109 Reader Projects

1966 Pontiac LeMans * Garry Tody * Lapeer, MI
"How I came to own this car is an interesting story--I bought it at a garage sale! I've had my eye on this car for a number of years, and saw that this car never seemed to move. When I saw the ad for the garage sale, I was there shortly before it started," writes Garry Tody. "He turned down my first offer of $2,000, but accepted an offer of $2,300." After putting in a new battery and pouring fresh gas down the carb, it roared to life. Garry says it still needs an interior and a trunk floor, but it otherwise runs great and is a ball to bang the gears in. "I'm getting old," says the 63-year-old grandfather, "but once a gearhead, always a geahead!" To that end, Garry frequents his local dragstrip, and has pulled down at best e.t. of 15.81/92.7 with the original 350ci two-barrel.

1955 Chevy Pickup * Chris Verbeke * Colona, IL
For Chris Verbeke, it all started when he saw the classic movie, American Graffiti. That's giving away his age, since he was 14 when it came out. "I've been hooked ever since! My first car was a '56 Chevy two-door sedan. Since then, I've owned several Novas, a '67 Chevelle, and a '50 Chevy truck." Chris was happy with all those, but his first love brought him back to the Tri-Five fold for his current affair. "I have always liked this body style, and searched a while for a rust-free project," writes Chris. He credits Southwick Machine & Design in Coal Valley, Illinois, for modifying the frame with a '78 Nova front clip. That simple mod opens up so many possibilities for engine, suspension, and brakes. A 4-inch drop rear suspension from TCI also gives the truck modern handling.