The kickoff for this year's STREET RODDER / PPG Road Tour is getting closer, and the gang at the Roadster Shop in Mundelein, Illinois, is hard at work on the American Speed Company Speed33 that will be at the head of the pack of summertime cruisers, with Jerry Dixey behind the wheel.
The Speed33 body has been mounted on a specifically designed stretched and pinched frame, the front and rear suspensions have been mounted, and the Ford Racing Boss 302-inch, 450hp motor has been slipped between the 'rails for a test-fit.
There are some esthetic issues that raise their less-than-attractive heads when building a '33-34 as a highboy-regardless of whether it's equipped with an independent front suspension or a solid axle-namely the stock inner fender panels that fill the gap between the bottom of the hood sides and the frame. Normally covered by the fenders, they look clumsy and out of place in highboy trim, so the Roadster Shop's solution was to build custom hood sides and filler panels.
Along with the side panels, the hood top was also modified. The leading edge was trimmed to accommodate the repositioned grille shell, and new character lines were added to mimic those found on the ASC body.
The Vintage Air heat and cool unit was put in place in the passenger compartment, the Flaming River steering column was mounted, and even components of the Custom Autosound stereo system were installed.
Although it sounds mundane, a new transmission tunnel was fabricated, and one look at that seemingly simple piece will give you some insight into the craftsmanship that is evident in every car and part that comes out of the Roadster Shop.
While Dixey is poring over his dog-eared road atlas in preparation for the Road Tour, Associate Editor Ryan Manson is camped out at the Roadster Shop with camera in hand, documenting every aspect of the Speed33 construction. And, the best part is you can follow along in the pages of SRM as the car is being built, and then follow it along the highway on the Road Tour in your street rod.
The crew at the Roadster Shop...
The crew at the Roadster Shop has been busy, and the Street Rodder Road Tour car for 2008 is really shaping up. The new hood on the American Speed Company's Speed33 is the prototype for the production version, the Heidt's front suspension and Wilwood brakes have been installed, and the new Ford Boss 302 is being fitted with a Vintage Air Front Runner system.
There's a lot going on at...
There's a lot going on at the Roadster Shop's new 30,000-square-foot facility housing 26 employees, and this is just part of it.
Satisfied with the top, Dean...
Satisfied with the top, Dean turned his attention to the hood sides, not usually the most attractive part of a '33-34 highboy because of the bulbous filler panel that goes between the hood and frame.
The grille shell has been...
The grille shell has been dropped 1 inch to enhance the lines of the Speed33, requiring some modifications to the Rootlieb hood, which Dean Ellis fit to the shell.
The new side panel was made...
The new side panel was made to fit below the character line on the body; it also extends farther down the side toward the frame.
Compare these two hood character...
Compare these two hood character lines: The one on the bottom is stock, while the upper matches the ASC body. The stock hood was trimmed and the new piece was welded on.
Sam Waltermire eyeballed the...
Sam Waltermire eyeballed the new character line that would be added to the hood. Production hoods will incorporate this design.
It takes talent to pull this...
It takes talent to pull this off. The new bottom lip was clamped to the hood top and welded in place.
Dan Fink Metalworks braces...
Dan Fink Metalworks braces were installed to strengthen the hood top. Hinges and latches are also Dan Fink products supplied by Yogi's.
Beautifully executed, the...
Beautifully executed, the smooth new hood is a work of art. While it retains the classic character of the original design, its dimensions are substantially different.
Much of the unique fabrication...
Much of the unique fabrication being done on the Road Tour car will find its way into readily available, over-the-counter parts. This is the beginning of a lower hood panel to fit the pinched frame.
This is what will separate...
This is what will separate this car from most '33-34 highboys-it's one of the panels that will fill the gap between the bottom of the hood sides and the frame. In stock form, with an original frame, there are inner fender panels that bulge out to fit the frame.
Nearly finished, the clean...
Nearly finished, the clean design of the Roadster Shop hood ties together the traditional highboy look and the modern IFS chassis.
Although the Vintage Air unit...
Although the Vintage Air unit attaches to the firewall, a threaded insert in the case is provided for an additional brace. A simple strap does the trick in this case. Note the tabs on the body to secure the dash panel.
Inside, a custom panel was...
Inside, a custom panel was fabricated for the Vintage Air controls, the evaporator was hung, and the receiver-dryer was mounted. The brace running from door to door is part of the body structure, while the steering column is from Flaming River.
The flat American Speed Company...
The flat American Speed Company dash is something of a cross between a '32 and a '33-34 panel. Ours was outfitted with a Lokar insert.
A small tab was added to the...
A small tab was added to the body's cowl brace to attach the Flaming River column and drop-simple and effective.
This is the inside of the...
This is the inside of the passenger door. The large access hole for the power window mechanism is normally left open.
The Roadster Shop crew thought...
The Roadster Shop crew thought the doors were perfect locations to mount speakers for the Custom Autosound stereo. They fabricated a filler panel and even dressed it up with various sizes of dimpled holes.
The toe and floorboards had...
The toe and floorboards had to undergo surgery to clear the Tremec five-speed from Classic Motorsports.
A paper pattern for a new...
A paper pattern for a new trans cover was made with the gearbox in place.
Jeremy Gerber transferred...
Jeremy Gerber transferred the pattern to sheetmetal and formed the main part of the new trans tunnel, but the best was yet to come.
There are a couple of options...
There are a couple of options for gas tanks; the stock rear-mount style with a cover is one. This car will have a rolled rear pan, so a Rock Valley trunk-mount tank was used.
While a transmission tunnel...
While a transmission tunnel is a simple piece, the quality workmanship the Roadster Shop is known for can be seen in the completed cover. That kind of attention to detail is evident in the entire car.
We thought this was pretty...
We thought this was pretty slick: The release levers for the trunk lid and tonneau cover are recessed in the doorjamb.
Due in part to the tonneau...
Due in part to the tonneau cover and top mechanism, the amount of engineering that went into the trunk hinges and rams is impressive. But, that can be said of the entire body.
Stashed in the trunk is the...
Stashed in the trunk is the CD changer and the receiver for the Custom Autosound Secretaudio stereo system. Thankfully, Jerry Dixey won't have to sing to himself on the '08 Road Tour.
Simple and tasteful, the swoopy...
Simple and tasteful, the swoopy headlight mounts have art-deco flair.
One of the '33 commercial-style...
One of the '33 commercial-style headlights was test fit. Note all the chrome/stainless components wear a protective layer of masking tape to protect them during fabrication, and a solid strut is used in place of a coilover to help establish proper ride height.