Because the Hotrod & Restoration...
Because the Hotrod & Restoration show is a smaller, two-day event, displays are not as large as those at, say, SEMA or PRI, and there are few cars on the show floor. We were pleasantly surprised, however, when we rounded the corner and found Mark Buchanon's beautiful '64 Galaxie lightweight in the Genesis Performance Castings booth. Mark drives his rare lightweight on the street often-even to the convention center for the show.
There's no denying there's an outstanding amount of personalization going into custom-built classic Fords these days. Sure, there's still the straight clone builds and the nice restored cars with polished Torq Thrust Ds and a few bolt-ons, but by far the largest growth we've seen at shows and other events is from universal products creeping into the classic Mustang and Ford market from the street-rod arena. Items like billet door handles and mirrors, custom owner-built gauge enclosures, power accessories like remote locks and windows, and, of course, power upgrades like superchargers, turbos, and EFI systems.
The 8th Annual Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show, held this past March in Indianapolis, was the perfect place to check out "the other side" and see just what the street-rod market had that Ford owners could use to increase the performance, safety, and looks of their classic Mustangs and Fords.
Maybe there's something here you'll want to use on your next project or to improve your current ride. We found quite a few things we'll be looking forward to trying out on some projects this summer.
Billet Specialties Serpentine Conversion
(708) 588-0505
www.billetspecialties.com
A well-known name in street-rod circles, Billet Specialties has been running its CNC machines into overtime, coming up with its latest Ford billet, polished, serpentine-drive conversion kit. The company's Tru Trac system for FE big-blocks is so bright it should come with sunglasses. You might also notice on the display stand the new adjustable water neck, too. With its double O-ring seal, you can position the neck in about any angle and then tighten it to lock the position. Small-block water necks and Tru Trac systems are available as well.
427 block from Genesis Performance...
427 block from Genesis Performance Castings.
Genesis 427 Side-Oiler Crate Engine
(317) 357-8767
www.genesis427.com
If you just have to have a big chunk of side oiler power under the hood of your classic Ford project, check out the new 427 blocks from Genesis Performance Castings. Genesis has been cranking out these big-block baddies for a while, and the company is now shipping its second-generation casting. The biggest news when we stopped to talk to Tim McLoughlin was the new Genesis 427 FE Side Oiler Crate Motor Program. Now you can have your FE muscle in one turnkey package, in either iron or aluminum block options, with all-new, quality internals.