the 57 Chevy an American Icon

The fifty seven Chevy, an American Icon. I am certain that  several of you guys have heard that many times, through the years. Why is the 57 Chevy an American Icon you will ask? Think about this for a moment, the fifty seven Chevy is featured in songs by Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon and maybe Don Mclean (well atleast it had been a 57 Chevy truck). You see 57 Chevy's in movies like the Hollywood Knights, American Graffiti (not Fafla's automotive however one within the background), you see them in logos, on T-shirts, in paintings on the walls of diners, you see and listen to about fifty seven Chevy's just concerning anywhere that relates to cars or Americana itself however what made this automotive an Icon in the primary place?

Well we tend to know that the fifty seven Chevy is one in all the nicest looking , or even the nicest car ever created. We have a tendency to know that since it has came out in 1957 the 57 Chevy has made a name for its self in NASCAR, Drag Racing, and as a terribly standard hot rod and show automotive. It commonly takes best in show, and it's one among the foremost widespread classic cars scene besides the sixty seven-69 Camaro and also the Mustang. But this still brings us to the question of why it's the most effective? I already said its the nicest trying production automotive ever created however could that basically be the sole reason?

I believe the explanation the fifty seven Chevy is well loved and thought of an Icon is for a much deeper reason than simply being a pleasant automobile. A reason most of us in all probability know deep down but just haven't realized it. The reason is the 57 Chevy represents what America is and what America is suppose to be. It represents a price tag or a path to freedom, it will take you anywhere, take you coast to coast, to the beach to surf, to work, to play, to race.

Recognize a number of you who have come to the belief yet are probably thinking "wait. doesn't each hot rod try this?" Well you are right however there is a lot of, the fifty seven Chevy additionally represents onerous work and dreams. It represents the dream of a great designer who wanted to work out his laborious work come to live and he did everything to make that dream potential simply like many Americans such as Lou Gehrig, Howard Hughes, the Wright Brothers, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Cash and many additional have done moreover.

The different reason is that the 57 Chevy represents the American Tradition, the tradition of playing catch within the backyard while hearing Vin Scully decision the Dodgers game on the radio, the tradition of bark yard grills, spending Saturday operating on a Hot Rod so you can race it on Sunday. A tradition of obtaining up at 6Am to Surf the large waves before college or work. A tradition of taking a road trip in American automobile with family across the beautiful landscape.

This is what subconsciously attracts most people to the fifty seven Chevy, just most never notice it. But maybe now deep down within of you, you've got perpetually known this.

Now some of you are in all probability thinking however the fifty seven Chevy is dead just like all the things I mentioned higher than are, they all are gone. That is a few what true however suppose about this there is a man out there that lives down the road who plays catch, listens to the Dodgers games, listens to Johnny Cash, works arduous and takes road trips who found that one smart condition junkyard 57 Chevy or maybe he went with the reproduction (even if he did therefore what).

With that Junkyard or reproduction 57  he is going to spend his Saturday Mornings operating on the car instead of sleeping in. Folks can tell him he's crazy and that he's wasting his time working on the car. But sooner or later he goes to fireplace up that Supercharged Big Block 496 Stroke in the fifty seven and it is visiting roar to life! It can be heard for miles, it will shake the bottom around it and it will be the sickest wanting, loudest, fastest street legal hot rod known to man! All engineered by a mans hard work and dreams.

Street Legal Dragsters

Regarding per week ago I was wondering what would create a extremely cool and terribly distinctive Hot Rod. What did my wondering return up with? A Street Legal Dragsters! I realized this was a cool idea but I  additionally thought someone had to have designed one before right?There needs to be one that has been engineered, is driven and makes weekend passes at the drag strip. Thus I embarked on looking for a street legal dragster and here is the story and what I even have found.

One factor I did find out is that street legal dragsters are rare and VERY VERY HARD TO REALIZE! I figured they were visiting be rare but their extremely may only be five or vi rear dragsters in  existence and one street legal funny automobile and one street legal sprint car which’s it!

So here are a number of the street legal dragsters (they'll be the sole street legal dragsters) that I have found.

The Stragster
The Stragster is owned by Vince Spretnjak of Calumet Collision Hot Rod Shop. The idea behind the Stragster was meant to be a Hot Rod that was part Pro Street and part Slingshot Dragster (if you raise me, I say they got both components down extremely well). The Stragster is powered by a Blown Mopar 354 Hemi, with old school vogue Hillborn Fuel Injection, aluminum heads, and Vertex Magneto for ignition. All of this is often hooked up to a Tremec five speed transmission.

The engine and five speed are hooked up to a 9? Ford rear with a coil over suspension. 4 disc brakes are used to prevent this monster in a hurry (you know for once you racing driving in the street). The great issue regarding the stragster though is it is truly driven on the road!

 The Super Mustang

Drag Racer Tom McEwen is more known for being Don “The Snake” Prudhomme’s drag racing rival in there famous Snake vs Moongoose races in the early 70s racing in there Mopar Funny Cars. Before this but Tom McEwen was a Ford guy and with Fords help, he designed a street legal dragster in 1967 named the Super Mustang.

The Super Mustang could not seem like the opposite Mustangs however I guess you can say its what the Mustang would look like if the Mustang was a slingshot. The automotive is said to possess been a publicity stunt between Ford and McEwen to attract additional attention to Fords drag racing and Fords cars.

The Super Mustang is powered by the famous Ford 427 SOHC “Cammer” engine, the body is a Fiberglass/Plexiglass body designed to look like a Slingshot Dragster (technically it's a Slingshot Dragster).

The Super Mustang has solely ever made a few Appearances, the foremost famous one at the 1967 NHRA Winternationals where Tom McEwen got it to run 8.sixty @ 180 MPH that was an incredible time and speed for the era. The automotive was conjointly featured on the cover of a 1967 Issue of Automotive Craft. The Super Mustang disappeared (expect as a Hot Wheels car) largely as a result of it remained in Mickey Thompsons Private Collection till his death in 1988. It wouldn’t be seen once more until the late 2000s when it absolutely was spotted at a few automotive shows and later sold for $154,00zero at Gooding & Company Monterey Auction in 2009.

Here are some of the opposite Street Legal Dragsters I have found. Sadly these don’t have as giant of a Back Ground story like the Stragster and also the Super Mustang but they're cool.

I Found this one on the HAMB, its done during a late 50s, early 60s vogue T-Bucket Slingshot

I believe this is the road Legal Slingshot that was featured in the 1968 Issue of Automotive Craft

The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues isn’t a Street Legal Dragster but a Street Legal Funny Automotive. The Moody Blues could be a 1970 Opel Street Legal Funny Automobile.

I am not positive the present standing of the Moody Blues however back in 2010 the car kept introduction for sale on ebay, as a Street Legal Funny Automotive. The Moody Blues is powered by a blown 392 Hemi connected to a 2 speed transmission. The Moody Blues was also featured many years ago in Hot Rod Magazine.

Even though they were a Hard Realize, there are Street Legal Dragsters out there. Street Legal Dragster has to be one among the best hot rods a man might own, they're unique, look cool and build nice head turners for when you're driving on the road.

Jesse James Outlaw Garage

A few months ago I did my review on the American Chopper Biker Build Off which featured Jesse James. Last week Jesse James' new show Jesse James Outlaw Garage premiered, I forgot it had been on till it came out but I did get a probability to determine it over the weekend and while Jesse James has engineered cool bikes in the past, none of his shows besides Motorcycle Mania and History of the Chopper have very been that sensible (Monster Garage was ok, had a few smart episodes and the rest of the things wasn't that great).

Once seeing the American Chopper biker build off when I heard regarding Jesse James' new show, I was expecting a show with Jesse James trash talking and bitching about one thing left and right. I wasn't expecting a high quality show. However what we tend to got from Jesse James and Austin Speed Shop could be a Motorcycle Mania like show except for Ancient Hot Rodders!

The Show is regarding Jesse and therefore the Austin Speed Look doing different Hot Rod builds done in an exceedingly Traditional (1964 and older) vogue. The premier episode Jesse James had to create a Hot Rod for  The Bonnie & Clyde Reliability Run. They chose do build a 32 Ford but do it in a Prewar Hot Rod style meets Gangster car.

During the episode, most of the show focused on the build from the planning, to finding and salvaging parts, making parts and putting the rod together. (For all you traditional guys the engine on the Ford may be a Flathead)! The show also spent a heap of your time focusing not on just Jesse but the builders at the Austin Speed Search such as the Co Owner of the speed search Bob, the mechanic Luke, the welder Patrick and the full crew of Austin Speed Search.

