JDM Classics take the Spotlight at State of Speed Los Angeles

March’s State of Speed Los Angeles event was presented by Milestar Tires and was in collaboration with Sonkei Blue Social & OCJM, so it was a special one to say the least. The chosen theme was Japanese Classics, which usually make a pretty big appearance at the meets, but this time around the organizers wanted to specifically highlight that collector community. 

While the cars were the centerpiece, hanging out with friends while sipping Commodity Coffee and eating vegan donuts was, as always, equally important. 

…hanging out with friends while sipping Commodity Coffee and eating vegan donuts was, as always, equally important…

The cars that were spotlighted needed to be 20 years or older. Some incredible examples made the early morning trek out which can be seen in the gallery below.  

The Hot Wheels race track (which has made appearances before) was brought back out for the event and was a total hit with kids (big and small). By 7:30 a.m the whole lot was filled up and the event stayed full and energized until the very end. While Japanese classics were the main attractions, great examples of American muscle, exotics, and everything in between came out.

State of Speed continues to attract consistently high quality vehicles and an ultra- enthusiastic crowd. They plan to continue to host themed events and collaborations for the remainder of the year. Their next spotlight is expected to be BMW v. Mercedes and won’t be one to miss.

Vette Dreams: The Mid-Engine Corvette

The concept of a Corvette with the engine mounted amidships is nothing new, back in 1960 Zora Arkus-Duntov, the so-called  ‘Father of the Corvette’, unveiled Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle 1 (CERV I). Not so much a Corvette as a Corvette-powered, open-wheel racing car that served as Duntov’s Corvette test bed.

Sold for $1.32 million in 2017, CERV I was followed in 1962 by not unsurprisingly, CERV II, a far more realistic, full-bodied car that could easily have been badged a Corvette. Built to combat Ford’s GT40 program, CERV II was the first mid-engined car in the world to be equipped with full-time, four-wheel drive. It was powered by a 3-valve, 377 ci, all-aluminum V8. It could be geared to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds or show a top speed of 200 mph. Incidentally, there was another mid-engine concept shown around the same time that it was often mistaken for CERV II. It had Corvette GS-II badging and is recognizable by its clear acrylic injector stacks. According to Duntov, this was a stillborn concept produced by Chevrolet R&D (there’s an R&D badge behind the cockpit).

Despite numerous setbacks, Duntov pushed for a no-compromise Corvette that in his language meant mid-engine. Help came in the person of GM’s new president Ed Cole and there followed a string of mid-engine concepts that sadly never went into production.

A very swoopy, Jetsons-style coupe…

The first, dubbed, Astro 1, appeared in 1967 and employed many race car and safety-oriented features such as energy-absorbing bumpers, adjustable steering column, adjustable pedals, inertia-reel seat belts, roll-over protection, and an anti-surge fuel tank in one sill member. A very swoopy, Jetsons-style coupe, Astro 1 had a two-piece fiberglass body and was powered by a hopped-up, OHC Corvair flat six. It stood a mere 35.5 inches tall.

The following year, Astro II, now code-named XP-880 appeared. Sometimes blue and sometimes red, Astro II utilized a Lotus-style backbone monocoque chassis fitted with a Pontiac Tempest transaxle and the OHC Corvair boxer engine.

By now, Duntov was getting into his stride and there followed two concepts both codenamed XP-882. The expensive Corvair engine was replaced by a transverse mounted V8 with a chain, yes chain-driven, Turbo-Hydromantic connected to a stock Corvette rear end via a short, right-angled driveshaft. Stylishly finished in silver, the project was sound but new general manager John Z. DeLorean squashed the program as being impractical and expensive.

XP-882, however, was far from dead and in 1972 one of the two cars resurfaced renamed XP-895. The basic, chain-driven powertrain was retained but the Reynolds Aluminum Company added a new, all-aluminum body in an effort to extol its weight-saving virtues. The concept never reached production but XP-895 survives.

A year later, the second XP-882 reappeared fitted with a new, aerodynamic skin, gull-wing doors and a 585 ci four-rotor rotary engine. It produced 350 hp at 7,000 rpm. Unfortunately, the 1973 oil crisis put paid to most performance cars for the foreseeable future. Duntov said the fuel consumption was about 6 mpg.

…the 1973 oil crisis put paid to most performance cars for the foreseeable future.

It took until the mid-80s for the auto industry to recover the energy crunch and in 1986 Corvette debuted a new mid-engine concept tagged Corvette Indy. Here, the story gets a little murky as GM likes to keep a blanket on the inside story of its concept cars. The first Indy, a fiberglass mock-up, was apparently designed by GM’s head of design Chuck Jordan and built in Turin, Italy in just seven weeks.

