If there is a Mount Rushmore of American trucks, the 1973–1987 Chevrolet and GMC “Square Body” is sitting right in the middle of it. They are big, blocky, and built like bank vaults. But let’s be honest: the original 350 small blocks and wheezing emissions-choked V8s from the late 70s and 80s aren’t exactly thrilling. […]
When we talk about custom car culture, the spotlight usually shines on big block muscle cars, high-dollar restomods, or lifted 4x4s. But if you want to see pure, unfiltered automotive art—the kind that requires serious imagination and a willingness to cut up perfectly good sheet metal—you have to look down. Way down. Welcome to the
In a world that moves at the speed of a fiber-optic cable, there is something revolutionary about going “Low and Slow.” To the outside world, a lowrider is just a car—maybe a ’64 Impala or a square-body Chevy—with candy paint and a lot of chrome. But to those who know the smell of gear oil
The Problem: Your 1986 Grand Prix’s factory fuel system was designed to push 5–7 PSI for a carburetor. Your new LS 6.0 needs a constant 58 PSI to fire the injectors. If you try to use the stock lines and pump, the engine won’t even start. You have two paths here: The “Checkbook Mechanic” (easy,
The Reality Check So, you’ve dropped a modern LS 6.0 or a monster Big Block into your Grand Prix. It starts, it sounds mean, and it does a burnout. But the first time you hit a corner or slam the brakes, you’re going to realize something scary: The factory 1986 suspension and brakes cannot handle
Deciding on the engine is the easy part. Making it fit into a 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix is where the knuckles get busted. Whether you go Big Block or LS, there are specific “deal-breaker” parts you need to have on hand before you start swinging the hoist. Here is the survival list I wish I
You’ve got an ’86 Grand Prix in the driveway and a decision to make that will define the next five years of your life: Big Block Chevy (BBC) or LS 6.0 (LQ4/LQ9)? It’s the ultimate battle between old-school raw torque and modern, high-revving efficiency. If you’re torn between being a “Boomer” or a “Zoomer,” here
“It’s 11:30 PM in the Garage of Dreams. I’m three bolts away from pulling the intake on the Firebird, the music is right, and I’m in the zone. I reach for the one tool that makes the world go ’round—the 10mm socket—and… nothing. Just an empty peg in the tray staring back at me like
The old way of building hot rods went like this: Buy a car, start cutting metal, and hope it looks cool when you’re done. The problem? Sometimes you spend 500 hours and $10,000 just to realize the roof chop looks weird, or the wheels don’t fit the vibe. At Dream Factory Customs, we believe in
Stop waiting until you have a “perfect” shop. You see the guys on TV with the CNC machines, the English Wheels, and the $10,000 welding tables. That stuff is nice, but you don’t need it to build a hot rod. The truth? Some of the coolest cars in history were built in a dirt driveway
