Readers' Rides: Never Stop Building
Working on your project can be as much of a journey as the miles you cover with it when it’s finished. And for true enthusiasts, it’s never really finished, is it?
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Chris Lacy | ’89 Ford Mustang LX
Nitto Tires: NT05
“The [Mustang] was bought as a running four-cylinder, five-speed car. Drove it right to a local shop in Marion, Illinois (Level 7 Motorsports), owned by my best friend, Jesse Vaughn. From there, the car was transformed over the span of four years into what it is today. I wanted a lightweight chassis that was able to accept a GM engine relatively easily. Although most of the LS-swapped Fox-bodies are used for drag racing, this is a purpose-built road course/autocross car.”
Gabe Cruz | ’05 Honda S2000
Nitto Tires: NT01
“The overall theme of the car was to build an aggressive street-styled car that is weekend-warrior capable to pull track duties as well as the occasional spirited canyon drive while still remaining aesthetically pleasing enough to participate in car shows. I’ve taken great strides to make the wheel fitment appear ‘stock,’ but in actuality my wheel specs would only fit widebody S2000s. The car gives an overall appearance of ‘stockness,’ and when people assume that it is stock, I know I’ve done my job well.”
Warren Payton | ’16 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack
Nitto Tires: NT420S
“A Dodge Challenger was my dream car. My dad and older brother had classic muscle cars. I knew one day I wanted to build my own. But with my generation, and being in the Pacific Northwest, a lot of people are mostly into the slammed, lowered import cars. Those started to grow on me, and I figured why not try something a little different and put a muscle car on air ride? It still gives me that low-slammed look for shows, with that aggressive muscle-car sound and performance.”
Fernando Alba-Torres | ’17 Jeep JK Wrangler Sport
Nitto Tires: Trail Grappler
“This Jeep has taken me places that no other vehicle has ever envisioned—from the breathtaking landscapes in the California Sierra Nevada mountains to the ravenous rockcrawling trails in Colorado. My Jeep is an extension of myself and my escape to the mountains. A daily driver and a weekend warrior, it is an adventure-built machine for any terrain I want to conquer.”
