1923 Hot Rod T At the best hot rod and custom car shows like the Grand National Roadster Show there's always car instantly identify with and of course, cars that totally miss. For example, car-covering murals of dragons done in florescent green on a black base ain't my thing. Lucky for me, it didn't take long to find my car. (Click any picture for full size) On the first day of the show, right through the side doors of the main hall where I set out for my first look at the 12 America's Most Beautiful Roadster contenders... there sat Russ Freund's "Takeout T". At first I was shocked. Is that purple? Can it be? Yes. Knowing the 12 AMBR cars are the best of the best roadsters at Grand National, I knew I'd found this year's "America's Most Bitch'n Roadster". When's the last time you heard someone say a light purple car is Bitch'n? Is there another AMBR award? No, not officially! I made it up for the sick-of-sick roadster called, "Double Trouble" back in 2009. Here's the blown, Ardun head 32 Roadster built by Hot Rod Garage....

Stylish Clubman Mini Cooper S It's always important to salute the patrons in the automotive community who devote their entire lives to perfecting their skill. I stumbled upon Mr. Richard Lin while searching for a high horsepowered Mini Cooper. It turns out Richard is currently voted Orange County California's best car detailer and his business is starting to take off. We exchanged a few emails and unfortunately, he had informed me that the Mini has been sold. However, he did acquire a new Clubman Mini S, with a few streetable mods (nothing crazy like his last ride) so i decided to pay him a visit. Gloomy skies and showers are rare in Southern California, but with my luck, its nothing out of the ordinary. The photo shoot had to be relocated inside his detail bay, where I noticed his newly acquired airbag lift. Richard was very friendly and showed me around, and by his personality I can tell that he's a very intelligent detailer who was even knowledgeable about chemical properties and their effects on paint surfaces. This story isn't some shameless plug to promote his business, it's an...

AE86 with 4AG 20V - Japanese Classic Car Don't you hate it when the first thing someone asks you about your car is "How much power does it have?" I really wish that someday, someone would come up and ask me instead, "How much does your car weigh?" Without getting too in-depth about technical power-weight ratio and its applications to various motorsports, it simply means that the lighter the car, the better. Said another way, it basically doesn't matter if you have 1000HP if the car weighs 10,000lbs. It's all about power to weight ratio in this game! Of course, many other factors come into play, depending on the type of racing you're doing too, but to a certain extent- higher horsepower combined with a lightweight chassis is usually the way to go. The AE86 is a code name for a 1985~87 Toyota Corolla GTS, which came in a front engine, rear wheel drive configuration. Because of this layout, the car became immensely popular for racing, typically in road racing, rally, and drifting. These cars are on their way to becoming classics (if they're not already) and sure enough,...

2011 Grand National Roadster Show - It's a Driver! Cruisin the GNRS halls until your feet are putty, it pays off when you meet a guy like Jake Moomey. Jake's a soft spoken hot rodder hailing from Michigan. He drove, yea DROVE his killer 1954 Chevy Bel Air out to Mohave, CA for the Gene Winfield and Larry Watson, "Custom Car and Hot Rod Gathering" at Winfields shop. That's an ass-numbing 2300 miles one way! After the show, Jake left his custom with a buddy in Corona, CA then flew back to Michigan. Next, Jake came back for the Mooneye's show in December, then flew back... then one month later, here he is inside at the Grand National Roadster show! You seeing a pattern? Well he ain't done yet! After GNRS, Jake's back to freezing Michigan until March when he'll drive out to the Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up in Austin, TX. From there, he's back on the road once again and making the drive back to Michigan. A cracked windshield worn proud by Jake's fitty-fo. By the ever handy Google Maps, that's a total of 5100 miles!...

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...

Datsun 521 Japanese Classic Truck Red. The iconic color of the Ferrari supercars. Next to yellow, it stands out as one of the most targeted vehicle colors by the police, perhaps because the notoriety of the Ferrari's? But wait, what if the red was on a car that wasn't really a car, but on an old small displacement truck? It takes a special breed of an auto enthusiast to maintain a pre-70s automobile in tip-top running condition. Luckily enough here in California where the air is dry and the skies are sunny 355 days out of a year, rust isn't really a problem. Miko (pronounced Mee-koh) can only be described as a rockstar of the Little Saigon Community, and a stranger to no one in the area. He knows the best places to eat, to party, to drink, or just relax and have a cup of Cafe Su Da. Miko works hard but plays harder and as an entrepreneur, his prime responsibilities include owning and managing his own hair studio. His 1969 Datsun 521 1300 truck is the purest example of his lively and positive personality. There's nothing standing...

1961 Chrysler Hemi Nitro Dragster from the UK Story by Brian Taylor Sydney Allard’s 1961 Allard Chrysler dragster (source Crazy Horses, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu) Drag racing has come a long way since its beginnings in the USA during the late 1940's. And although it had a culture of straight-line sprinting (runs against the clock rather than a knock out competition) dating back to the early 1900's, Europe had to wait until early in 1961 before it saw its first dragster. It was born when British sports car manufacturer Sydney Allard stormed into the office, slammed a copy of a Hot Rod publication featuring Chris Karamesines’ Chizler dragster onto the table and announced, “We’re going to build one of these”. Sydney Allard, the father of British drag racing. (source Crazy Horses, Gavin Allard collection) The Allard Chrysler being built. Sydney Allard watches from the cockpit as designer David Hooper (left) checks the plans and John Hume (right) adjusts the steering. (source Crazy Horses, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu) There were no official drag racing regulations in existence in Europe at the time. Royal Automobile Club building regulations for cars used for...

