Shaped as an old Bell or Cragar,...
Shaped as an old Bell or Cragar, the Pete & Jakes steering wheel reflects tradition; however, its billet construction and half-wrap construction is decidedly modern. It mounts to a stainless Flaming River tilt column.
Merging old and new isn't just a matter of throwing parts together slapdash. Just as a racer selects parts based on their compatibility, Claude chose parts that met at a common ground. The wheels, for example, evoke the disc-type Ford wheels that were popular in the '60s, which was primetime for redline tires and Cobra Blue paint. Those elements that tie the car together meet on yet another plane: each is a modernized interpretation of an old standard. You could say they're the point where old and new make amends.
Some would say that Claude built a car that's relatively timeless. In the sense that '40-style wheels, redline tires, punchy metallic colors, and Greek-style stripes won't ever go out of style. They're right. But this car very much has a time: This is a today car.
To paraphrase automotive artist Steve Stanford, right now we live in probably the greatest time in automotive history. We have a whole century of automotive styling at our disposal, each trend every bit as cool as the other nowadays. What's more, there's really nothing saying that we can't pick and choose among them. We couldn't do that yesterday.
True, there are still rules. But, as any pioneer in any field will tell you, rules were meant to be broken.
Some say boat-style windshields-aka...
Some say boat-style windshields-aka DuVall from one of their most famous creators-go hand in hand with the Model 40. This is one of Past-Tech's pieces.
Even the gauges straddle tradition...
Even the gauges straddle tradition and tech. Tom Gale, former design vice president at Chrysler and the man most responsible for merging tradition with technology in the automotive industry (Viper, Prowler, PT Cruiser) designed them.
Quick-change axles aren't...
Quick-change axles aren't only for gear selection; playing peek-a-boo from under the car, they're as sexy as a flapper's knees at a speakeasy. This one's from Winters Performance.
Rather than use the Ford-style...
Rather than use the Ford-style caps that Wheel Vintiques intended for its billet gennies, Claude used Mooneyes spider caps instead. Diamond Back Classic radial tires machines conventional tires for various-colored inserts like these red stripes.