Now in fact there have been a few things I did not like concerning the show, that I hope gets neglected of future episodes. One of the items was some Drama in an exceedingly subplot (for lack of a better word) where the welder Patrick didn't show up to work because he had a tattoo appointment. Now whether or not this very did happen and it was reality tv moment will we tend to as fans not have it within the show it interrupts the flow of the show and it does not add something simply wastes two mins. The alternative criticism I had was in the start of the show Jesse claims to not have faith in in his builders and is not positive if they might be ready to induce the build done in a very month. That extremely doesn't do anything for the show either, it just wasted five minutes that might of been shown on welding, or the build. Therefore lets simply leave this drama out of future episodes.

Besides the minor drama movements most of the shows time is spent centered on the builds and the hot rods themselves like how a show should be done. The solely things I think the show is missing is Social Distortion playing (Machine Gun Blues ought to of been played) and perhaps some the way to's like in Motorcycle Mania where we tend to learned how to form a gas tank.

Overall though I gotta say if you're an admirer of Jesse James, cars, and especially if you're an exponent of Ancient Hot Rods you will love this show.

Top Ten Choppers

For the past few years now I actually have sought for the top ten choppers and that i am surprised no one has made a list like this before. I couldn’t realize any lists of the simplest choppers the least bit I started to wonder why that was. I determined I was going to create my own then since no one else has and whereas I was deciding and looking for bikes to include I realized why no one has done this however! Its therefore damn onerous simply to choose 10 Choppers as a result of there are such a lot of totally different styles and varieties of bikes its like finding the hay in the needle stack!

As for the 10 I even have chosen, I can just say these 10 are the ten best choppers, this is the list of how I felt at the time and that i in all probability can do additional lists with 10 fully different choppers later on, since there are such a lot of choppers.

Ten. Kevin Alsop and Big Bear Choppers- The Athena- The Athena was  built for Discovery Channels Biker Build Off, and it's one hell of a bike! Its an all American biker designed by an Aussie! The bike has an mean and aggressive look to it, that it achieves from its fire orange paintjob, devil galvanized frames and handle bars that seem like devils horns this is one badass bike!

9. Jesse James-West Coast Choppers- Gold Digger- I swear Jesse James and West Coast Choppers are the sole people who don't have a gallery that list the names and specs of there bikes! I had to youtube History of the Chopper for the name of it! Anyway this bike is one in every of my favorites from WCC, Jesse designed this bike in History of the Chopper. The Front finish of the Bike is constructed by John Harman and therefore the Frame is a Frame Jesse Found at a swap meet years ago.

8. Billy Lane and Choppers Inc- Money Shot- Currently this bike has something very unique regarding it, and that is that its rimless! Yes the rear wheel has no rim! Different nice things about the bike are the distinctive handle bars that go downward, the mirror is the silhouette of a hot woman, there is pin striping on the forks and sink knobs for gauge covers. Impressive tiny detail is what created this bike!

7. Chica and Chica Custom Cycles- Ace- I gotta say I love this bike! The Bike has that classic 50s and 60s look to it. With its black paint job with red white and yellow strips, its low, with short custom forks, encompasses a swish fuel tank, and it conjointly options a cool bend within the frame that Chica is understood for. Making this a nice one in all a sort chopper!

half dozen. Ian Barry and Falcon Motorcycles- The Black- Half of Falcon Motorcycles Concept 10 series, the Bullet was engineered around a 1952 Vincent Black Shadow engine. What makes this bike great is all of the  little details of each half on the bike. Just concerning each part is custom created and almost they all are painted! The Black overall has a bit of a retro future style to it, The Bike is an antique art piece that's rideable!

five. Chopper by Denver Mullins Engineered by the founder of the Chopper himself back in the first 70s. Denver Mullins was the godfather of the chopper, he started building Choppers back in the 60s, opened his initial search in Therefore-Cal in the late 60s and created the Long Fork, smooth paint, Diamond Gas tank look that is still widespread among choppers nowadays! Little Known reality, while Denver built Harley Choppers his favorite Motor by way was Honda! He loved Honda do to their cheap price, sturdiness and power!

