Story and photos by David Fetherston The Street Machine Nationals is a well-known event and institution for horsepower freaks. Once upon a time, the Street Machine scene was outlandish, bombastic, and hilarious in hot pink and green neon hues. It looked nothing like the Pro-Touring cars
Dean Moon, founder of Mooneyes, accomplishments are like a bright yellow thread that weaves through the tapestry of hot rod history, from the pre-WW2 era through the 1970s. What teen motorhead in the Sixties didn’t have a Moon Eyes sticker on his high school Pee-Chee
Sure, Southern California gets all the ink, but Northern California has written a few chapters of hot rod history as well. Just ask acknowledged hot rod legend Andy Brizio — aka the Rodfather — one of the most influential Nor-Cal rodders of all time. Born in
In July of 2007, Motoring J-Style held their first Japanese event at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, California. The focus was pre-1985 Japanese cars and their automotive culture. Though some people joke that "nobody restores a Honda or Toyota," nothing could be further from
Disco-Era Rides that Could Rock with Modern Horsepower Photos Courtesy of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors The Seventies witnessed the great rise of disco along with a murky decline of American horsepower. Automakers made up for any performance shortages with maximum style as personal luxury achieved international
In the annals of American motorcycle racers, Modesto, California’s Kenny Roberts is in a league of his own. In 1978, the factory Yamaha rider became the first American to ever win the prestigious Grand Prix Motorcycle Championship. He was equally as fast on the dirt.
If hot rodding and racing could claim a true Renaissance man, Mickey Thompson would have been it. From racer to marketeer, innovator to promoter, Thompson’s influence touched nearly every corner of the motorsports realm. By the time of his tragic death in 1988, his curriculum
The second wave of “Cal-Look” hit the VW scene in the late 1980s and early ‘90s with the NOPI VW Nationals. With pastel colors, no chrome trim, and lowered stances, smooth was the name of the game, and anything that could be shaved or reduced
They sent us The Beatles, we sent them Karting. A Fair Trade. Most motoring enthusiasts know what a Go-Kart is, and probably know that karting today is the first rung on the motorsports ladder for professional race drivers. Which makes sense, since “modern” karting was invented
When no less a literary light than Tom Wolfe — thought by many to be the most perceptive chronicler of modern American culture — made it a point to track down and interview Edward Roth in 1963, it was apparent that Big Daddy was more
