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Flathead-Powered Ford Roadster Special

This steel-bodied hot rod roadster was the subject of a custom build under current ownership by H.A.T. Racing of San Rafael, California, between 2002 and 2004. Featuring custom bodywork finished in black over gray upholstery, the car is powered by a flathead V8 that was bored and stroked to 305ci and equipped with a Navarro intake manifold, an Isky camshaft, Baron Racing Equipment cylinder heads, and triple Stromberg 97 carburetors. The custom-fabricated chassis utilizes boxed frame rails, a drilled front drop axle, front hairpin radius rods, a triangulated four-link rear suspension setup with adjustable coilovers, and a Winters Quick Change rear axle housing a 4.10:1 differential. Additional equipment includes a louvered hood, a split windshield, engine-turned interior trim, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, Stewart-Warner gauges, Wilwood front disc brakes, and Rocket Racing 16″ knock-off wheels. This Roadster Special is now offered by the seller on behalf of the current owner with records and images from the assembly process along with a California title describing the car as a 1946 Ford.

The custom-fabricated box-section frame and black-finished steel bodywork were fabricated by the late Garwood “Woody” Gilmore as part of the build completed in 2004. Equipment includes a split windshield, side mirrors, hood louvers, a polished grille insert, and a dual exhaust system quieted by Hushpower mufflers and exiting through the rear valance.

Dished 16″ Rocket Racing wheels wear knock-off covers and Excelsior Radial tires with a 6″ section width up front and 7.5″ out back. Braking is handled by Wilwood front discs and rear drums, and the fronts are hidden behind Buick-style finned drum covers. The car rides on a drilled and polished front drop axle with a transverse leaf spring and hairpin radius rods along with a rear triangulated four-link setup. QA1 double-adjustable shocks are installed up front along with adjustable coilovers out back.

Low-back bucket seats are upholstered in stone gray and complimented by a painted dashboard along with color-coordinated door panels and gray carpets. Other equipment includes a floor-mounted shifter and parking brake handle, an Ernst Benz aircraft chronometer, door panel map pockets, a high-mount rearview mirror, and a rubber floor mat in the driver’s footwell. A polished fuel tank is mounted in the trunk compartment.

The steering wheel features four engine-turned spokes and a wood-rim. An engine-turned bezel houses Stewart-Warner gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 4,600 miles have been added since the build was completed.

The flathead V8 reportedly utilizes a French-made block and was modified with a 3.375″ bore and 4.250″ stroke to displace 305ci before being rebuilt using the following components by Lorry Azevedo:

  • Ross pistons
  • Crower connecting rods
  • Isky camshaft
  • Triple Stromberg 97mm carburetors with chrome intake stacks
  • Barney Navarro intake manifold
  • Baron Racing Equipment cylinder heads
  • Custom-fabricated equal-length exhaust headers
  • Custom-fabricated 12-quart oil pan
  • Stainless steel coolant lines
  • Fabricated hard fuel lines

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Tremec five-speed manual transmission and a Winters Quick Change rear axle with 4.10:1 gearing. Additional underside images are provided in the gallery.

A plaque affixed to the trunk lid shows the car was built by H.A.T. Racing of San Rafael, California, with the help of Lorry Azevedo and Woody Gilmore.

Additional images showing the car during the assembly process are provided in the gallery.

The California title is marked with a “Title Only” notation.

1933 Ford Cabriolet Hot Rod

This 1933 Ford Cabriolet was modified in the late 1950s by the seller’s uncle and subsequently exhibited in the hot rod show circuit. The frame has been “Z-ed”, and the body has been channeled, modified, and refinished in red over a patterned and button-tufted red and white upholstery. Dubbed the “Lil’ Dough”roadster, the car is powered by a Chrysler 331ci FirePower Hemi V8 mated to a later-model Ford three-speed manual transmission, and additional equipment includes a white soft top, 15” steel wheels with Pontiac Chieftain covers, a drilled front drop axle, front hairpin radius rods, a four-wheel coil spring suspension, an Isky camshaft, four Stromberg 97 carburetors, and a custom-fabricated exhaust system with cutouts as well as a 1932 Ford radiator grille shell, quad headlights, bobbed front fenders, molded Model A-style rear fenders, and later-model instrumentation. The seller inherited the car from his uncle in October 2021, and the fuel pump and battery are said to have been replaced in 2022. This ’33 Ford Roadster is offered with historical images, NHRA car show awards, magazines featuring the car, related literature, and a clean Wisconsin title in the seller’s name.

The steel body has been channeled 6″ over the “Z-ed”frame and is finished in red. Additional exterior details include a white soft top, a chrome 1932 Ford radiator grille shell adorned with bright dresser-drawer knobs, quad headlights, bobbed front cycle fenders, molded Model A-style rear fenders, Buick-sourced porthole-style upper taillights, and a custom-made lower taillight panel with dresser-drawer knobs. Corrosion is present on chrome trim, and the seller notes paint flaws. Additional images showing the soft top in the raised and lowered position are provided in the gallery below.

Steel 15″ wheels wear Pontiac Chieftain-sourced covers with simulated knock-offs and are mounted with 640-15 front and 820-15 rear US Royal wide-whitewall tires. Braking is handled by drums on all four corners, and the suspension has been modified with a drilled front drop axle, front hairpin radius rods, and four-wheel coil springs.

The interior has been trimmed in two-tone red and white diamond-patterned and button-tufted Naugahyde upholstery. Interior features include a power-adjustable split bench seat, red carpets, an aftermarket shift knob, hand-crank side windows, and a bright-finished dash panel.

The power-operated trunk lid opens to expose matching upholstery and an aftermarket fuel tank.

A red-finished steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and fronts an aftermarket column-mounted tachometer and later-model instrumentation that includes a 100-mph speedometer and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 941 miles, approximately 250 of which have been added by the seller. True mileage is unknown.

The Chrysler 331ci FirePower Hemi V8 is said to have been rebuilt and modified. Features include an Isky camshaft, four Stromberg 97 carburetors, and a custom-built exhaust system with zoomie-style cutouts. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission reportedly sourced from a 1939 Ford truck. The fuel pump and battery were replaced in 2022 according to the seller.

Additional images showing the condition of the underside are included in the gallery below.

National Hot Rod Association car show awards accompany the car, as well as period images, magazines featuring the car, and other related literature.

A plate riveted to the chassis is stamped with number 512630, which is listed as the VIN on the Wisconsin title. An additional note on the title reads, “Titled in WI as: Street Modified.”

No Reserve: LT1-Powered 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Convertible

This 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe convertible was refurbished and modified under previous ownership and acquired by the current owner in 2016. The car is finished in black over tan vinyl upholstery and powered by a 5.7-liter LT1 V8 paired with a four-speed 700R4 automatic transmission. Additional equipment includes a power-operated black soft top, custom tube bumpers, shaved door handles, 15″ chrome wheels, front disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning, power-adjustable front seats, power windows, air conditioning, and a Kenwood head unit. An MSD Optispark distributor was installed in December 2020, and service in September 2021 consisted of replacing the rear axle seals and bearings along with flushing the rear differential fluid. This modified Special Deluxe is now offered at no reserve on dealer consignment in Oregon with service records since 2014 and a clean Washington title.

The body was modified under previous ownership with molded headlights in the lower front fenders along with a shaved trunk lid and doors. It was refinished in black with purple accents, and additional equipment includes custom bumpers with integrated lights, a power-operated black soft top, a split windshield, dual side mirrors, and polished dual exhaust outlets. Paint chips are noted on the lower front panels.

Aftermarket 15″ chrome wheels are wrapped in 185/65 Steel Belted Radial front tires and 235/70 Cooper Cobra Radial G/T rear tires. The car is equipped with power steering along with aftermarket air shocks. Braking is handled by front discs and rear drums. In September 2021, the rear axle seals and bearings were replaced.

The front seats and rear bench are reupholstered in tan vinyl and are joined by matching custom door panels with debossed bowtie logos. Additional equipment includes power-adjustable front seats, lap belts, black carpeting with matching floor mats, air conditioning, power windows, and a Kenwood head unit with aftermarket speakers. Blemishes are noted on the upholstery.

