Ok, so a little work some air ride, 22" bonspeeds, big brakes. It could be ready for the 2011 Power Tour.
The old panels are just cool, but man tons of work to make them perfect!
Really, is this the best town name for the side of an old GMC Suburban Fire Department emergency van?
Newton, Iowa at the Speedway it was day 1 and we had no idea what the trip would be like. It had already started right, lots of cars, good weather and the cars made it finally! This was the pre-tour briefing, you can see the guys from Hot Rod up on the trailer.
One of the best things about Power Tour was the gas station stops. Every stop was full of cars, different ones every time and lots of car crazy people to meet.
You see everything on Power Tour, even a 2069 Camaro?
Enthusiasm was fantastic for the tour every city opened up and they all came out to watch us cruise through town.
Highway Patrol...no Power Patrol. We saw this cool cruiser parked at the Mid-America Corvettes open house and never saw it again?
In Du Quoin, IL we saw this bad S-10 and this guy knows style. It sports the bonspeed INTENSE wheels.
This bad Mopar had everyone watching from the radical roof graphics to the 10-71 blower it was crazy!
The plans changed for the bonspeed boys and instead of traveling on with the tour we skipped the Chatanooga, TN stop.
There are two things you do regularly on Power Tour other than drive you clean your car at every stop detailing the road grime off the car so everyone can admire. Here Mark Grimes is wiping down the wheels on his Corvette.
The other thing you do very frequently is stop for fuel, Mark Cilani is demonstrating proper fuel technique. Gas-up, run to the men's room and get a snack.
Speaking of snacks the Grimes Gang loves their snacks. Early morning Du Quoin and Damon and Royce are already enjoying snacks and energy drinks.
Damon and Royce spent the trip in this slammed Pontiac GTO.
It does happen on Power Tour, cars break down. The good thing is that others are always willing to lend a hand and most get back on the road in short order.
The weather was top down perfect and we saw many a car drive past loaded with sun worshiping car guys.
Matt Grimes drove his slammed black on black on black Audi. That little car really screams.
Driving Power Tour might just be the best way to see America!
Ever see one of those movies where the guys walk in a restaurant or bar and everything stops, every single person turns to look. Welcome to Hopkinsville, KY, we drove off the beaten path to have lunch with the owner of BedWood© for Trucks, Jeff Major. Jeff had noticed we were coming close and invited the crew for lunch at The Wood Shed BBQ.
The thing that is so cool about the Power Tour is the cars and the people who drive them. You see everything from throw-down street machines to motor homes and rat rods. We will post a gallery of the variety, so stay tuned.
bonspeed's Brad Fanshaw had a hand in making the Hot Rod Magazine Keystone Beer Camaro become reality. He even was part of the Hot Rod TV commercial and build. We saw it in DuQuoin it's on the tour!
Ten friends, five cars and days to be part of the Hot Rod Power Tour. The bonspeed boys could never have made this years Power Tour without this generous group. I know they each have lead feet and bottomless stomachs!
The great people at Mid-America Corvette parts hosted a gigantic BBQ for thousands of car freaks. We ate, toured the factory and checked out the museum. The place is huge and really fun to stop and see.
SHOWN ABOVE: The bonspeed boys; Brad Fanshaw (standing in plaid shorts), Mark Cilani and Mark Grimes (red shirts) met a great group of guys at a gas station along the way. Several were from the Netherlands and they were traveling with some friends from Illinois. Driving in some muscle cars they were having a blast.
We were traveling across Iowa today and pulled off to grab something to drink. Just behind the gas station was this little place; The Dew Drop INN/Dairy Sweet. I can just imagine a hot Iowa night and the cars parked outside with people leaning against them, ice cream cones in hand.
The car is just 200 miles old, but it already has been fully prepped by Mark Grimes. The black Z06 was sprayed with a flat back stripe, over the carbon fiber hood and the top of the car. The suspension was tweaked for ride height and even better handling. The exhaust exits out of a stainless exhaust and that gas is hot as it gets squeezed from the now supercharged motor. With the hood shut you know this is no average Vette by seeing the massive intercooler peaking from the front grill.
First thing you need is one of these really cool bonspeedWheels.com windshield banners. Then you find the center of the glass and lay that puppy down.
As any real hot rodder knows, plans can change without notice. The famous last words; "It ran great yesterday" were ringing in our ears today.
Supercharged Thunder Edition Tahoe. Have you started to get the idea that Mark really likes supercharged rides? Yes, he does and we are glad he had another ride waiting on the side lines.
