17" Magnum 500's

Those suckers set me back way over a grand, and that was in 2014. They were my Christmas gift to myself for the next three years.


That's the $7,500 Wonder: It was a running 225 column-auto 7.25" car when I bought it. Now it's a solid-roller W2 340, 4-speed, 4.10 Sure Grip 8.75" with SBP K-H brakes and a spring relocation--all fresh or brand new. My avatar is that car's engine. Add new floors, carpets, steering-column conversion, solid used LH front rail, custom driveshaft, SS springs, eight tires, blah blah blah (the parts list goes on forever) and I'm still into it for less than $8K including the car. That's why it's still beat, rusted, and bondoed, and it will stay that way. We made it solid enough to hurl down a dragstrip, with no thought given to looks.

They tell me shiny paint creates stress. I wouldn't know.

Here's a crappy picture with the drag wheels, back when the vinyl top was present:

View attachment 1716326759
That valiant is just about perfect in my book.