hot rods, muscle cars, customs...

[TexRex]

Zachary Reynolds' "Tobacco King" 1964 Ford Galaxie 500.

The interwebz isn't brimming with coverage of this thing, so sadly these are the best shots I have.

The car left the lot with a 390 that was replaced with a 427, which was then topped with a Latham supercharger. Lathams are cool. That was presumably deemed not enough, because a Turbonique Drag Axle was stuffed under the rear. Turbonique is cool.

This Galaxie is cool.

Edit:

 

[Populuxe]

View attachment 910992

This Galaxie is cool.

Pie-crust slicks are cool.

 

[Populuxe]

You can file these under customs:
Nash Metropolitan phantom limousine

The only real problem the original builder had with this was the Metro's potato shape. The front and rear where he wanted to join them were about 4 inches different. He had to bring the front doors out to make it fit. Other than a Chevy driveshaft, it's all Nash inside, including the 60 horse engine.

Nash Metropolitan phantom wagon

This is such a perfect job, it makes you wonder why Nash didn't offer a wagon. Now I want to blank out the rear side windows and turn it into a sedan delivery.

Nash Metropolitan rat rod

People are always turning Metros into the usual pro street drag racer, but this goes a different direction and I love it. Maybe someone else's google-fu is better than mine and they can find out more information about it, because I can't find a thing, even what kind of engine is inside it. So let's discuss. If this was your build, what kind of engine would you put in it? Original engine? Modern inline-4? Small block V8? Ford flathead V8? Desoto Hemi? .049 Cox model airplane engine?

Edit: I guess my google-fu isn't that bad after all. It's called the Nashole, it runs a Chevy 305 V8, and it was picked at last year's SEMA show to be turned into a new Hot Wheels car.

 

[GranTurNismo]

This Continental is LS-swapped and turbocharged.

 

[Sage Ages]

Do I wanna ask how ridiculously dangerous it is to strap a turbine engine to the rear axle of a Ford Galaxie? Very fascinating concept but I can see why it didn't catch on.

 

[TexRex]

Do I wanna ask how ridiculously dangerous it is to strap a turbine engine to the rear axle of a Ford Galaxie? Very fascinating concept but I can see why it didn't catch on.

From a vehicle dynamics perspective, it can't be ideal having that unsprung weight hanging off of it, but I wonder how bad it would be for the exhibitions it was intended to perform. Having it as supplemental to the "conventional" drivetrain may habe helped.

Turbonique did some crazy stuff, including powering a Beetle with one of their microturbines and pitting it against TV Tommy Ivo in a quad-engined 4wd dragster.

It didn't survive.

How it managed to send upwards of 1200hp through that '60-down split case transaxle without it grenading, I don't know. Must have been something about how it let on.

And then there were the thrust karts and the microturbine superchargers.

Speaking of Tommy Ivo...

 

[CSMDuty11]

I was on the internet today and I wonder if this counts:

 

[Populuxe]

I love how that Turboniques ad is a pitch-perfect homage to the Doyle Dane Bernbach VW ads of the 1960s.

 

[TexRex]

I love how that Turboniques ad is a pitch-perfect homage to the Doyle Dane Bernbach VW ads of the 1960s.

Totally.​

 

[TVR27]

 

[TexRex]

 

[Rallywagon]

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Wow. Can only imagine how sketchy that thing might feel at speed. Pretty rowdy looking Sunbeam though.

 

[GranTurNismo]

 

[TexRex]

Wow. Can only imagine how sketchy that thing might feel at speed. Pretty rowdy looking Sunbeam though.

Probably no worse than an Anglia--given the dimensions are similar--but then those things can be terrifying.

This appears to be the same car (same plate) but with turbos instead of the PD blower:



Most of the V8-swapped Hillman Imps I've seen have the motor up front, cutting down on the fright factor. I'd be interested to see one running with a V8 in the standard location. Even something as simple as a tame Rover unit hooked to a Renault gearbox (doubt the Imp box is stout enough to take the torque).

 

[Slash]

This was 1 of 2 Boss 429 powered Cougars built by Ford. Pretty sweet.

 

[TexRex]

This was 1 of 2 Boss 429 powered Cougars built by Ford. Pretty sweet.

Motor Wheel Spyders, too.

 

[Slash]

Motor Wheel Spyders, too.

Ford put it together but it was sold to them and Don Nicholson for $1 a piece.

Speaking of Boss '9's I know where there are a few engines sitting in crates, never fired. I wish I could afford one.

 

[TexRex]

Ford put it together but it was sold to them and Don Nicholson for $1 a piece.

Speaking of Boss '9's I know where there are a few engines sitting in crates, never fired. I wish I could afford one.

Didn't Dyno Don's Cougar run a Cammer at some point thereafter?

Dig that alliteration.

 

[Slash]

Didn't Dyno Don's run a Cammer at some point thereafter?

There in and along side the Boss at one point or another. By 1974-75 everyone had switched to Clevelands.

 

[TexRex]

There in and along side the Boss at one point or another. By 1974-75 everyone had switched to Clevelands.

I know at least Schartman also ended up with a Comet to replace the Cougar.

 

[Slash]

I know at least Schartman also ended up with a Comet to replace the Cougar.

Yeah, everyone down sized to Mavericks/Comets/Pintos/Bobcats and Mustang II's, that's when Bob Glidden started coming up in 1978 with his undefeated season, going from 500ci 385 series engines to Clevelands. That record still stands today actually. The 351 Cleveland is the only engine to have an undefeated season.

 

[TVR27]

 

[GranTurNismo]

 

[Volksauto]

 

[GranTurNismo]

6.8L Triton V10-swapped '78 Mustang

 

[TVR27]

 

[Team THRT Drift]

Was looking through my catalogue for photos to edit and found this one from a track day at Toronto Motorsports Park.

My favourite pre-60s American Muscle, the '55 Bel-Air

 

[Volksauto]

Perhaps some of the earliest custom (non coach-built) cars:

1935 Ford designed by George DuVall and created by DuVall, Frank Kurtis and Jimmy Summers.
Photo (1937):

Frank Kurtis designed custom grilles, bumpers, etc. for cars in the 1930s for the So Calif. Plating Co. shop trucks to make them look more modern. This is a 1932 Ford Pickup with the custom look:
Photo (1933):

1937 Buick Convertible with chopped top, smoothed hood sides, removed running boards with frame covers added and low mounted headlights to make it look more modern and exclusive.
Photo (late 1930s):

 

[Populuxe]

Perhaps some of the earliest custom (non coach-built) cars:

1935 Ford designed by George DuVall and created by DuVall, Frank Kurtis and Jimmy Summers.
Photo (1937):

Frank Kurtis designed custom grilles, bumpers, etc. for cars in the 1930s for the So Calif. Plating Co. shop trucks to make them look more modern. This is a 1932 Ford Pickup with the custom look:
Photo (1933):

1937 Buick Convertible with chopped top, smoothed hood sides, removed running boards with frame covers added and low mounted headlights to make it look more modern and exclusive.
Photo (late 1930s):

Very nice. I've always loved the work of customizers and hot rodders from the 1930s, when people were trying all sorts of different ideas. And a Duvall windshield on an old roadster has been a dream of mine for a long time.

 

[GranTurNismo]

1971 Chrysler Charger, with a 572ci Hemi making 800hp, Holley Dominator 1250, 727 TorqueFlite transmission, 9-inch differential.

1967 Pontiac Firebird, with a supercharged LSA V8 making 900hp.