Foose's P32 - In Flight! Video with V-12 Sound

Straight from Foose for a SRM interview:

SRM: The seats came from where?

FOOSE: They're B-17 bomber seats. I got them from a guy who restores aircraft at John Wayne Airport. His name is Ron; he found the two seats for me. Steve Jones, from California Metal Polishing was polishing one of the airplanes for him and he called me to tell me about him and that he has a coupe of containers full of extra parts and you might want to come down and see if there is anything in these containers that you can use. So I went down there with Steve one day and met Ron, and told him what I was really looking for was a pair of seats. He thought he had some, opened a container, and one was sitting right there in front. He pulled that one out that was still upholstered and with the seat belts still on it. All the bracing for the bottom, everything was there.

SRM: Why are the seats different from each other?

FOOSE: The passenger seat, which has that bolster at the top, is for the parachute. He pulled the next one out and I asked what he wanted for them, and he said "Uh, how 'bout a hundred bucks?" And I said "A piece?" and he said "Nah, for the pair". I couldn't get that hundred bucks out quick enough! All we did to get them in the car was to rework the braces underneath, so we could get them down, because originally they would have sat about ten inches off the floor but we got them down to two or three inches off the floor. The seatbelts, they're original, are really sun bleached, but when you open them up, you can see that they're about the same green color as the interior of the car.

 

The nose makes it hard for me to like it. Like seeing a supermodel with a hairy mole on her nose.


Sounds killer though.

 

Some folks like moles!

 

That nose makes me embarrassed for Chip...

 

P40s never came out with two seats. They were strictly single seat fighters.
I really, REALLY dig the interior. The real bomber seats just make it.

On another note, I have helped to restore two P40s, they are a class aircraft!
Doc,

 

Me too, total class act the few times I've met him.

 

I'd like to see more on the steering on that. Last I saw was a magazine article during the build-up. If I remember correctly it's got two drag links and no tie rod. I wonder how the geometry was determined, how much Ackermann, how it is for bump-steer, etc.

 

And now a word on the nose from our Pebble Beach correspondent...Yorgatron....

 

It would be nice to have some a bit of blueing around the exhausts.

 

Dude - you LIVE in Huntington Beach, and you are asking for pics of the seats on the internet? Reallly?

Go over there and take a look yourself man....

 

There we go! Cool! Thanks man!

 

Kinda areo - dynamic......Sooooouuuuuunnnnndddddddsss awesome!
Way out there again Mr. Foose! Always wonder what he will come
up with next.....

 

Yeah, yeah... I know. I've been over their several times and nobody ever seems to be there when I'm over there. Or at least it's on serious lock-down, anyway. Probably gets bombarded.

Did you just call and say "hey, can I come visit?" or did you just happen to get lucky and be there at the right time?

 

I was already pretty sure that car had the perfect stance...this video confirms it.

 

the nose is a bit of a distraction. But not as much as how high he sits in that car.....

sounds absolutely killer tho!!

 

Wonder what that thing weighs? That engine has to be heavy as hell... The nose Not so much...

 

Neat car! 86 the spinner.

 

They have a visitor's time. I think 1/2 hour in morning & 1/2 hour in afternoon. Been awhile since I've been there. The rest of the time the gate is usually closed. If it was open house all day, no one would get anything done.

 

Lucky to get to crawl all over it at a world of wheels show.It's a really cool hotrod.So many details it was hard to soak it in.The hammer welding on the body is beautiful and would be a shame if ever painted.

 

Aaaaa.... so that's the secret. Okay. I'll see if it's listed on the website. Thanks...

 

More updates on the site:

www.clarkehotrods.com

 

that car is cool i like the fact he used a lincoln v12 and it sounds pretty burly to ,

 

Sure they made a Curtiss P-40 Trainer! They didn't just send someone up for their first time in your best fighter plane even in the 1930's.
Peace,
Chaz

 

Man that's cool! I love it! Love the nose and interior. Wish he painted it like a Flying Tiger P-40 though. That would be amazing.

 

That thing is way cool, and the interior is the shit!

 

Gave me goosebumps! My first ride in a dragster was when we lowered Danny Sheffield's Lincoln V-12 into our Chassis Research TE-440...never forgot the sound of the V-12 (Danny homemade a log manifold with 5 97's) ... it didn't go that fast (like 116 on gas), but the sound was unique. Really brings back memories!!

 

that thing is way cool and that steering is sick...saw it up close at w.o.w. st paul couple of years ago..and i actually like his tv shows since its not a bunch of assholes yelling at each other like the car and bike shows out there.(apparently thats why some guys from american hotrods showed up on overhaulin) from his shows you can actually pick up some tips here and there

 

Glad you all like it....

 

Where are the headlights on the car?

Frenchy