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WTF Friday: Diesel Road Runner

By
DaveT
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1

Marking the end of winter, I always look forward to the Motorama car show. But for 2019 there was one car in particular I was really looking forward to seeing in person.

That car, is of course the one I am posting today; a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner powered by an Isuzu 4BD1T motor.

The car was built by Stony Smith of Oddball Kustoms. If the name sounds vaugely familiar Stony also built the “Booch” coupe.

The Road Runner is, by Stony’s own admission, a project inspired by a desire to have a fuel efficient muscle car.

Starting with a fairly clean Southern Plymouth shell Stony added a 4BD1T that he pilfered from a ready for the grave Isuzu NPR truck.

Thoroughly rotten, he scrapped the truck shortly after the motor was pulled and if I’m not mistaken the scrap metal value meant he netted about even.

The car had a few period correct hop up stickers on it, as well as fantastic Patina, so he rolled with it by adding Thrust side pipes and Cragar wheels.

Stony also made custom bumpers front and rear, and installed a custom roof rack/basket with plenty of auxiliary lighting.

The result is quite Mad max like, and honestly super refreshing to see in person.

Inside, the interior is fairly bare, but not without a few significant changes. The BMW enthusiasts among us have likely already noticed the seats and the aviation enthusiasts the shifter.

That shifter is mated to a T56 transmission. Stony stated the transmission is actually the current weak link in the set up given how much torque the motor generates.

Being a bit of a metal Wizard stony also crafted the center console. Not stopping there he made killer door panels as well.

Mopar fans at the show were absolutely up in arms about the car. Many called it sacrilege before turning their noses up in disgust. But for every second hater, there were three admirers.

At the end of the day he drove the car straight to Florida two days after the show so the joke is on them. This car works, and it works well.

Stony is going to pop by and help me with a little metal shaping on Project Why Wait so don’t be surprised if this car makes it back on the site for a little more than a quick spotlight.

In the meantime follow Stony on Instagram at @stony_oddballkustoms.

Theme Tuesdays: Gen 2 (DA5-DA9) Acura Integras

By
DaveT
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3

Am I wrong in thinking that in 2019 second generation Acura Integras are darn near an endangered species? Like most imports of that era street racing, poor modification choices, salt, or any combination of the tree all but whipped the cars off the streets of North America.

Seeing one plated and on the road today is much like seeing a DoDo. So, you can imagine my surprise when I spotted one yesterday, idling peacefully in front of a local convenience store. The un-maned –there was CLUB on it– car was well-worn, but even under salt and rust it had an appeal.

Eclipsed by the DC that followed the DA/5-5/9 was a welcome change from the generation previous.

The last DA I saw in the wild before the car mentioned in the intro was the one above. Again this car showed some of its age but was a tidy sleep going example none the less.

Prior to that I had the pleasure of drooling over this model on Kosei K1s at CSCS last year.

Just a few years before that car, this K swapped DA showed up to Spring Fever. Fit with a S2000 dash this car is absolutely phenomenal.

These three spots may seem like a decent amount of local spots, but bear in mind that’s over nearly 10 years of living automotive enthusiasm almost daily.

Even if I throw in this big turbo example from SEMA 2014 we’re only up to four. Less than one every two years.

All you guys out warmer states taking these cars for granted please bring them out. Those of us who don’t have access anymore need to live vicariously through you.

Thankfully there’s always the internet, which is where I found the stunning examples below.

This car was featured in a classic Bridgestone ad
Wire wheels and clear tails are not for everyone, but damn I dig this – Photo: wata23wwwww
If these are the Alpina Kopis I think they are, they look really good on an Integra and not an e30  – Photo: integramen_otaku
Clear tails were a staple DA mod in the day – Photo: Adam Ivell
The DA is one of a few cars where I honestly have no strong preference one way or another, four door or two Photo: DYHMA
96 or 2019 this car could fit in either era – Photo: you_uncre
Yellow cars can be hit or miss but this is a hit Photo: Micheal Evans



What Makes A Car Build?

By
DaveT
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7

Prior to Motorama 2019 a friend posed the question “What Makes a Build?”. When he asked this question it wasn’t to criticize or provoke, he simply wanted to start a discussion.

I read through the answers, and was inspired to respond, but by the time I saw the status everyone had moved on.

Despite being late to the conversation I couldn’t shake the conversation from my head while wandering the halls of Motorama 2019.

What makes a build. It’s a seemingly simple question, but is also a question rarely given the consideration it deserves. Nine times out of ten the immediate shotgun answer is “Well it’s more than just wheels and a drop!”.

Once that statement is made everyone feels satisfied they’ve put the aggressive fitment crowd in their place and moves on.

Even someone like myself, who’s written, at length about several cars where wheels and a drop are two of maybe six modifications in total, can admit that at first blush that answer makes a lot of sense.

A simple bolt on ride height adjustment, and the right set of wheels can absolutely be all that’s needed to make a cool car –stance is everything after all– but coils and wheels don’t make a built car, by anyone’s definition.

And, that’s totally fine, not every car needs to be a overbuilt to be enjoyed. The enjoyment to build level ratio is a very interesting topic, but one worth discussion in a post of its own.

So to the point, in most cases wheels and a drop do not a build make, but those two items are an extremely fuzzy metric on which to measure a build.

I’ve seen hours, upon hours, of fabrication sunk into a car that, from the outside looking in, seems to only have the controversial “wheels and a drop”.

Depending on the platform wheels and a drop can snowball something fierce. Suspension pick up points need to be moved, and working angles corrected long before the four holes at each corner of the car, transmission tunnel, and firewall get addressed.

Calling a project like that anything less than a build wouldn’t be just because custom fabrication is the most common bar used to categorize build from non.

Once more, at a high level, using fabrication as the defining factor for a build makes the utmost sense. If you whip up something unique for your project then certainly your “build badge” is safe.

Those who create functional custom components will always be deserving of respect. Especially when those custom components are exceptionally well-built.

But does that mean that those who don’t build their own parts can’t be considered builders?

In garage’s around the globe there are weekend warriors who’ve spent five, ten, fifteen years restoring their high school sweethearts back to prom night condition.

All of the parts for said restoration may have come from a catalog, but the effort put in has to be worth of some level or appreciation, no?

It’s 2019, and there’s arguably more aftermarket parts available than ever before.

The number of engine mounts, angle kits, swap kits, and chassis options available at the end of a few key strokes means it’s possible to assemble an absolutely mind-blowing car without owning much more than a basic set of hand tools.

If some puts together a competitive race car, using off the shelf parts is that not a build?

Those of you reading this who feel the need to answer no, I challenge you to go tell someone who has done exactly that their car can’t be considered a build.

That would be a direct insult to the amount of time they’ve put in both behind the wheel, and behind a desk analyzing data, making their car into the perfect performing machine for their needs.

While you’re at it, go tell someone who’s hired out a significant portion of their car that it isn’t a build. I touched on the built not bought debate previous, and my opinion remains the same:

Get there however you feel is the safest way to get there.

But this article isn’t completely one-sided. I understand why people feel the need to try to protect the definition of a build. Often it’s in reaction to a car they don’t like receiving some sort of accolades.

Be it exposure, or an award, typically the prime motivators for stripping the label of “build” from another individual is some level of jealousy or frustration.

Saying “yeah well that isn’t even a build” or “he just paid a shop to build that car” is a quick way to feel better about hidden insecurities.

Sure it’s nice to be rewarded by others for your hard work, but if that’s your end goal then I’ve got another article you should read as your priorities are quite off base.

If your concern is the number of “non builds” getting exposure then I’d suggest changing where you’re getting your automotive media.

With so many corporate and self published media sources in existence today there’s simply no reason to pigeon-hole your self to one and put up a stink when they post content you don’t enjoy.

So then to wrap, what is a build? Well I can say, I’m about 800 words deep at this point and I don’t exactly have a definitive answer.

But if I were to try, I would define a build by any of the following metrics.

Did it bust your knuckles and leave you wondering why you started? If yes, then it’s probably a build.

Did a smile linger on your face a week after first start-up? If yes, then likely you’ve got something built.

Does researching it occupy your every spare thought and claim every last bit of pocket change? Then yeah, you’ve probably got a build in your garage no matter what someone else says.

