Counting Cars: Danny’s Eight Cool Cars for Cool Cats | The HISTORY Channel (2024)

Danny Says:

This Riviera went through a complete overhaul and got a one-of-a-kind paint job from Ryan Evans and his paint team. The team lowered this car on coilovers for comfort—and a badass look. This car was featured in the SEMA Show. The 455ci Olds engine was completely rebuilt to make sure it runs just as good as it looks!

Straight-up showing off... That's all I gotta say about the Riviera. It's just straight-up showing off.

Danny Says:

The '55 Gasser needed to not only look good but perform even better! Ryan and the team went off on the old-school paint scheme. The fab department took the front end and made an entire steel-tilt front end, rather than the normal fiberglass-tilt front ends. They also did a complete roll cage on the interior to keep all occupants of the vehicle safe. The Gasser is powered by a 454ci Chevy big block with a Hilborn injection system with a turbo 400 trans. This car is set up for the street, but also set up to take it out to the drags.

This car represents an era of the late ’60s-early ’70s when guys would use their daily-driver street cars as dragsters. This one pays respect to that vibe as a full-on dragster, yet it's a show car with a license plate.

Danny Says:

This Galaxie was made to be a tribute to the Galaxie 500 Lightweights of the ’60s. This car is powered by a 429ci big-block Ford backed with a C4 transmission. The paint team painted this car in a gorgeous Wimbledon White, and Ryan hand-painted the 429ci on the hood.

Understated coolness, old-school proper Ford muscle car, classy style, big-block power…off-the-beaten-path coolness.

Danny Says:

This Cadillac is powered by a 500ci big-block Cadillac engine and front-wheel drive. Les Dunham Coachworks out of New Jersey designed the entire front end and Continental kit in the rear, turning this Cadillac Eldorado into a Cadillac Superfly. Ryan and the team went off on the gold paint with heavy-metal flake and some gold panels to break up all that flake. The interior is decked out in fur and faux snakeskin leather.

Pimpmobile personified...saw my first one on Woodward Avenue in Detroit when I was a kid… knew someday I had to have one. It’s the real deal Dunham Coach Superfly Cadillac, just like the one in the [1971 Super Fly] movie. One of my personal prize possessions in my collection.

Danny Says:

This Kellison has an LS3 [engine] with a Borla induction system. The team wanted to mimic some stylistic properties of the Jaguar, Mercedes and Aston Martins of the ’60s. The LS3 is backed by a 4l80e automatic transmission.

This car is in my personal collection and will stay in my personal collection. A wonderful combination of American muscle and performance with European styling. It's beyond rare. I love this car.

Danny Says:

This Bullitt Mustang is a 1968 in Highland Green, just like in the Steve McQueen movie, Bullitt. It's outfitted with a built 302 [engine] and a C4 trans, correct American Racing Torq Thrust D wheels and all badges deleted, just like the car in the movie.

I really loved doing this build. Got to do it for my man Rick Harrison at the Pawn Shop, who's been a dear friend for years. But, for me, the coolest part was paying tribute to Steve McQueen's Bullitt Mustang from the movie, which is arguably one of my favorite cars and is in what is probably the best chase scene ever put on film.

Danny Says:

This Charger was built to pay respect to the "General Lee," but it has a modern drivetrain and air conditioning. It is powered by a modern 5.7L hemi. The customer wanted to make it all look like the original General Lee, but have an American flag on the roof. 1969 Chargers are just straight-up cool cars to work on. One that pays tribute to the General Lee from "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV show was awesome. And the fact that our client wanted to do an American-flag version of the "General Lee" just added coolness to the car. This car is perfect from front to back and it's one that, frankly, I wished I still owned. But it lives in a well-loved home.

Danny Says:

John Zito's van is a 1977 Dodge Tradesman that was originally customized in the '70s. We basically restored it as it was in the '70s, retaining the paneling from the '70s on the inside and most of the carpet and door panels. We updated the stereo for MONSTER sound—after all, it does belong to a musician now—and Ryan did the most insanely detailed '70s-style custom paint job. We completed it with proper side pipes and Cragar SS deep-dish chrome wheels. It's a true 1970s time capsule.

This van is a personal favorite for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it came to me 100 percent original, as it was built in the '70s, so it was all there and extremely cool. We restored it and, of course, put our Count's Kustoms vibe all over it. Secondly, it went to my brother and bandmate in Count's 77, Mr. John Zito. So I get to see this van every week to this day. I never should have sold it!