the country. We’re sure we’ll be telling you more about Riveting Rides over the years! McKenzie Murphy grew up in a house where gasoline and exhaust were comfort smells the same as grandma’s cooking. As a youngster she owned a pink-flamed, pedal car roadster and as she aged, she realized her dream when Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop built her a full-size ’32 Ford roadster (it’s the last car in this month’s Builders Showcase coverage). Since completed the car has been on a whirlwind tour starting with the 2024 GNRS/AMBR competition and finishing off with the SEMA show. She now gets to drive the wheels off her ‘pedal car’ and I can’t wait to get pictures of her cruising to all our
favorite events (she already has done the 2025 Grand Daddy Drive-In at the 2025 GNRS). The truth is that between 20 to 33 percent of our 29 Below participants are ladies and in general, ladies do a better job of fully filling out their tech sheets, almost always adding some neat personal details, are much better at posing for pictures and a little easier going. Throughout the years I have met many young ladies who are now lifetime rodders and are spending their time on the road cruising cool rides to cool events. I’m sure we’ll bring you more details about McKenzie and Madison over the coming years and I can’t wait to see our fairer friends during the 2025 cruising season.
RYAN SPRANKLE There is just something special about a Rambler, kind of AMC’s version of the VW Bug. It was usually one of the cheapest cars available, harkened back to an earlier era (made until 1969), and the Rambler in many ways kept AMC afloat in the late ‘50s. Ryan Sprankle out of New Park, PA, bought his version for his first car at age 16 and had to be the only guy in his school with one. Ryan’s ’58 AMC Rambler is an amazing survivor with the original Mardi Gras Red paint, slammed suspension on Detroit Wheels, the 90-horse 195ci Flathead 6, and a Borg Warner Flash ‘O Matic three- speed automatic transmission.
DUSTIN SIGLER Dustin Sigler from York, PA, got his ’94 Toyota pickup from his dad as a project and together they got it looking and running beautifully. The chassis and drivetrain on a Toyota pickup are legendary, so the 3.0-liter V-6 only got an exhaust upgrade. The suspension got American Racing Baja wheels wearing Cooper Discovery rubber and the stock interior was rewired by Dustin. Lynn Waltemyer (grandpa) straightened out the body, slipped on a cowl-induction scoop, and Randy Miller laid down the Leotard Blue paint. I really dig on the cowl-induction hood and you can’t have a better daily driver 4WD.
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