The problem this build tackles is a tough one: create a one-of-a-kind 1932 Ford that can be judged at a major show, yet still drives legally on public roads and runs the Bonneville Salt Flats. The maker spent five years getting there, finishing only hours before judging at the Grand National Roadster Show, where the car earned an Outstanding Engineering award. On-screen text also credits it with Best of Show at the Benedict Castle Concours, after it was showcased before a designer there.
The car was built around its mechanical package. A Ford flathead V8 carries Arden overhead-valve cylinder heads, a pair of carburetors and a supercharger, and it drives through a Muncie four-speed manual with custom Hurst shifter linkage. Underneath sits an original steel frame, topped by a hand-formed aluminum body. The fabrication methods alone are worth study: linkage layouts were drafted with compasses and rulers, metal bushings were turned on a lathe, brackets came off a Bridgeport vertical mill, sheet metal was cut on a bandsaw, and an aluminum bellhousing was TIG welded.
Several details stand out to me. Pairing the Flathead with vintage IndyCar brakes and wheels is a bold direction, and the maker has said a preference for Indy-car braking hardware and race mechanics generally. There is an exposed front suspension, a custom front grille, and an integrated rear parachute housing. Inside, flush-fastened aluminum floor pans, drilled bomber-style bucket seats, and a full mechanical instrument cluster with tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge and pressure indicators keep things race-flavoured. The light-blue paint carries the number 26 on a multi-piece hood.
My one open question: with a finish that came down to the wire, I wonder what the maker would have refined given more time. The next roadster frame is apparently already underway.
Project by MotorTrend Channel. Watch it on their YouTube channel: