Hot rod-uri la SEMA

Wedge Roadster

This fantastic little roadster was built by Webb’s Automotive Art, the company of famed hot rod fabricator Dan Webb, and embodies a 21st century take on the traditional hot rod concept. The “Rat Fink” booth mascot is perfect - I’m sure Ed Roth would approve!

The body was hand-crafted from aluminum and steel, to a design inspired by the ‘32 Ford roadster and the legendary Miller racecars. The aluminum seats evoke a “sprint car” feel for the cockpit, as does the aluminum steering wheel. More after the jump.

The car is driven by a 2.3-liter DOHC 4-cylinder Ford powerplant, through a Tremec T3550 transmission. Engine mods include:
aluminum high-flow head
electronic fuel injection by Fuel Air Spark Technology (great name!)
V-shaped custom rad with electric fans
custom dry sump oil system
aluminum flywheel by Fidanza
Competition Cams camshaft


The chassis is chromoly, with front and rear friction shocks and quarter-elliptic front and rear springs. A custom aluminum differential (see below) drives the Dayton cross-laced wire wheels.

Tribal Motorworks did much of the component fabrication on the car, including the velocity stacks, rear end, gas pedal, brake and clutch pedal, friction shocks, dry sump, motor pulleys, steering wheel, tail light, and shifter. Some of the components are shown below.

It’s a ‘40 Ford with the soul of a GT40, and Eric, our SEMA correspondent, says it’s one of the most unusual rods he has ever seen.

The body is handmade from 1.5mm-thick pure copper to a design based on a 1940 Ford Roadster. The copper panels were made in Poland, at a former MiG fighter factory (I’m not making this up!), and then shipped to Kirkham Motorsports in the U.S. for assembly. (Kirkham is a manufacturer of finely-crafted aluminum-bodied Cobra replicas.) More magic after the jump.

The bodywork is hung on a custom tubular stainless steel chassis of mid-engine/rear wheel drive design, with fully independent dual wishbone front and rear suspension. Other chassis features include Penske racing shocks, Brembo 4-piston brakes, hubs from the 2006 Ford GT, and Kirkham-fabricated billet control arms. Wheels are from the Ford GT - 18x9 front/19x11.5 rear, with Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires.

The powertrain is pure Ford GT, using the 2006 Ford GT Modular Engine (5.4-liter, 4-valve, supercharged) and the Ford GT 6-speed transaxle.

The cockpit features a hand-carved African hardwood dash and trim, with polished aluminum accents and black leather seats.

If a stock Tucker isn’t enough of a rare sight, a full-bore custom Tucker is definitely unique. Eric spotted this beauty at SEMA, and we’re thankful he did. Underneath the handmade body, Rob Ida Concepts has mounted a Northstar V8 in the rear, fitted four wheel independent suspension with air ride, four wheel power brakes, and custom 22” billet wheels. Passengers are treated to dual-zone air conditioning and while the driver uses the GPS navigation or entertains with the full audio and video entertainment system. Like all good Tuckers, the front headlight is steerable. All we can say is this is one sweet Tucker.