The concept of a "restomod" is essentially a fusion of old and new components, taking the best of both worlds to create a vehicle that drives like a modern car but has all the appeal of a classic. Roadster Shop's latest in-house project, a 1979 Chevy C10 nicknamed Ole Blue, is a beautiful example of a high-end restomod. By pairing a completely new chassis and Chevrolet drivetrain with the timeless body and interior of this '79 Chevy, the company created what they call "a new truck wrapped in an old truck."

The 1932 Ford, especially the full-fendered roadster and the no-fender highboy variants, are the most built and/or replicated classic cars in existence. These '32's aren't just built back to stock either. There are hot rods, street rods, restored, and restomod varieties to plan and build as projects, or to hunt down and find finished. 

What do you get when you squeeze two more cylinders, nearly double the displacement, and a second turbo into the engine bay of a 1987 Buick Grand National? In the case of Roadster Shop's custom '87 GN,  you get six and a half times the original power output. Yes, you read that right. The original 3.8L turbocharged V6 in this car produced 245hp, which made it very quick compared to most other cars of its era. The car seen here produces more than 6.5 times as much power with its 1,600hp 7.0L twin-turbo V8.

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 week's Classic Industries barn find video is of a rare 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird that is not specifically a barn find. The Superbird's home from 1994 up until March of 2020 was actually a chicken house - a fitting nest for a Road Runner Superbird. 

We've always known our classic cars are special and valuable, but it's interesting to see just how valuable some of them have become in recent years. Auctions of especially rare or noteworthy vehicles have run far into the six-figure range, and some have even broken the million-dollar mark. This 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda convertible, equipped with a 440 Six-Pack engine and 4-speed transmission, recently sold for a whopping $800,000 at a Hemmings collector car auction. On top of its beautiful condition, this car has a pretty cool story behind it.

"All this idea of making money from [collector] cars is fairly new. The real trick is, if you buy something you like and it goes up in value, great. If it goes down in value, you weren't going to sell it anyway." Jay Leno knows a thing or two about buying and collecting classic cars, since he owns one of the world's most impressive collections, including dozens of unique and valuable vehicles. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Jay Leno explained some of the helpful classic car buying tips he has learned over the years.

This week's barn find video is yet another American muscle car that the vehicle's current caretaker found in Oklahoma. Is there a trend here? A gentleman with the first name of Jeff has a passion for 1969 Camaro Z28's and also a growing collection of them. The owner found the car a couple years ago in a barn just resting away. He only had to replace a few items to get the Camaro running the way a 1969 Z28 should. Jeff replaced the varnished fuel tank with a new tank. He also renewed the master cylinder.

"I always wanted a V8, manual, rear-drive car... but I wanted something that's American. I come from New Zealand, so all the stuff here that's local is cool to me." Fueled by memories of watching Smokey and the Bandit as a kid, Gregg Hamilton started looking for the classic American muscle car of his dreams shortly after he moved to the United States. However, he didn't want just any Trans Am, he wanted one that he could make his own. "It's not always about the driving for me. It's about the build, it's about tinkering with it." With that goal in mind, Hamilton ended up creating the aggressive, twin-turbo, widebody Trans Am seen in this video from Petrolicious.

For many, one of the most alluring aspects of the old car hobby is the Barn Find. Practically every gearhead dreams of discovering an old American muscle car tucked away in someone's barn or garage that's a solid, low-mile example with all its original parts. Put some air in the tires, push the vehicle out of the barn, and haul away your rolling, running (one day soon) treasure chest of Americana. As the years fly by, these dust encrusted beauties are becoming ever scarcer, which makes the hunt that much more appealing. One doesn't need to be the automotive version of Indiana Jones to find these babies. One just needs to be persistent and to use all the tools at one's disposal. One such tool is a helpful article that you can check out by following this link: Top 12 American Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes.