It's not often that you see an early Pontiac Tempest or LeMans jerking the front tires 2 feet in the air and dipping into the single digits on a dragstrip--at least, not one that looks as un-race-car-like as Pat Neveu's. The early Tempests were unique in that they featured a rear-mounted transaxle driven by a "rope" driveshaft--a flexible thing that had roughly 3 inches of up and down movement while operating. That combination isn't really keen on taking high-horsepower abuse, and replacing it with a conventional rearend and solid driveshaft is way more complex than a bolt-in affair. It's doable, as seen on Pat's car, but only if you're committed.

There is a new class in NMRA this season, and it’s generating quite a stir on message boards and YouTube, yet as we write this, the season’s opening race is still one month away. Strange Engineering Coyote Stock presented by 5.0 Mustang Magazine and Super Fords is the official title of the class, and there are several reasons to be excited about it. First, it was created to simplify an existing NMRA class and make it more affordable than the class it evolved from. Second, the rules dictate the use of a sealed, 5.0 Coyote crate engine, which is available from a number of distributors for about $6,000—a great price for the level of performance it delivers. In the words of one builder we spoke to, “You couldn’t piece together a better engine for less money.” Third, the engine is legal in any ’54-or-newer Ford and can be backed up by any Tremec manual transmission or a C4 automatic, which satiates our appetite for drivetrain swaps. Fourth, it’s heads-up racing. Early testing we’ve seen shows the cars nailing down high-10-second e.t.’s in shakedown passes. This class should be fun, fast, and competitive.

“When you see one of these big X-frame cars hook and hold the wheels in the air for 100 feet at the dragstrip, you begin to understand why people like them.”

“It’s a real crowd-pleaser. When I launch the car at the track, you can see the whole undercarriage of the car. The spectators all run to the fence to see it.” Wally Peterson

This Guy's Garage: Leigh Gordon/Goochland County, VA

Hollywood is all about image, with substance and character falling a distant second and third in terms of importance. But Ford tipped that equation more than a little sideways when it introduced the Bullitt Mustang in 2001. The Bullitt package backed up good looks with performance parts such as a high-flow intake manifold, Tokico shocks, and bigger brakes, wheels, and tires. Mike Wolfson wanted one the moment he learned about the car, and to prove it, he canceled his order for an ’01 Cobra and got in line for Bullitt No. 1543. Beyond the lowered stance, the better shocks and struts, and even the slightly revised power numbers that pushed the 4.6L 2V up to 265 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque, there are far more visceral reasons why this particular Mustang is just plain cool. It has more to do with what Mike did after he bought the car.

The first rule of car crafting and domestic automotive mayhem is there are no rules. Plenty of enthusiasts will try to tell you there are only some accepted paths, but thankfully there are free spirits who just don't listen. In this world, even fathers have difficulties with sons. Take Warren Iverson's dad. He was an Olds guy and thought he had properly influenced his son when young Warren bought his first car--a '66 4-4-2. All was right with the world until a subtle shift occurred in the time-space continuum, and the Olds gave way to a string of Mopars. This shift of allegiance, Warren says, is something his dad is "still mad about."

Walk up to John Francis' '05 Mustang with the hood down, and the question of the hour quickly becomes . . . could it be? The '69 to '70 Boss 429 connection is rather obvious, what with the big hoodscoop and Boss callouts, but c'mon, really? Rationally speaking, it wouldn't be the first time an owner tacked on a vintage appendage to the retro S197 body style without any real connection, and it certainly won't be the last. The 525 decal is likely indicative of horsepower, as the number is achievable with new-car power-adders, so in the end, the realist dismisses Francis' ride as yet another poseur--fast and fun, no doubt. Something really impressive? Well, probably not.

Car Craft magazine is about cars, not trucks. We get that. But if you carry this notion around in your head during junkyard excursions, you might just miss out on some pretty cool stuff. We’ve seen it over and over again in our junkyard hunts and even wrote about some of the cool finds right here. ’Fer instance, in a story in the Sept. ’05 issue, we discovered an AM General postal van with a factory-installed AMC 401 V8. Another goody we found hiding in a truck was a Pontiac 455 somebody swapped into an old Chevy Stepside. For this month, let’s scope out a couple of neat old Dodge half-tonners languishing at Winkel Auto in Milford, New Hampshire (603/721-6654). Use ’em as-is or harvest their parts—either way, they’re too cool to pass up.

This Guy’s Garage - May 2012

Being a car guy was a bit different in the '70's, and the cars—well, they were a bit different, too. In this decade, drag racers know how to fit huge tires under the rears of their cars and know that lowering the front end is good for aerodynamics. In drag racing's infancy, it was all nose-high Gassers and fender flares. Lots of details on this '62 Plymouth Savoy point directly at '70s styling, and that's perfectly fine for G.R. Lewis, the man who owns this outrageous Mopar.

We passed this car on the road thinking it was a stock '05 Mustang GT with a set of aftermarket wheels. That was until we heard the car pull up. The twin turbos sounded like an irregular heartbeat, as each blow-off valve discharged independently of one another. We just had to get the story straight from the owner.

This Guy's Garage

Back in the '60s, Detroit drag race engineering teams discovered acid dipping as a cost effective way to shed vehicle weight. Also known as chemical milling, the process involves physically immersing a metal object--from a single bolt to an entire body shell--in a solution of hydrochloric acid . . . and waiting. In a few minutes to several hours, depending on the potency of the acid, unprotected surface layers are eaten away and the item in the drink becomes lighter. Chrysler's Ramchargers group is believed to be the first professional organization to apply this aviation-industry trick on its '65 fleet of altered-wheelbase Dodge and Plymouth A/FX drag cars.

