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Photo Gallery & Article - The 74th Annual Grand National Roadster Show

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.

Vice Grip Garage's "Frankenstein" 1973 Duster

"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.

A Mopar Masterpiece: The '71 Plymouth GTX

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.

1973 'Cuda - American Muscle Car Owner Honors Big Brother

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.

Barn Find Video: 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird Finally Flies the Coop - Beep! Beep!

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. 

Rare 1971 'Cuda 440 Convertible Sold for $800,000

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.

Video: Joe Rogan's 750hp 1970 Cuda

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.

Top 12 Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes

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

A-Body Mopar Fastback History: 1970-76 Duster, Demon, & Dart Sport

As time marches on, American pony and muscle cars are becoming more scarce and valuable. The expensive part is great, so long as you already have one (or many). If, however you're on the hunt for one, that's quite another matter. The price that you're likely to pay for anything that's restorable is likely to be quite dear. You might even be tempted to tap into your kids' college funds, justifying the purchase by thinking that you can share the old car hobby with them. Thankfully, there are still some less sought-after muscle machines out there that are just waiting for some smart folks to snatch 'em up. Consider if you will these three fine A-Body Mopar models from Plymouth and Dodge: the 1970-76 Plymouth Duster, the 1971-72 Dodge Demon, and the 1973-76 Dodge Dart Sport. 

1971 Plymouth 'Cuda - High Visibility

I have owned this 1971 'Cuda for nearly ten years now. After previously owning my first 'Cuda years ago, I knew I wanted to fully restore one, and I waited a long time to find this car. I felt very fortunate that I was finally able to buy the sheet metal to make it happen. It actually took over 8 years to accumulate all of the restoration parts I wanted for this project, and just over a year to get it into the shape you see here.