Rod & Custom Feature Car
Tommy Otis
Sherman Oaks, California
The L.A. Tub
Chassis
The chassis is built around mildly Z'd Model A 'rails from Total Cost Involved, built up with hairpins, a single leaf spring, and a Deuce dropped axle in the front, plus a sway bar and Pete & Jake's shocks. A four-link with coilovers and Total Cost Involved shocks were added to the rear, stiffened with a Panhard bar. The front GM disc brakes are backed up by 9-inch drums in the rear. Tanks provided the specialty built 12 1/2-gallon gas tank. The frame was finally finished in Aztec Candy Apple Gold 'flake paint.
Drivetrain
Lifting the hood on a custom rod doesn't always pay off, but it's worth the look in this case. Larry Cresse built the four-barrel-equipped 302-inch Ford Motorsports engine. Tri-C Engineering created the one-of-a-kind custom air cleaner, in addition to a horseshoe-shaped dual-exhaust setup, featuring eight tailpipes-two on each side and four in the back. Sanderson built the headers. Don Armstrong from U.S. Radiator fabricated the custom radiator especially for the L.A. Tub, with help from Northridge Auto Wrecking. Borg Warner built the Ford five-speed transmission tied to a Currie 9-inch rearend.
Wheels & Tires
The exterior of the L.A. Tub already features plenty of white, so Tommy went with blackwall Goodyear radials for the soft half of the wheel and tire combination. Boyd Coddington provided a set of 15- and 17-inch Classic 2 aluminum rims from the Traditional Series.
Body & Paint
The steel body of a complete Rhode Island '29 phaeton provided the raw material for the L.A. Tub, which went from original to one-of-a-kind. Arty Regan at Car Land Auto Body in Danbury, Connecticut, revived the factory phaeton, and also constructed additional steel structural pieces for the old sheetmetal, in addition to the aluminum top. Modifications made since then include steel running boards and fenders (bobbed in the rear) from Brookville. After the car was relocated to Southern California, Rick Cresse and the guys at Tri-C Engineering continued its transformation. Michael Black did an amazing job on the elaborate hood, nose, and cowl. John at Rydell Chevrolet in Northridge, California, applied some finishing bodywork to the car. Joe Arnold and Ernie "The Gun" applied the PPG pearl white paint (with a dash of blue) at Arnold's Auto Body in Northridge. Tommy stepped in to add the purple and gold graphics, 'striped by Bill Marigold.
Interior
Tommy filled the expansive passenger compartment with a pair of bench seats from Glide Engineering. Albert Lara made sure the purple and pearl white Naugahyde (with some subtle gold piping) fit just right. Arty Regan built the custom dash, adding a pair of aluminum inserts on either side of an engine-turned center panel, which houses Haneline gauges. The banjo steering wheel was finished in pearl white and the shifter was topped with a custom Norm Grabowski knob. A European-style aluminum tonneau panel covers the rear seat. Driver and passenger can rest their heads on a pair of pontoons created by Tri-C Engineering.