Hot Rods The unlikely hot rod history of a 1940's era california roadster

Incredible! I loved reading that! Thanks a million....

 

Great stuff, keep it coming!

 

Hello Karl
Glad to see you doing this article...I'll be following you.......Bobby W

 

KKRod,

Who is Kathryn Petty???

 

Hi So-Cal Tex - You are definitely right it would look more 40's era but I'm just having fun with it. Maybe some time in the future. I kinda like early sbc. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea but I tried to do a interpretation of a 40's built 265 had there been one. Air cleaners are one off cast pieces, valve covers were hours of milling, grinding, and polishing to get the fins off. Modified a set of vintage hedman header flanges.

 

nice work there.......

 

Those valve covers are pretty cool. Look like some very rare pieces they might have made before the patternmaker got the fins added.

 

I hope that 40s built 265 comment was a typo! I'll ask some of the guys around st louis about the car and see if anyone recognizes it. Cool background on the car!

 

KK Rod, I love 265 and 283 as well I even had one in my '32 3w for a while but it didn't fit the build period of late '40's that I was shooting for. If you put a full hood on it that would help hide the SBC sins as my buddies all say

 

Those flathead guys are too much. haha

 

Kathryn was related to Jerry Petty who I bought the car from. She was my contact for seeing the car as Jerry lived in another town.

 

Cool. I think Buddy Holly's manager was named Petty. I wonder if there is a relation. Or perhaps she's related to Bryce Petty, back up qb for the NY Jets. Or those famous NASCAR Petty's.

 

Great story, great car. Love the 40's CA cars. Want mine to look like one on the outside. (SBC and modern stuff "hidden" underneath!)

 

Great story, well done on the purchase and chasing the history.

 

Great story & what the hell I like the small block in it.....Ya don't have to have a flat head to be cool..SBC can be just as cool! If ya do them up right....Back in the late 50's when we all were running flatheads we would have killed to get our hands on a sbc. So WTF

 

Just a Bttt for a lengthy journey in Vintage Hotrod with a Link to @KKrod's Hotrod at a Hamb dot connector on so many levels, Kustomrama...

https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Sid_Kayman's_1932_Ford
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Old post but this cracks me up; teardrops, stock and Pontiac tail lights all on the same car at the same time..

 

They hadn't got around to cutting that Hotrod ugly off yet...

I guess many Old Hotrods got restored as well over the years...you never really know where that Ole Shitbox has been till you stick your head in and have a peak...but that sure must have garnered a hey what's going on for sure...

 

Woah, those smooth valve covers are killer and definitely look like rare period pieces. Great idea.

 

I cannot believe it, you pass on the 37 Jaguar replica for a 32 Ford roadster, what are you Texan's thinking? I bet that 37 Jaguar replica is made from rust free fiberglass and sitting on a VW frame with a VW engine. Thanks for posting your project with such detail that makes one think that it could happen again.

 

Great car and story! Thanks for sharing it.

 

While early day home built hot rods were often times less than high tech, the History makes it twice as nice.