'50 Ford at the Pig Stand

One thing about Friday nights at the Pig Stand, you can be guaranteed to see some real rods. For instance, check out this hot little '50 Ford done up in the old-skool way. These real rods are great because there are no $20,000 paint jobs to worry about, they don't cost a fortune, the owners have a little more creative license, and they turn just as many heads. So what if they don't get a cover on Hot Rod! That's what Real Wheels is for.

This is '50 sports a cool suede blueish-gray paint scheme and classy whitewalls and dog-dish hubcaps. We are unsure as to what motorvation it contains, but it looks groovy. Mexican blankets serve as seatcovers and a few well-chosen kitschy decals give it a little more personality. The body appears to be completely stock including all original chrome pieces save the missing emblem on the trunk.


If we were to guess the old Ford's name, we'd say Cyclops in deference to the bullet nose-turned-giant eyeball in the center of the grill. Note the numeral 6 in the pupil, which we guess (in our limited knowledge of pre-'60s iron) means the car rolled off the line in Dearborn with an inline six.



If this is your car, holler at us and get your props.

First Post!

To start off, we're looking at one of the author's rides, a 1992 Camaro Z-28.

This is an original, high-mileage 25th Anniversary edition with the rare L98 engine option. This is the real deal, a factory hot rod that's been driven like it should be. Like most hot rods of its vintage, it has experienced a couple of upgrades since it rolled off the line 14 years ago.

The previous owner claimed to have upgraded the rear gearset to 3:73s versus the less agressive original ratio. The author is inclined to believe the 16-year old kid that sold him the car, because while the L98 came with 245 hp and 345 ft.-lb. of torque, it feels a little more healthy than that. And the gas mileage stinks-it can barely get 20 miles on a gallon of gas! But its plenty of fun, and very capable of stuffing the occupants back into the upgraded '94 Camaro seats.

Aside from the power seat upgrade, the interior boasts a 240-watt Sony X-Plod head unit and Pioneer speakers. The rest is stock and in remarkable condition for its age, marred only by a few cracks in the places one should expect in these very plastic interiors. The car was delivered with a number of options, including power mirrors, rearview-mirror-mounted map lights, front and rear defogger, and power locks and windows.

Walk up the car and you'll see it isn't perfect. The car has been repainted, and the clearcoat is beginning to fade on the hood and the big wing in the back. The ground effects don't fit perfectly, and there are a few chips on the leading edge of the hood. But its a real car. Daily driven for almost two years, it only let down the author twice, once when the tranny cratered (providing an excuse to add a shift kit during the rebuild) and once when the module fried. Its been to Washington, DC and back and all over Texas. Truly this is a set of real wheels.