Slick & Fast 1967 Chevelle

This beauty is evidence that hard work and patience pays off in the end.

- It is not very often that a feature car gets a second shot in the spotlight, but it does happen, especially when there is a new story to be told. Wilson, drummer for the band Weezer, commissioned Hotrods to Hell to build him a car with "big power and predictable handling," an American classic alternative to the BMW M5 he was considering. Wilson got what he wanted, and then some, as the Centerdrive Truckarm-suspended Malibu, packed with a 500-horse small-block, clicked off 12.5-second quarters and pulled 63 mph through Motor Trends 600-foot slalom. In the months that followed, however, two other facets of Wilsons vintage ride were dramatically put to the test: its safety features and insurability. The first literally saved lives, the second saved the car. We think there are lessons to be learned from Wilsons experience, things other owners of high-performance classics can learn from.

Now, Wilson may have been looking for, and gotten, M5-like performance numbers, but there are some areas in which a 1967 Chevelle, no matter how trick, can not match a new Beemer. Safety features such as airbags, crumple zones, and rupture-resistant fuel tanks were years away from production when Wilson's Mali rolled off the assembly line. Wilson did add Corbeau seats and Deist harnesses, definite improvements over the original lap belts, but as it turns out it was the missus, Jen Wilson, who called for the most important piece of safety equipment. As we noted in our original article, Jen visited Hotrods to Hell during the cars construction and saw another, less fortunate, Malibu. This one had been rolled at triple-digit speeds, obliterating everything except the HTH rollcage and the area inside it. Mrs. Wilson quickly insisted on a similar cage for the 1967. "She has an uncanny sense of our automotive needs," Patrick recently told us. We would say so.


Read more

1932 Ford Roadster with a Twist

I always find it to be really neat when someone restores a car and throws in modern technology, like an engine or interior.

- Don Prieto of Torrance, California, is the owner/builder of this months Track Test hot rod. Yep, it is a black Deuce highboy roadster, which should just about seal its fate in the annals of "been there, done that," but such was not to be the case. Don is a longtime rodder who has accumulated an illustrious career as a Bonneville and drag racer, author (his latest effort is titled Hot Rod Chronicle, published by Publications International Ltd), and currently handles many auto manufacturers press fleet vehicles. In other words, Don is a car guy, has been a car guy, and will always be a car guy. Before getting too deep into the roadster story, let us make sure we cover some of Dons friends who helped piece the project together: Richard Graves, Perry Price, and Jeb Scolman.
Back on track, after looking at his highboy it became apparent that this was more than your basic screw-together hot rod. Immediately you note the full Kugel independent suspension, the racecar-inspired interior, but then the magical moment all of us look for happens as the defining element that makes this car different is discovered. The powertrain is straight from a 2002 Lexus LS430, which includes the V-8 and overdrive tranny (complete with shifter). The 4.3L engine—or 262 cubes, since hot rodders measure in cubes not liters—produces 290 hp at the flywheel and propels, and we do mean propel, this 2,280lb rod down the street and strip very nicely.
Before heading to the track, here is a bit of background on the Deuce: It is based on one of the last Harwood 1932 Ford roadster composite bodies to come out of the Tyler, Texas, hot rod shop. This renowned glass manufacturer added 4 inches to the door and then Don had Steves Custom in Torrance, California, make a longer hood to accommodate the extended wheelbase (nearly 114 inches). The grille shell is a filled 1932 while the insert is an aftermarket repo. The body and paintwork was aptly handed by Gerardo Hernandez (who works for Richard Graves) of Long Beach, California, then the car was painted in black—what else? In keeping with the racecar influence you will note there is virtually no chrome plating anywhere on the car—all by design.


Read more