Featured Restorations and Car Builds

1957 Ford Ranch Wagon SOHC Full Build at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Photo Gallery

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1957 Ford Ranch Wagon 427 SOHC Roadster Shop Chassis at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

Never Judge A Book…

The goal of this 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon build is to add modern car handling with barely-streetable power from a Ford 427 legendary Single Overhead Cam (SOHC) V8, all while keeping a stock (ish) sleeper appearance.

1957 Ford Ranch Wagon 427 SOHC built at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

A Modern Twist on a Legendary Engine

The elements include a 700+ HP John Kaase built 540-cube SOHC engine, 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, a Roadster Shop chassis and suspension, and great brakes. The wagon will ride on 17” steel wheels – or Halibrand kidney-bean style wheels, depending on the mood. The chassis will deliver a slightly lowered, but usable stance.

A Stock 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon. Or is it?

One of the goals of this custom hot rod 1957 Ford is to make it look unassuming. No racing bucket seats for this one, as it will feature the original style bench seat and steering column mounted shifter. The Ranch will wear an original Starmist Blue and Colonial White color scheme, with a coordinating restored interior. New Old Stock or restored original trim will be used in all the original and correct locations on the car. The V8 Speed and Resto Shop is handling the build, and it’s going to be an amazing ride!

Follow The Build

The V8 Speed and Resto Shop Team is chronicling the build of the 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon in thousands of photos and videos, and you can follow them all right here. And if you’re inspired, we encourage you to contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop to chat about your Classic or Muscle Car dream ride today!

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817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

1957 Ford Thunderbird 5.0 Coyote V8 and Chassis Swap at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Photo Gallery

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This cool 1957 Ford Thunderbird came to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in tribute to the owner’s Father who owned several of these cool Birds over the years. Today, we’re going to make this one more powerful and reliable for years of trouble-free cruising. The V8 Speed & Resto Shop team will be installing a custom chassis, complete with Wilwood brakes, coil-over shocks, and upgrade the sway bars for better handling. The ‘Bird will have far more Thunder thanks to a new Ford Racing 5.0 V8 cranking out 430 HP and over 400 lbs.-ft. of torque. Additionally, we’re installing a 6-speed automatic transmission spinning that steam back to a new 9″ rear axle. Upgraded audio and lighting will make it even more fun to drive. Follow along as we make the upgrades on this slick ’57 Thunderbird!

Click “Read More” for the complete photo gallery!

1957 Ford Thunderbird 5.0 Coyote Swap and Custom Chassis Part 1 V8 Speed & Resto Shop V8TV

1957 Ford Thunderbird 5.0 Coyote Swap and Custom Chassis Part 2 V8 Speed & Resto Shop V8TV

1957 Ford Thunderbird 5.0 Coyote Swap and Custom Chassis Part 3 V8 Speed & Resto Shop V8TV

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1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 Restoration at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

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1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 Restoration at V8 Speed & Resto Shop

This cool 1966 Chevelle is the second for it’s owner Larry Frees, who might be familiar as the caretaker of the “Mr. Chevy” 1955 Chevy gasser and hauler ramp truck. He had a Marina Blue ‘66 many years ago, and this car will serve to be the “jumping off point” from where his old ‘66 left off. Larry provided us with the beginning of the restoration story as it unfolds in the V8 Speed & Resto Shop. The car turned out beautifully, after some sheet metal surgery, laser-straight bodywork, and a custom color brewed in-house. It’s putting out over 400 horsepower, it rides on air, and looks fantastic!

Click “Read More” for the complete photo gallery!

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1972 Ford Bronco 5.0 Coyote Restomod Build at V8 Speed & Resto Shop Video

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lassic Ford Bronco Gets Modern Muscle with Coyote V8 Swap at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop!

The V8 Speed & Resto Shop recently completed a modern 5.0 Coyote V8 swap into a 1972 Ford Bronco that was brought to us as a restored truck. Now, the restomod Bronco runs much stronger and is more reliable thanks to the Ford Performance 5.0 Coyote V8 engine swap and upgraded Dakota Digital Gauges. The V8 Speed and Resto Shop conversion also included installing a custom mandrel bent Magnaflow exhaust system and high-pressure fuel system to run the Coyote engine.

Now that the 2021 Ford Bronco has been revealed, it’s fun to show how early Ford Broncos can be retrofitted with modern Coyote V8 engines and technology to make the classic Ford Bronco perform like the new 2021 Bronco.

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1939 LaSalle Ambulance Restoration at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Photo Gallery

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1939 LaSalle Ambulance Restoration Photo Gallery

This 1939 LaSalle ambulance / hearse was originally commissioned in the town of Red Bud, IL… which happens to be the home of the V8 Speed & Resto Shop! We’re excited to change the color and tune up the appearance of this originally hand-built coach. Follow along with the photos to see the progress!

Deco Streamliner Styling

LaSalle was a notch below Cadillac, but offerend power and style beyond most contemporary automakers of the time.

1939 LaSalle restored by V8 Speed and Resto Shop

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

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1946 Ford Tudor Restoration Photo and Video Gallery at V8 Speed & Resto Shop

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1946 Ford Tudor Restoration Photo Gallery and Video at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

This 1946 Ford Tudor street rod stands tall after a cosmetic restoration at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop! The car was already sitting on a Mustang II front suspension with a Chevy 350 and Turbo 350 transmission combination when it arrived at the V8 shop, and the owner was happy with how it drove. But he didn’t like the peeling black paint, the beat-up trim, and the rust around the edges. It was time to strip it and start fresh.

Down to the bare bones

Once the paint was stripped, it was obvious that the old Tudor needed some love in the metalwork department. The trunk floor was badly rusted, and the rear fenders were also rusted thin with pits. Nice 1946 Ford rear fenders are hard to find, so the V8 crew created new ones in the metal fabrication shop. Once TIG welded in, you can’t tell there were any repairs ever made. Similar treatment was done to the trunk floor.

A whole new look

The body shop crew took it from there, sanding the Tudor’s curves and prepping the body for paint. Once in the paint booth, the ‘46 was treated to multiple coats of Mercedes Graphite Metallic basecoat color and several layers of clear. We think the polished and replated trim looks dynamite against the subtle metallic silver color.

Inside, the seats, carpet, and headliner were reupholstered, and the dashboard chrome was restored adding a brilliance to the interior not found on modern cars.

The 350 was tuned up, Rocket Racing wheels were added, and this super clean ‘46 Ford is ready for another ¾ of a century of cruising fun.

We invite you to contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop for all your fabrication and paint needs, no matter how old your ride!

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

1969 Chevrolet Corvette LS3 T56 6-Speed Swap Video Series at V8 Speed & Resto Shop

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1969 Chevrolet Corvette LS3 T56 6-Speed Swap at V8 Speed & Resto Shop Photo Gallery

This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop in need of some serious power, performance, and reliability upgrades. This C3 Corvette was powered by a non-original and well worn 350 cubic inch V8 backed by a Muncie 4 speed manual transmission. The goal was a Corvette LS Swap to add modern power to this C3 Corvette. A C3 Corvette LS Swap seems to be a simple job at first glance, but the more you investigate, you’ll see that a C3 Corvette LS Swap isn’t quite so simple.

The V8 Speed & Resto Shop team addresses the fitment issue of the LS3 V8 swap, as well as the steps needed to perform a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed manual transmission swap into the C3 Corvette. The challenges included fitting the off-center LS3 engine under the hood, as well as fitting the Tremec 6 speed manual transmission into the C3 Corvette chassis. We sourced our LS swap engine from GM Performance Parts, and a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed manual transmission, clutch, bellhousing, and shifter from Modern Driveline.

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1979 Pontiac Trans Am LS3 Swap and Suspension Upgrades at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

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This 1979 Pontiac Trans Am was originally equipped with a 403 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8, and although it was pretty hot for the time, it just isn’t enough for the owner today. The car came to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop for some high-performace upgrades including a GM LS3 485 HP V8 engine fed by a Holley EFI system, and it will handle better thanks to a Ridetech Street Grip suspension system with YearOne wheels. Wilwood brakes will haul it down in short order. Before all the fun, we had to fix some rusty floors, which was a good time to fabricate a custom firewall for the car as well. Follow along with all the progress here!

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 1

Muscle Car Restoration At The V8 Speed & Resto Shop – 314.783.8325-Video

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 2

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 3

V8 Speed & Resto Shop Muscle Car Restoration Shop Tour

Muscle Car Restoration Shop Tour at V8 Speed & Resto Shop

1967 Pontiac GTO Restoration and Unveiling Video V8 Speed and Resto Shop GTO Full Build

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

1973 Plymouth Duster 340 Restoration Photo Gallery

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1973 Plymouth Duster restored by V8 Speed and Resto Shop

This cool 1973 Plymouth Duster 340 arrived at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in need of some metalwork and cosmetic restoration. You can follow the progress in these photo galleries to see how this one progresses!

GALLERY 1

GALLERY 2

1951 Chevrolet Dump Pickup Truck Restoration Photo Gallery

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1951 Chevrolet Dump Pickup Truck Restoration Photo Gallery

This 1951 Chevrolet pickup truck served as our customer’s Grandfather’s farm truck for many years. In fact, it was his Grandfather that built the original dump mechanism for the truck. After years of labor on the farm, the truck was sent to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop for a complete restoration with some modifications to make it like new… and ready to be put back to work!

Click “Read More” for the complete video and photo gallery!

Click this link to see the ’51s after-restoration cross country road trip home!

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TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE BEST TIMES OF THEIR LIVES THROUGH THINGS WITH WHEELS

Category: Featured Restorations and Car Builds

Never Judge A Book…

A Modern Twist on a Legendary Engine

A Stock 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon. Or is it?

Follow The Build

Deco Streamliner Styling

Down to the bare bones

A whole new look

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 1