From the before and after division of the project car department comes this 1934 Ford BB wrecking truck. The former tow truck is shown here in before condition, after the heavy-duty Ford made the journey to South San Francisco by way of the windy rusty city of Chicago. Bob McLennan of Champion Speed Shop fame picked up the project up off eBay and had it shipped out west for … [Read more...]
Country Squire Wooden Wagon
The seventies were the absolute zenith of American station wagon manufacture. The flagships of the Ford station wagon fleet featured acres of simulated wood paneling - usually a shade lighter than the millions of sheets of actual dark brown wood paneling used to convert the basements of American split-level homes into rumpus or bar rooms. This fake wood paneling trend began … [Read more...]
Driving a Legend: 1934 Ford Pickup
The Champion Speed Shop 1934 Ford pickup truck is a running legend of hot rod history. Champion Speed Shop founder Jim "The Smiling Irishman" McLennan built the truck for his son Bob McLennan, who now owns and frequently operates the supercharged Chevy powered truck. Not so long ago an opportunity arose to drive this piece of history from South San Francisco to Bakersfield and … [Read more...]
Mid-Engine V8 Beetle
What began life as a stock 1963 Volkswagen Beetle convertible is now nearly everything but. We walked past the Bug a few times at the SEMA show before finally stopping to peer inside and see a stonking Ford V8 mounted amidships! The legend goes that Paul Newman had Jerry Eisert take some time out from constructing INDY race cars and engineer this mid-engine monster Bug to toy … [Read more...]
What, Me Worry?
Early hot rodders squeezed the best out of the junk they had. Fenders and running boards came off to save weight. Hop-up parts scored second hand from circle track racers made their way onto flathead eights for more horsepower. Keeping with this pioneering spirit but using modern technology and parts is the Truckster, seen here on display at the Painless Performance Products … [Read more...]