Projects Building My First Roadster in San Francisco

Sorry friends for the delay. Things have been busy post-RPM, and I'm working on getting an article ready for Friday. That being said, I learned a whole lot in Santa Margarita and met up with a ton of great folks. That's my friend Len and his '28 roadster (above) that you'll be hearing more about later.
This car was fast.

And this one was one of the best races of the day. Diana Branch and the "Honey Dew" roadster ended up taking the checkered flag.

 

I'm about to fly home after an incredible weekend at The Race of Gentlemen in Wildwood, New Jersey. I have a long list of roadster items to work on/talk about—including the tale of that new flathead. Thanks everyone for sticking with me through this busy summer!

 

That thing is dialed in. That video of it smoking the tires half the track was no joke.

Yes! That car was one of the meanest on the strip. The story is that the owner is a former Pro Mod driver bitten by the traditional hot rod bug.

Thank you! I usually say that things are slowly but surely coming together, but I'm not sure how accurate that is haha

Holy smokes! Thank you so much for sharing. The resemblance is uncanny—right down to the bullet holes (?) in the doors.

Thank you so much for reading and for the kind words. It's been one hell of a journey thus far, and I love nothing more than sharing the story as it unfolds. I would like to read some of your writing sometime!

Hahah that could be arranged. Right now the count is up to 1.35-ish...

Thank you! I read this right before boarding, and I made sure to snap this picture to let you know that I enjoyed all five hours of the flight back to the West Coast. I splurged for an exit row, and boy am I happy that I did.

 

Sidebar #23.9: The Hunt for the Flathead

Ever since the start of this build, there was no question that it needed a flathead V8. I love the look and sound of the ol' water heaters. Well, not long after I bought the frame, I put a post up on Instagram announcing that I was looking for a 24 stud. Just like on the H.A.M.B., the replies started coming in hot. Within an hour, I had lined up a fully rebuilt 276cid 59A with a Merc crank, Offy heads and a 3x2-intake featuring a trio of Strombergs. Deposit paid—and I arranged to pick it up at the RPM Nationals. Yep, you read that right. I skipped practice and went straight to game day.

Walking through the gate at Santa Margarita Ranch on Saturday morning, I was excited about the event. But, in the back of my mind, I was most excited about my new engine. "This is it," I said. "My first V8. And a hot flathead at that!" In my family we use the term "cautiously optimistic" when something big is on the horizon. Nothing in life is a sure shot, and I know how it feels to have things fall through.

Unfortunately, that's what happened here. It wasn't anybody's fault. After studying the engine, I pulled both of the heads and found a crack on the passenger side between two valves, right in the middle. My heart sank. I remembered reading about checking there in The Rodder's Journal, and I'm glad that I did. I let the seller know and he completely understood that I was passing. He refunded my deposit and I thanked him for bringing it out and giving me the opportunity to give it the once-over.

As you may recall, it was my goal to return from RPM with a flathead, but it looked as if that was off the table. I spent the day photographing the races, catching up with friends and enjoying everything the event has to offer. After that, my roommate/fellow photographer Michael had a fun night in downtown San Luis Obispo. If you're a flathead and/or four banger fan, you can find our event coverage here.

A 35mm film shot from the starting line.

 

The following morning, I still had flatheads on the mind. I checked my Instagram direct messages and re-visited an offer for a 59A in Pismo Beach—less than 20 minutes from the diner where, for whatever reason, I was eating a chili dog for breakfast. I made a quick phone call and we were on our way.

Michael and I were talking tonight that this next part very may well have been the highlight of the trip. I was a little bit nervous, but that soon went away as we walked up the steep driveway to Garry Odbert's house. Out front was a chopped, full-fendered Deuce pickup with a quickchange and an overdrive—a sign that his garage was filled with early Ford treasure.

It didn't take long to realize that Garry is the real deal. A lifelong metalman, he has an unbelievable ability to bring vintage tin back from the dead. From the channeled '32 roadster to the once-crumpled '34 Ford coupe in the wings, it seemed as if there's nothing that he can't do. Oh, and he's also a SCTA record holder with his flathead Cad-powered Model A roadster that's gone 189mph. The best part? He's down to earth and happy to help.

The flathead in question was pulled from a customer's '36 Ford when he switched to a smallblock Chevy. Garry planned to use it for the aforementioned '32 pickup, but he ended up getting a hotter one with speed equipment already installed. "Check out that tag on the front there," he said, pointing to the dusty red V8 adorned with 48 chrome acorn nuts. "It says something but I can't read it." I walked over. Lo and behold, it was a rebuilder's tag from Fred Jones Manufacturing, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Nice!

Michael and I spent the morning at Garry's. We enjoyed hearing about his past, present and future projects. He gave me a lot of great advice for mine too. A deal was struck, and he let me know that if I find any problems with the engine, I can return it for a full refund. I thanked him profusely.

As we prepared to leave, he said he had one more thing that he figured I would appreciate. From another room, he grabbed a pair of old photo albums and laid them down on one of his metal fab tables.
Yep. I hadn't seen this photo either. That's the Ohanesian Merc with the Comp Coupe that Garry's dad and uncle raced in tow. Garry's dad shaped the nose. This was taken on Q Street.
I was pretty much speechless. As you can tell, Garry's family was heavily involved in the Sacramento hot rod scene. There's no doubt about it—a follow-up article is in order.

So that, my friends, is how I got the flathead V8 for my Model A roadster. Next up, I'm getting a '39 trans. I also may or may not have a line on a quickchange, but that's a story for another day.