or most hot rodders, nothing compares to the thrill of being pushed back into the seat by serious acceleration—all it takes is horsepower. On the other hand, not being able to bring that same car to a quick stop when needed can be another kind of excitement, though much less satisfying—the solution for that problem is more stopping power. Colin Radford is tackling both issues; his 1965 Mustang fastback will rely on a built FE Ford V-8 for horsepower, while four-wheel disc brakes from Classic Performance Products (CPP) will provide the stopping power.

All brakes depend on friction between two surfaces to stop the car. Unfortunately, friction produces heat, and heat is the enemy of brakes. As brake components heat up, the coefficient of friction between them decreases, causing the brakes to lose effectiveness. This is called brake fade. If you’ve ever driven a car down a steep grade and noticed it took more and more brake pedal pressure to slow down, you’ve experienced brake fade.

here have been many major mechanical innovations in the auto industry, from Charles Kettering’s electric starter to the automatic transmission, antilock brakes, and more, but few have been as significant as the development of electronically controlled fuel injection.

Fuel injection had existed for decades in various forms, but it wasn’t until the advent of advanced electronic control systems in the early 1980s that it became a leading technology for lower emissions and improved efficiency. Ironically, it also became a key factor in high performance—both from the factory and in enthusiasts’ garages.

We’re building a fuel-injected, small-block for our C3 Corvette project, which sparked a discussion about the history of carburetor alternatives in Corvettes, as well as the growth and evolution of aftermarket systems. There’s a lot to cover on this detailed topic, so we’ll keep things at a high level.

he station wagon, once relegated to chores related to family life, was the body style of choice for soccer moms, Little League coaches, family vacations, and occasionally seen towing a drag car to the track. And, of course, who could forget the 1954 Dodge station wagon and camper trailer that made up the first NHRA Drag Safari. Yes, it was versatile, roomy, and, for the most part, form followed function. Speaking of form and function, by the 1960s, the desirable weight transfer of the station wagon had been discovered, and station wagons were in the thick of drag racing in a wide range of classes, many complete with candy stripe roofs … but I digress. The completely boring SUV has made modern station wagons a rarity, but the charm and allure of a vintage wagon is not lost on the hot rod community. You can include longtime Chevy guy Andy Lezotte of Morgan Hill, California, in that group.

Lezotte and Rodger Lee, at Ironworks Speed & Kustom, have teamed up on hot rods before, with the last being a 1969 Chevelle. When Lezotte found a remarkably original 1965 Chevelle station wagon, he immediately envisioned what could be done with it and knew exactly who could make that vision come true. It was to be a modern take on the classic “sleepers”—a car with a stock, understated exterior but all business underneath.

h yes, the station wagon. There was a time long ago when no respectable estate was without one; some even called them Estate Wagons. How else would you get to and from the train station for travel or to pick up guests? Original station wagon bodies were made of wood (hence the beloved term “Woodies”), and that wooden body no doubt is responsible for the second part of the term station wagon. Wood was replaced by steel, but the layout stayed the same—multiple rows of seats with a rear luggage area and often a roof rack. It seemed every family had one in the 1950s and 1960s. None of this was lost on longtime Chevy enthusiast and family man Andy Lezotte of Morgan Hill, California.

It seems Andy faced a challenge. Now married with three kids, he wanted to combine his happy family with 700 hp—something we should mention he really likes. It didn’t take long for him to imagine a nice midsize family station wagon. Nothing groundbreaking, but a vintage wagon with some character. When he found a “cherry” 1965 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon, he knew he had found the perfect vehicle for a family of five plus those 700 horses he loved. Close inspection showed it was an original paint, well-maintained car, and it didn’t take long for Andy to seal the deal.

Getting a good hot rod built requires a certain harmony between the owner and the builder. Andy found his harmonious shop several years ago when he had a 1969 Chevelle built. The shop is Ironworks Speed & Kustom where Rodger Lee creates great hot rods of all kinds. A couple of “bench racing sessions” made sure they were on the same page. Since the original paint was weathered to perfection, this wagon would be built in today’s popular patina style.

e are probably living in a time like no other before this. Never have there been more parts, services, and expertise available to help with Mopar restorations than there are today. Even if you start with nothing but a basic shell, even the most decrepit E-body can be restored to showroom-new quality. Unless your car has been completely mangled (and sometimes even then, if you know the right shop), most of the sheetmetal you need is available from sources like Auto Metal Direct (AMD).

Fortunately, collision damage isn’t the biggest problem. Rust is. And it’s always worse than it appears. Only after the car is chemically stripped can a proper assessment be made of the metal panels needed.

here is no question that in the last 15 years or so, the quality of hot rods being built has reached an all-time high. While budgets and build styles differ, the one thing all these first-class cars share is the attention paid to small details often overlooked. A good example is the modified core support on the 1967 Chevy II being built at MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration.

hile attending the 2025 Triple Crown of Rodding, I ran into an old friend who brought his even older hot rod. “Regret” is a 1932 Ford sedan owned by Dennis “Denny” Lesky and has a history unlike any other hot rod. I visited the Ionia Hot Rod Shop in Ionia, Michigan, some 20 years ago. Back then, Denny and his son, Matt, ran the shop and built true-to-the-last-rivet original hot rods. They were among the coolest modern-day hot rods, built to look just as they would have back in the day.

While doing my due diligence, wandering over, under, and through everything that was anything at the shop, I came across Denny’s ride—a 1932 Ford sedan with a history as both a drag car and a street rod. It features a subtle Vern Abbey 3-3/4-inch top chop and dry lakes–style A-pillars that angle the windshield back ever so slightly. This Deuce sedan has never been off its framerails since the day it rolled out of the Ford River Rouge Plant. (Think about that for a minute!) It was the end of the day, the dead of winter, and we were going to the Detroit Autorama the next day when Denny told me to jump in and we would go for a ride. Well, being a dutiful journalist, how could I turn down the opportunity? Let’s think back. It was late in the day, the sun was setting, it was the middle of winter, there was a light wind, there were no windows (maybe a windshield and back glass, but the doors and quarters were vacant of any “sand”), or at least if there were, they didn’t work, and the gaps in the floorboards and doors would “allow” in the full unfettered winter climes. I sat there on the race-inspired bucket and watched the Stewart-Warner gauges, envious of the water-temperature gauge with its three-digit heat reading! In other words, I damn near froze to death. All the while, Denny was having a ball as he laughed at this West Coast wimp. Upon coming to the end of our “brisk” drive, it wouldn’t be until Friday night of the Detroit Autorama before I genuinely got the feeling back in my toes.