
Out Your
First
Rearend
Custom
Stereo
Brackets
Down the
Heat …
and Noise
Sheetmetal
Tips …
Recessing a
License Plate
and Noise
Recessing a License Plate

By Brian Brennnan, Photography by Wes Allison
By Brian Brennan, Photography by John Jackson
By Brian Brennan, Photography by John Jackson
By Gerry Burger, Photography by Charlie Matus
By “Rotten” Rodney Bauman, Photography by the Author
By Tommy Lee Byrd
By Ron Covell, Photography by Brian Limberg
By John Drummond, Photography by the Author
Photography by Chuck Vranas


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Modern Rodding STARTING OVER

Looking for Normal
oes life seem like it’s back to normal? I’m not there yet. Life still seems a bit offtrack and the constant reminders that there are more political elections ahead doesn’t make my life any simpler.
Probably the bigger question is … “What is normal?” For me, having a house full of cats, dogs, and a few of Nature’s creatures wandering through is normal. My wife, Kimi, has a vegetable garden that would rival any farmer’s market. With that comes lots of lizards, salamanders, worms, little itty-bitty bugs, squirrels, birds, cats, dogs, and the occasional coyote. Never a dull, or should I say quiet, moment in our backyard.
By Brian Brennan

The Triple Crown of Rodding is already being recognized as one of the premier events in the automotive industry, showcasing what is sure to be an impressive collection of classic and custom hot rods and trucks. As part of its commitment to supporting the future of automotive enthusiasts and professionals, the show has partnered with Operative Talent to introduce an exciting educational component to the event.
By Brian Brennan

There are three distinct wrap categories:
Glass Fiber Exhaust Wrap: Offered in various-sized rolls for shorter pipes, headers, turbo downpipes and powersports exhausts, the wrap withstands 1,200 degrees F (649 degrees C) direct/2,000 degrees F (1,093 degreees C) radiant heat. Available in both black and tan.



e are always asking the question, “What is the future of hot rodding?” This question is often raised and seldom fully answered. In our story here we are asking, “What build style?” Early traditional to a ’60s vibe. A great way to look back and forward is to see how this pair, a ’29 Ford highboy coupe and a ’30 Ford highboy coupe, were built.
Seeking to preserve our heritage as well as fueling our continual desire to move forward, it’s important to embrace younger talents for their insight and energies to see where their generation will bring us.
Modern Rodding TECH
InTheGarageMedia.com


uilding a successful custom car comes down to knowing when you’re done. It is often an exercise in restraint to achieve that perfect look. Several common approaches include the full radical custom that just screams “look at me” with extreme modifications. The mild custom could be as simple as nosing, decking, lowering, and a taillight swap. And then there is our personal favorite: the restyled car. Rodding and restyling go hand in hand (remember that old magazine?) and the restyled car has modifications that enhance the original lines of the car. Many of these modifications are quite complicated and yet when completed they often appear simple. We may look at a radical custom, but we take the time to study a restyled car.
Modern Rodding EVENT
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hen the first Sacramento Autorama was organized in 1951, the average new car cost just $1,500, I Love Lucy was making its series debut on CBS, and the U.S. government was about to test the first nuclear bombs in Nevada. With the postwar boom in full swing, the custom car scene was also hitting its early apex.
Some seven decades later, the 72nd O’Reilly Auto Parts Sacramento Autorama is still going strong, giving car customizers around the globe a place to gather to celebrate the art of sculpting candy-colored masterpieces. Each car has its own unique story of what it took to build and where it came from.



t is amazing that every year the list of homebuilt hot rods that turn out for competition for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award grows. This past year was no exception. One of the favorites in the highly competitive field was a ’36 Ford roadster belonging to Danny Hyde of SoCal. He’s my neighbor, well, he lives a few miles down the road, but the fact is for the past eight years I wasn’t aware such a build was going on. But there is plenty more to this story.
Modern Rodding TECH
InTheGarageMedia.com



f you as a youngster were fortunate enough to attend any type of high school industrial arts classes, you’ll more-than-likely acknowledge their value. I’ll tell you straight; back in the mid ’70s I gained from my own experience. Sadly, things are different today. High school vocational courses where heads and hands work together (apart from just keyboards and screens) have become fairly rare exceptions.
InTheGarageMedia.com


iving near an orange grove may not be typical for many hot rodders but if you are Wally O’Conner of Sarasota, Florida, it’s not uncommon at all. In fact, some 20-plus years ago Wally found this ’57 Ford Fairlane 500 in one of the plentiful orange groves near his home and he began to see his childhood dream come true. It wasn’t long before he realized that if he wanted to see his dream project finished, he would need to enlist help. He leaned on Thom Speed and his team at SaltWorks Fabrication, also in Sarasota, to bring this ’57 Ford Fairlane 500 to completion.
Modern Rodding TECH
InTheGarageMedia.com


ight spaces are commonplace in the hot rod world; pre World War II Fords and closed cab pickups are especially tight. The ’34 Ford pickup in this article is an in-depth project at Precision Hot Rods and Fabrication and it has lots of trick details inside and out. The owner wanted a full array of creature comforts, including an LS engine, overdrive transmission, and Vintage Air heat and A/C. Additionally, he wanted a stereo system—a tall order in such a tight space. The guys at Precision Hot Rods and Fabrication came up with a plan to tastefully fit the Custom Autosound components inside the already-crowded cab.
InTheGarageMedia.com


This ’60 Buick LeSabre Keeps All the Right Pieces
By BRIAN BRENNAN Photography by John Jackson
ll too often we see car builds that go “just a bit outside” of where they should have stopped. We can’t say that about Danielle Korek, of Winfield, Pennsylvania, and her ’60 Buick LeSabre. From what we can see all the “right pieces” were kept and the look is “right on.” Danielle tells us that being the wife of a car builder has its positives, but it can also have some hiccups.
To listen to Danielle tell her story of her love of hot rods comes from a childhood of being around and absorbing the best that stock car and drag races had to offer. But her favorites were car shows. Her love of hot rods was enforced at home and through the remainder of the family, including uncles who fostered this appreciation. There were always lots of Corvette engines being worked on as well as the cars themselves. She did have a special liking for Buicks, so something like this ’60 Buick LeSabre was on the horizon. We’ve all heard the story of the shoemaker’s wife who goes without shoes …
Modern Rodding TECH
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art of the experience when it comes to driving a hot rod is the feeling of being transported back to an earlier era. Sitting on a bench seat looking out the windshield over an all-steel dash and hearing the mechanical rumblings of a V-8 drowns out reality. Unfortunately, there are other aspects of cars from this vintage that are less enjoyable. There is a way around the “uncomfortable zone” and it is a simple matter of the installation of heat and sound-deadening material, such as Thermo Tec products.
Modern Rodding TECH
InTheGarageMedia.com



rian Limberg, the founder of Tin Man’s Garage (TMG) in Sycamore, Illinois, is no stranger to high-level metalworking. He has been refining his craft for many years, and his team has received some of the highest honors achievable. Last year they received the Al Slonaker award at the 2022 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, with the outstanding ’36 Willys pickup they built. In this article we’ll focus on a beautifully executed recess for a license plate, which TMG crew member Elijah Schroeder fitted to the rear of a ’37 GMC cabover bed that they built from scratch.
View Index
- AFFORDABLE STREET RODS
- AMERICAN AUTOWIRE
- ART MORRISON ENTERPRISES
- AUTO METAL DIRECT
- AUTOMETER PRODUCTS
- AUTOMOTIVE RACING PRODUCTS
- BOWLER PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSIONS
- CHEVS OF THE 40’S
- CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS
- CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
- CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
- CLEANTOOLS
- CONTROL CABLES
- DAKOTA DIGITAL
- DSE/GEAR FX
- EATON DETROIT SPRING
- ENGINEERED COMPONENTS
- FAT MAN FABRICATION
- FITECH EFI
- FLAMING RIVER INDUSTRIES
- FLAMING RIVER INDUSTRIES
- FPM METALS
- GEARSTAR PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSIONS
- GOLDEN STAR CLASSIC AUTO PARTS
- GRANATELLI MOTOR SPORTS
- HEINZMAN STREET ROD SHOP
- HOT HEADS RESEARCH
- JOHNSONS HOT ROD SHOP
- LOKAR
- LOKAR
- NATIONAL STREET ROD ASSOCIATION
- NEW PORT ENGINEERING
- OPTIMA BATTERIES
- PAINT OVER RUST PRODUCTS
- PHOENIX MACHINE PRODUCTS
- POWERMASTER PERFORMANCE
- PPG INDUSTRIES
- SCOTT’S HOTRODS
- SPEEDWAY MOTORS
- STEVE’S AUTO RESTORATIONS
- SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT
- THAT’S GREAT NEWS
- THERMO-TEC AUTOMOTIVE
- TRIPLE CROWN OF RODDING, LLC
- VINTAGE AIR
- WILWOOD ENGINEERING
Parting Shot
InTheGarageMedia.com


his month our Parting Shot looks at what could have been. There is no denying that the Buick Riviera, or Rivi, is an iconic design. The ’63 Buick Riviera is one of the hot rod world’s favorites, especially when equipped with the optional 340hp 425-inch Nailhead. The Buick Rivi is also one of the few examples of hot rod material that is best left in its original design state. It is a supreme car builder who can improve on this iconic factory look.
