From Camaros to Mustangs, the electricity stemming from fabled muscle cars has been idolized since their origin in the 1960s. Nowadays, the automobile scene has fallen victim to fuel efficiency and cost awareness and this constitutes an ongoing tragedy for American men. However, the revival, or maybe the last remains, of the golden age of automobile pride is still alive within the students of North Atlanta. Some purchase Mercedes with a six-digit price tag, but the true-minded fanatics scrape and toil to turn their wallflower into a beautiful anomaly. These are their stories.

In one case, junior Jackson Hammond turned a “hunk of junk” into a talked-about item in the high school halls. Repairing and upgrading a 1995 Ford Bronco, Hammond poured his blood, sweat, and tears (and, of course, money) into the eventual “eye-turner” it is today. What did it take for Hammond to make his ride something to behold? Try the following that he’s installed: a 4-inch lift, 33-inch mud tires, a light bar, stereo, subwoofers, bed liner, bumper, black hard top and grill, Anzo headlights, and blacked out tail lights. “I even painted the rims and interior panels, too,” he said. “Let me tell you – it’s one bad ride.”

The intricate handwork Hammond put forth hasn’t gone unnoticed. With repairs and improvements totaling more than the original frame, the Priuses and Leafs around the school pale in comparison. As Hammond speeds around the parking deck on a daily basis, it’s difficult not to stare at the homemade beauty.

Another student in the North Atlanta community that is able to turn heads is Sinclair Sparkes in his all-black Jeep. The black Jeep has become a common, almost over-played at North Atlanta, but with flashy, possibly expensive upgrades, even salaried employees envy the senior. Sparkes raised the 2013 Wrangler Sport with a 3.5-inch lift and installed ATZ P3 35-inch Radial Tires, Fuel Throttle 17-inch Wheels (rims), Color-Changing HALO lights, and a never-before seen PA System. This mess of letters and numbers proves to be worth some serious cash. Nonetheless, the beautiful assortment of instruments lined along the black exterior is envied by many at North Atlanta. Sparkes’s automobile standout has proven to be a revelation among students – a style that all can suitably emulate.

The muscle car era might have died in the 1970s, but the cars that motor along the parking deck of North Atlanta seem to represent a glimpse of that pride in our rides. With cars such as a classic a 1995 Bronco and a high-tech Jeep Wrangler Sport, students of North Atlanta are impressively passionate about their cars. Maybe the muscle car era is dead, but there’s this: North Atlanta still has some very tricked out cars.