The 400 Jr. Sound

Although we may not be in hot rodding’s Golden Age, we’re in a pretty darn good one. Junkyards aren’t full of vintage tin and flatheads can’t be had for pennies on the dollar, but we do have an incredible network. You know, the Internet.

Recently, we’ve had a cold snap here in Northern California. As I write this, thunder and rain turn to hail, and then back to rain again. It certainly isn’t roadster weather. It has cut down on time behind the wheel, but it has allowed me to dig into my research.

Old magazines. New magazines. Instagram. Facebook groups. The H.A.M.B. Recently, I’ve enjoyed diving deep into the YouTube rabbit hole. Last week, I stumbled upon a video that caught my eye—or should I say ear.

It’s a simple clip. The subject? A 1932 Ford roadster with a ragged top and faded white paint. A survivor? Possibly so. Between the rails there’s a flathead V8. Sure, it only has one carb, but the owner subbed in a rowdy Isky 400 Jr. cam. Give it a listen.

With a little bit of digging, I discovered that the car belonged to H.A.M.B.er Andyg of Springfield, Missouri. The story goes that it was built on a Model B chassis. Once its ’banger days came to a close, he made the swap to V8 power.

Where is it now? Did it sell? I’m not sure. But I’m glad that we get to hear that 400 Jr. cam at idle. There’s no doubt about it—it has the hot rod sound.

—Joey Ukrop