What Are You Workin' On?

From the first time I saw Two Lane Blacktop, I’ve wanted a primered up raw ‘55 Belair. Finally at 30 years old, I decided it was time to build one of my dream cars. I found this car on marketplace and sent a friend of mine to pick it up for me. I bought it sight unseen other than photos. It needed more work than anticipated but came with new rockers and a half quarter panel. Since buying it in February 2023, I’ve rattle canned the car in primer and installed a fiberglass tilt nose and pin-on trunk, the half quarter panel, purple dot taillight lenses, Hurst shifter for a ‘69 Camaro to fit between the bench seat bolster, Cragar SS front wheels and chrome reverse wheels, and Bluetooth retro head unit with Rockford Fosgate speakers. I plan to install aluminum heads, a tunnel ram with 2 600 cfm Holley carburetors, and a solid roller camshaft. My goal is to put the car into the 10-second quarter-mile naturally aspirated on pump gas and be able to put my 1-year-old son in the back and cruise to car shows and get ice cream with the family.

My project car is a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Resto-Mod that I purchased online from a dealer on the East Coast in 2011. I knew going in that the car had severe rust and would require a fair amount of sheet metal replacement, but the price was right even with cross-country shipping. Once I received it, evaluation began, and I soon realized my anticipation of major sheet metal work was confirmed along with the need for new wiring, interior, and replacement of the powertrain which was a small block 350 and a Turbo-Hydramatic. Before any work began, I needed to develop a work plan along with a prospective budget. Having worked as a Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineer, developing work plans was normal operating procedure. Spreadsheets were created and estimated replacement part costs captured. Like anyone who’s worked on restoring old cars, the magic recipe is about time and money, and when you have one, you often don’t have the other, which led to this project spanning over 8 years! At the time of taking on this project my niece Kelsey was 11 years old and nephew Jake was 7. Hanging out in my 1500 sq. ft. workshop, we decided we needed to give the car a name. It was late October, and my niece planned to dress up as Lucy from the Lucille Ball Show for Halloween, so the Chevelle would be known as Lucy! Kelsey helped pick the colors of Electric Blue with Gunmetal Gray Rally Stripes, and a charcoal gray/black interior with carbon fiber accents. As the project developed, it was decided to do a full off-frame resto-mod. So, a friend and I built a rotisserie for my project and a 1966 Pontiac GTO he had in the works. All underneath sheet metal was replaced along with other components plagued with severe rust. The hood was a new purchase to include the cowl induction profile since the Chevelle was not an original SS. Once the body was ready, it was bead blasted then primer applied. Next the frame was completely stripped and strengthening gussets and other supports were added to the frame in strategic locations to stiffen the overall frame. The side rails were boxed in. Then the frame was bead blasted and powder coated satin black. Suspension was upgraded with tubular A arms and QA1 adjustable coil-overs front and rear, Hotchkis pro touring sway-bars and trailing arms, SSBC disc brakes front and rear, Unisteer rack & pinion steering system, and Flaming River tilt column were installed. Stainless steel brake lines and fittings replaced the original system. A Wilwood master cylinder and Hydratech booster and proportioning valve were added. Overall, the car sits 2.0” lower than the stock height. As for wheels and tires, we went with American Racing wheels with gun metal gray wrap applied to the spokes to match the rally stripes. 18x8” front and 18x10” rear wheels are fitted with BF Goodrich G-Force 255/40ZR18 and 295/35ZR18 tires respectively. Turning to the powertrain, an LS3 crate motor coupled to a 4L60E performance transmission and custom length driveshaft provides power to the stock GM 12-bolt posi-trac rearend with 3:31 gears that was rebuilt. Ceramic-coated Hedman Headers lead to 3.0” stainless steel exhaust pipes with an X-pipe and Flowmaster 50 series mufflers. Knowing that Lucy would become Kelsey’s car someday, I wanted to add creature comforts and safety features. The interior was fitted with Cerullo SC Sport bucket seats and matching rear seat covered in black leather and charcoal gray cloth. Fiberglass door panels from Fesler were upholstered to match the seats. A center console from a 1978 Camaro was modified to accept a Pioneer Audio System with backup camera and GPS navigation. I also added gauges to monitor fuel pressure and transmission oil temperature and a custom monogramed Lucy clock along with dual USB charging ports. Power seats and windows adorn the interior. The entire interior was lined with sound/temperature foil insulation. As for the trunk, it was also lined with insulation and matching carpet. Panels were fabricated from thermo-set plastic sheet for all four sides. The side panels conceal the jack and lug wrench on the left side, and on the right, it conceals a small toolkit, first-aid kit, and emergency blanket. The rear panel wraps around the JL Audio 100a amplifier and conceals the car’s Viper Security System and stereo crossovers mounted to a custom fabricated panel. Beneath the trunk is a Rick’s stainless steel fuel tank and GM electric fuel pump/filter/regulator and II Much VSB Vent System. A discerning eye will pick up that the rear bumper is from a 71-72 Chevelle, we liked the looks of it better than the stock 70 bumper! As of this writing, the car has received lots of attention at local car shows!

This is a Mecham Racing Motorsports Edition Trans Am. Mecham backed the Pontiac Trans Am that won the SCCA Trans Am Championship in 1982. The winning car was driven by Elliot Forbes-Robinson. The other team car was driven by a guy named Steve Saleen. Ever heard of him? Yep, THAT Steve Saleen. Look at the "MSE" rear spoiler. These Trans Ams had it long before a Saleen Mustang. You could order one of these special "MSE" Trans Ams through any participating Pontiac dealer. I bought this car in original condition 20 years ago from the second owner. It only had about 70,000 miles on it and needed a paint job. Within a year I fixed a few things and repainted it. I drove it around and took it to local shows for a few years and then the 305 lost a couple cam lobes. I pulled the engine and tore it down in preparation for a rebuild in a buddy’s shop as I didn't have a shop yet. Then it got shoved off into an unused corner of his shop where he was happy to let me store it until I was ready. Fast forward about 5 years and I had finally finished building my own shop and was ready to start building some workbenches and moving all my stuff from the storage shed into the shop. Well, he had a fire that burned his shop to the ground. My engine and all the parts I removed from my car were ruined. No hard feelings, we're still friends; I didn't lose anything compared to his loss. Fast forward another 5 years and I have procured another correct engine and some of the other parts and I’m finally ready to bring this rare bird back to life! Pics of current condition after sitting in the back yard for over 10 years.

This 1972 Demon had been sitting in my buddy Fletcher’s garage here in Gary, IN for 20 years. The owner of the Demon promised me that if he ever came to sell it, he would sell it to me. We call each other Mopar brothers. It used to be a drag car. After his wife became ill and bedridden, he dedicated all his time to her. So, over a year ago I got a phone call from him. And he simply asked me, “you want this old car, huh?” I told him yes most definitely. So, 3 days later I took my trailer over to his garage and we dug it out. I brought it home immediately and gave it a good wash and buff to get the ground-in dirt out of the paint. Next was removing the 6-point cage. I was so excited about getting the car. I never tried to get it started on the numerous visits I had to the garage, so I hooked the battery up not really to get it started but just to see if the electrical system was working. In doing so, I hit some of the switches on the dash. Surprisingly they all lit up and worked. On a whim, I gave the accelerator a couple of shots and hit the starter button, and it immediately fired up scared the s*** out of me. I was just too excited! My next project was to strip the trunk down and refinish it with spatter paint. I moved from that project to the front end, where I cut out the hacked up inner fenders and replaced them with new AMD inner fender panels. It was the first time I’d ever tried doing that and it turned out very well. From there I went inside to cut out the entire floor. The guy that Fletcher bought this car from had done a terrible job of patching the floor, so I wanted to remove the entire floor and replace it with a single panel. I couldn't afford to buy the panel and have it shipped at that time. So, I went to the next project which was removing the entire front suspension and rebuilding it or replacing it with new uppers, new lowers, ball joints, etc. I got rid of the Kelsey Hayes stuff because it was the small bolt pattern. I offset the cost of the new Mancini disc brake kit by selling all the old suspension and brakes. They all sold within two days to a local Mopar enthusiast that I had met earlier in the year. So far, I have been able to get all this done in a matter of a few months but of course, now it's freezing cold outside. I do have heat in my garage but have also run out of money. I pulled the engine, and I knew that the compression was around 12.5:1. I wanted to lower it because I don't want to burn the big gas. I just can't afford it. So, I broke the engine down. I was glad to find some TRW pistons inside that I had milled down to a 10.5:1 ratio. I had the engine cleaned and checked, and I have now finished painting it. Within the next week or so, I'll turn the heat on and go out and reassemble it. My plans are to have a filthy street car! The first person to drive this car will be Fletcher. He lost his wife and never touched the Demon again. As soon as I get it finished, I'll call him up and have him take the first drive.

