If you've never been to the Iola Car Show in Iola, Wisconsin, it is certainly an automotive bucket list item you must check off. So tighten those shoe strings and hold on to your hats, because we're about to take you through one of the coolest shows this country has to offer.

One of the oldest car shows in the country as well as one of the largest in the region, the Iola Car Show offers thousands of show cars, over 4,000 swap meet booths, exceptional industry-leading vendors and personalities, a Special Exhibit area featuring vehicles that fit the show's yearly theme, and so much more. Just the expanse of the Iola Show Grounds is staggering (the show owns their own 300+ acre show grounds in the small town of Iola, WI), but once you catch wind of all the show has to offer, hiking from one end of the event to the other will no longer be in question.

This year, the 45th Annual Iola Car Show kicked off on Thursday, July 6th and ran through Saturday, July 8th, with the special theme of the year being “Firebirds, Camaros and Pony Cars” in celebration of the F-body's 50th birthday. Going along with the theme, those wishing to display their show cars were encouraged to bring out their F-bodies and similarly-aged pony cars for a special exhibit.

Friday at the Iola Car Show Grounds was by far the busiest of the three days. By 8:30am, most of the show car areas were packed full with vehicles still arriving in droves at every gate throughout the morning. Fortunately, the show grounds are plenty big enough to house a couple thousand show vehicles — and the staff used every available space to make sure everyone who wanted to show off their ride had the opportunity to do so. In the afternoon, the special arrival of the National T-Bucket Alliance was a crowd favorite, which ended the organization's week of cruising and club activities with a cruise to the Iola show from Greenbay.

From factory-correct to significantly modified, the muscle car era was well represented, spanning all of the major manufacturers. Fittingly, there were more F-bodies on the show grounds, both in the Special Exhibit area and mixed in with the other show vehicles on display. If you're an F-body aficionado, this was certainly the place to see about every variety, trim level, factory-option and pro-touring style you could think of.

While hundreds of people came specifically to see all of the amazing show cars on display, others came to find the perfect deal in the swap meet and car corral areas. Whether you were looking for OEM parts to complete your classic, new tires to plant 'er on the ground, or any number of performance parts to get 'er running in tip-top fashion, there was a vendor or booth there for it. They say there are over 4,000 vendor and swap meet spots filled at the Iola Car Show, and let us tell you, that is no exaggeration – we walked just about every row!

The car corral area gave those looking for a project vehicle just about every choice under the sun, from low-mileage stock to wildly built. While there were certainly a fair share of classics and hot rods, there were also dozens of muscle cars and vehicles with some serious pro-touring potential on hand.

On Saturday, the show was again in full swing, just with slightly fewer people in attendance. Classic cars and trucks still covered the Iola Car Show Grounds as far as the eye could see with the main “post-war” vehicle section hosting the majority of the vehicles.

There were so many cool aspects of the Iola Car Show that we could just go on and on about, but it's certainly more fun to experience for yourself. So, if you're looking for a mid-summer trip in the future, be sure to have the Iola Car Show on your radar! You won't be disappointed!

Show dates have been released for the Iola Car Show all the way through 2022. For more information on upcoming shows, visit the Iola Car Show website HERE!

We spotted Leo’s Mustang among the sea of others at Fabulous Fords Forever. Sometimes choosing a standout car at shows like that can be a challenge, as there are so many amazing builds to pick from — but when it comes down to it, an owner’s story and affinity to their car is what really makes a build.

For Leo, his Mustang addiction began in the late ‘70s when a friend owned a ’69 Mach 1. It’s a common start to an obsession, one that’s brought decades of enjoyment for Leo. His first Mustang was a convertible ’90 Fox-body, deep emerald green set-off with a white leather interior. When he purchased the ’06 back in 2012, he loved the retro styling cues reminding him of his old friend’s Mach 1. Its performance isn’t bad either, taken advantage of not only because it’s Leo’s daily driver but also because he enjoys carving So Cal’s canyons to enjoy the curves.

Leo Barone | @theponyaddicts

2006 Mustang GT

1. Best mod to your vehicle:

My best mod is the Glassskinz rear window valance, because of its uniqueness. I thought about installing the original boring louvers everyone has, but wanted to have something different and with style. 

I swapped out my older Nitto NT555’s for their updated NT555 G2’s. I liked the 555s, but the G2s are a step up. These tires have amazing cornering traction.

2. Favorite driving music:

I grew up in the '80s when Van Halen, Journey, Styx and all these rock ‘n’ roll bands were thriving, so yeah, rock ‘n’ roll is my favorite.

3. Favorite car movie:

“Gone in 60 Seconds” (2000) —a great action movie with Nicolas Cage driving that beautiful and hot Eleanor Mustang. 

4. Favorite road to drive:

Angeles Crest Hwy is my favorite road to drive. It’s winding curves and scenic views are the best. Carving canyons is a blast!

5. Next automotive adventure:

My friend Dennis is organizing an event this month with the clubs from the North. This once-a-year cruise is one I always look forward to.

“I always look forward to getting in the driver’s seat and taking it wherever I can,” says Leo. “This is a working project, anyone that says they’re finished building their Pony is only lying to themselves!” We look forward to following more of Leo’s Mustang obsession @theponyaddicts and @s550ponyaddicts.

Catch up with us on social @drivingline, drop us a line there if you’ve got a beloved build of your own you want to share on a Take 5!

After a long, six-week break, Round 5 of the 2017 Formula Drift Pro Championship Series took us north across the border to Montreal, Canada. Contact was made — with the wall and other cars — more so than usual at Autodrome St. Eustache, which made for a dramatic show. Here Fredric Aasbo won his 10th career event, becoming the winningest driver in the Series' history, moving up from third to second place in the Championship standings, just 34 points behind leader James Deane.

Claiming the No. 2 spot on the podium that night was Kristaps Bluss, who was blessed with a bye run into the Final Battle after Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s oil pump belt blew off in the previous round. Coincidentally, Gittin Jr. had damaged his car during his bye run in the Great 8, which came as a result of Ken Gushi being unable to repair his car after his bye run in the Top 16, which was awarded to him after Ryan Tuerck hit the wall, causing him to crash as well.

And those weren't even half the cars that fell victim to the track that night!

Read all about it in our comprehensive Top 32 Play-by-Play.

(Photos: Jag Imaging)

Formula D Pro Championship Standings:

1. James Deane - 368 pts
2. Fredric Aasbo - 334 pts
3. Kristaps Bluss - 293 pts
4. Michael Essa - 259 pts
5. Ryan Tuerck - 247 pts
6. Vaughn Gittin Jr. - 245 pts
7. Dean Kearney - 239 pts
8. Odi Bakchis - 229 pts
9. Matt Coffman - 209 pts
10. Daijiro Yoshihara - 192 pts
11. Matt Field - 176 pts
12. Piotr Wiecek - 174 pts
13. Alex Heilbrunn - 174 pts
14. Chris Forsberg - 173 pts
15. Alec Hohnadell - 173 pts
16. Nate Hamilton - 156 pts
17. Chelsea DeNofa - 148 pts
18. Justin Pawlak - 147 pts
19. Ken Gushi - 142 pts
20. Jeff Jones - 138 pts
21. Jhonnattan Castro - 124 pts
22. Robbie Nishida - 120 pts
23. Juha Rintanen - 107 pts
24. Kyle Mohan - 104 pts
25. Pat Goodin - 90 pts
26. Cameron Moore - 88 pts
27. Dan Burkett - 74 pts
28. Marc Landreville - 51 pts
29. Taylor Hull - 36 pts
30. Georgy Chivchyan - 18 pts

The Series picks right back up in just a few short weeks at Monroe, Washington's Evergreen Speedway for Round 6, August 4-5.

Exhibition drifting is all about extreme oversteer, and the drivers at #GRIDLIFE 2017 brought the most edge-of-your-seat action in the Midwest to the Gingerman Raceway. This year’s drifting lineup is one of the many things that raised the bar for the ever-growing annual #GRIDLIFE Motorsports Festival event series.

Drifters lined up for both solo runs and multiple car tandems to put on smoke-billowing, tire-shredding shows for 8,000-plus spectators throughout the weekend. While in the hot seat, drivers were cool and collected, and from the stands, the action was raw, yet oddly peaceful, like synchronized dancing with a twist of burning pavement, beastly machines and adrenaline. Drifts were solidly held through each of the 11 turns with fully-locked steering and wide-opened throttles. The longer the walls of smoke trailed behind the drift cars, the louder the cries of pure joy erupting from the stands, but the cheering was soon drowned out by the roaring engines and screaming tires.

Without further ado, here are some of our favorite cars that shredded it up at #GRIDLIFE Midwest:

1. VAUGHN GITTIN JR.'S NITTO TIRE MUSTANG RTR

Ready to rock and Gittin' it.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. is always Ready To Rock (RTR, get it?); but how could he not be, seeing as how he has this 900-hp pony car that’s rarin’ to go. Eat your hearts out: the Ford Mustang RTR’s power is pumped out by a Roush Yates RY25 V8 engine, which has an insanely wide torque curve, redlining at 9,000 rpm. Sticky Nitto NT05s put the power to the ground, and the S550’s MacPherson strut-based suspension teamed with BC Racing coilovers encourage aggressive but controlled drifts around every turn.

2. RYAN TUERCK'S FERRARI-POWERED TOYOTA

Sideways supercar.

