Serious Sleeper
'56 Bel Air Hardtop
Richard & Jan McDonough
Ocean Springs, MS
Underneath its innocent resto clothes this no-post seethes absolutely with modernity befitting a high-speed touring car. Its bones are from the laboratory of Jim Meyers Racing, a Tri-5 conversion equipped with Camaro discs and rack steering. In the middle of it, a Morrison 4-inch crossmember. The Currie 9-Plus axle (Detroit Locker/3.70:1 gears) is located by a Morrison four-link with coilovers bookended by Wilwood discs. All axles wear Torq-Thrust II 20x8 or 20x10 hoops and flypaper-sticky Nitto 555s (245/35, 275/35). For carefree but powerful motivation, a stock GMPP Ram Jet 502 is linked to a complete Keisler conversion catering to a T56. Cooling is by a Flex-A-Lite aluminum core and fans and a Sanders water pump. The exhaust blows bad through Camaro headers, a 2 1/2-inch system, and MagnaFlows. Terry at Gulf Coast Custom Upholstery did the seats and trim. Windows and door locks are electric. Vintage Air, Dakota Digital gauges, and cruise control are all in there. Eddie Wilson and Richard bestowed the Bel Air with Midnight Blue Metallic and Pearl White.
His Good Right Arm
'65 El Camino
Alex Stamerjohn
Rockwall, TX
Hey reluctant young guns, here's some inspiration for you all. Alex is but 16 and his Elky is a reacher, no doubt, but what a great beginning it represents. It took him more than a year to turn it around and make it what it is. According to our budding hot rodder, "It started as a piss-yellow primer junker that I found in the local paper. Now it's a Salsa Red daily driver with a motivatin' 350." He plugged in a "little" cam and made the obvious move to an Edelbrock Performer manifold and carburetor. A shift kit in the Turbo 350 snaps off gear changes with alacrity and sends the guff to a 12-bolt turning 3.73:1 gears. Those classic Torq-Thrusts are a perfect foil for the blood-red exterior and handily mask the stock drum brakes. Exhaust flows through long-tube headers and Cherry Bomb glasspacks. Says Stamerjohn, "It might suck down gas and have no air conditioning but I still drive it to work and school every day." Righteous, young bro.
Blood, Sweat, & Chevelle
'69 Chevelle Sport
Dan Bosma
Modesto, CA
Bosma's had his Chevelle since high school, nearly 15 years ago. He pulled it out of the desert near Reno and stole it away for just $500. "What a basket case. It sat for a few more years while I was in the service." He finished the basic platform and since then built a 468 big-block for it with Scat steel crank, Lunati Voodoo cam (233/241 duration at 0.050) combined with roller rockers, Speed-Pro 10:1 forgings, and an Air Gap RPM intake paired with a Proform 800-cfm carb. He dressed the front up with a March serpentine pulley kit. A straight-cut-gear M22 zings grunt to the 12-bolt that holds an Auburn differential and 3.31s. Big brakes, sure enough, CPP 13-inch discs on the leading edge and an 11-inch setup trailing. Bite comes from Billet Specialties Dyno-G 17x8 and 9.5 rims with powdercoated centers and Kuhmo 245/40 and 285/40 stickies. Chassis control is easy with Hotchkis bars, 1 1/4 inch in front and 1 on the rear. No Hop lower control arms and adjustable uppers set pinion angle and locate the axlehousing. DuPont 1969 GM Dusk Blue complements the factory-correct Parchment bucket seat console, tilt wheel, and interior. Save for the paint, Dan did all the work on his Chevelle right there in his backyard.
Pretty Dang Nice
'67 Nova
Michael Humphrey
Knoxville, TN
Mike did it right; took two years tending to every nut and bolt. Color coordination makes it somewhat more detailed than the rest. At ground level, the '67 has Foose 17x7 and 17x8 Nitrous 2 hoops showcasing 13-inch Wilwood discs hugged by four-piston calipers. He heaved the stock suspension for a Chris Alston frontend, inner fenders, and hood hinges. The rear portion of the car is supported by a Heidts four-link system and a Schutz-gun application on the underside seals up the floor and provides contrast to the Heidts' Orange. For locomotion, a 625hp 383 stroker leads the charge through an M22 equipped with Hurst linkage. For visual coordination, Mike painted the engine block the same color as the car. Sherm's Custom Plating in Cali refinished the grille, hood trim, and headlight bezels. All the window chrome was given to Advanced Plating in Nashville. A custom center console and the shifter boot are wrapped in leather to match the seats, same goes for the Billet Specialties steering wheel. The front seats are Recaro buckets and the back seat was built with side bolsters to match the Recaros. The interior theme was extended to the trunk. Nice piece, Mike. Pretty dang nice.
Like Ridin' Between Two Harleys
'66 Corvette Coupe
Steve Osbaldeston
Atlanta, GA
Six years ago, Steve O. got lucky and found this particular piece of fiberglass history somewhere in Arizona. His vision never wavered. It was always to build this '66 into a strong driver capable of doing the Long Haul in the Hot Rod Power Tour, and so it did in '07 and '08. While Steve limited the changes in appearance to a '67 big-block stinger hood and Vintage 45 16x8 wheels, there's a whole different story beneath the hood that's covered with classic Silver Pearl paint. The 425hp ZZ383 GM crate is fed by a Barry Grant carb and relieved via custom 3-inch Allen sidepipes ("like ridin' between two Harleys!"). A Keisler-modified Tremec TKO 600 sends power to the swing axle rear equipped with 4.11 cogs. The suspension has been updated with a coterie of Vette Brake Products: lightweight fiberglass springs front and rear, offset control arms, frame reinforcement, and a power rack steering system. A Sanderson system blows cool air and the Recaros out of a Mitsibushi EVO ensure that this driver keeps up the pace. Nice one, Steve O.
Purely Mechanical
'67 Camaro Sport
Steven Auleta
Long Island, NY
Although this coupe is clean and arrow-straight, it's clear that Steve's focus is on what makes it go. Its 383 stroker packs 10:1 CP pistons into its 4.030 bores and draws from Dart Pro 1 23-degree Platinum heads machined with scant 64cc chambers and 2.02/1.60 valves. Port volumes are just right for crisp throttle response in the 2,500-6,000 rpm range. A Comp Xtreme Energy retro-fit cam (with sensible 236/242 duration) puts action to hydraulic roller lifters. A 750-cfm Speed Demon carb operates with mechanical secondaries and an MSD Pro-Billet distributor and 6AL box light off the air/fuel charge. And all the while, Steve's pulling a Pro 5.0 shifter on that Tremec T56, sending 650 lb-ft to the 10-bolt snubbed by Lakewood bars and beefed with an 8.2 GM Unit 3 series Positraction differential. Since its mission is highly straight-line, the Unisteer steering rack is just right for the mission. Steve burns off speed with Wilwood 12-inch discs accompanied by Dynalite four-piston clampers. For a grand view of the proceedings, there's Steve in a Corbeau Sport seat hawking Auto Meter Ultra-Lite gauges.