black restored 1932 Ford Frame
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Parts from the Past typography
Repairing
1934 Ford
Door
Sheetmetal
Customizing
Die-Cast Trim
UPGRADING
THE GAUGES

in Your 1955
& 1956 Chevy
IN THE SHOP:

Hollywood Hot Rods
Hollywood Hot Rods
April 2021
Preview Issue
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Modern Rodding CONTENTS
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April 2021 Table of Contents article snapshots
Departments
Brian Brennan
Industry News
New Products
Those Supporting Our Industry
Features
Feature of the Month sponsored by Optima Batteries
Tim & Angie Wheeler’s 1969 Camaro Reveals it All
By Brian Brennan
Photography by John Jackson, Video by Chad Lunsford
red video circle icon
Don Demers’ East Coast Deuce Nails the Look
By Chuck Vranas
Photography & Video by the Author
Rick Love’s 1939 Ford Coupe Has Made the Rounds
By Brian Brennan
This 1956 Chevy Nomad was Decades in the Making
By Brian Brennan
Photography by Chadly Johnson, Video by Loren Haleston
Shawn Freer’s 1961 Corvette Delivers the Goods With Style
By Chuck Vranas
Photography & Video by the Author
Lifestyle
Modern Methods Wrapped in a Traditional Package
By John Gilbert
Photography by the Author & Tim Sutton
Video by Tim Sutton
Tech
Building a Custom 1932 Ford Frame
By Ron Ceridono
Classic Instruments’ Latest Bel Era III Gauges Will Set Your 1955 and 1956 Tri-Five Apart
By Brian Brennan
Photography & Video by the Author
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How to Customize Die-Cast Trim Pieces
By Gerry Burger
Photography by the Author
Restore Rusted-Out Steel the Right Way
By John Gilbert
Modern Rodding April 2021 cover
On the Cover
This one-of-a-kind 1969 Camaro belongs to Tim and Angie Wheeler and it truly is a showstopper in both worlds of looks and performance. It was built under the direction of Steve Cook and the staff at Steve Cook Creations. Photography by John Jackson
Duralast official oe replacement parts of Modern Rodding
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR / EDITOR

BRIAN BRENNAN
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Modern Rodding. April 2021, Vol. 2, No. 4 is published monthly by In The Garage Media. Mailing address: 1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6550, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550.
ISSN 2692-2371 (print)
ISSN 2692-238X (online)

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Modern Rodding STARTING OVER
InTheGarageMedia.com
Brian Brennan headshot
By Brian Brennan
The Future
According
to Brian
I

confess I may have borrowed the title for this editorial directly from the late LeRoi “Tex” Smith. To be on topic it was from his editorial as it appeared in the Nov. ’89 issue of Hot Rod Mechanix. The title and, maybe, the premise of the editorial may be borrowed but the collection of words and ideas to follow are sorta mine.

I’m guessing in some ways I’m no different than any number of hot rodders who peruse old magazines. It’s fun to see what was popular back then and how our hobby has morphed into what it is today. Frankly, much hasn’t changed, yet a great deal has. That brings me to the crystal ball segment—trying to guess what’s next.

In gathering my thoughts (and Tex’s) I sought another ancient one, Jerry Dixey, who was able to help me with the issue of HRM in question for my research. Dixey is now full bore with The Hot Rod Paper Company, buying and selling all manners of vintage magazines, catalogs, posters, and more. (Thanks to Jerry and should you want to sample his offerings, call 800-676-3026.)

Rodding Around
InTheGarageMedia.com
 Art Morrison and his son Craig
red gear icon Art Morrison Enterprises
No stranger to our hobby is this company celebrating its 50th anniversary: Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) in Fife, Washington. What started out as a race shop under the direction of Art Morrison has grown into a noted chassis and suspension components manufacturer now under the direction of Art and his son Craig. (Although we are guessing the days of Art driving an exhibition wheel stander are long gone.)

Known for their very popular GT Sport line of “bolt-on” chassis, this line has expanded to a dozen popular series of cars and trucks. They allow the builder to essentially unbolt the vehicle body from the stock frame and slide in a sophisticated new chassis that provides improved ride, handling, and stance. With an eye to the do-it-yourself homebuilder, AME’s catalog contains numerous chassis and suspension components and essential tools.

AME also offers a dozen front and rear suspension options with a lineup of 2×4 and 2×3 subframes that are CAD-engineered for any application. Highlighting them is AME’s exclusive Multi-Link IRS that comes with a choice of two centersections and three cradle options. And given the company’s long history, AME has hundreds of vehicles in its massive database to expedite subframe projects. Happy 50th!

Modern Rodding NEW PRODUCTS
InTheGarageMedia.com
New Automotive Products April 2021
Clayton Machine Works gear shifters closeup
Schwartz Performance full-perimeter G-Machine chassis for the 1959-1964 fullsize Chevrolets
Summit Racing Equipment Nes Thread Repair Tools in tool box
1. The Gear Selection is Yours
Clayton Machine Works’ gated shifter for automatic transmissions allows for virtually any shifter lever and knob combination. The gated, side detent feature eliminates the need for a shifter button, making gear selection easy. Each shifter also features a neutral safety switch, has a lifetime warranty, and is made in the USA.

The shifters are available as complete assemblies (with lever and knob) or can be purchased separately to work with aftermarket levers that have a 7/8-inch bolt spacing mounting scheme, such as TREMEC-style shifter levers.  

The floor mount gated shifters can be case mounted or converted to cable operation with optional conversion kits and are available for most common GM, Ford, and Chrysler transmissions.

For more info, check out Clayton Machine Works by calling (877) 469-7440 or visit lokar.com.
2. Big Handling for Fullsize 1959-1964 Chevys
Schwartz Performance offers a full-perimeter G-Machine chassis that accepts all the original X-frame mounting points for the 1959-1964 fullsize Chevrolets. The perimeter chassis design handles the size of these cars, producing a luxury-car ride coupled with sports car–like handling. It also allows for a one-piece driveshaft and increased exhaust clearance.

The front suspension features tubular upper A-arms fit with needle bearing and are engineered with separate camber and caster adjustments while a triangulated four-bar system is used in the rear. The chassis also incorporates longer coilovers than other chassis at all four corners. This helps produce optimum ride quality with a low stance.

Available with mounts for small- and big-block Chevys, the W-block, and LS/LT V-8s along with adjustable transmission mount.

For more info, check out Schwartz Performance by calling (815) 206-2230 or visit schwartzperformance.com.
3. Simple to Repair
Summit Racing Equipment offers Nes Thread Repair Tools that clean, chase, and repair stripped, rusty, or damaged internal or external bolt and nut threads. It works on SAE or metric hardware, coarse or fine pitch, left- or righthanded threads. Simply insert the repair tool and turn the adjusting knob to fit it to the proper bolt diameter. The tool’s cutting blades automatically float into the thread slots, adapting to the correct pitch.

Nes designed the Thread Repair Tools to last as each one is made from HSS metal that’s hardened to Rockwell specifications for extra durability; the blades are replaceable.

For more info, check out Summit Racing Equipment by calling (800) 230-3030 or visit summitracing.com.
Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
Built to Perfection typography
Tim & Angie Wheeler’s 1969 Camaro Reveals it All
By Brian BrennanPhotography by John JacksonVideography by Chad Lunsford
I

t was September of 1968 and the end of an era for the first-gen Camaro was in sight. The 1969 Camaro would, in a matter of time, be the longest production run of any of the early Camaros. There were 243,085 1969 Camaros manufactured, making it the most produced of the first-gens.

“But that was then and this is now,” as the saying goes. Tim and Angie Wheeler are the very proud owners of this one-of-a-kind 1969 Camaro and are gratified with the work performed by the craftsmen under the watchful eye of Steve Cook at Steve Cook Creations (SCC), both located in Oklahoma. The team at SCC developed the style and performance by skillfully blending the fabrication, construction, body- and paintwork, wiring, and final assembly into a rolling piece of art. The SCC team was made up of Charles Collier, Ted Davis, Kevin Smith, Travis Cannon, Will Bailey, Alan Childers, Mike Cook, Kim Cook, and Steve himself.

Tim & Angie Wheeler’s
1969 Camaro Reveals it All
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Optima Batteries logo
A bit of a backstory is needed to explain the genesis of this 1969 Camaro you see splashed before you. Turns out Tim is a dirt tack race car owner and wanted something that would give him the performance that he’s accustomed to but at the same time would be stylish and perform, whether it be on a drive across town, cruising down the highway, or carving corners at an autocross event. After speaking with Steve, they came to the conclusion it was time to commence producing plenty of “rumble from within” and make sure that this 1969 Camaro rode and handled like a modern-day supercar. The end result is what you see displayed before you; nevertheless rest assured plenty of others think very highly of this first-gen as it took home a 2020 Detroit Autorama Great 8 award along with a Top Five finalist for the Goodguys 2020 PPG Street Machine of the Year honor and Most Beautiful Award, as well as a Classic Instruments Pros Pick from the NSRA.

To produce all of that rumble from within this ride was going to need an intoxicating V-8 and a chassis to “hold it.” Making sure all of that horsepower got to the ground and the drive was everything it should be, the motorvation came by way of Don Hardy Racing (DHR). DHR stroked an LS3 to a forceful 418 cubes crowned with aluminum heads then capped with Clayton Machine Works by Lokar valve covers, sporting 10.8:1 compression, a custom-grind DHR cam, and the use of ARP hardware to keep all those big-ticket components tightly packaged. Lastly, all the reciprocating elements were painstakingly balanced by DHR.

Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Geoffrey Skene found this 1932 Ford roadster at the L.A. Roadsters Father’s Day Swap Meet & Car Show. A deal was made and the car was off to Ionia Hot Rod Shop (IHRS).
1932 Ford roadster
Geoffrey Skene found this 1932 Ford roadster at the L.A. Roadsters Father’s Day Swap Meet & Car Show. A deal was made and the car was off to Ionia Hot Rod Shop (IHRS).
Ultimate Underpinnings
Building a Custom 1932 Ford Frame With Ionia Hot Rod Shop
By Ron CeridonoPhotography By THE AUTHOR
I

t’s often said there’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything. While that may hold true in many instances, when it comes to building hot rods there is a third option, the Dennis and Matt Lesky way at Ionia Hot Rod Shop (IHRS).

We first met Dennis in 1994 at the National Hot Rod Association’s 40th U.S. Nationals. He had driven his chopped 1932 sedan to the event, the former B/Gas drag race car was unmistakable with its vintage orange finish and the name “Regret” emblazoned on both doors. Over the next few years we followed some of the hot rod projects Dennis was involved with while still working at General Motors as a journeyman welder and realized he was creative and immensely talented. Perhaps owing to his familiarity with production parts, Dennis was becoming known for creating early chassis components that looked like they were original equipment.

When Dennis retired from GM he decided to pursue his passion for creating unique hot rods along with his son, Matt. Evidently in the Lesky family tree this acorn didn’t fall too far away as Matt’s interest in hot rods started early in life. After high school his abilities were honed by working in tool and die and fabrication shops and those skills would prove to serve him well when he began working with his father in 1999. Together the talented father-and-son team opened IHRS in 2000 and quickly developed a reputation among hot rodders in the know for innovation and craftsmanship.

Modern Rodding in the SHOP
InTheGarageMedia.com
Hollywood Hot Rods typography
Modern Methods Wrapped in a Traditional Package
In The Shop logo
Hollywood Hot Rods lobby
1. It’s a beautiful sculpture that doesn’t run. The 1923 Track T in Hollywood Hot Rods’ upstairs merchandise showroom and executive waiting room was painted by Mick Jenkins of Mick’s Paint.
1. It’s a beautiful sculpture that doesn’t run. The 1923 Track T in Hollywood Hot Rods’ upstairs merchandise showroom and executive waiting room was painted by Mick Jenkins of Mick’s Paint.
By JOHN GILBERTPhotography by THE AUTHOR & TIM SUTTONVideography by TIM SUTTON
H

ollywood Hot Rods’ mantra “Respect Tradition” doesn’t mean hot rods the Burbank, California, shop builds have to adhere solely to the way things were once done; to the contrary, it’s a mission statement to guide the future. The handcrafted steel bodies of Hollywood Hot Rods’ creations exude nostalgia with styling cues evoking an era gone by—but focus on the underpinnings and it’s a story of modern upgrades concealed in a traditional-appearing package.

The saga of Hollywood Hot Rods is one that began for Troy Ladd at age 16 when he was given a 1966 Ford Mustang that needed a lot of work. At this point in Troy’s life he wasn’t a gearhead, but that was soon to change. Had Troy’s first car been something along the lines of a stodgy Rambler four-door sedan there might never have been a Hollywood Hot Rods, but fortunately the coolness of owning a V-8–powered Mustang in high school sparked Troy’s interest in cars.

Modern Rodding Feature
InTheGarageMedia.com
20-Year Affair
Don Demers’ East Coast Deuce Nails the Look
BY Chuck Vranas PHOTOgraphy BY THE AUTHOR
U

nless you just so happen to have a treasure trove of vintage parts stacked on shelves in your shop it’s more than likely you’ll have to go on a quest to source the period-perfect parts to build the traditional hot rod of your dreams. For Don Demers, of Rochester, New Hampshire, he stepped into a 20-year journey gathering all the bits to build the exceptional East Coast–styled 1932 Ford five-window channeled coupe displayed here. From waking up at dawn to canvas endless swap meets, following up on leads from friends, and avidly cruising the web, he persevered until he obtained everything needed to take on the build. It gets even better, as he was gathering parts for not one but two Deuces.

They always say that there’s a trigger moment that helps define your taste in hot rods. For Don it was during a bike ride when he rolled up on a particularly wicked Deuce five-window. The car was heavily channeled with a stock roofline packed with an early Buick V-8. The clincher was the leather jacket–wearing owner leaning on the roof looking like Milner from American Graffiti. That’s all it took and the image of the coupe was forever burned in his mind. Flash forward as the decades passed and Don finally made the decision to build his version of the legendary coupe, starting with the first piece of the puzzle. After putting the word out it wasn’t long until good friend Calvin Davis called letting him know he had a Deuce five-window body available. While checking it out it was obvious the body had been a hot rod back in the day, having lived a tough life obviously thrashed within an inch of its life. Don immediately felt a connection to the coupe though and made the deal to bring it home to his shop. At that point, the affair brought him on an adventure spanning almost two decades to gather many of the parts to get started.

As fate would have it, along the way he met local hot rod builder Howard Towne who shared his ideas on just how cool it would be to bring his East Coast–styled vision to life. Soon after Don began unearthing his treasures, bringing them to Howard’s shop to get started. One of the pieces secured at a local swap meet was an original Deuce frame that had been Z’d hard back in the day. Howard, along with team member Geno Proulx, stripped it clean and gave it new life by first adding a Model A front crossmember, modified center X-member, and a narrowed 1934 Ford crossmember out back. They followed by removing the original Z and adding a 6-inch S-type kick. Out back a 1948 Ford rear was rebuilt and packed with 1940 Ford axles spinning 3.78 gears. It’s suspended in place by 1940 Ford radius rods complemented by a transverse spring with reversed-eyes and Pete and Jakes tube shocks. Up front a 4-inch dropped original Deuce axle with 1940 Ford spindles was deftly matched to a 1940 Ford transverse spring with reversed eyes, Pete and Jakes hairpins, and chrome tube shocks. When it’s time to drop anchor, a 1940 Ford master pushes fluid through steel lines to matching Ford binders at each corner. Linking it to the street you’ll find original 16-inch Ford steelies with vintage caps and rings wearing a classic Firestone/Coker set of big ’n’ little wide whites.

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
Article of title
Rick Love’s 1939 Ford Coupe Has Made the Rounds … Several Times!
By Brian Brennan
T

here are hot rods and then there are hot rods. What does that mean? Rick Love of New Braunfels, Texas, is no stranger to our hobby, its industry, nor driving his homebuilt 1939 Ford Deluxe coupe from event to event since 1984. The Grabber Blue and flamed 1939 Ford coupe has ushered Rick, whether it be coast-to-coast or state-to-state, numerous times as he covers the rodding world, helping car guys everywhere maintain their cool. Rick is the president of one of the oldest, largest, and most reputable manufacturers in our hobby, as the name Vintage Air is synonymous with air conditioning throughout our industry.

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
Article of title
Rick Love’s 1939 Ford Coupe Has Made the Rounds … Several Times!
By Brian Brennan
T

here are hot rods and then there are hot rods. What does that mean? Rick Love of New Braunfels, Texas, is no stranger to our hobby, its industry, nor driving his homebuilt 1939 Ford Deluxe coupe from event to event since 1984. The Grabber Blue and flamed 1939 Ford coupe has ushered Rick, whether it be coast-to-coast or state-to-state, numerous times as he covers the rodding world, helping car guys everywhere maintain their cool. Rick is the president of one of the oldest, largest, and most reputable manufacturers in our hobby, as the name Vintage Air is synonymous with air conditioning throughout our industry.

Blue car in flame graphics
A Little History
Rick tells us:

“Since I was young kid … in upstate New York, I had always thought the 1939-1940 Ford coupe was one of the best-looking hot rods there was. After I sold my 1940 Pontiac at the Street Rod Nationals in 1984, I decided I really wanted to build one—and it had to have a killer set of flames. I went to the NSRA Nats North in Detroit and found a somewhat-faded black coupe sitting by its lonesome with a small For Sale sign. The guy I bought it from was the second owner and he had owned it since 1970 and had turned it into a street rod in 1972 and driven it ever since. The black paint was shot over the original green. Despite being in the north its entire life, it was rust-free and still had all of its original sheetmetal.”

(Quick story from Modern Rodding freelancer Gerry Burger: I was with Rick when he bought the 1939 at the Nats North. It was black with burgundy velour interior—that faded to pink—but a very solid car. We looked it over carefully and Rick fretted about it all weekend before finally pulling the trigger. Now, Rick isn’t exactly famous for throwing money around so you can imagine what it was like to part with that large sum of money.)

Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
Free DesFosses of Hot Rods by Dean handled the swap out of the stock gauge panel for the new Bel Era III in black background with white lettering/numbers.
It’s Time For a New Era
Classic Instruments’ Latest Bel Era III Gauges Will Set Your 1955 and 1956 Tri-Five Apart
By Brian Brennan Photography & Videography by THE AUTHOR
I

f there ever was a hot rod that rodders wanted to alter, yet at the same time they know it’s probably best to leave it alone, it’s any year of the Tri-Five Chevy. It seems the more rodders tinker with the Tri-Five the more they realize that Chevrolet designers got it right the first time. And the same goes for the inside of these cars with their beautiful dashes; sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.

If you want to start an epic argument with other Tri-Five lovers, just make the statement: “The 1955 Chevy is head and shoulders better looking than a 1956 or 1957.” Interestingly this desire to touch or not to touch applies both to inside as well as the outside styling. The Tri-Five instrument cluster in the 1955 and 1956 Chevy are unique and were well thought out. Yet, today’s rodder is just itching to make his 1955 or 1956 personalized and more to his (or her) own liking.

To help with this desire we have come across a way to give rodders what they want—the ability to tinker and at the same time not screw up a good thing. Enter Classic Instruments (CI) and their Bel Era III gauges that are designed specifically for the 1955 and 1956 Tri-Five Chevys. The cluster and glass lens arrives ready to install in your bezel. Should you need a bezel, a great place to source this would be Danchuk. (The Bel Era III gauge has already taken home the gold from the American Tri-Five Association with a Best New Product award.)

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
A Longtime Coming: This Chevy Nomad Was Decades in the Making title
By Brian Brennan Photography BY Chadly Johnson Videography BY Loren Haleston
M

any of us have lifelong dreams on what our ideal hot rod should be. Tom Morehouse of Klamath Falls, Oregon, is no different than thousands of other hot rodders—he has spent a lifetime dreaming about owning a Nomad. Apparently dreams do come true, as Tom now has this beautiful 1956 Chevy Nomad from the shop of MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration in Eugene, Oregon.

Tom tells us that he first joined the Classic Chevy Club back in 1977 and was a member for many years. Time passes and dreams are doggedly worked on, no matter how much time it takes, and Tom was able to begin this build back in the summer of 2001. In the meantime, he spent his time looking for just the right Nomad to launch his dream project. He settled in on this particular 1956 Chevy Nomad because it was straight, it was complete, and it was rust-free—he hit the trifecta for any of us building vintage tin. He purchased the car from a hobbyist who finally one day admitted he had one too many projects. (All of us have or will be there someday.) According to the VIN, the Nomad was an original California car built in Oakland around December 15, 1955. From this auspicious beginning it would eventually end up in a used car parking lot in the Sacramento area back in 1996 and that’s when its next life began.

It was now time to begin the build in earnest. It didn’t take Tom long to realize the type of car he wanted was outside the scope of his skill sets. Once the body was dipped, to get rid of decades-old baddies, he spoke with shop manager Matt Powell of MetalWorks on a course of action. Powell knew Tom wanted a real hot rod, since the Nomad was sans original engine and transmission there was little reason not to go fully modern. During the conversation it was decided that in order to get the job done the original chassis (frame and suspension) would have to be parked in a corner and a new chassis put in its place.

Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
By Gerry Burger Photography BY THE AUTHOR
Modifying and repairing die-cast pieces can be accomplished after copper plating the piece. Then solder in place copper filler pieces to fill the voids.
Ornamental Bullnose title
Ornamental Bullnose title
Modifying and repairing die-cast pieces can be accomplished after copper plating the piece. Then solder in place copper filler pieces to fill the voids.
How to Customize Die-Cast Trim Pieces
By Gerry Burger Photography BY THE AUTHOR
B

uilding a hot rod of any era is a stream of choices—some big, some small—but they all contribute to the finished package. One thing we learned early on was to pick a theme and make every decision fit that style. My latest project is a 1936 Ford phaeton being built as an early ’50s hot rod/custom. Many cars of that era blurred the lines between rod and custom with performance under the hood and some custom touches and paint on the outside. That is the very theme of our 1936, with a built Flattie underhood and a conservative custom approach on the outside.

We’ve recently been doing the bodywork and while stacking parts on the shelf (all neatly marked for the memory impaired) we came across the original grille ornament. The ornament was in overall good condition with the V-8 emblem intact. However, two holes drilled in the piece told us a greyhound had once adorned the piece. While greyhound ornaments are cool, in keeping with the theme of the car, we thought a simple bullnose ornament from Speedway Motors would be a quick-and-easy solution. But then we began to think about making our own bullnose piece, but with a custom twist. We wondered about grinding down the finned portion of the ornament to a lower profile giving us a “semi-bullnose” look.

Modern Rodding FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
North of the Border title
Shawn Freer’s 1961 Corvette Delivers the Goods With Style
BY Chuck Vranas Photography & Videography THE AUTHOR
M

uch to the horror of automotive purists, there’s nothing quite like tearing into your favorite classic Chevy to up the ante from bone stock to highly modified. Such is the case with Shawn Freer’s 1961 Chevy Corvette from Midland, Ontario, Canada, presented for your viewing. Sure, a stock Corvette handles great and performs well in its original form but imagine turning up the heat with an explosive combination of an updated chassis and LS power to bring it into the new age.

Since the start, Shawn was always drawn to the sound of hopped-up muscle cars as they rolled the strip at Wasaga Beach where his parents owned and operated an IGA store. While working there during his formative years, he was mesmerized on a daily basis thanks to the changing assortment of hot rods, customs, and muscle cars that were always in the store parking lot. Surrounded by the sights and sounds it was easy to see that his performance path was set leading him to his first car, a 1975 Camaro by the time he was 15 years old. By wrenching on the car he learned the basics while cruising the strip, achieving the full experience.

There’s always one ride that invades your mind, leading to plenty of sleepless nights as you imagine yourself behind the wheel. For Shawn it was one particular C2 Corvette belonging to his good friend Scott Campbell’s dad. Pure fantasy at the time, he never imagined that he would ever own one. As the years passed though there were a number of cool rides to follow but finally he landed his own 1968 and then a 1965 Corvette. Having always appreciated the classic design elements of the C1, Shawn finally made the decision to start looking for a suitable donor car to start his next project with. After scouring online ads and looking at a number of unsuitable projects, he located a 1961 Corvette in his hometown. The car, an original, non-numbers matching four-speed model, had been hidden away by the owner in his barn, having not seen the light of day for years. Seeing that the car was both a driver and complete, a deal was made for the title.

BY Chuck Vranas Photography & Videography THE AUTHOR
Shawn Freer’s 1961 Corvette Delivers the Goods With Style
North of the Border title
Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
By John GilbertPhotography By THE AUTHOR
Switch
Graft
Restore
Rusted-Out Steel the
Right Way
Chris Campbell of Precision Hot Rods and Fabrication is next to the finished project regarding repairing the doorskin on this 1934 Ford three-window coupe.
Chris Campbell of Precision Hot Rods and Fabrication is next to the finished project regarding repairing the doorskin on this 1934 Ford three-window coupe.
By John GilbertPhotography By THE AUTHOR
Switch
Graft
Restore Rusted-Out Steel the Right Way
I

t’s always a chuckle when a non-car guy walks up to the owner of a recently restored or freshly built hot rod and remarks, “I didn’t know you could still buy one of those cars brand new.” Where does one start? Do you tell the guy he’s looking at five old cars cut apart and welded back together to create the car he’s admiring, or just smile and say thanks? 

There are a lot of different projects a first-time DIY guy can do without needing tons of equipment or expertise to make desired repairs or upgrades to his project car— but returning large, rusted-out areas into good-as-new sheetmetal isn’t one of them. 

That said, this doesn’t mean a DIY guy can’t stand half a chance taking a shot at doing his own sheetmetal repair if he doesn’t mind making a serious investment in the right equipment and learning how it’s done. Or for that matter the hot rod shop that wants to expand the services they’re doing in-house. 

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