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Drive Staff . November 09, 2022 . All Feature Vehicles
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The Year’s Best

We continue our review of Drive’s top picks of the year, featuring the best rides from all the events we covered. Not every vehicle we wanted to include got in due to lack of editorial space, but certainly what we have here is plenty impressive enough. And next issue, we kick of the new year right with all of the amazing cars from the SEMA Show, so stay tuned for that. Meanwhile we hope you enjoy this rewind. Our thanks to all the enthusiasts who put their heart and soul into their builds and for making our year. If we can’t have these in our garage, we’re glad we got to memorialize them in these pages.

We start off with this beauty from the Good Guys Del Mar show. A ’41 Willys powered with a Big Block Chevy and a pair of blowers, owned by Richard Pruett.

Dick Black’s very rare and very original ’55 Ford Victoria with 272 V8 power, continental kit and glass roof.
This ’49 Hudson Super 6, owned by Fidel Ascencio, was as slick on the inside.

A bold ’33 Ford Woody owned by Art Gooding.
This ’59 Chevy 210 definitely grabbed our attention with the custom wheels and side chrome and Chevy power under the hood.

Gene Winfield’s famous radical custom Pacifica, a one-of-a-kind Econoline pickup.
From the Doheny Wood show, Dan Mudra’s “Depot Hack”.
A restored ’51 Dasoto “Hilo Sampan” bus, one of only 11 known to exist.
From the Fallbrook Vintage show, Steve Wessel’s ’454 Chevy-powered ’55 Chevy Cameo pickup with “tuck ‘n’ rolled” engine compartment.

At the McQueen show we found this 671 blown, 351ci Ford powered, ’69 Ford Mustang that belongs to Brian Davis.
A ‘38 Packard Coupe makes for an interesting hot rod with a 514ci Ford motor, Ford running gear, and Mustang II front end.
The L.A. Roadster show featured this unique vehicle, a ’42 Merc flathead powered, ’36 Dodge roadster pickup owned by John & Dawn Nissen from Williams, CA.

Ronald Reed brought his ’32 Ford roadster to L.A. from San Jose, CA.

Ray Hoyal raced his V6 Buick powered, ‘30 Ford roadster pickup at the Antique Nationals.

Racing at the Antique Nationals, a Ford model A sedan.
This awesome ’49 Pontiac was done by David Villarruisl of Pico Rivera. The light metal flake scalloping and roof were perfect.
Robert Baltierra’s ’39 Chevy 4-door with straight 6 power.
From the Whittier show, a full custom ’59 Chevy Impala. Owner Ed Lomeli went over the top with his suicide doors.

A ’56 Studebaker Sky Hawk at the Signal Hill show is, believe it or not, Bentley V8 powered!

“Split Personality” is this artfully crafted ’59 Chevy El Camino custom. Owner Ernie Belcher made the bed cover from 2 ’59 Impala deck lids. The custom interior includes a unique center console.

Dipped in liquid black paint, this ’67 Ford GT427KR Mustang was perfect and the engine compartment was packed full of 427 Ford power.

From CFAC, a ‘57 Belair Sedan with a 540 capable of 650hp, owned by Mike Prey. It’s for sale!

 

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