What happened to the days of dual-purpose over-the-top hot rods? You know the ones that could bring home the gold not only after tearing up the strip but under the harsh indoor show lights. The Orange Crate and almost anything built by John Mazmanian comes to mind.
Jason Smith of the Hot Rod Garage (Sand Springs, Oklahoma) and I were bench racing and wondered what Mazmanian would build if he had ever went with a Deuce. The more we thought about it, the more it became clear: this roadster would be a total show-and-go, candy and chromed drag mo-sheen! Heck, this car will design itself. Originally, I sketched up a few different candy-colored concoctions. Candy red seemed almost too obvious at first, but the more I pondered it, the more the car told me it needed to be candy red! Of course, candy red shouts out for gold leaf accents and a whole bunch of chrome and polished hardware throughout.
Right from the start the fellows at the HRG thought the engine had to be more than just motivation, it had to be a beautifully crafted, polished, and chromed mechanical masterpiece of epic proportion. What could be better than a high and mighty Ardun-headed and blown Flathead. All real hot rods have three pedals, right?! This one is no different, albeit detailed to the max with a manual shift lever like the ones found in a '60s drag car. This awesome hardware churns a detailed quick-change and spins a pair of 16x10 Halibrands. Up front resides a pair of 18-inch 12-spoke dragster wheels, perched off an undropped, drilled, and chromed '32 axle. The interior is pure race car, with minimalist seating and aluminum-skinned paneling.
Before you start thinking this thing is too cool to be true, you might want to start making plans to get yourself to the 2009 Grand National Roadster Show. Steve Kormondy liked the concept so much he had Jason turn the concept to reality and plans to have it done and displayed in Pomona. No word yet if it'll be making any passes down the nearby quarter-mile.