As I get closer to the completion of the rebuild of our Depression Era Big Car project, I wanted to post a brief video of this car starting and running with out the engine side panels and hood. It was January 1, 2012 and what better way to celebrate the new year than listening to four big flathead pistons firing through a four inch open exhaust. What a great sound! I plan to offer this vintage race car for sale in just a few days.

Reassembly continues on our 1938 Depression Era Big Car. The aluminum belly pan was nicked and scratched from dirt clod and stone strikes during exhibition racing events. The belly ban was refinished and given a fresh coat of silver paint.

The freshly painted belly pan and cowl assembly were installed today. The cowl and tail assembly were then clay barred, cleaned and waxed to remove any traces of shop dirt and grit which may have accumulated on the painted surfaces during the time the cart was disassembled. This vintage race car is coming together nicely and the craftsmanship of the car’s builder is very apparent.

This photo detailing the decals on the cowl indicate that this car was affiliated with the Antique Auto Racing Association and the Midwest Old Timers Vintage Race Car Club. The car has appeared in events sanctioned by both associations.

This car is equipped with period correct outside rear brake lever and manual fuel pressure air pump. Because of the on board battery and starter this race car is equipped with a kill switch on the driver side frame rail. Due to the fact that these race cars relied on air pressure to force the fuel forward to the carburetor the fuel cap is a sealed vent-less unit.

I am happy to report that the long awaited return of our Ford Model B race engine to our Depression Era Big Car is now complete. The engine is installed and running great. The new engine carries great oil pressure, consistent compression of 115-120psi. and no sign of any coolant leaks. We plan to do a bit of additional tuning and then add the cowling back on the car. As you can see from the following images, this car carries an on-board battery, starter, and mini alternator to make getting the car to and from events easy.

I have also included a close up photo of the Ford factory replacement block Diamond Casting mark on the engine block.

Because most of the car’s internal features are visible at this time, I have added photos of the vintage 1928 Franklin steering components, front and rear suspension detail, and on-board battery box.

Restored 1928 Franklin Steering

Vintage Ford Rear Axle note Safety Wire

On-Board Battery System

Front Suspension and Steering Detail

Flashback racing recently took delivery on our freshly rebuilt Ford Model B engine for our vintage depression era Big Car. When our previous engine developed a frost crack and began weeping coolant we knew it was time for a rebuild. A historical note here is that Freeze Plugs for water cooled engines had not been invented yet. After tearing down our engine and having the block repaired, we were able to acquire a vintage factory replacement Model B block which can be identified by the small diamond casting on the front of the block. These blocks are stronger than the original factory castings and the best choice for any high performance applications.

Our rebuilt engine features new pistons, wrist pins, rings, bearings, seals, and gaskets. Our previous valve train, crankshaft and connecting rods was near perfect, they were cleaned up and reinstalled. These images came with the engine and the invoice.

Freshly bored Model B block ready for pistons

My TR7 V8 Race Coupe returned from the painter this morning. This project has been a budget build from the beginning. In order to save money on this build, paint work was limited to the engine bay, the front nose, fiberglass hood and deck lid as well as the driverside  front and rear wheel arches below the body stripe. The single stage blue enamel was color matched to the existing factory color.

I am selling this Very Nice 1977 Super Beetle Convertible for a friend who purchased this Classic VW in 1997 and was the third owner of the car. During that time, the car received a same color re-spray to freshen up it’s appearance. My friend drove this car only occasionally over the last dozen years, it spent the majority of its time parked in his garage. The car has 58,801 original miles and the car is mechanically stock and unaltered. The cream color paint job is very nice and there is no evidence of rust problems. I checked the floorboards and rockers (from above) and found them all to be solid.  The car runs and drives nicely. It drips a bit of oil when parked (they all do). The convertible top is in nice condition, the only flaw being a 1″ tear on the passenger side.  There are also some special extras included with this car. The owner says $7,500 takes it.

In early November 2009, I closed a deal on this 1984 Z28 Camaro. The funds from the sale of my 1967 Volkswagen Beetle were burning a hole in my pocket and this 60,000 mile Camaro was available. Leaving at 6:00am I made the 350+ mile trip to Richmond, Indiana and picked up the car. This Z28 is finished in black with stock light tan and black interior. The engine is a very tame and very stock 305ci V8 with a 700R4 transmission. (think 383 stroker and Power Glide here) This vehicle is not show quality but cleans up nice, it looks great from 6 feet away.  This vehicle is currently inspected and licensed… and because it is over 25 years old, it no longer needs to pass emission testing (at least in Missouri). Stop me know before I buy a crate motor… I’ve already got the Power Glide. $5,000

My latest Triumph acquisition is a very solid coupe body which has an expired 2 liter engine. I have scheduled this coupe to receive a V8 transplant. My plan is to create a street car with lots of race car attitude. Stop me now while you still can. Make Offer.

In that NO ONE has stopped me, this coupe is now equipped with a fiberglass cowl hood and fiberglass deck lid. I have also rustled up a SCCA ITA cage for safety, you can catch a glimpse of the roll cage through the windshield in the hood photo. I hope to have this V8 coupe road worthy late in 2010.

Hand build replica of the #39 M.H. Miles Four Port Riley race car driven by Red Bales throughout the Midwest in the 1940’s. This Museum Quality race car features a Ford Model B drive line, 1928 Franklin steering and a hand hammered aluminum body by Junior Dryer of Indianapolis, Indiana. This car is reluctantly offered at $24,000.

This classic street rod was built in 1971 and parked in 1981. Twenty five years later I rescued it in 2006. This original steel body rides on a custom frame with Corvette rear suspension and Chevelle front spindles. The 1969 Ford 351 Windsor needs work and is scheduled to be refinished in Winter 2009… until then… you can finish it yourself for $15,000.