Archives by Author | Mike
In true Montana style, Mike Hahn's first two vehicles were pickup trucks... a Ford F-150 and a Toyota mini-truck. The latter, after a night in a buddy's garage cranking down torsion bars and installing lowering blocks, cemented his love of customized rides. Since then, Mike has spent time wrenching on a '64 Impala, '67 Caddy convertible, '59 Nomad, '59 Belair, and (currently) a '73 Beetle. Though a fan of all things automotive, Mike's love of traditional-style hot rods and customs runs deep. He grew up close to several uncles who always had cool projects going. When he hits the big time, Mike is going to put a '59 Impala, '53 Belair, and a Nissan GT-R in the garage (you know, for "daily driving"). And awe heck, why not build a '49 Ford Business Coupe for the wife, as long as he's dreaming.
Petersen Automotive Museum and Griot’s Garage
Auto enthusiasts everywhere know that one of the world’s premier museums is in sunny Los Angeles. The Petersen Automotive Museum is 300,000 square feet of automotive history; a collection deserving of top-notch preservation. Which is why Griot’s Garage is proud to now be the museum’s Official Car Care Product Provider!
Continue reading...A New Garage! Part 8: The Grand Opening Celebration
Friday, May 28, 2010
After a long winter and countless late nights in the garage, it’s time to pull the cover off our barn find build and take it for a test drive. The best news? You are all invited to ride along! Help dedicate our new flagship Retail Store and Car Care School in style! Join us for [...]
Continue reading...Point/Counterpoint: What was 1932’s keenest iron?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Detroit is the battleground for one of the oldest automotive rivalries; Ford vs. Chevrolet. The competition has raged for decades, and with the carpocalypse in full swing, we are reminded of another challenging time in America. Let’s look back to see where Ford and Chevy stood in 1932. Who built a car that spoke to [...]
Continue reading...Caption It! Half-Fast Edition
Friday, May 14, 2010
Richard Griot doesn’t accept anything “nearly right” . So why did Griot’s Garage recently take delivery of this beautiful, but partial Porsche? Caption this photo in the comments… we’ll pick the best one next Friday (the 21st) and award the winner a Car Care prize! Also, check back for the full story on this cool [...]
Continue reading...A New Garage! Part 7: Open for Business
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
We’re ecstatic to announce that the flagship Griot’s Garage Retail Store is open! While we put the finishing touches on the rest of our barn find build (in preparation for the grand opening in June), you’re invited to check out the new store now. You’ll be amazed at the transformation. Just take a look at [...]
Continue reading...A New Garage! Part 6: Rounding the Bend
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
You’ve had projects in your garage, so you know… There comes a time in every build where the finished product is in sight. Idea has transformed to rendering has transformed to reality. Just over a month ago, we showed you the progress on our barn find build and asked you to use your imagination. Now, [...]
Continue reading...Michael Paul Smith’s Model Community
Monday, March 8, 2010
Homes and storefronts glow while snow blankets the sidewalks. Classic American iron lines every street, preserved, as if never driven. In fact, the auto dealership has a full lineup of ‘61 Chevy’s, right off the truck. There is a quiet calm. A rightness. You can almost smell the apple pie. This is Elgin Park, and [...]
Continue reading...On the Lot: 1935 Ford Pick ‘em up
Monday, February 22, 2010
Clear skies never fail to bring out the cool rides. Blue Oval purists might want to look away, but we can guarantee you’ve never seen one exactly like this. A ‘35 Ford, originally a flatbed, now fitted with a Chevy long box. The powerplant is a fuel-injected, SBC… and this thing sounds great! Thanks to [...]
Continue reading...Crossword Challenge: 1950 Chrysler New Yorker
Friday, February 19, 2010
A beautiful New Yorker graces the cover of Griot’s Garage Handbook #305. The big Chrysler is powered by a “Spitfire” straight-8 motor, mated to a “Prestomatic” fluid drive transmission. Gotta love those 1950’s trade names! One of our customers has created a crossword puzzle using facts about the car as clues. Check it out!
Continue reading...A New Garage! Part 5: Snapshots from the Beehive
Monday, February 15, 2010
Work on the new Griot’s Garage headquarters continues to buzz along, and a recent visit to the site saw Richard Griot beaming like a kid on Christmas. As he excitedly showed us around, stepping over chalk lines and dodging drywallers on stilts, we managed to snap a few photos of the action. Add these to [...]
Continue reading...From the Flickr Pool: Vertorama Edition
Friday, February 5, 2010
Vertorama is short for “vertical panorama” (stitching multiple photgraphs together vertically), and it’s just one of the techniques Horace Kwan used to create this stunning image. The car is a Ferrari F2008 which, since it wears #1, was likely piloted by Kimi Räikkönen during the 2008 F1 season. Congrats, Horace. Enjoy your prize!
Continue reading...Garage Plus lets you (yes, you) own a Man Cave.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Our friends at Garage Plus thought way outside the storage unit box when they came up with this concept: Garage “condos” you can own and customize! As they say, your imagination is the only limit to what can be done with your personal toy box. We recently asked Michelle Simon of Garage Plus to share [...]
Continue reading...A New Garage! Part 4: Momentum
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
If you’ve ever restored or customized a car, you know there’s a tipping point where the project just takes off. Plans have been refined and committed to memory, the vision is clear, and the tedious groundwork has been laid. It’s a satisfying time. Every night when you turn out the garage lights, you’ve made real, [...]
Continue reading...New In My Garage “Links & Resources” Page
Monday, January 18, 2010
Warning! Your productivity is about to take a nosedive! Check out our just-added links page, a collection of our favorite auto news sites, blogs, and car guy pages. We’ll be updating it regularly, so check back often. Heck, why not use it as your daily web surfing start page? Guaranteed fresh, always kosher. Get some here… [...]
Continue reading...Star Cars: Janis Joplin’s 1965 Porsche 356c
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
It’s hard to believe that, had she somehow found a way off the path of self-destruction, Janis Joplin would be turning 67 in a few days. America’s first female rock superstar created a catalog of soulful music that has transcended generations. And, did you know, the singer who famously belted, “Oh Lord, won’t you buy [...]
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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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