If the name Gil Losi sounds familiar, that's probably because it is. Among other things, Gil's known in our world for being the owner of the original all-steel Boydster II. And when the time came for Boyd to make the latest incarnation of the bodies in which he lends his likelihood, Gil jumped at the chance to own the original steel body of that version as well. But while the Boydster II had basically been in tribute to the original Boydster, Gil wanted to do something different with number three. It was when the steel body was in Australia getting the fiberglass molds made that Gil made a trip to the Grand National Roadster Show where inspiration struck. He was perusing the motorcycle building when he was awestruck by a bike built by the guys at Ashcroft Motorcycles. Their bike, the Ashcroft Flyer, was built in a '50s hot rod style in black/gray primer, heavy in red and white pinstriping, and oozing attitude. The wheels were set in motion and Gil immediately spoke with Lynn Ashcroft and the painter of the bike, Joe Miller, and they graciously offered him any help he needed. He left the show that day full of inspiration and was dead set on convincing Boyd that this was the route to take the Boydster III.
As with the last Boydster project, the guys down at Boyd Coddington's Hot Rod Shop were to be the main party responsible for building the Boydster III. The first order of business was to build the chassis. A completely custom frame was fabricated to accept the independent Corvette-based rearend and up front, one-off A-arms, spindles, and disc brakes hang off Air Ride Technologies' ShockWaves shocks. The adjustability of the frontend allows Gil to get that down-in-the-weeds look of the heavily Z'd hot rods while maintaining the car's drivability. To soften the ride out back, QA1 coilover shocks mount off the Corvette IRS. Of course, custom Boyd billets were used at all four corners, though these are not your usual set of alloy rollers. The 16- and 18-inch alloys are designed to look like early steelies, with hubcap, trim rings, and all, continuing the '50s hot rod theme the Ashcroft Flyer had originated.
When it came time to breathe life into the Boydster III, a crate Corvette LS6 was mated to a 4L60E overdrive trans and slipped between the framerails. Gil, in his shop bearing the car's new moniker, Ratster, fabricated custom valve covers to match the polished Magnuson blower that was mounted atop the engine. The mill breathes through a GM throttle body and coughs out the exhaust through Street & Performance headers and Magnaflow mufflers.
Being the original body that the other Boydster bodies would be pulled from, this version is the only one to be made from steel and aluminum by hand by the guys at Marcel's Custom Metal. Their ability to make a beautiful body from little more than sheets of steel and aluminum is the reason so many builders and restorers alike come back to them time and time again. The body is not only handmade, but so are the fenders, running boards, hood and hood sides, grille, and decklid. The cowl, with the curved windshield, is a work of art in and of itself. Once the fiberglass molds were pulled from the body, it was returned to Boyd's shop where his bodywork crew of Berni, Greg, Justin, and Raphael knocked down any high spots, filled any valleys, and then turned the car over to Greg Morrell, who shot the whole shebang in a custom Hot Hues Ratster Gray mixed by the Ashcroft Flyer's original painter, Joe Miller.
While the body was still off the chassis, Dennis Ricklefs and fellow 'striper Lil' Louie pulled out their brushes and one-shot and went to work. No stone was left unturned as the duo 'striped the driveshaft, inner framerails, inner hood sides, the floor pans, firewall, both sides of the decklid, and even underneath the gas tank. When all the 'striping commotion was over, the body was bolted to the chassis, then sent off to Gabe's Custom Upholstery where the crew fabricated a custom split bench seat before covering the whole interior in red leather, including the trunk.
Gil was convinced that this style of car would turn a few heads and that's just what it did when the car debuted at the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show. A suede car on the main floor certainly stuck out among the brilliantly painted show cars at the event and it caused quite a stir. A little inspiration, a little more imagination, and a whole lot of persuasion got Gil the car he wanted built.