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Crazy horsepower and loads of carbon fiber are just the beginning for Ringbrothers. Their designs set the bar for restomods.
Restomod Done Right
There are folks who work on cars. There are folks who build custom cars. There are folks who restomod (the portmanteau of restore and modify). And then there are builders like the Ring brothers, Mike and Jim, who have graduated to the level of artist of the form. The eponymous Ringbrothers is where horsepower and high design meet. In addition to their repair business, Ringbrothers takes commissions for restomodding American classics, most often ‘60s muscle cars.
Ringbrothers are deft at blending new and old, classic and modern, in both design and technology. They preserve all that is outrageous about classic muscle cars, even gleefully amplifying them with massive engines and screaming superchargers, while at the same time never crossing over into garishness or grandiosity (where restomods can sometimes stray). Elegance, power, and a meticulous attention to detail typify their awe-inspiring builds.
It’s unsurprising then, that Ringbrothers’s creations have been racking up awards, including this year’s top pick at SEMA’s Battle of the Builders. Below we highlight just a few of their many amazing builds.
1972 AMC Javelin “Defiant!”
Ringbrothers cars have four signature attributes: cool nicknames, slick restomod fabricated bodies and interiors, ridiculously powerful custom-built engines, and unique, eye-catching paint-schemes (hues courtesy of BASF). The Ringbrothers’ take on the AMC Javelin was commissioned by Prestone. As such, they chose an anti-freeze-esque yellow used by BMW. Body modifications include a fabricated hood, in part to accommodate the supercharger, new front fenders with their hump moved forward, and a widened body overall. Under that fabricated hood is a 6.2L Chrysler Hellcat paired with a massive 4.5L Whipple supercharger good for 1,036 horsepower.
1969 Dodge Charger “CAPTIV”
The “CAPTIV” Charger features less body fabrication than many of Ringbrothers’ builds. While many of the panels have been modified, most of the sheet metal is original to the car. The hood was cut to accommodate the subtly protruding supercharger. Ringbrothers fabricated a new cover for that supercharger to ensure it was properly centered. The paint job on this Charger is a Porsche color called Signal Yellow. Inside the cabin are Recaro seats, modified to lend a beefier look to match the hefty muscle car aesthetic.
1964.5 Ford Mustang “CAGED”
Built in 2022, this ‘64 ½ Mustang convertible is a staggeringly gorgeous restomod in Burgundy Brave. A 5.0L Coyote V8 crate motor rests under the hood, good for a healthy 430 horsepower. A custom exhaust by Flowmaster features custom headers by Ringbrothers. The interior of this car is especially impressive, new and old meld perfectly together here. Case in point, the dash display, which gets a modern finish yet retains the vintage tach, speedo, and other gauges.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro “VALKYRJA”
The ’69 Camaro “VALKYRJA” is a wonderland of carbon fiber. In fact, the entire body has been replaced with the lightweight material. For all the modification, the car still retains that unmistakable Camaro grimace. A 416 cu-in LS3 V8 is the car’s beating heart. Its lungs, a 2.9L Whipple supercharger. Together they make a thunderous 890 horsepower, which is sent to a Tremec 6-speed and on to a carbon fiber drive shaft before finally translated to custom HRE wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. The “VALKYRJA” won both the Chevy SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) design and the Battle of the Builders at SEMA 2019.
1965 Ford Mustang “Espionage”
Like the ’69 Camaro above, this 1965 Ford Mustang has traded in its steel body for one of carbon fiber. And it’s not a trick of the eye, the car has indeed been widened by two inches. The name “Espionage” makes perfect sense once you know what’s hidden in the engine bay … a 427 cu-in LS7 V8. That’s right, a Chevy motor in a Ford classic. Reportedly, the commissioning buyer’s mechanics were more comfortable/confident working on the familiar LS architecture. This LS grants the “Espionage” a full 959 horsepower and 858 lb-ft of torque. The “Spy Green” paint is accented with white and orange decal lines running along the driver’s half of the car. To complete the package is a set of HRE Ringbrothers Edition Recoil wheels.
1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer “Bully”
Ringbrothers doesn’t limit themselves to just classic muscle cars, classic 4x4s also get some attention as well. The K5 “Bully” Blazer gets a complete reimagining, that is, every piece in the body and exterior has been redone. The result is a unity of concept that’s become a hallmark of Ringbrothers’s work. Power comes from another 416 cu-in LS3 V8 paired with a 4.5L Whipple supercharger, together making 1,160 horsepower. Among the near-countless jaw-dropping details: all but the windshield has been deleted for glass, that red jerry can in back isn’t there for spare fuel it’s the actual fuel port, and a bully’s bat separates the K and the 5 on the badging. Ringbrothers sells many of their customized restomod parts, including many from this build like the side markers, hood, and side mirrors. This K5 comes in “Bully Blue” by BASF.
1948 Chevrolet Pickup “Enyo”
For the 2022 SEMA Battle of the Builders, the Ringbrothers submission took things back a few more decades than is typical for them with this 1948 Chevy pickup they dubbed the “Enyo.” This build was inspired by Formula 1 cars can the resulting car is breathtaking. Under the carbon fiber hood is an 8.4L V8 built by Goodwin Competition Racing Engines. When fed proper racing gas, this engine makes 1,000 horsepower. All that grunt goes to the exposed open wheels on a cantilevered suspension a la Formula 1, and which are then clothed in Michelin Pilot Sports in front and Bridgestone Poteza tires in back. Custom headers end in elaborate titanium side pipes that thread through carbon fiber body paneling. The cabin of the truck has been narrowed, chopped by four inches, and lengthened. In the back is the truck’s massive radiator. No detail has been overlooked; no expenses spared. Like most of their builds, Ringbrothers spent thousands of manhours on this build, over 10,000 in fact. And boy does it show.
These cars are SOOOO cool!
I couldn’t agree more. Ring brothers have a nich design concept that even though highly modified, simply look stunningly original… Until you look closely!
I would love to see their design concept and mods to a Porsche 914-6. I have one I’d be honored if they were to accept the opportunity to capture other Porschephiles with their creative designs, mods and names!