Hot-rod culture is taking over, just not where you’d expect.

Friday night in any of The Villages’ town squares looks like Boomer spring break any time of year: cover bands, light beers and umbrella drinks. The streets of the famous central Florida retirement city are lined with hundreds of almost identical E-Z- Gos, Club Cars and Yamahas parked nose-in and two across. More than 80,000 carts serve almost 150,000 people in the community.

And then there are the hot rods. Rebellious enthusiasts sport chariots that pay tribute to golden-age flathead Fords, muscle carts made to break the speed limit and, yes, even a flaming orange dune buggy—poodle not included.

Golf Digest Senior Writer Matthew Rudy has the story on how hot-rod culture is speeding through The Villages.