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the car junkie daily magazine.

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Author Archive: Bryan McTaggart

Because We Can: Driving The Porsche 963 RSP On The Public Roads

You can’t drive a race car on the street. That’s what we’ve been told for decades, right? Too loud. Too powerful. Way too fast. You’ll kill someone, likely yourself included....

The Charger, Part 12: Fit-Testing, Installing The Holley Mid-Mount Accessory Drive Kit, And Other Projects

Now that the Charger’s engine bay has been prettied up, thanks to the power of spray paint from the local auto parts store, time for lingering is up. I’ve scrubbed the Hemi down. I have...

Money No Object: Save This 1978 Pontiac LeMans While There Is Still Time!

It is a given conclusion that, if I had the money to do whatever I wanted, that I would rather build than buy when it comes to automobiles. Don’t get me wrong, something like a newer Ram 5500...

Dyno Tested: A Ram Air V-Headed Pontiac That Puts Up Big Torque Easily!

As 1970 approached, manufacturers were building high-horsepower engines as if they were preparing for war. Ford and Chrysler were at war with each other on the drag strips and the NASCAR high-banked...

Playing Mad Scientist: Making A Lawn Mower Carburetor Feed A Blown Small-Block Ford

In 2022, Luke took his absolutely ratty and glorious Ford Maverick and created a way to run that car’s 302 with the carburetor from a lawn mower and proceeded to break a lot of brains in the...

Bringing A $400 1982 Dodge Charger Back To Life Is A Cry For Help

Given that I’m the actually proud owner of a late 1970s Dodge Charger, I usually get thrown into conversations of “what is the worst Charger ever made?” It’s a question...

Pest Control Fail: Vice Grip Garage Brings A Beetle Back To Life (WHY?)

I am not a classic Volkswagen fan. Let’s get that out of the way first. Ever since I was a kid, even before I was a mini-gearhead, I disliked the tweeting noise that indicated that one of these...

Can This GTO “Judge” Clone Return To Life? And Does Junkyard Digs Know What “Scope Creep” Means?

It’s the dream we all hope to have: we learn of a barn that hasn’t been opened in decades, and if we want whatever is inside, come get it. As you open the interior to fresh air for the...

The Charger, Part 11: Preparing The Nest For The New Arrival

It has been eight months since I last wrote about the ’76 Charger, and last time, the news wasn’t that great. After two stops on Power Tour 2024, the 360 in the car, the original block to...

Unhinged: The Lasting Legacy Of Roadkill

In case you have been living under a rock, have recently come out of a coma, have returned from foreign travel or finally replaced the smartphone that you dropped in the toilet, it is true: in...

MORE: Unhinged

Enjoying Scouts Old And New In The Farmlands Of Tennessee

From 1961 to 1980, International Harvester, one of the biggest names in the world of agriculture machinery, made sport-utility vehicles. The Scout 80, 800, 800A, Scout II, Terra and Traveler added a...

Junkyard Digs Shows You What To Look For On Your New-To-You Project With This 4-Speed Malibu

Oh, good lord, Kevin, what have you done. A Chevy Malibu wagon in one of the many flavors of cream/beige/”I Can’t Believe It’s Not White!” that most late 1970s-very early...

Not A Mustang: Can This Capri Turbo RS Make It To Ford Fest?

You want to know how nice of a guy Dylan McCool is? I’ll give you a little bit of insider baseball on this video. A couple of days after MoParty, he shoots me a text message: “I wanted to...

Not A Cop: This Drift-Ready Crown Victoria Looks Rowdy!

“Sleeper” is one of those words that gets thrown around in the gearhead world too much. It’s like saying that something is “cool”, even if you’re saying it so that...