If you’ve already read this month’s editorial, then there’s no need for repeating the sentimental introduction here—if you haven’t then stop what you’re doing and go read it now!
Joey Dean has always been a big fan of ’66 Chevelles. In 2009 he came across a rust-free Chevelle wagon from California and he instantly fell in love. It was something different and he knew right away that he had to have it.
Being an enabler is typically considered a bad thing when it comes to unhealthy addictions, but if it’s your pops and grandpops doing the pushing, it’s likely to be something positive. In the case of John Griffith III, he pretty much had little choice in the matter when it came to the horsepower addiction. “I inherited the affection for power from my father and grandfather,” John admits. “It started with motorcycles in my early teenage years, then naturally grew in the direction of muscle cars soon after.”
Automotive tastes come in various forms and are often influenced by those around us. For many of us, once that interest is ignited, a lifelong journey begins. In Lou Jasper’s case, his late Uncle Joey ignited his passion for all things automotive. He recalls, “When I was about 5 years old, he pulled into our driveway in a ’71 ’Cuda. It had a 440 with a six-pack and I thought it was the greatest car.
Those were the words photographer John Jackson humorously blurted out while at GoodFellows Classic Cars in Phoenix to shoot this gorgeous yet brawny ’66 Chevelle. It wasn’t because there was an underage girl behind the wheel, but due to the front license plate that reads JAIL B8. The story of the plate goes back to when Tina’s husband, AJ Schwichtenberg, owner of GoodFellows, had a ’62 bubbletop with that California plate. As AJ tells it, “I wanted to get that same plate for the Chevelle I was building for my wife, Tina, but the Arizona DMV wasn’t having it.” AJ kept the original and put it on the front of the Chevelle, which got Jackson’s attention as Tina was moving the car in position for the photo shoot.
Pro Street got its start with the idea of implementing features from a Pro Stock drag car into a vehicle that could be driven on the street. After about 20 years of evolution and innovation, the Pro Street movement lost a lot of its popularity, largely because of the lack of actual performance associated with these fat-tired freaks of nature. However, a dedicated following has kept Pro Street alive and, if anything, it’s gone back to its radical roots with excessive horsepower and tire-torching capabilities. This incredibly brutal ’71 Camaro Z28 is a fine example of modern Pro Street goodness, as it boasts giant rear tires and four-digit horsepower to match the aggressive drag car appearance.
Mitchell Lowe sends a GC8 Subaru WRX into a new dimension, far further than the factory intended back in the ’90s. If you saw this future classic cruising the streets, how much power do you think it would be packing?
More than half way through the Golf GTI’s fifth decade, and Chris Baird’s carbon-clad 510hp Volkswagen Golf Clubsport Edition 40 Mk7 shows the hot hatch bloodline still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve…
When Angel Fuentes took custody of this ’1989 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Mk2 the rare Helios Edition must have thought all its Christmas’s had come at once. Here, Ted Dorset discovers exactly why…
The recipe for this ex-police Passat called for some WORK Meisters to be stirred in. And with tasty suspension and a chewy VR6 on the menu, this was always destined to be a spicy fusion…
When a water-cooled VW goes down a storm at the hot rod school of excellence that is the SEMA show, you know it’s going to be a winner. Aaron Stehly has hit the jackpot with this one...
This Sierra may have started life as a leisurely diesel — and it still has the badges to prove it — but thanks to Tom Jackson’s wily tricks, it’s hiding some high-octane surprises…
