Ford Vs Chevrolet: Five Of The Best Restomods From Each Marque

The rivalry between Ford and Chevrolet dates back over 70 years at this point and doesn’t show any sign of ending soon. The two legendary companies have battled back and forth for years. Every time one brings out an innovative car that looks set to crush the other, their opponents will strike back. I like to stay impartial on this site: I love both Fords and Chevys, and I know we have plenty of readers who are the same. In this article, I’m going to go through both firms’ incredible back catalogs, picking out five cars from each that I think sum up what motoring is all about. Whether you’re a Ford fanatic or a Chevy connoisseur, I hope you enjoy the list.

Ford Galaxie 500

If there’s any car deserving of a song by Reverend Horton Heat, it’s this one. The Ford Galaxie 500 is a big, brawny, no-nonsense sedan that has a beating heart of raw power. With a name inspired by the space race, it’s also an incredible memorial to post-war optimism. This example, first featured on the site two years ago, is about as good as they get. The Galaxie is coated in a cream paint job which opens into a beautiful matching interior.

This restomod had a good start: when the builders got a hold of it, it was a relatively clean example, but it still needed some pizzaz. It got it. The Ford’s been fitted with a V8 crate which outputs 500 horsepower and has also had a whole bevy of other alterations made. The car now sits on Ride Tech air suspension and Boyd Coddington wheels, the door handles have been shaved down, and a whole new center console’s been thrown in. From its luxurious interior to its wonderful engine, this is a thoroughly modern Galaxie.

Chevrolet Impala

The Chevrolet Impala…the best-selling full-size car in American history and an icon of classic cars. A simple restoration would be a legend in its own right, but a restomod? Now we’re talking. This 1962 Impala, created by retiree Ken Cook, of Sacramento, is a daily driver with a metric tonne of soul. This Toreador Red-coated beauty is powered by a 427 ci LS3, replacing the original 327, which outputs somewhere around 580 horsepower. This monstrous power outputs means that nothing’s had to be stripped out. The car retains all its luxury, featuring AC and power steering, while still being able to pick up the pace whenever Ken wants it to.

Inside, Lexus power seats have been installed alongside a modern dash, but it still retains those classic Chevy looks. The only clue from the outside that this isn’t just a well-kept original are the wing mirrors and brake lights. The original round mirrors have been stripped off and replaced with rectangular ones, and a two more brake lights have found their way to the rear. Other than that though? You’d never know. That is, until you tried to beat it out of the lights.

Ford Fairlane

The Ford Fairlane is a car that was made with the rivalry in mind. A competitor to the Chevrolet Nomad, it was a great sedan in its day, and since then restomodders have been getting nastier and nastier with it. This 1967 Fairlane racer is the culmination of their efforts. Its creator, Stephen Strope, wanted to create the ultimate 1967 Ford racer, taking Ford parts from the time and melding them together into this beauty of a Frankenstein’s monster. A 427 SOHC V8 has been fitted and mated to a four-speed transmission, with aluminum wheels that have been modeled on the lauded Lamborghini Miura.

When a car is loud enough to set off not just one, but a string of car alarms? Well, you’re probably in for a treat (or a chase from annoyed drivers.) The car’s also been fitted with an active air wing, and inside, the big old original dash has been ripped out and replaced with a simple selection of gauges. The whole thing is an homage to the golden era of Ford racing, and it’s one of the coolest restomods I’ve seen in a very long time.

Chevrolet Bel Air

Though the Fairlane was made to compete with the Nomad, the Bel Air is, in my mind, another of its key rivals. A hulking full-size, the Bel Air is like nothing around today. This 1955 model features a daunting cherry red and jet black paint scheme, in comparison to the more traditional red and cream, but that’s not the only surprise on this restomod. Under the hood there’s a 427 big-block marine V8, which has seen a huge amount of modifications made, including a new cam. Hooked up to the V8 is a TH400 Turbo transmission, while the stock rear end has been replaced with a Ford part. Cry heresy all you want, but this is a fine build.

The interior has been replaced with that from a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, which is about the only thing I’m not such a big fan of. Other options found on this Chevy Bel Air include AC, an AM/FM radio, power steering, power brakes, a tilt steering wheel, and aluminum wheels. All in all, this is a superb restomod. If you’re more of a purist, then this Bel Air is probably the one for you.

Ford Shelby GT500

If you’ve read my blogs before, you’ll know that I talk about the Mustang a lot. It’s one of my favorite cars, and in my opinion, the best of the pony cars. However, for this entry, I wanted to focus on one particular model, and there’s none better than the Shelby GT500. This restomod somehow makes it even better. Built by Polish shop Mustang Clinic, this incredible machine blends the modern tech of a 2012 Mustang with the classic looks of a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500.

The restomod, nicknamed Eleanor, features the mechanical aspects of a 2012 Ford Mustang GT complete with a custom diff and adjustable KONI shocks. It also features modern air conditioning and traction control. Under the hood, you’ll find a contemporary 5 liter V8, but on the outside, you get all the classic looks of a Shelby Mustang.

Chevrolet Camaro

See, while I do think that the Ford Mustang is probably the greatest pony car, the Chevy Camaro doesn’t make it an easy choice. Particularly not this custom 1969 Camaro SS which recently sold for $165,000. The restomodding process on this beauty took two years and was handled by Paine Street Rods of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Barely anything on this car was left as stock. The panels were all gapped, while the bumpers were narrowed, antenna and emblem holes were filled, and the body covered in a coat of DuPont black paint.

An LS7 replaces the aging original engine, outputting 630 horsepower. A new intake’s been crafted, and the engine’s paired with a Wegner drive system. A fair few of the car’s components have been entirely custom-crafted, that’s how special this thing is. Take the exhaust — it’s a 3″ diameter unit that’s been custom made out of ceramic. Underneath it all you’ll find sway bars and QUADRAlink rear suspension. The Mustang may be the best pony car, but this is a stallion that looks like a true challenger.

Ford Thunderbird

This entry is going to be an ode to the blessed behemoth that stalked American roads in the 50s and 60s, fins resplendent. One of my favorite cars ever made, and certainly one of the most iconic cars ever built, the Ford Thunderbird is known the world over as the very definition of Americana, and this 1957 restomod takes that and drags it into the modern age. The beating heart of this car is a Ford Racing Boss 302 V8, producing 350 horsepower. This has then been hooked up to a four-speed overdrive automatic.

If it looks like a racer and sounds like a racer, can you guess what it probably is? It can corner better than most classic American cars too, thanks to power disc brakes on all four wheels. Oh, and by the way, there’s even more chrome than on the original. The interior has been updated perhaps even more dramatically. Featuring a Vintage air system, a JL audio system, power windows, and a Haartz soft top, this is the gifted lovechild of power, luxury, and beauty. I’m a big fan.

Chevrolet Chevelle

The Chevy Chevelle is the aficionado’s muscle car. Perhaps not as well known as the Mustang or the Corvette, it’s every inch their equal. It looks incredible. It sounds fantastic. And this particular one ramps it past 11 all the way up to 99. Put together by Mike Gamble of Gamble’s Street Rods, the Chevelle boasts a beastly big-block with a displacement of 540 cubic inches. This is augmented with a pair of 76mm turbos plus a 16 injector intake. Yes, please.

The superb body has been given the once over with sprays of Dodge Viper graphite paint. Inside, there’s a custom interior courtesy of the Recovery Room of Plattsmouth, Nebraska. One beautifully modern part of the interior is a MiMod touchscreen in the center console, which is hooked up to a number of the car’s functions including the trunk lid and windows. All in a convertible that’s more muscular than Mr. Universe after he’s dropped his water weight. This is a 0 percent body fat car. It is worth every penny.

Ford Model A

This may seem like a little bit of a cop-out, but if you want to talk about restomods, hot rodding is where it all began, and the Model A is the king of hot rods. There’s so many I could choose for this piece, but I’ve decided to opt for the Chrisman Bonneville Coupe, because it’s just so ludicrous. It’s designed for nothing other than speed. Driving the thing was an exercise in masochism, with your knees not so much around your ears as behind them as though practicing some kind of vehicular yoga. Speed, however, it had in spades.

The car raced in class D at the Bonneville Salt Flats on its third trip in 1955. It was powered on to the breathless speed of 196 mph by a 331 ci Chrysler V8. Read that again. 196 mph in 1955. Since then, the car’s changed hands a fair few times before getting sold in 2008 for $660,000. From a basic Model A, the car was grown into a record-breaking ravager of all things sensible, in favor of all things that make life truly worth living: terrifying speed, the quest for glory, and the joy of success.

Chevrolet Corvette

Oh, the Chevy Corvette…where would we be without you? Without a single doubt, it’s one of the most famous series of cars ever made. From the C1 to the Z06, they’re all world-famous. I don’t think there’s any other name that can boast that. For this entry, we’re going to look at a restomod of my favorite edition: the C2, aka the Sting Ray. This restomodded 1967 Sting Ray convertible may cause consternation among some Chevy fans, but it is very, very cool. Crafted from a 427/435, of which 3754 were made.

Under its beautifully sculpted hood, you’ll find an LSA engine as seen in the Camaro ZL1, outputting a joyously raucous 556 horsepower and 551 ft/lb of torque. To give the driver the most control they can have, the engine is mated to a five-speed Tremec TKO manual transmission. The original wheels have also been replaced with those from a Z06 to compensate for the dramatic increase in power. Despite the car’s new components, the intention was to keep as much of the original’s spirit as possible. Hence, for example, why the decklid’s been crafted from a mixture of a C6’s parts with a C4 latch, in an attempt to emulate the original’s look. It’s a work of art, and a painstaking one at that.