And finally in a field of cars, does yours have something that makes it stand out as wholly and uniquely yours? If so, then not only have you got a build.

You’ve got something worth keeping regardless of label.

Theme Tuesdays: First Gen Eclipse/Talons/Lasers

By
DaveT
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1

Before The Fast and The Furious immortalized the second generation Mitsubishi Eclipse, first gens were running around three different names.

Eclipse, Talon, laser, these were all synonyms for what was essentially the same car.; a two, or four-wheel drive hatch back coupe made by Diamond Star Motors.

Known as DSMs variants of this two or four-wheel drive hatch back would eventually roll up under the Mitsubishi marquee. The Eclipse eventually went four generations deep, and with each passing generation the first became further forgotten.

I’m not really sure why the first generation models don’t get a lot of love. Stylistically they’re dated, sure, but the basic wedge shape has become a staple of the “Rad” era. The Rad era is popular right now, so, why not these?

Performance wise, the cars handled fairly well and made decent power. Even today a car the size of a 1G with 180/190hp would be considered a good time.

These days coming across a 1G, especially here in Ontario, so a super rare occurence. I’d honestly love to see more, but I simply don’t know where they are all hiding.

So in an effort to coax them out, I’m dedicating this Theme Tuesday to the forgotten first DSM.

Fair warning; much like early Mopars finding these slammed isn’t easy. So to bolster this list a bit I’ve thrown in a couple of more function forward cars.

A little function never hurt anyone right?

I wonder if this car ever saw painted perfection?

@4g63t_addict owns this very nicely put together Eclipse
Nicely suited and booted 1G from Japan
I have not been able to find any additional photos of this GSX, looks like it’s pretty fitted.
@virgil_p Rockin’ some retro Ralliart livery, looks like perhaps some throwback 5zigen wheels too
More livery on this one, love the Gran Lights. I should circle back and pick up a set of those wheels, just because
Here’s something I never thought I’d see, a 1G in hot pursuit of a Porsche via @suck_my_serotonin
From the few rabbit holes I went down, it seems like these cars make very capable drag machines
Would you figure this clean-looking car to make 500hp?
The details of this big turbo build can be found here
Greg Collier’s 1G Eclipse GS-T made a lot of noise in 2005 in the super unlimited class

A post outlining the car’s exploits can be found here on Road Race Engineering

 

Event Coverage: The 2019 Canadian International Autoshow

By
DaveT
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0

As I sit and type this the Metro Toronto Convention Center is well on its way to being converted from the Canadian International Auto Show into whatever event comes next.

Based on the media emails that hit my inbox every morning it sounds like the CIAS 2019 was another resounding success.

Though (like every year) I planned to return for second day I wasn’t able to make it happen. I think double dipping may be easier when I bring Ash along for his first Auto Show experience.

However, repeat visits aside barring one room, I was able to take a look at most of what I wanted to see in 2019.

I am in absolutely no need of a new daily driver, but I think these new Tacomas are some of the best looking trucks currently on the market.

Even in fairly sedate trim packages, like the one above, they are quite appealing. From what I understand they’re quite good from a reliability stand point as well.

Looking at Mazdas offerings, its interesting to see the 3 available in all wheel drive for 2019.

Unfortunately they pulled a page from the Volkswagen playbook and are only offering a manual transmission option in the front wheel drive cars.

The speed3 also continues to be dead in the water. So I might currently own my last Mazda daily driver.

With all the hype surrounding the new Supra it was honestly slightly underwhelming to see one in person.

Unlike a lot of people I am not polarized either way about this car.

It has some styling characteristics I like. But overall, I know it’s not for me so I’m not too fussed over it. There’s potential in the car to be sure, and I’m sure we’ll see some wild ones to come.

I do think if it were called something else a lot more people would be into it, but, the marketing strength behind the Supra name is hard to deny.

The only unveiling I managed to catch was the Genesis Essentia Concept reveal. On paper it’s an all-electric high performance vehicle that, like every other concept, is marketed as the future of automotive performance.

Visually the car looks like it ought to be in movie set sometime in the future. It is so forward thinking that it’s super hard to imagine a time where care like this will be commonplace.

