Hot Rod Garage

We have fun showing you how to install a 4L60-E overdrive transmission into a 1969 Chevy El Camino, drop a 700hp blown small-block into a 1974 Jaguar XJ12, get TIG welding lessons from the guys at ToxicFab, and do smoky burnouts at every opportunity.

In this episode of HOT ROD Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, Finnegan blows up the stock clutch in a borrowed 2010 Camaro SS at the drag strip after installing an SLP supercharger kit and a pair of drag radials. The blower pushed the power output from 420 to 575 horsepower and except for a couple extra holes in the valance, bolted-right onto the stock LS2. During the Roadkill Project Car Update presented by Dickies, Freiburger and Finnegan prepare for the ultimate cross-country road trip in Finnegan's Hemi-powered Bel Air Gasser with the installation of an Aeromotive Stealth fuel tank and fuel system. The install offers tips on assembling soft and hard fuel lines, relay wiring, and gives a closer look at this righteous street/strip car. Finally, the guys answer viewer questions about the cars, the show, and their personal lives before getting an in-depth look at custom piston design from Bryan Moreland, Engineering Manager at CP-Carrillo.

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage Presented by Lincoln Tech Mike Finnegan gets tips for strengthening sheet metal using a bead roller from world-famous fabricator, Jamey Jordan, owner of Handmade Seat Company. Then he and David Freiburger eliminate a few electrical gremlins in the Roadkill '73 Chevy C30 ramp truck and pick up more power on the dyno by replacing the old quadrajet carburetor with a new Holley Ultra Street Avenger and the stock HEI distributor with a new part from MSD. Finally, Freiburger tests Duplicolor's Vinyl and Fabric Coating, a spray-on dye for restoring interior parts. If you aren't sick of their faces by the end of this episode, stick around to watch the duo answer questions from the Hot Rod Garage Facebook page and insult a good portion of the Motor Trend staff.

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, presented by Lincoln Tech we're kicking off 2015 with a new project car, the EBC Brakes 2005 Mustang GT. Our plan for this car is simple: build an S197 Mustang with easy bolt-on parts to answer all the basic questions we read on every Mustang forum on the Internet. Our goal is to have an affordable daily driver that can also handle a weekend autocross or open-track day. Here in the first installment, we're lowering the car as affordably as possible with Ford Racing K springs, telling you the exact wheel and tire specs for a perfect fit, and making it stop more reliably with EBC Brakes stock-replacement rotors and Yellowstuff pads. Best of all, we test the performance once we're done. Come back to HOT ROD Garage in coming episodes to see more on the EBC Brakes Mustang.

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, presented by Lincoln Tech, we look at the EBC Brakes 2005 Mustang GT project car. This is based on the premise that the '05-'10 Mustangs with the 4.6L three-valve V8s have gotten affordable to drive, and they can be hopped up inexpensively and easily, and they make make a fun daily drivers and occasional auto-crossers or open-track cars. In this episode, we're looking for a little more power.

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, presented by Lincoln Tech, we jump back into the suspension of our EBC Brakes 2005 Mustang GT, with a complete handling package from Ford Performance Racing including full front strut assemblies, sway bars and more.

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, we try something new, our first Diesel Swap! Watch us take our 1973 D200 with a badly shaking 400 BB, yank it out and cram a 1995 Ram 2500 Dodge Diesel Turbo drivetrain into it! We cover the teardown of both trucks, and bring in guest fabricator Colin Jones to handle making beautiful custom mounts. We don’t stop until we see some smoke! We call our creation #Roll Smokey!

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, presented by Lincoln Tech, watch Tony Angelo finish up his 1973 Dodge D200 Cummins Swap. With the help of special guest Brenden Jones, they turn this project into a coal spewing monster, with lots of power boosting upgrades along the way. They install a big turbocharger, larger injectors and more in the hopes of doubling the power output of the engine. Once together, they run #rollsmokey on the Dyno to see if they hit their goals!

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, Tony Angelo shows you how to bring a long-forgotten car back to life. Tony demonstrates with his first car, a 1971 Dodge Demon 340, that hasn’t been on the road in nearly 20 years. We start by inspecting and changing all the necessary fluids, then cover the fuel and oiling systems, engine evaluation, and what to do after the engine is running. Following this step-by-step guide, you’ll (hopefully) have that old junker up and running in no time!

