Some things are just meant to be. If you subscribe to the latest conspiracy theory of the week, then you might find it hard to believe there is no hidden agenda behind the fact that Dan Novara happens to drive a big-block '69 Nova. The question of whether there's a hidden message in his last name is perhaps best left as a topic of discussion between groups of psychiatrists. That's because we know better. Besides, if he was really playing off his name, his license plate would say something like "Nova Ra" instead of "Huz-Nxt." Face it, Dan just likes to go fast.inline_mediumwraptextright26987695/featuredvehicles/ccrp_1001_1969_chevy_novaccrp_1001_01+1969_chevrolet_nova+.jpgTrue

Ted Toki has done the work. You can tell he's built a lot of engines, raced everything, and been everywhere. He can't tell you who the next American Idol is, but who cares? If you can get his attention, he has the answer to every car-related question from decades of firsthand experience. He's holed up at Westside Performance in West Los Angeles, California, most days, wrenching on impossible cars without a lift or a pit. He's the one kneading a shop towel as another customer's rumpity street machine echoes down the alley.inline_mediumwraptextright26986582/featuredvehicles/ccrp_1001_1955_chevy_gasserccrp_1001_01+1955_chevy_gasser+.jpgTrue

Though convertibles and 2+2 (fastback) models get all the stares and collector dollars today, the basic Mustang hardtop accounted for well over three-fourths of all Mustang sales during the car's first few years of production. For instance, of the 607,568 Mustangs sold in 1966, 35,698 were 2+2 fastbacks and 72,119 were convertibles. By contrast, a whopping 499,751 were hardtops. Get the point?inline_mediumwraptextrightFirst-generation Mustangs (like many Ford models) have the all-important warranty plate riveted to the driver-side door. When the door goes missing (as it has here), you lose vital information describing original specifications like paint color, interior trim style, vehicle assembly date, where the car was originally delivered, axle type/ratio, and transmission type. Dig the clean, rust-free body. The only signs of repairs are small patches on the lower quarter-panels.25834595/featuredvehicles/ccrp_1001_1966_ford_mustangccrp_1001_01+1966_ford_mustang+rear_view.jpgTrue

Jake Osborn
Spokane, WA
Jake emailed this photo of his garage, and we immediately wanted to pack up our stuff and move in. No reason in particular; it just looks like a cool place to work-not a showplace for company executives to park their build-it-for-me mobiles. Jake's a diesel mechanic who works for Kenworth. He also has more than 20 cars scattered around his property, all of which are in some state of build. The high-priority cars are in his garage. Let's take a look at how they do things in the Pacific Northwest.inline_mediumwraptextright25613114/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0912_this_guys_garageccrp_0912_01+this_guys_garage+jake_osborn.jpgTrue

Spotting a Plymouth Road Runner-or any blue-chip muscle machine-in the junkyard is sad and exciting at the same time. The sad part is realizing that a once-proud tire burner is a step closer to the crusher. The exciting part is the simple thrill of discovering a diamond in the dust. Either way, hope springs eternal that some savvy hunter-never us-will end up catching the prey and saving it for restoration before things get too far out of control. Unfortunately, for the '69 383 Road Runner coupe shown here at Desert Valley Auto Parts in Phoenix (dvap.com; 800/905-8024), any hope of resurrection is highly unlikely. But we can still dive in for a last look.inline_mediumwraptextrightMissing its 335hp 383 engine and heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite transmission, this one has been carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey by Wile E. Coyote. We can only hope the inner fender, door frame, and other metal chunks have gone toward the revival of some other crashed or rusted Plymouth B-Body.30931962/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0912_junkyard_crawlccrp_0912_02+1969_plymouth_road_runner.jpgTrue

Tim Sockness was looking for a lightweight car he could cut up and use as a "Pro Street go-fast car." He'd been doing so since the '80s when he saw a Pro Street Duster wobbling down the freeway. "I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen," Tim says. So it stayed in his head for 20 years. Then one day, something clicked. "I was a late bloomer as a car guy. Up until I was 30 years old, I drove garbage." When Tim realized his fate, he began to build. First there were four-wheel drives, then an import with a turbo. "That car was fast; it had 240 hp at the wheel and only weighed 2,100 pounds." That's when Tim decided to build a real car.inline_mediumwraptextright26699092/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0912_1998_ford_rangerccrp_0912_01+1998_ford_ranger.jpgTrue