A four-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel frames an aftermarket VDO 120-mph speedometer and gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltage, and fuel level. The digit odometer shows 9,300 miles, and the total mileage is unknown.

The 5.7-liter LT1 V8 is equipped with chrome polished accessories and a custom air intake system. In December 2020, the Optispark distributor, ignition coil, wiring harness, mass air flow sensor, engine control module, fuel pump, and alternator were replaced along with fuel injectors, spark plugs, and wires.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission. A custom dual exhaust system has also been added, and additional photos of the underside are provided in the image gallery. The rear differential fluid was changed in September 2021.

The replacement identification tag displays X12CPC, which is listed as the VIN on the Washington title.

Factory Five Racing ’35 Hot Rod Truck

This Factory Five Racing ’35 Hot Rod Truck was built by the seller in 2022 and is powered by a 6.0-liter Chevrolet LS V8 mated to a 4L65E four-speed automatic transmission. The truck is finished in Casa Blanca white over black leather upholstery, and features include power-assisted steering, Wilwood disc brakes, four-wheel adjustable coilovers, air conditioning, electric windows, a RetroSound stereo with Bluetooth capability, LED lighting, an integrated roll cage, and staggered Factory Five Bonneville wheels. This ’35 Hot Rod Truck is now offered with a copy of the Factory Five certificate of origin, a binder of records from the build, and a Massachusetts title in the seller’s name listing the vehicle as a 2022 Replica Ford.

The Casa Blanca white-finished composite bodywork is styled after a 1935 Ford and mounted to a gray-powder-coated chassis. Features include LED headlights and taillights, a Ford-branded fixed tailgate, and a wood bed floor with faux carbon-fiber runners.

The Factory Five Racing Bonneville wheels measure 18” up front and 20” out back, and are mounted with Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires sized 245/40 and 305/35, respectively. Braking is via Wilwood four-wheel discs with remotely-adjustable bias. The truck rides on adjustable coilovers at all four corners with three-link suspension out back.

The cabin houses a split bench seat trimmed in black leather upholstery that extends to the door panels. Black carpets with Factory Five-branded mats line the floors, and amenities include air conditioning, electric windows, a RetroSound stereo with Bluetooth connectivity, power steering, an integrated roll cage, a central arm rest, and shoulder belts for both occupants.

A three-spoke steering wheel with bright accents is mounted to tilting steering column and sits ahead of a body-color dashboard. The Factory Five Racing-branded instrument cluster houses a GPS-enabled 120-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary displays. The digital odometer indicates approximately 400 miles.

The 6.0-liter LS V8 is equipped with a Holley Sniper intake manifold, and additional equipment includes an aluminum radiator with an electric fan, a PSI wiring harness, a CVF Racing serpentine belt system, Hooker exhaust manifolds, a stainless-steel exhaust system, and bright valve covers.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 4L65e four-speed automatic transmission with a Lokar shifter and a 3.55:1 differential. Additional underbody images are provided in the gallery below.

The truck is titled using the Massachusetts-assigned VIN MA34163. The title lists “Replica Vehicle” under the brands section.

Burning Rubber: Dodge Charger Hemis That Tore Up The Tracks

The Dodge Charger is one of the most well-known muscle car nameplates in the world. The current generation of the Charger has carried Dodge and Chrysler through some rough periods including the 2008 recession. One major aspect that made this nameplate so iconic is the Hemi engine under the hood. The Hemi was one of the most historic Chrysler engines in existence, rivaling anything that GM or Ford was pushing at the time. Much like GM and its LS series engines, the Hemi has been a staple of quality and performance for decades.