On this episode of Hot Rod Garage presented by Lincoln Tech we set out to build some dirt-cheap speed! With a modest budget in-hand we set off to find a suitable project car, and once we find the #bonemaro in the California Desert, things start rolling. Watch Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa use all their knowledge and resources to pick the perfect low-buck engine program, with tons of money-saving tips and tweaks along the way. After the this full-length episode, stay tuned for a Q and A session!

In this episode of Hot Rod Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, we take our low-buck drag project, #bonemaro, upgrade the engine for boost, and build a turbo system using the best ebay has to offer! Using a CX racing turbo kit designed for a truck, some parts from Craigslist, and a ton of elbow grease, Tony and Lucky work to get the Camaro boosted and ready for action. Once on the dyno, the #bonemaro makes over more than 500WHP 500 hp on mild boost, -- more than enough to propel this thing to some wicked fast times on the track!

In this episode of HOT ROD Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, we set out to build a good old-fashioned sleeper! We found a very innocent-looking and long-forgotten 1965 Plymouth Fury III wagon and began to revive the old Mopar 400 big-block from Rollsmokey. Watch Tony and Lucky take that shaky, low-compression 400, strip it to the block, and rebuild it into a 512ci stroked beast! After the new 512 big-block gets stuffed into the #furyroadmaster, it’s time to hit the streets for some fun!

Hot Rod Garage presented by Lincoln Tech is back with a brand new season! Out of all the cool projects they built last year, there was still one important thing missing: a shop truck. Tony and Lucky went out and bought a 1966 Ford F100, but it’s a total dog and really a slouch of a truck. So the guys also got their hands on a 2007 Crown Victoria cop car from the guys at cruiser connections. Why? Because it’s built on an incredible platform with a ton of modern components. In this episode they show how to perform the ultimate body swap and build a solid budget shop truck. How will it turn out? Tune in to find out!

In this episode of HOT ROD Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, watch our hosts, Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa, finish the build of their new, ultimate shop truck: the Crown Hick! They took a minty 1966 Ford F100 truck body and laid it onto the frame and mechanicals of a 2007 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that has some serious suspension and exhaust upgrades. Once the guys get it all bolted into place and integrate steering, brakes, and throttle, they apply a Holley EFI system and MSD transmission controller to make it all run! Once together, they take it out for a serious shakedown to show off all the modern performance that is now hiding under that 1966 F100!

In this episode of Hot Rod Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa decide to go with the wind in their hair in this 1965 Pontiac Lemans convertible. The only problem is that it’s half rust and half dirt, and this thing needs a bunch of sheetmetal repair. Watch the guys replace most of the rear end of the car, and once that is all handled, they install a full frame bracing kit and make the underside of this car WAY prettier than the top side.

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage presented by Lincoln Tech, Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa turn a 2005 Dodge Magnum into the ultimate ride for a new “Dad,” the Dad-Rod. Angelo and Costa do a complete performance upgrade: more power, better handling, and enhancements to make it look awesome. Then they added the dad-specific modifications: a custom rearview baby monitor and a killer roof rack for carrying family gear.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years, you have heard of the three hottest engines in all of motoring, the LS-based Chevy V-8, the Toyota turbo six-cylinder 2JZ, and the beastly 5.9L Cummins Turbodiesel. These engines are absolutely legendary and have been swapped into every chassis under the sun, but they’ve never gone head-to-head. On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, watch Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa hop up each one of these engines and put them to the test on the same dyno!

Most of us didn’t get our dream car the first time around. As a teenager, you probably got a random hand-me-down, or saved up and bought a beater. On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, watch Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa turn a very plain-Jane S-10 into a car that a kid would be stoked to own. For around $3,500, the guys do a complete color change, lower the car, and make it handle. Of course they throw in some tunes too!

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa revive one of the most popular HRG builds ever, the Crown Hick. This do-everything shop truck is really a 2007 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor dressed up as a 1966 F-100. The Hick has been out of commission since it dominated the Roadkill truck shootout, leaving it battered and broken. The guys set out to get the truck back on the road, and make it better than ever. A Gearstar 4R75W replaces the trashed cop gearbox, a set of ADTR.net adjustable coilover suspension enhances the handling, and a bunch of fabricated bracing makes the whole truck more stable! At the end of the episode, the Crown Hick is king once again!

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa dream of a 1969 big-block, widebody, four-speed Corvette, but they just can’t afford it! Watch the guys transform a beat-up 1974 Corvette into the ’69 widebody they really want. Installing a low-buck, 475hp big-block with killer side pipes is step one. Step two is to cut the entire body off and get the car ready for a complete 1969 changeover! Before the new body parts go on, though, there are lots of burnouts!

On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa decide to build a boat of a car, a 1971 Cadillac Sedan deVille, and drop it on airbags for a sweet-and-low cruiser. The Caddy, however, had other plans. The 472 Cadillac V-8 exploded on the first test drive, and it was clear we needed to swap in a serious powerplant. A 5.3 LS setup for a carburetor and a 4L60E overdrive transmission swap become the new focus of the episode. After the car is running, the guys take it on a high-speed desert blast to make sure it won’t let them down again!

Three cars that desperately need redemption get out to the track. Tony and Lucky dig into a Cummins-swapped '70 El Camino, a Hemi-swapped '70 Duster and a ratty '79 Camaro with a turbo LS, get them track ready and then just see what they can actually do.

Tony and Angelo pick up a complete running and driving 2004 Mustang GT on the cheap, with the goal of turning it into a really fun car. They install better suspension and brakes, give it more power, and throw in some interior and exterior upgrades.

The AMC V-8 has long been seen as a strong engine that isn't very durable. Tony and Lucky build up a 401ci power plant that will live to take whatever abuse they can throw at it, keep spinning happily, and make killer power along the way.

We're kicking off Season 9 in a BIG WAY. 1,000-horsepower BIG. The guys set out to build a 1,000-hp Street car, using a 2014 Caprice Police Patrol car, a built 5.3 LS, and a turbo big enough to boost three cars. Tony Angelo is on the East Coast building the giant turbo system, and co-host Lucky Costa is in L.A. building the 5.3 to killer spec. Can the boys build a car with more power than anything coming out of Detroit? Who knows. The fun is in the finding out.

HOT ROD Garage hits episode 100 in a big way. "Bonemaro," our 1979 beater Camaro, is a cheap/fast/ugly project that was the show's first big hit back in the day. It's been upgraded here and there but has always stayed fast and trashy. It's time for hosts Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa to finally put a shine on the car that has been so big for HOT ROD Garage. Lucky comes through with a complete fuel system upgrade including a proper Holley EFI system, and the car gets sent to Tony and his boys in Pennsylvania for a one-piece fiberglass front end and a proper paint job

Hosts Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa have set out to turn a run-of-the-mill 2014 Chevy Caprice PPV into an insanely powerful street car making over one thousand horsepower. That's more HP than literally any American car produced today. (OK, Tesla Plaid makes 1,020 electric horsies.) We take one built 5.3 truck LS engine (of course), and bolt one giant Garrett turbocharger on there and let those things sing. This is the nastiest car we've ever built, period.

Hot Rod Garage welcomes its newest member to the HRG team, host Alex Taylor! Coming from a long history of fast cars, she and Lucky set their sights on pushing our 10s for 10K Bonemaro build into some 9-second timeslip territory. A solid plan of weight loss, a transbrake and a booster seat should all add up to the fastest pass in Bonemaro's history.

The Grand Trashional gets one more shot at making the power it deserves. Alex and Lucky put all their faith in heads, a cam, hopes and a dream. And because they're gluttons for punishment, they introduce another creampuff to the fleet -- yet another must-have GM turbo V6. But at least this one will be fast, right?

HRG's Javelin is back to get the seating sorted, safety started and the nut behind the wheel trained. Alex and Lucky add seating for two and a roll cage, and MT's resident hot lapper Randy Pobst helps with some on-track tuning. Then, after some quick and dirty road course lessons, Alex and Lucky strap in to do battle with the Javelin's hottest lap times.

The '92 Typhoon is back; rod knock will be a thing of the past as Alex and Lucky refresh the drivetrain and pit it head to head against today's top-of-the-line people-mover.

Last year's newly minted annual holiday, HRG Day, was a wild success for everyone but the Bonemaro, the Crown Hic and the Savoy; all three came home hurt, and Hot Rod detectives Alex and Lucky are on the case to find out why.

Alex and Lucky explore new territory in the world of land speed racing and continue down a well-worn path with the Bonemaro; more than the cars, this one is all about goals, setting personal targets and breaking personal bests.