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Patrick McCarthy

Recent Posts by Patrick McCarthy:

ICON 4x4 All-Electric Ford Bronco: A Polarizing Restomod

Within the classic car restoration community, you'll find a wide variety of opinions regarding engine swaps. Some restorers insist on keeping the numbers-matching drivetrain for complete originality, while others don't mind upgrading to a higher-performance V8 from the same model year. Then there are resto-modders who drop in a newer fuel-injected engine, or even an engine from a different manufacturer. But there's no engine swap more controversial than replacing a classic car's combustion engine with electric motors. That's exactly what ICON did with its new EV Bronco series, which combines timeless looks with an all-electric powertrain.

Velocity "Re-Engineered" 1971 Ford Truck Restomod

For many of us, restoring a classic car or truck is a fun and rewarding process. We enjoy getting our hands dirty and overcoming all the challenges along the way. But for others, the main goal is to own and drive a restored vehicle, not necessarily to build it. In those cases, buying a turn-key, completed project may be the logical choice. High-end shops such as Ringbrothers and ICON have expert craftsmen who can build exactly what you want for a price. The subject of today's article, Velocity Restorations, also falls into that category. They built this restomodded '71 Ford truck with a 5.0L Coyote V8 and a ton of custom touches.

Video: '72 Blazer with a Supercharged 427

One man's trash is another man's treasure. Similarly, one man's unfinished classic truck project is the perfect starting point for another man's restomod build. Lance Coury was on the lookout for a 1969-72 Chevy Blazer when he heard about a stripped-down '72 that had been sitting incomplete at Arizona-based hot rod builder Delmo Speed. After a call to the Blazer's owner, Coury bought it and Delmo got to work rebuilding it into a timeless muscle truck.

Video: Henry Ford II's One-of-a-Kind Mustang Prototype

What's the best thing you've bought for $500? For Art Cairo, of Michigan, that's an easy answer. Back in 1975, he bought this black-on-black Mustang from a newspaper ad that listed it as "special made for Ford family." The ad was asking $525, but he negotiated down to an even five bills. At the time, neither he nor the seller knew exactly how special this Mustang would turn out to be. Read on as we take a closer look at Henry Ford II's personal Mustang prototype.

T-Tops: The Rise and Fall of a Classic Car Option

If you've ever considered buying a classic American car from the late 1960s through the 1990s, you're likely familiar with the term T-tops. These removable roof panels became an extremely popular option that (literally and figuratively) bridged the gap between a fixed-roof coupe and a convertible. With T-tops, drivers could choose to enjoy the open-air driving experience of a convertible, the comfort and enclosed feel of a fixed roof, and — for models that used transparent T-tops — the ambience of a moonroof. In this article, we'll review the invention of T-tops, how they rose to prominence, and how they faded into obscurity again.

Video: Hemmings "Square Body Rehab" '87 Silverado Restomod

Historically, pickup trucks have typically been viewed as utilitarian workhorses with a rugged design and no frills. But by the late 1980s, this perception was changing. Automakers introduced more luxurious trim levels with improved interiors and creature comforts, such as the 1987 Chevy Silverado seen here. Hemmings produced a six-part "Square Body Rehab" video series in which they restored and modified this Silverado R10  — the designation for the outgoing '87 body style (formerly known as a C10) during the transition to the all-new 1988 Silverado.

Video: A Fighter Pilot's 1965 Mustang Project

Classic car restoration projects are a labor of love, and they often take several years or even decades to complete. For Rodger, the owner of this '65 Mustang, completing the restoration was something he had been waiting for since he was 14 years old. After enlisting in the Air Force, it got put on hold for many years, but he was eventually able to revisit it and build the Mustang of his dreams. Autotopia LA met up with him and documented the build in a recent YouTube video.

Macho Trans Am: How Two Brothers Made the Second-Gen T/A Fast Again

The late 1970s were a difficult time to be a performance car enthusiast. Following the OPEC oil embargo and the introduction of much more restrictive emissions requirements, American gearheads watched their favorite muscle cars wither away. The roaring big-block V8s of the early '70s were either discontinued or choked down to horsepower figures that seemed almost insulting. The EPA even blocked dealers from offering special engine-swapped models like the famous 427ci Camaros from Yenko, Baldwin, and Nickey. However, one Arizona-based Pontiac dealer found a workaround to produce a significantly faster 1977-80 Trans Am called the Macho Trans Am.

Mopar Connection: 1968 Road Runner Electrical System Restoration

Compared to modern cars that are loaded with touchscreen displays, multiple computer modules, and high-tech safety features, classic cars have extremely simple electrical systems. However, even though they're simple, they can still degrade over time and cause serious problems. Our friends over at Mopar Connection magazine found some electrical gremlins and ugly "quick fixes" on their 1968 Road Runner, so they reached out to us for some restoration parts to get the battery and electrical system back to good working order.

Video: James May Drives the 1969 Ford Torino

If you're an automotive enthusiast, the name James May should sound familiar. As one of the three hosts of the legendary BBC TV series "Top Gear" and later "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime, he has driven and reviewed a greater variety of vehicles than almost anyone. He's also well known as someone who has a deep appreciation for the classics, with a collection that has included vintage vehicles from Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Triumph, Porsche, and Ferrari. In a recent episode on his YouTube channel, he drives and reminisces about a uniquely American classic: the 1969 Ford Torino convertible.