Speedway Motors' Signature Series '32 Highboy - On The Road

It's done. it runs. it's fun. Let the driving begin. That about sums up our progress on the Signature Series '32 from Speedway Motors out of Lincoln, nebraska. The all-steel crate highboy is everything we had hoped for, and then some.

After we subtracted the time allotted looking for eyeglasses, creepers with armrests, and a lift to get the older members of the team up off the floor, we figure the staff (Brennan, rizzo, Manson, and iJ from our tech center) had about 30 hours in the assembly of the 1932 highboy roadster from start to finish. Of course, my time was pretty much spent on my Blackberry ordering lunch; ryan Manson spent most of his time looking for the auto setting on the camera; and Jim rizzo and iJ (short for installation Jason [Scudellari], our tech center guru) put the real time into assembling the car. yes, assembly as in bolt together, since the hard stuff was already masterfully handled by Speedway (even the brakes were bled!).

As a quick refresher course, the roadster came to us from Speedway Motors nearly complete, minus components such as the engine (MaS Performance) and transmission (Tci automotive). There were a handful of other components, such as the driveshaft, cables, exhaust manifolds, mirrors, etc., that we ordered from the Speedway catalog and were loaded into the trunk (did i mention that the trunk is fully carpeted and detailed?). The remaining items we needed to round up were hoses, fluids, electric fan (Flex-a-lite), and accessories for the engine (MSD ignition and wires, Mr. Gasket thermostat housing, valve cover breathers, pulleys, Peak radiator coolant, and amsOil for the engine). it truly is amazing how complete the roadster is delivered to your doorstep-or your garage.

In previous issues, we addressed the car and the build as well as the exhaust system, which will be the one item the car is sent out to have finalized for the majority of us. We used a universal kit from MagnaFlow and fit the various components together. you, on the other hand, may choose to go for a completely custom system from your nearest muffler shop; it's about three hours in the garage for the talent-laden.

Our first outing with the roadster before getting the car registered and licensed was to visit California Speedway and spend a day driving. The nice thing about using the 568-acre Speedway facility is even a hot rodder can find plenty of space to drive about. Did i mention there is a skid pad, slalom course, braking area, and a dragstrip all at our disposal? Of course, we didn't exactly threaten the one-lap closed course record set by Gil de Ferran in 2000 with an average lap of 241.428 mph. Then again, the track management wouldn't let us anywhere near the big oval, but that was OK; all the amenities you need to stand on the throttle and then hit the brakes were at our disposal, making for an afternoon of fun. The highboy was docile enough, but there was plenty there when you pressed the throttle with its MaS Performance 325hp small-block. Being that the Signature Series '32 is designed one way-to accept a smallblock and a Turbo 350-we found the TCi automotive tranny to be another ideal component.

Fitment of one's body can be a compromise since the hot rod does come one way. For instance, it was a bit cramped when i had 6-foot-4-inch, 265lb associate Publisher John Barkley fit into the roadster. On the other hand, my 5-foot-11-inch, 220lb chassis fit pretty well. But the best fit was fellow staffer ryan Manson, being 5 feet 10 inches tall and 175 lbs. nevertheless, some manipulation of the provided interior could go a long way toward making this roadster fit a wider variety of bodies. another noteworthy point is the liberal use of polished stainless steel, such as the trunk handle, hinges, spreader bars, headlight rings, and much of the hardware used throughout.

More On The Trans
The Turbo Hydramatic 350 (or Turbo 350 as it is more commonly known) is one of the most popular automatic transmissions of all time. although, in stock form, they are best suited for use behind mild small-blocks, we asked TCi automotive to prep one for our potent-butmanageable small-block from MAS.

The TCI StreetFighter transmission features special clutches and bands, an improved lubrication system, new sprags/roller clutches, chrome plating, TCi-logo transmission pan, increased thrust capacity, higher line pressure for extra firm shifts, and greater torque capacity with less slippage (all in addition to being TCi factory blueprinted, inspected, and dyno-tested).

We aren't done! Be on the lookout in future issues as we begin to tinker with the highboy in an effort to personalize the car. every rodder wants his own hot rod, so why not take the Speedway Deuce and maybe change the wheels and tires or paint scheme, modify the interior, massage the engine, or a host of other touches that make any hot rod uniquely yours?