Overhaul-me News: Goin’ Home

While moving the Overhaul-me news page to a blog format a few months ago was definitely an improvement over the old news page, it has presented its share of problems.

Namely, WordPress.com is pretty limited. The ability to customize pages isn’t there, it only embeds YouTube videos, I can’t install plug-ins…the geeky list of complaints goes on.

Anyway,  I have finally figured out how to host the same wordpress blog on my own site, which allows me to arrange things how I want. I look forward to more cool features that fit the style of Overhaul-me.com a lot better.

From now on, I’ll be posting updates on the New News page on my site, which can be found here.  So, head on over!

Top Shops: Rad Rides, Part 2

As promised, the folks over at Hub Garage have posted the second episode of Top Shops at Rad Rides by Troy.  In this episode, Chris and Troy take a look at some of the current projects the shop is working on.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Top Shops: Rad Rides Part 1

The folks over at HubGarage.com have recently started producing a great web-based show called Top Shops where they travel the country and visit the best hot rod and custom builders around.

The latest episode features Overhaulin’ co-host and Hub-spoksman Chris Jacobs taking a trip out to Manteo, IL to visit one of the top shops in the world, Rad Rides by Troy.

In part one of the series, Chris talks to shop owner Troy Trepanier about a few of the famous rides to come out of the shop, as well as what it’s like to shoot for 300mph on the salt at Bonneville. (More videos to come each week this month).

Part 1:

Part 2:

Magnaflow Foose Videos

1970 Plymouth "Terracuda"

Chip Foose recently teamed up with Magnaflow Performance Exhaust as a spokesman for the brand.

Here are some interesting videos Magnaflow has posted featuring Foose’s latest creation, the “Terracuda”, a 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda that was featured at last years Magnaflow SEMA booth.

HubTV interview with Chip Foose

Overhaulin’ host and Hub-master Chris Jacobs caught up with Chip Foose on the final day of Sema 2008 and put together this interview.

Lots of insight into Foose Design’s busy schedule and future plans. One interesting comment re: Overhaulin’; When discussing last year’s crazy build Chip says, “What a way to go out!”.  Read into that what you will.

See more great videos like this one at the Hub Garage.

Overhaulin’ Cars Reunion

If you happen to be near the Los Alamitos, CA area this weekend, make sure to stop by the Army Airfield on Sunday for the 7th annual Wings, Wheels, Rotors, and Expo.

The annual show is a one day extravaganza of military aircraft and classic cars. Featured at this years event will be the Army’s Golden Knights, the world’s premier precision parachute jump team.

Also this year for fans and former marks of the show Overhaulin’ will be a reunion of some of the shows most memorable rides. Come out and see some of your favorite Chip Foose creations and mingle with some really great members of the Overhaulin’ family!

All the details can be found here.

Production Volt Photos Leaked

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz with the Production Chevy Volt

Uh-Oh….Somebody might be in trouble.

Ahead of the much-anticipated debut of Chevy’s little-car-that-could at next week’s Paris Motor Show, several photos of the production Volt have surfaced on the web. The photos show top GM execs posing in front of what the company hopes is their “game-changer”; a plug-in electric vehicle that recharges itself using a 1 cylinder gasoline engine.

The production vehicle , as you can see in the photos below, strays significantly in it’s design from the concept version. The production model slips away from it’s Camaro-like hard lines in favor of the more aerodynamic curves of a Toyota Prius (its most likely competitor).

Chevy Volt Concept

Production Chevy Volt

So…now that the cat’s out of the bag, what’s the verdict?

Catching up with AJ

Adrienne Janic and her Year One '68 Firebird

Former Overhaulin’ co-host Adrienne Janic (AJ) recently completed a sweet ride of her own; a 1968 Pontiac Firebird built by the guys at Year-One’s Ghostworks garage. The complete build is featured in the October issue of PHR magazine and can be read here.

Here are the quick facts: A GM Performance LS3 crate motor mounted to a Bowler 4 speed automatic, blown through custom stainless headers to MagnaFlow mufflers. Detroit Speed hydroformed front clip and Quadralink rear suspension. Baer 6 piston calipers w/ 14″ rotors behind 18″ Intro V-Rod wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich tires.

Nice to see AJ’s still got that hot rod itch.

5 Questions with Troy Trepanier

The Detroit Free Press caught up with builder extrordinaire, Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides at last week’s Woodward Dream Cruise where he served as Grand Marshall. Troy took the time to answer these 5 questions:

Troy Trepanier

QUESTION: Are you a Dream Cruise fan?

ANSWER: I love it. I’ve been coming for about the last six years.

Q: Most of the car business stinks. How’re you doing?

A: Car customizing just keeps growing. It’s all the baby boomers wanting to get the car they had in high school, or wanting to do their dad’s car — the car they grew up in.

Q: What’s a car cost from you?

A: Our basic hot rod starts at $250,000. Our elite series is $500,000 and above.

Q: That’s after I bring a car to you?

A: Right. Most of the cars we do are from before the 1970s. If you want, we’ll help you find a car (to customize). But everything is totally new when it leaves our shop. The cars have at least 800 horsepower and it goes as high as 1,500.

Q: Which brings us to that land-speed record you want.

A: Yeah, we’re going to try to go 300 m.p.h. If we do, it’ll be the fastest car you can get into that has a door. The streamliners (a faster category) look like jets without wings, and they have rocket engines.

Read the full article here.

Jalopnik: ZR1 “the best car ever made”

The guys over at Jalopnik recently had a chance to take Chevy’s new superbeast, the 2009 Corvette ZR1, around the ‘Lutz Ring’ for their first test-drive. Their impression?

“The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the best car ever made. It redefines what performance cars are capable of…”

2009 Corvette ZR1

Check out the full review and a drool-worthy video here.