Murray Pfaff / Royal Oak, MI

Yes, the first thing we saw was the license plate on this thundering big-block that rattled our Nikons and swung our heads. Then we noted the humongous wheeltubs and the ultralow profile as the car glided by, nearly touching the ground. It was making laps at the Car Craft Summer Nationals, so we set up our own version of Occupy Wall Street until the owner came back and we could grill him for info. How did he get it so low and still manage to drive it? Why are the pedals upside down? Who built this thing?

No one knows what to make of this thing. It isn't a barn car or a survivor because the speed parts are new, but it suckers you into thinking it might be due to its field-fresh exterior. It's not a street machine in the traditional sense, as it lacks a painted finish, and it isn't simply a car in primer or a beater when heavily modified with the latest techno gadgetry and drivetrain parts. And you can't call it a sleeper because it's not meant for racing, but it isn't slow. These cars don't have a label, but they're cool enough to create their own peripheral car show outside the gates and are becoming hard to ignore. So what do you call this type of car? We're using the term "rat machine" as a placeholder.

The premise behind the junkyard series is to spur your imagination and highlight the hot-rodding potential of many low-buck, salvage-yard items. Sometimes we zero in on a specific part or assembly that can be adapted for better performance. Other times we merely expose forgotten treasure troves--and let you decide what's useful.

After writing hundreds of car features, you begin to see patterns form. The standard car owner line is "I wanted to build something different" while describing his red '69 small-block Camaro. If you have read this magazine for more than 30 seconds, you know there is nothing more common than a red '69 Camaro. So it was truly refreshing when we discovered Thomas Hackmann's '71 Maverick sitting under the sun at the most recent annual Ford gathering at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. At first glance, it's a nice Maverick with a good stance. Thomas and his wife were out walking the show, so one of Thomas' friends gave us a quick nickel tour revealing an enormous amount of work that wasn't all that obvious unless you are a true fan of Ford's alternative to the Mustang. We had to be parsimonious with our tech notes and hit only the high points of all the stuff Thomas has changed on this little cruiser.

When you play with cars over a long enough period of time, a few of them just refuse to go away. Hence you need a shop big enough to house them all, along with a little room for your friends and at least a comfy chair or two. Seth Wagner has spent 30 years building a small manufacturing facility that now specializes in custom injection molding for the big car companies. He's a street rod guy, but he doesn't discriminate, as you can see from his eclectic collection that includes two late-model Corvettes. To prove he's into a wide variety of cars, there are plans afoot for a '67 Charger with a 528ci Hemi, a tubular front end, a 4L80E automatic, and monster 345/30ZR19 rear tires. There's plenty of space for the Mopar in this 4,200-square-foot shop once it's completed. Seth's shop is a great place to hang--especially on the day we were there when the temperature outside was pushing triple digits. Thanks for the cold soda, Seth.

The Pro Touring movement has come a long way in a short time. Perhaps farther still if you consider that Scott Parkhurst's extended-cab A-body captured the '11 Car Craft Real Street Eliminator Muscle Car class title. Scott and his friend Scott LaPointe calculated their odds and concentrated on the wagon's strengths, minimized its weaknesses, and managed to take home the trophy. This was no overnight effort. The story winds back to 2004 when Scott, then a staffer at Popular Hot Rodding magazine, landed this cruiser as part of a trade with fellow magazine writer Jason Walker. It originally ran a mild 350 with a 3.08:1-geared, non-posi 10-bolt before Scott lowered it and bolted on a set of 17x8-inch Edelbrock wheels and Nitto tires.

"I often buy cars when my wife is out of town." If you were to ask any married man about that quote from Scott Miller, he would tell you that it sounds like a recipe for disaster. But Scott says he’s been able to make it work. For example, in 1998, he had been looking for a new car while his wife was away on vacation. And like any savvy wife, she probably anticipated what was about to happen. True to form, Scott bought a brand-new Camaro, then called his wife to deliver the news. (Hint to all single guys: Bad news is often better delivered over the phone.) When wife Shannon learned of the acquisition, her response was, "Too bad—you could've had the BMW!" But she was just yanking Scott’s chain. The couple has made the most out of that Camaro for the last 13 years. In the intervening time, Scott has slowly been assembling a quick summer machine that he takes to Brainerd International, where his best pass is an 11.63 at 118 mph. That’s impressive for a mildly warmed-over LS1. There’s no huge cubic-inch stroker here, just a stock short-block 5.7L with a cam, heads, and some intake work. Even more surprising is that the 4L60E is also stock, fitted only with a Yank 10-inch converter. Scott takes great pride in driving the Camaro 80 miles each way to the track, with the slicks and the jack stuffed in the back. While this might be a late-model cruiser with tons of amenities, some things never change.

"They all thought I was nuts," Steve Nitti tells us as we marvel at his sick creation. "I bought it new on January 3, 1972, at 2:32 p.m. for $2,200." Yes, he knows the time of day he bought the car. That fact is also verified by the builder, who could recite that phrase off the top of his head too, even though he'd finished working on the car nearly a year before.

“Driving the Road Runner is like a moment of Zen,” says Dan Weishaar of his ’68 Road Runner.

Hank Groves / Woodstock, IL