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How-To and Engine Builds

Hellion Unleashes 1,700-Plus HP Capable Mirror-Image Twin-Turbo System for 2015–2025 Ford F-150 & Raptor R

Hellion Unleashes 1,700-Plus HP Capable Mirror-Image Twin-Turbo System for 2015–2025 Ford F-150 & Raptor R

How Scoggin Dickey Built an 810-HP L8T with Street-Friendly Manners

How Scoggin Dickey Built an 810-HP L8T with Street-Friendly Manners

Mike Galimi | Nov 27, 2025

Driveway Dreams Ep. 3: A Big-Block ’72 Nova Gets a Second Chance

Driveway Dreams Ep. 3: A Big-Block ’72 Nova Gets a Second Chance

John McGann | Nov 26, 2025

MAPtest: When Boost Pressure and Brainpower Don’t See Eye to Eye. Why Your Supercharged Street Car Needs the Right MAP Sensor

MAPtest: When Boost Pressure and Brainpower Don’t See Eye to Eye. Why Your Supercharged Street Car Needs the Right MAP Sensor

KJ Jones | Nov 25, 2025

We replace the outdated EEC-V engine management system with the versatile Holley HP EFI, and Rick Anderson Competition Engineering’s Gate-Way made it a plug-and-play effort.

Holley EFI HP + RACE Gate-Way: Tuning Total Control Into Project Black Beauty’s 612-WHP Street-Blown Mustang

KJ Jones | Nov 24, 2025

Wilwood Engineering’s new kit for the 1988-1998 GMT400 pickups and SUVs is a huge increase in performance over stock.

Radically Improve the Brakes of your OBS Chevy with this New Kit from Wilwood

John McGann | Nov 20, 2025

After shocking SEMA with the 2,800-hp Chevelle called “Doughboy,” Blazin Rodz is back with a hybrid AWD ’69 Camaro promising 1,600 hp and limited-run production.

Blazin Rodz Previews 1,600-HP Hybrid ’69 Camaro Ahead of SEMA 2025

John McGann | Nov 6, 2025

Powered by a hand-built four-valve modular engine, this Lincoln LS is a one-off experiment in performance engineering and grassroots creativity.

Homemade 4V V-10 Ford Modular Engine Powered 2017 Lincoln Continental Turns Instagram Dream Into SEMA Show Reality

Steven Rupp | Nov 5, 2025

RS came up with a way to bolt a new chassis under your 3rd gen Camaro, Firebird, or Trans Am.

First Look: Roadster Shop’s New 3rd Generation F-body Bolt-In SPEC Chassis at the 2025 SEMA Show

Steven Rupp | Nov 4, 2025

Project Black Beauty, Part 6: Our ProCharger F-1C went home for a full factory inspection and rebuild. Here’s what the teardown revealed, how ProCharger’s service process works, and why proper documentation matters for long-term boost reliability.

Bringing Back the Boost: ProCharger’s Factory Rebuild of Our ’02 Mustang’s F-1C Supercharger

KJ Jones | Nov 4, 2025

Coker Tire brings back the V-rated 225/60R15 Goodyear Gatorback—perfect for reviving your 1985–1990 Fox-body Mustang 5.0.

Driving Back to 1980s: My Mustang GT Feels Reborn on New Goodyear Gatorbacks

Dr Jamie Meyer | Oct 29, 2025

After transforming a dusty 1974 Nova SS with a 427 small-block and Summit Racing parts, we finally hit the streets during Cruisin’ the Coast.

We Brought a 1974 Nova SS Barn Find Back to Life as a Rowdy Patina Street Machine

Mike Galimi | Oct 28, 2025

Project Black Beauty, Part 5: After a decade idle, we rebuilt every inch of the Mustang’s fuel system with Aeromotive’s Eliminator setup, PTFE lines, and flex-fuel capability to make big power with boost.

Aeromotive Eliminator Upgrade: Fuel System Overhaul for Project Black Beauty’s ProCharger-Blown Beast

KJ Jones | Oct 27, 2025

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HOT ROD editor-in-chief John McGann and Lucky Costa help Redondo Union High School students get their shop’s long-running ’55 Chevy project back to drivable condition—supporting the next generation of car lovers turning wrenches.

Driveway Dreams Ep. 2: A ’55 Chevy Finds New Life in the Hands of Future Hot Rodders

John McGann | Oct 24, 2025

They’re not a household name—yet—but these smart battery chargers could become your favorite unsung shop saviors.

