Your Favorite Cars and Stories from 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, we’re taking a minute to look back at your favorite cars and stories that were featured here on the Toolbox over the course of the year. There are a few hot rods, a few race cars new and old, and a few muscle cars. Some are freshly restored. Some are survivors. Some are still in progress, but we all know how that goes.

And so, without further ado, our top stories of 2021!

2021 marked the 70th season of NHRA drag racing. We took a look back at a few veterans of the sport that are on display in the Museum of American Speed. Sure, it’s a memorable experience standing next to a modern fuel dragster, on its way to a 330-plus mph run, but there’s something magical about seeing their ancestors displayed together in one museum, even if they are standing still. There’s a lot of history here.

Mike Earley’s Chevelle sports an LS1 with an LSA blower bolted up using adapters that he made himself on the table saw of all things. Cool guy, cool car, fast as heck. Check out the full story here.

Jason Holland’s Model A coupe is one of the gnarliest street-driven hot rods around. The blown 445-inch FE makes somewhere around 700 horsepower and propels the coupe to 10-second quarters. And it’s not uncommon to see Jason puttering around the streets of Omaha, driving this monster like a rented Toyota.

Nick Hoesing’s Model A roadster was also built at home and gets driven everywhere. He thinks he has around 50,000 miles on it, and it’s been west to Bonneville and east to Baltimore. Most of our late-model dailys haven’t made that kind of trip. It also does high 11’s in the quarter, much to the chagrin of the Camaros and Mustangs at the local no-prep drags. More on Nick’s car here.

This Impala is remarkable for what hasn’t been done to it. It’s a survivor, and Dusty Timmerman knew that it was too nice to screw up with the usual hot rod restoration. Instead, he’s bolted on a few pieces to upgrade the suspension and brakes and proudly drives it around in its amazingly nice original paint. Pictures don’t really do this car justice, but there are plenty more to see here.

TJ Zessin built this Nova into a drag car long ago, but when the local dragstrip closed, he decided to give the old Nova a second life. A Speedway Motors G-Comp suspension and a mildly breathed-on LS1 updated the car and made it a capable weapon at autocross and open road race events.

You’re looking at one of the most famous hot rods of all time, built by one of the most famous hot rodders of all time. Of course, Ed Iskenderian built this car before the term hot rod even existed. Back then they were called “gow jobs” and Ed and his friends learned how to work on them from the older guys in the neighborhood.

More of the Isky roadster here, and be sure to check out our podcast episode with Ed here!

Ben Smithson put this coupe together a while back from a ragged body that was barely fit for lawn art. Since then it has helped him launch his business, been featured in a couple magazines, and drove him and his new bride away from their wedding. We love stories of old cars becoming part of the family, and Ben’s story can be found here.

At ag 72, Ron Horton realized that his bucket list wasn’t getting as short as he would like, so he dove headfirst into a ’37 Chevy Legend Car. He calls himself “The World’s Oldest Rookie” and his car wears the same number that his dad raced in 1949. He’s blasting around the track at almost 120 mph in this thing and, as he says “I’ve only been into the tire barrier once.” Remember Ron’s story the next time you think it’s too late to chase your dreams!

Tim Matthews spends his days working as the curator of the Museum of American Speed. Somehow, he also found the time to build his dream car in his small home garage. This Model A roadster started out as little more than a cowl. Tim scrounged, traded, begged, and borrowed the rest to screw together this ultra-traditional, hemi-powered highboy. There’s lots of love, hard work, and neat parts in this car. See more of it here.