Building a supercar setup for drift was a dream come true for Ryan Tuerck and drift fans alike. This Ferrari 458-powered Toyota GT4586 is a screaming, smoke-spewing tire serial killer, and its explosive exotic snarl drowned out every competitor’s menacing revs. To date, the fantasy mash-up build barks out 500-plus horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Tuerck was still getting acquainted with the build during #GRIDLIFE Midwest and is looking forward to making subtle upgrades that will make it perfect for any track.

3. RYAN LITTERAL'S RB25DET-POWERED 240SX

And the crowd goes wild!

Ryan Litteral has quickly gained recognition for being a consistent, entertaining driver that balances on the line between chaos and control. His extensively built RB25DET-powered Nissan 240SX aptly matches his skill level. Running with 800 horsepower, 600 ft-lbs of torque and 30 psi of boost, the energy extruding from this car caused an eruption of excitement to reverberate through the crowd with his every pass. A full BN Sports Type IV body kit ensured that he looked good doing it. A driver in Formula Drift’s Pro2 division, Litteral is on the fast track to compete with the crème de la crème in Pro.

4. ROB PARSON'S HAND-CONTROLLED S13

Drifting by hand.

At first glance, the supercharged 5.7L LS-powered Nissan looks similar to any other S13 drift car, but taking a deeper look inside of the cockpit revealed the most unique drift car we have ever seen. You see, Rob Parsons "Chairslayer" has an unstoppable passion for drifting, and even after his spine was severed from a dirt bike accident in 2001, he determinedly built his way back into the driver’s seat.

Using a 1991 Nissan 180SX as a base, Chairslayer engineered the car to fit his specifications. The throttle and brakes are operated by motorcycle-style hand controls, a hand lever hydraulically engages the clutch in a seamless fashion, and an electronic paddle shifter allows for quick gear changes. With all of the controls in the cockpit, a drift car can be a chaotic place, and the turbulent g-forces increase the challenge tenfold. Operating a drift car is one of the more physically demanding forms of motorsport out there, and Rob Chairslayer has beaten all odds with this very special Nissan.

5. DIRK STRATTON'S 'DRIFTVETTE' C6

When in doubt, smoke 'em out.

The skies were clear through the entire event at #GRIDLIFE Midwest, but Dirk Stratton was making clouds of his own in his Pro2 Formula Drift Corvette. A naturally aspirated Lingenfelter-built LS7, equipped with a Haltech Elite 2500 ECU, powered the impressive smoke show. The Elite 2500 has a flat shift feature that allows the sequential Pfitzner Performance gearbox to shift seamlessly. With enough power to spin the tires against the stickiest of pavement on Stratton’s every whim, the Corvette left a trail of smoke so long that Stratton seemingly drifted around the 11-turn, 2.21-mile raceway and back into the tail of his own trail.

See more sideways superstars in the photo gallery below.

While Buick probably isn't the first brand you associate with fire-breathing performance cars, the company is no stranger to building fast machines. All that it takes is a look back at icons like the 455-powered '70 GSX and of course the legendary turbocharged Grand National of the '80s. In recent years, the brand has been climbing back into the performance market and this week they debuted the new 2018 Regal GS Sport Sedan.

While the previous iteration of the Regal GS used GM's turbocharged engine, the new Sportback GS has dropped the 2.0T in favor of a naturally aspirated 3.6 liter V6 that makes 310 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque. While that's an improvement of over 50 horsepower compared to the previous GS, equally important is the new drivetrain featuring a nine-speed transmission mated to a standard all-wheel-drive system.

Other features that separate the GS from the standard issue Regal include Continuous Damping Control, Brembo brake calipers up front and a set of unique 19" wheels. Naturally, the exterior also gets more aggressive fascias when compared to the standard car. There is also GS-specific equipment in the car's interior, including a set of aggressively bolstered sport seats, unique pedals and a new flat-bottom steering wheel.

While the Regal GS might not be ready for hunting for Corvettes or M3s, it should provide a solid mix of performance and luxury - along with the benefit of AWD capability for those who need it.

And with a starting price just under $40,000, it should also be priced more affordably than most of its European and Japanese rivals. It might not be the second coming of the Grand National, but we are always happy with another enthusiast-oriented choice on the market.

At every automotive event, there is always one car that burns itself into your brain more than others, as if it has a gravitational pull that drags you back for more. Spotted at HyperFest 2017, Jeff Collins’ Factory Five Racing 1933 Hot Rod left a lasting imprint on us. Some of you may recognize the icy-blue fiery perfection that was skillfully painted across the classic street rod fenders, hood and body from the event gallery.

Under the hood is a 345-horsepower Ford Racing 302 engine mated to a Tremec five-speed transmission. Underneath is a Ford 8.8 rear axle with a Factory Five three-link suspension, which allows for effortless, solid cornering. Meanwhile, the QA1 high-performance shocks cushion every bump and crack in the road and allow for adjustable ride height. 

Inside it has Honda S2000 seats with custom, cushy leather, with other creature comforts like heat and air conditioning. There’s also some good news for roaster fanatics: While the car’s exterior appearance is currently set up as a coupe, the Factory Five Racing body kit can easily be converted to a roadster.

Jeff’s favorite feature is the inverted vents that he and his team at Whitby Motors sculpted into the engine side panels.

“They almost go unnoticed, and they are effective,” he said.

According to Jeff, the ’33 drives like a dream, and the trek to Hyperfest was the first time he really put long distance miles on it. Before that it was all short-but-sweet test drives.

“It performed flawlessly during the 200-mile trip, and it will certainly be a nice drive back,” he grinned. “We put the A/C to good use, too.”

The two-lane twisty roads are what this car was made for, all the way down to the wheels and tires. The Nitto 555 Ultra High Performance tires mounted on Billet Specialties wheels provide a smooth ride and excellent performance.

“We have 225-40-ZR-17 on the front and 285-35ZR18 on the rear," Jeff said, "and the ride was amazing!”

This Hot Rod isn’t the first and surely isn’t the last of the cars that Jeff will get his hands on. He has been in business as Whitby Motorcars since 1999, but has worked on cars since childhood.

“It has always been a part of my life in one form or another,” he reminisced. “It all started when my family moved from the middle of town out to the country. The only way I could get back to civilization was to keep my car running!”

To Jeff's relief, their new home was squarely between what he later deemed as the world's greatest junkyard and the world's greatest parts store.

“I was set with anything I needed.”

Jeff uses cars to meet and connect with the greatest people on the planet.

“If you hop in your car and drive in any direction, you will likely stop among friends. Or for events like HyperFest, we hosted a Factory Five car corral, met new folks, connected names and faces with online friends, and reconnected with friends we hadn't seen in years. It was a great weekend.”

As for the ’33 Hot Rod, Jeff says all of the credit goes to Rick Riffle, a customer who was kind enough to include them in his project.

“He purchased the parts from us, but he did a lot of the build himself,” he explained. “We did the paint, body work and assembly.” 

Luckily for Rick and Whitby Motors alike, after the car was finished, Rick found his old high school ride. Everyone at Whitby liked the ‘33 so much, they struck a deal to buy it back.

See more of this beautiful Hot Rod in the photo gallery below.

When it comes to buying a pre-owned SUV that’s affordable and off-road capable, there are few better than the Jeep Cherokee XJ. While 2001 marks the last year of the classic Unitbody SUV, enthusiasts continue to embrace the platform in today. With so much aftermarket support, and a very low cost of entry, the XJ continues to be a fan favorite for those looking for a four-door Jeep, but don't want to pay for the premium price that a late-model Wrangler Unlimited JK demands.

Recently, our friend picked up a 2001 XJ with the intention of making it a fun weekend ‘wheeler and family adventure vehicle. Out of the gate, he knew he wanted to run a 33-inch-tall tire as he was happy with that size and performance on a previous XJ build. Not wanting to trim the wheelwells out extensively or lift it an extraordinary amount, he opted to meet in the middle with 4.5 inches of lift. Since the XJ’s stock control-arm angles get a little extreme over 3 inches of lift, he decided to jump directly to a long-arm kit from Rough Country Suspension.

While Rough Country offers a few suspension systems for the XJ platform, the company’s 4.5-inch long-arm is ideally suited for those looking for better on- and off-road handling. To check out our friends build, we stopped by his garage as he was just getting a move on the lift. Of course, we documented the process in the video above, and now, we’re diving deeper into the details in the article below.

From the factory, Jeep fit the Jeep Cherokee XJ with a multilink front suspension. The stock setup uses four control arms and a track bar to isolate the axle. While this works excellent in stock form, raising the Jeep increases the angles of the control arms. This increased angle often results in poor handling on-road and less-than-stellar performance in the dirt. Moving to a long-arm suspension effectively doubles the length of the arm, thus decreasing the operating angle. The result is a better ride and handling characteristics on-road and off.

Moving to a longer control arm requires new mounting points for the arms to attach. Rough Country provides a new crossmember that bolts in place of the stock unit. Attached to it are side-mounted brace plates per side. Also included is a transfer case skidplate. Though the new crossmember and braces require a few holes drilled, the sheetmetal Unitbody structure doesn’t put up much of a fight against a new drill bit.

To make room for the new control arms, you’ll need to remove the stock lower control arm mounts from the Jeep. We’ve found that a Sawzall works excellent at getting the bulk of the bracket out of the way.

