It is without a doubt one of the most recognized street rods in history. From album covers to magazine covers, the McMullen Roadster has been seen and admired by millions over the years. Originally built in the 1950s, the '32 highboy roadster was acquired by Tom McMullen in 1958. Tom added the signature flames, blown small-block, and Moon tank ... and the rest is hot rod history! Over the years, Tom built two reincarnations of his famous roadster. The one built in 1975 was dubbed the "Ultimate Highboy." It was a modern version of the roadster with all the tricks of the time. In 1991 Tom decided to duplicate the 1963 version of his famous roadster. It was history recreated.
With his untimely death, the legend of Tom McMullen and his famous roadster lived on in the pages of STREET RODDER. In 1997 (to celebrate the 25th anniversary of SRM), Lobeck's V-8 Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, was commissioned to build a 1963 version of the flamed roadster. Equipped with a blown small-block and the look that the McMullen Roadster was famous for, this reincarnation was driven to the National Street Rod Association events around the country. It was part of the famous Road Tour Series, which showed that modern street rods, when built with the quality components that are available today, are safe, reliable, and a whole lot of fun!
All of this brings us to the year 2000. Street rodding is bigger than it has ever been. The Road Tour Series is in its fifth year. When the time came to decide on a vehicle to celebrate our history and to take street rodding into the future, there was one choice that stood head and shoulders above the rest: a McMullen Roadster as Tom would have built in the year 2000.
At first glance every street rodder will recognize "the look." The flames and the Moon tank will be there, but with a twist for the year 2000. With Heidt's independent front and rear suspensions, the ride will be ultra-smooth. Lobeck's Just-a-Hobby designed a special frame to bring the overall stance low to the ground. Down's Manufacturing took one of its '32 roadster bodies and modified it for a hug-the-ground look.
Due to their reputation (built on two decades of quality street rod construction) the team of craftsmen at Ginny and Barry Lobeck's were called upon to handle the construction of the M2000. This experiment in "McMullen Modern" will have respect for the past but will also have an eye to the future of our hobby.
It is time to begin construction and it starts at the same place that every street rod starts: the chassis. Follow along as the Just-a-Hobby and Lobeck crew begins construction on the M2000 and we take street rodding into the next millennium. When the construction is complete, watch for the M2000 at the NSRA events around the country this summer. It will be a 25,000-mile tour of topless fun!
Ginny and Barry Lobeck purchased...
Ginny and Barry Lobeck purchased the frame manufacturer Just-a-Hobby in 1986. When they built their new street rod complex in Cleveland in 1990, Just-a-Hobby was combined with Lobeck's Hot Rod Shop under one roof. They manufacture framerails and chassis for six different street rod configurations.
The next step is to install...
The next step is to install the new Heidt's independent rear suspension. Watch next month as Gary Heidt pays a visit to the Lobeck shop and helps the Just-a-Hobby staff with the installation of this beautiful rear suspension.
Construction begins with 10-gauge...
Construction begins with 10-gauge steel plates that are laser cut to the necessary shape. In the case of the M2000, to get the desired low look the framerails were kicked-up 1 inch in the front and 3 inches in the rear. The rails were made 5 inches in width instead of the usual 6 inches.
Brian Kellar from Just-a-Hobby...
Brian Kellar from Just-a-Hobby is installing the lower lip of the framerail. A stitch-weld process is used to ensure that there is no warping of the metal. (Oh yea, never weld without safety eyewear!)
The rails are then fully boxed...
The rails are then fully boxed to add strength. This full-boxing process was not used in the original production when Ford manufactured cars in the '30s. Street rodders (aware of the stresses on chassis with today's powerful engines and higher speeds) began boxing chassis in the early '50s.
The completed rails are ready...
The completed rails are ready to be welded and ground smooth. To keep the smooth look theme that will be followed through the construction of the entire car, the framerails were made with no reveal.
Heidt's open-wheel Superide...
Heidt's open-wheel Superide suspension was chosen to help smooth out the rough roads that will be encountered over the summer. This frontend package comes complete and ready to weld in place.
Due to the state-of-the-art...
Due to the state-of-the-art nature of the M2000 project (and besides the fact that we wanted it to look really cool!), Heidt's provided us with their polished stainless A-arm package, coilover Aldan shocks, their Wilwood polished billet calipers, stainless spindles, polished rotor covers, and polished Wilwood aluminum hubs. These front assemblies are made by Heidt's and are available for the their Superide suspension.