In the rodeo world of bull riding, 8 seconds is an eternity. Strap one hand to the back of a 1-ton-plus bull, let it rip, and hope to hold on long enough to not get stomped. In the drag racer's quarter-mile arena, it's exactly the opposite-the quicker the ride, the greater the thrill. By the time you pare it down to 8 seconds, it's about the same as strapping on that bull. But for those guys who've done it, all they want to do is go quicker.inline_mediumwraptextright26698372/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0912_1999_chevrolet_camaroccrp_0912_01+1999_chevrolet_camaro.jpgTrue

Sassy Grass Green is a Chrysler color. Specifically, it was option code FJ6 nicknamed Green Go for Dodge models and Sassy Grass Green for Chrysler and Plymouth cars. It was offered as a paint color option in '70 and '71. So what the hell is it doing on a '64 Chevy wagon? "I get that a lot," owner Bart Beuter says, sounding like he wishes he had a nickel for every time he's been asked that question. Why Sassy Grass? He just liked the color. He knew he wanted to paint it green and had been kicking around some color ideas with a Mopar buddy who recommended Sassy Grass. "As soon as I saw the paint chip, I knew it was the color I wanted," Bart says.

Before 1961, Pontiac was in the business of building fullsize cars aimed at the guy who couldn't afford a Cadillac but didn't want to settle for a Chevy. When fully equipped, they were flamboyant dreamboats that made middle-class working stiffs feel a little extra special. But 1961 marked a major turning point as the growing popularity of foreign compact cars like the VW Beetle caused GM to take notice. The first offensive salvo came in the form of the Chevy Corvair in 1960. Though it was a rear-engine platform, GM designed it with an amazing level of adaptability so it could serve as the basis-with tweaks-for the new-for-'61 front-engine Pontiac Tempest, Buick Special, and Oldsmobile F-85. For the first time ever, Pontiac dealers had a small car to sell. The '62 Tempest LeMans featured here is super cool because it has the optional 166hp four-barrel power pack. Never heard of it? Read on to learn more.

Ian Cusey/La Habra, CA
Our painter buddy Brian Ferre tipped us off to this treasure trove garage located in an automotive service complex in La Habra, and we stopped by to talk to Ian, the owner of the building. He's been in the business of installing and servicing large-scale air conditioning units for high-rise office towers, hospitals, and hotels for more than 55 years. Sometime between 35 and 40 years ago, he rented the first unit in this four-unit building. As the building's other tenants moved out, he rented those spaces as well. Ian ultimately bought the building outright and now has all four spaces filled with cars, car parts, air conditioning parts, and all the other stuff a person accumulates over the course of his life. We regret our lens was only wide enough to fit one of the garages at a time.

TECH NOTES
What: '67 Ford Mustang fastback

When we first saw this car, it looked to us like a basic driver with a minimalist interior and nice small-block. It wasn't until later that we saw it lining up and clicking off easy 6.80s at the Irwindale eighth-mile dragstrip with the wheels in the air. The prospect of a feature car got sweeter when we visited Rod McGregor's pit to check out his dead-simple combo and there wasn't a trailer in sight.

Tech Notes
Who: Joe Mencacci
What: '70 AMC Javelin
Where: Welch, Minnesota. A teen drama TV show there could be called Welch, 55089.

This is a story without the usual ending. In the classic barn find narrative, our hero unearths a long-lost iconic muscle car in some barn in rural Iowa discovered after accidentally overhearing a lunchtime conversation. He then completes a meticulous restoration that wows the assembled throng, who sings his praises, making him an instant celebrity.inline_mediumwraptextrightIn the interest of journalistic accuracy, this is not where the Camaro currently resides. This is Don Durkee's shed somewhere north of Los Angeles, and back in the corner is his '40 pickup that is only slightly more disassembled than my Z/28.25349321/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0909_1967_chevrolet_camaroccrp_0909_01_z+1967_chevrolet_camaro_z28+front_view.jpgTrue

Performance: Randy has yet to make it to the dragstrip, but he did report the Chevelle capable of 21 mpg on the highway on his trip to the Summer Nationals. We'll call that performance with style.

It's Midnight Mayhem night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway dragstrip, and we're on scene concluding the first day of Car Craft's Anti-Tour. It's sneaking up on midnight when a nondescript Chevelle pulls into the staging lanes. It rumbles with that telltale tenor that most knowledgeable car crafters instantly recognize as the signature of displacement with a little bit of compression and cam timing. Few notice the Chevelle amid all the hot street cars, especially with the buzz in the pits surrounding a bright-orange Camaro from Utah-the driver claims it's an original ZL1 Camaro and the car's making laps in the low 12s. While everyone's rubbernecking the Camaro, the Chevelle idles right through staging and does a quick burnout. When the Tree comes down, the black A-body leaves straight with no drama, pulling down an impressive high-10-second blast at well over 120 mph. The driver pulls into the pits, kills the ignition, and saunters over toward a group of cars. Few have noticed until we nonchalantly ask about the Chevelle.

"Whoa!" That was the only sound uttered by Steve Stanley the first time he saw his car-to-be. To hear him describe the moment now, some six months later, he still has trouble with words. We can all relate to that, too. Just how do you put into words the notion of being floored by a car's awesome coolness? See-sounds stupid, right? Steve didn't bother with words when he saw this '70 Dodge Challenger.

Tech Notes
Who: Jeff Beaufoy
What: '70 Chevrolet Nova
Where: Prior Lake, Minnesota, named after Charles H. Prior, superintendent of the Minnesota division of the Mil-waukee Railroad from 1871 to 1886.

The Details
Car: Tim Lee's '65 Buick Skylark
Engine: 231ci Buick V-6
Heads: Stock '87 Grand National
Induction: Stock '87 Grand National, 50-pound injectors
Power Adder: Kenne Bell Stage 3 turbocharger, Kenne Bell intercooler
Camshaft: Stock '87 Grand National
Power: 400 hp @ 5,700 (est.), 420 lb-ft @ 3,500 (est.)
Transmission: GM 200-4R, Art Carr 3,500-stall converter
Rearend: Stock Grand National 8.5-inch 10-bolt , 3.42:1 gears
Suspension: Stock coil springs, front; stock four-link, rear
Brakes: Stock 10-inch drums, front and rear
Wheels and tires: 15x4 American Racing Torq-Thrust Ds with Kumho 165R15 tires, front; 15x8.5 American Torq-Thrust D with Mickey Thompson 26x11.5-15 ET Streets, rear
Paint: Original Buick Green bySignature Auto Body, Cucamonga, California
Best e.t.: 11.30 @ 116 mph (quarter-mile)
Cost to build: $12,000

Body: This '70 Chevelle could best be described as an H&H special-Harwood and Hydakovich. Harwood supplied the 4-inch fiberglass cowl hood while the rest of the car is stock Chevrolet sheetmetal. Dave Hydakovich is the man responsible for the bodywork, along with Jesse's help, which included Dodge PS2 silver and a pair of SS stripes. The only other addition was a 16-gallon RCI fuel cell in the trunk.

TECH NOTES
Who: Donnie Delmain
What: '66 Dodge GT Dart
Where: Cedar Hill, Missouri, the Show Me State

Tech Notes
Who: Carl Casanova
Where: Glendale, California
What: '68 Chevrolet Camaro

Kevin Hand
Greensboro, NC
Kevin Hand works in the new-car business as the general manager of Crown Honda in Greensboro, North Carolina. But when it is time to relax, he has amassed a great group of classic American iron he can enjoy. Here is a portion of it in his personal game room. This somewhat fluid collection, focused on quality and rarity, is housed in a climate-controlled residential building that has been decked out with a checker-patterned tile floor, a big-screen rec room and kitchen, bunk beds, and lots of cool memorabilia. He has another building nearby for his unfinished stuff. Check it out.

Some wise man once said the more things change, the more they stay the same. In Doug Eisberg's case, it couldn't be more true. Way back in the Mar. '84 issue of Car Craft, we did a story called "Basically Bad" about Doug's low-budget, big-block '69 Nova. His previous ride had been a '69 396-powered Chevelle that failed a tree versus Chevelle contest. Doug bought the Chevelle back from the insurance company and went looking for a '69 Nova. He found the perfect guise in the form of an avocado-green X-body waiting in the drive-through lane at the local Jack in the Box. After an exchange of $900, the six-cylinder cruiser began its metal-morphosis.inline_mediumwraptextright25348136/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0908_1969_chevy_novaccrp_0908_01_z+1969_chevrolet_nova+side_view.jpgTrue