Not only is the original on display at the state fair, but he's joined by a female monster friend at one of the fair's entrances. Then there's the Monster couple above shops near the NC State campus. It's kind of amazing how far the artist behind this has come; from a wanted man to a local hero.

And that's not all- this mid-70s Chevy van boasts cubic yards of hipster accessories without being at all ironic and/or pretentious. I ran into this fine machine at the 24 Hours Of LeMons South Fall a few weeks back; its owner is a member of the USS Enterprise Ford LTD team.

Quadruple exhaust pipes, 8-ball shifter, North Carolina plates… and Tommy Chong's signature on the dash. Yes, it's for real!

Click next to start your tour across these grand states. This land is your land, now go and drive across it.

Photo Credit: Wolfgang Staudt

State: West Virginia
Route: U.S. 50
Suggested By: Scroggs
Reason: "West Virginia. Pick up US 50, south of Cumberland MD, and drive west until you hit the Ohio River. The scenery is rustic, the road twisty, and the state troopers infrequent."  

Photo Credit: Mike Quick

State: Utah
Route: I-80
Suggested By: Atomic
Reason: "You go from perfectly flat, perfectly white salt, to brown mountains, that you literally drive through like a gate. It's amazing. Oh, and also, you can read all the messages left in rocks on the salt if you're not driving, which is pretty fun."

Photo Credit: WisDoc

State: Kentucky
Route: I-65/I-75/I-64
Suggested By: GIC
Reason: "The roads are what keep me here in Kentucky - you're really not far from anything you could want: 
 
-Want to stage your own Top Gear videography? The rolling lanes bordered by civil-war era stone fences, verdant hills, ramshackle estates of the bluehair monied gentry and the compounds of their noveau cousins will fit the bill. The Irish and British have nothing on Springtime in the Bluegrass. 
 
-Fancy yourself a WRC wanna-be... do ya punk? Well, pick a back road: any back road. Preferably any of the ones that border the KY river, or the eastern end of the state. Just watch out for that low diesel rumble - because if the switchbacks and sheer cliffs and one-lane bridges and tunnels don't keep you honest - the coal trucks will. 
 
-A lonely slog balls-out through the desert? The Western Kentucky Parkway would otherwise bore you to tears. But it's great for unofficial trap runs, heh heh. 
 
-Urban post-apocalyptic wasteland? Well, not so much urban - but try some of KY's more depressed areas like McCreary and Pike counties. You'll be as enthralled as fascinated by the serenity of decay in a places that never had a chance, as you may be scared for your life. There are lessons in the land. 
 
-Country-corny Americana? Please, you can't drive 10 miles in any direction without tripping over yet another sign about yet another "Historic Downtown Bufu" just ahead. Thing is though, they speak the truth. So many of these small towns are time capsules, each in its own unique state of being, its own way to belie the past and in some cases, a present representing a future that never came.  
 
But if none of that is your fancy and you just want to just get the heck along on your merry consumer way, the I-65 and I-75 corridors are well maintained speedways. Plus you can see the Corvette and Camry plants respectively - so choose your flavor. I-64 connects the two, transitioning from rolling Appalachia on the east end to urban congestion on the west - and you'll be a stone's throw from Ford Truck (soon to be Ford Car) central when you reach Louisville. 
 
The Bigwigs of the Bluegrass (horse money is big out here) can often be seen sporting all manner of Exotics. Sure, it's no LA. But there's something more authentic about seeing a Ferrari or Lotus or A8 or Detomaso on a two-lane county road - a predator in its natural element if you will. They'll even respect you if you show it in kind. 
 
And if you're the rare soul who appreciates your metal in more pedestrian tones - trust me, Beaters still live in KY. You might have to get out of Lexington to see them, but… they're out there. And your classics and your WTFs and your survivors. You can't ever drive across this state for an hour without seeing SOMETHING Jalop-worthy. And oftentimes the driver may be none the wiser.  
 
Plus we got some funny place names. In addition to both a "Springfield" AND a "Shelbyville", we've got "Black Gnat", "Nonesuch", "Big Bone Lick", "Gratz", "Rain" and many many more of all flavors, always worth a chuckle.  
 
Yeah. The Paradox State is a great place to be" 

Photo Credit: VistaVision</em.

State: North Carolina
Route: Wilmington Highway/I-40
Suggested By: Deadmoon
Reason: "Beaches at one end, mountains at the other, and a whole lot of good pavement and dirt roads in between. The State Troopers are formidable "opponents," though very professional and polite. ( Frankly after driving there for many years, everywhere else has been a cakewalk... ) The interstates are nice, but if you like taking the long way home, NC's got my vote."