The interior was just as wild as the exterior. Seating was bathed in an extremely elegant looking Cognac leather, and the surrounding was laden with technology.

The end-to-end widescreen was an interesting touch. Would a screen like this count against distracted driving? I guess that’s a question better suited for the authorities.

One of the big draws of the 2019 Auto Show was Lego exhibit featuring the 1:1 Lego Bugatti Chiron. As someone with a son that’s currently in the throes of a pretty large Lego obsession, I probably spent far too long looking at this.

It’s a massive, massive effort that is impossible not to be impressed by.

There’s over 1,000,000 LEGO Technic pieces used in the construction and not a drop of glue. The completed project moves under its own power thanks to over 2000 Lego motors.

I can’t imagine how stressfull it must be transporting this car. One would hate to open the trailer door and be greeted by a massive pile of unsorted Lego.

Gives me slight anxiety just thinking about it.

On the way to the Auto Exotica room I came across this 1961 Impala hard top built by the late Boyd Coddington. The car was apparently featured on Boyd’s TV show, but my memory doesn’t seem to reliably go back that far.

Looking at the car today, it is certainly dated, but not without its late 90s charm. It was at the show care of Barrett Jackson where it sold for $88,000.

Not a bad hammer price. But based on the work done more than certainly a loss, if it was sold by the orignal owner/cheque writer.

Moving into the Auto Exotica room, all the main members of this room were still present, from Legendary Motorcar to Pfaff Motors.

One of the more talked about vehicles of the Auto Exotica room was the Devel Sixteen. There’s a ton of hype surrounding this Dubai built car that mostly stems from many thinking the entire thing is a farce.

The car, from a visual aspect, is fairly different from anything else on the market. This one being a prototype had a few spots that could be tightened up, but it’s certainly going to shake up the industry with its looks.

The 5000 horsepower claim though? That is still highly questioned. Especially considering it sounded an awful lot like a V8 when it was revved up.

I’m also told it was pushed into the venue, so take from that what you will.

If the room was to be won, or stolen, then Autostrada magazine did both.

AS absolutely slayed with their line up of exotics and super cars.

Their booth was the backdrop for countless interviews at the show, as well as perfect fodder for any level of automotive photographer.

I managed to get permission from Lucas to head under the stanchion and take a few close up photos of the cars therein.

Sorry, not sorry, the F50 sucked me in. I’ve never seen one of these in person before and I needed to determine if it had what it took to overthrown my favorite Ferrari to date, the F40.

Valued at four million or so the car was certainly quiet impressive. It’s obviously much rounder than the F40, but not so much so that you can’t tell where the design elements originated from.

I was taken aback by just how thin the paint was on the panels. The CF weave was clearly visible under the almost mandatory red paint.

Did it dethrone my favorite? No, I still love the look of the F40 but this is by no means an unimpressive car.

Seeing this car however made me think. With fewer kids today learning to drive, and the automotive industry, and media industry, changing do kids even have dream cars on their walls anymore?

Are device backgrounds the modern-day equivalent? Or is the concept of a poster car going to cease to exist in a few years?

Based on the number of kids who went the show, specifically to check out the Autostrada booth, I do have some hope kids still throw a few cars like the F50 on their walls.

But perhaps that’s just me holding hopeful that the future won’t just be all CUVs and automated cars.

Musings aside, the F50 is for me the only way to end this post, so I will conclude 2019 Canadian International Auto Show coverage here.

 

Theme Tuesdays: Lowriders & The Canadian International Auto Show

By
DaveT
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0

Media Day at The Canadian International Auto Show has been my escape from winter for nearly a decade now. If I’m to be completely honest it’s not the new model releases, or concept unveils that keep me returning year after year. It’s the special interest rooms.

In years previous these rooms have hosted muscle cars, exotics, vintage manufacturer concepts, motorcycles and hot rods. This year the show opened it’s doors to an unlikely niche, lowriders.

To be clear, I love lowriders, but they’re not a genre that has a lot of universal appeal. In general the culture is quite a bit misunderstood. That’s why it was awesome to see lowriding promoted on a stage like this.

Most people in Toronto don’t know there’s a thriving lowrider culture here, so some widespread exposure certainly can’t hurt.

