For those who aren't familiar with off-road racing, the term "prerunner" might not ring a bell, but it's a category of vehicle that has had a lot of influence on truck modifications over the last 60+ years. Prerunners are vehicles used by race teams to pre-run courses before an event starts, taking notes on terrain and getting a feel for obstacles. As a result, they need to be rugged and capable without being as extreme or high-maintenance as a full-blown race truck. This 1969 Ford F-100 was inspired by prerunner builds from the early 1970s, and it's loaded with old-school off-road style.

If you had a blank check to build a classic truck into the ultimate off-road machine, what would you create? For Andrew Knudsen, the answer was this Ford F100. By his own admission, there's not much left unmodified, but the timeless style and character of the classic F-Series is still clearly visible. Beneath that, it has a custom tube chassis, long-travel suspension, 40-inch tires, an 830-horsepower V8, and a surprisingly luxurious (yet highly functional) interior.

The third annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Truck Show, presented by Classic Truck Performance magazine, once again brought an impressive gathering of classic and custom trucks, SUVs, and vans to the Fairplex in Pomona, California, on September 26–27, 2025. Produced by Rod Shows, the two-day event featured a packed schedule of exhibitions, curated displays, and awards presented across more than 65 judged classes.

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.

Restoring a 1957–1991 Ford pickup isn’t just a project - it’s a rite of passage. These trucks were born tough, worked hard, and survived decades of abuse, rust, and questionable “fixes” by shade-tree mechanics. Bringing one back from the dead is equal parts glory and headache and trust me — there are a few potholes you don’t want to hit along the way.

Here are the top 10 mistakes that’ll separate the weekend dreamers from the diehard wrench-turners. Avoid these, and your F-100 or F-150 will look good, drive better, and earn you that approving nod at the next cars-and-coffee.

Ford’s light-duty trucks transitioned quickly from car-based haulers (1932–1947) to the first-generation F-Series (1948–1952) and the improved second generation (1953–1956, with the birth of the F-100). Collectors love them, builders customize them, and enthusiasts hot rod them. But whether you’re doing a faithful restoration, a period street rod, or a modernized restomod, the same 10 pitfalls keep showing up - with extra risks when blending old steel and new tech.

In a landmark move to celebrate and share its storied automotive history, the Ford Motor Company launched the Ford Heritage Vault in June 2022. This expansive digital archive grants public access to over a century’s worth of materials from Ford, Lincoln, and the now-retired Mercury brands. Created as part of Ford’s efforts to make its heritage more accessible and to commemorate the company’s 119th anniversary, the Heritage Vault is a goldmine for car enthusiasts, historians, collectors, educators, and anyone with a passion for American automotive culture.

Spending her entire work life as a Yuma, AZ farm truck, her well-earned hard work scars now shine bright in the Southern California sun. According to her personalized black and yellow vintage California license plate, she may still be working for a living. Though that may just be a disguise.

The old car hobby is exploding with an ever-expanding universe of restored, customized, patina mobiles, restomods, lowriders, classics, exotics, super cars, hypercars, and etc. These new creations provide enthusiasts with ideas for the next project vehicle to own and build. Classic Industries also helps by supplying the parts. Pro builders like the Ring Brothers provide plenty of inspiration for those looking to create a restomod.

This article's topic may be a sore subject for some readers. There are likely to be several gotchas in this list, where a gearhead or two (or several thousand for that matter) might have rushed headlong into purchasing and starting a classic car renewal project that goes awry and is hopelessly stalled. It's not something to beat yourself up about. It's called being human and making mistakes. Don't let the fear of making a boo boo or two get in your way of reading this article for some helpful hints on getting your old car project going or restarted. If you keep these muscle car restoration mistakes in mind, you won't fall victim to them in the future.

Our lead photo of a restored Lemon Twist yellow 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda is courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

The Most Common Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes