Featured Hot Rods and Other Roadkillers

Hot rods, typically old, classic American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. Yep!

1954 Ford F100 / 2000 Lincoln Towncar Chassis Swap for Under $1,000

May 4, 2021 Roadkill Customs Builds and Examples, Low Budget Builds

Casey’s Customs chassis swaps a $250 1954 Ford truck body on to a 140K Mile 2000 Lincoln Towncar chassis donor acquired for $500. [More…] Also of Interest: 1956 Ford F100 Pickup Truck Build Photo Compilation [More...]

Converting A Stock 1967 Mustang Coupe Into An Iconic Fastback

April 19, 2021 Roadkill Customs Builds and Examples

Mustang guru Alan Shepley and crew perform major cosmetic surgery converting a stock 1967 Mustang coupe into an iconic fastback. [More…] Also of Interest: 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H Found in Ohio Backyard After 40 Years [More...]

The origin of the term “hot rod” is unclear. For example, some claim that the term “hot” refers to the vehicle being stolen. Other origin stories include replacing the engine’s camshaft or “rod” with a higher performance version. Regardless, these are some of our favorites…

Barry Weiss’ Cowboy Cadillac

November 29, 2012 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Barry Weiss made a fortune selling wholesale produce and feeds his unique car collection, including this ’47 Cadillac, with the proceeds. [More…]

Charles Darmanjian’s 1947 Plymouth Rat Rod

Charles Darmanjian’s 1947 Plymouth ~ Flat Black Rat

November 7, 2017 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Charles is a one-man-show in a small three bay shop in North Troy, New York. He primarily designs and fabricates parts for cars that are far from rat rods, his project car is a 1947 Plymouth. While his business caters to newer cars, Charles admits that it’s the classics he really enjoys working on. [More…]

Doodlebugs, Scrambolas, Jitterbugs, Field Crawlers and Other Farm Rigs

September 9, 2007 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Doodlebug is the colloquial name for a home-made tractor made during World War II when production tractors were in short supply. [More…]

The NewMad ~ 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Custom

October 10, 2012 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

It took 24,000 hours and 1.3 million dollars to transform a ’55 Chevy Nomad into the award-winning Chevy “NewMad”. [More…]

DELIVERANCE ~ 1947 Ford Pro-Street Rat Rod Pickup

June 15, 2013 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

This is no ordinary Rat Rod. It was designed and built by an experienced Winston Cup race car builder with race-quality parts front-to-rear. [More…]

Lil’ Rat ~ Rat Rod Lawnmower Built for $40 Bucks

September 21, 2017 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Michael Snow from Horneytown, North Carolina saw our Farmer’s Chopper post and shared his old school rat rod lawnmower with us. [More…]

Aaron Anderson’s True Home Grown Rat Rod

October 12, 2017 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

This truck was self-built with some help from neighbors, friends, and family. All the parts — every piece, came from Wabash County, Indiana. [More…]

The Roadkill Customs 1949 Studebaker Shop Truck

February 14, 2018 Roadkill Customs Builds and Examples, Low Budget Builds, Rides & Roadkillers

The Roadkill Shop Truck Project: Take a ’77 Camaro and S-10 frame rails and build a new soul for the ’49 Studebaker in 30 days for $1,000. [More…]

Big Bertha by South Texas Performance

November 16, 2017 Roadkill Customs Builds and Examples, Rides & Roadkillers

South Texas Performance Turbo Diesel Rat Rod Truck built for The Rat Hard Build-Off ~ Builders get 30 days and $3,000 to build a Rat Rod. [More…]

n2a Motors is a California based custom auto manufacturer with a mission of reviving the art of American coach building. Melding design elements from different Chevy models, the 789 shows the world that you really can't have enough of a good thing. Although the 789 looks instantly iconic, it is actually the best of three classics mounted atop a Le Mans-winning Corvette C6 chassis. Aptly named for the three years represented in the overall design, the 789 has the “hooded eyes” and chrome grille of a '57, a mid-section that's reminiscent of a '58 Impala and the "bird in flight" rear tailfins of a '59. These three vehicles are all instantly recognizable classics celebrated by people around the world. Owning and operating a classic car often proves difficult. Rarity of parts, expertise needed for installation, and potentially high upkeep or restoration costs are some of the problems with which collectors must deal. All of the money in the world spent to modify or modernize a vintage car will not change the reliability or performance problems associated with it. The 789 offers the best of both worlds: retro looks and styling, and it will fire up every time you turn the key. The body is constructed of lightweight composite panels. n2a Motors has developed a process of using 80% carbon composite with 20% fiberglass. This process gives a light-weight rigid part as if it was 100% carbon composite with the minimal properties of fiberglass that allows for show quality paint and finish. Customers can either provide n2a Motors with a donor C5 series (1997 -2004) or C6 series (2005-current) Corvette, which currently retails for approximately $65,000 (though used models can be had for less), or n2a Motors can locate one for you. After stripping the Corvette of its stock body, n2a Motors hand-grafts the retro body panels over the stock frame, suspension, and massive 440-horsepower, 6.0-liter aluminum-block V8 engine. A full range of upgrades are available, including up to 800 hp power trains, custom suspension, audio/video/navigation systems, interior customization, and more. n2a Motors will build each 789 to meet each customer's specifications. However, please note that no previously built combination of paint scheme and interior treatment will be duplicated.

