If you were traveling through L.A.’s San Fernando Valley on the first Sunday in November and experienced a sudden craving for a scoop of gelato, a double espresso, and a few puffs on a Gitanes, chances are you passed within spitting distance of the 2009 edition of the Best of France and Italy car show. With sunny skies above and a soundtrack which included French versions of … [Read more...]
Mid-Engine V8 Beetle
What began life as a stock 1963 Volkswagen Beetle convertible is now nearly everything but. We walked past the Bug a few times at the SEMA show before finally stopping to peer inside and see a stonking Ford V8 mounted amidships! The legend goes that Paul Newman had Jerry Eisert take some time out from constructing INDY race cars and engineer this mid-engine monster Bug to toy … [Read more...]
What, Me Worry?
Early hot rodders squeezed the best out of the junk they had. Fenders and running boards came off to save weight. Hop-up parts scored second hand from circle track racers made their way onto flathead eights for more horsepower. Keeping with this pioneering spirit but using modern technology and parts is the Truckster, seen here on display at the Painless Performance Products … [Read more...]
Biggest Ruckus
If you happen to be in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles and hear a motorized ruckus rolling down the boulevard, chances are it will the the Bowls LA crew. Taking a stock Honda Ruckus onto the ninth level of customization is the best two-wheeled idea since a Honda put an inline four under the gas tank of the CB750 back in 1969. The Bowls crew brought some of their finest … [Read more...]
Big Oly Revisited
When it comes to getting it right forever, there are few machines more awesome then the 1971 Ford Bronco known as Big Oly. Marshall Madruga certainly agrees. It took him two years to put this truck together as as a passionate tribute to the original Bill Stroppe Big Oly, driven by Parnelli Jones to greatness in the Baja 1000. Marshall started with a piece of a 1971 Ford Bronco … [Read more...]