At the time, GM owned Lotus so the second Indy, a running prototype finished in white, was built at Hethel, England in 1987 and featured a Lotus-engineered DOHC V8. There was no official word on the Indy until the following year, 1989, when a red, fully operational car appeared in Warren, MI. It was powered by the said DOHC, 32-valve, sequentially fuel-injected, aluminum V8 code named 350/32. It was not dissimilar from the Lotus-developed and Mercury Marine-built LT5 about to debut in the Corvette ZR-1.

Supposedly developed specifically for the transverse application, 350/32 featured pent-roof combustion chambers, chain-driven cams, self-adjusting hydraulic valves, and a hydraulic chain tensioner. The induction system employed 16 runners with 16 Rochester Multec fuel injectors. Painted blue, CERV III, the third and final car in this series was powered by a 650 hp twin-turbo LT5. It had AWD, three differentials and Lotus-developed active suspension with microprocessor-controlled hydraulics to eliminate conventional shocks and springs—remember, this was 1988 and by now the CERV acronym stood for Corporate Experimental Research Vehicle.

Despite much ballyhoo around CERV III, there were still no plans for a production mid-engine Corvette. However, almost 60 years on from the original CERV I, perhaps all that is about to change and Duntov can finally rest easy.

Never Lift: Bruce Meyer’s Car Collection

Not to be confused with Bruce Meyers, the inventor of the Dune Buggy, Bruce Meyer is a car collector extraordinaire and generally regarded as the man who first saw the historic value in old hot rods and began adding the right cars to his collection more than 30 years ago.

Housed in an anonymous brick building on Los Angeles’ west side, Bruce Meyer’s diverse collection is to die for and includes the first production Cobra CSX2001, the 1962 Greer, Black, Prudhomme Top Fuel dragster, the SO-CAL Speed Shop belly tank lakester, the Doane Spencer and Bob McGee Deuce Roadsters, the 1979 Le Mans-winning Kremer Porsche 935 K3 and several Ferraris. The list goes on.

Few but the fortunate get to see Bruce Meyer’s collection, and passers walking by have no idea what jewels are hidden behind those walls.

Housed in an anonymous brick building on Los Angeles’ west side, the diverse collection is to die for…

However, he is very accommodating when it comes to sharing his vehicles with others having taken them to shows and events all over the world from Goodwood to Pebble Beach. He is even a member of the exclusive Bonneville 200 MPH Club and even drove one of his roadsters at 204 mph.

As a ‘kick off’ to the Petersen Automotive Museum’s 25th Anniversary year-long celebrations, Bruce, who helped found the museum in 1994 with its namesake Robert E. Petersen, was asked to lend his cars to a very special display.

…passers walking by have no idea what jewels are hidden behind those walls.

Titled Winning Numbers: The First, The Fastest, The Famous, the newly opened exhibit features 10 of Bruce Meyer’s groundbreaking racecars:

Winning Numbers will be open until January 19, 2020, so you have plenty of time to visit. For more information, visit petersen.org

RADWood World Tour Invades the Petersen Museum

Showcasing the Best Automotive Collection of the ’80s and ’90s

Car critics often described the cars of the ’80s and ’90s as uncharacteristic vehicles that were often flashy, overdone, and lacking in horsepower. If we could voice our opinion, we’d have to disagree, knowing a number of iconic vehicles such as the Toyota Supra (MK3 and MK4), Porsche 959, BMW M3 (E30), Mazda RX-7, and Ferrari 550 Maranello, to name a few, continue to be in high demand today.

In celebrating cars in the ’80s and ’90s era, the first RADwood event was held in San Francisco back in ’17. The event’s name was derived from the popular Goodwood Revival Festival overseas. Brad Brownell, one of the show’s co-founders, teamed up with his friends to introduce this unique event while bringing back the lost era of cars.

The first event brought about 150 vehicles and received such positive feedback that the crew decided to continue the tradition and followed up with their second event, this time around in Los Angeles.

…the event felt like Marty McFly jumping into his DeLorean and taking a time warp back in time.

That was more than a year ago as this final year’s world tour show was held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles with over 400 vehicles in the display.

RADwood’s popularity has quickly gone viral as onlookers and event followers have pleaded for the show to come to their hometown. RADwood spokesmen had informed us that there have been talks of expanding the event with additional dates including events in the UK and Japan next year.

From vintage muscle cars, commuter cars with custom pinstripes, to high-end supercars, the event felt like Marty McFly jumping into his DeLorean and taking a time warp back in time. Fashionistas were also on hand wearing bright colors clothing and women teasing their hairs with Aqua Net hairspray while wearing tight leggings.

A number of rare vehicles including a Vector W8 Twin Turbo were drawing crowds throughout the day. While the exterior of the vehicles look vintage by today’s standards, the 6.0-liter V8 sourced from General Motors performance was nothing to sneeze about, delivering 650-horsepower and 650-lb. ft. of torque.

