Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, it takes considerable time and patience to complete any classic car restoration project. But good things come to those who wait, and patience pays off in the end. All the work and waiting just makes seeing the finished vehicle even more satisfying. Such was the case with this 1967 Firebird, which was restored by Ernesto Castro and his sons in their home garage.

Modifying production cars into race machines is nothing new. Ever since the automobile was invented, enthusiasts, tinkerers, and adrenaline junkies have been figuring out creative ways to squeeze every last drop of performance out of these four-wheeled conveyances. However, many distinct build styles have stemmed from this mission. In the late 1950s and early '60s, the "gasser" style grew in popularity, especially among the 1955-57 Tri Five Chevy models. Even today it remains instantly recognizable. This 1955 Chevy gasser is a beautiful example of this historically-significant hot rod category.

In 1977, the film "Smokey and the Bandit" hit the silver screen and took the automotive world by storm. The black and gold Trans Am Special Edition driven by Burt Reynolds quickly became one of the most iconic movie cars of all time, and inspired countless Americans to head to their local Pontiac dealers. Sales for the Trans Am skyrocketed after the film's debut. Even today, this increased demand has caused true Special Edition cars to maintain higher value. However, the availability of reproduction parts has enabled Firebird and Trans Am owners to create their own more-affordable tribute builds, such as the example seen here.

The Chevy Impala models of the 1960s offered a long, sleek, and imposing appearance that few modern cars can hope to replicate. Although some have poked fun at the yacht-like size of two-door cars of this era, none can deny the head-turning presence of the sweeping lines of a classic Impala. These cars especially stand out today, with their lengthy proportions and big V8 engines contrasting strongly with roads filled by bland 4-cylinder compact cars.

Classic muscle cars were built for speed, whether it was at the drag strip, on a road course, or between stop lights on the street. These days, with many of them restored to immaculate condition and prices climbing higher for preserved examples, it's understandable that most of these cars live more relaxed lives than they did in the '60s and '70s. However, Chris Thompson still takes his 1969 Super Bee on cross-country road trips and often puts the pedal to the metal at the track. Every horsepower under the hood of this muscle car still gets used to the fullest.

Every classic car restoration project has to start somewhere. A very small handful are immaculately-preserved survivors that need minimal work, but the majority of unrestored cars from the '60s are a at least a little rough around the edges. Some, like this 1964.5 Mustang, developed substantial amounts of rust that might scare off less-ambitious buyers. But Ken Vela and Leisha Gremillion put in the time and effort to rescue this classic Ford and restore it to its original beauty.

Many of the great muscle car innovations were born from a desire to beat the competition at the drag strip. In the early '60s, automakers were cramming the largest and most potent V8 motors they had into ordinary production models, then stripping out weight, upgrading suspension components, and installing wider tires to create specialized track cars. Such was the case for Chrysler when its engineers took a 1963 Dodge 300 and dropped a Ramcharger 426ci V8 under the hood.

What do you do when you have a classic muscle car, but you want it to perform like a modern muscle car on the street, race track, and drag strip? The answer is simple: blend the two categories together. Pro-touring is a style of resto-mod that some consider the ultimate fusion of old and new elements. This heavily-modified 1966 Nova from Full Throttle Restoration is a prime example of this type of build.

As the old saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. In other words, it's rarely an overnight process to create something truly monumental. Restoring a classic car can take months, years, or even decades, but the end result is well worth the time and effort involved. The 1965 Mustang convertible pictured here was completely disassembled and restored over the course of three years, with the help of its dedicated owner and the Classic Industries Mustang catalog.

Today, the Buick Regal Grand National (GN) and GNX hold a significant place in automotive history, but these high-performance variants didn't simply appear out of nowhere. In the early 1980s, Buick was working to promote the Regal through racing events, spreading awareness of the model through appearances on and around the track. This would eventually lead to the introduction of the Grand National in 1982, named after the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series. But before this happened, General Motors tested the waters with the limited-edition 1981 Regal Pace Car.