Photo Credit: Dr_Television

State: Tennessee
Route: Highway 74/Highway 129 (Tail Of The Dragon)
Suggested By: Pop Snicker
Reason: "Tennessee is great. You have the Dragon in the east with the Smokey Mountains, the Natchez Trace heading south from Nashville, and any road that is not I-40, 65, or 24, is a twisty, curvey, joy of Americana. 
Small 1 gas pump mom and pop shops, real roadside diners, and the nicest people you could meet anywhere"

State: Oregon
Route: Highway 101/I-84
Suggested By: TimTim
Reason: "Timing is critical. There's a one week window, at best, when the kids are in school, the tourists have dispersed, and it has not yet begun to rain... I'm talking about Hwy 101 through Oregon. The views are like no other, the roads are twisty, and there's 300 miles of it. But don't stop at the border, 101 continues up and around the Olympic Peninsula in Washington with more of the same. Only detractor is the small towns every 30-40 miles and the occasional State Trooper. But that's why you wait 'till after Labor Day, when the po-po and the Winnebago all take a break" Also, I-84 through the center of the state.

Photo Credit: SaraMcD

State: California
Route: Highway 1/101
Suggested By: Scandinavian Flick
Reason: "The entire Pacific coast. Start in Southern California and take Highway 1. Then follow Highway 101 all the way up to Washington and trace the Puget Sound. You will never see such sights anywhere in the U.S. It will take a while, but it will be worth it for the sheer beauty and pure driving enjoyment on some of the best windy roads I know."

Photo Credit: Extra_Medium

State: Washington
Route: I-90 / Hwy 26
Suggested By: Joshman
Reason: "I'm partial to my native Washington. Head east from Seattle over the mountains. From the forests of the western slopes of the Cascades you transition to pine trees and scrub brush on the eastern slope. Choose between wine country near Walla Walla, apple orchards near Wenatchee, or just stay on I-90 before driving highway 26 through the Palouse"

Photo Credit: Aribix

State: Montana
Route: I-90
Suggested By: Stinky Catfish
Reason: The wife and I just drove through there this summer. Low traffic, good scenery, high speed limits, and no patrols. I also appreciated that the speed limits appeared to be set high. Here in California the limits seem to be set such that no matter how bald you tires and wet the roads, your car will make it around any corner with no issue. The limits in Montana appear to be set such that you might not make it around the corner if you mis-judge your cars abilities. I appreciated that.

Photo Credit: gmark1

State: Maryland
Route: All of them
Suggested By: Ash78
Reason: In a tiny state, you have LOTS of old, winding roads and Revolution-era towns to see. You have a mountainous west, a hilly center, and a marshy east, each with a distinctly different character. Whether you're looking for the natural beauty near Hagerstown or the WV border area, or the amazing history and maritime scenery of Annapolis or the Eastern Shore, it really has a lot to offer in a small package

Sure, you could do both, but after risking a case of Jake Leg from the moonshine selection at the racetrack, even the smoooooth Pine-Sol taste of retsina didn't seem so appealing. We steered our rented Impala straight to the nondescript business park in which the legendary race car builder does its thing.


Thanks to Southern hospitality, the LeMons crew didn't get booted right out of the shop based on our scurvy-looking appearance. Instead, we were invited to poke around and gaze in awe at the machinery, and even the extremely cynical and jaded ex-automotive journalist Jay Lamm was heard to utter "Dang!" How about a replica of the Holman Moody '64 Fairlane Sports Car?


And when it's time to haul some large parts, they've got this '66 Ford flatbed parked out back. They've got a pretty cool mini-museum as well, and now I'm seriously wishing I still had my '68 Cyclone fastback.


You like the Ford GT40? Holman Moody will build you a brand-new one!

"If I furrow around enough, I'll get a full one," local Chuck Maner told the News-Record. He then quoted from the Johnny Cash song, “One Piece at a Time” which is about stealing a car one piece at a time over a period running from 1949 to 1973.

The owner of the Lamborghini, whose identity has not been disclosed by police, claimed he lost control of the $313,000 car due to a “mechanical failure.”

Maner managed to collect two handfuls of debris from the crash, we figure that’s a good start if he hopes to collect enough to build a complete Murcielago in 24 years time. [via the News-Record]

(Corvette 2+2) These photos were taken a few weeks ago by my father while vacationing in Quebec. My father, who is a gearhead and an occasional Jalop himself, noticed this maroon beast lurking along while waiting in line for a ferry to cross the St. Lawrence. It appears to be a C3 Vette which the owner has decided to rebody into a 2+2! You'll notice that from the A-pillar back the body has been entirely redone in classic DIY fashion. The bodywork is a little wavy and the paint is a little patchy but now he is the proud owner of a Vette which can carry 4 in style. One can only imagine the reasoning for creating such a magnificent beast. Maybe the wife chided him for his "unpractical" purchase of a Vette so he went about to prove her wrong. Maybe it's a top secret 2+2 C7 mule out doing some testing. Maybe he had some extra Bondo lying around and said "why not?" Anyways, pardon the dodgy nature of the photos, this particular area is notorious for biker gangs and my father didn't want to upset anyone so he snapped them as quickly and as discretely as possible.

(Corvette Wagon) Yo! Just noticed ur DOTS post on the stingray. Check out the one I just saw! We were driving from NC to VA to check out another (3rd) milano... We just saw a Stingray Sportwagon on a trailer. nice!

Driving along the border of North and South Cackalacky in BMW's new Mars Rover X6 when suddenly Captain Siler and I happened upon this ghostly beaut. She'll never run and in a few years this green masterpiece will slide right down the cliff she's perched on. If I were richer, I'd buy a lot of land and make this Mack the focal point of my garden. Maybe get a couple of wooden Japanese bridges leading up to it. Not unreasonably, Wes became convinced that the owner was going to pop out of the dilapidated shack, shot gun in hand and kill us for trespassing. As the sign said, "Welcome, Now Git!" Still, I could have stood and stared all day.

Police officers in Gardena, California and Rocky Mount, North Carolina have taken to setting up roadblocks to check vehicles for illegal tint, registration and drivers for belt usage and license possession. No drunk drivers were busted, but 62 vehicles were impounded during the four-hour California roadblock alone. Police estimate that each seizure is worth around $1,400 in towing, ticketing and impound fees each. Well, it is twenty-three years past 1984, we suppose. This makes us feel a little queasy and a lot mad. After all, they disbanded the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Who told freaking Gardena they could pick up the mantle. We suppose losing those Nissan HQ tax dollars hurt worse than they initially thought. Thanks Carlos. Thanks a lot. – Davey G. Johnson

Licensing Roadblocks Generate Revenue by Seizing Cars [TheNewspaper]

Related:
No Idling For You! [Internal]

According to a mysterious man known only as El Tonito, every year, especially around the time of the Honda Hoot, motorists and motorcyclists converge on the Tail of the Dragon, a section of US 129 south of Knoxville that features 300 turns in 11 miles, no doubt in search of the ultimate in brake and tire burnination, and possibly leaving a beefy arm or two on the side of the road. We feel like the only way to truly enjoy this section of road is on a consummate V-twin while smoking cigarettes hand-rolled from loose-leaf and sparked up by a BMW lighter. And the Trogdor comes in the NIIIIIIIIGHT!

Tail of the Dragon

Related:
Honda Throws a Hoot, Everyone Shows Up [Internal]

When you've got enough cars turning enough laps at Sears Point, you'll eventually get sucked out Highway 37, up Highway 29 and over Highway 12 into the the Napa/Sonoma winemaking region. And if you've got a bankroll the size of Paul Bunyan's bunions burning hot enough to smelt your money clip, you might just decide to start a winery in your home state of North Carolina. And that, friends, is what Richard Childress has done. Still, it makes sense, as a career arc start off as a hardscrabble kid in a '37 Plymouth in a sport founded by moonshiners, make your bones and end up of the landed gentry, producing froufrou alcohol legally.

From Water to Wine [AutoWeek]

Related:
Childress Reverse-Engineers Hand-Ground Manifolds via Computer [Internal]

Raleigh-area auto dealer Mike Leith has a notoriously huge collection of cars. He also has to clean house once in a while, and this weekend he's doing just that at an auction that allows potential buyers the unique opportunity to test-drive the classics before they bid on them. We didn't get a full list of cars that are up for bids, but from what we read, we're putting a our last five bucks down on the '37 Rolls that carried Winston Churchill's body to the grave and hoping that nobody else recognizes the vehicle's provenance.

Car dealer sells off rides from one of nation's best collections [Grand Forks Herald]

Related:
Hey! Hey! LBJ! They're Selling Your Car in Monterey! [Internal]

Sitting here on 2nd Street in Long Beach, we just saw a guy at a stoplight in a shiny, newish BMW 3-Series convertible cranking the Descendents' "Suburban Home," which struck as as oddly perfect and highly incongruous. So we decided to post on something completely DIY: Outlaw soapbox racing. The Fall Classic Soap Box Invitational, in Durham, NC took place October 22nd and featured everything from a downhill Barcalounger to something that looked like a cross between an Incom T-65 and a Dalek. And if that last simile made perfect sense to you, you really need to get outdoors more. We're bloggers. What's your excuse? [Thanks to Kevin for the tip.]

The Fall Classic Soapbox Invitational

Related:
With Apologies to the Daily Show [Internal]

Remember when the worst quality of automobile salesmen seemed to be their propensity for calling you "buddy" or more recently, "bro?" (We killed a man with our bare hands because he called us "bro.") Well, a North Carolina man recently took slimy salesmanship to the next level, horking cars he'd just sold to customers. Randall Lake's luck ran out when he unlawfully repo'd a 'Slade he'd just sold to a man at Arnold Palmer Cadillac in Gastonia. (We ask you, what other brand of car would old-school golfing greats sell?) The police tracked the Escalade via LoJack to Lake's house, where they found it stripped, along with a Corvette chassis and an ill-gotten TrailBlazer both stolen during his tenure at another dealership. For Lake's sake, let's hope his cellie's actually named "Buddy."

Car salesman charged with stealing [News 14 Carolina]

Related:
Hell-Bent for Bling: Teen Fakes M3 Theft to Upgrade to Continental GT [Internal]