Welcome to the slightly overdue 36th edition of the West Coast Report. Here’s a quick overview of the events that have occurred since the 35th edition appeared. On November 11, 2013 I went on staff at Classic Trucks as the magazine’s tech editor. On November 12, I stayed at home and worked on a tech feature that will appear in the May issue
Archive
Customer Car Spotlight- Rafael T. 1969 Chevy Camaro Restoration
We’re firm believers that the “Motorhead bug” runs in the family. Most times when talking with an enthusiast you’ll find someone in their family got them into cars at a young age. You can fight it, but it will find you at some point in life and you’ll be tinkering with your own project car eventually.
What Color Is The Car In Your World?
Here at Eastwood, we sell dozens of different colors of automotive paint, yet according to recent data collected by CNN, about 72 percent of all cars in America are either white, black, silver or gray. (Funny, I have two cars, each a different shade of blue…guess I’m atypical!) White and […]
No Title? You Can Still Register Your Project Car
When you’re searching for a project car, often times you’ll look in overgrown fields, old barns, or abandoned garages. You may find a hidden diamond in the rough, and you’ll spend hours and hours of your life—and plenty of dollars from your wallet—to restore that vehicle into a sparkling, like-new […]
Blue Steel 32 Ford Roadster- AMBR Contender 2014
Every year at SEMA there’s always one car that is so over the top and amazingly clean that it blows us away. This year it was a custom 1932 Ford Roadster named “Blue Steel”. Sure 32 Fords have been done a million times, but few take it so far that it’s close to.. dare we say it… OCD clean? This 32 Ford definitely gives off the high-dollar, high-profile shop build. I was surprised when I got to talking to the guys responsible for the build that they weren’t from a big name SOCAL shop, but rather a bunch of friends that built the car in a tractor repair shop over the past year.
Who was Carroll Shelby?
Not all restoration enthusiasts know who the name “Carroll Shelby” refers to when they hear it in conjunction with Shelby Cobras or Shelby Mustangs, so here’s a little background about one of America’s greatest car designers, who passed away in May 2012. Born in 1923, Carroll Shelby was one of […]
Plasti Dip® FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions About Dipping Cars
Plasti Dip® is a flexible, rubber coating that was originally used for dipping tool handles. Recently, it has been found to be an easy alternative to painting vehicles. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Plasti Dip : How long does Plasti Dip last? How long does […]
Custom Hood Modifications- Converting a Multi-Piece Hood to One Piece
One thing that I’ve planned to customize on Project Pile House from day one was the hood. The hood on the truck is a “butterfly” (as I call it) style hood and was a design that Dodge rolled over from 30’s and 40’s trucks. I have taken a 50’s custom type approach to this truck and that style hood wasn’t going to flow. I decided to disassemble the hood and convert it to a one-piece hood.
Sheet Metal Fabrication: Basic Machines & Techniques
Sheet metal fabrication is the act of forming, shaping, and joining metal together to build and or repair a tangible part. There are many techniques and tools. It’s been done since the beginning of time when even the simplest tools were used. In this article we will share the most common and important tools, machines, and techniques for the DIY fabricator.