Flat Out Magazine

Let’s say you’re a guy that grew up crazy about drag racing – I’m talking living, breathing, eating, sleeping drag racing – but realized that building drag cars isn’t gonna pay the bills…so you turn to your next love, hot rods. You work hard for years and build some awesome cars,some award winners and some just drivers, and then one day you get a phone call asking if you would like to do a reality/documentary TV show building hot rods to take to auction. Sounds cool, right? But the catch is you only have 4 weeks to build the car, have it painted, running, and driving…with no do-overs. Sure, you can handle that. So the first couple of cars are pretty normal – a Chevelle, a Camaro – then you get the idea to take this little ’64
Nova that’s next in line and turn it into a Nostalgia Gasser. That’s what happened when Barry got the chance to pick the cars for the show “Wrecks to Riches” on TLC. He got to build the gasser he’d always wanted to, right down to the Tiki Man pinstriped on the decklid. This badass little Nova ended up with a 489 Big block, turbo 400 trans, 9” Ford with 355 gears and a Detroit Locker.The crew fabricated a NHRA approved roll bar, added race seats, an aluminum interior – and then things started to get silly. The boys started doing something called “engine turning” on the valve covers, then it spread to the gas tank, battery box, firewall – whatever they could get their hands on. Barry wanted a crazy paint scheme, so he choose House of Kolor’s “Limetime Green” as the main color with flames that started out white, then faded yellow to orange.
Phill Whetstone did the “Gangreen” lettering in engine turned gold leaf, then added some crazy pinstriping (including that aforementioned Tikiman). The best thing about this build was the fact that we actually got to run it down the ¼ mile as part of the TV show, so the whole crew and their families got to go to the track and watch their creation whup ass on the competition! It was a sad day when “Gangreen” went to it’s new owner…but rest assured there’s a new one in the works..


CLICK HERE to Return to Flat Out ..........................................Story by Jenn & Becky White Photos by Nick Licata

Let’s say you’re a guy that grew up crazy about drag racing – I’m talking living, breathing, eating, sleeping drag racing – but realized that building drag cars isn’t gonna pay the bills…so you turn to your next love, hot rods. You work hard for years and build some awesome cars,some award winners and some just drivers, and then one day you get a phone call asking if you would like to do a reality/documentary TV show building hot rods to take to auction. Sounds cool, right? But the catch is you only have 4 weeks to build the car, have it painted, running, and driving…with no do-overs. Sure, you can handle that. So the first couple of cars are pretty normal – a Chevelle, a Camaro – then you get the idea to take this little ’64 Nova that’s next in line and turn it into a Nostalgia Gasser. That’s what happened when Barry got the chance to pick the cars for the show “Wrecks to Riches” on TLC. He got to build the gasser he’d always wanted to, right down to the Tiki Man pinstriped on the decklid. This badass little Nova ended up with a 489 Big block, turbo 400 trans, 9” Ford with 355 gears and a Detroit Locker.The crew fabricated a NHRA approved roll bar, added race seats, an aluminum interior – and then things started to get silly. The boys started doing something called “engine turning” on the valve covers, then it spread to the gas tank, battery box, firewall – whatever they could get their hands on. Barry wanted a crazy paint scheme, so he choose House of Kolor’s “Limetime Green” as the main color with flames that started out white, then faded yellow to orange. Phill Whetstone did the “Gangreen” lettering in engine turned gold leaf, then added some crazy pinstriping (including that aforementioned Tikiman). The best thing about this build was the fact that we actually got to run it down the ¼ mile as part of the TV show, so the whole crew and their families got to go to the track and watch their creation whup ass on the competition! It was a sad day when “Gangreen” went to it’s new owner…but rest assured there’s a new one in the works..