Optimate Chargers: The Quiet Heroes of the Garage Revolution

Johnny Hunkins | Oct 21, 2025

Our new video series focuses on getting stalled project cars back on the road.

Driveway Dreams Ep. 1: Bringing a 1963 Ford Thunderbird Back to Life

John McGann | Oct 17, 2025

Siamesed bores, heavy main webbing, and splayed four-bolt mains s

New Ford Windsor V-8 Summit Racing SPC Block Targets Big Power Builds

Johnny Hunkins | Oct 14, 2025

From a storage unit to a cruiser—we drop in a stroked small-block Chevy, rebuild the manual trans, and prep our barn find Nova for Cruisin’ the Coast

Barn Find Revival: Our 1974 Chevy Nova Gets a 571-HP Summit 427 Small-Block Chevy Swap

Mike Galimi | Oct 9, 2025

Born with the same paint pedigree that finished the 2017 Ridler Award winner, PPG’s new Velocity refinish system delivers premium color brilliance, fast turnaround, and durability for today’s high-output custom and collision shops.

PPG Velocity Refinish System Brings Show-Winning Shine and Shop Speed to Custom Car Paint: Less Downtime, More Shine Time

KJ Jones | Oct 9, 2025

Johnson’s Radiator Works and Speedway Motors now deliver direct-fit cooling for prewar Fords.

Copper-Brass Street Rod Radiators Built for Serious V-8 Power

Johnny Hunkins | Oct 7, 2025

HOT ROD Editor-in-Chief John McGann recalls wisdom gleaned from the passenger seat of a flatbed tow truck.

Words of Wisdom from Tow Truck Drivers

John McGann | Oct 2, 2025

JEGS' 750-cfm carburetor puts hot rodders in control with race-bred flexibility and familiar 4150-style tuning.

High-Carb Diet: JEGS 750-CFM Serves Up Affordable Muscle for Hot Rod V-8s

Johnny Hunkins | Sep 29, 2025

Perfect turbocharger/engine pairing unlocks more than 100 horsepower in a bolt-on LS3 engine.

Boost Smart: Matching Turbos to Engine Components is a Surefire Key to Maximum Horsepower

Greg Banish | Jul 24, 2025

Designed for blowers, turbos, and nitrous, this big-block-Chevy-compatible long-block is ready for anything—at a smile-inducing price.

The Sky’s the Limit: New Power-Adder 632ci Big-Block V-8 From BluePrint Is Built for Boost!

Johnny Hunkins | Jul 22, 2025

Easy engine-building ideas, part 4: An expert’s recipe for preparing small-block Chevy cylinder heads.

Cylinder-Head Prep Tips: Lining Out Chevy Cylinder Heads for Solid Low-Buck Power

Steve Andersen, KJ Jones | Jul 16, 2025

How to balance power and efficiency with turbos that are better suited for a different engine combination.

Maximize Performance: Expert Tips for Optimizing Mismatched Turbochargers

Greg Banish | Jul 15, 2025

Lund Racing and Evolution Performance reveal to HOT ROD how the future of Mustang and F-150 performance is being redefined with HP Tuners.

First Look: S650 Mustang and 2021-2023 F-150 Tuning Finally Unlocked

Mike Galimi | Jul 11, 2025

ICON Digital Circuit Tester: LED Display for Voltage and Power/Ground Status

KJ Jones | Jul 11, 2025

Easy engine-building ideas, part 3: Simple steps for degreeing a small-block Chevy’s camshaft to perfection.

Cam Timing: Master the Art of Degreeing a Camshaft for Peak Engine Performance

Jeff Smith, KJ Jones | Jul 11, 2025

Project Black Beauty, Part 4: Replacing all fluids is strongly recommended for any hot rod that has been sitting for a long time.

One Fluid Motion: Oil Services from Front to Back Make Project Black Beauty’s Drivetrain Slick Again

KJ Jones | Jul 7, 2025

Can't decide between a Gen I and a Vortec Chevy V-8 for your project? We look at three of each from Speedway Motors, Summit, and Jegs.

Crate Balls of Fire! 6 Small-Block Chevy V-8s Under $4,000!

Johnny Hunkins | Jul 4, 2025

HOT ROD How-To

At the HOT ROD How-To section, you’ll learn how to make improvements to your own special hot rod, drawing from the DIY knowledge of the HOT ROD team to learn more about how-to make more power from your engine, improve your suspension, make your brakes stop better, and much more. HOT ROD will also let you know about the latest products and trends in the DIY muscle car building arena.