Another vehicle you rarely see was this ’90s manufactured Bugatti EB110 with a 60-valve quad-turbocharged V12 engine that delivered over 560-hp with a top speed of 213-mph.

CMS Motorsports and Restorations brought out their Mercedes 500 SEC with custom gullwing doors. Sitting on top of their car was a briefcase with faux 100 dollar bills and a classic Motorola “brick” cell phone to complement their ’80s-themed car.

Sitting on top of their car was a briefcase with faux 100 dollar bills and a classic Motorola “brick” cell phone…

We’re not even going to ask what was going on with this Mustang and his jungle-themed murals!

If you’re looking to see some cool cars and have a groovy time, be sure to check out their website for upcoming tour schedules across the US and vehicle registration at: RADwood.co

The Vault

Originally opened in 1994, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California recently underwent a $125 million makeover and reopened on December 7^th, 2015. The exterior of the building, an old Mid-Century department store, is stunningly wrapped in 100 tons of stainless steel ribbon but there is no obvious entrance. I guess they don’t expect you to miss it, located on the junction of Fairfax and Wilshire Boulevard in what is called The Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles.

Originally the brainchild of the late Robert E. Petersen, founder of HOT ROD Magazine and dozens of other publications, the “Pete” as it is affectionately known is, nevertheless, a world-class museum well worth a visit even if you are not a complete car nut.

Within the stainless shell, there are 300,000 sq. ft. divided into 25 galleries that house about 100 vehicles depending upon specific exhibits.

…well worth a visit even if you are not a complete car nut.

However, below the stunning, if controversial exterior, there is 60,000 sq. ft. containing another 250 or so vehicles in the Petersen Vault. Unfortunately, getting into the Vault is, as you might expect a bit like getting into, well, a vault.

At the time of our visit, the Vault was undergoing some refurbishment so some of the vehicles were in disarray. Usually, they are parked quite closely together. There are no ropes but you cannot take photographs and you are not allowed to wander away from the guide, but that is understandable as many of the cars are rare and quite valuable and not all are owned by the Petersen.

We got to see everything from an original Model T Ford to one-off concept cars to movie cars to celebrity-owned vehicles to a number of winners of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award.

Perhaps one of the most impressive cars is Mr. Petersen’s unique Art Deco ‘Round-Door’ Rolls Royce of 1925. It is the pinnacle of that era’s coach-built automobiles and in a way, the jewel in the crown of the Petersen. And right now, like many other cars, it can only be seen on the Vault tour.

…the jewel in the crown of the Petersen.

There are two types of guided vault tours and both carry a premium in addition to the cost of general museum admission which is $16 for an adult, $13 for seniors, and $8 for children 3-12. A 90-minute introductory tour is $23-25 extra and a 120-minute, so-called, world tour is an extra $30.

There are other rules too:

• Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged once the order is placed.
• NO children under 10 permitted on Vault Tours.
• NO backpacks, food, or drink allowed in the Vault.
• NO photography or video in the Vault.
• Online ticket sales close out on the morning of each date.
• Visitors must refrain from touching the vehicles and stay together with their guide during the tour.

Tours are not conducted every day so be sure to check the website and make your booking before turning up and don’t forget, parking is another $15: petersen.org/vault

Hollywood Movers and Shakers

A recent cover of SEMA News featured the face of Troy Ladd, owner of Hollywood Hot Rods, under the headline “How Famous Builders Grow The Industry.” Indeed, there are few more famous builders than Troy who recently moved into a new space and continues to garner accolades with his own take on traditionalism.

Unlike most hot rod builders, Troy began his second career after studying business and obtaining a Bachelor’s degree from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. While he enjoyed building cars in his spare time, he was not happy in a white-collar corporate job and consequently took the plunge in 2002 to hang up the white collar and open his own shop in “Beautiful Downtown Burbank”.

Naming it Hollywood Hot Rods was all part of Troy’s big plan as he knew that selling T-shirts and other merchandise containing the word Hollywood made marketing sense. And, he was right. His shirts were the number one selling brand in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Troy’s first shop in Burbank had an unassuming facade located on a small street that ended at Interstate 5. Unfortunately, that building, like so much of Los Angeles is slated for redevelopment and Troy spent has the last couple of years looking for a suitable building to buy. Eventually, he found a 4,300 square foot facility not too far from his old shop at 2617 N. San Fernando Boulevard, Burbank.

Troy first came to the public’s attention when he won the 2005 Goodguys “Rodder’s Pick” with “Big Sister” a ’32 Ford built on the Rides TV show. Two years later he was a finalist in the Grand National Roadster Show’s America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) competition with “Respect Tradition,” a Hemi-powered Deuce Roadster. The copper lowboy went on to win the “Best 1932 Ford Roadster” award at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals.

The somewhat untraditional traditional roadster was followed by a string of projects that just continued to enhance the reputation of Hollywood Hot Rods.  One that garnered attention was actually a full-size version of the Monogram “Black Widow” plastic model kit.

This is not a mere hot rod; it is a true coach-built car.

Several more roadster pickups (rpu) followed including the road-race inspired, Ardun-powered “El Correcaminos” (Spanish for The Roadrunner) and the stack-injected, Coyote-powered rpu giveaway car for Raybestos Brake Corp.  That went on to win the SEMA “Showstopper Award” in 2010. Other significant Deuce roadsters included the “Platinum Bomb” and the “Brooklands Special”.

Besides the more traditional hot rods, Troy has also built some notable later-model customs including a ’63 Mercury S-22 Comet convertible and a ’60 T-Bird called “Hammered”. Also to show the shop’s versatility there was even a late-model Mustang convertible powered by a 700 hp-x engine. It was a supercar designed for the track yet retained all of the comforts of a streetcar.

In 2012, Troy was named the LA Roadsters’ “Builder of the Year” and, the accolades didn’t stop. Check the list and he received a significant award almost every year up until last year when the ’36 Packard convertible he and his team created for Bruce Wanta won a string of trophies including the AMBR Award, the Custom D’Elegance Award, the Sam Barris Award and the Goodguys Del Mar Street Rod D’Elegance Award.

2017 was a busy year for Troy as that was the year he finally found a building and moved shop, however, it was Wanta’s “Mulholland Speedster” that became a game changer from its hand-fabricated chassis to it’s retractable, cantilevered top that folds down into the trunk. This is not a mere hot rod; it is a true coach-built car.

The new Hollywood Hot Rods is compact but there’s room enough for offices and meeting space above the workshop that accommodates about eight cars. We’ve visited several times recently and there’s always cool stuff to see and Troy welcomes visitors. All of the projects are interesting but I particularly liked the Italian-bodied tribute to Edsel Ford’s 1934 boat-tail speedster.

Both had more tricks than a magician.

Four cars share that space and they include a Hemi-powered Model A roadster and a highly modified ’32 3-window with a split-windshield. In the adjacent shop found a chopped ’57 Plymouth wagon having its roof pancaked 1-1/2 inches. Attached to the workshop is a well-equipped machine shop containing lathes, a mill, a plasma cutter, and more.

At this year’s GNRS, Troy displayed two very distinct, bare-metal roadsters that were an Art Deco-Steampunk mashup with lots of hand-formed brass accouterments. Both had more tricks than a magician.

As if that all is not enough, Troy recently teamed up with the original host of Overhaulin’ and Power Block on Spike TV, Courtney Hansen, for a new build show called The Ride That Got Away. It’s a feel-good show that builds and reunites deserving people with their lost ride. It’s airing now. For more information visit: hollywoodhotrods.com

Fast Cars Unlimited

I don’t know about you but I like to detour off the main street and take the back alleys—you never know what you’re going to find, particularly if you are looking for interesting vehicles. Recently, I was cruisin’ Pacific Coast Highway on the west side of Los Angeles when I took a turn near the beach and found myself in a small street filled with exotics: Ferrari, Jaguar, Bentley. There were so many parked by the side of the road I didn’t know which way to look.

Established almost 40 years ago by Steve Tillack, Fast Cars Ltd. emerged from a stereo business but has grown to provide discerning international collectors with a complete package of services including research, location, purchase, services and complete restoration of exceptional collector cars and historic sports cars. They can even handle race support if the customer requires it.

With around 20 employees under the experienced eye of manager Craig Calder, Fast Cars has complete machine, dyno, fabrication, and upholstery shops. They have produced noted trophy, Concours, and historic race vehicles that have graced the lawns as far and wide as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Ville d’Este in Italy; Their cars have even competed in the infamous Mille Miglia Italian road race. For any event, Fast Cars can offer its clients seamless support and logistic planning here in the U.S. and overseas.

Walking through the various shops on my guided tour with Marco Piehl who has been with the company for more than 20 years, I was amazed at both the amount and the variety of work being performed. We began the tour in a small shop where they were working on a Ferrari 250 GTO Spider. Next door we found a Jaguar E-type low-drag coupe with a hand-formed aluminum body. Eventually, Marco pulled us away into another large area where there were vehicles for sale.

There were so many parked by the side of the road I didn’t know which way to look.

These included a road-going 962 Porsche from Vern Schuppan, A V-12-powered Jaguar XJR-15, a pair of Ferrari 250 GT convertibles and a coupe, the only Bertone-bodied Jaguar Pirana Coupe styled by Marcello Gandini, an equally rare Porsche Carrera GTS as well as a 1966 Porsche 906 than ran in the Targa Florio, and an extremely rare DSRM-backed Ford RS200 Group B rally car.

Across the street in the service area, there was everything from a pair of Ferrari Dinos and Daytonas to a pair of 250 TRs as well as a Ferrari 500 NDTR. Alfas, Lamborghinis, and even a Jaguar 220. It’s all in a days work for the Fast Cars mechanics that keep these exotics running. Indeed, one young man who graduated from UTI turns out to be the Weber-carb tuning wizard.

About the only part of the restoration process not handled in-house is that of paintwork and some of that is farmed out to Mick’s Paint, Pomona, California. Mick’s was primarily known for award-winning hot rod and custom paint, but since collaborating with Fast Cars their combined efforts have garnered several awards at the prestigious Pebble Beach Historic Concours d’Elegance.

…one young man who graduated from UTI turns out to be the Weber-carb tuning wizard.

Their first award came in 2016 with a 1958 Pegaso Z-103 that came third in its class. In 2017, a rare Boano-bodied 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900c SS Coupe Speciale came first in class. In 2019, the only-surviving Atcherley-bodied 1928 Alfa Romeo came second in Class J4 Italian Classic. This year the companies are working together on another rare 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500.

Typically, Fast Cars is not open to the public, however, occasionally, they host an open house and you can find out more by visiting their site at www.fastcarsltd.com

Driving Miss Astor

I’m not sure if it’s the same for people born in the U.S.A., but for those of us born on the small, crowded island of Great Britain, there’s a romance surrounding long-distance road trips across America. My first trip was in 1973 and we rode choppers from LA to Oregon and back. Two thousand grueling miles on a motorcycle with minimal front suspension, no rear suspension and my wife on the back. It was a long, sorry-ass trip.

Since then I’ve driven back and forth many times in cars, motorcycles, trucks, trucks with trailers towing racecars and in hot rods and I have to say that driving a hot rod on a long road trip is, without doubt, the most fun. My problem is, I tend to fall asleep, even if I’m driving. Consequently, I usually get relegated to the passenger seat and made to do directions. That’s easy now that we have the internet but in the days of the ‘M-ap’, it was not so easy. Nevertheless, it’s always fun and often quite eventful.

Example. I recently got a call from my friend David Steele, Executive Director of the American Hot Rod Foundation who, in passing, said, “I’m driving Henry Astor’s ’32 Ford Roadster back from Indianapolis. You remember Henry? He was the first director of the Foundation.”

“Really?” I replied. “Can I tag along? I love road trips.”

“It’s an open roadster and has no top.” Responded David.

“Sounds good,” I said.

“I’m driving straight through. I’m stopping to gas and piss is all.”

“Perfect. See you in Indy.”

I took the red-eye and David picked me up at the airport. There’s no parking in the white zone. I looked at my phone. It said: Drive time 1 day 4 hr, and that’s if we didn’t stop for gas or a leak. Having been awake all night I leaned my head against the soft Naugahyde and dozed off. I woke up in St. Louis as we passed the Gateway Arch. It’s the tallest in the world but looks like half a McDonald’s sign. It was 7:16 AM and cold. I hunkered down under the dash and went back to sleep to the comforting hum of a tri-powered, small-block Chevy. Next stop, Kansas City. 

I was awake now, having slept for half a day. Unfortunately, Kansas is a whole lot of nothing. Just mile after mile of flat earth confirming the world is not round. Somewhere around Salina, David got a phone call. I couldn’t hear because of the wind noise but at the next pit stop, I heard that we’d been invited to join the Cobra Owner’s Club in a little jaunt around Zion National Park. Sounds good to me.

We pressed on. Bugs kamikazed into the windshield until you could barely see through the splatter. No wipers on a hot rod. It was 0-dark-thirty when we pulled into the Majestic View Lodge near the entrance to Zion. The big topic of discussion concerned Marty Langsam whose genuine Cobra had burned to the ground the day before. Marty had entered the Mount Carmel Tunnel and had an electrical fire. Unfortunately, due to the volume of traffic in both directions, the fire trucks could not reach him before the car burned up. Or, is that down? Either way, it was done to a crisp. When asked if it could be rebuilt, one smart-aleck replied, “We can build two.”

At that point, David did a deal with our friend Roger Morrison to swap rides. He would take the Deuce and we slipped behind the wheel of his original 289 Cobra. In a way, a Cobra is not that dissimilar to a ’32 roadster. Both have buggy spring suspension front and rear, both have a brutish power-to-weight ratio, both are open to the elements and both are a lot of fun. We found out how much fun ripping along two-lane blacktops to the north rim of the Grand Canyon and back.

All too soon, our time in the Cobra was over and we headed back on Interstate 70 towards I-15 and the road to Las Vegas. We could taste home by now so it was pedal to the metal. We ripped through Sin City in the dark stopping only for gas and the usual wondering what nefarious deeds were being done at that early hour. Somewhere south of town, we hit the inevitable construction zone but we were on a mission. Didn’t even see the cop until our world turned blue. He pulled us over. Thankfully, even though it wasn’t our car, the paperwork was all in order. We were doing good, I thought, until I asked, in my best Beatles accent, how old he was. He looked all of 14. Well, he wasn’t 14 so I asked why he hadn’t shown much interest in the roadster. Wasn’t like you saw one every day doing 80 in a 50 zone. That’s when he pulled out his ticket book. Poor David.

Back on the road, all was quiet. David didn’t say much so I went back to sleep. Woke up in Los Angeles. Job done.

Legends of LA

It’s hard to imagine what it might have been like to grow up in Los Angeles either side of World War II. It was pitched as paradise and with endless summers of sunshine, beaches and jobs it was. It was also the car capital of the world. Moratoriums prevented buildings over three stories; instead, we spread urban development like mayo on white American bread. The freeway ruled and with it car culture.

Think of all the cultures that blossomed here in SoCal: drag racing, dune buggies and off-roading, vanning, trucking, lowriders, tuners, surfing and, naturally, racing. Of course, racing wasn’t invented on the West Coast but the weather, the vast expanses of land and the freeway infrastructure enabled motorsport to grow like Topsy.

To celebrate the golden era before every track was bulldozed to make way for a mall, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles recently opened a new exhibit called Legends of Los Angeles: Southern California Race Cars and Their Builders.

Located in the Charles Nearburg Family Gallery, the display features twelve racecars, racing artifacts, and a 180-degree panoramic video providing an immersive way to experience a variety of the fastest and most famous cars built in and around Los Angeles.

Reflecting this diversity, the exhibit presents racecars built by the region’s renowned designers and engineers including Fred Offenhauser, Harry Miller, Frank Kurtis, and Max Balchowsky.

The new exhibit pays tribute to this rich history and honors racing greats such as Parnelli Jones, who has been a hero to fans around the nation for decades. Parnelli was honored at the opening night reception as one of the most successful racers to come out of Los Angeles with accomplishments in a wide range of motorsports including Indy Car, sports car, and off-road racing.

Most remembered for his accomplishments at the Indianapolis 500, Jones is often regarded as one of the most versatile racers of all time. He has won nearly every major auto-racing event in the United States including six Indy Car wins, four NASCAR wins, 25 sprint car wins and 25 midget car wins. Apart from racing, Jones has operated several successful automotive-related businesses.

The twelve racecars on display are: 1956 Watson-DeBisschop “HOW Special”, 1964 Mercury Marauder, 1967 Long “Shelby Super Snake”, 1963 Balchowsky Ol’ Yaller Mark IX, 1924 Miller 122, 1947 Kurtis Kraft “Leader Card”, 1975 Edmunds Tamale Wagon, 1970 Ford Bronco Big Oly, 1966 AAR Eagle, 1929 Ford Model A Roadster 22 Jr., 1948 King & Hansen, 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 FIA, and a c. 1947 Offenhauser Engine.

Cars displayed in the lobby are: 1960 Kuzma “Detroiter Mobile Coach Special”, 1975 Vel’s Parnelli Jones VPJ-4/1, 1946 Kurtis “Ross Page Special”, 1962 Epperly “Mid Continent Securities Special”, and a 1958 Novi Indy Engine.

Legends of Los Angeles officially opened to the public on November 10, 2018, and will run through December 1, 2019. For more information, please visit www.Petersen.org

14th Annual Nisei Week Car Show

All Rights Reserved and All Biters Served

The 78^th annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival held in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles has remained an iconic event and Nisei “second generation” tradition—commemorating Japanese heritage.

Cultural exhibitions, entertainment, and parades can be found taking over a three square block area for a nine-day celebration, but among the vendors selling sweet rice cake treats and spectators joining ceremonial Obon dancing; car enthusiasts look forward to this time of the year to attend the Nisei Week Car Show. For the past 14 years, Ken Miyoshi, founder and a pioneer of import car shows took his event, which was formerly known as Import Showoff and grew it into a cult classic. This popular show became etched into the “Nisei Week” culture as this year’s event was held at a new venue inside the parking lot of Nishi Hongwanji Buddist Temple located on 1^st Street.

This year’s event was branded “Super Sugoi x Dekocar Nisei Cars & Anime Art Show”. Yes, the name seemed a bit extravagant and rather complicated to understand if you’re not a fan of anime or a resident Otaku. In layman’s terms, “Dekocar” is short for decoration car which was of plenty at this year’s event. Extravagant vinyl prints and full graphics schemes of scantily clad Japanese anime characters were decorated on both the exterior and interiors of vehicles.

Albeit the flashy Anime show vendors and cosplay suited attendees roaming the lot, the majority of participants brought their custom JDM, Euro-Spec, and American Muscle to compete for a top class finish and bragging rights. This year’s top honors went to the Auto Concept Elite Skyline R35 owned by Jesse Sabater.

If you missed out on this year’s event, be sure to visit their Facebook page @NiseiCarShow for the latest updates and future events.

OVC Mustangs

In April 1964, after Ford sold 22,000 Mustangs the first week it was on sale, General Manager Lee Iacocca called Carroll Shelby and asked for a Mustang that could beat the Corvette in SCCA B Production road racing. The Mustang had in fact already been proven in Europe where Alan Mann Racing had prepared ten for rallying. They were successful and to prevent any competition from Mann in the U.S., Shelby got hold of a coupe and tested it at Willow Springs, California. Sensing the cars’ potential in both street and race trim; Shelby ordered a batch of Wimbledon White 1965-1/2 2+2 fastbacks from Ford’s San Jose, California, plant. They came less hood and less back seat to meet the SCCA’s sports car requirement.

Also ordered was the high-performance, 289 “K-code” engine. Upgrading the engine of the R-is-for race model included blueprinting, balancing and high-compression pistons. External add-ons included an aluminum “high-riser” intake with a 715-cfm Holley, a 6.5-quart oil pan, Tri-Y headers and an X-pipe exhaust system that exited ahead of the rear wheels. The transmission was an aluminum Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed with a limited-slip, 9-inch Dana rear end.  The upgrades increased horsepower to 306 from the stock 271 rating.

The suspension mods included 11.375-inch Kelsey-Hayes front discs and heavy-duty, 10 x 2.5-inch Ford Galaxie drums in the rear with adjustable Koni shocks all around. 

The interior was left almost stock. The back seat was deleted and the space used for the spare. The seats were stock and offered little lateral support beyond the addition of wide lap belts from Ray Brown Automotive. Tach and oil pressure gauges were added and a flatter, wood-rim, Cobra-style steering wheel replaced the stock, deep-dish factory wheel.

The G.T.350 listed for $4,311, plus $273 for the cast magnesium wheels, however, the R version, sold through Shelby’s Venice, California, factory added almost another $2,000. Despite Shelby predicted building 200 a month, however, only 562 G.T.350s were built of which 36 were R-spec. Rumor has it #37 was destroyed but that’s just a rumor so let’s stick with 36 original cars. It makes sense, therefore, in Shelby tradition, to build a few continuation cars which is exactly what ex-Shelby employee Jim Marietta is doing with OVC Mustangs (OVC).

Marietta formed OVC with Ted Sutton while Peter Brock, the father of the Cobra Daytona Coupe, acted as a consultant. Marietta grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, going to the races as often as he could. One day, after seeing him hang around, Al Dowd, Shelby’s race team manager asked 17-year-old Marietta if he wanted a job. “Yes.” He replied and he soon received a letter from Dowd telling him to be in Los Angeles, January 2, 1965, and to bring his tools. Upon his arrival, one of Jim’s tasks was to work with Brock, Sutton, Chuck Cantwell and later designer Klaus Arning on the independent rear suspension (IRS). It worked but just didn’t provide enough ROI for the Mustang and it was shelved for the time being. 

With licensing from Ford and Shelby, OVC was officially in business in September 2014. Subsequently, two prototypes were built in 101 days at Brock’s in Henderson, Nevada, the shop where Brock was able to incorporate some of the design elements he originally suggested for the G.T.350R including a new front lower valance, new Plexiglas three-quarter windows, and a new Plexiglas rear window. Subtle but significant parts that should also be available separately for retrofit.

The first two prototypes were built, as will be the 36 continuation cars, using original ’65 Mustang Fastbacks licensed-for-the street, however, the first pair will not be serial-numbered cars as will the 36 subsequent cars.  

Each car is carefully selected before it is completely stripped and blasted clean prior to any necessary repairs. A new original-spec, iron-block 289 is sourced from Bill DenBeste’s Carroll Shelby Engine Company, Windsor, California, however, customers can specify any spec. Each engine even has a cone-shaped air filter hand formed by Jere Kirkpatrick who worked at Shelby and drove a Cobra DragonSnake to the 1964 NHRA National Championship. Kirkpatrick also fabs the cone-shaped splash guard around the gas cap on the trunk-mounted gas tank—tasks similar to those he performed 50 years ago.

After the body shells are prepped, including the addition of original-style steel fender flares, they are painted Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes on the rocker panels and Le Mans stripes over the top of the body. Other external additions include the original-style scoops behind the doors, the new Pete Brock front valence and windows and an original-style fiberglass hood complete with a scoop. 

The suspension is somewhat similar to the original; however, OVC is able to offer an IRS option comprising a limited-slip Dana center section with vented discs. Up front, there’s a period-correct aluminum 4-speed with the stronger cast-iron tail shaft. The wheels are 5-spoke Americans shod with Goodyear 15 x 7 race tires.

The interior is Henry Ford-black and comprises the shallow-dish, wood-rim wheel, deleted back seat, an original-style, four-point roll cage with a non-original kill switch, a driver’s race seat, a stock seat for the passenger and a new instrument cluster.

Prototype testing took place at Willow Springs Raceway on February 14, 2015; exactly 50 years since Ken Miles’ first G.T.350 win at Green Valley Raceway, Texas, February 14, 1965. The test team included Vince LaViolette, Shelby American’s current test driver, Rick Titus, son of Shelby Trans-Am winning driver Jerry Titus. Former Shelby American driver and Le Mans winner John Morton was also on hand to help tune the car’s suspension. The first new-old G.T.350R went on to win its very first race in June 2016 at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Oklahoma.

In 2017, OVC moved into the old Shelby International headquarters engine building on S. Figueroa Street in Gardena, California. It’s a huge, 9,000 square-foot space dwarfing the production area but affording room to grow. While visiting I counted about ten vehicles in the process from being blasted to assembled. With original K-code Shelby street G.T.350 Mustangs fetching more than $500,000 and G.T.350R models tipping the scales at $1 million, the $250,000 price tag of the continuation cars seems reasonable.

AutoCon LA 2018

Billed as the Automotive Connection and a “global platform to celebrate all aspects of automotive culture,” AutoCon LA showcases the best of automotive enthusiasm and builders right in the heart of downtown LA.

Established in 2010, AutoCon has grown into something far greater than just another car show. Proof should be in its location in Los Angeles. Not just anything can display at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Featuring four halls and home of Automobility LA (formerly known as the Los Angeles International Auto Show), LACC is made for big shows. Should tell you just how large AutoCon LA really is, then. While not overtaking every hall, it still takes up nearly all the 210,685 sq. ft. available of the West Hall. It also comes with the advantage of being an indoor event, so even when it (rarely) rains, AutoCon LA isn’t hampered.

What helps make AutoCon LA unique is the opportunity to roll up to the main stage, something more recent car shows have copied since the inception. Selected vehicles will drive up to the stage and the owner will get interviewed or John “Nads” Naderi will talk about it in front of fans who get to stand right at the skirts or sit in the stands to watch each one roll up and off again.

Its history is more on the import vehicle side, but AutoCon is meant for everyone. So not only will you see the latest Honda Civic Type-R build but Jeeps, Mustangs, lifted trucks, and classic cars from the US and abroad. Custom cars range from R33 GT-Rs, BMW M4s, and even the occasional old and retired school bus. The show connects with the best and up-and-coming builders in California and across the nation.

If you missed the LA show, you can also see AutoCon events with the 2018 Formula Drift season at Atlanta, Seattle, St. Louis, Fort Worth, and the finale at Irwindale. You can also see the next stand-alone event at Pier 94 in New York, NY. It’s an enjoyable show for everyone in all forms of the automotive lifestyle. Hopefully, we’ll see you at the next one!

Luftgekühlt 5

Air Cooled Porsche Heaven in a Lumber Yard

Luftgekühlt, literally translated means “Air Cooled” and reflects the simple idea that Ferdinand Porsche created when he designed his first car under his name. Today, we celebrate his and Porsche’s air-cooled legacies thanks to Patrick Long and Howie Idelson with Luftgekühlt 5.

The pair of Porsche aficionados came together five years ago with the idea to celebrate all of Porsche’s air-cooled past. From the Pre-A 356 to the last line of 993s in 1998, Long and Idelson wanted to make sure the history of non-water-cooled P-cars were celebrated and cherished. Thus, Luftgekühlt was born. Each event is unique as they didn’t want to set a formula for every one of them.

For example, Luftgekühlt 1 was held in the parking lot of Deus Ex Machina, a café located on Lincoln and Venice. It was just enough room for 100 air-cooled Porsches. Luftgekühlt 2 was showcased at the Bandito Brothers Show Space in Culver City, CA. 3 took place at Modernica in Vernon, CA, which is a little south of downtown LA. 4 was at the Crafted Market in the Port of Los Angeles. Suffice to say, 5 had to be somewhere just as unique as those locations. However, who would have thought that a lumber yard would have fit the bill so nicely?

You couldn’t have a better backdrop, though. The simplicity of nature itself in the stocks of Ganahl Lumber’s open-air yard, feature cars on display and sitting on top of redwood lumber, the architecture and backdrops of the South Bay area – it all fit together to celebrate the simplicity and complexity of the air-cooled Porsche. Combined with a dash of dramatic, early morning light and you have yourself a beautiful event.

However, it also continues to showcase the unique nature of Luftgekühlt. Displaying at a lumber yard, at the Port of Los Angeles, Modernica, Bandito Brothers, and a Thai restaurant. Each one of those events has been unique and without repetition save for one thing: the celebration of air-cooled Porsches. This is one that, if you miss it, you have missed a unique show with an exceptional venue. So, look for Luftgekühlt 6 in 2019 because it’s sure to be another amazing event, even if you aren’t into Porsches.