If you had $10,000 to spend in parts, how would you modify your Jeep Wrangler? Well, the folks at ExtremeTerrain.com want to give you the chance to find out! All you have to do is click the link HERE and you could be upgrading your Jeep with some serious parts. You have until August 22, 2016, so you better act soon!
If you are the lucky winner, shoot us a line at editor@drivingline.com. We’d love to see your Jeep’s transformation.
For the three of you that haven't played Pokémon GO or seen the numerous posts on your social media feeds, it's the hottest trending app right now, and it's slowly taking over the world. This game brings '90s nostalgia together with the future of augmented reality, and now everyone is trying to catch Pokémon in real life.
Pokémon can be found just about anywhere – parks, churches, beaches, creepy alleys and yes, sometimes even at car shows like Spocom Super Show in Anaheim, California!
Call me a nerd all you want... I decided to play a little Pokémon GO while at the show. Check out what I found:
Professional model, Tianna Gregory, did not make it out to the event, but her orange Lexus RC-F did. Good thing a wild Paras appeared to model in her place.
Speaking of models, this lucky guy not only got a photo with Sabrina Bing, but a Pidgey too!
This Abra only exists in Pokémon Go, which really means it doesn't exist. Just like how this isn't a Spoon Porsche 997.
Think how easy rock crawling would be if Pokémon were real. Just make sure the Geodude you're crawling over is one cool dude.
A wild Rattata appeared right next to Team Legacy. Don't get too close to Leon Casino's NSX or else it might attack!
By now, everyone knows that Janet Fujimoto did a 2JZ swap in her classic Toyota Crown, but if you popped the hood at Spocom you might have found a 1-Sand-shrew instead.
Everyone is going crazy over this game... I guess you could say they are all going Zubats!
In our last installment of the Nitto Tire and Florida Georgia Line sweepstakes truck build, we showed you how this 2015 F-150 4x4 got trail ready with a 4-inch performance series suspension kit from BDS Suspension. Here, we head back to So Cal Super Trucks to get insight into the rest of the upgrades that make this EcoBoost-powered 4x4 standout on the in the dirt and on the street. Registration is open until 10/26/2016, so enter now!
Modern trucks might have slightly better aerodynamics than those of yesteryear, but the low-profile stock bumpers leave plenty to be desired in the dirt. To make sure there was plenty of clearance and front end protection, So Cal Super Trucks installed a Vengeance Series front bumper from Fab Fours. This particular bumper was outfitted with the optional Pre-Runner Guard and gloss-black finish.
To add a little extra style, Fab Fours side-light inserts were also installed. They got a helping of the factory Ford red before being bolted in place.
Hanging out on the trail and blasting tunes late into the night requires good lighting to keep the party going. To brighten your evening, three KC HiLites 6-inch-round KC Pro-Sport Gravity lights and a 20-inch C-series lightbar were mounted up front.
For more practical nighttime driving needs, a set of Spyder Auto projector headlights were installed. These lights were a complete bolt-in upgrade and a major improvement over the stock headlights in every way.
If you’re carrying heavy cargo in the bed of your truck, and want a little more occupant protection, then the Fab Fours Headache Rack is worth checking out. This bolt-in upgrade houses two KC LZR LED cube lights, so you’ll have no trouble seeing in the bed at night.
To complete the look and function of the pickup, a Fab Fours Vengeance rear bumper was attached out back. Additional lighting is provided by four KC LZR LED lights.
To make sure all of the KC Lights were properly wired and relayed, So Cal used a sPOD. These handy all-in-one wiring modules make it safe, clean, and easy to attached auxiliary electronic components.
This is her! Adorned on a set of 35x12.50R20Nitto Ridge Grapplers and 20-inchKMC Grenade wheels, this 2015 F-150 is ready for a new owner.
Hard Facts
Make: 2015 Ford F-150 CrewCab short bed
Engine: 3.5L EcoBoost
Transmission: Automatic
Transfer Case: Stock
Suspension: BDS Suspension 4-in, w/Fox Coilovers
Tires: 35x12.50R20 Nitto Ridge Grappler
Wheels: 20x9 KMC Grenade
Auxiliary lighting by: KC HiLites
Headlights: Spyder Auto
Wiring: 4x4 sPOD
Audio: Kicker VSS PF150SC15 Power Stage System
Armor: Fab Fours Vengeance Series bumpers, Fab Fours Headache rack
Battery: Odyssey 48-720
Exhaust: MBRP Cat-Back
Reigning Formula Drift Champion, Fredric Aasbo is the undisputed king of the North (that's Canada) after his second consecutive win at Montreal's Autodrome Saint Eustache. This is the first time, however, that the scores count towards the Pro Championship series, and Aasbo needed every point in order to close the gap between himself and the current leader, Nitto Tire driver, Vaughn Gittin Jr. Gittin Jr. got as far as the Blackvue Final 4 before Chris Forsberg (the round's second place winner) got the better of him. Gittin Jr. might have missed the podium this round, but he earned enough points to still stand on top with a 3-point lead.
Only three rounds remain for the 2016 Formula Drift Pro Championship Series, stay tuned to DRIVINGLINE.com/DRIFT to see if Vaughn Gittin Jr. can hold on to the lead.
Get all of the details from Formula Drift Montreal in our Top 32 Play-by-play breakdown.
Aaron Kaufman isn't satisfied with just being good, he strives to be the best. And for his next challenge, Aaron wants to master the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. No longer a rookie in the game, he's picked up some tricks going into his third running at Pikes Peak and we've jumped in to give you an exclusive ride along in his 1963 Ford Falcon!
If you haven't heard of the Car Craft Summer Nationals, then your keys should be taken away immediately. It is one of the penultimate displays of American Muscle and Hot Rods in the country, featuring over 3,500 cars, auto-cross challenges, the Midnight Drags at Union Grove Raceway, a Pro-Builder Challenge, and an Undiscovered Builders segment.
This was the second year the show was at Milwaukee Mile; a place that conjures memories of legends like Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and others throughout its 113 year history. It is the oldest operating speedway in the world, has hosted everything motorsports has to offer and provided a perfect backdrop for 2016 Car Craft Summer Nationals.
Even though it is a domestic themed show, there were plenty of stunning imports there as well. It’s become a mecca for car lovers who grew up with American Graffiti and Grease (and those who never grew up at all). Now it has evolved into something more – a forum for the cross-pollination of ideas and build styles of today's car culture. Browse through the gallery above to see around some of these build-inspiring cars and check back in soon for more on the builders challenges!