The Charger is more than just an average car. It’s one that consumers have resonated with for decades. With its bold-looking exterior and groundbreaking performance, the Charger was and is a muscle car legend. The original Charger model was designed to compete with the best that GM and Ford had to offer, and it also had success on the racing circuits. So we decided to showcase the Hemi-based models that tore up the race track from past to present. Buckle up.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

1966 Dodge Charger

The first generation of the Charger brought Dodge into the muscle car segment with a bang. Boasting a Hemi V8 engine, the original Charger was a unique piece of sheet metal to say the least. Its bold styling was the first thing that attracted people’s attention, and its massive amount of horsepower only added to it. The first generation had a 425 hp V8 at 5,000 rpm and 490 lb.-ft of torque (via Hemmings).

Photo Credit: Mecum

From the aggressive belt line to the exhilarating performance, the Charger was exactly what the doctor ordered. The car rivaled the best that Chrysler and GM were peddling at the time. The Street Hemi was one of the best engines that MOPAR ever designed and put into a muscle car. The Charger set the stage for the nameplate for years to come and also helped usher in the muscle car era.

The post Burning Rubber: Dodge Charger Hemis That Tore Up The Tracks appeared first on Motor Junkie.

Experience a Dodge Hellcat Redeye

ClassicCars.com chatted with Cheston Carson, Product Specialist at Dodge, at Barrett-Jackson and went on a Thrill Ride in both the 797-horsepower Challenger and Charger Hellcat Redeyes. These thrill rides give people the opportunity to experience the dynamic performance of these vehicles in a way you can’t every day. Not only is it an educational experience, it’s fun for the whole family! With a variety of options, from Challenger and Charger Hellcats to Redeyes, the Dodge Thrill Ride is available at every Barrett-Jackson auction and is free to everyone attending the event. If you’re visiting the inaugural New Orleans auction September 28-30, you don’t want to miss this!

Check out the latest 4K video and many others at ClassicCars.com YouTube channel.

Experience a Dodge Hellcat Redeye

ClassicCars.com chatted with Cheston Carson, Product Specialist at Dodge, at Barrett-Jackson and went on a Thrill Ride in both the 797-horsepower Challenger and Charger Hellcat Redeyes. These thrill rides give people the opportunity to experience the dynamic performance of these vehicles in a way you can’t every day. Not only is it an educational experience, it’s fun for the whole family! With a variety of options, from Challenger and Charger Hellcats to Redeyes, the Dodge Thrill Ride is available at every Barrett-Jackson auction and is free to everyone attending the event. If you’re visiting the inaugural New Orleans auction September 28-30, you don’t want to miss this!

Check out the latest 4K video and many others at ClassicCars.com YouTube channel.

Half-Million Miler: Randy’s 2010 Acura Is Finally Broken In

The universe works in mysterious ways.

In late June, I needed to pick up a vehicle from the body shop, so I called an Uber from my house. As an Acura enthusiast (or more so, a fanatic) I was pleased to see that my ride was going to be in a TSX. The car arrived and looked great. “How many miles are on it?” I asked as we got the trip underway. The driver, Randy, paused. I thought he might say it had 100,000 or so, but the car had 495,980 miles on the odometer. When the ride finished, I exchanged contact information with Randy so he could stay in touch when he got closer to the big-five.

He followed up with me only a couple of weeks later via text message and said, “Looks like tomorrow is the day.” We met up at a midpoint (I drove my 585,000-mile Legend, of course) to experience the milestone together.

The Rollover

Being mid-July in Arizona, by 10:30 a.m. the temperature had already soared to triple-digit range so we kept our time in the parking lot to a minimum. Randy had 13 miles left to go, so I hopped into the passenger seat and we decided to drive about six miles up the freeway and then loop back.

Our calculations paid off, as the 500,000-mile mark came at almost exactly the location where we originally started – safe inside the parking lot at Tempe Marketplace so we didn’t have to be pulled over on the side of a busy road taking videos and photos. I shook Randy’s hand and welcomed him (and his trusty TSX) to the half-million-mile club.

Randy’s Mileage Accumulation

The staggering thing to me isn’t necessarily Randy’s mileage achievement, because there have been plenty of vehicles reaching the 500,000-mile mark and beyond. I’m particularly intrigued by the speed at which Randy accrued those miles.

Click above to watch Tyson’s video of the rollover

To further illustrate this, I pulled a CARFAX report based on his car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). His car was sold new in May 2010 with 10 miles on the odometer. Randy took ownership in January 2017 at 44,993 miles. Within two years, he hit 150,000 miles. The most recent odometer reading on the report was an emissions check in March 2022 at 391,073 miles. And now 16 months later, he hit 500,000.

Working the math on that data: Randy has put 455,007 miles on his car in just a little over six years of ownership. That comes out to 75,834 miles per year. Divide that by 365 days per year, and his car has been driven on average 207 miles every single day day for the last six years. Wow. Uber over-achiever extraordinaire.

Nuts and Bolts

What is the backstory on this seemingly-immortal car, anyway? The TSX model was launched in 2004 as the gateway sedan to the Acura Division of American Honda. Technically, it was introduced in mid-2003 which is why we recently celebrated a 20-year anniversary. The first-generation model was sold as an Accord in Europe.

Randy’s TSX comes from the second generation of the model which launched in 2009 but carried over similar engineering. It is powered by Honda’s popular (and clearly robust) 2.4-liter i-VTEC inline-four powerplant which was rated at 201 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque when new. The engine could be paired with either a five-speed automatic transmission (as in Randy’s case) or a six-speed manual.

Randy’s car is an automatic, and he says that the only major unscheduled replacement during all those miles has been an alternator. The rest has simply consisted of routine fluids, tires, and brakes.

To the Moon (Twice)

The conclusion of our celebration consisted of placing a “LOW MILEAGE” sticker on Randy’s windshield to make things official. We joked about the fact that Randy’s car has driven to the moon and back, and now he’s on his way there again. “I think I left something there, so I have to go back,” he mused.

Thanks, Randy, for sharing your experience with me. I wish you many more happy and safe miles.

Do you have a high-mileage vehicle story to share? Let us know in the comments!

Half-Million Miler: Randy’s 2010 Acura Is Finally Broken In

The universe works in mysterious ways.

In late June, I needed to pick up a vehicle from the body shop, so I called an Uber from my house. As an Acura enthusiast (or more so, a fanatic) I was pleased to see that my ride was going to be in a TSX. The car arrived and looked great. “How many miles are on it?” I asked as we got the trip underway. The driver, Randy, paused. I thought he might say it had 100,000 or so, but the car had 495,980 miles on the odometer. When the ride finished, I exchanged contact information with Randy so he could stay in touch when he got closer to the big-five.

He followed up with me only a couple of weeks later via text message and said, “Looks like tomorrow is the day.” We met up at a midpoint (I drove my 585,000-mile Legend, of course) to experience the milestone together.

The Rollover

Being mid-July in Arizona, by 10:30 a.m. the temperature had already soared to triple-digit range so we kept our time in the parking lot to a minimum. Randy had 13 miles left to go, so I hopped into the passenger seat and we decided to drive about six miles up the freeway and then loop back.

Our calculations paid off, as the 500,000-mile mark came at almost exactly the location where we originally started – safe inside the parking lot at Tempe Marketplace so we didn’t have to be pulled over on the side of a busy road taking videos and photos. I shook Randy’s hand and welcomed him (and his trusty TSX) to the half-million-mile club.

Randy’s Mileage Accumulation

The staggering thing to me isn’t necessarily Randy’s mileage achievement, because there have been plenty of vehicles reaching the 500,000-mile mark and beyond. I’m particularly intrigued by the speed at which Randy accrued those miles.

Click above to watch Tyson’s video of the rollover

To further illustrate this, I pulled a CARFAX report based on his car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). His car was sold new in May 2010 with 10 miles on the odometer. Randy took ownership in January 2017 at 44,993 miles. Within two years, he hit 150,000 miles. The most recent odometer reading on the report was an emissions check in March 2022 at 391,073 miles. And now 16 months later, he hit 500,000.

Working the math on that data: Randy has put 455,007 miles on his car in just a little over six years of ownership. That comes out to 75,834 miles per year. Divide that by 365 days per year, and his car has been driven on average 207 miles every single day day for the last six years. Wow. Uber over-achiever extraordinaire.

