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Retro Restomod: Old Anvil's 1966 Corvette from SEMA 2025

Custom car culture is always changing and evolving, so it's cool to see modern restomod builds that take us back to a snapshot of a different era. This 1966 Corvette was built by Old Anvil Speed Shop as a homage to the style of modifications that was popular in the early 1970s. It has Grand-Sport-inspired flared fenders, side pipes, flake-heavy green paint, a restored set of 15-inch American Racing wheels, and a good old 454ci big block V8. The car was unveiled at the 2025 SEMA Show in the Coker Tire display.

Transforming a 1971 Camaro into a Modern Pro-Touring Beast

American muscle cars are being maintained, restored, renewed, and restomodded on a daily basis around the globe. From amateur DIY'ers to pro-builders that have last names like: Worman, Johnson, Trepanier, Strope, Brizio, Foose, and etc. - these American muscle car artisans are to be commended for preserving automotive history and keeping these rolling works of industrial design, magnificent mechanization, and art looking great and running strong.

Video: The Lone Super Snake: Carroll Shelby’s One-Car Symphony of Speed

Some cars are engineered. A rare few are conjured. In 1967, when Ford widened the Mustang just enough to swallow its muscular 390/320-horsepower big-block, the move cracked open a door. Carroll Shelby, eternal hot-rod alchemist, kicked the slightly ajar door off its hinges. The GT500 arrived as the natural evolution of performance, its Police Interceptor 428 already massaged to 355 horsepower. The public devoured it, outselling the GT350 by nearly double. But beneath Shelby’s trademark Texas grin, another idea was forming - larger, louder, and impossibly ambitious.

And as in so many moments of automotive destiny, it took only a spark to ignite a legend.

Video: Jay Leno Drives the 1969 Cougar Eliminator 428

"You just don't see these, they're just not around," remarked Jay Leno as he looked at this restored 1969 Mercury Cougar. This particular Cougar is an Eliminator with the largest engine available, the potent 428 Cobra Jet V8. Of the 2,250 Cougar Eliminators produced that year, only 302 were optioned with the (heavily underrated) 335-horsepower 428, so there aren't many survivors still around today. Leno spoke to the owner, Emmett Abner, and took the car out for a spin to truly enjoy it.

Paying It Forward in a 1968 Ford Ranchero Coupe Utility - Ute

Way back in 1934 those Ford of Australia designers and engineers had the right idea - to create a coupe utility or unibody pickup truck that could haul farm stuff during the week and be driven in comfort and class with the spouse to church on Sunday. The practical vehicle came to be known down under as simply a ute

Video: 800hp "Rhodium" 1968 Camaro by East Bay Muscle Cars

Rhodium is a very rare, bright silver metal known for its hardness, resistance to corrosion, and high reflectivity. As a result of its scarcity, it's also one of the most valuable precious metals, far exceeding the value of of gold or platinum. Given these characteristics, Rhodium seems like a very fitting name for this exquisite '68 Camaro crafted by East Bay Muscle Cars. It features lots of custom metalwork, one-of-a-kind 3D-printed components, an 800hp ProCharged LT4 V8, and an interior that looks like it could've come out of a brand new supercar.

1966 Chevy II Nova Acquisition Tale That Sounds Like Destiny

Searching several years in states like Texas, California, and Arizona, Pedro Villa looked for a turnkey 1966 Chevy II Nova that he could purchase and customize to make his own. Years prior he had owned a '66 Chevy II station wagon that had planted the seed for a sporty coupe in his Bowtie loving brain. Low and behold, in 2018 Pedro went to a car show in Whittier, California that was just four miles from his home in Pico Rivera. There he spied the burgundy beauty of his Chevy II Nova loving dreams. 

Video: Choosing Between Perfection and Life Experience - 1967 Patina

An American pony car/muscle car builder can choose between the school of hard knocks and the school of fast corners. An old car builder/owner will be progressing or regressing through both schools simultaneously and at all times (as the case may be). Which would an auto enthusiast choose? The answer is simple, unless reaction times, straight lines, and Christmas tree lights are the preference to a seemingly endless stream of winding roads and tight apexes. 1967 Mustang notchback owner Kyle Barnes affectionately has named his Mustang '67 Patina. Watching the Petrolicious video will make it most obvious why this moniker makes so much sense for Mr. Barnes' pony car.

Video: Restoration vs. Restomod: The Classic Dodge Challenger Argument

Few Mopars ignite as much passion - or start as many garage arguments - as the 1970–1974 Dodge Challenger. Born at the height of the muscle-car wars, the E-body Challenger blended Mopar attitude with a long-hood/short-deck Coke bottle profile and a factory engine lineup ranging from steady-Eddie 318s to the fire-breathing 426 Hemi V8. Today, these cars remain first-rate collectibles and prime candidates for either concours-level restorations or full blast restomods.

Both paths can lead to tire-shredding or show-stopping glory, but they take you down very different roads. Here’s a deep dive into the pros and cons of each, from cost and drivability to street cred and resale value.

1970 Road Runner "Haraka" Unveiled at SEMA Show

Every November, the SEMA Show in Las Vegas serves as a mecca for all things automotive. Restoration shops and aftermarket parts manufacturers use the SEMA Show as an opportunity to unveil their latest projects, often in the form of a custom car parked in their booth. Suspension manufacturer Heidts teamed up with Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design to create this incredible 1970 Road Runner. The project was dubbed Haraka, which means "speed" in Swahili.