - I think the setting made for some cool pictures. So if you live in a snowy area - enjoy these and stand by until warmer weather. But if you live in a place like lovely Southern California - count your blessings and take your car for a cruise! May this New Year find you all in good and joyful adventures! Happy Trails, Grease Girl All that poor rust, but this 1953 Chevy's hood ornament is still in good shape! John Deere standing proud with tin can covering the exhaust and all. An old Ford logo...

Tips For How To Avoid Brake Failure As  GreaseGirl, I’m always attempting to share with you all the things I’m learning within the hot rod world. Owning my own classic car, I've experienced a pretty steep learning curve to say the least… and brake importance is just one more thing I needed to learn! So read on to hear about my own misadventure and hopefully avoid your own!!! "Collision closely avoided. But my brakes are gone! I have NO brakes…what’s a girl to do!?" I’d had friends see my brake line situation and tell me I should do some work on it. I’ve considered changing my master cylinder. But when your classic car is your only car… sometimes your time and money get spent on what’s needed to keep it running. Lately that list has been pretty involved with "Studie" My 1955 Studebaker pictured above. From a new exhaust system to changing my transmission and rebuilding my front suspension – at each turn of the road I’ve learned a lot and improved Stude’s performance greatly. What was next on my list of things to do to my 1955 Studebaker???...

Power Brakes and Steering from SEMA 2010 ABS Power Brake, Inc Due to my recent brake failure adventure, brake companies were the first ones I went looking for at SEMA. I luckily found ABS Power Brake, Inc which provides “American Brake and Steering” component parts and kits. In business since 1979, ABS Power Brake provides kits as well as individual components for everything from classic trucks to custom rods. They have some good possible fixes for my situation – such as a nifty compact dual-reservoir master cylinder – but they also had a couple of really impressive new products. In addition to their fairly extensive line of disc brake kits they’ve added a new ABS 14” Big Brake Disc Kit with 2” Drop Spindles. If you need BIG brakes, these 14.5” rotors with 4-piston calipers could be just what your project demands. Another new product they’re rolling out is an award-winning Best New Product. It’s an Electric High-Power Master Cylinder Kit that can generate up to 1,200 pounds of pressure all in one self-contained source! ABS Power Brake claims it offers the highest pressure and is the smallest system...

Helping Families Out – One Car At A Time I went to SEMA expecting to see all the new products and trends in the auto industry – I did not expect to be introduced to a philanthropic program helping families get back on their feet. But as I was at SEMA, I got to witness five families given the gift of a “Recycled Ride.” Recycled Rides is a community awareness project of the National Auto Body Council (NABC). NABC members donate their time and services to refurbish cars that insurance companies donate. After a vehicle is repaired to like-new condition, Recycled Rides pairs with a local community organization to find a deserving family, then they to give it to them. The Las Vegas partner organization is Family Promise, an interfaith, non-profit organization helping homeless families in transition from a shelter to a home of their own. Individuals who received cars ranged from two-parent families to single-parent Moms and Dads who've graduated from Family Promise’s Family Mentoring Program. Las Vegas’ mayor, Oscar Goodman, was also at SEMA to hand over the family’s new keys. It was good to see the...

HOT ROD Magazine: All the Covers Ever find yourself searching through a stack of old Hot Rod magazines at a swap meet? When ever I do, I'm pretty amazed at how you're able to tell the era of the magazine simply by the cover. Usually as I flip through them I catch myself thinking "late 70's, mid 80's, ahh here's an early 60's"... all from the information presented to me on the cover. Getting your vehicle featured on the cover of Hot Rod magazine has to be the ultimate reward for a builder.  It's one thing to be lucky enough to receive a feature in the most influential automotive magazine of all time, but making the cover is simply iconic as you are now locked forever into the history of hot rodding. Imagine if you could some how capture all those amazing covers in one place, all 60+ years worth? Well your lucky day is here with the newly released book: HOT ROD Magazine: All the Covers by Drew Hardin along with the editors of HOT ROD. I simply love this book and I have shared it with several...