There are also a number of videos now on YouTube.  Lincoln-Electric has released two videos that were filmed in the Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas.  Eastwood did a video at the SEMA Show and PPG did a show and product highlight reel.  Also Will Handzel from TechAFX stopped by my shop to upgrade the Imperial with Teflon Fuel lines and made a how-to video.  Finally there is just a fun video of the car out on Woodward Ave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeewccLAXJA  Lincoln-Electric
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNGpgmfoTmI Lincoln-Electric
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZiRi0YSL0w Eastwood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKhR_IdPzzs PPG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJpafJYjjak Tech AFX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOB9UOk3a8E Running on Woodward

But that is just the beginning.  The magazines are still a buzz too.  The April issue of Mopar Muscle is on newsstands now with a really nice feature on the Speedster.  The car also went international with a small write-up in Bilsport 25 from Sweden.
 Locally, the car is on the cover of the Autorama issue of Cruis’news and has been written up in two of their most recent issues.  The icing on the cake is Mopar Collector’s Guide putting the Imperial on their Top Ten Mopar of 2011 list.

Coming up are a series of cars shows across the Midwest.   First off is Darryl Starbird’s show in Tulsa, OK.  Then it returns to the Detroit Autorama, followed by the Chicago World of Wheels, and then Toronto’s MegaSpeed.  The Imperial will be featured at all of the shows in a 20×20 display.  At Detroit PJ’s trim Shop and Pfaff Designs will have a 20’x60’ island in addition to the 20’ x 30’ Speedster display.  We will be displaying Two Guys Garage TV Show host Kevin Byrd’s BMW, Jimi Day’s AMX, and two cars from Richard Petty’s stable.  MegaSpeed is featuring the Imperial in their promotions and it is on their homepage http://megaspeedcarshow.com/

Promotional posters to handout at the car shows that will feature model Emily Page.  She will also be available to sign them at Detroit and Toronto.

Deadlines are always a daunting reality of any car project, but a full custom with chopped top in less than eight weeks!  Plus a completely custom built interior coming at the tail end of the build?  PJ’s Trim Shop stepped up to the plate and made it happen for the car’s debut at the Chicago Auto Show.  “It was a relief meeting your staff and seeing your shop first-hand, picking out the colors, etc. today.  I’m very stoked about the leather colors–a real head turner!  I am blessed to have a qualified shop come to my rescue as we head toward the finish line, especially one with your skills and obvious talent.” commented owner Mark O’Brien.  For more on the project have a look at the gallery page.

Mark Obrien’s first foray into the world of hot rods and show cars met with great success! We won “Best in Class” for our division, which was “Radically Modified Hardtop,” “Outstanding Custom of the Show,” “Master Builders Award,” and “Top High School Class Overall” at the World of Wheels Competition in Chicago January 23-25th. The greatest joy in sponsoring this high school effort was witnessing the sheer excitement and sense of accomplishment among the students and their teachers in building a real winner of a car in our 1951 Ford.

The car is Project X, the most famous 1957 Chevy ever built – and rebuilt. Since its debut in PHR more than 40 years ago, Project X has served as a rolling, evolving test bed of high-performance parts and a bell weather of automotive culture trends. But while this perpetual project car has never absolutely been finished, it has undergone several complete rebuilds – transformations that have contemporized its performance and styling.

General Motors and PHR collaborated during the past year to redesign, restore and re-power the iconic yellow shoebox, including the first of a limited number of Anniversary 427 crate engines.

But while Project X has traditionally been a platform for aftermarket performance, GM Performance Division restored it with a great balance of O.E.M. parts and craftsmanship, complementing a roster of components supplied by the performance industry’s top manufacturers, including PJ’s Trim Shop in Hemlock, MI.

As with the exterior, Project X’s cabin was completely dismantled and rebuilt – with plenty of subtle details and tricks. With only a few weeks to create an interior worthy of a historical heavyweight, PJ and his crew went to work.

The front seats began life as Cadillac STS units and were modified to give them a chopped-down, slimmer look – including the removal of the headrests. The rear seat is from a 1956 Buick and it was modified with an aluminum center trim panel. All the seats are covered in rich, black leather with grey cloth inserts.

Additional interior details include door panel trim that mimics the design of the exterior trim, a sporty steering wheel from a 1963 Impala SS and a ’64 Impala center console that was widened to fit the space between the late-model STS seats. Rising out of the console is a classic Hurst shifter that is used to stir the Richmond five-speed.

Some of Project X’s best interior details are hidden in plain sight, including the power window switches. They’re connected to the original-type manual window cranks, which require only a quarter-turn to lower or raise the windows – giving the interior a great blend of vintage style and modern technology. A Kenwood audio system is also hidden in the interior and it is operated via an overhead touch-screen control panel. The panel also contains controls for the exhaust cut-outs, fog lights and trunk release.

Other hidden features are located in the trunk, which was re-done in hand-formed steel – including the wide wheel “tubs” – and incorporates side access panels for storage and to keep the rear-mounted battery out of view.

Project X was debuted at the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas to rave reviews. Look for it in the pages of Popular Hot Rodding and on HOT ROD TV!

For more on this big league hitter
click here.