Vehicle Description
SUMMARY
Fresh restoration
502 cubic inch GM Performance Parts V8 / Momar fuel injection
GM Turbo-Hydramatic 350 3-speed automatic transmission
Custom leather interior
Billet Specialties Stiletto wheels
Winters QuickChange rear axle
Winner of multiple national awards
Rat's Glass body / Flames by Joe Richardson
Wilwood disc brakes
Custom suspension
If you're like most gearheads you remember the days when modifying
your hot rod meant removing extra parts, cutting a little metal and
hammering out a few new curves. But as time progresses technology
progresses, and what once existed as merely a backyard hobby has
now grown into a hyper-competitive, multi-million dollar industry.
Today, unless you have a decade and deep pockets to spare, it takes
a serious plan and highly skilled craftsmen to even think about
competing with the hobby's best. And when it comes to planning and
craftsmanship, it doesn't get much better than this incredible
Speedstar coupe. Built to be driven and shown, this slick little
street rod is a world-class custom that'll fulfill your needs
faster, and cheaper, than any car you've spent years idealizing.
And what's better: with names like GM, Heidts, Billet Specialties
and Rat's Glass on its specs sheet, this national award winner will
outperform and outlast just about anything on the road!
BODYWORK/TRIM
With most street rods, there's usually a single piece that catches
your eye long before anything else. And that's often a demerit to
the overall presentation of the car. In an effort to set their
creation apart builders sometimes add overwrought elements that
become more of a distraction than a selling point, especially as
the project ages. Not so with this roadster... Professionally built
by Harbor Auto Restoration and Alloway's Hot Rod Shop, EVERY piece
of this classic fits right and tight, on the way to upholding a
great vision of what hot rodding is supposed to be. Step back and
admire the shape of the car's Rat's Glass body. It's the kind of
profile that would turn heads in primer. So, what better way to
ensure sore neck muscles than adding a polished Jim Rench grille,
slick silver paint and wicked Joe Richardson flames? If you're a
hardcore gearhead that likes to rise above the crowd, this awesome
Ford is one classic that's guaranteed to pop eyes and drop jaws
anywhere you choose to go.
ENGINE
Speaking of eye-popping, if you're having any doubts about this
coupe's ability to back up its loud persona, I'd encourage you to
hoist its hood. Pull the latch, fling the fiberglass and you'll
find 502 cubic inches of GM Performance Parts V8 that's capped by
high quality Momar fuel injection. At the sides of that big mill,
polished GM Performance Parts heads hang flamed and pinstriped
valve covers over ceramic-coated shorty headers. In front of those
heads, a painted Steve Long radiator hangs a polished cap over a
large electric puller fan. Between those ancillaries, pliable
V-belts spin a polished Meziere water pump behind billet pulleys.
And behind that pump, proven MSD plug wires sequentially fire the
car's cylinders. Aesthetically, this Ford's smooth engine bay
appears to be holding up exceptionally well. And detail items, like
a Lokar throttle linkage, polished breathers and a KPA fuel
pressure gauge, add a heavy dose of form and function.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Naturally, this coupe's Rat's Glass body rides on a custom frame
that's been assembled to exacting standards. The beefy 502 sends
power through a tough Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed to a polished
driveshaft and familiar Winters QuickChange rear end. That stout
powertrain pushes a fully independent suspension, which features a
Heidts front-half, manual rack-and-pinion steering and adjustable
Aldan coil-overs. Quick stops are a cinch thanks to polished
Wilwood calipers and four drilled and slotted rotors. At the center
of the floor, ceramic-coated exhaust breathes through throaty
Magnaflow mufflers. And at the corners of the chassis, polished
Billet Specialties Stilettos turn 245/40ZR17 BF Goodrich g-Force
T/As in front of 295/45R20 BF Goodrich g-Force T/As.
INTERIOR
Inside this awesome street rod you'll find a stunning Luggage Brown
on Graphite interior that was installed by Street Seats Interiors
of New Port Richey, Florida. Custom-molded bucket seats are as
comfortable on the back as they are on the eye. At the sides of
those seats, the car's suicide doors wrap thin armrests in layered
panels that feature simplistic trim. Below those seats, clean
carpet anchors color-keyed floor mats beneath polished foot pedals.
Between those seats, a custom-fabricated console arches forward to
frame a booted Lokar shifter. In front of those seats, a
body-matched dash centers Classic Instruments All-American gauges
beneath a sculpted suede headliner. And in front of the driver, a
polished and half-wrapped steering wheel laps a tilting column
that's completely painted and flamed.
AWARDS
According to this Speedstar's previous owner, the car was bestowed
the following accolades:
A Top 25 award at the Shades of the Past Rod Run
A Goodguys Coolest Rod Pick
An NSRA award for Best Streetrod
An NSRA award for Best Overall
An NSRA award for Outstanding Use of Color
Fully sorted and ready to turn your dreams into reality, this
awesome custom carries the kind of cool swagger every car builder
dreams about. From its subtle body to its comfortable cockpit,
there simply aren't many nicer rods out there. If you're looking
for a striking show queen that's an absolute blast to own, come
claim this impressive Ford!
