The world of custom car restoration and fabrication has long been a realm where passion meets artistry. Few exemplify this as well as Joe and Amanda Martin, alongside their talented team at Iron Resurrection. Known for their expertise in breathing new life into rusted-out relics and forgotten classics, the Martins and their crew continue to set the gold standard in automotive restoration.

Under normal circumstances, if your redeye turns into pinkeye, you should visit a doctor. But when it comes to this 1970 Plymouth Cuda, the combination of a Hellcat Redeye engine swap and custom BASF Pink Eye paint is cause for excitement rather than a course of antibiotics. The Cuda, appropriately nicknamed "Infected," was unveiled at the SEMA Show earlier this month by legendary hot rod builder Ringbrothers. In addition to the 807-horsepower supercharged V8, it features an immense amount of custom work inside and out.

How time flies! There have now been 74 annual Grand National Roadster Shows. The 74th GNRS took place on Friday, February 2 through Sunday, February 4, 2024, at the Pomona, CA Fairplex. Al and Mary Slonaker presented the first GNRS in 1950 in Oakland, CA. In 2004, the Grand National Roadster Show moved from Northern California to its present home at the Pomona Fairplex in Southern California.

"It's not perfect, and that's great. That's the whole point! You can slide this around in gravel, you can park it at Walmart and get dings, you can go enjoy some backroads. The kids can eat ice cream in it," said Derek Bieri of Vice Grip Garage. We can appreciate this sentiment, since keeping a classic car in flawless showroom condition is always a challenge, and accepting a car's small imperfections can make the day-to-day driving experience more relaxing. In a recent series of videos, Bieri shows how he saved this 1973 Duster from rusting away in a field, and rebuilt it with some parts from Classic Industries.

When you think of a Mopar muscle car, what comes to mind? Many of us envision a top-of-the-line Hemi-powered Charger, Challenger, or 'Cuda — all excellent cars, but their widespread popularity has made them increasingly costly and tricky to find in good condition. This has drawn attention to some of the less prominent Mopar muscle cars, like this restored 1971 Plymouth GTX. "For some, the styling cues weren't that attractive back in the day, but right now in 2023, these are some of the most popular Mopars that you can actually buy," explains Hemmings' video host Mike Musto.

Automotive enthusiast Chris Figdore has an older brother named Steve. From 1969 to 1970, Steve served in the Marines in the Vietnam War. When Steve returned home from the service in the fall of 1972, he ordered a brand new 1973 Plymouth 'Cuda.

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.

Among the rich and famous, there are many who have nice cars, but far fewer who seem to be true automotive enthusiasts. From what we've seen, renowned podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan falls into the latter category. In a previous article, we wrote about his gorgeous black 1969 Camaro built by Roadster Shop. That car features an 860-horsepower LSA V8 and a manual transmission. Rogan was clearly pleased with how it turned out, since he also handed over the keys to his custom 1970 Plymouth Cuda. The stunning results of this build were documented in a recent video by Autotopia LA.

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