Jason Ruder has heard rumors for years—today, he learns the truth about the car in the shed. The recluse owner he meets, tells a story that whisks Jason's mind back to the time of bell-bottoms, muscle cars, draft cards, and the music of the early 70s. Her words make the past come alive. Jason actually feels the insanity of street racing, and the local tension caused by the Vietnam War. He witnesses the continual calamity of a misguided romance on which an Amish man and a disillusioned war veteran give their advice. The recluse speaks of how elusive love can be as she fulfills a vow and answers the question, "Do you really know who you are?" Through story, Metal Horses describes the sociocultural phenomena of the muscle car era. Not many people participated in the lawlessness that could be achieved with a muscle car-but if you drove one, you would likely be challenged to a race.