The 789 from n2a Motors

August 26, 2012 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Melding design elements from different Chevy models, the 789 shows the world that you really can’t have enough of a good thing. [More…]

Can This Stunning ’56 Chevy Hit 200 MPH?

October 1, 2020 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

A full-blown drag car is an unexpected find at a half-mile event. We were quickly impressed by this ’56 Chevy before it even made a pass. [More…]

Redneck Repo ~ A 1954 Chevrolet 3100 Wrecker

January 7, 2017 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

The Redneck Repo shop truck is a 1954 Chevrolet 3100 with a 1953 front clip, a handmade wrecker box, and features a 1930’s hand crank boom… [More…]

G28T 4-banger Model A Hot Rod Woody - The Coffin Shaker

The Coffin Shaker ~ G28T 4-Banger Model A Hot Rod

June 13, 2018 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

This G28T 4-Banger Model A hot rod woody was built almost entirely from scratch over a period of two years. [More…]

El Gringo Sucio ~ Billy Toledo’s 1955 Chevy 3100 5-Window

October 14, 2018 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

El Gringo Sucio (or “Dirty White Boy”) is Billy Toledo’s 8 year labor of love, a 1955 (1st Series) Chevrolet 3100 5-Window. [More…]

You Must Drive This Rat Rod

December 8, 2018 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Built by Ryan Kertz, this old Model A may not look like a million bucks, but it’s some of the most fun we’ve had in quite some time. [More…]

1940 Chevrolet Restyled by Gambino Kustoms

1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe Hot Rod Build

January 5, 2019 Roadkill Customs Builds and Examples, Rides & Roadkillers

This handsome 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe was restyled by Alex Gambino at Gambino Kustoms for John Ricabona. [More…]

1941 Dodge Power Wagon ~ Stacey David’s Sergeant Rock Lives

February 24, 2019 Roadkill Customs Builds and Examples, Rides & Roadkillers, Roadkill Offroad

A look back at a kid with a dream. Follow the design and fabrication of Stacey David’s 1941 Dodge Power Wagon, a childhood dream. [More…]

Velvet Cherry ~ Jerry Dunbar’s Volksrod

May 16, 2019 Roadkill Customs Hood Rides & Hoopties, Rides & Roadkillers, Volkswagen and Volksrods

Jerry Dunbar’s 1954 Volkswagen oval window beetle turned radical volksrod dubbed “Velvet Cherry”. [More…]

David Freiburger’s Twin-Turbo 1973 “F-Bomb” Camaro

March 7, 2017 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers, Roadkill Muscle

The F-Bomb Camaro is based on a 1973 F-body and was recreated as Vin Diesel’s ride for Fast & Furious 4 right down to the 1,500-hp twin-turbo 406 CID V8 Engine. [More…]

RATical ~ A Completely Hand-Built Dually Rat Rod Truck

November 19, 2019 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Sean Puz’s very cool, completely fabricated, dually rat rod truck with 454 big-block bored 30 over and a 4L80e overdrive transmission… [More…]

1991 Toyota MR2 Twin-Engine Powered Jet-Car

April 5, 2006 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers, Roadkill Imports

This 1991 Jet-Powered Toyota MR2 is thrust driven by twin (2) GE T58 turbine engines, has 4 fuel tanks, and is very, very quick… [More…]

1966 Ford GT40 MKII Continuation ~ A Legend, Built The Right Way

May 17, 2019 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Continuation GT40s are not pieces of kit car replica shenanigans put together with a case of cheap beer next to your buddies in the garage. [More…]

Argentinean 1938 Ford Roadster Pick Up

April 7, 2011 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

The 1938 Ford roadster pick up features a car front-end, car fenders and modified running boards, and a factory produced bed of some sort. [More…]

1950 Chevrolet 3100 with NASCAR Roots

June 22, 2018 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

This 1950 Chevrolet 3100 pickup retains little more than the original tins — the chassis and drivetrain have all been ditched for NASCAR gear. [More…]

1940s Dodge Milk Truck Rat Rod

October 30, 2018 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

This unique 1948 Dodge Milk Truck from Holland Dairy has been put back on the streets with a few borrowed parts. [More…]

Griffin Steinfeld’s Twin Turbo 1963 Chevrolet C10

May 20, 2017 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Holley Performance takes a closer look at Griffin Steinfeld’s strip and street driven 1963 Chevrolet C10 at Holley LS Fest West. [More…]

Is this ’32 Ford the World’s Most Advanced Hot Rod?

January 14, 2019 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

The Multimatic-designed ’32 Ford hot rod with in-wheel front suspension, Ford Racing motor, and, well, a pile of other goodies. [More…]

BAGGED ~ 1969 Chevrolet Impala RestoMod

March 29, 2019 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Casey J. Porter from Combustion Chamber meets with Jay Ruiz and goes over his stunning 1969 Chevy Impala restomod. [More…]

The AMC Gremlin ~ An American Motors Marvel

July 17, 2019 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

Though largely written off as a truncated Hornet, the Gremlin had a personality all its own and performed reasonably well during its first few years. [More…]

Inventor Builds Steampunk Hot Rod From Scratch

October 1, 2019 Roadkill Customs Rides & Roadkillers

The Automatron is a horse-drawn carriage inspired hot rod, boasting a 3.5L supercharged V8 engine with an estimated top speed of up to 110mph. [More…]