Silt was something I'd only experienced in small amounts before I started trekking out on course to photograph Ultra4 races and the NORRA Mexican 1000. If you've never found yourself in the middle of a true silt bed, just imagine filling a wading pool with baking flour and then trying to walk or drive through it... you very quickly sink straight to the bottom!
At this year's Mexican 1000 the media crew, equipped with a Ford Raptor running on the brand new Nitto Ridge Grapplers, found themselves helping a handful of racers out of a silt bed. Each time we'd pull one buggy or truck out, another racer would drive up behind and get caught. A silt bed can be a dangerous place to be caught in and we were glad our Ridge Grapplers handled the job like a champ.
Watch the video above to see first-hand how the Ridge Grapplers handled the job.
I can't believe it's already been a decade since the very first Spocom Super Show! For the past 10 years, they have been gathering perfect 10 out of 10 car competitors, vendors, dancers and babes. You can groove to the music while watching the urban dance and GoGo competitions or wait in line to take photos with that one hot model or freely walk around the Anaheim Convention Center floor looking at insane builds and popular vendors. While there's so much to see and do at Spocom, we wanted to try to stay focused and highlight some of the top cars from the show.
In no particular order, check out 10-ish perfect 10 superstars from Spocom Anaheim:
Can't mess with a classic. Felix had everyone feeling some kind of way with his Skyline on light blue Volk Racing TE37s. This was my favorite car of the whole show and I'm assuming the same goes for most others there.
A+ for the display. LED Lights might not always scream rough and tough, but they are still very important in the off-road world. I'm not sure what's more beast, the F-350 itself or that it's resting its Nitto Tire Trail Grapplers on one of their Bulldog LED lighting bars.
Above average. When Yogi isn't breaking the Internet, he's breaking necks at car shows. You can read more about this special build in our recent feature.
The Gulf paint scheme is one of the most iconic racing looks made popular by the Ford GT40 that competed and won at Le Mans. The Datsun 240Z is one of the most iconic classic import cars that just keeps getting more popular with age. It was only right for Rich to bridge the gap by building this "GT240Z". His work didn't go unrecognized as he won Best Nissan on this day.
Walking through the convention center floor, J.Perez's yellow S2K quickly caught my eye. I'm glad I took the time to capture this beauty because not too long after Spocom it was involved in an unfortunate accident. Luckily JP is okay, but his S2K was declared a total loss. RIP.
Nilo Miranda's AirREX equipped Acura NSX has a new look for this year. You might remember it from the Facebook LIVE video we took the day before the show when we had to burn some gas to get it under the roll-in requirement.
Benz & Crown, sounds like something I would ask a bartender for. It's a case of same-same, but different for Team Legacy's Mercedes-Benz 280c and R-Rydes' Janet Fujimoto's Toyota Crown.
Rick's Hakosuka is the perfect embodiment of a classic JDM build. The steel grey look definitely gives it at "Urban Wok" feel. On the other side, Cyber Racing's Mazda RX-2 RE might not be as recognizable as the Hako, but its still just as clean.
Low, Wide, Driven. That's right, if you ever frequent the 405, you might have noticed Jonny's crazy Hyundai Genesis cruising. Still not ringing any bells? It used to be bright green.
The cleanest tuck on a Civic you will ever see, and I wouldn't have expected anything less from a build by Rywire.
And then there's me representing at the DC Sports booth. Ever since I scored the third Rocket Bunny kit for the tC and got it installed early this year, I've been trying to bring it out to more shows.
Hot Import Nights made its stop in Chicago this weekend bringing with it a collection of models, beats, and tuners all set against the sparkling Chicago skyline. This year the event invaded a place known for horsepower: Hawthorne Race Track, greater Chicago's horse and harness racing track. The juxtaposition of horsepower and “horse” power gave the show unique character, balancing out the loud and brazen show with a bit of serenity. The eclectic mix of cars, competing concourse-style, featured prime examples from almost every era and every genre... from a beautifully restored 280Z to a stunning white and purple Subaru.
This year's Car Craft Summer Nationals was a coming together of American car culture that really fostered the sharing of ideas and techniques from enthusiast to enthusiast. It was a celebration of the best-of-the-best in custom cars and restorations. In addition to the eight professional shops that were invited to go head-to-head to be this years Pro-Builder of choice, the show also hosts an “Undiscovered Builders” segment which brings attention to the home builders who want to break into the custom car building scene.
For the pro builders, it was Wisconsin-based Speedkore that walked away with the win for their 1970 Dodge Charger “Tantrum.” If you missed seeing it at last year’s SEMA Show, you’ll be able to get a glimpse of it next Spring when Fast and Furious 8 is released. The car is a stunning work of engineering powered by a twin-turbo 9-liter Mercury Racing V8 pushing over 1600hp. (You read that right, Mercury Racing – it’s a Mercury Marine Racing offshore inboard engine.) The laser-straight body features beautifully crafted carbon fiber for the front half, blended perfectly to the rear steel. Jimmy Shine described it perfectly when he said, "It’s a work of jewelry that will kick anyone's ass on the street!"
Five diverse finalists in the Undiscovered Builders segment were invited to share the stage with the pros. I was a fortunate one of the five, chosen for the work I’ve done on my 2009 370Z.
With an import joining what has traditionally been a domestic affair there was some expected criticism, but the reception was overwhelmingly positive. My car’s build is an experiment in progress that mixes bits and pieces from a variety of major players in car culture including: Von Dutch, Jesse James, Top Secret, all with a hint of GT3 track prep.
Carbon fiber molding, airbrushing/custom paint, and technology integration are all areas I’m specifically interested in and I wanted to use a platform that I could hone my skills on. The car needed to be showable and daily-drivable, but I also wanted it to be able to handle track days at regional venues such as nearby Road America. That being said, it features one-off carbon trim such as the roof, front and rear bumper inserts, carbon brake duct systems, and full interior trim. Under the hood lies a supercharged V6 with a valve job and port and polish. Due to the increased engine temps, the custom-engineered cooling systems help cool the transmission, oil, and supercharger plenum.