4. Hank Young and Young Choppers and Hot Rods- The Flying Pan- What I very love about the Flying Pan is that it looks like an aircraft! (that explains the name). I love aircraft and aviation therefore this I really like this bike.The colours and the paint create me think of a WWI or a 20s barnstorming aircraft. The means the Fender and therefore the Tank are shaped conjointly look aircraft inspired. What stands out regarding this bike is that the fuel tank hangs from the frame and it's under it rather then being on prime of the frame. The pegs like like they are created from an previous machine gun that ads a cool effect to the bike, I truly have heard a rumor somewhere that Hank builds his parts out of previous aircraft and automotive parts! (Which I think is cool)!

3. Indian Larry and Gasoline Alley- Grease Monkey- Designed in the 90s by the late nice Indian Larry. The bike looks just like a 60s Hot Rod or Gasser, with its candy red paint job, white flames, the text have that 60s vogue fonts, the short front forks, and small vogue gas tank all build this bike look like its right out of the 60s!  Grease Monkey may be a true tribute to Hot Rodders and Bike Builders! It even features Indian Larry’s Iconic paint on the transmission belt! Grease Monkey may be a True Master Piece!

2. Cole Foster and Salinas Boys Customs- The Beautiful Loser- It’s a Beautiful Winner in my book. It's one in every of the simplest motorcycles ever built! Its paintjob offers it a 60s Hot Rod look, that the ribbed fender and fuel tank boost. The “burnt orange” paintjob is flawless, together with the white. Another I really love is that the rear fender is not simply chopped but its also rounded and swish giving the whole bike a pleasant clean look. Overall the Bike could be a true Hot Rod.

1. Indian Larry and Gasoline Alley-Daddy O-  If I had to chose one bike in the globe that represented what a Chopper is, I have to mention it would be Daddy-O by Indian Larry! Daddy is the instance of the right chopper! Well done, sleek paint, perfect lines and a custom engine! Everything regarding this bike is superb, from the custom gas tank that flows perfectly with the bike, to the rear fender that helps with the lines, to the custom designed frame that has perfect balance  to the even an engine that's a Panhead and a Shovelhead in one! The Paintjob and the bike was engineered as a tribute to hot rodder Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Larry used Big Daddys character Rat Fink on the bike and metal flake paint like an Ed Roth Hot Rod.  Daddy-O extremely is the amount 1 chopper!

53 Panhead Chopper

This 1953 Panhead Chopper comes from Pinellas Florida (in the Tampa Bay Area) and it appearance like one thing right out of the past! The Chopper is supposed to seem like a chopper from the late 60?s to early 70?s. It has an extend rigid frame, The mustang gas tank with a hidden cap, the not too long but not too short rake and also the extend pipes.
Specs:

Engine: 1953 HD Panhead Motor, with Mallory Electric Ignition, Super E Carb, S&S Oil Pump.
Transmission: 5 speed HD trans, one one/two? belt drive.

Body: Rigid Frame extend, Custom Gas Tank designed in the early 70s, Original HD Springer Front end extend 6?, twin square headlights.

The Bike is original, nothing industry changing about it however its one of those cool trying choppers, that produces me simply wanna kick begin it, hop on and make merry riding! No worries, No Politics, No Competition just riding on the back roads! (With Iron Maiden taking part in as background music).

David Wells Chopper

The 1998 Yankees, Jeter was making a name for himself as a rookie shortstop, Jorge and Joe Girardi were catching, Tino Martinez was playing first base, Paul O’Neil was hitting hom runs, Joe Torre was manager and a crazy pitcher named David Wells Chopper was making Torre’s life miserable (he did things such as blast metal music in the locker room to annoy Torre, wore Babe Ruth’s hat on the field, showed up to practice drunk, showed up late, the list goes on and on)! In 1998 David “Boomer” Wells was a starter pitcher for the New York Yankees and he had the best season of his life! Pitched 18-4 record, had an ERA of 3.49 and pitched a Perfect Game “half drunk”.

What does this have to do with Choppers? Well other than the fact that todays Chopper is owned by the above mentioned former pitcher. Nothing! Boomer actually brought this chopper in 2003 in San Diego when he went to pitch for the San Diego Padres! I am just mentioning it since today is the New York Yankees Home Opener and I am a Yankee Fan.

So here is  Boomer’s Chopper:

It looks like David Wells got himself a nice gift for going to the Padres after the 2003 season. Boomer was known for his wild, rock n roll aggressive personality both on and off the mound and I think this chopper really represents that! Its big, full of dark detail and its probably loud but its still well done and has some class.