Dave Boule, the publicist and fourth member of the group that hatched this anniversary idea, summed up these cars' significance the day before the general public saw them firsthand. "They're the Faberge eggs of the hot rod world," he said, referencing these cars' unique, delicate, and exquisite personalities. While we get his drift, we hope these cars' future owners don't take that to mean that these are merely adornments for some well-appointed game room. We'd like to think that these cars' future patrons see them for the pedal cars that they are.
Who knows? One day we might even hear some kid say, "Yeah, my first car was a Deuce roadster. ..."
Good Ol' Boy
Bobby Alloway and Alloway's Hot Rod Shop
With its sneaky profile, Wade Hughes flames, and Duvall-style windshield, Bobby Alloway's SpeedStar made such a splash in the November 1997 issue that we still see its ripples a full decade on. If his cars have a certain flow, this one's a drop in the bucket.
Bobby's decision to dispatch the stock body in favor of a Poli Form fiberglass unit wasn't much of a departure from his stylistic trademark. Wade Hughes graciously offered the body and hard-to-find cast-aluminum boat-style windshield and dropped axle, two vestiges of Ralph Galliford's input from about 15 years ago.
Daniel McLain, Scott Emert, Mike Barillaro, Dustin Ford, Dusty Gregg, Scotty Troutman, and Josh and Joe Bailey fabricated a complete tubular-steel chassis, hairpins, spindles, steering arms-even a miniature POSIES Super Slide spring-to lend the car an air of authenticity. The Northern Tool and Equipment catalog turned up a set of big 'n' little hides, for which the crew made a set of spun-aluminum discs. They also welded together two stainless ET3 dust caps to create the auxiliary fuel tank above the little spreader bar.
Classic Instruments whipped up a dash insert and baby gauges, Steve Holcomb stitched up the cockpit in leather, and LeCarra milled out a chunk of aluminum into the shape of one of its signature steering wheels. Whatever Dan's Polishing Shop didn't polish or plate, Josh Shaw and Wade Hughes christened with signature "Ohio" flames. Once the dust settled, all that remained of the original car were two pedals and some linkage-chrome plated, naturally.
Godson Of The Rodfather
Roy Brizio and Roy Brizio Street RodsLeave it to a shop that prides itself on building real-world, user-friendly hot rods to build a pedal car with working headlights, taillights, and gauges. With details like those and flames like these, this car has Roy Brizio written all over it.
Roy made his name by massaging existing cars rather than altering them beyond recognition, so it's by no surprise that his is the only car to retain its trunk. Fabricators Bill Ganahl and Jack Stratton molded it to the body, grafted a Ford tailgate script to it, and created a Deuce-inspired latch for it. Following that massaged theme, they pie-cut the hood lengthwise above the beltline by 3/4-inch at the front and shortened the grille shell to match. For a final touch, they touched on a Deuce hallmark and fabricated for it the set of tapered framerails upon which it now sits.
The crew achieved the hot-rod stance by dropping the front axle and relocating the rear axle to center its wheels in their wheelhouses. The windshield frame not only sits lower and leans back, but it now sports a lower perimeter bar. The cockpit is true-blue Brizio: Classic Instruments 2 1/16-inch-diameter speedometer and tachometer and Sid Chavers-trimmed seat. Joe Compani laid down the Brizio Blue upon which Art Himsl applied the Brizio-trademark flames, and Rory delineated the two with a sharp green line. Naturally, Sherm's Plating brightened up the shiny stuff-including the two tailpipes.
It's the details that really distinguish Roy's cars, and this one's no different. With its Arlen Ness turn signals and headlights fashioned from Deuce cowl lights, this thing's ready to hit the road. Roy, always thinking of the unforeseen, even installed a charger in the trunk, which prompted the following explanation: "Hey, you never know."
Petey And The Gang
Pete Chapouris and SO-CAL Speed ShopNearly 60 years ago, Alex Xydias applied a white scallop to a red race car to create a distinctive image for his budding SO-CAL Speed Shop. When Pete Chapouris resurrected the SO-CAL legacy almost half a century on, however, he knew that white-on-red scheme was more than an image; it had become an icon.