Of all the cars on the floor at DUB Detroit, this custom Monte-Carlo really made people do a double take. The sheet metal work is so flawless, looking at it makes you wonder if Chevy actually made a Monte wagon. And while there are tons of custom touches on this wicked machine—I loved the suicide Lambo doors, trick hood, wood floor—I think the back end is the most impressive part of the build. Because while it looks like a transplant from a Dodge Magnum, it was actually constructed completely by hand. Wow. Check out more pics after the jump.

Donks inspire a lot of hate, but I dig how absolutely insane they are. Seriously, can you imagine what someone who’s never seen an urban monster like this thinks when one rolls into their rear-view mirror? I’d imagine it’s a 50/50 cocktail of fascination and fear, but there’s probably some disgust mixed in too. Of course, there were plenty of cool hi-risers in Detroit, but this Cutlass was the obviously king of the mountain. The only thing that bothered me—and this is true of every hi-riser I’ve seen—is that the car is basically rolling without brakes. Think about it, do you really believe that 30 year old drums have a chance in hell of stopping 30" wheels? Because I don’t. Sure, hi-risers may look cool, but if this trend is going to continue, I want to start seeing cars with Brembo three-pistons fitted all the way around. Until then, these cars will be the West coast parties of custom vehicles. Because like Tupac said, "a West coast party don’t stop." More pics after the jump.

The chopped roof and insanely detailed paint made this Mini stand out from across the hall, but it was the single-seat cockpit which really blew me away. While I can’t imagine the plastic seat is particularly comfortable, the controls look more like what you’d use to control a podracer than a car, and that’s pretty dope. More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Alpine Takes Mini to the Max" »

NASCAR and DUB aren’t something I’d have imagined would go together, so I was surprised to see this wicked tire-changing challenge in Detroit. While Mike from the Richard Petty Experience wasn’t terribly thrilled about the loud rap music booming from, well, everywhere—"Heck, I guess 20% of my hearing is gone anyway"—he still seemed to be having a great time instructing newbies in the art slapping on fresh rubber. The kid in the shot below bested his buddy by a solid seven seconds, which in racing, is an eternity. Watch the video to see him in action.

Generally, I’m of the opinion that Rolls-Royce cars are perfect from the factory. Until now, the only heavily modded example of a classic R-R I’d seen at a DUB show was equipped with Lambo doors, and frankly, it  made me feel a little sick. But while Detroit Customs clearly had its way with this ’54 Silver Dawn, I was completely floored by the result. Even rolling on DUBs, all the old English charm remains. Fortunately, I got to talk to Detroit Customs’ Mike Miski, one of the dudes behind this insane build, and he let me in on just how tough pulling it off was. So watch the interview, and check out a bunch more pics after the jump.

Continue reading "'54 Rolls Silver Dawn Reimagined" »

I go to shows all the time, and I have to admit, I’m a little jaded. Honestly? It’s not often I find something I haven’t seen before, so I go looking for unusual cars. Because I want to see something different, something new. But when I went searching at DUB Detroit, not only did I see something I hadn’t seen before, I encountered something I thought I’d never see. Ever. So take a deep breath. Because this Coupe DeVille, which I assume is called the "Hardest Cock on the Block," has a cockfighting theme. For the uninformed, cockfighting—the "sport" of pitting roosters against each other for "entertainment"—is illegal virtually everywhere in the States. And in most places, it’s against the law to even watch, like dog fighting. Anyway, I stalked this car all day, trying to see if I could get the owner on camera, but either he didn’t ever hang out, or I just kept missing him. Of course, maybe this isn’t the type of guy you want to run into—the etching on the windows reads: "I wake up ready." I’m not exactly clear on what that means, but I’m pretty sure it involves a gun. More pics after the jump.

Air travel is really the only decent excuse for waking up early. After all, you get to go somewhere, and at least if you’re supposed to arrive two hours before your flight, the bars open at six. But I don’t even care about the fact that I had to get up at at the crack of dawn, because I’m headed to Detroit—Motor City!—for the kickoff of the 2008 DUB tour. While I missed the 2007 stop, I was on the ground in Detroit in 2006, and at SEMA, I talked to head honcho Myles Kovacs about what was hot wheel-wise. So I’m curious to see what heats up the floor tomorrow. In ‘O6 I liked this two-tone Charger, and as always, the audio gear in the bed of the Meguire’s truck made me dizzy. And while I know it’s two Chargers in a row, I really like how this Mopar from last year looks like a shark. Right now, I don’t know what the coolest ride I’ll see this weekend will be, but as soon as I do, I’ll post it on the blog. Also look out for interviews with David Banner, Nick Cannon and Llyod. Stay tuned—Motor City here I come!