Bonneville Salt Flats Race Car Say hello to the "World's Fastest Corvette" Maybe you're wondering how I make the "Baddest Race Cars" list? Could be any number of things, but a sure formula is SPEED!  Be the fastest in your class, or classes and maybe world's fastest - You're a lock! In other words, go out there and set a record.  Add to that a welcoming smile and a generously given chat with up-and-comer MyRideisMe.com and you're just starting to see why Oklahoma's Bobby Moore and his Moore Boys Corvette is certainly one of the BADDEST! (Other hot rods from Oklahoma) With a helping hand from crew member and friend Rudy Heaton Bobby's patiently waiting inside for a run. Bobby's story about how he started racing isn't that different from others stricken with salt fever! Racing started at Bonneville in 1996 with a trip to the salt as the driver of the Hoyle-Dickenson-Moore A/FL (that means, "A" class engine, running fuel, lakester style body). That's all it took... From there, Bobby bought bought the 219 mph Doc Jefferey's A/GT Corvette. The following year, the Moore Boys Team made several...

Datsun 510 and Datsun 280Z Japanese Classics Graphic designer extraordinaire by trade, and a Datsun devotee by lifestyle, a guy who others refer to as, "Goki" is the epitome of a true enthusiast who appreciates the modernized ride of a nostalgic approach. Goki's Datsun 510 wagon and Nissan Fairlady 280Z haven't necessarily undergone any flawless restoration processes, nor does it run sub-10 second quarter mile times or anything crazy like that. The modifications presented upon these vehicles fit within the parameters of what is efficient in his car lifestyle, both in terms of the daily driven aspect and budget. Sure, there's small discrepancies such as rust on the undercarriage as well as loose electrical wires here and there; these qualities are not always noted as negative but instead gives unique character that solidifies the intended purpose of the vehicle. A little history lesson without being too lackluster; Datsun started as DAT Motorcar Co. in 1931 with "DAT" a simple acronym made up from the first letter of the names from the three founding fathers of the company.  However, soon after they were acquired by the Nissan Motor Co. their...

Rat Rod BMW from Stanceworks Go ahead, click to Zoom, right click, Set as Desktop Background like I did today.  Go ahead, I'll wait... Mike Burroughs is the man behind the website/forum/blog STANCEWORKS, a site dedicated to cars with seriously low stance.  Their motto or slogan is "Low is a Lifestyle".  Mike is definitely livin' low.  His 1980's 5 series BMW you see here is his personal ride, and canvas.  If this isn't My Ride is Me, then I might as well just click Start-Shut Down and go to bed.  I'm giving this... this car, the name Bimmer Bomber. Its one of those cars that is meant to stir up people's opinions.  Love it or Hate it, there aren't many cars around that can piss off so many car guys, while at the same time, making others stand up and applaud.  Hmm... sound like the rat rod movement to anyone? Being a World War II fan, I see those tiger shark teeth and think warbird.  Since this car is German built, I personally thought about the German fighter planes like this Messerschmitt ME-109 pictured above.  This is what made me think of the name Bimmer...

Custom Car 1965 Crown Imperial Sedan What does a hot rod shop owner's wife drive?  It's gotta have some purple and lace right?  Even some fur... Even though its a ladies ride, I think you dudes out there will dig as well. This is Julie's 1965 Crown Imperial custom.  Julie is married to Scotty Birdsall, owner of Chuckles Garage.  If you missed the story on his ride, click this link, '62 Ford Falcon Straight Axle Gasser. This 1965 Crown Imperial (alot of folks call it a Chrysler, but Crown was its own entity at the time) is definitely My Ride is Me.  Let's see why... You can see it certainly fits in as a "Mild Custom" build.  There's not alot of mods other than a super crazy paint job, some suspension work, a groovy fur dash (it is a lady's ride remember!) and some 600-15 wide whitewalls.  When the goal is to personalize your classic machine, those are simple and effective touches. Here's the face of a not-often seen 60's classic luxury sedan.  I can't say I've seen one of these before, but I like the mid 60's era Detroit...

1933 Ford Street Rod Featured Ride I first shared a quick photo of Jim Baugh's light blue 1933 Ford Sedan Street Rod in the Salt Flats Speed Shop Open House story. When Jim pulled up to the shop, I immediately started taking pictures.  Let's have a closer look... First of all, this '33 was built with a mix of two styles, Street Rod and Traditional Hot Rod.  When Jim was telling all about his '33, he sounded almost disappointed that it was a Street Rod.  I think he's been bit by the Traditional hot rod style bug that is so prevalent at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Street Rod comes from the  big 'n' little tires, a reliable 350 small block Chevy and TH350 auto trans and front disc brakes.  The Traditional Hot Rod style's evident from several features: the chopped top, fenderless hot rod rake, authentic Ed Roth laid pinstriping, heavily louvered decklid and solid front axle. So which is it? Who cares! Jim nailed the complete execution and made a long-haul driver at the same time. Jim drove his '33 from Washington state to Alabama (or was it Arkansas?) for a family...