109 Reader Projects

1965 Corvair * Robert Ziegert * Jumping Ranch, WV
Robert started cutting up this '65 Corvair coupe in 1972. He removed the entire back half of the body from the rear door post back, and removed all of the front sheetmetal. He retained the factory windshield frame and glass, but that was about it. He built the unique body panels from the same fiberglass you would use to build a bathtub. He didn't use any molds, he just started building. He borrowed parts from many cars, including headlights from an S10, taillights from a Focus, and a fuel cap from a Honda CBR motorcycle. He's raised three children, received two college degrees, served as a police officer, and still had time to create this exquisite car.

1974 Ranchero Squire * Tim Ostrander * Buffalo, NY
You know you've got a weak paintjob on your hands when the painter has sprayed over dirt, emblems, wood trim, and any other piece that would normally be removed or masked. Tim Ostrander saw this as an opportunity to practice paint removal, and re-spray it black in his home-built paint booth. Tim has a 351 Cleveland that this '74 Ranchero came with, but he's currently researching the idea of swapping in a 5.4L modular motor with a five-speed manual to replace the C-6 automatic he's got now. Tim's had a lot of projects over the years, and his wife asked him if this would be the last. He just laughed.

1968 Cutlass * Mike Kline * Hemet, CA
Mike Kline's son, Luke, will be the fourth generation in his family to own this '68 Cutlass. The first was the original owner, Mike's grandfather, who passed it down to Mike's father, then to Mike himself. Mike grew up in Indiana, where they salt the roads, which thoroughly trashes the frame. Now a resident of California, Mike was able to get a rust-free replacement frame. A huge percentage of the parts were damaged from the salted roads, so Mike decided to rebuild it. He found a 455 to replace the 350 engine, and a manual transmission to replace the automatic one. This change led him to continue his improvements through to the suspension.