In 1997 , Pete Chapouris , a perch builder of considerable accomplishment , approached Alex Xydias to certify the So - Cal Speed Shop name . Alex concord , and thus one of red-hot rodding ’s legendary names was resurrected . Under Chapouris ' direction , the newfangled So - Cal Speed Shop has brandish .
So - Cal has six licensed stores in addition to its Pomona , California , headquarters , and they all trade traditional hot rod and return parts , as well as T - shirts , posters , and lots of other So - Cal merchandise .
Hot Rod Image Gallery
The So - Cal Speed Shop will also build you a raging rod much like the one featured here . This particular car is quite limited , though . Much like the California Kid represented Chapouris ' first rod store , Pete and Jake ’s Hot Rod Repair , the So - Cal Roadsters are flagship cars for the various So - Cal Speed Shop locations . Each licensee has a So - Cal Roadster to avail draw in customers and show off the company ’s products . Plus , they ’re great fun to drive .
So - Cal Roadster no . 001 resides where all So - Cal roadsters originate , at the Pomona shop . Like the So - Cal Speed Shop itself , this two-seater ring of tradition but is in reality quite modern . style after Clyde Sturdy ’s Class B Modified that ran 142 mph at Bonneville in 1951 , the car is built from state - of - the - art parts , from the blownChevy355 - cid pocket-size - block V-8 to the So - Cal step - boxed chassis to the handcrafted Brookville Roadster brand ' 32 Ford soundbox .
The motorcar earlier featured a stiff ( 390horsepower ) 355 - cid Chevy V-8 . However , always looking to put more hot in its rod , the So - Cal pack swapped out thatenginefor a Chevy 355 equipped with a Holley 420 MegaBlowersupercharger , dual Holley 600 - cfmcarbs , Holley aluminium heads , and a hydraulic roller cam.
The mill routes its 540 HP through a B&M four - speedautomatic transmissionto a Ford nine - column inch rearward end . An I - beam front axle with hairpin wheel spoke rods and a rear transverse spring with ladder bars work to keep the railcar on the paving . Meanwhile , the 31 - inch - tall , 16 - inch - diameter bias - ply Firestonetiresprovide far too little grip for all that horsepower . But , with their Halibrand - expressive style wheels , they do look right .
The terms for all of this four - wheeled nostalgia is in the ballpark of $ 125,000 , and that ’s with a less , yet still - strong , engine . you may see one in person at your friendly neighborhood So - Cal Speed Shop . Or , if you have the means , you’re able to order one of your own .