Nuts and Bolts

What is the backstory on this seemingly-immortal car, anyway? The TSX model was launched in 2004 as the gateway sedan to the Acura Division of American Honda. Technically, it was introduced in mid-2003 which is why we recently celebrated a 20-year anniversary. The first-generation model was sold as an Accord in Europe.

Randy’s TSX comes from the second generation of the model which launched in 2009 but carried over similar engineering. It is powered by Honda’s popular (and clearly robust) 2.4-liter i-VTEC inline-four powerplant which was rated at 201 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque when new. The engine could be paired with either a five-speed automatic transmission (as in Randy’s case) or a six-speed manual.

Randy’s car is an automatic, and he says that the only major unscheduled replacement during all those miles has been an alternator. The rest has simply consisted of routine fluids, tires, and brakes.

To the Moon (Twice)

The conclusion of our celebration consisted of placing a “LOW MILEAGE” sticker on Randy’s windshield to make things official. We joked about the fact that Randy’s car has driven to the moon and back, and now he’s on his way there again. “I think I left something there, so I have to go back,” he mused.

Thanks, Randy, for sharing your experience with me. I wish you many more happy and safe miles.

Do you have a high-mileage vehicle story to share? Let us know in the comments!

AutoHunter Spotlight: 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L68 Coupe

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe.  

The C3 Corvette is one of my all time favorite U.S. car designs. Sure the C2 cars are a more iconic design, but the C3 is of my generation and I still remember seeing these cars when they were new and thinking how cool they looked, something hard to say about many U.S. cars of the era. The C3 has a real European-like design and if you squint your can easily see how the C3 design was influenced by cars such as the Ferrari 250 GTO. To my eye, the best era for the C3 was from 1969-1972. I leave out the original 1968 editions due to the fact that the car was not fully baked until 1969, when the door buttons were replaced by the slick door handles that incorporated the latch in the handle itself. It is those little things that make a difference to me and that small change made the car perfect.

This 1969 Corvette was also the era where performance was king, and you could get a C3 Corvette with a myriad of engine, gearbox, and rear end options. This made these early C3s the last true high performance Corvettes we would see until the mid-1980s.

Our AutoHunter Spotlight is for this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette coupe which is equipped with its original and numbers-matching L68 427cid tri-power V8 with 400HP and 460 ft/lbs of torque backed by a Muncie M20 four-speed manual transmission (you could still get this awesome combination in 1969).

It is a well optioned car and includes power steering and brakes, air conditioning, a tilt and telescoping steering column, rebuilt carburetors, and removable roof panels. The car is painted in Cortez Silver with a black vinyl interior.

There is even more to like about this Corvette as the seller states that the car still has its original factory-applied paint in Cortez Silver (code 986), though they add that some paint touch-up work has been performed at the rear. Being a 1969 Vette, it still features chrome bumpers and the great looking side vents with chrome trim. It also has the iconic C3 hide-away headlights, a big-block hood, color-keyed removable roof panels, dual mirrors, and a rear-mounted antenna. The seller adds that the original luggage rack has been removed and the holes have been filled with black plugs.

Let’s move on to the interior. The seats were recently reupholstered in correct black vinyl and it also has new black carpeting. The selling dealer adds that the windshield wipers do not function and the air conditioning system does not blow cold.

The car features its iconic dash with a 160-mph speedometer, a 7,000-rpm tachometer, a clock, and gauges for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, and battery located ahead of the driver. The odometer reads 63,136 miles, which the selling dealer reports to be accurate.

As stated earlier, this 1969 Corvette is powered by its original and numbers-matching L68 427cid V8 equipped with tri-power and backed by the numbers-matching Muncie M20 four-speed manual transmission. Features include chrome valve covers and an air cleaner. The selling dealer states that the carburetors were rebuilt, a compression leak-down test was performed, the spark plugs were changed, and the engine mounts were replaced 868 miles ago.

This 1969 Corvette is one to buy as an investment and also make a fast and fun car to drive. Able to be shown or used regularly, the fun to be had with this car is practically limitless.

The auction for this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe ends on Friday, July 21, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery