e confess, we will always love bare bones, wind-in-your-face, traditional hot rods—we’re even partial to those with a rough edge or two. On the other hand, there is something to be said for a refined modern rod with some of the accessories we’ve become accustomed to in contemporary cars. It’s those miscellaneous items that our fearless leader, Editor Brennan, refers to as “tchotchkes.”

Many of the “add-on” accessories we find appealing are electrically operated. They may be as simple as courtesy lights that make it easier to find your keys at night, or as high-tech as multi-function GPS systems to help you navigate to wherever you want to go. Most of these cool electrical items can be easily added to an existing wiring harness—it’s especially easy with an aftermarket wiring system, as they generally have the capacity for additional items. Of course, in some cases, an auxiliary fuse panel or relay(s) may be needed, but that is also simple to do.

What we’ve done here is compile a list of some interesting add-on electrical accessories that are affordable and easy to install. Of course, all the sources here offer many more; there seems to be no end to the cool gizmos and gadgets available to make cruising more comfortable.

Late-model hot rods are now the norm at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, held at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Of course, with nearly 9,000 hot rods, there are plenty of all makes, models, colors, and build styles to see.

hen referring to the 56th Annual National Street Rod Association’s Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, held at the Kentucky Exposition Center, we expect numerous hot rods and a large crowd. What isn’t normally associated with this event is stunningly beautiful weather. Yep, the 2025 56th Annual Nats was one for the record books when it came to weather. While Thursday was more of what we might have expected, there is no doubt that Friday through Sunday was spectacular. But we came for the hot rods, so let’s get back to things that go varoom day and night!

As everyone knows, the NSRA uses a rolling 30-year cutoff to decide which cars and trucks can attend. With 2025 as the current year, it was impressive to see a variety of hot rods from all makes, models, and years—going back to 1996. Those of us who have been around for a while are accustomed to seeing Model As, Deuces, and vehicles from the late ’40s and ’50s. Over time, we’ve also gotten used to seeing Tri-Fives, C10s, and a wide range of Camaros and Corvettes as well as many Fords, Mopars, and other brands. What kind of hot rodder would you be if you didn’t take a “hot lap” through the swap meet? There is always an idea just sitting there in front of you for your next project. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals truly has become a “melting pot” for the world of hot rodding. I must admit seeing an early 1990s Ferrari and a mid-1980s Mercedes SL did take me back a bit, but, hey, it was cool to look at, and let’s face it, street rodding has evolved. It has evolved to take in the likes of modern-day hot rodders, which brings with it a wide spectrum of makes and models of cars and trucks and a staggering variety of build styles. The times are definitely changing, but that’s how anyone or anything survives, through evolution.

he range of colors for custom car paint expanded in 1960 with the introduction of metalflake to the public. The late 1950s and early 1960s experienced a renaissance with the popularity of Candy Apple Red and pearlescent white, soon followed by a variety of sparkling metalflake colors.

The story of metalflake’s origins begins in 1957 when the Dow Chemical Company acquired the Dobeckmun Company, making Dobeckmun a division of Dow Chemical. Dobeckmun, short for Dolan, Becker, and Munson, was a major manufacturer of cellophane and foil packaging before being acquired by Dow. 

In early 1959, automotive designer Stefan Boran discovered a new product Dobeckmun produced by cutting aluminum foil into microscopic squares and trademarked it as metalflake, which could be produced in large quantities at low cost. Boran recognized the potential for metalflake to become a custom car finish and collaborated closely with Dobeckmun to develop enough product to supply George Barris with experimental silver metalflake for the XPAK 400 air car Barris debuted at the National Championship Show in Detroit.

e are continuing our investigation of the inspiring work being done on the 1969 Camaro project being built by Auto Body Specialists in Manchester, New Hampshire. In this installment, we’ll take a close look at the extensive stainless steel hardline plumbing and the all-stainless exhaust system.

Stainless steel is sometimes called the “queen” of metals because it does not rust and is non-corrosive. If you polish or brush the surface to a high luster, it will usually keep that shiny finish for many years. That’s why stainless steel is widely used in industrial kitchens and surgical tools.

ust never sleeps, that is, until rusted iron or steel is painted with POR-15 rust-preventive coating. I recently traveled on behalf of Modern Rodding to Enid, Oklahoma, to visit Harold’s Hot Rod Shop’s new digs on 2 acres adjacent to the 5-acre site where Clay has operated Clay’s Collision Center since 1979.

Clay opened the collision center as a one-man operation and grew it into a 10-person business spanning 20,000 square feet, featuring two heated spray booths equipped with the latest technology to handle even the most severe collision repairs. In 2015, Clay expanded by adding an additional 5,000 square feet at the rear of the collision center to open Harold’s Hot Rod Shop, a space where he could indulge his hobby at night. Clay crafted a Concours d’Elegance quality 1932 Ford highboy roadster from the ground up, and before he knew it, the hot rod shop was filled with customers’ rare classic cars and high-end hot rods.

In 2023, Harold addressed a problem that had long needed correction. Clay’s Collision Center was overflowing with collision repairs, so to relieve the situation, Clay began construction on a 10,000-square-foot building on a 2-acre property he purchased adjacent to Clay’s Collision Center. By early 2024, the hot rod shop’s new location was ready for occupancy and the collision center quickly absorbed the additional 5,000 square feet.

e’re counting down to the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS), and we thought it would be fun to look back at the cars built during the event. Yes, the GNRS is the original “Build a Hot Rod in a Day/Days/Week” show. Over the years, a variety of cars—from T-buckets and roadsters to Camaros—have been assembled from the ground up at the GNRS, giving the crowd a behind-the-scenes look, so to speak, at what it takes to build (at least assemble) a hot rod. It’s exciting to watch hot rodders apply their craftsmanship and drive out with what they brought in.

While many cars have been part of this tradition, one remains a frequent favorite, the 1932 Ford roadster that belonged to its original owner, Jack Stratton, back in the day. His name shouldn’t be a surprise to many hot rodders, especially those from the Bay Area, or anyone who has visited Roy Brizio Street Rods.

It was at the 37th Annual Grand National Roadster Show, held at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, in 1990, that the roadster came to life. Jack has worked as the lead fabricator at Brizio’s since 1982 (43 years). Jack wanted to build a roadster, and Roy Brizio was approached by Harold Bagdasarian, aka “Baggy,” who owned the Oakland Roadster Show at the time, about building a car on stage.