Fans of fast Ford Mustangs flying the Steeda Autosports banner are no strangers to Steeda’s Silver Bullet project car, an S550 that was the first naturally-aspirated 2018 Mustang to dip into the 10s with nothing more than some carefully chosen bolt-ons. From there the upgrades and progress started to snowball until Silver Bullet became the first 2018 Mustang in the 9s on motor. To this day, Silver Bullet holds the title of fastest naturally aspirated 2018+ Mustang on pump gas.

But what happens when the 9s isn’t fast enough? Before we answer that, let’s take a look at the shop where all of this Mustang magic happens.

To start with, the name “Steeda” is a mashup of the names Steve and Dario; Dario Orlando is the founder of Steeda Autosports, and Steve Chichisola is one of Steeda’s main technicians who has been working side by side with Dario for nearly 40 years.

Steeda operates out of two facilities; one in Pompano Beach, FL, where the company originated, and one in Valdosta, GA, which is a modern 100,000-square-foot building that houses all of their manufacturing, engineering, marketing, sales and even a shop with in-house dyno to service local customers. The Pompano Beach location houses more sales and administrative staff as well as another shop to service South Florida customers. The growing company currently employs a staff of 47.

Steeda has been an authorized retailer of Edelbrock products since the late 1980s, right about the time when they were developing an 11-second all-motor performance package for drag racing. Today, Steeda is one of Edelbrock’s largest suppliers of Mustang/Coyote performance parts on the east coast. In October of 2021, Edelbrock expanded its involvement with Steeda to participate in the Silver Bullet project.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Edelbrock E-Force Superchargers

“This partnership has created the opportunity for the team at Steeda to explore the power potential of Edelbrock E-Force Superchargers when used in a race-prepped vehicle, configured in race trim, and in the hands of a capable driver,” said David Page, Edelbrock’s Product Development Manager for Forced Induction Systems.

The Steeda Silver Bullet Mustang is the company’s R&D car intended to test components from the best names in the performance aftermarket, all while retaining a comfortable interior with all of its factory accessories intact including stereo and A/C so that street cruising would not be compromised.

“We had high expectations for power production with this blower and it did not fail to deliver.” –Jamie Bell, Steeda Technician

Scott Boda, Steeda’s Director of Manufacturing and driver of the Silver Bullet, said that this project set the standard for all-motor Gen 3 Coyotes on the drag strip. The goal was to combine impressive performance with a package that was so driver-friendly that it would become a favorite choice for Steeda’s many street customers. You can see how the Silver Bullet project has evolved in the video below.

The original plan was to be the first naturally aspirated 2018 Mustang running in the 10s on motor. The car had to showcase Steeda’s suspension parts and cold air intakes, as well as other aftermarket parts. Boda said, “We wanted something that wouldn’t kill the drivability. We didn’t want any solid bushings so you can still cruise to dinner with your wife on a Friday night without her asking why you ruined this brand-new car. It still needed to have stereo, A/C, and be something you can drive to the market.”

Steeda’s normally aspirated goals for Silver Bullet were achieved by reducing weight, improving traction and increasing horsepower with bolt-ons that included a Steeda closed-lid cold-air system, a COMP Cams camshaft, ported heads, long-tube headers, and a Lund Racing tune.

“Getting into the 10s was easy,” said Boda. “We paved the way for the Gen 3 naturally aspirated game for over three years going as fast as 10.25 with a 100% stock long-block.” With more head porting, a set of COMP Cams Stage 3 NA camshafts and C85/E85 fuel, the Steeda Mustang dipped into the 9s with a 9.94-second pass at 139 MPH with a stock bottom end. From there, a built short block netted a 9.76 on C85/E85.

And this brings us back to the question: What happens when the 9s isn’t fast enough?

Like many Mustang owners, the Steeda team wanted more. It was time to push the envelope even further. The video below is an introduction to the new Edelbrock-supercharged Silver Bullet Mustang:

The next logical step was to add forced induction with the race-proven Edelbrock Supercharger system. According to Chris Cervenka, Steeda’s E-Commerce Marketing Manager, going with Edelbrock was a no-brainer. “Choosing Edelbrock wasn’t a difficult decision to continue pushing the envelope on a build that is still relatable to the average drag racing enthusiast,” said Cervenka.

The system chosen to propel the Silver Bullet Mustang to the next level of performance and into the 8s is the Edelbrock E-Force Stage 2 Supercharger Kit for 2018-2021 Mustang GT. This is Edelbrock’s highest horsepower system and is 50-state emissions-legal when the supplied calibration is used. This is a true bolt-on that installs cleanly without modifications to the Mustang’s factory hood or body.

At the heart of this power adder is the highly efficient Twin Vortices Series (TVS) R2650 rotor pack with a housing and manifold that is cast and manufactured in-house by Edelbrock at their San Jacinto, CA, facility. This system features Edelbrock’s DP3C (Dual-Pass, 3-Core) air-to-water intercooler with Eaton’s 170-degree high-twist rotors with bigger bearings and beefy timing gears for unparalleled reliability. Steeda runs the blower with an Edelbrock 3-inch Competition Pulley with additional mods that include Air Flow Solutions trunk-mounted 7-gallon supercharger water tank, Lund Racing nGauge with C/E85 tune and trans brake tune. A complete list of Silver Bullet parts and modifications can be viewed HERE.

Steeda Technician Jamie Bell handled the E-Force installation and said, “The overall installation of the kit was straightforward and hassle-free. The kit quality is very good and complete; we did not need to provide any hardware except where we had made other changes.” Bell went on to say, “I have installed many superchargers from various manufacturers and found the fit and finish on this product to be of the highest quality.

“With what we learned from this project, I would not hesitate to recommend this system to our customers. Since we now have a good understanding of this system, we can work with our customers to determine if this is the correct power upgrade for their needs. In most cases I think it will fit their expectations. We had high expectations for power production with this blower and it did not fail to deliver. In our quest for more power and higher speeds, we feel like this system will provide more than enough room to grow.”

For racers who want to reach peak levels of performance, a custom tune is a key part of the program. For the Silver Bullet build, Steeda chose the best in the business, Jon Lund Jr. of Lund Racing. Scott Boda, who pilots the Mustang GT, says that Jon and his team are amazing at what they do and their ability to dial in a combo so quickly is mind-boggling. Simply put, Lund Racing has earned their reputation because of their knowledge of Mustang performance is second to none.

As for performance, the Edelbrock-supercharged Silver Bullet continues to impress. With less than a dozen passes on the current combination, the Steeda team is knocking on the door to setting a new Edelbrock blower record. Boda says that he and the team can’t wait for the NMRA season opener at Bradenton. With some good rods and pistons they’re expecting 7-second quarter-mile times. “I was absolutely shocked that a blower with 2.65 liters of displacement had to be detuned to keep the stock rods in their happy place inside the engine block,” said Boda.

With the new blower, Steeda was hoping for 800 horsepower to the tires, but when the first dyno pull netted 880 RWHP, they knew that they had a stout unit that was ready to party. “We actually installed a larger pulley for that first pull to keep boost down so we could run more timing,” said Boda. “With less boost and safe timing, it still made 905 horsepower and 768 lb-ft of torque!” On the drag strip, those numbers turned Silver Bullet into an 8.69-second car which is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. All this with a stereo and air conditioning, too!

Edelbrock’s David Page confirmed that the E-Force Supercharger on Steeda’s Mustang GT is unmodified and straight out of the box as it ships from the Edelbrock Distribution Center in Olive Branch, MS. The only difference is that Silver Bullet runs the optional 3-inch Competition Pulley, which is one step smaller than the standard pulley that ships with this kit (part number 15388). Page concluded by saying, “We have a lot more planned for the Steeda Silver Bullet project so look for more details to come and more records to fall!”

CLICK HERE for more Edelbrock-equipped Mustangs

It’s no secret that Jeep owners love to transform their vehicles into unique off-road machines equipped to tackle the most extreme terrains that nature has to offer. Adding aftermarket accessories like bigger wheels and tires, body armor, skid plates, winches, lift kits and overlanding gear all help to convert a stock Jeep into the ultimate off-roader…but what about performance? Have you swapped those factory wheels and tires for a set of 35s only to realize how anemic your V6 engine really is? Are you finding yourself struggling just to keep up with traffic when pulling that toy hauler? Whether your Jeep is fully laden with gear for a weekend excursion to the local canyons, or you simply want to accelerate around slow-moving traffic during rush hour, Jeeps need more power and there’s no reason why adding accessories should require such a huge sacrifice when it comes to performance.

Those of you who fully understand the benefits of investing in a forced induction system are probably here because you’re searching for the best supercharger kit for the Jeep JK, JL or JT Pentastar V6 engine. You’re probably asking, why Edelbrock? To best answer that question, we’ll present some facts that will help you come to your own conclusion.

See all Edelbrock Supercharger Systems for Jeep Wrangler JK/JL and Gladiator JT here

All Edelbrock superchargers are based on the Eaton Twin Vortices Series rotor assembly, or TVS for short. Eaton rotors are widely accepted as the performance standard in both the OEM and aftermarket industries. While each Edelbrock supercharger uses a TVS rotor assembly, all Edelbrock supercharger systems feature a unique housing and manifold that is designed by Edelbrock engineers, cast at Edelbrock’s own foundries, and then machined in-house. Having the unique capability to perform everything in-house helps to ensure precision quality in every step of the manufacturing process.

There are two types of TVS rotors: The V series with three lobes designed for peak efficiencies at moderate pressure ratios and low speed; and the R series with four lobes for peak efficiencies at high pressure ratios and high speed. All Edelbrock systems use the R-series rotors with four lobes that have a 160- or 170-degree twist. Generally, you’ll see a number along with the rotor series. For example, the Edelbrock Supercharger for the Jeep V6 is a TVS R1320. That “1320” refers to the amount of air, in cubic centimeters, that flows in one rotation of the rotors. So, does bigger mean better? Not necessarily. At the risk of oversimplifying the answer, several efficiencies come into play that influence the durability and reliability of an engine. All Edelbrock systems are designed and sized to increase power without sacrificing reliability for daily driving.

Why is a 50-State Emissions-Legal Supercharger Important to YOU?
If you live in the Golden State of California, the answer is obvious. Having that E.O. sticker when it’s time for your smog test is what keeps you in the good graces of the government. But what if you don’t live in California? What benefit does a CARB-compliant supercharger system provide for the rest of the 49 states?

To answer that, we went to David Page, the Edelbrock Group’s Product Manager of Forced Induction Systems. David explained how a tremendous amount of effort goes into earning that little decal that bears the words CARB E.O. “For Edelbrock Supercharger Systems, most of that effort comes from our calibration department,” said David. “At face value, a CARB (California Air Resources Board) Executive Order allows legal operation of a vehicle in the state of California, or any other state that has adopted the same emissions requirements as California. But I see a much larger value in this little decal.”

“All the calibration work and rigorous testing that we do as a company to earn this status for our CARB-legal supercharger systems results in OEM quality that is second to none and drivability that all Edelbrock Supercharger Systems have become known for throughout the industry. They make impressive power, in some applications more than a 50% increase in power at the wheels, but the high level of refinement in the design, engineering and calibration process is what gives each Jeep owner the power that they desire without sacrificing reliability or drivability. So, to me, the CARB E.O. speaks to much more than emissions-legal status. It gives you the confidence of knowing the high level of development and testing that our systems go through before the box shows up at the customer’s door. Edelbrock currently has 172 supercharger kits for various applications that have earned CARB Executive Orders. This is a testament to our commitment to building the best quality products that perform as they should whether cruising, pulling a load or making passes at a drag strip.”

How Much Power?
The goal of the Edelbrock engineering team was to design a system that met all the needs of a serious off-roader as well as those Jeep owners who rely on their vehicles for daily transportation on the street. Peak horsepower is only one consideration; there are other equally important performance benefits to base your selection or comparison on. The Edelbrock Supercharger systems for the Jeep Wrangler JK/JL and Gladiator JT are dyno-proven to increase horsepower by up to 46% and torque by as much as 35% with no boost lag. The positive-displacement design of the TVS delivers instant acceleration when you need it the most, unlike a turbocharger or centrifugal supercharger that lacks performance in the low- to mid-range. With the increased horsepower and torque, you can climb harder, tow heavier loads and have plenty of passing power for highway cruising.

In addition to the TVS R1320 rotor assembly and housing, the Edelbrock system utilizes an integrated intercooler for high-capacity cooling of the inlet air charge. Cooler air means more power and the integrated design is a key element to this system’s power-making capability. In most cases, more than 90-percent of your driving will occur under partial throttle, meaning that you won’t always need boost from stoplight to stoplight. To help improve mileage potential under these normal driving conditions, the Edelbrock Supercharger features an integrated bypass valve to mitigate parasitic power loss under light throttle. What this means is that you will experience normal drivability around town, but you’ll always have instant boost on tap when you want it.

User-Friendly Installation
In most cases we recommend having the Edelbrock Supercharger kit installed by one of our approved shops who are familiar with all of the steps involved. But this doesn’t mean that a mechanically inclined Jeep owner isn’t able to perform the installation on his or her own. Sandy Sausser, a performance technician at Adventure Off-Road in Huntington Beach, CA, has installed dozens of Edelbrock Supercharger systems as well as other brands and says that this is one of the most user-friendly kits that he has worked with. In addition to the supercharger, each Edelbrock kit comes with all necessary hardware, hoses, tuner and a full-color installation manual to simplify the installation. The Edelbrock Supercharger fits under the factory hood with no cutting or modifications required.

For more information on Edelbrock Superchargers for Jeep Wrangler JK/JL and Gladiator JT, visit our Jeep page here. And if you’re interested in kits for Chevy, Ford, Mazda, Mopar, Scion/Subaru or Toyota, visit our Supercharger page here.

If you own a late-model Mustang and are serious about increasing power without sacrificing reliability or emissions legality, watching The Supercharged Experience video is the first step to forced induction fun. It’s all about improving performance with Edelbrock’s CARB-legal supercharger systems for the Ford 5.0L Coyote engine. In this video you’ll meet Richie Galaviz, owner of a tire-smoking Magnetic Silver Mustang GT. Richie needed more power but he also wanted to keep his car smog-legal. “A few Hellcats whooped on me… I needed more,” said Richie. Now, after adding boost with an Edelbrock Supercharger System, he says, “When I rip on it, it’s crazy…instant power!” Watch the video to see and hear Richie’s Mustang. Once you’ve finished watching, we’ve got another great story about a Mustang GT350 owner who runs a Stage 3 kit on the 5.2L Voodoo engine. If you’re ready for boost, read on!

Those of us with a genuine passion for cars can probably recall the exact moment when it all began. Attending that first race, walking up and down the aisles of a custom car show, seeing a picture of a particular car in Hot Rod magazine…or in the case of Anastasia Chernyavskaya, a 29-year-old Principal Software Engineer residing in Wilmington, DE, watching a good old fashioned car movie.

As you might’ve guessed by her name, Anastasia comes to us from a city on the other side of the world in Russia. Her hometown of Tomsk is one of the oldest in the Siberian region, known for its rich population of students who attend one of the six state universities in the city. It’s also one of the unlikeliest of places where you’d expect a young girl to grow up and get hooked on fast street machines.

The winters in Tomsk are severe and lengthy, and the region barely escapes a sub-arctic classification. With a year-round temperature that averages a bone-chilling 33 degrees Fahrenheit with about 140 snow days per year, it’s not surprising that a girl with a growing fondness for American muscle cars made her way to the US.

“I never knew that adding a supercharger would change the car so much. Nice and comfortable when cruising, an animal when you push it!” 

We first became acquainted with Anastasia on social media back in January 2020 when she posted a photo of an Edelbrock TVS R2650 supercharger sitting on a workbench with a short somewhat cryptic caption that read, “So Akela isn’t home right now…” We’ve come to learn that Akela is the name of Anastasia’s 2017 Mustang GT350, and the Edelbrock supercharger sitting on the bench about to be installed on Akela’s 5.2L Voodoo V8 engine is one of the main performance upgrades that she’s made in the quest for more power.

Anastasia’s Instagram page @Akela_theGT350 is mostly about her dream car and all of the modifications that makes it such a feature-worthy machine. With a displacement of 315 cubic-inches (that’s 5,163cc in metric speak), the normally aspirated engine has a factory rating (measured at the crank) of 526 horsepower at 7,500 RPM with 429 ft-lbs of torque at 4,750 RPM. With an 8,250-RPM redline, the flat-plane-crank Voodoo engine is a screamer capable of 0-60s in the low 4s and 12-second quarter-mile times, all in factory trim.

For Mustang owners looking to supercharge their 4.6L 3V or 5.0L Coyote, Edelbrock makes CARB-legal systems in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 levels with a Stage 3 Pro-Tuner kit for competition use. Although the 5.2L Voodoo engine that was developed for the GT350 shares much of the same architecture as the 5.0L Coyote, the only supercharger system available from Edelbrock is a Stage 3 Pro-Tuner kit. According to Tony Avina, Edelbrock’s Technical Support expert who answers most supercharger-related questions on our Tech Line, the reasoning is simple. “Mustangs equipped with the 5.2L engine are such a limited production model that the market would not support the R&D for calibration and emissions testing,” said Tony. “It wouldn’t be cost-effective.” Tony also added that throttle body and cold-air intake fitment on the 5.2L might require some customizing or fabrication work, which is another reason why the Voodoo is Stage 3 only.

Click here to learn more about Edelbrock Supercharger Systems for Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jeep, Mazda, Scion, Subaru and Toyota

When Anastasia posted her first impression of her Edelbrock-supercharged GT350, she said, “I never knew that adding a supercharger would change the car so much. Nice and comfortable when cruising, an animal when you push it!” Now that she’s had more than a year with the supercharged Mustang on the street and at the track, we reached out to see how Akela was doing and to find out a little bit more about how a girl from Russia got into American performance cars. Here’s what she had to say…

“My passion for cars started when I was a kid growing up in Russia. I had a huge love and respect for cars in general but the first time I saw Eleanor in “Gone in 60 Seconds” (the 2000 movie), I fell in love with the style, body lines and sound of pure American V8. Since then, I’ve read, watched, and explored everything about Mustangs. Unfortunately, my hometown didn’t have a lot of Mustangs due to huge import taxes. Recently people have started to import them more often and there is a big Mustang club in Moscow. As for other American cars, probably the first muscle car that became popular in Russia was the Camaro, right after the “Transformers” movies, but the price tag on those was just unbelievable.

“Growing up in Russia might be challenging but I kept love and appreciation for Eleanor, great driving and beautiful cars forever in my heart. I spent all my available time racing and building cars in Need For Speed video games and dreaming about someday owning one. I learned how to drive a car in a Lada (a tough, indestructible Russian car) in all possible weather and road conditions.

“Fast forward 15 years, I had the opportunity to buy my first car in the United States. It was a 2011 Mazda 6, a beautiful sedan that was needed at the moment. It was a great car but I always felt a need for something sporty and fast…so I got my first Mustang, a 2015 with a V6, automatic, Guard Metallic, cloth seats. That car was everything to me. I tried everything I liked amongst available visual mods and ended up with a custom vinyl wrap featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, 20-inch Rohana wheels, MB Quart sound system with two 12-inch subwoofers, Eibach lowering springs, GT brakes conversion, Cervini spoiler and side scoops, and JLT CAI. I loved that car to death but I was hungry for more ­– more power, better handling, more aggressive looks.

“In 2018, I wasn’t able to afford an Eleanor so I turned my attention to GT350s and after one look at an Avalanche Gray GT350, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Hunting for the perfect car for several months, sleepless nights, saving up money for the down payment, unstoppable calls to dealerships and I was finally able to secure a 2017 Avalanche Gray GT350 with Convenience and Tech packs (bigger radio screen and heated/cooled leather seats) and get it delivered all the way from Arlington, TX, to Arlington, VA, where I lived at the time.

“I named the car Akela after the Alpha wolf in Jungle Book. The car stands out with its looks but stays humble. It’s one of a kind (at least for me) and it treats me well. I have been on many adventures and trips with it, and it never failed or disappointed me. You probably want to ask me, ‘So if it was so perfect, why did you supercharge it?’ It’s a fair question and the answer is simple for me. I felt that the car has so much potential and can really shine in all possible ways (roll racing, track events, spirited driving, etc.) if I do one simple thing: add boost.

“I intentionally didn’t go for turbos because I didn’t trust the Gen 1 Voodoo enough. I didn’t want to deal with tuning (that was pretty much unavailable) and all extra components that could break. I turned to superchargers and having options between Edelbrock, VMP, Procharger and Whipple, I decided to go for the Edelbrock TVS R2650 Supercharger kit with 8-rib pulley upgrade. I can’t express how happy I am with my decision and here is my reasoning behind it: My car looks stock and sounds stock till you are ready to let it sing; supercharger fitment is immaculate, and it looks like it should have been done like that from the factory.

“Akela was modified by C&D Autotech in Wilmington, DE. They installed the Edelbrock Supercharger with 8-rib upgrade, 3.75 pulley and 103mm throttle body. The installation took about a week and was pretty straightforward. Akela now makes 720 horsepower and 569 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels on 93 octane and octane booster with a Lund Racing tune.

The list of other upgrades that Anastasia has made is a long one that includes a billet OPG and timing gear, twin-disc Mantic clutch, MGW short-throw shifter, UPR no-wheel-hop suspension kit and oil separators, Archetype racing aero components (carbon fiber front splitter and racing canards), full carbon fiber interior, 305Forged wheels and a resonator-delete X-pipe from Lethal Performance.

“I have had my car supercharged for more than a year now and I fall in love with it more and more,” said Anastasia. “It’s fast, beautiful and reliable. It looks innocent and cute but when that supercharger kicks in at 3500 RPM, you’d better hold on to something, because it’s going to be an amazing ride!”

We like to see a nice paint job and shiny engine parts as much as the next hot rodder, but sometimes there’s more to the story than what meets the eye. A perfect example is this 1929 Ford Model A owned by Rick Kersh. Rick has spent his whole life as a self-employed sign maker but for the past seven years, he’s been welding and shaping metal at Cambra Speed Shop in Orange, CA. We spotted Rick’s ’29 parked unobtrusively behind the shop during Cambra’s open house car show recently, and while the outward appearance seemed to be a work in progress, there was something more to this hot rod that drew us in for a closer look.

The engine is not the typical small-block Chevy or Ford that we’ve come to expect from hot rods these days, and unless you’re a Flathead purist, you might be pleasantly surprised at Rick’s choice for power. The engine is a 324 CID Olds V8 with a vintage Edelbrock three-deuce intake that was made during the Vic Sr. era. This intake bears the “O-96” part number on the casting and was designed to fit Oldsmobile engines manufactured between 1949 and 1956.

We pulled Rick aside during the show to get the finer details of the build and engine. Rick, by the way, is a second-generation car builder whose dad, Dale Kersh, built the original “Piece of Pie” dragster for Creighton Hunter back in the mid-1950s. Rick says that “Piece of Pie” was the first sidewinder in the country and the only one with a front-engine configuration. To honor his father who passed away in 2001 and pay homage to one of the most unique dragsters in quarter-mile history, Rick built a faithful tribute dragster that was featured in the “Drag Racing Then and Now” exhibit at the 71^st Grand National Roadster Show in 2020.

But getting back to the Model A, Rick said, “My Dad chopped the ’29 back in 1949. It had an Olds engine with a 1939 Ford transmission. He and my Mom had a sign shop during the late ‘40s and early ‘50s and this was his work truck. It even had ladder racks on it back in the day!”

RELATED: Photos from the 71st Grand National Roadster Show

It was right around 1957 when Rick’s Dad sold the Model A, but Rick managed to find it again more than 50 years later in 2008. “I found it out in the desert near Pioneertown, CA,” said Rick. “The guy who owned it at the time tried to un-channel it and it was a mess. He also pulled the Olds engine and tried unsuccessfully to swap a small-block Chevy in its place. It never saw the light of day with that owner! I had to completely gut the car and build a new frame for it. I put an Olds engine back in it just like Dad had it, then added the Edelbrock intake with three Stromberg 97s. If you look closely, you’ll see that it has the original top and headliner. The tuck-and-roll upholstery was stitched with an old-fashioned treadle sewing machine.”

Probably the coolest addition to the interior, though, are the family photographs that Rick has taped to the Model A dashboard, right above the steering column. The black-and-white snapshot with scalloped edges shows Rick’s Mom at 20 years old standing next to the Model A. Next to it is a color photo from 1951 with Rick’s Dad, Mom and sister in front of the family sign shop in Newport Beach. And the last one is of Rick’s Dad taken in ’51 when he was building the car. To many hot rodders, cars are built to be driven and enjoyed. And then there are hot rods like the Kersh family’s Model A. Rick says that this ’29 is like a member of the family. He smiles and says, “It’ll go to the grave with me.”

RELATED: Edelbrock Intake Manifolds

Edelbrock’s administrative offices will be moved to a 300,000-square-foot facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi, while most manufacturing processes will be transferred to its San Jacinto, California, plant, located about 95 miles east of Torrance.   

When asked about the move, Edelbrock Group Chief Commercial Officer Chris Douglas cited the company’s merger with COMP Performance Group in early 2020 as a primary factor. “We had seven campuses between us across the country,” he explained, “so it made a lot of business sense to sit down and ask, ‘What skill sets do we have at these various locations, and where can we make our organization stronger and combine efficiency?’ 

“Unfortunately, the decision-making process did impact Torrance, but it’s part of building a foundation and future expansion for our company,” he continued. “It’s bittersweet. Torrance has been the home for Edelbrock for many, many years, and we fully acknowledge that it may be difficult for the market to understand. But it is critical to fuel future growth.”     

With the news, the company announced the expansion of its San Jacinto facility, which currently houses foundry and casting processes for its aluminum products. Douglas also revealed plans to open a new technical center in Cerritos, California, which is set to be fully operational by the time the Torrance facility officially shuts down on March 31. The Edelbrock Southern California Tech Center will house approximately 15 engineering and compliance employees to oversee some development and testing efforts, he said.     

“We feel [Cerritos] is a great base of operations,” Douglas added. “When that facility opens, we will be back to seven facilities from coast to coast.”    

Meantime, Edelbrock has offered to relocate many of its 270 Torrance-based employees to either Olive Branch, Cerritos, or San Jacinto. 

“Those numbers are constantly evolving, as some employees are still weighing their options,” Douglas said. “For many, it’s a great opportunity to get to a different area of the country, or even a different part of California, out of LA and closer to Palm Springs.”     

The shift in operations is not expected to affect production or shipping times for most of its core products, Douglas told us, although COVID-19 may still be an issue. “[Production] was a big part of the planning process, which started in fall of 2020. But the ‘unknown’ is the amount of production and raw material delays due to COVID, of course. It has been challenging in the last month in LA County alone, so there might be a shortfall as we get into the peak spring selling season. But we are working in earnest to try to mitigate that and continue delivering products to our loyal Edelbrock customers.”     

The shift and expansion align with Edelbrock’s push to return to its racing roots while branching out into additional Late Model performance segments. The company’s recent renewal of its partnership with Pat Musi Racing, plus the opening of the Edelbrock Race Center in Mooresville, North Carolina, are in line with those objectives, Douglas noted.     

“One of our goals is to get Edelbrock back to hardcore racing,” he confirmed. “I’ll candidly say that we lost some of our racing focus over the years and have been known as a hot rod company. 

“But we’ve got some announcements coming over the next few months that’ll further align us with this goal and get us back to our racing and performance roots, while continuing to serve the passionate hot rod community,” Douglas added. “We want to make sure that Edelbrock remains one of the most respected names in performance for the next generation of enthusiasts.”   

As the holiday season approaches, hot rodders are cherishing every last cruise before the frigid winter weather sets in. Living in the sunbelt states along the southern region of the country where the winter season brings nothing more than the occasional rain has its benefits, namely year-round cruising and never having to store your vehicle for any extended length of time. But for the rest of the country, our hot rods, cars and trucks must go into hibernation.

Storing a vehicle is not complicated, but there are some basic guidelines to follow that will ensure that you’ll be able to fire it up as soon as spring arrives.

Fuel Stabilizer
Ethanol is a hygroscopic ingredient in most modern pump gasoline blends that will cause fuel to pull moisture out of the atmosphere and into your tank, causing corrosion of your fuel system components. Draining the tank and fuel system for dry storage is an option but, in most cases, not very practical. Instead, the best course of action is to fill the tank and use a stabilizer. Properly adding a good quality stabilizer to your fuel is the single most important step in winterizing your vehicle and protecting your fuel system during an extended storage period.

Stabilizing your fuel is simple. It’s as easy as filling your tank with fresh gas and then adding the correct amount of stabilizer. Once you’ve added the stabilizer, it’s important to run the engine to push the treated fuel all the way through the system so that all components will be protected. Storing your vehicle with a full tank of fuel is important as it reduces the air space and moisture in the tank and it will also keep the bare metal submerged, lessoning it’s propensity to corrode. Keep in mind that fuel stabilizer works best with fresh gasoline. Adding it to old, bad gas will not make it good again.

Battery Maintenance
The most common type of battery found in most vehicles is the lead-acid battery. When a vehicle is stored, a lead-acid battery tends to self-discharge. When this happens, lead sulphate crystals begin to form in the cells. Sulphation is a chemical process in the battery that creates electricity. During normal use, the sulphation crystals dissolve when the vehicle is driven and the charging system sends current through the battery.

Take the guesswork out of your next engine build with an EDELBROCK POWER PACKAGE

During storage, however, a battery can discharge to the point where sulphation is too extensive. This point of no return can be avoided by connecting the battery to a maintainer, also referred to as a smart charger or tender. Most maintainers allow you to connect to your battery buy one of two ways: with clamps onto the terminals or by using the plug-in lead that installs onto the positive and negative terminals. Be sure to use a maintainer with circuitry that will automatically shut off when the battery is at full charge. Older constant-rate trickle chargers can over-charge and damage the cells.

If you don’t have access to power where your vehicle is being stored, you’ll have to remove the battery and take it to where you can plug in the maintainer and safely store it.

Tires
You’ve no doubt heard or read about a tire’s potential to develop flat spots if a vehicle is stored for an extended time. Removing the wheels and tires and placing your car or truck on jack stands is an option, however, doing this is not without its drawbacks. Not only will you need a place to store the wheels and tires, but your vehicle will be immobile. A second option is to air up the tires to the maximum rated PSI and use a set of tire ramps that are designed to distribute weight on the contact patch more evenly. Either of these two methods are better than over-inflating your tires. If one or more of your tires has a slow leak, be sure to check on them during the storage period and make sure the pressure is at the max PSI.

Interior
Just because your windows are up and your doors are closed does not mean that your interior is safe from the elements. In addition to a thorough vacuuming prior to storage, you can avoid mold, mildew and musty odors by using a moisture-wicking desiccant or protection pouch such as the California Car Cover Sta-Dri pouches. These pouches will protect your interior for more than three months and will not harm or stain upholstery.

If you’ve got an older muscle car or truck, remember to check the rubber seals around doors and windows. Worn or cracked seals can let in moisture that, over time, will defeat the purpose of protection pouches. If you feel that your seals need to be replaced, spend the downtime installing a complete weatherstripping kit.

Exterior
Prior to putting your car away for the winter, give it a good wash and wax job to put a layer of protection on the paint. If you have an enclosed garage space available, invest in an indoor car cover to prevent dust and dirt from collecting on the surface. If the vehicle will be outdoors or under a carport, upgrade to an all-weather cover that offers water, UV and weather resistance. Some top-quality car covers can be quite pricey so be sure to use a cable lock to secure your investment.

Rodents
Winter weather means that the there’ll be a variety of small creatures seeking shelter from the cold. Rodents will often use a stored car or truck for shelter, often wreaking havoc with wiring harnesses and electrical components. In addition to a good form-fitting car cover, take the extra precaution of blocking off the intake and exhaust so that nothing can crawl in.

Cooling System
Most hot rodders pay close attention to the level and condition of all engine fluids regardless of the season. When it comes to the cooling system, however, maintaining the proper ratio of antifreeze to water is important, especially if a vehicle is to be stored outdoors. A 50:50 ratio is commonly recommended for most driving conditions but when temperature drops to freezing level, you should test the mixture in your radiator with a hydrometer to verify its freezing point and then make the appropriate adjustment to the antifreeze-water ratio.

Insurance Coverage
You might be thinking about saving some money by canceling your insurance while your car is in storage. Before doing so, consult your agent and see if the benefits are worth the savings. Not only will your car not be covered during the downtime, but you could also face higher premiums when you try to restore your policy.

Performance Upgrades You Can Make While Your Ride is Down for the Winter
You may not be able to drive your car or truck during the winter season but there’s no reason why you can’t continue making modifications that’ll surprise your friends when springtime rolls around. The following is a list of our top 12 upgrades that you can do while your hot rod is down for the winter.

• A New Carburetor
• Choosing a New Intake Manifold
• Pro-Flo 4 Direct-Port EFI Upgrade
• Cylinder Heads
• Engine Dress-Up
• Power Packages
• Supercharger Systems
• The Ultimate New Crate Engine
• COMP Camshaft Upgrades
• TCI Transmission Upgrades
• Russell Plumbing Upgrades
• FAST EFI and Ignition Upgrades

When Midgets Were King: Chasing the Offy
By 1950, Vic Edelbrock Sr. had been a success in nearly every endeavor he had undertaken. He was a record holder at the dry lakes, he had developed a line of racing products second to none, and he had built winning race engines for hot rods, midgets, boats and street-driven cars. His business had grown from a tiny shop behind a gas station to a 5,000 square-foot manufacturing building with his name emblazoned on the front. Many men would have sat back and said, “Look what I’ve done,” but not Vic Edelbrock. What happened yesterday was old news; what was happening today was the focus.

Vic Edelbrock was at the peak of his game when he recognized that the racing grind was taking its toll on him and the crew. The V8-60 Flathead (Ford’s 60-horsepower V8 engine) was the lifeblood of his business, and his shipping department hummed, sending off sets of V8-60 cylinder heads and two-carburetor manifolds in rapid-fire order. They were working every day and racing by night to the point of exhaustion—something had to give. Vic backed off and began to pick the races he wanted to run.

Vic came tearing out of the stands with this giant smile on his face. He said, ‘Man you made me the happiest guy in the world!’

