Magazine Appearances

"I talked with John Balow, at MCR, at length, and I told him what my plans were," he recalls. "I brought the car up there, he looked at it, and he showed me a lot of things on it that weren't right. I told him, 'The only way that I'll be able to do this is if Tony oversees the project, and if you're willing to have him work side-by-side with your guys."

John agreed, and the 330 then underwent an 18-month, Hamtramck-fresh restoration "John did a helluva job on it," its owner says proudly. "His people really did a great job on this car."

Read the entire story on Mopar Muscle's Website by following this link.

Also be sure to check out the entire 330 build in our gallery!

... That is, taking a Plain Jane version of a car and building it to look like what you want. This affords you the opportunity to build it your way, without being worried about every little correct detail. Scan 1, scan 2. Exclusive photographs available on Mopar Muscle's Website at this address

Check out the entire Road Runner build in our gallery!

"While Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was restoring Frank Dorsey's '70 'Cuda, Frank mentioned the Hemi that he and his cousin Jesse had been working on for the car, and how he liked the idea of electronic fuel injection. So, once the Hemi was in the hands of the guys at MCR, it was quickly sent to Gary Schmidt of Wheeler Racing Engines in Blaine, Minnesota, for Gary to finish the engine build and solve Frank's EFI dilemma by modifying the inline carbureted manifold to accept a FAST XFI fuel injection system.", ...

Read more on Mopar Muscle's Website at this address

"With 40 project cars under six roofs, Muscle Car Restorations probably houses more horsepower than the Kentucky Derby on race day."

"There are a couple things that I think my company does better than anyone else," he said, " We build our cars by knowing the customer goals and expectations up front. We build them and deliver them to a customer's expectations."

November 2012 Mopar Muscle Magazine feature car restored by Muscle Car Restorations.

Exclusive photographs available on Mopar Muscle's Website at this address

Check out the entire Barracuda build at our gallery!

It's been 19 years since the last Chrysler Power magazine and MCR is proud to appear an advertiser and the restorer of one of the feature cars. Be sure to pick up a copy of Chrysler Power today! From the article:

"Everybody wants to own a rare car... which is a little ironic in that not many wanted them when they could bought them new... which is what made them rare to start with and now so desirable today. And why are they desirable? Because they are fast and they turn heads and they are really fun to drive. ..."

"Just like the original without the guild of driving something rare." - John Balow, Muscle Car Restorations

"Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. "I saw them on TV, on My Classic Car with Dennis Gage, and he interviewed John Balow," says Larry. "At the time, it was pretty close to where I was living, so that's when I went up there and took a tour of his shop. After taking the tour, I was convinced that was the place to do it." Read more (mopar muscle magazine)"

... he was ready to ship the car to Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, for its complete restoration. Mack had met MCR owner John Balow several years earlier and was convinced that his shop could handle the extensive metalwork that he knew the Road Runner needed. ... Be sure to pick up a copy to read the entire article, or visit this link (amospublishing.com) to read the entire article online!

Check out the entire Road Runner build in our gallery!

Precision. The owner of the this impressive '64 Belvedere knows something about it ... An internet search led him to Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where owner John Balow and the rest of the MCR staff helped Mai put together a plan to finally give birth to his lifelong dream car.Be sure to pick up a copy to read the entire article!

Check out the entire Belvedere build in our gallery!

As a young boy, Chris Perna discovered that he had a gift for drawing. He also had a vivid imagination for, of all things, creating monsters. ... Be sure to pick up a copy to read the entire article, or visit this link (amospublishing.com) to read the entire article online!

Check out the entire Charger build in our gallery!

Look for the feature article featuring an MCR built 528 Hemi Dart From the article: "In the 1960s, every decent town had its equivalent to Woodward Avenue. In Montreal, it was an old road behind the Dorval-Quebec airport. You can picutre it, a summer Canadian sun sending in long, low orange light from the West, as the cars start to gather. The air is full of the sound of ragged cams idling through dual exhaust, punctuated with occasional roas, and there's a slow, building tension..."

Be sure to pick up a copy of Mopar Action and read the entire article LEGEND OF AIRPORT ROAD!

The Camaro featured on the cover of the April 2011 issue of Car Craft Magazine was built by Muscle Car Restorations as an example on how to modernize an iconic muscle car without destroying it's original DNA. If you saw this car driving down the road you would likely not be able to tell that it's anything other than a well restored '69 Camaro - and that's exactly what we were after. The more you look.. the more you'll find.. the closer you look.. the better we look

Click to read more about the Camaro

The Camaro project spanned multiple issues of Car Craft Magazine. Links to the individual articles on the Car Craft website are as follows:
John Balow's 1969 Chevy Camaro - The Coolest Camaro In The World
MasterShift Bump Shifter System - Stock-Appearing Bump Shifter
Isis Power System Automotive Wiring Systems - New Digital Wiring From Isis Power
How To Prep And Fit Aluminum Panels
How To Install Rear Quarters And Mini-Tubs - Step By Step

From the article: "Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, certainly had to learn to deal with the dwindling supply of original muscle over the last two decades, and anxious owners worried about their investments. It's actually common now to replace the passenger and trunk floors in most of the cars the company restores."

Read the entire article on the Car Craft website at this address and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine!

From the article: "When Jeff Hutchens brought his '67 GTO to Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, for a complete restoration, he told the company he wanted a car that could run with the high-dollar exotics but still retain the factory GTO look."

Read the entire article on the Car Craft website at this address and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine!

From the article: "After sitting for 13-plus years as a very large flower pot, it was time to either sell the charger or get it back together"

Be sure to check out Mopar Muscle Magazine's Website to read the entire article and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine!

From the article: "I am totally satisfied with the construction portion of this restoration, but what I'm really pleased with is MCR's ability to take my idea and turn it into the automobile that we see here. For someone who's not a gearhead like me, my best suggestion is to contact a company you can trust, like I did with MCR, who can take your vague concept of what you want and turn it into an actual automobile."

Read the entire article on High Performance Pontiac's website!

If you enjoyed the article, be sure to subscribe to High Performance Pontiac!

Read the story at Mopar Muscle's website

From the article: "So what do you suppose it would be like to drive a 500 horsepower big-block that doesn't have any flat spots in the power curve, never loads up in traffic, and always starts quickly, runs the same wether it's hot or cold out, and gets double digit fuel economy? We thought we'd find out if we can have the proverbial cake and enjoy the frosting too. Our test vehicle is a '68 Hemi Dart replica that's being built at Muscle Car Restorations ..."

Read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's website!

If you enjoyed the article, be sure to subscribe to Mopar Muscle!

So how do you know where to take your car for paint? Choosing a body shop can be a daunting task ...

We are quite confident in our selection of Muscle car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Muscle car Restorations has been restoring award-winning cars since 1989.

Read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's website at http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/projectbuild/mopp_0406_1967_plymouth_valiant_about_paint_time/body_shop.html

Look for Muscle Car Restoration's owner John Balow on the cover of the August 2009 Mopar Collector Guide!

Read more about the feature here!

This is the third article in a continuing series covering a recent 67 GTO MCR project! More info coming soon!

From the article: ".. we are out at Muscle Car Restoration's facility in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where Jeff's GTO will undergo a complete chassis dyno session. ..."

See more photographs of this car here!

Read more about our chassis dyno service here!

From the article: "...what he really wanted was a Camaro that performed like a Corvette, in every possible way... the pros at MCR got going..."

View the entire restoration of this Camaro here!

From the article: ".. he found Muscle Car Restorations, where owner John Balow planted another seed into Waynes life. Namely, to build a faithful replica of the race Hemi Dart but add enough modern technology to make it streetable, fun, and much safer to drive. The results far exceeded anything that he could have hoped for .."

Read more about the project here!

Check out Mopar Muscle Magazine's website to read the entire article online!

From the article: "MCR doesn't install their Year One sourced vinyl tops at their shop. They send all their vinyl work to Auto Top Shop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where Larry Gabus has been replacing vinyl and convertible tops and doing all types of upholstery work for more than three decades. ..."

Click here to read the entire article

From the article: "MCR's artisans are known for some of the best quality work in the business. We wanted to see if they had any tricks to getting replacement wiring in place. ..."

From the article: "Archie decided to let the car go, but after a couple owners, it eventually found its way back home to him. Even though some good repair work had been done on it, he sought out Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) to complete the project..."

From the article: "To get some expert advice on how to deal with this issue, we spent a day at Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. These guys are well known for their world-class full restorations, but they are also glad to take in partial work. This is doable in one day, so you shouldn't have to miss your next event."

(Article Scan 1, Scan 2, Scan 3, Scan 4)

From the article: "All the previously mentioned issues are certainly the case with the wiring harness in the '68 Barracuda that Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) is tackling as a testbed for their new program -- the Progressive Restoration. This is a new consumer available process where instead of restoring the car all at once, the car is done in stages, one section at a time. It's a great concept ..."

Click here to read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's web page!

From the article: "Mike Creglow of Welch, Minnesota, the owner of this super clean '65 Plymouth Satellite, had a revelation one day. He knew that he wanted to build his '65 into a show-quality race car and had been working toward that goal for seven years when he realized that, at the rate he was going, he was going to run out of time before he got it done. ..."

Click here to read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's web site!

From the article: "So, we would like to introduce a new series of articles to help you restore you dream car one bite-size piece at a time. The inspiration for this comes from our friends at Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Owner John Balow, responding to a need in the restoration market, has started a new program called Progressive Restorations. The basic premise is to do only what can be done during one winter season so the owner gets his car back in time for summer cruising."

Click here to read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's web page!

Read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's website at this address

From the article: "Why did Nick bother to build a car he knows he can never drive? Because it was his dream, and he refused to let it go. ..."

(Article Scan 1-2, 3-4, 5)

Feature page

Click here to read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's website!

From the article: "When it comes to advanced restoration metal work, we don't know of anyone more experienced than the guys at Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Ownver John Balow got his start working on Mopars when there weren't the resources available like there are today. He and his team have been doing this kind of thing for almost two decades ..."

Click here to read the entire article on Mopar Muscle's website!

From the article: "This car has 40,856 miles on it since being restored by Muscle Car Restorations, which was completed in Aug. 2006 ..."

(Article Scan -- 70 Challenger Restoration Gallery)

From the article: "Muscle Car Restorations has come to be known in recent years for turning out some of the most outrageous Pro Touring and custom Mopars on the planet. The shop boasts perhaps the most complete one-stop facility in the country for building a state-of-the-art custom, with virtually all of the work being done in-house."

Visit our feature page on the car for build photographs and more!

From the article: "John Balow, Fred Kappus, and the entire crew at Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin have done it again. In the last half dozen years, we've come to expect great things from these guys, be it in the restored OEM-style old Mopars, or with radical customs. Last summer, however, we were taken aback by something so complete off-the-wall and unexpected it even left us speechless for while, pondering it's complexity and craftsmanship. Yes, we know it's hard to believe anyone here at MCG would ever be speechless, because usually you can't shut us up, but the yellow E-body staring us in the face caught us, and everyone else, off guard."

Read more: Cover scan, scan 1, scan 2, scan 3

Visit our feature page on the car for build photographs and more!

From the article: "John Balow of Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin had been tossing around the idea of building a Challenger T/A-style retro Pro Touring car powered by a modern 5.7 Hemi. A veteran in the field of building customs and restoring stone stockers, John has a network of close allies in the Mopar camp. He was getting good feedback on the theory when he bumped into Dean Skuza. ..."

Read more: scan 1, scan 2, scan 3

Keep an eye out for our recently completed 1970 Challenger (Skuza T/A) project on the cover of an upcoming issue of Mopar Muscle Magazine! Read the article on pages 102 through 110. Click here to read more about this project.

From the article: "John Balow's shop, Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was responsible for turning Editor Bolig's drab army-green Valiant into the arrow-straight, eye-blindingly white A-Body it is today. They also have had many of their clients' Mopars featured in our pages, including a pair of Super Stock A-Body clones, outstanding street cruisers, and some of the most perfect concourse-grade restorations we've ever seen. So when John came up to us at the SEMA show in Las Vegas with this wild concept, he had our attention."

Click here to read the full article on Mopar Muscle's website!

Also look for a second MCR article in the same issue on pages 32 through 38 titled Color Sanding 101

Click here to read the color sanding article in full on the Mopar Muscle website!

Look for the MCR painted Cobra on the cover of the 2007 Kit Car Buyer's Guide!

Read more about the car here.

On the Cover: John Balow and the crew at Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, helped us out a ton by setting up our cover shot and having Mark Ehlen shoot it. The car is a rusty '69 GTX, and that's John himself manning the grinder while cutting off the quater-panel.

click image to see more detail

To get us going, we asked John Balow, owner of Muscle Car Restorations (MCR), to help us add a set of tail stripes to an A-body with a minty-fresh paint job. ...

click image to read more

... This one happens to be the 440 Six-Pack creation that Muscle Car Restorations will be bolting to the A-833 four-speed we showed you a few months ago, ...

click image to read more

... John Balow at Muscle Car Restorations (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin) had painted the car, and he did some overnight 'glass and paintwork to get it ready for the competition. The color is Auto Air's Metal Blue Silver.

Note: MCR did not do the overnight repair work on this car as stated in the article, but we did paint it

Click here to see photographs of the paint work!

