Resto-mods
Written by Keith Fudge

Year One, Inc. has always been the leader in the “resto-mod” movement.  In this episode of My Classic Car, Dennis Gage and the crew travel to Braselton, Georgia to meet up with their good friend Keith Maney from Year One.  The advantage to a resto-mod restoration is that it offers car enthusiasts the best of vintage looks coupled with the dynamic behavior and features of a modern vehicle.  For this visit, Keith brought out a couple of special cars from the Year One resto-mod collection in the form of a 1956 Chevy and a 1969 Roadrunner convertible!

The first of these two beauties that Keith introduced to Dennis was the Chevy.  It is simply stunning as it maintains its vintage appearance.  Keith said that their aim was to keep the car as original as possible, because “there is a reason that these cars are classic.”  He went on to say that their goal is to modernize everything under the skin and to “keep it as cool as it was.”  On the inside, the gauges were updated but kept in the original dash.  Creature comforts such as air conditioning and a state-of-the-art stereo were installed.  The bench seat was kept rather than using after-market seats, and the interior fabric is close to stock material!  A trip to the trunk showed an interesting spare tire.  But wait!  It is a tire housing a subwoofer for the stereo!  How cool is that?  Under the hood and body is where the real changes were made.  A new frame was used, and a modern suspension complete with coil over shocks was installed to improve handling.  Under the hood is a GM LS2 Crate motor that makes in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower!  This car is just too cool for school!  Keith went on to describe these types of vehicles as “rolling labs,” and we can sure tell that they conduct some pretty nifty experiments!  Dennis was just itching to try out this cool cruiser, so he jumped behind the wheel.  He and Keith took the Chevy for a spin around the Georgia back roads.

After a great ride, Dennis and Keith returned to have a peek at the next resto-mod that Keith had prepared for the visit.  This 1969 Roadrunner convertible is one long and lean machine!  Painted in a stunning shade of red with a black billboard graphic scheme reminiscent of E-body type Mopars, this full-sized B-body is ready to rumble!  Equipped with air-ride suspension that offers three different levels, this car is a classic mix of old and new right down to the “Beep Beep” of the Roadrunner’s horn!  By the way, this car was featured on the Hot Rod Power Tour, and it is easy to see why!  Under the hood is a stroked 440 cubic-inch engine now making 505 cubic inches.  What is even more astounding is that it is a Six-Pack car featuring three deuces, but it is also fuel-injected!  Now equipped with a five-speed transmission, you can bet this car can motor with the best of them.  In fact, Keith said the car gets a lot of attention, and in particular is a “cop magnet!”  As Dennis drove the car, the he noted that the feeling of power was simply amazing!

The resto-mod trend offers classic vintage looks with the best of modern technology.  If you are an enthusiast who likes to drive, this may be a restoration plan you might want to consider.  If you do, don’t forget to look to the folks at Year One, Inc.  You can contact them at 800-Year One or visit them on the web at www.YearOne.com.  That’s it from Braselton, Georgia.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”