Perry Grimm, Vic’s close friend and driver, had started midget racing in the late 1930s and the effects of several industrial-strength crashes had taken their toll on him. He was tired, and recommended that Vic replace him with a rough-and-tumble, hard-living youngster named Rodger Ward, who had been driving Grimm’s car for a few seasons. Ward took over late in the 1949 season and by the following year demonstrated his fearless driving style running the Edelbrock V8-60. He built a reputation for hitting the party circuit as hard as the racing circuit, which made him an unpredictable driver. One night he was untouchable and the next night Vic would have to pick him out of the car at the end of a race because he had indulged too much the night before. He was also quick to mix it up with drivers in the pits after an on-track dispute. Vic Edelbrock didn’t like the wild side of Rodger Ward and set him on the straight and narrow once Rodger became a full-time employee of the Edelbrock Equipment Company.

The popularity of midget racing was declining, a victim of overkill. If one was going to make history in midget racing, 1950 may be the last chance. Edelbrock and his crew continued to improve the V8-60, experimenting with combustion chamber and valve pocket design, weight reduction, and fuel flow. Each time they ran the race engine on the dyno there was a spike in power. The daily “secret weapon” attack mode included blending nitromethane and working hand-in-hand with Ed Iskenderian, the Armenian cam master whose shop was very close to Edelbrock’s Jefferson Boulevard location.

The fun-loving, celebrated cam grinder remembered the frantic work going on as Edelbrock tried to extract power from the diminutive Ford Flathead. “At the time we were making a mushroom tappet camshaft for the V8-60,” recalled Ed. “I asked Vic if he wanted to test the setup in his race engine. I suggested that he find the power curve, pull the cam, bring it to my shop, and I would grind off a few degrees of intake opening and intake closing. After many tries, we took off five degrees of intake opening and intake closing, with five degrees coming off exhaust opening and closing. We never needed all the duration we had started with. As the cams put out more power Vic stopped telling me the results of the dyno tests. The engine gained mid-range torque without losing top-end power, which meant it would run hard off the corners and keep going strong down the straight. I think that Vic, Bobby Meeks, and Fran Hernandez found a secret with the combination of cam, manifold, carburetors, and nitro. Vic was a very bright man and he knew that when he found some kind of advantage, it was best to never tell.”

Beating the Offys: Two-time Indy 500 Champ and Edelbrock Midget Racer Rodger Ward Recounts Vic Sr.’s First and Greatest Victory Over the Offenhausers with the Edelbrock V8-60
“Perry Grimm introduced me to Vic Edelbrock Sr. in 1950 when I was driving Grimm’s midget,” said Rodger Ward, two-time Indy 500 winner and Edelbrock driver during the midget racing era. “I soon realized Edelbrock was one of, if not the best, midget engine builders and mechanics I had ever seen. He had a way with setting the car up and tuning the engine that set Vic Edelbrock apart; he had the same approach as Clay Smith and other top Indy car guys. When Grimm gave up driving for Edelbrock, Vic offered me the Ford (number 27) and I jumped at the chance. We ran everywhere, and Vic had the V8-60 running as strong as I had ever felt a Flathead run.

“The Edelbrock crew kept after that car until it was near perfect. Vic Jr. was in charge of cleaning and polishing the car after every race; he would work as hard as the other guys making the car shine like a jewel. Vic Sr. told me one night that Fran [Hernandez], Bobby [Meeks], and he had been experimenting with some fuel mixtures that would make Flatheads run stronger. I told Vic, I didn’t care what they did, as long as the car kept running like it was. We were winning and that’s all I cared about. I knew Vic wanted to win a main event at Gilmore Stadium with the V8-60 against a full field of Offys (Offenhausers).

“The night when it finally happened, Vic and Katie sat in the grandstands with Vic Jr., and the crew ran the show. Two things went on before I qualified: Bobby put in the latest trick fuel, and Vic had told the guys to reduce the tire pressure in the rear so the car could get a better bite off the corners. Because they had lightened the crankshaft by cutting down the counterweights, Vic was worried about the engine staying together and the low pressure twisting the inner tube and causing a tire failure. There was nothing to worry about. I won my heat race to put me on the front row in the main event. I noticed that the low tire pressure and the light flywheel got me out of the corners quickly and the engine seemed to have power to spare.

“When we warmed up for the main event, I felt the car dancing. It was ready to go. At the green I jumped on the throttle, and the car ran like magic. It was ‘see ya later.’ I took off and that was that. My old buddy Danny Oakes who finished second and his mechanic Danny Eames just shook their heads when it was over. Vic came tearing out of the stands with this giant smile on his face. He said, ‘Man you made me the happiest guy in the world!’ It was a great win and it ended up being the only time a Ford V8-60 won a main event at Gilmore over a field of Offys. There have been many excuses since: The track was too hard for the Offys, the track was too soft, the Offys had a bad night. None of that stuff matters; we won fair and square, end of story.” To prove that the Gilmore race was not a one-time fluke, Ward and the number 27 went to San Bernardino the following night and blew the Offys off again.

After Ward won at Gilmore against the Offys, he continued driving for Vic Edelbrock, but as his reputation grew, he moved onto the championship dirt cars and the tracks of the Midwest and East. In 1951 he took his rookie test at Indy and won the Indy 500 in 1959 and in 1962 driving the Leader Card Roadster built by A.J. Watson. Upon Ward’s departure Vic Sr. turned the midget-racing program over to Bobby Meeks and Don Towle, with Vic Jr. continuing as chief maintenance man in charge of spit and polish. By this time, Vic Jr. was a familiar figure in the pits. Although the rules stated that crew members must be 21 years old, the 15-year-old was big for his age, and most officials turned a blind eye to his working in the pits. Vic Sr. hired Billy Cantrell to drive for a while, then a driver named Harry Stockman took over and continued running the car through the 1951 and 1952 seasons.

READ MORE HOT ROD HISTORY: The Sport of Hot Rodding Finds Its Voice

Midget racing began to fade and by the end of the decade, the glory days of the mighty thunderbugs had dulled. The crowds of more than 50,000 that once filled the Los Angeles Coliseum would be no more. The colorful history of the Edelbrock midget team came to a crashing end at the Orange Show Stadium in San Bernardino in the fall of 1952. Vic Sr. had not been going to the races much after Roger left, but this particular night, he came with the crew and he brought Vic Jr. Harry had qualified second fastest and Allen Heath had a fast time, too. When they started the race, Heath and Stockman moved into a turn together. Heath maneuvered his right front wheel near Harry’s left rear and hit the brake, causing Harry’s tire to ride up onto Heath’s front and flipping Harry completely over the fence.

