10 Stand-Out Rides from the 2021 NSRA Street Rod Nationals

4. Double the Land Cruiser, Double the Fun

“I’ve got one little HJ45 Diesel,” said Terry, “and I’ve got a little 2F gas FJ40. I’m always piddlin’ with ’em. I’ve got five of ’em, so I’m always working on ’em.”

Terry’s owned the blue and red Land Cruisers for several years, and was inspired to pick them up by his late father, who owned an ’85 Toyota pickup new; Terry still owns the truck to this day. All of his Land Cruisers are restored from the frame up, ensuring new fans can fall in love with Toyota as he has.

3. A Jet Age Scooter Built By Jets

“I get more reaction out of this than I do in my cars,” said the owner of this Salsbury Model 85, “and my cars are weird enough as it is.”

From 1948 to 1949, Salsbury built between 500 and 700 copies of the Model 85, including this one, which the owner had since the early Sixties. The original engine broke in ’63, leaving the scooter immobile until 2020, when it was finally rebuilt. Its Jet Age looks certainly fit Salsbury’s final owner, Northrop Grumman, who bought the company in December 1945.

2. A Saab Story

“The customer brought this in,” said Justin Nichols of Nichols Paint & Fab (as seen on MotorTrend TV’s Wrench’d). “It’s a ’69 Saab 99. [The owner] came in, said he wanted me to build him a Saab. I’m like, ‘Well, I never pictured myself building a Saab.'”

After the owner showed Justin what he wanted his 99 to be, Justin and his shop went to work to turn the front-drive machine into a rear-drive rally monster. A Ford EcoBoost turbo-four sends its fury through a Tremec six-speed to the Ford 9-inch rear axle. The interior includes a GT40-esque dash, houndstooth seating, and vintage vibes for the autocross with the family.

1. A Timeless Classic

“I’ve owned this ’63 Avanti for 49 years,” said John. “This was my wife’s grocery-getter 49 years ago. Its style is stock. It’s been modified in many ways, such that the average person wouldn’t recognize the changes.”

Under the hood is a 289 Studebaker V8, whose power is reined in by Corvette disc brakes all around. Each corner’s been lowered 2.5 inches, with big sway bars to make each drive feel like driving a go-kart.

Photos by Cameron Aubernon for Team Speed

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Cameron Aubernon

Cameron Aubernon's path to automotive journalism began in the early New '10s. Back then, a friend of hers thought she was an independent fashion blogger.

Aubernon wasn't, so she became one, covering fashion in her own way for the next few years.

From there, she's written for: Louisville.com/Louisville Magazine, Insider Louisville, The Voice-Tribune/The Voice, TOPS Louisville, Jeffersontown Magazine, Dispatches Europe, The Truth About Cars, Automotive News, Yahoo Autos, RideApart, Hagerty, and Street Trucks.

Aubernon also served as the editor-in-chief of a short-lived online society publication in Louisville, Kentucky, interned at the city's NPR affiliate, WFPL-FM, and was the de facto publicist-in-residence for a communal art space near the University of Louisville.

Aubernon is a member of the International Motor Press Association, and the Washington Automotive Press Association.

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