The paint is a water-borne chameleon faded to metallic black and complimented by a dark prism finish on 20” Rays wheels. Like the other builds in the group, the car is a reflection of self. I do a lot of pinup art for clients so some of that is featured on bits like the engine cover, seat backs and the 3D carbon fiber pinup in the trunk. While it’s import roots set it apart, its custom work made it feel right at home with the other hot rods.
Steve Grybel brought the family Corvette to the mix, and this '72 ‘Vette is something to behold. His dad bought it in 1973 and thoroughly abused it to the point of parking it to rot. Coming from the mini-truck scene, Steve Grybel had plenty of low-ride suspension background and decided to step in and rescue the ‘Vette. His background helped to create a unique vision for the car, as Steve puts it, "I imagined a street-scene stunner that is as shaved and sparkly as a Vegas stripper.” The end result fully embodies that vision.
Everything is shaved and smoothed, even the brake calipers. All of the air ride components are tucked away out of sight as are most electrical systems – even the interior was given the shaved and glassed approach, topped off with C5 pace car seats. It’s a clever mix of old school hot rod and new school tech. Every bit of the build has been massaged by Steve, including the custom yellow metallic pearl paint job that shimmers even when the car is still. His very proud dad is still blown away by how well the build turned out and they are looking forward to their next project, a '31 Model A aimed at taking the family on the Hotrod Power Tour and a Route 66 road trip.
What do you do when you have a 1978 Firebird that is so rusted out you removed the rear driveline by hand? Most people would vote to scrap it, but not Smokey and the Bandit fan Jason Vega. He decided to take this rusted mess and transform it into a Pro-Street track monster. For almost 20 years he tinkered with it behind his mother's house until things got serious in 2000. He met a girl and they got a house together, meaning he finally had charge of a "2-car garage to build my toy in."
By the time Jason was finished with it, literally everything was scrapped except for the canopy and small sections of the front clip. He meticulously rebuilt the frame into a 2x3" boxed frame, braced by a cut-and-weld cage kit to withstand the launches on the strip. Over 90 percent of the sheet metal was replaced, some of it with hand-fabricated stainless. The motor is a nicely built 455, bored and stroked to a 495, purpose-built to take a beating on the track. It currently commands a 12-second timeslip but Jason hopes to shave that down to 10 with some fine tuning and drag radials.
Jim Ransom is in the grey area between undiscovered and pro. An avid drag racer and chassis builder, he has built some of the Midwest's strongest Pro-Street builds. It isn’t uncommon to hear his '68 Nova launching from the stoplights in the small town of Oconomowoc, and if you’re perceptive you’ll see him giggling from behind the wheel at every take-off. Jim dreamt awhile about creating a Nova that would trump the one he used to drive during high school and four years ago he finally got his wish. Unfortunately that wish was an $800, rusted-out Wisconsin car. It took four painstaking years to build this 9-second monster.
An engineer by trade, it shows in every facet of Jim’s car. It is an old-school style build that features a 2" stretched tube frame tubbed out under a hand-made cage. Any body filling needed was done with lead rather than Bondo, just like O.G. hotrodders would’ve done.
I appreciated Jim’s creativity in the details – such as the air cleaner cage that’s machined from a shop rag hopper, but it’s so well engineered it looks like a GM Performance part. Jim even bead-rolled the aluminum interior panels and stainless headers by hand. It was a treat watching him thrash the daylights out of his Nova during Summer National’s Midnight Drags on Saturday night.
Being selected as the five Car Craft Undiscovered Builders was an honor, but being allowed to partake in the forum was the real reward. Each builder in either of the competitions had their own unique style and inspiration they draw on, and it was awesome to learn more about their build processes during the on-stage builder forum.
While we shared some of our own goals and experiences with the crowd, we were also allowed to ask questions of the pros - candidly interacting with industry leaders in a way that would have otherwise been impossible. Topics such as how the businesses were grown, and how customers' involvement has changed were discussed in depth. If there was one common denominator of their responses, it was that customers today are more informed than ever and have a much higher sensitivity to design details such as surface treatments and engineering elements. Techniques and the evolution of style was a lively conversation with Jimmy Shine. Even though it was only 90 minutes, the knowledge shared was immeasurable.
You can bet I’ll be returning next year, as the Car Craft Summer Nationals will be held in Milwaukee for at least the next two years - put it on your list for next July as well. I’m looking forward to putting some of this inspiration to practice in my own garage between now and then!
Sometimes the car bug bites early. For Dennis Jones, legendary letterer and pinstriper, it also bit at just the right time in history. Hot rodding, drag racing and custom car culture was still emerging from the primordial ooze of post-war boredom, teenage swagger and chronic speed addiction. As a kid in Pico Rivera with a steady hand, an eye for style and the discipline to study and refine his craft, Dennis would burn his mark into the endless sheet metal canvas that is car culture.
“Early on, I talked my mother into driving me to the Baron, Roth & Kelly shop. I wasn’t old enough to drive. There were ’52 Chevys all scalloped and pinstriped. They were masking out flame jobs. Ed Roth wasn’t building cars yet. They were knocking stuff out as fast as possible. I wanted to stay out of the way, so I just watched them work in the bays for, maybe 40 minutes or so. There was a guy named Slimbo there, a striper. He finally came up to me and says, ‘You look like you’re pretty interested in this stuff.’ I told him that I was. He took me aside and gave me some pointers.”
“The first thing Slimbo told me was to get a nice piece of glass and a car door or fender. He just said, ‘Get your paint going and practice. When you’re done, wipe it off and start over again. Practice, practice, practice.’ And he was right. I never had anyone show me how to hold the brush or how to load it with paint. I just watched those guys work. I learned it by watching.”
“Here I was a sophomore in High School and I was striping dashboards and doing spider webs, musical notes, whatever. I’d make $35 a day on the weekends- that was good money. With that and my paper route I bought my first car, a ’40 Ford sedan with a built Flathead. I sold that and bought a ’56 Chevy, which became my real high school car. I ran a few drags with it, ran El Mirage, took it to Bonneville.”
“My two early influences were first, the Lasage brothers, Burke and Joe. They had a red ’32 coupe and Burke was already a pretty well-known dry lakes racer. I used to stop and admire that car and before long they wanted me to letter it. I was flattered that they would trust it to me, I was just a kid. Later, I painted Jerry Kugel’s black lacquer Ford at my folks’ house. I was lettering race cars, hot rods, anything I could get my hands on. The other big influence was Ak Miller’s Garage.”
When Dennis’ older brother, Bob, got hired at the now-legendary Ak Miller Garage on nearby Whittier Blvd, Dennis saw it as a way into a world that he had been obsessed with since he striped his first neighborhood bicycle frame. Ak Miller was already a legend in hot rodding and a founder and key player in the SCTA and later the NHRA. His garage was a buzz of creativity and innovation in drag racers and dry lakes cars. “I would hang out at Ak Miller’s and you couldn’t help but be inspired by all the stuff that was happening there.”
“This, what we now call car culture, was going on all over L.A. and into Long Beach. But in the Whittier/Pico Rivera area, we had our own little thing happening. Cruising Whittier Blvd, Bob’s Big Boy, all that. And there was always something new and interesting going on at Ak Miller’s Garage. That’s how I got in with The Roadrunners.”
“The Roadrunners were an SCTA club made up of mostly La Habra, Whittier and Pico Rivera Guys.” These “guys” included some of the biggest names in hot rodding and drag and dry lakes racing- in addition to Ak Miller, Wally Parks, Fred Carillo, Art Chrisman, Vic Edelbrock, Jerry Kugel, Bob and Dick Pierson and many other car culture legends ran with a Roadrunners plaque.
“The year I graduated High School, 1962, we ran three cars at El Mirage. First was a ’62 Corvette, and then we ran the Corvette’s tow car, a stock ’56 Ford Fairlane- yeah, it was there, so we ran that! We also ran my high school car, a ’56 Chevy with a 327. We hit 148mph with my Chevy, a record. But the SCTA wouldn’t let us do a follow-up run because it didn’t have a roll bar. They never expected that car to go so fast.”
“Right after high school I was interested in commercial art and took a class over at Cerritos College. It was called Package Design. Today they call it Graphic Arts. I was good at it and even won an award at the college, but I decided that it wasn’t for me. They taught us what to expect as a professional and I didn’t like the thought of being indoors lined up along side three or six or ten other artists, an Art Director hovering over your shoulder…”
“I liked working on cars. They call it car culture today, but I just liked to be around racecars doing lettering and striping. It was an inspiring environment. I took it seriously, I concentrated on good lettering and striping. Names on cars were popular. Baron, Roth & Kelly would do names for $3.00. I would do them for $1.50. They were the kings and I learned as much as I could from them. Von Dutch was around, but he was kind of doing different things.”
“I’m formally trained as a sign painter. I committed to a two-year sign-painting course at L.A. Trade Tech College. They taught you everything, starting with drawing letters. We learned proper spacing, how to apply gold-leaf, how to paint a sign up on a wall, lettering glass storefronts, lettering in reverse on the back of glass- all of it. I came out of there as an apprentice sign-painter and went to work right away for a big sign company.”
“I got married, bought a house, had kids. I worked for the sign company all week and did cars at night after work. I might work 3 or 4 hours into the evening and then do it all again the next day. It’s tough to keep up that pace and eventually I was so busy with my side work, I bit the bullet and opened my own shop. It wasn’t easy walking away from a good union job with a retirement and security and all that, but I decided to control my own destiny. I opened Jones Custom Lettering and 45 years later, I’m still in business.”
Coming around full circle, Dennis’ work is heading back to Bonneville on the most high-profile car in recent memory. “I just did the silver leaf lettering on Danny Thompson’s Challenger II streamliner. We were out at Bonneville in the late-50s and early-60s when Mickey Thompson was doing all kinds of wild things. Chasing 400mph in Challenger I. Challenger II is a gorgeous car and I was excited to do it.”
“I’m a good pinstriper but my real strength has been lettering, I’m known for my lettering. They look at it as art today, and it is, but we didn’t think of it that way when I started.” Dennis Jones has infused the wide reach of car culture with skill and tasteful execution for 60+ years. Pick up any custom car magazine from the golden age right up to the present day and somewhere within those pages, his work will assert itself, staking out its own unique place, here in this automobile age.
Photos by Tim Sutton
One of the most exciting events you can participate in, no matter if you're an owner of a European or Japanese car, is Targa Trophy's Euro vs JDM Festival, a rally that takes place each summer and puts you onto some of California's best roads for a day of high spirited driving. Your goal: hit the fastest time by the conclusion of the event while visiting landmarks along the way to complete a scorecard. The Targa Trophy staff has a pre-determined time that they pre-run the event at, which if you drive at the right speed, can find the answers to the scorecard and actually complete, should give you the bragging rights of being the winner. I've tried this event a couple times before and can say it's not as easy as it looks, no matter how much ass you're haulin'!
This year's Euro vs JDM Festival took participating drivers to Las Vegas, starting off from downtown LA at the ID Agency's headquarters. To help kick off the event, Targa Trophy held a small party with title sponsor, MOMO, to gather some of its participants together so we could see what would be on the drive, while also taking a look at some of MOMO's latest forged wheels. Lots of industry support with friends in attendance, such as RJ DeVera, Dai Yoshihara, Bisi Ezerioha, Mackin Industries and Super Street to name a few.
The next Targa Trophy event is the Road to Monterey, which aims to take drivers up along the California coast, and is open to those who own a modern/vintage supercar, exotic, sports or luxury cars. If it's anything like the Targa 1000 I did back in 2013, it's going to be one hell of a drive. Maybe we need to sign up?
(Photos: Jasper Watts, The iD Agency)
While there are lightning-fast diesels spread out all over North America, the only way to see dozens of them competing in one place is to attend an event that’s being hosted by a national sanctioning body. In the world of diesel trucks, the National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA), Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS), and the National Association of Diesel Motorsports (NADM) are the premier organizations for bringing the best diesel drag racing action to a town near you.
When the NHRDA stopped into Gateway Motorsports Park (just outside of St. Louis, Illinois), we made the trip out to the show and we’re glad we went. Not only did we see a handful of full-bodied ¾-ton and 1-ton trucks running 9-second quarter-miles, but we also witnessed the first Duramax to ever break into the 6’s! And, that wasn’t all. How about a ’34 Chevy rat rod running 11.0’s on a budget, a 10,000-pound semi clicking off 12’s, and some of the region’s nastiest pulling trucks? Scroll on, it only gets better.
Running consistent 9.40’s all day in the 148-149 mph range, Chris Buhidar turned the wick up for the final round in the heads-up Super Street Class. With a whiff of nitrous, his triple-turbo, Cummins-powered ’00 F-350 put up a blistering 9.02-second pass at 152 mph and took home the win.
Anthony Reams and his XDP sponsored ’95 Dodge clicked off a blazing 9.17 at 153 mph during qualifying, and then rocketed to a 9.15 at 151 mph in the final round of Super Street. He would finish Second to the aforementioned Chris Buhidar, but was part of the fastest side-by-side race to date in NHRDA history.
Believe it or not, this ’69 Chevy C10 owned by Brett Deutsch is actually an 8-second ride! The Duramax that powers it was built by Danville Performance in conjunction with machine work from Wagler Competition Products, and sports a triple-turbo arrangement with ball bearing chargers from Bullseye Power. Unfortunately, Deutsch never found traction on the day (and actually ended up in the opposing lane after losing control following a nasty launch), but the truck has ran an 8.62-second pass at 161 mph in the past.
Making the trip down I-70 was Indiana native Matthew Misner and his triple turbo Duramax. Also competing in Super Street, his Fleece Performance-backed Chevy Silverado would lay claim to a best pass of 9.77 seconds at 139 mph.
Not only did Wade Moody pilot his Duramax-powered rail to the winner’s circle, but he set a new record in the process. Running a 6.99 at 192 mph during qualifying marked the first time a Duramax has ever crept into the 6’s. Moody would end up running a 7.03 at 192 mph in the final, beating out the Scheid Diesel dragster’s 6.91 at 214 mph due to a quicker reaction time (0.085 vs. 0.293 seconds).
While it is the quickest diesel rail in existence (with a 6.31 at 226 mph under its belt in the past), the Scheid Diesel dragster has had its fair share of gremlins thus far in 2016. However, it’s still clicking off high 6’s at more than 200 mph like clockwork, so we don’t think it will be long before the Scheid crew puts together a pass to beat its own record. At the Midwest Truckin’ Nationals, driver Jared Jones’ best pass of 6.91 at 214 mph would take home the runner up position.
The popularity of diesel rat rods has sky-rocketed in recent years, and why not? With awesome curb appeal, lightweight, and plenty of room under the hood to fit a diesel, what’s not to like? Susan Stump’s ’34 Chevy is powered by a VE-pumped 5.9L Cummins (the injection pump used on ’89-’93 engines), a 58mm turbo, and makes less than 400-rwhp—yet it scoots through the quarter-mile in 11-seconds flat thanks to tipping the scales at just over 3,000 pounds.
Packing parallel turbochargers, a roots style supercharger, nitrous, and an A892 Detroit Diesel V-8, Wayne Talkington’s ’63 Kenworth 921 is a far cry from the truck it started out life as more than 50 years ago. Thanks to all the go-fast goodies, Wayne’s 10,000-pound big-rig sprinted through the quarter-mile in 12.46 seconds at 107 mph.
Wade Webb’s ’05 F-250 (which is still 6.0L Power Stroke powered, mind you) put up a good fight in the 11.90 Index (Super Diesel) Class. Although he didn’t get the win, he did nab the number one qualifier position with an 11.94-second pass.
This crew cab Duramax turned out consistent low 12’s throughout the day while competing in the 11.90 Index Class. As a general rule of thumb, trucks running 11.90 Index are almost always making 700-rwhp or more—as that is what it takes to get 7,000+ pounds through the 1320 that quickly.
Hosting a sled pull definitely broadens an event’s appeal and improves competitor participation—especially in the Midwest, where there is no shortage of trucks built for the dirt. Here, Jim Greenway’s ’07 Dodge digs its way to a full pull in the Limited Pro Stock Class.
Colbi Seth’s dual rear wheeled Duramax would find the most traction in the 8,000-pound 2.5 Class, ending up turning in a 293.09-foot, Third Place effort. This class allowed hanging front weight and a 63.5mm (2.5-inch) diameter inducer limit on the turbocharger.
Building a car these days is much more than perfecting body lines, choosing the right paint color and deciding what fabrics will adorn the interior. Weather they're classic hot rods or modern machines, the idea is to enjoy them, and as crazy as it may seem to some, drive them!
This requires a powertrain that's reliable, a suspension system that's decked to the nines and a driver that isn't afraid to get behind the wheel and go for a ride. For Jim Meyer, owner of this stunning 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle, he's got all these things and more checked off the list.
Jim's car is a dream come true for the diehard Chevy fan. Introduced to the car scene by his family, who has always had nice cars, like a '57 Chevy wagon and a '63 Impala when Jim was growing up in Northern Colorado, and perpetuated by his older brother Don, Jim has had an affinity for classic cars since his early teens. While he started out working on farm equipment back in the day, wrenching on cars quickly became second-nature as Jim learned to drive, and then maintain, his first car, a 1960 Impala. Fast forward 50 years and Jim has seen his fair share of car projects, but this impressive Chevelle remains one of his all-time favorites (and we don't blame him!)
The car, which debuted at the Goodguys Colorado Nationals last September, took Jim and his younger brother, Marvin, about two-and-a-half years to complete. With the major part of the car built in Jim's 3-car garage, the entire project took on a new life after Jim decided he wanted to compete with the big guns and prove that a home builder can build an award-winning show car that rivals professional builds.
With help from a couple of friends' shops, Jimmy's Customs in Wellington (body and paint) and Gooding Performance in Fort Collins (wiring and tuning), to be exact, the Chevelle came together beautifully and has been taking home awards ever since. In fact, the car even took home a Builder's Choice Award at its debut show, the 2015 Goodguys Colorado Nationals.
So what makes this Chevelle the award winner it is? Well, that's simple-- a plethora of performance parts, a ton of man hours and the inclusion of finite details that only scouring over the car for hours would reveal.
Built atop a fully boxed and narrowed (by 2 inches on each side) frame, complete with an ABC Performance frame kit, the Chevelle features nothing but top-of-the-line components from the ground up.
CPP Stage IV tubular A arms, QA1 coil overs and C5 spindles up front give the Chevy the maneuverability and handling qualities of a modern sports car, while the CPP Stage IV adjustable 4-link with Viking coil over shocks help keep the GM 12-bolt, limited-slip rearend with 3.55 gears and narrowed 3 ¼-inch Moser 31-spline axles floating effortlessly above the pavement and pushing the performance car to top speed.
Planting the car to the pavement are 18x8" (front) and 20x12" (rear) American Racing Torq Thrust wheels with 4 ¼" and 4 ¾" backspacing, accordingly. Behind those you'll find 14" slotted and cross-drilled Baer brakes with 6-piston calipers on all four corners.
Under the hood of the Chevelle, you'll find an iconic Chevrolet V8 in the form of a 2014 GM Performance crate 427ci engine with a Holley 780cfm carburetor, March revolver-style serpentine belt system, Hooker headers, a 3-inch PYPES exhaust system and much, much more.
Backed by a Tremec TKO 600 manual transmission with an 11-inch RAM clutch, this mighty powerplant produces upwards of 500hp and 480lb-ft of torque.
While performance is certainly a major part of this Chevelle, so too are its undeniably good looks. Additions like a custom fiberglass “Stinger” hood scoop, custom aluminum grille insert, smoothed drip rails, fitted and shaved stock bumpers, custom rear spoiler, custom front air dam, and custom exhaust flares which all combine to add a little something extra to the classic body lines of this car. Topping it all off is a custom PPG paint mix, which Jim calls Bourbon “N” Ice, laid by Jimmy Poole of Jimmy's Customs.
Inside, the car is just as posh, featuring custom black Berkshire leather/ hazelnut Chatham leather upholstery by Auto Weave, a custom center console done by Jim, and a smoothed dash with a custom insert and Marshall Comp II LED White Face gauges. Of course, we can't forget about all of the creature comforts you could ask for, including “Vintage Air” conditioning and a full stereo system with Pioneer amplifiers, Infinity speakers and Bluetooth connectivity.
One amazing car that runs and, yes, drives like a boss, Jim Meyer's Chevelle is certainly one impressive performance machine! Be on the lookout for the Chevelle in the show near you this summer, as Jim works to complete his first year of show competition!
Pulling off a successful local car meet is a tough challenge. As with many cases in automotive culture, too often we isolate ourselves from each other, with the import guys meeting in one spot and time, truck guys in another, and classic car guys at yet another, often with zero overlap. Attempts to combine everyone together, if they happen at all, end up segregated, ruining the best intentions. While the recent trend in “Cars and Coffee” types of events have gone a long way to bring us together, these early morning meetups largely only work in larger cities. In Macon, GA, however, we’ve somehow managed to figure out a time and place to all get together, and enjoy each other’s company for a few hours on a Friday night.
The meets, which are held quarterly in downtown Macon, are organized by Michael Gibson. He’s unique in that he has a lot of friends in both the import and domestic communities, and has done a great job of pulling everyone together. His C5 Z06 on 360 Forged was one of the favorites of the evening.
Brad Boardwell is a bit of a legend around town, having spent over a decade putting together his carbon-bodied Porsche 911 Turbo. The car is currently for sale, so the new owner is definitely going to have a blast tracking this car.
Perhaps the fastest car at the show, Ashkan Serat’s Mustang is an X275 drag car that runs in the mid 4's 1/8 mile. More shocking however, was that the car is actually registered for street and was driven to the meet!
This bagged Lexus drew a lot of confused looks from a crowd where many weren’t used to modern stance trends. Nevertheless, the huge Work wheels and overfenders are a mean combo.
Mark IV Supras are a great car for enthusiasts to come together on. For many Southerners that grew up on drag racing, it’s tough to argue against a big RWD car sitting on CCW Classics.
The XJ Jeep Cherokee has aged incredibly well for a ‘90s SUV. The simple, boxy silhouette and offroad prowess have kept it as a popular choice for off-roaders.
While the El Camino may not get as much love as some other GM classics, this LS-swapped 5th generation appropriately named “The Black Widow” made up for any lost love with the drag setup and matte black paint.
This Dodge Power Wagon may have stolen the show. The truck had been given a complete frame-off restoration and sported a modern Cummins powertrain. Even the modern trucks with their lifts and enormous tires seemed to pale in comparison to the sheer brutality of this Dodge.
The Macon Meet has one of the most diverse showing of vehicles and enthusiasts around. Enjoy the rest of the gallery, I'm sure there's something for everyone to love!
Like Abraham Lincoln once said: “Just because it’s on the internet, it doesn’t make it right.” For every useful bit of information your Google machine will pull up for you, there’s an equal amount of nonsense. Here are the top 10 automotive terms you're saying wrong, which means you ought to stop doing, saying and thinking any of these if you know what’s best for you.
1.) “Sweet ride, bruh, but needs more of those offsets.” Wheel offset. It isn’t something you can hold in the palm of your hand. Nope, your wheels’ offset is nothing more than a numerical distance that's determined by its hub-mounting surface in relation to its width. You also can’t log onto the internet and order it for your Evo.
2.) “I’ve had a B18C with a YS1 in my EF8 since Y2K.” Except you probably haven’t. In fact, you’ve probably never even seen an EF8 Honda Civic this side of your monitor since no North American-bound Honda Civic’s VIN plate’s ever included the EF designation. What you’ve got yourself there, sonny, is a bonafide ED7, which doesn’t sound nearly as cool.
3.) “But first let me swap mah dizzy on mah bubble.” The cuteness has really got to end here. It’s a distributor. Not a dizzy. And your hatchback isn’t a bubble. When you're finished doing that, go ahead and forget every other piece of cutesy slang the internet's taught you and that you’ll be embarrassed about when man buns and skin-tight jeans go out of style.
4.) “Love me some body roll. Gonna bolt on some sway bars post haste,” - No One Ever. We’re splitting hairs on a semantic level here, but those aren’t sway bars underneath your Subaru. Those specially shaped rods of steel were designed to keep your WRX from unloading too much of its weight in the wrong places when cornering, which is why the “anti” in anti-sway bars just became really important.
5.) It’s still lb-ft of torque. It doesn’t always roll off the tongue as easy as it is saying your Nissan makes 350 ft-lbs of torque but that doesn’t make it any less right. Trying to tell somebody how much torque your engine makes? Try lb-ft. Looking to measure something that has nothing at all to do with your engine or how fast your 240SX’ll go? Go with ft-lbs.
6.) The valve job adjustment: You adjust your valves. Your machinist with his fancy and expensive and sometimes computer-controlled equipment does your valve job. As it turns out, they aren’t the same, and one’s about as routine as changing your trans fluid while the others about as complex as putting that trans back together.
