Text & Rendering by Tavis Highlander

ig-block? Six-speed manual transmission? Upgraded suspension? OEM styling? Sign me up! This El Camino really keeps the GM DNA alive and just adds more fun to that stock package. Owner Terry Davlin started with a stout heart for the build: a 468ci big-block Chevy that pumps out over 600 hp thanks to Canfield heads and a Holley Terminator EFI kit. Backed up to that stout mill is a T56 Magnum spinning a 4-inch aluminum driveshaft ending in a Moser 12-bolt rearend.

Keeping the Elco glued to the road is the job of UMI suspension parts front to back. QA1 coilovers control the up and down while Baer six-piston calipers slow down the custom Forgeline CR3 wheels.

On the outside there are little details like custom mirrors and a cleaned-up tailgate area. The big eye grabber is the BMW Long Beach Blue paint with satin charcoal stripes. Murpho’s in Buda, Texas, will handle the paint and body to make this project shine.

BY Shawn Brereton Photography by THE AUTHOR

he car show portion of the Tri-Five Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky, never ceases to amaze. How in the world can a car event — featuring what is essentially three models — still show us something completely new? The August 2022 version sure had its fair share of standout rides with gleaming paintjobs, sparkling chrome, and buttery smooth interiors, but this ’55 Chevy 210 stood out for a very different reason.

It wasn’t outlandish. The PPG red and black paint seemed flawless, the fit and finish were close to perfection, and the interior was a light gray custom leather Ron Mangus masterpiece. However, it was in the engine bay where things went beyond understanding. Ladies and gentlemen, this ’55 was packing an LS but it had two extra cylinders. Yes, a GM LS V-10!

orking in law enforcement can be a rewarding career, though it’s not a lifestyle for everyone. Hours can be long, and shifts can start at any time during the day, making it not only hard on families, but also keeping up with friends and enjoying leisure-time hobbies.

For Anthony Cacioppo, finding that balance between family, work, and fun time was a process—a matter of negotiation, sacrifice, and compromise—but luckily for him, the end result was well worth it. See for yourself; check out his stunning ’71 Camaro Pro Tourer on the pages in front of you.

“I grew up around drag racing. My dad had a track car and my brothers always had something that was fast. That wore off on me and of course I had to do the same, so I got hooked on circle track racing. Around the same time, I started racing go-karts throughout the northeast,” Anthony states. That was pretty much life growing up in the Cacioppo household in Ronkonkoma, New York.”

hat classic smack talk took place between two of the baddest car owners in the coming-of-age comedy drama American Graffiti. But most of us car folks knew that just by the names associated with the quotes.

Those lines can help when you need a smile on your face or if you need a little inspiration when it comes to building a hot rod. It was Bob Falfa’s ’55 Chevy along with the souped-up Primer Gray ’55 from the 1971 movie Two-Lane Blacktop (both car-guy cinema classics) that inspired John Blane to build a ’55 Chevy in a style that reflects both of those cars. “This car has been a childhood dream after watching American Graffiti and Two-Lane Blacktop,” John confesses. “Those two cars were totally badass and influenced me to build this car the way it is.”

very enthusiast remembers that one unique old car—the one that was a special gift or the one you wish you never sold. While it wasn’t perfect, over the years memory erased its faults and all your succeeding cars were measured against it. It’s always a great reminiscence but that’s not quite the tale that Sidney Dyson from Tampa, Florida, recalls.

Joining the Air Force after high school in 1965, Sidney has fond memories of the best assignment in his military career; the time when he and his wife enjoyed an accompanied tour in Okinawa, Japan. Returning to the states in 1971 and needing transportation, his first purchase was a ’65 Chevelle Malibu SS. The affordable $400 car was fairly quick and reasonably good looking but not without its faults. He drove it to South Carolina the following summer and wound up replacing the worn-out cam and rockers. On the way home, the left front wheel fell off. Although it wasn’t a good start, Sidney was not a man easily discouraged. Not only did he make those initial repairs, he continued the maintenance effort on this family favorite for the last half century.