ICYMI: Check Out The Top-5 Trending Articles From January

The internet is a busy place. As soon as a trending article hits your favorite website or forum, poof, it’s gone as the next great meme takes its place. Sometimes those trending articles are something you wish you would have bookmarked. Well, I decided I would do the hard work for you.

With February firmly planted, I thought I would put together a quick “in case you missed it” article that showcases the top-5 more-recent trending articles I published in January. While there are several informational ID guides that continually top our list, I want to recap the non-evergreen articles that entertain and inform. Sit back relax, and don’t forget to bookmark your favorite piece of edit this time.

The Reimagined “Chevelle”

It’s no surprise this one made the list. With the price of classic muscle cars in a continual climb, the folks at Vision Retro Designs (VRD) have reimagined an utterly cool and modern version in a ride they are dubbing the A69 Limited Edition. This reimagined hot rod will be available in a limited production run of 25 cars.

It will be a limited production run, and I want one.

The A69 is built on the foundation of a late-model Camaro ZL1 convertible. While the underside is all late-model ZL1, the exterior of the A69 has been fully transformed. The modern muscle car features carbon fiber in new body panels that truly mimic a contemporary interpretation of the legendary 1969 A-body Chevelle. It’s hard to argue the heritage when looking at the grille and rear body treatments.

Check out the original article by clicking here.

Dale Barry’s ’56 Chevy Is Trending

Like most project cars, Dale’s ’56 Chevy needed a lot of work to get into the condition you see here. It also took quite some time to make it into a decent hot rod. “It took roughly four years to make a reliable driver out of it,” says Dale. Building a decent daily driver was not his ultimate goal. He wants the ultimate cruiser, so he told us he is still upgrading it. What he did have to say, was, “It is definitely better than the one I had in the ’60s, when I was in high school.

It’s no surprise a Tri-Five is a fan favorite.

He didn’t give much information about what motivates his ’56, be he did explain that his hot-rodded Chevy is fitted with a 327 small block that has been bored .030-inch over and topped with an Edelbrock intake and FAST fuel injection unit. Remember, this ride was built to be a great cruiser, and to say the small block is reliable would be an understatement.

Click here to read the original article.

The LS/LT Hybrid

When I found out the guys at United Speed World (USW) in Tampa, Florida, were putting together a combination they dubbed the LS/LT, I had to check it out. According to Phillip (Junior) Joyner Jr of USW, “we have a customer that wants to utilize the latest GM engine but also wants to simplify things by adding a carburetor.” We’ll give you a moment to return your lower jawbone to the up and closed position.

It turns out that simplifying a modern engine is interesting to a lot of people.

While I am certain many of you questioned the idea of proactively “dumbing down” such a technologically advanced engine, there are apparently some who feel it is okay to undertake the simplification. How many remember the cries of blasphemy when the first carbureted LS intake was released? Regardless of your lower jawbone location or opinion about the change, what is involved in actually completing the task?

If you want to find out what it took to build this engine and how much power it made, you can find out right here.

Building a Powerglide Transmission For Bracket Racing

Our sister website, Dragzine, needed a transmission and torque converter that would survive the rigors of bracket racing and be dead-on consistent. After talking with numerous racers and transmission builders, it was decided the tried-and-true Powerglide transmission with a custom torque converter was the right choice. Justin Cooper and the team at FTI Performance assisted us with choosing the right Powerglide, and made sure the torque converter would work well with the proposed engine.

A Powerglide transmission is very durable in stock form — start adding some aftermarket parts and you have one stout unit. This elevated level of durability is another reason a Powerglide is perfect for bracket racing, as they can take a beating for an extended number of runs. You can use the bulky and strong OEM parts, add a better valve body, and a high-capacity pan to create a beefy transmission. That type of build will last for a long time behind a 600 to 700 horsepower engine with basic maintenance, and the cost to build it won’t break the bank for most racers.

There’s some in-depth information in the original trending article, and you can read all of it by clicking right here.

Mike Cieros’ ’79 Z/28

Mike’s second-gen got underway after he found this car while searching an online auction. It only had 49,500 miles on the odometer and had no rust or damage. It did receive a repaint at some point but looked like it was a very well-done job.

Who doesn’t like a second-gen Camaro?

“I have always loved second gens,” says Mike. “Years ago, I regrettably sold a ’79 Z/28 that I purchased new in 1979. I sold it to a friend’s son in 2000. To replace it, I’ve been building this ’81 Camaro Z/28 for the last 11 years.”

The “Z” is propelled by a small-block 350, and gears are selected via a four-speed.

Mike also told me that everything he could do was done in his garage. “I don’t have a lift, so I was working off the floor,” states. “That’s a little tough, as I am 64 years old. It took quite a long time to build the car because I wouldn’t compromise on the quality of parts. If I couldn’t afford something, I waited until I could. If I couldn’t do it the right way, I wouldn’t do it. I added fuse panels, relays, weather-tight connectors, and other upgrades to improve reliability.”

To find out more about this gorgeous second-gen Z, click here.