Jalopnik: Hot Rods

Watch a Volvo wagon blow the doors off a Ferrari 458 Italia

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST

A short list of things we'll never tire of: a glass of fine whiskey, the music of John Coltrane, the company of an intelligent woman, watching an old Volvo wagon outrun a Ferrari at a Swedish air force base. More »

A pinch of the salt flats

Tom Joslin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Josh Clason was out at Bonneville Speed Week filming for the last episode of Depth of Speed. This video is the excellent result, making us even more upset we missed another year on the salt flats. More »

Eight second vintage Rolls Royce is a twin turbo monster

Tom Joslin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EDT

It's hard to believe until you witness the sheer power in the above video, but this full bodied vintage Rolls Royce is capable of a 8.09 second 1/4 mile. According to the builder, the car is still 100% street legal although it has slimmed down quite a bit to a 3050lb race weight. Helping move this British steel down the track is the twin 88mm turbo fed 588 ci big block Chevy engine that now resides under the car's hood. More »

Say "god dag" to this Alfa Romeo-powered '30s roadster

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EDT

Welcome to another episode of "Because Swedecar [UPDATE: Make that Because Finncar.] Today we're examining a take on the 1930s roadster aesthetic, whose engine has eight spark plugs. (Of course, it also only has four cylinders.) Without further ado, here's the, er, Alfa Romeo hot rod. More »

Art of the pinstripe

Tom Joslin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EDT

Last month we showed you Josh Clason's excellent video highlighting the cars of Viva Las Vegas. Although we watch a lot of car videos in the name of bringing you the best weekend Jalopnik possible, Clason's VLV video was one of the best we'd seen in a while. Accordingly, we were very excited to come across a newer video of his this week on the Hemmings Motor News blog. More »

Beautiful video highlights the hot rods and customs of Viva Las Vegas

Tom Joslin — Sat, 21 May 2011 10:00:00 EDT

Viva Las Vegas is one of the most famous traditional hot rod and custom car shows in the world. Held in Vegas every spring, the show usually brings out some of the most interesting hot rods and customs the West Coast has to offer. Luckily filmmaker Josh Clason produced this well shot video capturing some of the unique cars from this year's event for all of us who missed it. More »

The 12-Cylinder Brutus Arrives, Sic Semper Ignit

Justin Hyde — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST

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If you had access to a 46-liter airplane engine and a few ancient chassis, wouldn't you at least consider an unholy experiment or two? The doctors Frankenstein at Germany's Sinsheim Technical Museum did just that with Project Brutus. More »

Save A Hot Rod, Save The World

Ray Wert — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST

Save the cheerleader? Nope. Enzos? Sure. But to really save the world, save a hot rod. We think anyway. [via PacePirate] More »

Hear America's Only Nitrous-Boosted 24-Cylinder Supercharged Diesel

Justin Hyde — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

California developer "Big" Mike Harrah already owns a 3,000-hp hot rod powered by a PT boat's V12. His next project? A Peterbuilt-based rod with a 24-cylinder Detroit Diesel, churning 3,400 hp via superchargers and nitrous. Un. Holy. More »

Hot Rod Mags Pump Up Government Fears To Boost Advertisers

Justin Hyde — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EDT

A chain of the country's most popular auto enthusiast magazines used at least 20 of its titles to run similar stories and covers this month, all asking "CAN THEY OUTLAW HOT RODDING?" It's less about street machines than political ones. More »

Meet Rusty Slammington: BMW Gets Chopped, Slammed And Rubbed The Wrong Way

Justin Hyde — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT

Mike Burroughs had an BMW closer to a parts bin than a drivable car. After four weeks of chopping and customizing, Rusty Slammington was born: A Supra-powered street rod that can fit under a semi trailer. More »

Tell Me Again Why We Need Hoods, Anyway?

Justin Hyde — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT

There's lots of ways to make music with metal pipes. This set of ram tubes from a California car show this weekend would be our first choice. [Brave Heart] More »

Three Carbs Full Of Win

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EDT

Here's a recipe for complete an utter hot rod victory: A flathead straight-six with a custom intake, roots-type supercharger and three carbs mounted in the breeze. This is a special kind of stupefying excellence. [JustACarGuy] More »

Dry Lake, Dusty Bias-Ply

Sam Smith — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EDT

If you've ever stood on a sun-drenched, crack-filled piece of lakebed, you'll understand. Even if you haven't, you probably will. Speed. Potential. Horizon. It's all there. I have dreams. God bless California for giving them to me. [via CoolisaColor] More »

Natural Gas Hot Rod Is VERY Green, Very Fast

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:30:00 EDT

This Factory Five '33 Ford wears a very loud shade of Lamborghini green, but it's not just posing, it's green enough to turn anyone envious. Under the hood's a CNG-fueled LS7 exhaling at 650 HP though four catalytic converters. More »

The Carnage Of Iron Man 2

Sam Smith — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:00:00 EDT

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Even for a metal-suited superhero film, Iron Man 2 destroyed an awful lot of cars. The list contains everything from smashed Rolls-Royce Phantoms to formula cars sliced in half by laser whips. Here's how the magic is made. More »

Sunday Afternoon Hot Rod Car Show Pr0n

Rob Krider — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EDT

What better way to kill a Sunday afternoon than to get out of the house (blatantly ignoring the honey-do list) and head out to a local hot rod show? More »

Man Builds Detailed Model Cars From Discarded Aluminum Cans

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST

Meet Sandy Sanderson from New Zealand. Needing something to keep himself occupied after breaking his wrist in a motorcycle accident, he started building amazing model cars from discarded aluminum cans. His incredibly intricate work below. More »

Today, We're Thankful For The Pre-Chinese Volvo

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST

We're thankful for pre-Ford Volvo, but now we're thinking Post-Chinese Volvo will make us thankful for the days of Ford's ownership. So this pre-Turkey Day we're remembering some highlights of the company as it is now and as it was. More »

What’s This Engine Bay: Engine Swap Edition

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:40:00 EDT

It's time again to test your automotive intellectual fortitude by figuring out what car this engine bay's from before you click through. Sure, you'll say you got it right in the comments, but only you'll know the truth. More »

The Hot Rod Culture of Star Wars

John Krewson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Star Wars! Epic spaceship battles! Space wizards with laser swords! Aliens! Chosen ones! Hot rods! Wait, hot rods? Yes indeed, science fiction's biggest franchise is lightly infused with car culture. Allow us to explain. More »

The Paint And Chrome Artwork of Billetproof Texas

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EDT

Billetproof is one of our favorite series of car shows, highlighting vintage-style hot rodding, various elements of car culture, and taking itself none-too-seriously. This beautiful gallery of photos is a peek at Billetproof Texas. More »

Drawing Awesome Hot Rod Sleds On A Nintendo DS

The Auto Insider — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Christian Pearce, illustrator extraordinaire, sees no limits when it comes to his hot rod art, proving that even the touchscreen-enabled Nintendo DS and the homebrew app, Colors can be a deadly combo for imaginative creation. More »

Cadillac VSR Hot Rod Concept

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:30:00 EST

GM Performance parts and Race Car Replicas have created a 400 HP V-Series-inspired hot rod concept called the Cadillac VSR. A Prowler-destroying menace built for SEMA but still terrorizing other auto shows. More »

Eric Rickman, Original NHRA Safety Safari Member, Dies

Ray Wert — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:15:00 EST

Original NHRA Safety Safari member Eric "Rick" Rickman dies. [NHRA] More »

The Hot Rods Of The 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise

Andrew Stoy — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

We've given you the muscle and the customs of the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise. Now it's time for the hot rods. — Ed. More »

Community College Students Build 550 Horsepower Mid-Engine Ford Five Hundred

Andrew Stoy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:20:00 EDT

At Washtenaw Community College near Ann Arbor, MI, you can take algebra and English lit. You can also take Custom Cars & Concepts, where your assignments might include building a mid-engine Ford Five Hundred with a supercharged 5.3-liter Ford GT engine putting out 550 HP. What course would you choose? Instructor Scott Malnar told us this beast was entirely student-built and took first place at the Autorama show two years ago in the "street exhibition and performance" category. One look at the gallery below will tell you it was well-deserved. More »

Roush Mustang Stage 3 Suspension, Now Sold Separately

Wes Siler — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Good news for 2003 through 2009 Ford Mustang owners that don't want to throw down $21,000 on a complete Roush Stage 3 kit: The suspension alone is now available separately for just $1,449, meaning it's now affordable to make your 'Stang handle. The complete kit is a direct replacement for the spongy stock suspension, lowers the car 1", and includes springs, dampers, jounce bumpers and anti-roll bars. Full details follow the jump. More »

And The Winner Of The Greatest Use Of Fiero Powertrain: '39 Chevy Rat Rod

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT

The art of chopping up Pontiac Fieros and using their guts in other projects is one which occasionally, if rarely, produces something really unique. Instead of a passe Nailhead up front, or a cobbled together amalgam of collected parts, LuckyFast Eddie of Camden, Delaware has dropped the whole enchilada — engine, trans, and suspension — from a Fiero into the tail-end of a chopped-and-stretched '39 Chevy. More »

Buick Roadmaster Hot Rod Makes Flat Black Look Good

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Flat black, white walls, wagon, flames. On paper, this Buick Roadmaster wagon would be a spectacular hot rod and parts hauler, but the truth is far stranger than that. Start with the first description, then chop the top off the wagon, add a vinyl liner to the back, and make those flames out of wood-grained contact paper. Oh, and put some bull horns on the hood. And rename it the Ratmaster Roadster. Intriguing. In fact, all signs point to crazy, and therefore a sick part of us really likes it. (Thanks for the pics Tinfoil) More »

Flame Jobs Or Surface Rust?

Mark Arnold — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Some may argue that the only proper finish for a hot rod or kustom is a good ol' flame paint job. But at Billetproof we noticed that many of the rides have adopted the growing trend of a natural (or natural-looking) surface rust. It really depends on the car, and the owner's preference. We dig both, so we'll let you all decide. Which is cooler? More »

Billetproof: All Ate Up With Motor

Mark Arnold — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:20:00 EDT

Summer is car show season in Michigan. So, after checking out the Orphan Car Show last weekend, this past weekend we went up to the little town of Davisburg to hang out at Billetproof. Basically, it's the most badass Hot Rod show there is. No six-figure trailer queens here. This is a show where surface rust is loved more than chrome, and flat primer as much as metal-flake candy coat. But what do you really come to a Hot Rod show for? That's right, you come for big, beautiful motors. Check out the gallery below for our favorite mechanical details from the show. More »

Norwegian Hot Rod Slammed, Literally

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:20:00 EDT

Looking at this bad wipeout it's hard not to be surprised that the driver survived. Apparently, the 52-year-old driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from his car before it landed wheels-up in the ditch. Though lucky to survive, the man is in stable but serious condition in a hospital with significant chest injuries. Because of the foam it is sort of hard to get a read on what happened but there don't appear to be any visible skid marks, which makes us wonder how far it flipped before arriving in the ditch or if it came from the other side of the road. A picture of the hot rod pre-destruction below the jump. More »

Details Emerge on Lakes Style Speedster

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:40:00 EDT

We told you what was needed to figure out the details on that sweet black lakes-style hot rod was to just sit back and let the HAMBers do their thing. Of course we were right again, as they've clawed a ton of information out in just a single day. First and foremost on the neat-o list is that engine its unbelievably a Datsun 260Z mill made to look like an old Miller/Offenhauser inline six — very trick. The car was built by a first time body man by the name of Jim Pendleton out of Texas and the build is fairly well documented across several sites. It's pretty nicely built and aside from the Datsun motor the rest of the build appears to be period correct. Jealous. More »

Mysterious Single Seat Lakes-Style Hot Rod

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:45:00 EDT

A very mysterious custom hot rod showed up at the Lone Star Rod & Kustom Round Up last weekend and it's caught our eye. The single seat, lakes-style inspired roadster is sleek and smooth with some very cool tricks up it's sleeve. The car is powered by an inline six sporting a straight pipe running down the side and a V12 distributor — good for a dual spark head. Not too much info out on it yet, but the folks at the HAMB are on the case, so we'll know what schedule bolts were used on the seat bracket in no time. More details and images over at Jalopy Journal. More »

2008 Builder Of The Year: Gene Winfield

Mark Arnold — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:45:00 EDT

His work has been seen on TV series such as Bewitched, Star Trek, and Get Smart, as well as on the big screen in Blade Runner, Robocop, Back to the Future II, and Sleeper. So it really comes as no surprise that the 2008 Motorama Builder Of The Year is Gene Winfield. He's one of the greats, right up there with Ed Roth and George Barris. He was one of the first to make a "Lead Sled" Mercury, but it's obvious that he wasn't tied down to just that particular sort of Kustom. Even if you're not into "blended" paint jobs or the low stances, you really can't ignore the talent and creativity this gentleman still has. There's so much we could say, but we'll just let you enjoy the gallery below of his display at the 2008 Detroit Autorama. More »

The Larson Engineering Special

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:15:00 EDT

What do you call a handmade car built by a 20 something name Bob Larson and old enough to have been in the original Detroit Autorama? You call it the Larson Engineering special and it is a treasure trove of clever ideas and hellish ergonomics. We're not implying anything, but if this is the car responsible for the whole scissor doors thing, we're way less excited by it. Still the way they operate is pretty clever, sort of a pivot on a carrier mounted to a parallelogram hinge and secured with a shot pin latch, not bad for 1953, but not even the tip of the iceberg for this car. More »

We Like To Call This The Puppy Crusher

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:20:00 EDT

We saw this mashup at Autorama in Detroit this weekend and immediately imagined a darker, more gory version of 101 Dalmatians. The villainess would beckon her automobile from its murky depths to carry on all manner of misdeed and the car would be known as Cruella's Puppy Crusher. We spent some time talking with the builder, one Mr. Brajkovich of Brajkovich Rods and Customs from Jonestown, PA. and found out some pretty neat stuff. First, even though it isn't quite done yet, what we do see came together in only 3 months of work. Everything in the car is some kind of special, instead of the common 235 straight six, the car has the bigger and nominally more powerful 300. The exhaust is routed 3 per side into the frame rails and is dumped out the back through the open rails More »

Boyd Coddington, Remembered

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:30:00 EST

As we sadly reported first earlier today, Boyd Coddington died early this morning at the age of 63.
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Boyd Coddington, Hot Rod King, Dead At Age 63

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:07:42 EST

World-renowned tuner and hot rod king Boyd Coddington died at 6:20 am this morning. The cause of death is still unknown. Coddington, founder of Boyds Wheels and designer of prize-winning custom cars, had recently been hospitalized twice for an undisclosed medical condition. Although he was though to be in recovery, rumors of his untimely death began circulating today throughout the forums. A spokesperson for Boyd Coddington's corporation has confirmed to Jalopnik that those rumors are true. The company will be releasing a statement later today.
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