1955 Bel Air * Mike Weatherson * Fresno, CA
Mike Weatherson's first big project was a '32 Highboy that disappeared when the shop he was having it worked on went out of business. Mike took this as a hint to let the car thing go for a while, and work on his family. In 1998, he felt it was time to get another project car. This time he needed something that would seat a few more passengers. He got this '55 in reasonably good shape and replaced wiring, hoses, belts, and other worn items to allow him to drive it daily. Through the next eight years, Mike drove the car every day to and from work until he decided he wanted to change the glass. That snowballed into the current full paint and body project.
| By The Numbers |
| Engine: | '69 360ci small-block Chevy |
| Transmission: | Muncie M-21 four-speed |
| Suspension: | McGaughy spindles, PST bushings, KYB shocks |
| Brakes: | McGaughy disc, booster, and master |
| Interior: | Ididit column, Autometer gauges |
| Wheels: | American Racing (14-inch) |
| Tires: | Nitto 205/70R14 |
1971 Dart * Tony Pagano * Enfield, CT
Years of kicking himself for selling his '68 Dart back in the day motivated Tony Pagano to set sail and look for a replacement. He quickly realized that prices had climbed, and he would be looking for the '71 and '72 models instead. He saw over-priced, nearly-finished projects, and cheap rust buckets that were too much work, but nothing in between. At a local swap meet, Tony talked to a guy who had one of those pricy cars. He mentioned he had a '71 back home he wouldn't mind parting with. Tony picked it up the next weekend, straight-six and all. He plans for a Hemi powerplant, four-speed gearbox, and 8.75-inch rear end to handle it all. Tony digs the Butternut Yellow body and satin black hood, so he may repaint it the same way.
| By The Numbers |
| Engine: | 6.1L Hemi |
| Transmission: | five-speed manual |
| Suspension: | coilovers (front and rear) |
| Brakes: | B-body drum |
| Body: | Butternut Yellow paint |
| Rear: | 8.75-inch Chrysler with 4.56 gears |
| Wheels: | stamped steel (18x10-inch) |
1995 Camaro * Randy Jameson Jr. * Richland, WA
Randy Jameson may wear a suit to work and stand in front of a judge during the day as a lawyer, but that doesn't mean he can't have a little fun. Randy found this nearly stock '95 Camaro with only 45,000 miles on the odometer. First on the list of upgrades was a set of QA1 shocks and Eibach springs. Randy and his father Randy Sr. replaced every suspension part the aftermarket supported. Randy blew out the dainty 7.5-inch rearend the car came with, so in went a Moser 9-inch that could take the beating. Together, father and son rebuilt the engine with a new cam, rocker arms, timing set, throttle body, headers, and dry NOS kit. With the beefed up powerplant, the trans needed some work too.