Braselton, Georgia is just a six hour drive from Nashville, Tennessee. So, you know how it usually goes, maybe an hour to walk through and see everything and then back home right? Wrong. Even though I have been buying parts from the great guys at YearOne for over 20 years, I never had seen their operation. With Pat Staton, YearOne’s Director of Special Projects and Public Relations, on board for the “Comeback ‘Cuda” project, we had to go in person and see the organization that is truly more than “just great parts with great service.”

As soon as we entered the grounds of the facility we were impressed with the first class condition of the grounds and the sheer size of the building. As we entered the door there is a showroom full of great muscle cars, part displays, and even a walk-up counter for “on location” sales. The friendly receptionist welcomed us and in just a few minutes Pat came around the corner for our appointment.

Above: YearOne’s showroom is one to behold, whether you’re into GM or Mopar.

Above: The orange Hemi Challenger in YearOne’s showroom is the same from “2 Fast 2 Furious.” In fact, it is the car used in the “Ejector Seat” stunt.

The walls are lined with pictures of past builds, autographed pictures from past events, and letters of thanks from so many people who have been touched by the charitable work the company has been doing for years. Most noticeably, the smiling face of Chip Foose appeared on many of the framed pictures. Quickly, we discovered these guys are about way more than getting us the parts we need to build our dreams.

The Chip Foose-edition of the Braselton Bash is a fantastic annual event that has a goal of much more than just cool cars and stars. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty cars and stars, but the money raised for the Hot Rodders Children’s Charity is fantastic. If you have never attended this great event (held every Fall) you are missing one of the best shows around. YearOne states, “This event is much more than a car show or a fundraiser. It’s a celebration of all that is great about the automotive enthusiast community, and we are all very proud to be a part of it. Thanks to all that attended, sponsored, and supported the HRCC, Progeria Research and the YearOne Braselton Bash.” There are several Braselton Bash events during the year. For a complete events schedule go to www.yearone.com.

Above: The YearOne warehouse is not only stocked with millions of dollars in parts and accessories, but literally dozens upon dozens of muscle cars in various stages of completion. This numbers-matching ’69 Dodge Charger R/T was equipped with a 440/727 combination.

Above: Many will recognize this as the “Dust Ya” Ghostworks-built Plymouth Duster owned by Kenny Wayne Sheppard. It was in YearOne’s possession for some recent promotional events.

As soon as we walked into the warehouse, we saw several great cars that YearOne has built and they drive to several events during the year. The ’69 Road Runner convertible with a 6-barrel hood caught my eye first. Then right next to it was the very first car built by the owner Kevin King, a 1969 Pontiac Firebird-turned-Trans Am. Just a few feet away from the cool cars we saw a load of outdoor cooking equipment. Pat Staton told us they regularly have cook outs to honor the fire fighters, and police, men and women, in appreciation of their service to the community.

We turned the corner in the warehouse and ran into a group of guys from Sweden who made sure they got to tour YearOne while they were in the States. Guess what? They were all Mopar guys! All of them had more than one car. During the conversation, several of them said they had a “GUHTEX.” “That must be Swedish for ‘GTX’,” Pat said. YearOne hosts a lot of people monthly who schedule a tour. If you ever get a chance it is well worth the time.

Above: Mopar crosses countries and languages. We encountered these Swedish Mopar enthusiasts touring the YearOne HQ at the same time.

Above: We found a few other cars pilfered from the set of “2 Fast 2 Furious” including a silver-and-red ’67 Chevelle (center) and a few other E-bodies used for racing and test-fitting products.

Above: The YearOne Ghostworks Garage churns out some seriously gorgeous machines, from the now-famous “Big Time” ’69 Charger with a blown Gen III Hemi, to the limited-edition “Bandit” Edition Trans Ams.

We then went into the Ghostworks Garage where they build all of their project cars. And in addition to one of their special edition LS-powered “Bandit” Trans Am cars there was easily one of the most awesome Charger builds we’ve seen in a long time. The “Big Time” 1969 Charger was specifically built for former Atlanta Falcon and now Washington Redskins player DeAngelo Hall. It was in the Ghostworks garage for a little fine tuning when we came through and were treated to a few parking lot burnouts.

After the tour, and several hours enjoying all the different aspects of these “dyed in the wool” car guys we needed to get back on the road to Nashville. Pat had all of the parts for “Comeback ‘Cuda” ready to load up into the truck. As always, everything was correct. Stay tuned for how these parts work out as we build the car. We are working with Pat and YearOne to give them first hand real life feedback on the parts and even help them to improve with research and development along the way.

Above: YearOne’s wild Road Runner sports a healthy 505-cubic-inch stroker, EFI-fed RB wedge and custom interior and billboards on the quarters.

Above: YearOne hosts several open air meals for local fire and police departments; these are few of the tools used to deep fry turkeys and grill up some hot meals.

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