What defines a hot rod is a topic not to be treated lightly. By definition anything modified is a hot rod, although say that in the wrong circle of hot rod purists and you will likely be shanked by a Phillips-head screwdriver. But while there are some guys who are very black and white when it comes to what a hot rod should be, there are those that are a little more open-minded, embracing the original hot rod roots when guys took whatever parts they had at their disposal to make their machine as fast as it possibly could be. When you put aside any thoughts of a period-correct build, some interesting creations can, and do, appear … mixing new and old-school can still be cool.
USA is of course the hot bed for such creations, but often they never quite mesh the two eras as tastefully as Brandon DeJesus has managed to achieve with his 2JZ-GTE–powered 1930s Ford pickup. It’s not often rebar and a Garrett GT42 can sit side by side in harmony, but this is one of those times.