Nothing says summertime fun better than plotting out an adventure in your hot rod. It’s a time where you can pack a bag, top off the tank, and enjoy the driving experience while you cross the country on both highways and back roads. There’s just something so cool about the excitement that attending a big national event generates as you roll into town to check it all out. Celebrating its 18th year, the PPG Syracuse Nationals is one of the largest rodding events on the East Coast. The weekend horsepower festival welcomed well over 8,000 cars again this year, with everything from hot rods and customs to classic trucks, restos, and race cars, leaving you awestruck. Thanks to thundering V-8s accented by an endless stream of candies, pearls, and metallic colors, the stage was set for a wicked weekend.
Taking place at the immaculate New York State Fairgrounds, the event unfolds over 365 acres once you arrive. It features plenty of cool tree-lined streets to cruise on, accented by a myriad of classic old-time buildings, vintage horse and livestock barns, and state fair–styled eateries, offering plenty of meals you’ll remember since you were knee-high to a Deuce bumper. It’s an event with plenty of neat things to check out, including a huge grouping of vendors spotlighting all the latest updates for your ride, scheduled tech seminars from industry leaders, including PPG, TREMEC, and Inland Empire, to name but a few. You could have participated in the Tucci Hot Rods Pro Pick while also checking out the live bands performing on multiple stages throughout the weekend and dazzling nighttime fireworks displays.
Looking for more, the Old-Skool Roundup in a separate open-air pavilion had its own unique vibe for traditional hot rods and customs, fueled by plenty of kulture and its own swap meet and energized live Rockabilly performances, while Gasoline Alley showcased an extensive array of classic vintage race cars. The competition of the Select Six for the Winfield Award, presented by custom car legend Gene Winfield, generated plenty of excitement, and this year’s award winner was Bruce Leven with his 1951 Ford coupe. The legendary Arties Party pinstriping and panel jam to benefit The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York had custom-designed artwork auctioned throughout the weekend.
When Sunday arrived it was time for the exclusive Syracuse Nationals giveaway program, featuring the Garage Gear Giveaway to one lucky winner. By the end of the weekend over 8,000 cars had rolled through the gates, along with over 80,000 visitors. Thanks to the support of the Central New York Car Club Association (the host of the show) and area service clubs, donations were made from proceeds of the event in the amount of $20,000 plus $66,000 from the Panel Jam auctions to a number of local charities. This brought the 18-year donation total close to $1.1 million. This event continues to grow with each passing year, and we can’t wait to check it out again in 2018! We’re only touching the surface here regarding all the fun this event includes. You can check out more at rightcoastcars.com.
LS Transplants
If you are transplanting an LS GM engine into an older vehicle, most will require adapter plates that move the engine 1 inch forward to allow clearance for the coil on the passenger-side valve cover.
Rob Purcell | 1932 Ford | Harriston, Ontario, Canada
Nothing says hot rod better than a hopped-up Deuce pickup with a wicked mill. Attitude comes from a 3-inch chop accented by shortening the bed 14 inches. It sits on Deuce ’rails with a heavy dose of PPG black gloss and power added from a 341ci Desoto Hemi wearing a Gear Drive log intake topped with a squadron of Holley 94-series carbs.
David & Deana Thomas | 1935 Chevy | West Chester, PA
Traditional MetalCraft modified every inch of the sheetmetal except for the cowl vent and grille shell. It features a wedge-chop of 5-1/2 inches rear and 6 inches front with the body covered in PPG Elysian Green. A chassis from Ionia Hot Rod Shop sets the stance while riding on Halibrand wheels with power from a dual-quad-fed Chevy 327 V-8.
Mark Sansone | 1952 Chevy | Hilton, NY
With plenty of contemporary elegance and numerous subtle details, the body wears a mile-deep coating of black gloss. A Chevrolet Performance supercharged LS9 crate V-8 adds a healthy 638 hp to the mix for moving the big-inch Budnik wheels wearing Nitto rubber. Inside Rich Perez designed a breathtaking red leather interior and console.
Ron Ellis | 1941 Willys | Wilson, NY
There’s just something about a low-slung 1941 Willys that raises adrenalin levels. Built at The East Coast Hot Rod Garage it features plenty of meticulous fabrication while sitting on a custom Art Morrison chassis and rolling on classic Halibrand wheels. A Ray Barton 525ci Hemi with dual quads gives it go, accented by Axalta Applegate Blue vibe and a Dean Alexander leather interior.
Vern & Dave Gray | 1932 Ford | Hemlock, MI
This sedan was being built into a show car in the late ’50s but was never completed, being put into storage in 1959. Recently discovered, the father and son team brought it back to life with a two-deuce-fed 390ci Cadillac V-8 linked to a 1939 Ford trans. The body glows in dark red cherry pearl and is filled with a vibrant white interior with red piping.
Terry Cook | 1955 Chevy Bel Air | Mt Vernon, MO
Terry’s Pro-Tour Bel Air left us admiring its many body mods and stance thanks to an Art Morrison chassis with 18-inch Foose wheels wearing Michelin rubber. Finished in a dramatic PPG green and charcoal pearl, the blacked-out trim gives it a sinister look. An aluminum 434ci small-block has plenty of go, accented by an interior from OZ Customs.
Ed Sears | 1941 Ford | Annapolis, MD
Pure elegance describes this pickup with its subtle body updates and classic custom-blended PPG Light and Dark Brown Sugar coating from One-Off Rod & Custom. A 276ci Flathead V-8 is dressed to impress while Vintage Air and Classic Instruments add to the Lucky 7 Rod Shop leather interior.
Jon Centracchio | 1932 Ford | West Springfield, MA
Looking like it stepped straight out of a little book, this Deuce personifies cool with its perfect chop ’n’ channel, Edmunds two-pot-fed 303ci Olds V-8 and PPG Purple–coated body. Traditional details make it a standout with bits like an original Dago dropped axle, split 1932 Ford bones, Frankland quick-change rear, and 1940 Ford steelies with Firestone/Coker wide whites.
Fred Provenzano | 1950 Lincoln | Massapequa Park, NY
It’s rare to see a 1950 Lincoln, let alone one that has undergone the full custom treatment. Starting with a well-balanced chop, the body was shaved and treated to a lustrous coating of PPG black cherry pearl. Inside the team at GilliN Auto Interiors filled the business office with fully handcrafted appointments using Ferrari-grade leather in a double-stitch diamond pattern.
Jeff Benson | 1932 Ford | Canandaigua, NY
For a unique Deuce Jeff had Jay Panganelli hand form the body, grille shell, headlights, taillights, and gas tank all from 0.080 aluminum along with the windshield from stainless steel. Power comes from a hopped-up Flathead V-8 nailed in a custom chassis by Barry Brown’s Riter Automotive with Rocket Racing Solid-series wheels completing the look.
Steve Ramsey | 1963 Ford Falcon | Maryland
While honoring the 18th Syracuse Nationals it was a perfect time for STREET RODDER and Ford Performance to recognize street rodders who install a late-model Ford engine in a Ford hot rod or custom. While canvassing the massive confines of the New York State Fairgrounds we found Steve Ramsey’s immaculate 1963 Ford Falcon Futura Gasser making its debut, featuring a Ford Performance 427ci aluminum crate V-8, which caught our immediate attention.
Nothing says hot rod better than a Gasser, with its mile-high frontend accented by an adrenalin-charged V-8. If you grew up in the ’60s they were a main attraction at any drag racing event. For Steve Ramsey of Fallston, Maryland, getting indoctrinated into the world of hopped-up cars was as easy as walking into his dad’s auto repair shop. It was the place to be in the ’60s if you wanted to have the latest speed equipment installed on your ride. Before long Steve began spinning wrenches himself and by age 12 he purchased his first car, a 1955 Chevy coupe. He started frequenting local dragstrips to see the blistering times drivers were laying down on the strip. One thing he never forgot was the adrenalin rush he experienced while watching drivers pilot their wild Gassers down the track.
The thought of building a period-perfect Gasser had always lurked at the back of his mind. He started his search for a suitable roller and it didn’t take long till he located a stalled hot rod project close to home. The car was a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura that was on its way to becoming a race car at some point, a roughed-out roller at best stripped of all its driveline. A deal was made and the project was hauled back to his shop for evaluation.
As owner of both Ramsey Ford and Elkton Ford, both located in Maryland, the availability of Ford Performance parts gave him the opportunity to inject some serious venom into the project. Having worked with Dave Vrankin of Forest Hill on prior builds, it was a perfect opportunity to have him spearhead the project.
A decision was made to retain the factory unibody while adding plenty of extra strength. For starters the rotted floors were replaced along with adding custom frame connectors, gussets, and crossmember to make the platform rock solid. Out back a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear was packed with 3.70:1 gears linked to matching 31-spline axles. It’s suspended in place by a combination of custom era-correct ladder bars linked to a wishbone, Panhard bar, and QA1 coilover shocks. Up front it’s all business with a Speedway Motors Gasser front axle kit, including a straight front axle linked to 1949-1954 Chevy spindles deftly matches to semi-elliptical springs and tube shocks. Slowing the beast you’ll find a Wilwood Engineering master pushing fluid though stainless lines to matching 11-inch front discs wearing four-piston calipers, combined with 10-inch Ford drums out back. Anchoring it all to the street are a pair of Rocket Racing 15×6 front Launcher-series wheels with 15×8 rear Injector-series wheels all wrapped in rubber from M&H.
If you’re going to make a statement you’d better have plenty of horsepower underhood to back it up. Steve went to Ford Performance for their fire-breathing 427ci small-block all-aluminum crate V-8 packing 600 hp right from the factory. Hand assembled by the Ford Performance team, it’s packed with a speed shop full of go-fast goods. Starting with an aluminum four-bolt main block filled with a Scat forged steel crank linked to matching H-beam connecting rods topped with forged Mahle pistons getting bumped by a solid steel billet roller cam. Up top a set of CNC ported Ford Performance aluminum “Z” cylinder heads make plenty of power when fed by a Hilborn eight-stack injection system. It sparks to life through an MSD ignition and dumps gases through custom fenderwell headers by Vrankin to 3-inch exhaust with SpinTech mufflers. The goods move through a Ford C4 trans warmed over by Performance Automatic of Frederick, Maryland, to a custom aluminum driveshaft.
Vrankin then started on bringing the battered old body back to life. He replaced the rear quarters while also removing the stock shock towers to accommodate the new V-8 and adding a six-point rollbar. The doors, front fenders, and fiberglass hood were then fitted to the car and the shell was completely metal finished. Vrankin then coated the body in Axalta Astro Blue metallic, bringing it all to life. Brightwork from Paul’s Chrome Plating added the final icing. To add the perfect era-correct Gasser style to the interior the stock dash was filled with Auto Meter gauges to monitor the vitals while a Mooneyes steering wheel carves the course and a Hurst Quarter Stick pulls gears. Bux Customs of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, created a period-perfect business office covering a set of 1967 Mustang buckets in a combination of blue and white vinyl while also crafting custom door and side panels accented by blue loop-style carpeting. An American Autowire kit installed by Vrankin completes the job. Congratulations to Steve who will receive a limited-edition jacket as the award winner.
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