Daily Roddin’: 1927 Essex Pickup Truck

In 1978, hot rodding was a different world.  It was OK to use leftover carpet from your grandmother’s basement, and borrowing parts from the least performance oriented vehicles was TOTALLY the way to go.  It was in this time of odd depravity that gave rise to the ‘27 Essex Pickup now owned by Al Gingles of Neepawa, Manitoba.

This beast started life as a 4-door sedan, getting chopped down into pickup truck format and being repowered by a ‘74 Chrysler slant-6 engine.  The fenders, running boards, grille and headlights are all from a ‘30 Chevy, all held up by independent front suspension from a Chevy Corvair.  There’s more to it, but it’s probably better to hear it in Al’s own words.

Daily Roddin’: The original Cougar

Here’s a test to separate the true car junkies from the boys:  simply walk up to this car and yell “hey look, a cougar!”  Any red-blooded male who looks directly at this 40-something-year-old beauty has octane in their blood;  any guy who scans the crowd for 40-somethings in skintight leopard print pants probably doesn’t change their own oil.

Daily Roddin’: Snowball from Hell

According to local rumors, this lead sled is named, aptly, “Snowball From Hell.”  Co-incidentally, there’s a snowball’s chance in hell this thing won’t make you look twice this cruising season….

Daily Roddin’: 1956 Ford F-100

The first Ford pickup truck rolled off Henry’s newfangled assembly line in 1908.  Since then, the big blue oval has been cranking out workhorses of all shapes and sizes.  Everything from the compact Ranger to the Louisville series of heavy-duty trucks, Ford has had their hand in the machines that keeps North America working.

Want to know more about Ford Trucks?  Check out the Ford Truck Chronicle, from the auto editors of Consumer Reports.  Believe it or not, the folks at Consumer Reports know how to write interesting history articles that are concise and enjoyable to read.  Heck, I’ve even used them back when I had the energy to write full-feature articles on car history myself (thanks for that, new job….)  The book is jam-packed full of info, historical pictures, and other tidbits that would impress even the most hardcore Ford fan.  Check it out by clicking on the link below-and if you do, a small portion of your purchase price will come back to help pay for the server costs associated with this site.

Daily Roddin’: ‘57 Chevy Bel-Aire 2-door post

The ‘57 was the capstone of a series of legendary cars, and is quite likely the most recognizable American car in the world.  Under the hood, the 283-cubic inch V8 could be optioned out six different ways, including a top-of-the-line fuel injected variation that was supposedly the first regular-production American car to achieve one horsepower per cubic inch.

Daily Roddin’: 1954 Chevy Convertible

It’s not the most rare, or the most historically significant (outside of being the end of an era for Chevy design) but does it really matter?  It’s just plain stylish-and dang fun-to be seen in your ‘54 Chevy Convertible.

Daily Roddin’: Tri-Carb on an Olds Rocket engine

The awesome part of the current retro trend is the retro motors that are along for the ride.  At no time during the billet-age of hot rodding would a clean, original Olds rocket engine get the TLC and triple carbs that this golden beauty received.

Got an itch for Oldsmobile power? Learn from the Jedi master himself, Bill Trovato. His how-to book on squeezing every last pony out of the classic Olds engines is one of the few, and reputedly one of the best. Bill himself has been known throughout drag racing circles for over 20 years for his wildly successful Oldsmobile-powered cars, including a 9-second Olds W-30 442, which tipped the scales at 4,000 pounds. Not an easy task for an engine that’s been out of production for decades, and has little to no aftermarket support.

With credentials like that, it’s easy to see why we’re suggesting Bill’s how-to book. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to step up to the challenge of making an obsolete engine go fast. And by buying from the link below, you’ll help cover the costs of keeping SundayCruiseFever.com alive.

Daily Roddin’: Magnum PI would have been proud.

Although the parking lot for the Winnipeg Zoo is a long way from Magnum PI’s home turf, he would have still been proud of the way this Ferrari 328 GTB has been kept in top condition.  A kissing cousin to the 308 GTB he personally drove around Hawaii, this little red refugee of the ’80s is still deserving of a parking spot at most car shows.

Daily Roddin’: Is it a primer rod?

It’s got paint, but it’s got primer.  It doesn’t have a hood, but the engine is impossible to see through the chrome.  Personally, I’m a little verklempt over this vehicle, discuss amongst yourselves.  I’ll give you the topic-this hot rod is neither a traditional rod, nor a full-on show rod.  Discuss.

Top video Friday: Truck’n Roll Rules!

We’re back with another Boss Hoss video, and this time we’re getting a look at something else the Europeans haven’t been sharing with us:  Mercedes Benz semi-trucks.

This might have been the first time Boss Hoss showed their love for the big Benzitos, but it wasn’t their last.  The band recently released a song (and accompanying video/3-minute truck commercial) about the brand, entitled “Flaming Star.”  Hey, as long as they keep up these crazy licks, we’re not complaining.