As we enjoy our 20th year in business, we continue to be blessed with the best customers on earth. Jon Ford from Sarasota Florida sent me this beautiful history of his hotrodding career that reaches back to the 40’s! We have been fortunate to be a part of that history for the last twenty years…Jon’s last 12 cars have all had our air suspension on them! Jon mentions me by name a couple times in his article…and I thank him profusely for that…but it has been the entire staff of Air Ride Technologies over the years that has helped create our little piece of history. Jon…it has been an honor and a privilege to have you as a customer and a friend! –Bret Voelkel
“And in the beginning”…it was said.
At 13 years old in Laporte, IN, I got my first hot rod: a 35/36/40 Ford (notice the Olds spinners!). It had a flathead with 2 carbs, and I drove it all over without a plate as my grandfather was the Mayor. This picture is from 1959 with my Nash in the background. The Nash had an Oldsmobile grille, Caddy taillights, and I removed the springs (it sat on the A-arms); completely safe, I thought! It was called “The Equalizer”…a 6-cyl with 2-barrel carbs, Honduras Maroon paint, and pizza pan hubcaps (Plymouth, if I remember right). I called up Ed Iskenderian and asked him to grind the cam shaft; he dit it for $17 and he still remembers it to this day, as it was the only rambler he ever did. I ran that Nash at the US 30 drag strip in Gary, IN. They knew it well, as I ran what was called Little Eliminator. At the 1963 AHRA Nationals, they ran Big Eliminator against the winner of Little Eliminator (my Nash). Color Me Gone was Big Eliminator; it was a flag start and they gave me 18 car lengths, he still colored me gone at the end.
My grandfather kept taking it back to the dealer, complaining about the ride; he also didn’t understand pinstriping. It’s a 4-door, are you kidding me? You NEED pinstriping! But then it was on to bigger and better things. A few high school cars:
In the 60’s, scallops were big where I worked in Laporte at the Citgo. Another name for this car was “The Village Idiot”; or maybe that’s what people called me. Another 4-door; will he never get it right?? This one had two 4-barrels off a T-bird 292. I did love those moon eyes.
This shot is from Chicago Coliseum; we soaped the windows, as most of the Midwest cars did not have their interior complete. Lucky California to have Mexico so close! Finally, 2 doors and a decent name, “Lil Darling”. Love the Dodge Royal Lancers hubcaps.
This one was built for a friend of mine; lots of body work and lots of the REAL bondo. A 1951 Chevy 6-cyl split manifold. Had a sweet sound with the Smitty’s.
I totalled this one, but it did have an interior, had a blower, and ran great on Jim Beam.
On to more drag racing at US 30 in Gary, IN. Check out the grandstand! The car’s name was “Gang Green”; a 292 cubic inch Hilborn 4-port injection. I would drive 35 miles to the strip with slicks, open exhaust, 5:14 gears, and best of all, a 2-gallon hand pump pressure tank. I did have 150lb of lead in the trunk, just for wheel stands on the street.
I never stopped racing. This is Beech Bend in Bowling Green, KY, testing my new wagon. It got a bit out of hand on the 1st run in 1982.
Here’s a fun thing to do in the winter; all you needed was stupidity and a car! Indoor drag racing in the 60’s in Chicago. At the end of the 330′ strip, you had to go through a set of doors (or at least try to)…assuming you were not fumed to death by the end of the day. What a mess!
More indoor racing. Did that guard rail just fall over?
More from the indoor racing.
The last car I built in Bowling Green, KY. It was yellow at the time, and I re-painted it when I moved to Florida. Still no Air Ride; it must’ve been in Bret Voelkel’s mind by now. I drove it down to FL as it was my main car at the time (1984-5).
I traded glass for steel at the NSRA Knoxville, BB 502, when it burnt to the ground. I re-did it and sold it at NSRA Tampa. Shame on me, as it was my wife’s favorite car.
Who can leave a car show with money in your pocket and no car? Not me! I bought another one the same day as I sold the ’35 at Tampa. It was red and not chopped, but I finished it 1 week before the Nats in Knoxville. I drove it there and sold it to an insistent couple from St. Louis. They drove off in it on Saturday. But guess what…Jim Downs to the rescue; his brand new ’37 Cabriolet was sitting next to me. So a new chapter begins. 1987.