Rough Country uses a radius style control arm to secure the axle. Both the upper and lower arms are fully adjustable. The upper comes with Rough Country’s flex joint, while the lower uses a flex joint at the crossmember and OEM-style Clevite rubber bushing at the axle.

Raising the front of the Jeep are 4.5-inch lift coils, which are paired with Rough Country’s Performance 2.2 Performance Series shocks. Also included are new stainless steel braided brake lines. Note, the stock bumpstop had disintegrated from age. A replacement set was order post lift.

Keeping the front end geometry in check is a new track bar bracket that converts from single to a stronger double-sheer setup. A drop pitman arm is used to keep the mounting points in sync.

Another handy feature for those who off-road on the regular are the included sway-bar disconnects. These quick-release links come with a lanyard that’s mounted to the XJ via self-tapping screws. This creates a safe and secure place to attach the sway bar when you’re hitting the trail.

Rough Country offers a few options to raise the rear of the Jeep, but for this particular build, the full replacement spring packs were used. The new leaf-springs include axle-specific U-bolts, and like the front, you’ll get a set of Performance 2.2 shocks.

One option we covered in the video was the slip-yoke eliminator kit. By replacing the slip-yoke output on the back of the NP231 transfer case with a SYE conversion from Rough Country, you’re able to fit the XJ with a 1310 double-cardan rear driveshaft, which is necessary to prevent driveline vibrations. This setup moves the slip-portion of the ‘shaft into the new driveshaft. This is a safer and stronger setup over stock.

After getting the Jeep on its wheels, the steering linkage is hooked up along with the new adjustable track bar. Once the new Rough Country steering stabilizer was installed, a quick trip to the alignment shop ensured the XJ was tracking straight.

This Jeep is running a set of 33x12.50R15 Nitto Trail Grapplers, which is a great balance for the road and trails it will see in the Southeast. The meaty mud-terrain radial required trimming of the front bumper and along the back of the flare. Since the Jeep was still missing the front bumpstops when we shot it, the tire popped off the front flares a time or two. New bumpstops and a little more trimming should take care of any additional rubbing issues.

The new treads were secured on by 15x8 Ion Alloy 174 wheels. This aluminum wheel set provided a good balance of backspacing, which can be critical when attempting to cycle the tire without contacting the body or suspension components.

Despite the longer control arms, very little ground clearance was sacrificed. If the Jeep does happen to make contact with the trail, we’re sure the 0.250-wall control arms can take the abuse.

We got to spend a little time with the XJ in the dirt and were impressed with how stable it felt. With the sway bar disconnected, the suspension worked well to keep the Trail Grapplers planted. Sure, a set of differential lockers would help add to the off-road prowess, but for now, the build is off to a great start.

This is by no means the stopping point for this build. Now that it has a proper set of treads and trail-worthy suspension, the focus can be shifted to more items that will make it tackle the trail even better. 

Learn more about everything you need to know about XJ with the ’84-’01 Jeep Cherokee buyers’ guide.

For Part 2 of Steve Burris’ ’73 High-Boy build, the vintage F-250 receives its final body repairs. New panels are sourced, the 7.3L Power Stroke sees its first test-fit and the truck is prepped for paint. As we disclosed in the first installment, other than outsourcing a new rear driveshaft, Steve built this High-Boy 100 percent from the ground up. This meant that the project forced him to combine all of his automotive talents — none of which were more important than his self-taught auto body skills.

To achieve the perfect, finished look he was after, this portion of the build had to be executed to perfection. Follow along to see how he brought his dream truck one step closer to reality.

7.3L Mock Up

Once he’d set the Super Duty firewall in place, Steve performed his first mock up for the engine and transmission.

According to him, lining everything up was surprisingly simpler than expected, which can be directly attributed to the utilization of the Super Duty firewall (and ’99 floorboard to accommodate the ZF-6 transmission). The rust-free replacement front fenders were sourced from Texas and came off a ’74 model year High-Boy.

Modifying the Core Support

After tracking down a rust-free core support (from a ’73 model) and having test-fitted the engine, Steve modified it to accept the 7.3L’s massive radiator, intercooler and A/C condenser. Later on, Steve would opt to run a brand new, all-aluminum Champion radiator instead of the OEM Super Duty unit, with nothing having to be reworked in the already-customized core support.

Ford treated the ’73+ core supports (and all sheetmetal on ’73-’79 trucks for that matter) with a corrosion-resistant coating. So, it’s much more common for these original pieces to withstand the test of time vs. the untreated, rust-prone components used on the ‘67-’72 (bumpside) trucks.

Prepping for Primer

After considerable time was spent sanding, applying Bondo and re-sanding, the truck’s sheetmetal was ready for primer. Because the shop behind Steve’s house served as the back drop for the entire project, it had to be transformed from a body repair operation to a makeshift paint booth.

Ready for Paint

With weeks of prep work in the books, Steve began the process of applying primer

It’s worth noting here that in order to get away from the rust-riddled factory doors, Steve sourced cancer-free replacements from southwestern climates — and different model year trucks. The front doors once resided on a ’79 (and were found on Facebook), while the rears came off a ’73.

Fuel Door Relocate

If you know your High-Boys — and specifically the difference between true High-Boys and “Low-Boy” ’77.5-‘79 F-250s — the location of the fuel door in the bed may have you stumped. Due to the use of a ’79 bed and Steve’s desire to equip the truck with a 38-gallon tank robbed off a Super Duty, no High-Boy-specific, in-cab tank would be present.

However, the easiest way to make the Super Duty tank and its filler neck work (in relation to where it would be mounted under the truck) was to relocate the fuel door in front of the rear fender, rather than leave it behind it.

Big Foot Blue

From the first time Steve laid eyes on Ford’s Blue Flame Metallic paint, he knew he had to have it. When it came time to apply several coats to his High-Boy creation, he would use 6 gallons of PPG’s version of the hue (which Steve refers to as “Big Foot Blue”) before clear coat. Thanks to rust claiming the life of the original tailgate, Steve hunted down this replacement off a ’74.

DIY Bed Liner

Believe it or not, Steve didn’t build the truck to be a show queen. As such, he planned to haul (even tow) with the old Ford and naturally wanted to protect the floor of the bed. For utmost protection and a non-slip surface, Steve applied budget-themed, three-part epoxy from Liner Extreeme.

Bed Liner in the Cab

Not a huge fan of carpet, Steve decided to apply the Liner Extreeme bed liner to the floor of the cab as well. As you can see here, the cab is being prepped to receive the Super Duty dash.

To reuse the Super Duty windshield wiper motor, it had to be relocated to the far passenger corner, which required Steve to build a custom linkage for the wiper arms and extend the factory wiring harness in order to make everything functional.

Super Duty Dash

Multiple Super Duty donor trucks were picked over before Steve had all the parts required to complete the interior. The dash was pulled from an XL model, but the 40/20/40 front seats and rear bench that followed would come out of a Lariat optioned ’99.

As mentioned, Steve retained all Super Duty wiring harnesses to ease the integration process. As a result, everything but the turn signals and tail lights worked without any re-wiring being necessary.

Nearing Completion

To replicate the factory paint scheme he liked most, Steve painted the roof of the cab white. After sourcing parts from six different ’73-’79 Fords and four separate Super Dutys, there was finally some light at the end of the tunnel. In this close-to-finished state, only the ’74 grille, ’79 mirrors, ’79 frame horns and the front bumper are missing.

Months of work and more than a hundred late nights were about to pay off…

Make sure you join us for Part 3, where the final touches are added and a full walk-through of the finished product takes place.

For the third and final round of the 10th annual Nitto Nor Cal Rock Racing's 2017 series, the k-rails were hot enough to fry an English breakfast on! As the sun beat down with unrestrained brutality, the temperature settled at an blistering 104 degrees. Weather conditions forced drivers to take caution, with the risk of overheating motors and unstable tire pressures. Promoter John Goodby had three water trucks working hard over the 2-mile short course, trying desperately to keep the explosive clouds of dust down in this fast-drying climate. To avoid an even lengthier day, the 4400 and 4500 classes opted to run a single qualifying heat and their Main.

4400 Class

Ever the racing family, the Gomez Brothers did a switch-a-roo, resulting in JP Gomoz winning the 4400 class and securing the 2017 overall championship. Older brother Marcos’ car wouldn't be ready in time to compete, so JP handed him the keys—letting Marcos take the driver’s seat in his own name. “Marcos said my car is super-fast and rips around corners,” recalled JP. Watching his brother pass cars during the first heat, JP thought to himself, “…he can actually win this race!”

During the Main, JP explains how close the battle between his brother and fellow racer, Jon Cagliero, was. Marcos jumped into the lead during Lap 1, at the first rock pile. Later in the same lap, it became an intense side-by-side battle between the two drivers. Jon Cagliero ended up passing Marcos during Lap 2. “Everyone was on their feet in excitement," remembered JP. Marcos followed Cagliero close behind for the next five laps, with Cagliero blocking every attempt Marcos made to pass. With less than half a lap to go, Cagliero over-drove a turn and landed in a ditch as Marcos zipped by taking the lead.

