2019 Chevy Hardcore Feature Car Of The Year — We Have A Winner

A few weeks ago, we posted an article that asked for a little help from you, our Chevy Hardcore readers. We weren’t asking you to send money or car parts — although we wouldn’t object to getting car parts. However, it did showcase twelve of the coolest Chevy Hardcore feature cars that we brought you in 2019. The “help” part came when we asked you guys to choose which one of the twelve should be crowned as the Chevy Hardcore 2019 Feature Car of The Year.

In that initial article, we presented what we felt was a mix of very nicely restored cars that represent history, a couple that represents the modified genre quite well, and even a few that some might call a daily driver. Regardless of why each car was placed on our list, all were deserving of being included. In case you missed the original article with the twelve choices, here is the list of twelve finalists. You can click on each of the individual titles to see the original article about each car.

Tasteful Tri-Five

After Arnaldo scored the black Chevy, he brought it home for what would become a long-term upgrade project that occupied the next 16 years, and like most personal projects, it is still an ongoing concern.

Day Two A-Body

Joe Williams of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, has always been a fan of the Chevelle body style, and when he first saw this car many years ago, he knew it was something he wanted to own.

Retired Work Truck

"Probably the only original metal left on this truck is the cab. Everything else is either replaced or modified." – John Gessner.

Classical Attitude

faeture car

Zip Simons and Will Piacenti didn’t just want any old beat-up classic to use as a new project. They wanted something in great condition that could be turned into an absolute wild-child. This '56 Chevy was the perfect candidate.

Home-Built Drop Top

feature car

Once the Camaro was in the Kulp’s home-garage, the body repair began by installing new floorpans (front to back), quarter-panels, outer wheelhouses, and rocker even panels. Replacement front sheetmetal was located, and then the task of making it all smooth was completed. Only then, was the base/clear Butternut Yellow paint applied.

Hauling Turbo Goodness

feature car

Allen has a sweet spot for C10s; when he and his wife first met, he was driving this exact model truck

A Cut Above

The car’s boxy lines have become quite iconic, and taking liberties with them is akin to touching-up the Mona Lisa with an aerosol can. Car owner, Butch Poe, knows these cars pretty well. He knows where they can use a little updating — and where to leave them alone.

Road Warrior

Found in Long Island’s Newsday classifieds, this is a real deal 1970 Camaro RS. It came to Bobby with a not-stock 327-cube engine and a floor-shifted three-speed Saginaw transmission.

Show Worthy

“At first, I was going to restore the car to original specs,” says Joe Sheehan. "I took the body off of the frame and started repairing the sheetmetal. However, halfway through the work, I decided to go another way. I realized I like custom cars better than restored, so we changed direction.”

Shoebox Terror

In 2015, Brian found the Nova as a bare roller. It was in Ohio and he knew it was exactly what he wanted. He made the decision to pull the trigger on the car and kick off a new and exciting project.

The Masterpiece

Although the car was restored before Rick and Marcia Kramer bought the '55, the stock running gear was yanked and the Tri-Five was treated to a more modern C4 Corvette upgrade by replacing both the front and rear suspensions. He then added rack-and-pinion steering, and a Dana 36 rearend with a posi differential turned by Yukon 3.54 teeth.

You’ve probably realized we have only shown 11 cars so far. That leaves the winner. Although we compiled the list, we also didn’t want to be the only ones having all the fun. That’s why we asked our Chevy Hardcore readers and Facebook followers to let us know which one of the twelve cars they thought should wear the crown for 2019.

Most of the replies we received came via Facebook comments, and right off the bat, we thought we had an early winner. But as the votes continued to pour in, the choice came down to the wire. The final decision was a real nail biter, and when the votes were finally tallied, the car chosen as this year’s Chevy Hardcore Feature Car of The Year turned out to be… (insert dramatic pause so you can hear the drum roll in your head), Zack Jones’ ’68 Camaro.

Zack Jones — Creating Perfection

Zack Jones of Montesano, Washington, might not have been witness to the introduction spectacle when the Camaro was first introduced, but for him, the appeal is still there. “I have what I call a 68 1/2 Camaro,” he states. “I say that because of all the custom work my father and I have done to it during the ten-year build. I have pictures of the entire process, and I am proud that we did it together in the attached garage.”

A basically stock LS6 has taken up residence under the hood. Inside, Zack used stock, Deluxe door panels, three-point seat belts, TMI Pro Series Seats, NVU Gauges, a Vintage Air kit that uses the original A/C vents, a fifth-gen Camaro console and E-brake, and an ididit tilt steering column.

We would like to congratulate all of our 2019 participants for being included in our list, and Zack Jones for being selected at the 2019 Chevy Hardcore Feature Car Of The Year.

About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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