Every Chevy II Nova owner starts with a vision.

For some, it’s a factory-correct restoration - the kind of build where every emblem, molding, and interior texture feels like it rolled out of the showroom in the right year. For others, it’s a pro-touring restomod - classic body lines, modern stance, upgraded braking and handling, and a drivetrain that feels alive at any speed. And for many, the goal is the most honest one of all: a weekend cruiser that looks great, runs reliably, and turns heads without turning into a never-ending project.

Few events capture the spirit of hot rodding quite like the Grand National Roadster Show, and the 76th annual GNRS, presented by Meguiar’s, proved once again why Pomona remains a must-stop destination for builders, enthusiasts, and automotive history lovers alike.

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.

After selling his Brazen Orange Metallic 2006 GTO, Brendon Vetuskey set out to build something more personal: a classic 1968–70 GTO that delivered vintage muscle car style without sacrificing real-world usability. Living in Los Angeles, that meant a car capable of enduring stop-and-go traffic, summer heat, and long drives - with cold air conditioning and dependable manners.

The term "restomod" can be interpreted a number of different ways. To many enthusiasts, a restomod is simply a restored car with a few off-the-shelf aftermarket upgrades installed. However, Revology sees their 1969 Boss 429 Mustang as a vehicle that pushes the limits of this term. Tom Scarpello, founder and CEO of Revology, explains, "Technically it's a restomod, but in reality, it's not... it's so far from just a collection of parts bolted to an existing car." Revology's vision for a modernized Boss 429 resulted in a car with some impressive engineering under its classic 1960s-era surface.

For Fred Rodriguez of Long Beach, California, this 1955 GMC 100 Series ½-ton pickup is more than just a classic truck - it’s the return of a piece of his past.

Fred owned a similar GMC when he was younger, but like many early projects, it eventually slipped away. What followed was a 15-year search to find another one that captured the same feeling. That search finally came to an end in Fresno, when an online listing caught his attention. Knowing opportunities like this don’t come around often, Fred hooked up a trailer and made the trip.

There are muscle cars - and then there are moments in time cast in American steel. The 1969 COPO Yenko Camaro prototype is the latter. More than a rare vehicle, it is the genesis point of factory-built Yenko performance, the car that opened the door for Chevrolet’s most feared street-and-strip Camaros. On January 17, 2026, at the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee, Florida sale, that legacy was permanently cemented when the prototype crossed the block for $1.65 million, with buyer’s premium bringing the final transaction to $1,815,000 - officially making it the most expensive Chevrolet Camaro ever sold.

In nature, a hawk is a bird of prey that often hunts smaller birds. In the automotive world, the name Firehawk holds a similarly menacing reputation. The SLP Firehawk was originally released in 1992 as a high-performance package for the Pontiac Firebird Formula, and was available directly through Pontiac dealers under RPO code B4U. Over the next decade, the Firehawk package would continue to be available for the fourth-generation Firebird and Trans Am under RPO codes R6V (1993-97) and WU6 (1999-02). The following video from MotorWeek takes a look back at a pre-production prototype of the 1998 Firehawk, complete with an LS1 V8 and unique fixed headlamps.

Ever wish you could go back in time and buy all your favorite classic cars when they were brand new? Yeah, we do too. But for a few lucky individuals, it's still possible to obtain perfectly-preserved "survivor" examples that have stood the test of time. Comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias recently met with Jay Leno to show off his all-original 1989 Camaro IROC-Z, which has only 400 miles on the odometer. Iglesias says he's going to enjoy driving it, and is not planning to keep the mileage extremely low or hide it away under a car cover — "I'm not the guy who's just going to let it sit. I drive my cars!"

The 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona exists for one reason, and one reason only: to win races. Dodge’s Charger Daytona program was never about styling exercises or showroom traffic - it was about domination on the high banks, and this NASCAR-built example stands as a direct artifact of that superspeedway mission. Today, any street-going Daytona is coveted, but this car occupies rarified air altogether - a singular, one-of-one survivor that directly recalls Chrysler’s all-out assault on NASCAR’s aerodynamic frontier.