I'm the Automotive Instructor at Elgin High School in Illinois. My goal is to keep students interested in autos, but working on our lab vehicles (minivans, Saturns, etc.) gets boring. So, I started building project vehicles with my upperclassmen to keep student interest high. Our project vehicle this year is a 1988 Chevy S10. We want to turn it into an autocross/road race truck. Our setup is going to be a 5.3L iron block turned into a 383 stroker (Texas Speed internals, Auto machine is the shop doing the machine work), TREMEC TKX 5-speed, Quick Performance 9" Rear axle, and UMI Performance front suspension. I bought it as a roller, and since then my students pulled the cab and box. Next, we cleaned the chassis and stripped it down to bare frame. After that, they made cardboard templates to cut steel so we could box the frame for rigidity. It has some students’ trial and error - notice the bar above the Quick Performance rear axle needed to be cut out and relocated. I just haven't had time yet; it’s been a great learning experience. We then relocated the fuel tank behind the rear axle and had to cut pockets in the front to accommodate our new Viking coil-overs. The truck should be this year and hopefully doing burnouts in the parking lot! This is the type of learning I want my students to be part of; it's not as simple as just a bolt-on, they have to do some critical thinking at times which helps with student engagement, and I always tell them to think outside the box.

Since high school in the ‘60s I've been a hot rod enthusiast. I particularly had a fascination with racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats. In 2013, I began building a Bonneville Salt Flats Racer. After nine years I completed this project pictured here for your consideration. It is powered by a mostly stock 1948 Ford flathead with electronic ignition, crab style distributor and dual carbs, three-speed manual transmission and a tall-geared Ford non-posi rear end. The fuselage is a combination of two polished F86 drop tanks with a narrow frame of 2" square tubing inside slugged and welded with a slight center arch for strength. It’s a mid-engine design with center steering, all aluminum military grade body, hydraulic brakes, a full array of gauges, a 12-volt power port, two USB ports, two map pockets, and a cup holder. I used motorcycle fog lights for headlights and five '59 Cadillac bullets for taillights. Shifting is accomplished by two gear shifters with 5' rods connected back to the transmission: 1st & reverse and 2nd & 3rd, with a neutral position on each. It’s street legal with Patriot headers with baffles, and a 12-volt charging stud on the outside of the tank (the battery is in the nose). This was a challenging and rewarding project.

This is a 1952 M38 JEEP that I purchased in September 2022. I found it on Classic Autotrader. According to the seller it belonged to his grandfather who had purchased at an auction in the 80's. The JEEP was passed down to him in the 90's and has been stored since. The JEEP was totally intact and unmolested. In December 2021 after serving 38 years in the US Army I decided to finally retire. So, I bought a 30-acre chicken farm in Alabama to settle down on. I started looking for a project vehicle, specifically an older Jeep. I fell in love with the Military Jeeps in 1982 when I learned to drive a stick on one at my first duty station in Germany. My first new vehicle was a 1983 CJ8 Scrambler Laredo. What I really liked about the early Jeeps both civilian and military was their simplicity and durability. This is an important project to me. It lets me enjoy a piece of the military that I truly miss; it will also let me take part in car shows and give a chance to meet new people. Most importantly it's giving me something to relax and focus on. The plan is to keep it totally stock, a running survivor, and drive it to enjoy it on the farm. I do not want to restore it to be a show queen; the dents and dings will stay. Do the required maintenance as required and repairs as needed. Once I got the Jeep home, my plan was to get it running with minimal work. I started with the engine. I replaced the spark plugs and plug wires, rebuilt the distributor and oil pump, dropped the oil pan so I could check for obvious damage, and did the same with the head. Finding no obvious damage, I put it all back together with new gaskets and adjusted the valves. I then focused on the fuel system. I rebuilt the fuel pump and carburetor and patched up the gas tank. The radiator was in exceptional condition. I rebuilt the water pump and replaced the thermostat. All the rubber hoses were dry rotted, so every hose (water, fuel, brakes, air intake) were replaced with new. I rebuilt the entire brake system (master cylinder, wheel cylinders, relined the brake shoes). I made it a point, that if a component could be rebuilt, it would, versus replacing it with new. I changed all the fluids and replaced the axle seals. The seller had new tires put on before he put it up for sale - big plus. I got it running, put back together, and ready for its first time on the road in over 30 years. It drove really well, transmission shifted really good, transfer case worked, axles were good, no noises. Unfortunately, all is not good, the engine does smoke, the compression is fair, the valves guides are worn out, and the oil pressure never went over 20 psi, so the engine will need a full rebuild sooner than later.

I retired from the insurance industry and needed a vehicle that could pull a trailer with my ‘68 Alfa Romeo on it. It was 2022 and difficult to get a new truck. Plus, the new truck prices were getting ridiculous. I found a 1965 Tempest Custom Wagon online. It was already restomodded with upgraded suspension, disc brakes, aluminum radiator with dual electric fans, aftermarket A/C, electronic ignition, one of the first MSD fuel injection units, a Pontiac 428 that needed some work, and a TREMEC 5-speed. We had to yank the motor to redo it. It’s a 428 with a stroker kit that brings it up to 461. We updated to a roller rocker set up, Holley Terminator injection unit, and an updated ignition system. We also had to redo the A/C and go through the electrical system. We added a Reese hitch that hides behind the rear plate and used the gas door from a 65 GTO to access it. There is an air bag assist for towing on the rear suspension, which has also been updated. The car originally came with a Muncie 4-speed which had a different shifter location than the TREMEC 5-speed. The conversion to the TREMEC was not the neatest, so I’m replacing the transmission tunnel to seal it up better. Once the transmission tunnel is fixed, we’re installing a console and buckets from a ‘65 GTO with matching rear fold down seat. We’re also doing new carpet, seat belts and door panels. We had to replace the radiator core support because it was rotting away. It was difficult to find because it’s a 1-year body style. I’m replacing messed up trim as I can find it. I call the car the great pumpkin. When I first got the car, my car club knew I was going to take it to the meeting all dressed in orange.

I am a 4th generation retired military vet. I come from a long line of motor heads, and I am passing it on to all 5 of my kids. I was in the throes of a divorce and needed something to occupy my mind and give my hands something to do. So, I picked up a 1968 Datsun 520. (it’s a 1-ton mini truck) Plus, it was something great to do with my 18-year-old son Jesse and it has taken time, and I am now able to work on it with my 10-year-old daughter Lily. My 3-year-old daughter Avery is getting in the middle of the mess giving her 2 cents. The truck is almost 100% rust free, except the normal surface rust. I picked it up on the border of New Mexico and Colorado. My son and I dug into it. We got the old J13 motor running. While doing that I discovered the wiring harness was burnt up in several places. Thus, the reason is that it was parked for about 2 decades. Nonetheless, we worked around that issue. Got it running. Then I got a wild hair and decided to update the truck. So out goes the J13 (1300cc) engine. Found a donor 1996 240sx. One thing ran into another. So, I decided to freshen up the suspension with polyurethane bushings. All of which I had to hand select as no one has any made specifically for the Datsun 520. Lowered it 3” all around. Then I decided to swap out the old drag ling suspension with a rack and pinion. No one made one. So, I did my research and found that the manual Mustang II rack fit the bill. Figured out the geometry and made the rack mount. Used the Mustang II tie-rods and reamed out the Datsun steering arms with the proper taper. Got that all situated. I turned to the interior. Stripped it out. Sanded it down. Sound matted it. Put in a set of ‘66 Mustang seats. I still have tons to do. A shopping list to say the least. The fueling system, cooling system, braking system, and finishing up the wiring to name a few. All of this has had to be custom made and I enjoy every moment that I spend with my kids, and I get to teach them a dying skill and working around a problem as it comes up. Like my dad did with me and my grandfather before him. Once I’m done with this, I plan on teaching my 10-year-old to drive it. It has a millennial anti-theft device: a 5-speed manual.

I towed this one home from a car dealership in 1980 for $300. I had a ‘65 GTO in my high school days, did a little ¼-mile nighttime adrenaline rushing, and fell in love with the power of the Pontiac engines. After I made it home from the car lot, I tore it down to the frame in the front, replacing all the suspension, brakes, bushings, etc. I found a '66 389 with Tri-power for $100 from a neighbor who was moving and didn't want to take it. I went through the engine with a bore enlargement, Stainless Valve Seats, and a 068 cam. The car had a Turbo 400 in it, so it was rebuilt and installed with a B&M shift kit and Quicksilver shifter. The interior was revamped with carpet and headliner. I found the original radio from my high school ride – ‘65 GTO, so it is installed in the dash where it belongs. What's missing? The bodywork. There are a few spots that need attention, like replacing the rusted lower quarters. The trunk needs a panel installed. I have it in primer as I sanded it mostly down to bare metal. I have not done that kind of body work before, and thus the project has stalled. I just want it to be a driver and local car show kind of car. It currently runs and drives other than needing an alignment.

My Hot Rod project is customizing a 1984 Corvette. This car was bought new by my late 2nd cousin, Ronnie Smith, when he worked for GM in North Alabama. Ronnie was a serious car collector, enthusiast, and NASCAR fan throughout his life. He got all the ‘goody’ out of this Corvette, 165K miles, numerous tickets, and a few body repairs. I even found a pair of Gargoyles under the seat with old Bristol Speedway ticket stubs. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago after a long struggle with various illnesses for over 10 years. The upside was my opportunity to acquire the car and begin its transformation. It’s definitely a weekend project and long term one at that. I’ve been at it now for almost 2 years; that’s my time - time to forget all the rat race and just focus on the art of making something cool in my own way. My goal is to have a cool customized Corvette that I can drive to car shows or picnics and probably make the Corvette purists gag. I’m sticking with the original Gen I 350. I ditched the heads and intake, installed some FloTek heads, Fitech RAM fuel injection, Comp cam and roller rockers, and ditched the auto transmission. I found a 6 speed from a ‘93 C4 along with the matching Dana 44 rear end. The body work is still coming together as I go along. It’s still a somewhat blank canvas, but I have ideas in the works. I included some photos of some powder coating that I’ve been experimenting with. The wife got a little pissed when I left traces of red powder coat on the sides of the oven; she’s been very supportive and purchased an old used oven for me to use in the garage. For body color I’m leaning toward a tactical gray to mimic the F14 / F/A 18’s color from when I worked on them in the NAVY onboard the USS America CV-66 as an AT back in the early ‘90s.

My project car is a 1985 Ford LTD that was a former Washington State Police car. It came with a factory 5.0L H.O. engine with an AOD transmission and a Trac-Lok 7.5” rear end - pretty good from the factory. The reason why I chose this project was kind of weird. I worked for a company that sold C3 Corvette parts and drove a 1985 Pontiac Trans Am. One day on the way to work I blew the engine just as I pulled into the driveway at work. Perfect timing. At the time one of my bosses had a 1985 LTD LX (pretty much a civilian version of the police car) for sale and he let me borrow it until I changed the motor in the T/A. The moment I drove it I instantly fell in love with the 5.0 power and great handling suspension, to me it handled way better than my T/A and the power was nice for a stock setup. So instead of fixing the Trans Am, I purchased the LTD LX. I daily drove the car for about 10 years after that. Back to the police car. He also had this 1985 LTD police car that was always in the shop on a lift. It was an ongoing project that my boss had owned for years before I even met him. He had previously done a lot of work to it; he swapped the entire front and rear suspension from a 1995 Mustang Cobra and then let it sit for years. After a few years of driving the LTD LX, I wanted something more, so I purchased the police car too. The reason why I love this car is because my dad, who has since passed away, also loved this car. He was very proud of the custom work that I had done to it, and I used to drive him to his job sites in it, which was usually at least a 300-mile round trip. Once it’s done, I’d really like to hit the auto-x with it and maybe even a Hot Rod Power Tour, and of course daily drive it. Since then, I have completely re-wired the engine bay and rebuilt the original 5.0 with performance heads, camshaft, valve train, intake, and carburetor. I’ve added a full MSD ignition system, upgraded the starting, charging, and cooling systems, and added long tube headers with turndown pipes. I did a complete 5-speed manual transmission conversion with a heavy-duty Ford Racing T5-Z. I then had a baby and of course the project has since then been on hold. The only work I have left is to make some brake lines to connect the front and rear brakes and of course some bodywork and paint. The interior is all original from a 1985 LTD LX in great condition. I have since sold my original car the LTD LX, but still have the police car which is being stored at a buddy’s house. One of these days, hopefully in the near future, I’d love to finish this car so my wife and kids can take a cruise in it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I do.

The Muntz was to be my oldest brother John’s first car he was 15 in 1978. Our neighbor was moving out of state and sold the car to my father. I was 5 and can still remember the Wheelhorse tractor pulling it down the driveway. The Muntz only drove once with its 331 Hemi - up and down the driveway with no brakes. It turned out to be too big of an undertaking at that time so many VWs and hot rods came and went over the years, but the Muntz remained. Sadly, my brother passed away about 8 years ago and at that time my father asked me and my two other brothers to finish the Muntz. We replaced any rusted metal - pretty much everything from about middle of the doors down. For the complex radius pieces, we were blessed with the expert work of Pavletic Metal Shaping. The 331 Hemi had a cracked block, so a 392 and Monster transmission were sourced. All the chrome was sent out and glass redone. The interior is being done to exactly recreate the original. Soon, it will be back at the house for final assembly, wiring, drive shaft, and exhaust. If you find yourself in Downers Grove just a handful of exits from the start of Route 66, we could always use a hand!