Given the record foot traffic the auto show receives I think it’s safe to assume that at least one child leaving the show is no infatuated with the art of building a low rider.

One of the cars I was most excited to see back out dippin’ was the Chilango ’64. The car was in for a bit of refurbishing these past few years and has returned better than ever.

Can’t wait to see it back out at shows this summer, and perhaps even out doing a bit of cruising. 

The main feature vehicles of the elaborate lowrider display came from Los Angeles care of the Del Alba family and the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Petersen brought six cars to the show in total, three of which were lowriders.

I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying some really well built lowriders while operating this site, but these three were truly next level.

The car above, a ’36 Chevrolet Master Deluxe known as El Padrote, was “bomb” of the year in 2011. With bombs being fairly rare in Ontario you’ll have to forgive me for giving this car a little bit of extra camera time.

There wasn’t a panel or curve on this car that wasn’t heavily detailed in some way, and it was quite difficult not to get lost in the work.

The other two cars on display, The Legacy, and El Rey proved to be a bit of a challenge to shoot. Their positioning, the surrounding hall, and people didn’t allow for the best overall photos.

However the beauty of shooting a lowrider is that it’s totally appropriate to get lost in the details. So I adapted and shot what I could to capture the beauty of El Rey in particular.

I still may try to return to the show to see if I can do these cars better justice. If any cars are deserving of a revisit, it’s these two.

El Rey has been lowrider of the year twice. It’s a stunning example of just how detailed an Impala build can be.

Truly a countless number of hours have gone into painting, striping, engraving and airbrushing every inch of this car.

I’m sure, even with these top-teir examples on display, there’s still quite a few show goers who don’t “get it”. But that’s ok if they’ve at least learned to appreciate them for the works of art that they are.

More general coverage of the Canadian International Auto Show will be up later this week.

Way Back Playback: Car Craft August 1986

By
DaveT
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2

Back in 2014 the guys at Performance Improvements changed my life when they introduced me to Rick Dobbertin’s Pontiac J-2000. Despite being born long after the peak Pro Street era I’m still a really big fan of the niche.

An acute attention to detail, wild stance, loud paint, and ever louder motors? Sign me up. These cars were the height of excess at a time when excess was the rage.

Long running title Car Craft had its finger on the pulse of the Pro Street movement early and has featured a wide variety in their pages.

At Oshawa Ontario’s Autofest in 2014 one of the show goers had a box of magazines marked ‘free’. I walked by it once without looking but on my second pass I had to take a look at what he had available. I mean the price was right…

About a third of a way through, there it was, the pro street holy grail, the cover feature on Dobbertin’s, double boosted and double blown small block Pontiac J-2000.

Having done a WTF Friday post on the car previously I had to own the legit feature. I read the feature magazine cover to cover later that same week then eventually it got shuffled away.

At the top of the year, while cleaning, I found the magazine. This time I decided to take some photos of what was inside.

The magazine itself is a treasure trove of an era gone by. Can you imagine a feature titled “Yellow Fever” flying past an editor’s desk run in 2019? No, me neither.

Seat belts are pretty much worn by all now so the entire Crash Test Dummy campaign almost seems ridiculous in hindsight.

Things have come full circle with the Pioneer TS-X20 speakers. Considered retro today, they are often seen as the perfect accessory for a period correct build. Should you be able to find a working set of course.

Being the 80s, smoking was still considered cool, and Camel was the coolest. And of course no vintage magazine would be complete without some sort of recruitment advertisement.

It was pretty awesome to come across ads for companies that still exist today. Enkei, Recaro and Centerline have all managed to weather the storm, surviving over 30 years.

Hitting Google it seems like Kamei is also still around, to some degree. But, I can’t tell if it is the original company, or if someone just bought the rights to the name.

Either way I had no idea they made a aero package for the Pontiac Fiero. Quite an odd choice for a company I most often associate with European brands.

Flipping back to the (black and white) table of contents, the goods on Dobbertin’s car are revealed to be on page 24. Rick’s feature would be one of a few in the magazine to get both black and white and color photos.

I’ve always thought the concept of getting the “color” centerfold pretty neat. I imagine getting a color feature was a huge, sought after, accomplishment.

Quite a change from today where people are excited to get a small picture and an ‘@’ mention on Instagram.

The text (which there will be a link to at the bottom of this post) outlines how Dobbertin did a staggering amount of the work to the car himself learning as he went. It also mentions that his bar for execution is fairly high, which obviously plays a huge part in the vehicle’s overall look.

I’m told that the car does still exist today, though it’s been in storage for quite some time.

Hopefully at some point this car does make it back out of storage because it is far too much of a monster to just be sitting under a car cover in some random corner.

If you want to read the entire article, I’ve taken the opportunity to scan the article page by page. Click the links below to open up the full link scans:

Please note I don’t claim ownership of the magazine pages. All credits here go to Car Craft Magazine along with the photographers Jeff Smith and Neil Love. The article itself was written by Bruce Hampson.

Theme Tuesdays: Ford Taurus

By
DaveT
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5

I’m going to be completely honest, I never thought I’d sit down and put together a Ford Taurus Theme Tuesday. Outside of SHO models the Taurus is a car that’s seldom discussed, and these days seldom seen, even as commuter vehicles.

However the photo below immediately sent me down a bull infested rabbit hole.

The scanned photo, that appears to be of Japanese origin raises so many questions. The most obvious being why, off all the possible vehicles to import, did this owner choose a Taurus wagon?

Regardless of answers I’ll never know I was curious to know what other Taurus examples I could find.

Initially my search for fittingly modified Tauruses (Taurusii?) lead me right back to a 2013 ‘Uncommon Stance – 2’ Theme Tuesday. I’m pretty sure neither of these two cars above are around today.

(Yes i know the red one is a Contour, but for the sake of this post it is close enough.)

Corvette saw blades were the go to ‘cheap’ low offset wide wheel for a hot minute. I imagine one makes very few friends with Chevrolet wheels on a special edition Ford.

A bit of digging revealed that Mobsteel actually built a bagged 400hp Taurus back in 2009. There’s next to nothing available on the car that’s current that makes me wonder if perhaps it went back to Ford after it was complete and shown at SEMA.

Photo: Nascarman
Photo: Nascarman

Apparently in the early 90s there was a team of four Fords that raced in TMNT livery. As a 90s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle obsessed child it seems a bit odd I only found out about these cars today.

Photo: Windingroad.com

With racing livery more popular than ever on street cars, might I suggest someone flip this one next?

Blew the dust of quite an old Stance Works build thread to find this car.

 Sadly the thread was last updated in 2015. So where the car is today is anyone’s best guess.

For the quarter-mile fans, here’s a Taurus pushing 21 ponds of boost with a stock connecting rods, stock heads, stock crank, event stock head gaskets. Who knew these motors were so strong?

Of course, the end to this admittedly quite off kilter Theme Tuesday is a 1-JZ powered Taurus:

I highly recommend checking the owner’s Instagram @porschetech101 for more on this build. It’s a kit-bashed model car come true and quite frankly it’s exceptional.

 

Winter Wednesdays: Surviving

By
DaveT
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0

Well, we’re here again, in the dregs of winter. The thermometer here in the Greater Toronto Area is currently nineteen degrees Celsius below 0. It feels 35 below with the windchill. If you don’t know what windchill is consider yourself lucky.

At this time in the winter it’s easy to get discouraged about the weather. The long, dark, cold, days generally forces people insides. It also elicits a general consensus of “damn it’s cold” at any time.

However soon, very soon, it will be the Canadian International Autoshow and shortly after that the seasons starts anew.

One thing that’s been helping with the winter is the fact that I picked up some pretty cool winter wheels. They are 17×7 Work CRs at ET 32 offset.

They’re quite beat up, but for winter wheels they do a pretty good job of reminding me cars get to look cool again in summer. To be honest I’ve grown so fond of the wheels that I might end up with a CR variant for summer as well.

The Air Lift Performance Suspension set up continues to perform flawlessly despite the arctic weather, and besides my own grumbling everything this winter has been going pretty well. Probably cursed myself now by saying that however.

Hopefully not.