7.) The slammed/soft-ride unicorn. You want your Accord as low as possible. You also want it to ride like an Accord. This is all well and good except that ride height, shock travel, and how comfortable your suspension is are all counterintuitive to one another. Set your car up properly for the race track and say goodbye to the grandmother-friendly ride you and your sensitive bum have been after. Period.
8.) Your Scion is not old school. In fact, anything you’ve ever done that’s involved documenting it using a digital camera, associating it with an online username, or that’s got anything to do with OBDII won’t be considered a throwback for another 10 years or so.
9.) Spoiler vs. wing. More hair-splitting here, but it turns out there’s a difference between the two. You think spoilers and wings are the same thing and you’re wrong. A rear spoiler attaches to a car’s rear trunk lid or hatch without any space between the two. If there’s a gap, then you’ve got yourself a wing. You already know that a wing generates downforce; a spoiler does the same thing by upsetting whatever fast-moving air is blowing past the roofline, slowing it down, and increasing its pressure.
10.) Track-prepped: You either track your car or you don't, and if you do track your car, you probably don’t need to advertise to anybody that it is indeed track-prepped. To be sure, saying your car’s track-prepped is really just a nice way of saying you like buying race car parts that never get used.
Three supercars in one day… what could possibly go wrong? When I was called on to shoot some photos of an Aston Martin DB9, Lamborghini Huracán, and McLaren 650S during a canyon drive I thought, “How could I turn that down?” I didn’t know until I arrived that I’d actually be riding in all three of the cars.
Being more of a classic car person, and with no trust fund to draw from, I’d never consider purchasing an exotic car… but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with one! While I’d never ridden in any of these models before this day, you’d have to be nuts to turn down an opportunity like this. First up was the Aston Martin DB9.
I got chills as the motor raced when the ignition was turned on. We set up the hill from a Los Angeles neighborhood at a slow pace and all three cars in unison. As soon as we were clear from the houses and crested the hill, things sped up real quick. When the driver (a professional) asked me if I got motion sickness I thought, “You’ve got to be joking!” Then with a shift and a corner I knew that I’d better hold on and enjoy the ride!
Racing to the first shoot location we hit top speeds of 78mph while carving through the twisting, turning canyon roads. The Aston felt like a tug boat going up a hill; very quick, but it threatened to let the ass end loose at any time. It didn’t. After the ride in the DB9, I began to feel intimidated as I glanced over at the Huracán and McLaren, knowing they were both more specialized towards handling. While the Aston Martin DB9 was a huge step forward from the parents old 454 big block-powered ‘70s station wagon, it felt sluggish and just wasn’t the supercar I was expecting – but for a refined and elegant town car with some pick me up, it was doing just fine.
Taking shotgun in the Lamborghini Huracán next, I cringed a little as I’ve never been a big fan of their styling. While many people would give an arm to own one of these cars, I’d opt for a house in Italy and just ride a scooter! But for today, I was keeping an open mind and wanted to see if the Huracán could impress me in the driving experience where it lacked in my styling preference.
At takeoff, a chill went up my spine as the engine whizzed and we bypassed first and second so quickly on our way to 80mph that I don’t even know why those gears are included in this paddle shifting monster. The Huracán is much stiffer than the DB9 and you could feel every bump, crack and pebble on the road. This was getting exciting now as trees rushed by and for half-a-second I wondered if the driver had a death wish as we hit 100mph.
Between his skills and the cars handling however, the driver acted like he was just out for your average Sunday drive. Glancing over at my water bottle told another story though, it would slosh from side to side as we got pinned into the turns. The next stop came fast and it would be our last on our way up the mountain.
Stepping into the McLaren 650S next, I instantly could tell that the race of the engine wasn’t like the other two. I’d heard a few things about McLarens and knew they were more race than street, and it showed. While the Lambo acted like a pissed off teenager, the DB9 like your mom, the McLaren clearly meant business… if I hadn’t tossed my cookies before, I probably would now.
Carving the corners, it felt like someone had poured glue on the road and we were racing through it. The ride was so smooth and faster than the others, all the while feeling confidently planted… I could see how this whole supercar thing could be addicting.
Am I rushing out to buy one? Nope. But man, was it one helluva good time!
Only the best show off at Wekfest. We're at the hometown stop of their nationwide tour and as soon as you entered the San Jose Convention Center, you better of've been prepared to pick your jaws up from the floor. There were local favorites, like Speed Element and their builds, to SoCal squads, like Phaze2 bringing their rides up, making all the spectators "ooh" and "ahh." Watch the video above for a quick walk through the convention center floor.
You can also get an exclusive 360º Virtual Reality experience of the infamous Wekfest San Jose Roll Out, from the rooftop of the Driving Line Rocket Bunny tC:
Whether you’re working towards being #InstaFamous or just love taking photos of your car, the recently released Prisma app will quickly make you fall in love because of the way it can transform an ordinary picture into something extraordinary. Check it out...
Currently with 29 different filters, Prisma uses artificial intelligence and some hocus pocus to make it look like you’ve got mad art skills. Using the free app is easy, even if it does take a little bit of patience while it cranks out the edited version (we’re talking about 10-30 seconds of patience.)
Skeptics might be thinking, “An app with filters? That’s soooo 2009.” But these aren’t just any simple filters, they truly transform an average car photo (or even an awesome one) into a work of art. Here are 11 of our favorite Prisma filters practiced on a few Driving Line photos...
1. Heisenberg: As in the real-life physicist who inspired Breaking Bad's Walter White. This filter works awesome with tiretracks and dust!
2. Composition: It simplifies your photo, drawing attention to what truly matters. Plus, it's color palette doesn't hurt either.
Recognize this photo? It's Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s awesome "Funhaver" Ford F-150. Watch it hoon in this video.
3. Running in the Storm: Intensified colors and subtle brush strokes make this a stunner.
4. Curtain: Dream-like other-worldliness with altered color palettes and wavy brush strokes transcend your photo.
See more of the eye-popping, hand-formed, all-aluminum recreation of Frank Lockhardt's Stutz Black Hawk here.
5. Marcus D - Lone Wolf: This Prisma filter flattens by grouping tones and creating a detailed, drawn look with great style.
6. Dreams: With big chunky, visible brush strokes and a minimized color palette, Prisma's "Dreams" filter is one of its most popular.
