It's a dismal night as mist hangs heavy in the air and low-lying fog creeps along with every step you take. . . more than enough to set your nerves on edge in a macabre nightmare unfolding right before your very eyes. Turning a corner leading to a small garage in Jordan, New York, you see a dim light and seek shelter to only be greeted by the latest ghastly creation lying in the crypt known as Reapers Rejects. Fusing hot rods and horror with a twist of whimsy Amy and Jon Holbrook set forth to create Odd Rods that once completed, rise from their respective slabs to hit the streets.

Odd Rods are a special breed. . . they're initial intent isn't to be anything practical but to make a statement rather than be your average cruiser or grocery-getter. Imagine the shock of a cashier when showing up at the drive-through in one of these to pick up a sack of burgers, priceless! Simply put they're meant to be fun and to provoke responses from the viewers which their numerous creations do on a regular basis. Seeing that the couple has built a number of theme-infused rides including ones known as Skull Rod, Frankenstein, Purgatory and Cyclops it was only a matter of time till we revisited with them for the debut of their latest one known as Hellbound. With each concept the duo layout initial ideas on paper, creating a blend of design and mechanical needs before embarking on the journey to locate all the bits to start the build. It's a process that allows everything to evolve as needed while it moves closer toward completion.

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With regard to Hellbound, the couple wanted to instill plenty of '60s-era ghoulish glamour, recalling what you could have experienced sitting in a dusty old movie theater on a Saturday afternoon while watching a creature double-feature. To set the stage for the project to rise, Jon fabricated a spine from 2x3-inch rectangular steel, heavily kicked and Z'd to set the base accented with custom crossmembers. Out back a '57 Chevy rear packed with 3.73 gears was anchored in place by a custom four-link, Panhard bar and coilover shocks. Up front a stock '48 Ford truck axle was repurposed with matching spindles and split wishbones along with a transverse spring, all mounted suicide-style. To stop everything dead a dual master pushes fluid through steel lines to GM drums out back and 11-inch discs up front. It all meets the street on a set of 15-inch Weld Draglite wheels capped with rubber from Mickey Thompson.

For plenty of hellish horsepower a monster big-block was assembled by Finger Lakes Machine of Auburn Lakes starting with a cast-iron Dart Big M block machined to 634ci. It's packed with plenty of go-fast goods including a Callies Performance crank with matching H-beam rods wearing Carrillo Bullet Series pistons urged by a stick from Bullet Racing. Up top a set of Dart Big Chief 18-degree aluminum heads make seamless power when matched to a matching intake capped by a Holley 1,000cfm carb by Nickerson Performance. An MSD ignition lights the fire with spend gasses dumped through a set of headers from Dynatech. A warmed-over TH350 links to a custom driveshaft from FleetPride to move the goods.

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When it came time to crafting the body Jon got busy starting with sculpting the primary layout in sheetmetal which included fabricating the doors, windshields, floors and body mounts. Once the initial concept was laced with evil he finessed it with varying degrees of body filler until it was ready for paint. To get just the right glow Jon laid down a coating of 'Lil Daddy Roth Gator-Aid Green and followed with his own custom accents, bringing it all to life. Inside its all '60s show rod cool starting with a healthy dose of white faux fur accented by a pair of marine jump-seats. On the business side a custom column cradles a reversed three-spoke wheel to carve a course while shifts move through a homespun stick and vitals are monitored by a set of swap meet special dials. This latest addition to the ghoulish gathering of Odd Rods from Reapers Rejects is sure to send a chill up your spine! SRM

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