Hot Rod Express News!

GOODGUYS 2008

2008-09-04T16:12:00.003-05:00

A handfull of Hot Rod Express built cars could be seen at the 2008 Goodguys show held Labor Day weekend at the Kansas Speedway. The 1969 Cougar was in the Fab Five picks section, right out front in fact, and recived quite a bit of attention from passes by. Also seen at this years show were Rick Villers 27 T Roadster, recently revamped at H.R.E., and the Jewl Tea 1940 Sedan Delivery owned by Bill Hines.

1954 Chevy

2008-09-04T10:39:00.003-05:00

This 1954 Chevy two-door will be a blend of old school custom and modern style, with a two-tone paint scheme and white leather interior with late model buckets. Take a look at our Projects section to follow the build.

1973 Roadrunner

2008-09-04T10:05:00.004-05:00

This stripped down frame is a 1973 Roadrunner, we removed all the rusty metal, and once its replaced the entire car will be dipped, and E-coated to ensure this completely restored classic will be looking great for a very long time. You can follow the restoration process on our Projects page.

1957 Thunderbird Interior

2008-07-17T09:38:00.002-05:00

This 57 T-bird returns for a great looking custom interior, see how its done in our Projects Section

New Stuff In Projects Page!

2008-07-15T12:37:00.004-05:00

This Lamborghini Countach replica is getting a new

rear frame section as well as a Diablo drive train.

69' Cougar featured in Super Rod

2008-05-12T09:11:00.004-05:00

After its first showing at the 2008 World of Wheels car show, the '69 Cougar convertible built at HRE has gotten lots of attention. The six page article in the June 2008 issue of Super Rod magazine will be the second time the car was featured in a publication since the build was completed earlier this year. Check out the latest issue of Super Rod to read the article and see some great shots of the Cougar, and check out our Past Projects section to see the entire build.

27 T-bucket

2008-04-17T14:25:00.007-05:00

This 27' T-bucket is getting some major changes, new motor with Hilborn fuel injection, Heidts I.R.S rear end, and new paint and interior.

Check it out on our Projects page

'69 Cougar in Wide Open

2008-04-01T13:59:00.004-05:00

Wide Open, a local motorcycle magazine, has recently added a new hot rod section to their monthly publication. The spring 2008 issue will feature an article on the Hot Rod Express built '69 Cougar as well as other cars present at World of Wheels. There will also be a listing of local rod cruise nights and events. The spring issue of Wide Open in currently available at local bike shops and QT gas stations.

New Project!

2008-03-26T17:46:00.006-05:00

Check out this 1939 Mercury convertable, one of our current projects!

2008-03-05T14:38:00.007-06:00

The modern day truck is not what it used to be. It seems like today's trucks are expensive, over accessorised, computer controlled, giants. There was a time when a truck was a basic purpose built vehicle, tough enough to get the job done, like Joel Horsch's 1967 Chevy Camper Special. Joel likes his old truck and wants to keep it around awhile. The truck was still in drivable condition even after 40 years of service but had gathered a substantial amount wear and rust over the years, so when the decision was made to restore his old truck, Joel brought it to Hot Rod Express.

The 67 Chevy received a full ground up restoration and was completely torn down and sandblasted, so repairs could be made to the cab and bed, and patch panels could be welded in to replace old rusted metal. Once we had the body straight again, we could reproduce the gold and white two tone paint job, and replace all the exterior trim. While we had it apart, the frame was also refurbished and received a new coat of paint. The original 327 motor and 400 turbo transmission were both rebuilt and returned to new condition, except for the added chrome intake, valve covers, and air filter cover.

Inside the cab, the stock bench was replaced with a set of buckets with a center arm rest that folds up into a center seat. The bucket seats were upholstered in white and gold, as was the rest of the interior. After the final touch, a set of American eagle wheels, we have a brand new old truck. The whole restoration took just a little over four months.

Joel's 67 camper special took best in class at the 2008 World of Wheels, and is currently back on the road.

Click here to see photos of the restoration process

Showing Off

2008-02-25T16:33:00.009-06:00

The 2008 World of Wheels custom car show has come and gone again here in Kansas City, and as usual, H.R.E was there displaying several fine examples of automotive craftsmanship.

We took seven cars to the show this year including our latest projects, a radically low '69 Cougar convertible owned by Mark Iorio, and the very near stock restored '68 Chevy pickup owned by Joel Horsch. Several of the cars shown by H.R.E. this year were past projects, including Gene and Ester Waight's 1932 Ford Roadster, and Rick Villers' 1970 Camaro Z28.

The H.R.E. crew was also at the show to answer any questions and to talk with customers about project ideas, as well as to check out all of the other great cars at the show. With over 700 entries, making '08 the biggest WOW show in Kansas City history, there was lots to see.

When it was all said and done, every car in this years H.R.E. display got some form of recognition at the awards ceremony, and three of our entries took best in their class, not to mention the attention that these vehicles got from people attending the show.

1969 Cougar, owner Mark Iorio, Best in class

1968 Chevy pickup, owner Joel Horsch, Best in class

1959 Corvette, owner Lee Jobe, Best in class

1932 Ford Roadster, owners Gene and Ester Waight, Outstanding

1970 Camaro Z28, owner Rick Villers, Outstanding

1969 Mustang GT, owners Glen and Mary Jones, Outstanding

1970 Chevelle, owner John Hopkins, ISCA Best Street Machine