Scan, scan, scan (Photographs used with permission from Hot Rod Magazine)

Be sure to check out our advertisement on page 156 also!

... and John Balow, owner of Muscle Car Restorations, was quick to respond with the offer of an A-833 (Hemi four-speed) rebuild ... Zumbrota Bearing and Gear in Zumbrota, Minnesota, supplied the parts necessary for this rebuilt. ...

... This month, we finally got to sit in it, turn the key, and stomp its guts out. Man, was it fun!

... MCR's John Balow and his boys turned our FFR Cobra from three boxes of parts into a a running, driving, fire-breathing Cobra that would make Carrol Shelby if not proud, at least a little jealous. ...

... Watching the progressions of the Holley Road Runner project, Craig decided that only the boys at Muscle Car Restorations were worthy enough to tackle his beloved Charger ...

... By adding a Keisler Automotive five-speed manual conversion, you can have all this horsepower, steep gears, and still drive it.

... Muscle Car Restorations has installed a new Mustang Chassis Dynamometer that will allow ...

... Nestled away in Wisconsin is Muscle Car Restorations (MCR). They can honestly be called one of the best in the country ...

What the heck is Project M? It's a project car we did a few year's ago and decided to reinvent, so to speak. Remember the Holley Road Runner? That car will now be known as Project M. Realizing enthusiasts are never really finished with their cars, we decided we weren't finished with this one either. Each year, we want to take Project M on the Hot Rod Power Tour to see how our new conglomeration of parts performs. Remember, this is Mopar Muscle -- anything's possible.

... It has been a pleasure to work with such a great group of people at Muscle Car Restorations. I feel extremely privileged tohave been party to this fantastic restoration ...

... This classic muscle machine was the beneficiary of a full four-year-plus restoration by Muscle Car Restorations and it is a past "Best of Show" winner at the highly competitive Mopar Nationals ...

... Dan enlisted Muscle Car Restorations to remove and replcae all traces of cancerous sheetmetal caused by years of exposure to Wisconsin's salty winter roads. ...

... The shop that consistently showed commitment to quality work and owner involvement in the restoration process was John Balow's Muscle Car Restorations ...

The recently-finished Holley Road Runner was presented to Holley Performance Parts president Jeff King at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

... John Balow Puts His Low-mileage Super Bird on the Road

... As a follow-up to the no-holds-barred Holley Road Runner, it was determined that we needed a 'real-world head-turner' ...

... Noted artisan John Balow of Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was tagged as the point man on the project. ...

... While some may that an original four-speed Road Runner should restored rather modified Balow considered that Plymouth built 84,420 of them in '69, nearly half of which were four-speed cars. Beyond that, the Alabama car was a base 383 car, not a Hemi, 440 six-barrel, or convertible, and the oringinal driveline was long gone. As a result, these cars often trickle down untilthey are turned into racecars, crashed, parted out, or saved by a project like this.

This '70 Challenger R/T is REDEFINED EXCELLENCE Challenger

Sublime Challenger

... John Balow's '64 Belvedere was painstakingly restored as a race Hemi. John operates a respected restorations operation (Muscle Car Restorations) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin ...

Since this project began, John Balow and his staff at Muscle Car Restorations have been rockin' on the Roadrunner ...

So when the dialogue began about what would make up this Roadrunner, it was decided a potent big-block built by Indy Cylinder Head and a complete build-up by John Balow of Muscle Car Restorations would combine the ultimate in performance with the ultimate in aesthetics.

... The car has been meticulously restored by John Balow of Muscle Car Restorations ...

... John took his '63 Max Wedge Plymouth Sport Fury to the Mopar Nationals and won first place in class ...

... John has been a successful business machine merchant for a number of years ...

... Wanting it to be in 'factory-fresh' condition, he called on John Balow of MCR (Muscle Car Restorations) ...

... electro-chemical priming process which ensures that every single nook and cranny of the car is covered with primer prior to painting. This is a Muscle Car Restorations exclusive.

... This better than new restoration was completed in less than six months by John Balow's crew at Muscle Car Restorations ...

... is the realization of a lifelong dream

... went together piece by piece with concours accuracy.

... including the 24K gold leaf lettering ... John and his crew did a truly remarkable job of undoing the various modification made to the car over the years.

... We've seen numerous restoration facilities coast to coast. There are only two that we've seen which approach concours caliber. One is in California and the other is MCR ...

... Bruce Hinrich's '64 Polara 500 takes Best Of Show at the Mopar Nationals ...

Paint-Pourri