hen setting up our project car or truck, it often comes down to the smallest or simplest of parts that can make the biggest of differences. Such is the case with the brakes on our hot rods. Braking is something that we should never take for granted. As such, the brake pads (while not the most glamorous of parts) can yield the most significant results. To make sure we have the right brake pads, we looked at the Duralast line. Duralast’s three-tiered brakes offering gives you the greatest opportunity to match your driving needs.

o build any hot rod it takes tenacity and a clear vision of what the car will be, two traits Jack Chisenhall obviously possesses. He’s been thinking about his ’32 Ford roadster for 40 years and was determined to incorporate his love of Indycars in its construction. The culmination of his efforts is the stunning ’32 Ford roadster that was named America’s Most Beautiful Roadster 2023.

Inspired in part by Tony Capanna’s 270ci Dodge Red Ram Hemi-powered Indycar from 1955, Mopar’s littlest Hemi was deemed the best choice for his Deuce roadster project when compared to the larger DeSoto and the even larger Chrysler versions. A 325ci Dodge D-500 block was found and shipped off to Bonneville record-breaking engine builder John Beck at Pro Machine (530-343-9228). Beck blueprinted the block, bored it 0.060-inch oversize to 3.751 inches, then offset ground the crankshaft’s rod journals, increasing the stroke to 4 inches, resulting in 354 ci (actually 353.6 for those who like math).

here are two types of rodders: the DIY guy who likes to do as much work on his car as he is able and the guy who can’t afford to take the time building a car demands but has the means to pay a professional.

For the DIY guy, this article will help him learn how to achieve professional results cutting and buffing paint to perfection. For the guy who can afford to pay a professional, it will help him understand why cutting and buffing to concours quality is such an expensive proposition.

t one time Buick’s advertising slogan was: “When better automobiles are built, Buick will build them.” Arguably some of the best examples of those better Buicks they made were the ’63-65 Rivieras. Marketed as a personal luxury vehicle, Rivieras were designed to compete with such cars as the Ford Thunderbird, Chrysler 300-J, Studebaker Avanti, and even the Pontiac Grand Prix.

Introduced in late 1963 as a ’63 model, along with the classy sheetmetal came a revised version of GM’s X-frame that would be the basis for the Riviera’s new E-body chassis. While the frame was in fact new, the suspension was standard Buick with the roll centers lowered to reduce body lean. As a result, automotive writers of the day gave the Riviera high marks for its excellent balance, comfort, and agility, but there is certainly room for improvement. To that end, Aldan America has found a way to make a good thing better.

rack roadsters have been popular since the beginning of hot rodding. The style was first developed for pure race cars, but this iconic look has been used on street-driven cars for generations. Jon Hall, the founder of Shadow Rods, wanted to build a car based on one of his XL27 bodies that boasts a modern interpretation of this traditional theme.

The car was meant to be special in many ways. It features the first all-cast aluminum Flathead V-8 engine from Motor City Flathead, a division of Shadow Rods. It is fitted with numerous, one-of-a-kind accessories; most are made of cast aluminum as well. Subtle modifications to the body and chassis abound, such as a wedge section to lower the cowl, lengthened and flush-fitted doors, and a Shadow Rods–stamped ’32 Ford–style frame that has been pinched in front and sectioned in height by 1 inch. All the bodywork on this car was custom fabricated from the unique stamped firewall forward. This article shows the details of this fabulous build.

t’s been some 11 years since we lost one of the most creative spirits our hobby has ever produced. Dave Bell left us on May 5, 2012. He spent a lifetime making people happy, making them smile, and each of us would stand in awe of his work. He was an artist, an illustrator, and a hot rodder of the highest measure.

For those of you who have been around this hobby for some time you will remember “Henry HiRise.” The unique artwork of Dave Bell was seen monthly on the pages of Street Rodder for some 40 years. With each new issue you would flip to the back of the book and begin looking at and reading Henry HiRise. It was often referred to as a “cartoon,” but the reality was it was the forerunner to social media. Henry HiRise was both a visual experience and one that you could read—yes you could read his artwork. There were all kinds of clever turns of a word or phrase. There were clues as to what was coming from a builder’s shop or what would show up at an event. His work had a visual impact but to truly enjoy it you had to read all the tidbits that filled every bit of open space. It was social media before there was social media. Dave was one of the original influencers.