“I was yelling for Marcos the whole time! I was in complete awe, speechless when Marcos crossed the finish line!” JP spoke of his brother, not just winning the Main, but also gaining the 2017 NCRR championship for JP. “I could not be prouder of my brother," he continues. “That’s what makes racing so exciting to watch and be a part of, it’s not over until the checkered flag is crossed. I want to thank the Gomez Brothers Racing Sponsors–Nitto Tire for having the best tires out there for us, Pro Comp for having the best rims that take our constant abuse, King Shocks, ATO Transmission, RCV Performance Axles and Mountain F Enterprise.”

Give a Gomez brother a car, and he’ll race it like he stole it! 

4400 Race Results

• 1st place: JP Gomez
• 2nd place: Jon Cagliero
• 3rd place: Brendon Thompson

4500 Class

Justin Hall started out as a spectator, watching the Nor Cal Rock Races from the stands. Four years ago, Hall raced his first Nor Cal competition and won the series and came to the table this year with sights set on taking home the series again. Starting third in his Heat 1, Hall chose to lay low for a the first segment, as to not put any pressure on the leads. Halfway through Hall made his move, dominating on to second. On the final lap, the leader had mechanical failure, taking himself out for the rest of the day.

At the start of the main, Hall decided it was "go" time and whomped on the skinny pedal, putting distance between himself and second. “The 208 Motorsports tuned 6.0L pulled hard," notes Hall. "Once I got out front by a bit, the idea was to not push it and keep the car together across the checkered flag. Without my marketing partners, I could not be where I am today. Thank you ProComp, All Terrain Fab, RuffStuff Specialties, and Team 208 Motorsports.” Hall raced strong and strategically, claiming his series championship title once again! Congratulations champ!

4500 Race Results

• 1st place: Justin Hall
• 2nd place: Morgan Derodeff
• 3rd place: Jessie Balter

4800 Class

A recent first-time dad, James Hubbard didn’t get a wink of sleep the night before thanks to his infant son, Waylon. Hubbard started Heat 1 in fourth position. When the flag dropped he was in first, leading to a clean start in Heat 2. Hubbard secured first until the last lap, finishing in second place. Lining up for Main, Hubbard experienced a “gut-wrenching feeling” as his car overheated sitting in the staging line. Spectators and nearby racers were able to supply some water to top off the radiator. Unsure of the cause, doubt plagued him as he worked to just finish. Hubbard got started okay, letting a fellow competitor jump ahead in the first rock pile. Somewhere near the third lap, the car in the first  blew a tire, giving Hubbard the lead across the finish line with a 20-second gap.

Referring to his driving technique, Hubbard adds, “Conservative in the rock piles, balls-to-the-wall in the dirt.” He also included, “It was a lot of fun, the track was phenomenal!” This win also secured the 2017 class championship for Hubbard. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet!,” he admitted. He'd like to thank Pro Comp, Raceline Wheels, Yukon Gear & Axle and Tonnos Bar & Grill. Asking if we will see him again next year, Hubbard answers, “Without a doubt! I will be racing Nor Cal as long as John Goodby will be running it!” 

4800 Race Results

• 1st place: James Hubbard
• 2nd place: Justin Day
• 3rd place: Steve Lopez

UTV Turbo & 1000

Man on a mission… Beau Judge wanted to prove to himself and the other drivers that the NCRR crew builds a “drivers” course and not a mere “horsepower” course. Aside from his regular class, UTV 1000, Judge made a last-minute decision to also enter the UTV Turbo class. Proving his point with driving skills, Judge won the UTV Turbo class with only half the horsepower as the rest of the competitors! “I just wished I would have raced the turbo class all year!,” laughs Judge.

Judge also dominated his UTV 1000 class. Starting eighth, Judge worked his way to the front of the line by the completion of Lap 1, winning his Heat 1. Taking Heat 2 as well, Judge took flight in the Main, kicking up dust and proving unbeatable. Say hello to your NCRR UTV 1000 Champion… two years straight!

UTV 1000 Race Results

• 1st place: Beau Judge
• 2nd place: David Beebe
• 3rd place: Pat Okeefe

UTV Turbo Race Results

• 1st place: Beau Judge
• 2nd place: Heather Smith
• 3rd place: Kieran Cox

UTV 170

Following in his father’s footsteps, Braden Judge is just as competitive as the next driver at NCRR… the only difference is he sports a size 2 in children’s shoes. Winning a consistent first place in both his heats, Braden advanced to the Main and dominated the field. Noting that his favorite part of racing that day was simply getting to drive, and his dad letting him have his very own friend as co-driver. Braden added that his least favorite part was the self-evident… fellow drivers crashing in front of him. I was curious to know if the 9-year-old champ thought he could enjoy some ice cream while his helmet was still on and he didn't hesitate when he replied, "Yes! Cookies & Cream!"

UTV 170 Race Results

• 1st place: Braden Judge
• 2nd place: Wyatt Blevins
• 3rd place: Shelby Waterbury

Class 10 

Despite the heat, Ryan Sargent experienced a great day at the final round of NCRR! Placing first in both heats, he recalls, “I think my brain cooked a little in my second moto after my pumper hose came off the helmet.” Hot outside, but racing fast down the back stretch to cool himself down, Sargent earned first place in the Main and enough points to score the series championship title! Great job Ryan!

Class 10 Results

• 1st place: Ryan Sargent
• 2nd place: David Meek
• 3rd place: Bill Minteer

Pre-Runner

Not a fan of the rocks, Justin Radford decided to build his Pre-Runner about five years ago. This years NCRR was Radford's first full season. Despite the heat-induced traction issues he was experiencing—Radford still came out strong, winning both of his heats. Radford recounted how, during Round 2, he'd learned a hard lesson—with half a lap lead, he admits he was caught sleeping in the lead, allowing second place to pass him on the final lap. Determined to not let that happen again, Radford stayed in front, "pedal to the floor.” The truck's performance was solid, carrying Radford to first place in the Main. “I started out first, and never looked back! Sometimes… slower is faster, though you gotta be smooth.” He adds. As a sincere fan, Radford will be returning next year for more racing. He happily admits the awesomeness of the track layout. “Nor Cal is my main series!”

Pre-Runner Results

• 1st place: Justin Radford
• 2nd place: Dustin Jones
• 3rd place: Matt Taylor

UTV 900 Results

• 1st place: Michael Von Disterlo

V8 Sportsman Results

• 1st place: Dalton Hamilton

Recap the full 2017 Nor Cal Rock Race season, here. We look forward to more in 2018!

There’s something to be said about the racers who thrash through an intensive rebuild just in time to make it to their next favorite event. It’s proof of their undying passion and dedication to the sport. Queue Jordan Connor—his turbocharged Ecotec-powered '72 Datsun 510 was in pieces just weeks before #GRIDLIFE Midwest, but in a race against time the re-build was completed in the nick of time to join in the #GRIDLIFE fun. Their level of execution was clear when the Datsun took to the track, nabbing 5th place in Unlimited RWD by the end of the weekend. “I went over 3-seconds faster than my previous best time just during shakedown,” Jordan gushed.

Teardown of the Datsun began in November 2016 and it would be four days pre-event before firing up again. A larger PTE 5558 turbo was one of the key upgrades of the build. The turbo called for slew of other changes—a different manifold, downpipe, wastegate discharge, intercooler and coolant pipes were installed to accomodate it.

Proper weight distribution is important for all racecars, and Jordan wanted to raise the Datsun’s handling capabilities to new heights. For starters, he cut out the floor and firewall, nudged the engine & transmission farther back in the chassis and secured it by fabricating engine and transmission mounts. With the engine moved back, Jordan then customized a front subframe to mount a MR2 steering rack to. At the same time, he made the front control arm pickup points adjustable for roll center-correction and anti-dive. Shorter ratio steering arms were used, and the steering rack was mounted further forward to improve steering geometry on the track. To complete the package, Stance Suspension made a custom set of three-way adjustable coilovers.

Jordan reconstructed the rear frame and trunk floor to make room for a new fuel cell. The entire cooling system was also moved back and re-ducted. Jordan modified the transmission so the shifter bolts directly into it—essentially moving the shift forward by 12-inches, and in turn, shortening the driveshaft. Rear subframe mounts were made adjustable to height and pitch for better roll center, axle and driveshaft angles. And because more speed equals more safety measures, the chassis received some strengthening via a beefier skeleton for the firewall and transmission tunnel along with a reinforced roll cage.

Before the Datsun could get fired up, a quick rewire of the chassis was done along with finalization of the new fuel system. The clock was ticking... an alignment and corner balance was done. Jordan still had to install all of the parts to make the car work—such as the seat, doors, windows, tunnel panels, and so on. He pressure tested the systems and headed to the dyno two days before departure. The following day, the rest of the floor and tunnel was finished in aluminum and the Crude Engineering team loaded the car on a trailer. After work the next day, the team headed to the grid. Yes, this entire build was completed while maintaining a job to pay the bills. #becauseracecar.

All went well during Friday morning’s shakedown session at Gingerman Raceway. Throughout the weekend, the Datsun ran flawless, putting down extremely fast times. When considering this car's 290-whp and 205 tires, in comparison with the 670-whp C5 Corvette on 335 tires finishing just in front of him, the Datsun's 4th place finish was impressive to say the least. We can’t wait to see what Jordan Connor and Crude Engineering accomplish next.

Got a thing for Datsuns? Us too, check this out.

As far as race tracks go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one as storied in the world of auto racing as upstate New York’s Watkins Glen International. Since 1953 it’s hosted races by the SCCA, IndyCar, defunct World Sportscar Championship (WSC), Trans-Am and Can-Am series, even NASCAR (yes, those cars do occasionally do more than turn left). From 1961 to 1980 it was the home of Formula 1 in the U.S., and is today known as “The Mecca of North American road racing.” And as of a re-surfacing just two years ago, The Glen is arguably as good as it’s ever been.

A HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE

Dating back even further is the race the track is best known for: The Six Hours of The Glen, which began in 1948 as the Watkins Glen Grand Prix when it was held on about 6 miles of public roadway surrounding the village of Watkins Glen, New York. Created by the SCCA, the race was eventually moved to the newly minted racetrack after an accident left 12 spectators injured and one dead in 1952.

Since then, it’s been run on behalf of the SCCA, U.S. Road Racing Championship, WSC, IMSA Camel GT series, Grand-Am Road Racing, and once again today by IMSA as part of the United Sportscar Championship (today called the WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, for its title sponsor).

Marking the halfway point of the season, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is run by all four classes of the series, and joining them throughout the week are two races each for the IMSA Prototype Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and a 120-minute enduro for the GS and ST classes of the Sportscar Challenge. That’s a lot of racing, and if any of it thus far has left you a bit confused, please see our primer on how to enjoy (and understand) sportscar racing in the U.S.

Here’s what you need to know as of the close of the 2017 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen:

IMSA PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE

For 12 years the IMSA Lites series has existed as a feeder to professional prototype-class racing in the U.S. Today it serves the same purpose but has been renamed the IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda, and is open to teams fielding any of two approved competition machines: open-cockpit MPC-class Elan DP02s, powered by 2.0L four-cylinder Mazda MZR engines and a variety of chassis makes adhering to international LMP3 class specifications, powered by 5.0L V8 Nissan VK50VE engines.

A shortened racing format and season allow competitors to participate without as much financial backing as in the professional leagues, but the competition — and speeds — are nearly as intense. This weekend was only the third event of the year for the series, and leading the championship points chase coming into the competition was Andres Gutierrez in the No. 12 Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier JS P3, with 2015 season champ Kenton Koch in the No. 8 P1 Motorsports Ligier hot on his wing. But Gutierrez and Koch were both usurped by Colin Thompson in the No. 14 Ignite/Mattoni Water car, who qualified First and won the first race of the week with Koch and Gutierrez claiming Second and Third, respectively.

Race No. 2 was where things got tough, however, when rain began to fall — and fall hard — right as the green flag dropped. Koch started the race on slicks and limped around the drenched track until he could pit and change to wets, rejoining in 21st place and finishing 18th overall, after wrecks and caution flags limited his passing opportunities. Thompson also suffered position in the chaos (finishing Sixth overall but now still leading the points chase), but Gutierrez took the win he’d been eyeing all week.

LAMBORGHINI SUPER TROFEO

Another series affiliated with, but independent of, IMSA WeatherTech competition and also racing twice throughout the week was the U.S. division of Lamborghini Super Trofeo. Driver Richard Antinucci dominated the season coming into the week, having won every event thus far, and here he qualified First and took the win in the first race of the week from behind the wheel of the No. 16 Change Racing/Lamborghini Carolinas machine.

But when he encountered problems during race No. 2 and finished in only 16th place, Riccardo Agostini and Trent Hindman, switching off at the wheel in the No. 1 car of Prestige Performance/Lamborghini Paramus, came through for the win.

PORSCHE GT3 CUP

Intertwined with those races, as well as practice and Qualifying sessions, was the second one-make series present: the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. And with it came a genuinely scary moment, when in Race No. 1 two competitors collided with each other and the outside wall between the exit of The Glen’s uphill “esses” and Turn 4, coming to rest in a blind area of the track and setting off a chain-reaction crash with no fewer than 10 approaching competitors. Nine drivers required medical attention, with hospitalization deemed necessary for four of them.

Fortunately, the cars’ safety equipment did its job and the IMSA/Watkins Glen ground crews and medical staffs reacted perfectly to the situation. Most importantly no one was severely injured, but the race was called and driving ended early Friday on a somber note to an otherwise great first day of racing.

Saturday’s second race went off without as much of a hitch among the 30 remaining cars, with Canadian driver Scott Hargrove (this race pitted drivers of the Canadian Cup series in competition with those of the USA Cup) starting from the pole in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports/Castrol machine and maintaining the lead for much of the race after battling to keep it from nearly the start.

But 30 cars are still a big field, and when Hargrove and Canadian rival Zacharie Robichon (No. 98, Mark Motors Racing car) eventually caught up to the back of the field, Robichon was able to make a move for the lead, in the process incurring contact from Hargrove for which Hargrove was given a drive-through penalty, allowing Robichon to collect his first win of the season.

SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE

The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen also hosted the Continental Tire 120, a two-hour endurance race for the door-slammers of GS and ST-class competition. Leading championship points heading into the competition were two Porsche teams: the No. 12 Bodymotion Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 of Trent Hindeman and Cameron Cassels in GS, and Spencer Pumpelly and Nick Galante in the No. 17 RS1 Porsche Cayman in ST.

Gaining steam in the background of GS since their win at COTA had been the no. 76 C360R McLaren GT4 team of Paul Horton and Matt Plumb, who qualified First with a record-breaking time and held the lead at The Glen for much of the race. But an error in competition during the race dropped them to Third in the running, behind the No. 59 KohR Ford Mustang team of Jack Roush Jr. and Dean Martin.

If that upset wasn’t enough when the No. 59 team incurred a bump from the then-leading team of Al Carter and Steven Phillips in the No. 99 Automatic Racing Aston Martin Vantage, which resulted in a spin for the Aston, the once-third-place No. 59 Mustang team would go on to collect the win.

ST-class competition boiled down to a battle of brothers, as driver Mat Pombo (co-driver: Derek Jones) in the No. 73 JCW Team Mini fended off his brother and teammate Mark Pombo (co-driver: Jared Salinsky) in the No. 52 JCW Team Mini to take the win, with the No. 56 Murillo Racing Porsche Cayman team of Jeff Mosing (who was involved in Friday’s Porsche Cup crash) and Eric Foss taking Third.

WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Filling the top echelon of IMSA competition, in terms of speed and glory, are the cars and teams of the Prototype class. The cars' low, wide stance and plentiful aerodynamics and powerful engines make them the quickest around a track nearly always, save for on certain tracks in pounding rain, when the GTs can occasionally steal their thunder (Google the 2015 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta for more). While Prototypes did battle occasional wet conditions this time around, mainly in practice sessions, they never relinquished their dominance.

Prototype

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team of brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor had won every race ahead of the Six Hour, but had an uncharacteristically bleak week beginning in practice and solidified in Qualifying, when Brazilian driver Pipo Derani in the No. 2 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi clocked the fastest lap and earned the pole start.

Things got worse for both teams when they were passed for the lead by the team of Misha Goikhberg, Stephen Simpson and Chris Miller in the No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports car, and then the unexpected happened when that team was passed by the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi of Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerque, who took the win. One winning streak remained at the end of it all: Cadillac’s dominance of the Manufacturer Championship chase.

Prototype Challenge

Not to be confused with the aforementioned IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda series, the Prototype Challenge here is a class within IMSA WeatherTech competition, at least for the remainder of the year, after which it will be scrapped. But until then, there’s plenty of excitement ahead for the series’s second fastest class...

...that is, if the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports team with drivers Kyle Masson, James French and Patricio O’Ward decide to give their two remaining competitors a chance. They’ve won every single race thus far, including the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, for which they also qualified First.  

GTLM

The GT classes are really where OEMs do battle and fan the flames of their rivalries, chiefly the one between championship points leaders Chevrolet and their No. 3 Corvette Racing C7.R team of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, and challengers Ford and their No. 66 Ford/Chip Ganassi Racing team of Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller, which has been catching up in points and qualified First for competition this time around.

If there ever was a place for a Ford/Chevy rivalry to take center stage, Watkins Glen on Independence Day weekend was it. But the win quickly proved to be literally anyone’s for the taking, as seven of the eight class competitors switched off for the lead during the six hours. When the excitement finally reached its climax it was the Germans standing tallest, though, with the No. 25 BMW Team RLL M6 of Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims taking the win.

GTD

OK, so maybe GTD is technically the slowest class of WeatherTech competition, but it’s also arguably the most popular, fielding more cars than any other class (by nearly twice), and with all the OEM grudges in tow.

Leading championship points ahead of the race was the No. 33 Riley Motorsports Mercedes AMG team of Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen, but gaining ground — especially after their first win in Detroit — was the team of Andy Lally and Katherine Legge in the No. 93 Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3.

Just like the Ford challengers in GTLM, the Acura team ran fastest in Qualifying. In contrast, though, Acura was able to hold their lead throughout the six hours, winning the class and claiming their second-straight victory. But their margin of victory was a scant 0.592 seconds (after six hours of racing!) ahead of a team to which few had given much thought: the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 team of Alessandro Balzan, Christina Nielson and Matteo Cressoni. Halfway through the season it’s become clear that there are no safe bets in this class.

TRADITIONS CONTINUE

If you’ve made it this far in our coverage of the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen, you no doubt realize just how much racing is packed into an IMSA event stop. What wasn’t explored in much detail this time around was the fan experience, which consisted of four straight days of camping, grilling, tailgating, playing with the kids/pets/friends/family, enjoying live music and a fireworks show, and possibly even partaking in the Sahlen’s hot dog eating contest. Oh, and enjoying the racing, up close and personal.

If you haven’t made a tradition of catching at least one of these events while they're near your backyard, maybe you should.

For season schedules and locations, broadcast info, and to download the IMSA mobile app, head over to www.IMSA.com, and stay with Driving Line for more throughout the season.

But before you do anything else, check out our gallery below!

You’ve heard the tales of NOPI Nationals in the import heyday, at Daytona Beach or Atlanta Motor Speedway. You can probably remember when Hot Import Nights was a household name, filling major venues in Chicago, Washington DC, Miami and other major cities across the country. You’ve probably seen our recent coverage of SpoCom and Wekfest shows in SoCal and NorCal. The number of people and quality of cars that turn out to these mainstay events in tuning strongholds around the country is always impressive, but not all that surprising.

But when you throw an import event deep in the mountains of eastern-central Pennsylvania’s NASCAR country, over 100 miles from any major city, and manage to fill it to the brim with some of the cleanest and most wildly modified cars, formidable Pro-Am and Pro 2 drifters, NASA grip wheelmen and dedicated fans from the tri-state area and beyond... that’s really something.

And that’s exactly what we encountered on our recent trip back east, in part to check out Import Expo and Clean Culture’s Pocono Raceway stop to host their annual Raceway Festival (also to bring you coverage of the recent IMSA Six Hours of The Glen race week). Crazy engine swaps, huge turbos (there was even an anti-lag contest!), slammed/flared/flush everything, a grip of JDM Skyline GT-Rs, all-day drifting and infield hot-lapping, and some truly unique projects all made it an event to remember — and to us, helped cement Import Expo’s name among the biggest in the import show scene.

To get in on the action when Import Expo travels to a destination near you, visit www.importexpo.ca.

Check out the photo gallery at the top for more.

Daytona Beach, Florida, is known for its white-sand beaches and the International Speedway worldwide, but that’s not the city-by-the-sea’s only major draw. From Jeep Beach to Bike Week, Daytona Beach plays host to some of the biggest gearhead gatherings in the nation. One event that’s starting to become a summertime truck enthusiast magnet is the Daytona Truck Meet. Now in its fourth year, the two-day event had trucks pouring in from all over the Southeast.

Always looking for an excuse to mix a coastal vacation with truck fun, we headed south to check out this year’s show. While the video above offers a glimpse into the action, we’ve put together even more snaps of the event in our article below.

For the 2017 Daytona Truck Meet, the show would be based out of the Ocean Center Convention hall. This had a portion of the trucks on display inside. Many of these were high-horsepower diesels, such as this Cummins-powered Ram on Nitto 420S tires sitting in the American Force Wheels booth.

One of our favorite trucks from the show was this solid-axle Dodge Dakota. Not only does it have a custom multilink suspension with air bags, but it’s powered by a 4BT Cummins diesel engine. We’ll have a full feature breakdown on this killer rig soon.

Big wheels and even bigger rubber was the trend throughout the weekend. A set of 38x13.50 Nitto Trail Grapplers were wrapped around these custom painted and massive deep-dish 24-inch wheels.

A wide array of awards were given out on Sunday at the show. Felicia Orcutt nabbed Best Female Owned Truck with her Southern Off Road-sponsored Ram 2500, which was equipped with a BDS Suspension and 38-inch-tall Trail Grapplers.

Any Level Lift was on hand with two of its innovative Ford Super Duty trucks. The company’s unique suspension design allows the truck to cycle between 13 inches of lift height. This out-of-the-box thinking helped them nab the Best Lifted trophy.

The show was just as hopping (albeit a lot hotter) outside too. While late-model trucks were the mainstay, there still were plenty of older modified pickups on hand.

KMC Wheels had one of the cleanest solid-axle Chevys at the show. This late-model Duramax was built by Plan B Fab and featured some extremely detailed suspension work. While there weren't too many “trail-style” builds on hand, it didn’t take away from the amount of detail and labor spent building these custom trucks.

We ran into people from all over the Southeast at the show. Alex McDaniel drove his 2012 Ford F-150 all the way from Missouri to check out the event and enjoy a little time hanging on the sand.

Speaking of the sand, the shoreline was a turned into a makeshift truck parade all weekend long.

Given that Daytona Beach is one of the few places in the U.S. you can drive on the sand, it makes for a picturesque spot to cruise. We definitely didn’t expect to see a new Ford Raptor on 22-inch wheels, but that was not even close to the most surprising thing we spotted.

The “what the heck” award goes to this guy! We spotted this crazy Mercedes on the move a few times over the weekend. We’re guesstimating those wheels are around 36 inches.

One truck build type we were surprised we didn’t see more of was lowered trucks. Lifted trucks by enlarge outnumbered the low-profile pickups. However, that didn’t stop many of them from hitting the beach.

With so many trucks at the show and visiting the beach, you’d often find some pretty incredible pickups sitting in various parking lots. We were loving this pair of classic Dodges. 

Be sure to check out more of the trucks in our exclusive gallery below.

Roll up to the local Cars & Coffee on a Saturday morning in Dubai, and you’re sure to find a few cars well into the six-figure price range. With Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Maserati on the list of local dealerships, this city is no stranger to supercars. But a Ferrari 488 Spider is absolutely useless when it comes to the fastest-growing trend in Dubai’s automotive world — a trend that begins where the pavement ends.

When a prominent sheikh from the United Arab Emirates wanted to build the ultimate high-horsepower sand toy, he got in touch with Mel Wade, owner of Off Road Evolution and EVO Manufacturing, in Fullerton, California. When Mel heard about the sheikh’s plans for a premium, two-door Jeep JK — dubbed "UAE1" — he knew this build had to be unlike any other he had built before. Not long after their first meeting, the Jeep was on a boat from the Middle East headed to California for its makeover.

Over the years, Off Road Evolution has produced some of the most widely recognized, high-end Jeep builds in the world. The company pioneered the coilover conversion and cantilever suspension systems in Jeep JKs, and it’s now a major manufacturer of Jeep armor and suspension components, as well as a full-service, off-road shop. Mel wanted to use EVO Manufacturing’s off-the-shelf production parts on this build while adding some unique qualities to it that you won’t find on any other Wrangler.

EVO Manufacturing armor can be found throughout the build, from the bumpers, rock sliders, inner fender liners, body armor, tire carrier and more. The half doors are also from EVO, designed to allow the factory Jeep half-door windows to be installed with the custom Bestop soft top. UAE1 is painted with a factory Anvil color, complementing its tank-like appearance.

Not only must the Jeep perform like a supercar in the dunes, it also had to look just as fast. Customizing metal is a costly proposition, but one that can produce striking, one-off results. In this case, the windshield was raked 2 inches and the roof was chopped just as much to give the Jeep a “fastback” look. Both the body and frame were stretched 9 inches, making the Jeep look comfortably proportional. A custom rollcage was also added to accommodate the stretch, but still retains the simple look of a factory JK cage. The beauty of UAE1’s design is in its simplicity; it still feels like a JK, but you won’t find another Jeep like it out there.

Looking further below the surface reveals exactly why UAE1 weighs in at supercar territory. For starters, the original 3.8L “minivan motor” was quickly yanked out. Replacing it with something more appropriate for the unforgiving sand dunes, a stroked Hemi 6.1L V8 was dropped in — making more horsepower than Mel’s own Ultra4 race car. The front and rear axles were also swapped for a pair of Dynatrac high-pinion Prorock 60 axles, with plenty of strength to withstand the nature of desert driving.

While the Jeep Wrangler is a worthy off-road vehicle right out of the box, its suspension design leaves plenty of room for improvement. UAE1 received an upgrade treatment, giving it the perfect setup for jumping sand dunes and playing in the desert’s playground. Starting off, EVO’s off-the-shelf, desert racer–inspired, trailing-arm, four-link rear suspension — capable of 20 inches of travel — was added. It’s complemented by a Double-Throwdown front coilover and bypass conversion, capable of 14 inches of travel. The versatility of having a King coilover and bypass shock on each corner (that can be tuned specifically for the terrain and style of driving) is invaluable.

Driving on sand is all about getting the biggest footprint from the tires to increase traction. It doesn’t get much better than a set of 40x13.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. Finding a well-mannered tire that drives as comfortably as a normal SUV on the pavement, but offers superb off-road traction was imperative, and that’s exactly why Mel chose the Trail Grappler for this build. The Nittos are wrapped around a set of XD228 Machete beadlock wheels, offering plenty of strength and great style to boot. 

The interior followed suit with UAE1’s minimalist, yet functional, style. A custom-made aluminum dashboard sports two iPads loaded with LeadNav software, a RacePak gauge system, custom-stitched front and rear seats and a custom center console. The factory JK steering wheel and shifters were left in place, keeping with the original Wrangler look.

When it comes to ultimate toys, UAE1 delivers plenty of fun both off- and on-road. Although this build is finished, Mel Wade still has his hands full. The success of UAE1 has already led to a four-door Jeep truck build that will act as a “chase vehicle” for the owner, providing support with parts and recoveries. Soon, both rigs will be shipped overseas to claim their territory on the dunes — something you could never do with a supercar, no matter how deep your pockets are.

(Photos: Tim Sutton)

See below for more amazing shots from our exclusive photo shoot with UAE1.

For most people, going to the county fair involves carnival games, rollercoaster rides and artery-clogging food. But for myself and other SoCal off-road fans, the main event will always be Tuff Trucks Racing. In 1995, John Borba, founder of World's Greatest Action Sports (WGAS), had an idea to bring local off-road enthusiasts to the San Diego Fairgrounds to battle it out on a custom-built short-course style track featuring moguls, sharp turns and big air jumps. Twenty-two years later, the tradition of Tuff Trucks Racing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Solana Beach, California, is bigger and better than ever.

I had a chance to chat with WGAS Motorsports Director Greg Atherton about the history of the Tuff Trucks event. The first Tuff Trucks event in 1995 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds did not feature the same caliber of off-road trucks it does today.

"Contractors would bring their work trucks to the event and race the course with them," Atherton explained. "A lot of stuff went home broken on a flatbed trailer back in the day."

The event costs $20 to enter, and prizes are awarded to the fastest overall average lap times — $500 for first place, $300 for second place, $200 for third place. The track itself has evolved over the years as well. As off-road suspension technology advanced over the years, the moguls got bumpier and the jumps got taller. The current track now takes racers outside the Del Mar Stadium, around a 180-degree turn corner and up a ramp that sends them flying about 45 feet back into the stadium. 

San Diego isn't the only home of Tuff Trucks. WGAS holds events in Oregon and Washington as well as California. But because of its rich history in desert racing, San Diego has always been the biggest show they put on.

"We've got some of the baddest off-road hombres here in SoCal," Atherton said with pride.

Tuff Trucks is great of fans of all ages, and even features a monster truck ride between races. It's definitely a great way to spend an afternoon with the family. As Tuff Trucks grows each year, you can be sure to see more desert racers and home-built hucksters sending it at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, so don't miss out next time!

Check out the photo gallery at the top to see all the high-flying action of the San Diego Tuff Trucks Race.

For most people, going to the county fair involves carnival games, rollercoaster rides and artery-clogging food. But for myself and other SoCal off-road fans, the main event will always be Tuff Trucks Racing. In 1995, John Borba, founder of World's Greatest Action Sports (WGAS), had an idea to bring local off-road enthusiasts to the San Diego Fairgrounds to battle it out on a custom-built short-course style track featuring moguls, sharp turns and big air jumps. Twenty-two years later, the tradition of Tuff Trucks Racing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Solana Beach, California, is bigger and better than ever.

I had a chance to chat with WGAS Motorsports Director Greg Atherton about the history of the Tuff Trucks event. The first Tuff Trucks event in 1995 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds did not feature the same caliber of off-road trucks it does today.

"Contractors would bring their work trucks to the event and race the course with them," Atherton explained. "A lot of stuff went home broken on a flatbed trailer back in the day."

The event costs $20 to enter, and prizes are awarded to the fastest overall average lap times — $500 for first place, $300 for second place, $200 for third place. The track itself has evolved over the years as well. As off-road suspension technology advanced over the years, the moguls got bumpier and the jumps got taller. The current track now takes racers outside the Del Mar Stadium, around a 180-degree turn corner and up a ramp that sends them flying about 45 feet back into the stadium. 

San Diego isn't the only home of Tuff Trucks. WGAS holds events in Oregon and Washington as well as California. But because of its rich history in desert racing, San Diego has always been the biggest show they put on.

"We've got some of the baddest off-road hombres here in SoCal," Atherton said with pride.

Tuff Trucks is great of fans of all ages, and even features a monster truck ride between races. It's definitely a great way to spend an afternoon with the family. As Tuff Trucks grows each year, you can be sure to see more desert racers and home-built hucksters sending it at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, so don't miss out next time!

Check out the photo gallery at the top to see all the high-flying action of the San Diego Tuff Trucks Race.

When Ford unveiled the refreshed 2018 Mustang a few months back, they showed the car's exterior and some of its new tech features but didn't release any information on horsepower figures — aside from saying both the V8 GT and EcoBoost models would receive power bumps for the upcoming model year. This week Ford has officially revealed the power figures for the new Mustang, and potential buyers should be quite pleased.

Thanks to a new fuel injection system and other tweaks, the 2018 Mustang GT's 5.0 liter V8 now outputs 460hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, a big jump compared to 435hp and 400 lb-ft in the 2017 model.

With the new 10-speed automatic and the car's Drag Strip Mode engaged, Ford says the 2018 Mustang GT will be capable of hitting 60 mph in under four seconds. Not too long ago that would've been supercar territory.

Not to be left out is the EcoBoost variant of the 2018 Mustang, carrying over the same 310 hp rating from 2017 but with a torque boost of 30 lb-ft for a total of 350 lb-ft of torque.

Already having a legendary reputation for delivering lots of horsepower for not a lot of money, the revised 2018 car has only gotten better. It's yet another escalation in the modern pony car wars, and we can't wait to see who fires the next shot.

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After six months of piecing together the perfect truck, it was finally time for Steve Burris to send his High-Boy creation down the road for the first time. As you would expect, with its frame, axles, brakes, suspension and powertrain all coming from Super Duty donors, the truck feels as sure-footed and stable as a ’99-’03 ¾-ton Ford. But, judging by all the attention it receives, it’s the vintage body lines that attract all the attention. Steve’s one-of-a-kind ’73 invokes dropped jaws, waves from perfect strangers and the proverbial thumbs up everywhere it goes — not to mention that the truck has an uncanny ability to slow down oncoming traffic.

Despite all the time, labor and money Steve has invested in this beauty, you would be hard-pressed to ever find it parked at a car show. No, sir... Now that it’s finally mobile, Steve is out enjoying it. Whether it’s being used for work, play, commuting or towing a trailer, it’s getting driven.

For the final installment, we take a close look at the final product and attempt to highlight Steve’s remarkable ability to integrate modern day power and creature comforts into one of America’s most recognizable, time-honored classics.

Luxury Seating, Crank Windows

With crank windows and a power leather driver seat, who says you can’t blend modern era creature comforts with old-school functionality?

For improved ride quality, Steve sourced both the 40/20/40 front and rear bench seats from a ’99 Lariat model Super Duty. The only item of unfinished business in the cab is the truck’s lack of a head liner.

Like a Glove

While not exactly shoehorned into place, the 7.3L Power Stroke is snuggly nestled under the hood.

The Super Duty degas bottle was retained, the factory turbo was replaced (with the popular aftermarket Garrett GTP38R) and a fuel rail crossover from Riffraff Diesel Performance resides in the lifter valley (which keeps the fuel rails in the heads free of air and fuel supply pressure consistent).

Hand-Shaker & South Bend Clutch

The nearly bulletproof ZF-6 manual transmission provides six forward speeds and a granny low First gear.

With plans to add more than 100 extra horsepower to the 7.3L via programmer, the factory dual mass flywheel clutch was upgraded to a dual disc, single mass flywheel unit from South Bend Clutch. The South Bend unit features a 3,250-pound plate load rating and is capable of handling 650 hp and 1,300 lb-ft of torque. Needless to say, neither the clutch nor the transmission should ever be an issue on this truck.

Married Transfer Case

A far cry from what you’d find in an original High-Boy — no divorced transfer case exists on this F-250.

Instead, a manually shifted NV271 is married to the tail housing of the ZF-6 transmission. Like a lot of other aspects of the build, it only made sense to stick with the transfer case that originally came with the ZF-6 rather than attempt to reinvent the wheel.

The Business End

Paralleling the two-piece drive shaft is a 5-inch diameter exhaust system from Diamond Eye Performance (specifically designed for the 7.3L Power Stroke).

The exhaust incorporates a 4-inch downpipe and is void of a muffler, which allows the ball bearing GTP38R turbo to do plenty of talking (or rather, whistling). Also notice the fuel tank, which is a 38-gallon unit robbed off a Super Duty donor truck that should provide a range of at least 550 to 600 miles between fill-ups.

Super Duty Suspension

Thanks to the Super Duty axles (a Dana 50 up front and a 10.5 Sterling in the rear), larger (four-way disc) brakes and unit bearings are now utilized.

And, gone for good are the original 2.25-inch wide leaf springs in favor of 3-inch Super Duty units from Superlift Suspension. The extra leafs in each pack provide 4 inches of lift up front, while 3-inch rear blocks give the truck its leveled stance.

New Shoes

What a difference wheels and tires make!

Steve’s tread of choice was a set of 37x12.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. To keep the front bumper tucked in as close to the truck as possible, frame horns were sourced off a ’79 and welded to the ends of the Super Duty front frame rails. The grille was originally bolted to a ’74 model.

37s & Rockcrushers Pay Tribute

Steve’s choice to run 37-inch tires (perhaps) pays homage to the fact that, provided they were narrow enough, 37-inch tread could be run with zero clearance issues on a factory height High-Boy.

Topping things off is a set of polished aluminum, 17x9-inch Rockcrushers from Raceline Wheels.

That Extra Kick

To give the 7.3L Power Stroke an additional boost in the power department, a Hydra Chip from Power Hungry Performance was installed (right) along with a gauge monitor from Edge Products (left).

Thanks to the Hydra Chip, various custom tuning files are available on the fly, with the potential to add as much as 140 hp to the mix.

Eye Magnet

If the flawless paint, aggressive look or beefy axles don’t get your attention, the distinct rattle from the 7.3L Power Stroke will. Every time Steve leaves the driveway, his ’73 is an eye magnet.

Take it from us — the type of attention it receives is well-deserved. This modern-day High-Boy is a prime example of how rewarding the restoration process can be, as well as how worthwhile it is to think outside the box.

Even though Steve used to restore Mustangs and sell them, he doesn’t plan to do the same with this one-off creation. Instead, he plans to keep it and drive it for the foreseeable future.

Don't forget to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the series if you missed them!

When it comes to awesome pro-touring cars, the Goodguys Heartland Nationals has no shortage of them. Held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds the first weekend in July, this Goodguys event brings in thousands of vintage cars of all shapes and sizes, including some of the coolest pro-touring cars you'll ever lay your eyes on. From mildly modified to beefed up and boisterous, these five pro-touring builds especially caught our eye.

In no particular order, here are five of our favorites from the 2017 Goodguys Heartland Nationals:

1. Bad-to-the-Bone Barracuda

Recently built by Riley Autosports, Phil Stepp's 1967 Barracuda is a pro-tourer's dream.

Complete with a massaged 383 under the hood, a TTI header/custom exhaust system and a 727 automatic gearbox, the Barracuda is good for somewhere around 480 hp. Improved handling and maneuverability on the street comes thanks to a Mustang IFS, triangulated rear and K-member support.

Built to be a driver as well as a bit of a show car, the Barracuda sports 17-inch US Mags up front and 18s in the rear. Wrapped around the hearty wheels are Nitto NT555s, in 235/45/ZR17 and 255/45/ZR18 sizes, respectively.

Recommended by builder Bill Riley, the Nitto tires are a great asset to the Barracuda, and according to Stepp, he looks forward to seeing how they perform on the car in normal and performance driving situations.

2. Gnarly Nomad

One of the coolest customs/pro-touring car hybrids, John Judt's 1961 two-door Nomad is one impressive wagon.

Originally a four-door, it underwent a major transformation to be the two-door you see here — including removing, welding and replacing doors; cutting and moving the posts; then worked smooth before painting in House of Kolor Tangerine with a White Pearl top.

While the wagon's aesthetics are amazing, so too are its slew of performance components. Under the hood you'll find a new Chevy Small Block 350 ci crate engine, wired with Ron Francis wires and cooled by dual electric fans, backed by a 700R4 automatic transmission.

The suspension on the Nomad is a full RideTech system, complete with bags in front and rear for height control. Wheels on the wagon are classic five-spokes with custom body-color Chevy Bowtie center caps wrapped in Nitto NT450s. Choosing Nittos after happily rolling them on his '55 Nomad for four years, Judt's '61 now has over 4,000 miles on it.

3. Fine Falcon

Sporting a license plate that reads “JS MINT” for obvious reasons, Bruce Moorman's gorgeous '64 Ford Falcon has been a few years in the making. Just like with most builds, building the Falcon up to its current pro-touring status was a lengthy process, but the results are absolutely killer.

Built to be driven both on and off the autocross course, the Falcon features a Ford Racing 347 ci V8 under the hood, complete with an impressive dual air intake system spanning the expanse of the engine bay. A triangulated 4-link was added to the car for maneuverability and strength, as well as Wilwood discs on all four corners.

Planting the car to the pavement are 225/40/ZR18 and 275/35/ZR18 Nitto NT555s wrapped around polished Foose 5-spoke wheels. Unfortunately, we didn't see Moorman run the car on the autocross course this year, but we're sure it will be a force to be reckoned with when it hits the track again!

4. Sleek Chevelle

Another impressive custom, it's easy to see just how much time and effort went into creating this one-of-a-kind pro-touring '67 Chevelle, owned by Jamie Rhoades.

Built over a six-month period by husband Steve Rhoades of Rhoades Restoration, this mighty Chevy features a pavement-pounding 450 hp 427 ci V8, Turbo 350 automatic transmission, narrowed 12-bolt rearend and 3.42 gears out back.

Underneath, the Chevelle is equipped with QA1 tubular coilovers in the front and billet control arms in the rear. The wheels are 18x7-inch front and 20x12-inch rear Schott SL65 wheels wrapped in sticky 225/45/ZR18 and 315/35/ZR20 Nitto NT555 tires.

Other features on the car include Wilwood disc brakes, TMI seats in a fully custom interior and so much custom body work we could ogle over it for days. Jamie may have had to wait 10 years for the car to come to fruition, but we suspect the wait was well worth it.

5. Sinister “SPLITR” Mustang

Built by the one and only Ringbrothers, this exquisite pro-touring car took the cake for the most tricked-out Mustang we saw at the Heartland Nationals. With no single part of the car left untouched, we just knew this bad boy had to be in our top five.

Debuting at the 2015 SEMA Show, Michael Schmalz Jr.'s '65 Mustang Fastback dubbed “SPLITR” boasts a Wegner Motorsports 427 ci Ford Racing engine outfitted with MSD Atomic EFI, an Edelbrock intake, Aeromotive fuel system, custom exhaust system with Ringbrothers headers, as well as Hurst, Flowmaster and B&M components, plus Painless Wiring. Backing the engine is a T56 Tremec six-speed transmission with a Centerforce clutch tied to a Ford 9-inch, complete with a John's Industries third-member, via a DynoTech driveshaft.

The suspension on the Mustang is just as well thought out and performance-driven as the drivetrain, with a full Detroit Speed Engineering setup (chassis and all) featuring a Mustang Aluma-Frame setup up front and a Mustang QUADRALink out back.

JRI shocks are fitted to all four corners, while DSE sway bars keep the car from bending and bowing too much in corners. Pavement gripping power for the car comes from 265/35/ZR18 and 325/30/ZR19 Nitto Invos wrapped around 18x9-inch front and 19x11-inch rear HRE 10-spoke wheels.

We took a deeper look at this beauty when it came out, and today it's just as beautiful as ever.

There were so many absolutely amazing pro-touring cars at the Goodguys Heartland Nationals; this just scratches the surface. Be sure to stay tuned as we feature a handful more pro-touring vehicles from the show in the months to come.

For more of each of our Top 5 Pro-Touring Picks, check out the photo gallery below.

When the FRS and BRZ were released, the masses saw a blank canvas powered by a flat four. Wide body kits, wings and wheels were developed by numerous manufacturers to be used as paint in each owner’s individual piece of work; and while many owners opted to splash together pigments from multiple companies, others decided to work in more subtle tonalities. Today’s feature is certainly of the latter camp.

When Derek purchased his BRZ, the car was never going to stay stock for long. Having owned and modified multiple cars in the past, it was only a matter of time until the car sat on STi Enkei wheels, got a tune, and had the first of multiple exhaust setups installed. Eventually, Derek ponied up for his current setup: the JDM STi Sports Muffler system.

Looking over the car, it’s easy to miss just how many parts have been touched and replaced to add to the OEM+ look. For example, the lug nuts and valve stem caps are even emblazoned with the STi badging.

Of course that’s not to say the larger aspects of the car have been overlooked. The large 4.7-inch tips of the axleback exhaust shipped over from Japan and reflective STi GT wing do well to frame the TOMS tail lights in the rear.

By this point, Derek had long passed the point of no return with the build. The Japan-only tS (tuned by STi) became the new final vision, and with it the STi badging and not-so-overnight parts from Japan kept on coming. Inside the car, the first thing that jumps out is the genuine STi airbag in the center of the TRD MOMO steering wheel.

Normally, shipping an airbag would be difficult, as the explosive built into the airbag is a hazardous material item. This limits the way items can legitimately be shipped and drastically increases shipping costs. That being said, the help of a friend goes a long way in the car community and this case is no different. After Tokyo Auto Salon 2016, Derek placed the order from Subaru Japan and had a buddy pick it up from the distribution center, remove the airbag and ship over the decorative leather shell. All that was left was installation and voila! — yet another pink badge on the build.

Throughout the rest of the cabin, pretty much every surface that could be covered in alcantara has been. JPM Coachworks alcantara shifter and handbrake boots, speaker pads, knee pads, dash, gauge cluster hood and upper door panels have all given the interior a very cohesive feeling.

The tuning continues under the hood where an E85 setup, TRD intake and Fujitsubo headers, front pipe and overpipe port the exhaust back to the aforementioned tips in the rear. In addition, eight more parts — covered in the spec sheet at the end of this article — display the pink STi color or badging.

With all that out of the way, the real kernel of the tS gets its time in the limelight. Over time, Derek has replaced and upgraded nearly every bit of suspension, steering component and subframe. Increased road feel, stiffness and responsiveness are just desserts for his and Auto Tuned’s efforts.

However, one shouldn’t think these parts are Craigslist used-for-a-season aftermarket parts. Each part was factory-developed and tested specifically for the tS. From the flexible tower and V-bars up top to the entire rear subframe assembly and spring/damper combo below, over 15 different parts have been installed to work in concert with one another.

Since purchasing his BRZ in 2013, Derek has slowly pieced together the most complete tS build in the United States, one pink STi badge at a time. His next step is purchasing the Recaro driver and passenger seats, adding yet another facet of customization to the car. For his effort, even after Subaru brings the tS to the U.S. in 2018, he will continue to own the most accurate recreation of the JDM tS to date.

TUNING MENU

2013 Subaru BRZ Limited

To see more of Derek's BRZ, check out the photo gallery below.