Theme Tuesdays: What Ever Happened To…

By
DaveT
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0

Last week I had a request for an old photo and on Sunday I went on a crate dive looking for the original file. One thing lead to another and I ended up digging a little deeper, and then even deeper still.

During that dive, I came across a V10 powered Dodge Challenger project and posted it on Instagram. Naturally I asked Boot Hill Auto Resurrection if the car was ever finished.

Boot Hill didn’t respond, but one of their employees did and oddly enough work resumed (5 years later) the day before I posted the photo.

Fate? Coincidence, who knows, but either way I’m going to see if lighting will strike again with a few more builds that I’ve lost track of over the years.

Turbo H22 Powered Fiat X19

This is a car I saw way back in 2011 and have never seen it again. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve seen another Fiat X19 again. If I have, it obviously didn’t leave an impression like this one.

From body to turbocharged Honda power plant this car was incredibly unique through and through.

Looking back, I’d say it’s pretty over the top, but I admire the creativity. I can’t imagine a car like this blending in anywhere, so I’m really curious where it may have gone.

LS Powered, Body Dropped Nova

Looking at this car, you might be wondering why I’m posting it. Novas in general are not all that uncommon, but in comparison to other years, late 70s ones are far less common. Some might say they are the ugly duckling of an otherwise pretty well put together Nova family.

Regardless of the general consensus bagged, bodied, and fit with an LS I always thought this particular car was pretty cool.

In reality of all the cars on this list this one probably has the greatest chance of still being around, I just haven’t seen it since.

Bagged, Convertible Ford Ranger

Convertible trucks have always been a bit of a rare breed. From what I understand the second you consider putting a roof back on them they leak, so it’s better to just commit and go topless all the time.

If memory serves this Ranger had no provisions for a roof so the owner clearly committed 100%.

There was a lot of work put into this truck. A motor swap, the aforementioned convertible conversion and even a tail light swap. It would be a shame if this truck was parted out and sent off to the big crusher in the sky.

I know there isn’t a huge market for minitrucks, especially partially finished ones, so hopefully this is just under some clothes in a garage somewhere.

Bagged, Rear Wheel Drive, Dodge Dart Coupe Frame

How much of a vehicle do you need for it to be considered a project? That’s a rhetorical question, but this back half is probably pushing it.

Never the less Ash Pratt had big plans for this chassis, wanting to put it underneath a two door converted PF chassis Dodge Dart.

I have not heard anything of the project the second Northern Showdown that year so I can only assume it was shelved indefinitely. Life sometimes has a way of doing that, despite best intentions.

Hybrid, Hydraulic, Air Suspension ‘S10’ Chassis

I wasn’t going to post this frame again, but, after including the back half above I think it’s appropriate. When this chassis hit the International center floor everyone stopped to take a look.

The creativity, fit, and finish are still incredible, roughly five years later. The chassis still hits a number of Facebook groups a year with people wondering exactly how it all works.

If you’re also curious, two of the bags in the rear lifted the back of the truck, while the other two push hydraulic fluid to a pair of rams up front to provide lift.

Originally built for an S10 the chassis Gary Donkers still has it and at last check he wanted to put it under a Toyota instead of an S10.

Coyote Powered F-100

It seems like trucks projects have a way of winding up, unfinished. Which is unfortunate considering I’m building a truck of my very own. But, I remain hopeful that my truck, along with all of the others in this post will some day get finished.

This truck was interesting for a few reasons. The motor, which was quite new at the time, being one, and the interior being the other. Looking at the photo, clearly there were plenty of dots left to connect, but crazier dots have been connected.

The twin tube back half was really interesting too, and it looks like that continued up under the cab and all the way to the tube front end.

Viper Powered S15

Start with a V10 project, end with a V10 project. If you’ve been reading this site for any length of time then you know I include this car somewhat often in posts like this.

The back burner this car was placed on has likely been turned off at this point but I don’t think it’s been scrapped yet.

At current I have nothing to base that on but there’s no harm in being optimistic rather than pessimistic right?

Hopefully I come across a few of these projects sometime down the road because they’re all pretty interesting. Who knows maybe reading this will give reinvigorate a build or two.

If one of these is yours, let me know how it’s going in the comments.

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