With a tear in my eye, I'm sad to announce the final chapter of the Real Hot Rod project buildup. As I mentioned in the first buildup article, I found out about Keith Ashley's Lakes Modified concept through an ad in this very magazine, a few short months before joining the crew as an official staff member. After tossing the idea of building one around in my head for a few months, I discussed the concept with Keith and my bosses here at R&C. The stars and moon must have been aligned, because everyone actually agreed to let me build my own iteration of a classic lakes legend, then display the process in the pages of everyone's favorite rod magazine.
As you can imagine, I was stoked at the thought of building an honest-to-goodness dream car at home in my garage, and I was getting paid to boot! How could things get any better? Of course all great stories have a hitch, and this one is no exception. Due to some logistical problems and delays with the shipping company, things started up late, and to make matters worse, I had already committed to driving the car on the '03 Americruise, which was a scant six weeks away. The near 24/7 thrash that followed has been well documented, and those of you who have seen the Americruise coverage in previous issues already know that the car made it. So, after this long and drawn-out introduction, I humbly present the finishing touches on the R&C "My First Roadster" Lakes Modified.
Last month we brought the body components home from the paint shop, pieced things together, and wired the car with a kit from American Autowire. Once the electrical system was dialed-in, the last step in the assembly process was to slam in the motor and transmission (which had already been mocked-up in the chassis several times), install the driveshaft, and fabricate an exhaust system.
Real Hot Rods pre-engineers these cars to accept a small-block Chevy and automatic trans, so that step was a cinch. Once things were bolted up tight, I called the driveshaft experts at Inland Empire Driveline and inquired about a new shaft for my freshly assembled toy. I had incorrectly assumed that I'd have to load the car on a trailer and haul it down to their shop for fitment but was told that all they really needed was a few quick and easy measurements that could be obtained with a tape measure and an easy-to-follow diagram available on their Web site. After lying underneath the car and scribbling down a few numbers, I was able to order the part over the phone, saving a few crucial days as my deadline to Americruise grew near.
With only about 72 hours left, I towed the car over to the local alignment shop, where they dialed-in the front suspension, simultaneously giving me grief about my "primitive" bias-ply tires and "crude" friction shocks. Little did these lads know that, while my car may not handle like a Ferrari, it gets far more attention and scores much higher on the cool meter then any modern billet-mobile ever could.
The following day my driveshaft showed up in the mail and slipped easily into place. With open exhaust and a brake system that had only been partially bled, the first ride was a little hairy, but a heart-pounding thrill nonetheless. After squeezing the last of the air out of the brake lines, it was time to finish the car off with a custom exhaust system.
If you live in the San Fernando Valley (a suburb of Los Angeles and home to the famed Van Nuys Blvd. cruising scene of the '60s) and need exhaust work done on a hot rod, Gil's Muffler Shop is the place to go. The small brick building has been a home away from home for hot rodders for more than 50 years, an amazing feat in this age of corporate takeovers and big-name branding. Old-school innovator Gil Schirmeister started the shop with his brother after the second World War, back when the Valley was more cornfields and farms than high-rises and mini-malls. The shop obtained some fame when Gil put together a few outstanding rides, including a fully customized '40 Ford convertible and a belly tank lakes racer. In fact, he even built a roadster that ended up in the pages of R&C in the mid-'50s.
In the '90s, Gil passed the business on to his son Dale, who continues the tradition of solid work for fair prices his dad began so many years ago. With that in mind, I called up Dale with no prior warning and announced that I was in a dire state, looking to hit the road with my newly built hot rod the very next day but still had no exhaust. He agreed to take a look, and I brought it down with my best "please help me" look on my face. He figured out that a two-into-one-type system would work best to get around the big battery box hanging below the floor on the passenger side, happened to have a muffler and tip in stock that would work, and set to work right away. After half a day of hard work he had the system finished, and it looked as good as it sounded. As an added bonus, the large single tip made the car look like it was powered by a period-correct four-banger, which was great for the "sleeper factor" if I ever got into a little stoplight tango (not that I would do such a thing).
As I drove home that night, I had an ear-to-ear grin that wouldn't go away. My six-week wonder was finally complete, with nothing but a few scant hours to spare. The car turned out beautiful and ended up making the Americruise "long haul" with nothing but a few minor hiccups (for more on that story see the Feb. '04 issue). I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the project, from the companies that provided parts and technical support, to my friends and family who stood by while I hibernated in the garage. Keep your eyes on the mailbox for next month's issue, which will showcase a full feature on the finished car, as well as a few other roarin' roadsters for your enjoyment. Until then, keep the dirty side down!