You can say dreamy again. Taking a ride in 3 supercars in 1 afternoon up the Angeles Crest Highway is enough to put stars in your head, read about it here.
7. Gothic: High-contrast with colors that almost make you feel like you're looking through a stained-glass window, this Prisma filter creates a very convincing painting-like look.
8. Tokyo: Turning a bit more towards pop-art, this filter gives a watercolor look with pops of blue, purple, and pink thrown in.
One of our favorites... The Nitto Trail Grappler is tough enough to get you wherever you want to go. Find out how to choose the best Grappler for your application in our handy Grappler guide.
9. Wave: Elements from the iconic "The Great Wave" by Katsushika Hokusai show up all over this filter. From wave-like formations, dotty water sprays, and a muted aqua palette.
10. Light Summer Reading: Is it just me, or does this name come from the fact that this looks kinda like what's on the cover of my Kindle reader?
This car is enough to put me on another planet... And seeing this K30 out at King of The Hammers almost did. Read up on the full build article.
11. Udnie: Bringing in elements from the paintings of Francis Picabia, the Udnie filter simplifies lines while creating movement and character.
12. I loved the "Composition" filter so much, I had to use it again!
I couldn't leave out my own car from this mix... She's a 1955 Studebaker. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for my next trip out to the Bonneville Salt Flats with her for Speedweek!
For many automotive enthusiasts, the passion for cars starts at an early age thanks to an older sibling, father, grandfather or another influential person in life. The key to letting that passion grow is the experiences you have and the things you get to build with your own two hands.
For Kyle Magill of Loveland, Colorado, no line can ring truer. A self-proclaimed gearhead since around the age of 13, Magill grew up around cool cars. But that's not where it ended. Thanks to help and encouragement from his step father, Stephen Marine, and a number of car-minded friends he made along the way, Magill took that passion and built upon it, building this amazing 1963 Chevy II from the ground up starting in high school.
The car was purchased by Magill when he was just 16 years old – a hunk of metal rusting away in a local farmer's field with a non-functioning inline-6 under the hood and more than a few mismatched body panels to work with.
It cost Magill just $500.
An adventure in building a car of his own after having helped work on his step dad's and grandfather's cars, Magill took on the project with a large learning curve in mind – at the time, he didn't know much about body work, wiring, welding and fabrication. All of the skills it took to make this car what it is today were learned on the fly with plenty of help from Marine and his friends along the way.
Wanting to build a “streetable race car” that could take just about anything he threw at it, Magill started with the fab work and worked his way through body work, paint, interior, wiring and then full assembly before the car was finished.
The final touch? A built Big Block Chevy engine for under the hood – a graduation present from his step dad and his friends, and the one and only thing Magill didn't pay for himself on the build.
Well, plenty!! Built atop a Smith Racecraft front subframe with the rear frame halfed and tubed, Magill's Nova features single-adjustable Santhuff coil over struts up front with rack and pinion steering, and a TCI Street 4-link system in the rear with single-adjustable All American coil over shocks, a panhard bar, and re-located frame rails in the rear. Wrapped around the entire car is a 12-point cage with subframe connectors.
Planting the car to the pavement for plenty of cruising as well as racing are 15x4-inch front and 15x10-inch Billet Specialties Street Lights. Wilwood 2-piston front and rear discs give the car ample stopping power while a line lock keeps the car in place for epic burnouts. And boy, can this car do some epic burnouts!
Under the hood, you'll find a gorgeous 468ci BBC fitted with a COMP Cams camshaft, an Eagle cast crank and rods, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads with rectangle ports, an Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake, and Hooker headers tied to a 3 ½-inch exhaust with Borla XR-1 mufflers, which dumps in front of the rearend. The engine also boasts a 850cfm Proform carburetor, an MSD ignition, a two-speed Derale high-output cooling fan and Taylor plug wires. As if that wasn't enough, a NOS nitrous system provides a little extra oomph to the already powerful big block. All said and done, and you're looking at over 650hp!
Fueling the Chevy V8 is a 5-gallon Aeromotive fuel cell with an Eliminator fuel pump and an Aeromotive regulator located in the trunk, along with the battery and nitrous bottle mounted using a custom bracket setup. Yes, this car certainly means business!
I always say if it ain't pretty enough to look at, don't race it, but this Chevy II has that department covered as well! Though the body has not been chopped or shaved, all of the body trim holes have been filled, as well as the gas door smoothed, giving the car a streamlined feel. This is only accentuated with the Ed Quay aluminum wing mounted out back, as well as the the VFN 6-inch fiberglass hood and Unlimited fiberglass front and rear bumpers.
Redline Lumtronix LED headlights, LED taillights and a billet grille add even more detail to the gorgeous build. And then it's topped off with a two-toned Dupont paint scheme in Chrysler's Go Mango and BMW's Salmon Silver laid by Chemical Skin in Loveland, with Lime Green pinstriping details by Scott Kohler.
With any good streetable race car, you've got to have a little bit of comfort mixed with weight reduction and functionality. Magill achieved this by going with Kirkey aluminum racing seats padded with custom upholstery and sporting Crow five-point, cam-lock harnesses. The door panels and headliner match the seat upholstery, with custom Go Mango details to match the two-tone dash with chrome trim, thanks to Interior by Durk. Carbon fiber inserts add even more aesthetic value to the interior while carbon fiber gauges from Auto Meter in a custom gauge cluster make sure Magill can keep track of every function in his car from behind the wheel.
Of course, you can't have a pimp race car to drive around town without having a good stereo system, so Magill fitted his car with a 6x9-inch Alpine speaker in all four corners and a 4-way Eclipse amp (turned on via the factory wiper switch, none-the-less), all controlled with an I-pod.
A gorgeous build with plenty of power and performance to back it up, Magill tells us he couldn't have done it without the help and support from his family, particularly his step dad, who is the very person responsible for Magill's initial introduction to the car world. Magill would also like to thank his friend Luke Davis for fab work and the roll cage, and the local car community for all the inspiration, friends and help they've provided throughout the years.
Now 26 years old, with the car having been “done” for about six years now, Magill assures us this will be his only “project” for awhile, and for good reason!
“The car changes every year and is never left the same the year after. That is why I love building cars and living the lifestyle.” – Kyle Magill
Not sure which Grappler is right for you? We've covered that! Check out the