Get a bunch of street rodders together bench racing and it's more than likely that the conversation will eventually work its way around to the state of our art. The actual content of these conversations may include, but aren't limited to, the virtues of driven versus trailered cars, high-buck magazine rods compared to low-buck drivers, and of course the standard debate over traditional or contemporary styling trends followed up by the perennial favorite, "Where are the new street rodders coming from?" Recently we were privy to a similar roundtable, but this one had a twist-it became a comparison of today's builders versus those of the past, and our opinion almost got us thrown out of our own shop.
While there is no denying the history-our hobby boasts a long list of builders who, without the benefit of modern technology and equipment, produced rods that have stood the test of time-we tend to overlook the geniuses in our midst. Perhaps it's the nature of the beast to dwell on the past, but while we wax nostalgic about the good old days, we tend to overlook the fact that we are creating tomorrow's history today. The truth is we don't have to look back for the true golden years of street rodding because we're living them right now. Today's craftsmen have all developed their own style, but from Bobby Alloway to Darrell Zipp, the one thing they all share is a level of workmanship that has raised the bar for us all. As a result, the cars coming out of home garages and pro shops are better than ever.
For anyone who hasn't been in solitary confinement for the last decade or so, one of the most recognizable names in street rodding is Chip Foose. Certainly his talents as a designer are well documented and he is known as a skilled hands-on fabricator. In addition, Chip works more hours on less sleep than anyone we know, and, despite his celebrity status, remains a truly nice guy. However, with all that being said, we can't help but think Chip's greatest attribute is his willingness to rethink everything and ignore convention. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn't mean that's the way Chip is going to do it. As an example, consider the steering system he devised for his latest project, the P-32.
In theory the goal was simple: Clean up the front of his unique, P-40-inspired hot rod. The chassis had to have the clean fighter plane look, and it had to be functional as well. Combining those elements was the challenge and it was met in typical Foose fashion-a few quick sketches gave form to the thought. This unique frontend would not have a conventional tie rod, which would prevent the chassis from being as low as Chip wanted it. Instead a frame-mounted steering box would deliver the pilot's commands to a pair of bellcranks connected to an individual draglink on each side of the car.
We had the opportunity to photograph the P-32 as it was going together for the Detroit Autorama, and while there were all kinds of details to see, for now we're going to concentrate on the steering. We'll be showing more in the future, as well as a complete feature on this very unique hot rod.