I had a vision of exactly what I wanted: black, super low, the new LS1, different wheels, ’40 Ford dash.
What I created was a car, and a monster: myself.
You see, I bought these wheels from Tire Kingdom early on; they were front wheel drive, made by a company called Prime. Nobody – and I mean NOBODY – liked them, but me. I was told that I should use them on the side of my house for a hose reel, or that I should melt them down for the aluminum, and those were the kinder comments. But I just couldn’t be stopped in using them. This is where I found out that if you want to drive to Indy and Louisville at 80 MPH and 2″ off the ground, you need something different than springs. I had learned my lesson way back that y ou don’t just take springs out, so I found a young man named Bret with a different take on how a car should ride…on air! So this begins my venture with Air Ride Technologies. Talk about low…right on the running boards to ride height in seconds, what a sweet sight that was.
Finished the car about 2 weeks before my goal of Indy 1988. LS1, check; black, check; low, check; no gauges, just a speedo, check; wheels, check. The only thing left was to decide if we drive or trailer. I didn’t have a trailer, so I found one; not sure why, as I knew the car was safe. Anyway, off to Indy. Arrived at the host hotel and took my stuff upstairs, then came back down to admire my car and found Brian Brennan, Lil John Buttera, and Andy Brizio looking at the car. Now I’m in heaven because they’re looking at it; everybody is looking at it and trying to figure out why it is setting on the running boards. Then the words are spoken: “Can I do a photo shoot and put a yellow sticker on y our headlight?”! To top that, Brian asked where I got the idea for the wheels, as they were perfect for the car. Now the damage is done, my ego kicks in, I think I can build winning street rods. Sleep that night was rare, thinking about Saturday’s agenda, and the forbidden land of Pro’s Pick. That night I also got to spend some time with Bret of RideTech and learn a lot about setting up air ride systems; something I found out later that very few people were doing the correct and safe way…darn those scrub lines.
Day 2, we line up and wait. As most of you know, when you pull into the Pro’s Pick area at Indy, you would drive by Boyd and his wife, he would shake your hand and tell you where to park as there were 3 areas. He put me in the alst area, which is not where you want to be normally! Once parked, all the top builders started to pull in area 3, giving me hope. After everybody was settled in, Boyd moved me to the middle of the group and the rest is history. A Street Rodder Top 10, Boyd pick, and photo shoot…what a trip!
At Indy, when y ou got your award, you pulled up to the starting line at the dragstrip. When I did, I torqued the car and ran the full quarter mile, much to the crowd’s delight.
I think – but am not positive – that the ’37 was the first fully bagged street rod, LS1 engine, and the first custom gauge from Classic Instruments. I know it was the first street rod with front wheel Prime rims. I sold the car to Vee Gains, NHRA Pro-Street driver, who later sold it to Wayne Newton. Last seen in Oregon with a smile on their face.
Dan and Roe Fraloli, original Sh-Boom
And the beat goes on; AJ Street Seats interior. Originally had an air shifter.
Lucky one more time; Downs ’37 cab made into a coupe, lengthened 10″, with bags. Chip Foose with a teenage Roe Fraloli.
Okay, one more time, then on the 7th day, I will rest:
Then, along came Kent Findley (Imagineer at Disney) with a skirtless Vicky, and we did the whole thing again. Kent left Sarasota, FL with his son and only 6 miles on the car for Indy, 2005.
The Grand Poupon “Great 8 Riddle”, 2000, built by Sh-Boom Rods. We had over $125K in chrome and stainless. Still owned by Tom Brooks in North Port, FL.
Here are some shots of my RideTech stuff over the last 20 years; Good Riding by Bret Voelkel and company!
That is a real Daytona 4 cam Spyder
Some of my cars – and other’s – over the years:
My ’57 NCRS, unrestored
Gary Robert’s Enzo
Dan Fraioli
My ’66 big block triple crown
More toys for me
Mama’s car
It’s another 5 AM
Dave Thomas, Wendy’s
Built in CA in the 70’s
Too fast to talk about
Bob Soran’s Speedstar, AJ Seats
Chip taking in the leather in Roe’s car
Final Chapter: 2015: Last Ride
The End