Vic Jr. remembered it well. “We all went running over to Harry who was crawling out by the time we got there. My dad told Bobby and me to get the car on the trailer ‘right now.’ Afterwards Dad went hunting for Heath, and I tagged along. When he found him, Dad just said, ‘Thanks, Allen,’ turned around, and walked off. Later on Eddie Kuzma, a famous race car builder on Budlong Avenue in Los Angeles, repaired the car. Dad took it home and stored it in the garage where it sat for a couple of years before he sold to Frank Pavese in Chicago.”

Pavese retained the number 27 on the car and his driver, Harold Wildhaber, ran it throughout the Midwest until the late 1950s. When Frank fell ill he gave the car to his mechanic, who raced it for awhile, then sold it. The car was sold a second time to a fellow named Mike Riley of St. Louis, Missouri, and it ran until the V8-60 was no longer competitive and Riley simply parked it until 1986. With the help of race car builder Johnny Pawl, the Edelbrock Company bought back number 27 and Bobby Meeks restored the car to perfect condition. By 1989 the project was complete, and the car was featured on the cover of Petersen’s Circle Track magazine. Today, the car sits in Vic Jr.’s collection and, according to him, “will never leave the Edelbrock family again.”

Edelbrock has since dropped the E-Force designation, but the Edelbrock Supercharger line has expanded tenfold to include nearly all of the most popular American muscle car applications as well as sport compact imports such as the Miata MX-5 and Subaru BRZ platform that includes Scion FR-S and Toyota 86.

RELATED: Edelbrock-Supercharged Chevy Colorado V6 Review on the Motor Trend/Truck Trend Network

While hot rods and late-model muscle cars will no doubt continue to be the bread and butter for the aftermarket performance industry, you may notice large companies like Edelbrock are steadily expanding their product lines into the light truck market. According to a 2019 report by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), “Pickup truck upgrades are the largest sector of the specialty equipment industry, accounting for 27% of total retail dollars, followed by mid-range cars and SUVs (including the Jeep Wrangler).”

WHY SUPERCHARGE YOUR TRUCK?
The short answer is: More power equals more fun! But for truck owners, better performance has several practical advantages, too. Hauling heavy loads, towing trailers and running accessories like oversized wheels and tires all consume power. While OEMs offer up-spec engines, even the highest factory horsepower and torque options leaves us wanting and needing more in daily driving situations. Anytime we make modifications to improve performance, the goal is to improve airflow. The Edelbrock Supercharger System for trucks improves the operating efficiency of an engine for a substantial increase in both horsepower and torque. With most V8 truck applications you can expect to see about 35% or better increase over stock. An Edelbrock Stage 1 kit for the 2018+ Ford F-150 for example increases rear-wheel horsepower by 65% over stock (600 RWHP) with 35-37% more rear-wheel torque over stock (467 ft-lbs), all while remaining emissions-legal in each of our 50 states.

• RELIABILITY — All Edelbrock Supercharger Systems use Eaton Twin Vortices Series (TVS) rotor assemblies for OEM-like reliability. In fact, these systems are so reliable that Edelbrock includes a free 3-year/36,000-mile powertrain warranty with the supplied calibration.
• SMOOTH POWER FOR DAILY DRIVABILITY — Edelbrock Superchargers overcome the limitations of a naturally aspirated engine by forcing more air into the engine. The positive-displacement TVS design yields a broad power curve with instant response (no turbo lag!).
• SIMPLE INSTALLATION — Whether you choose to install it yourself or have it done by a qualified mechanic, the Edelbrock Supercharger Kit includes all necessary components with a full-color installation manual to simplify the process. No internal engine modifications are required and there is no need to cut or modify the factory hood or body.

READ MORE about Edelbrock Supercharger Kits HERE

Today’s sport truck enthusiast enjoys no greater pleasure than to match or exceed performance in a side-by-side comparison with a muscle car, late-model or otherwise. Unfortunately, many are still unaware of the potential that Edelbrock Supercharger systems offer for light trucks. While basic exhaust and cold-air intake upgrades are great entry-level modifications, an Edelbrock Supercharger System is the next step in achieving the type of performance that you can feel and make use of on a daily basis. The Edelbrock Supercharger is the best horsepower-per-dollar investment that you can make that gives you instant acceleration along with underhood appeal that is the result of Edelbrock’s distinctive design and American manufacturing. Click on any of the images in this story or visit the Edelbrock Superchargers page to learn more about Edelbrock Superchargers for light truck performance.

If seeing a Chevy LS engine under a classic 1970s Mopar hood gets you riled up, then Bryan Barlow has succeeded. “Honestly, I swapped the LS into the Scamp because I like to stir things up. Being a Chevy guy, I had to do it!” We can hear that last statement fading into laughter as Bryan, a Regional Account Sales Manager for Edelbrock, continues telling the story of his 1973 Plymouth Scamp.

Bryan says his passion for high performance began at an early age. “I was rebuilding engines with my Dad at 12 years old,” he said. “My entire working life has been car related. When I joined the team at Edelbrock, it was like being drafted into the major leagues. It has been a dream come true to be part of such a great heritage.”

CLICK HERE to see the Pro-Flo 4 EFI Harness Kit and ECU used in Bryan Barlow’s LS-Swapped Mopar

Actually, Bryan really is a Chevy guy and prior to committing what Mopar fans would consider to be the most sacrilegious of crimes, he was diligently scouring the classifieds for a solid Chevelle, a two-door 1964-65 model to be exact. And as we all know from past experience, what we want is usually not what’s readily available. That’s when Bryan’s close friend Todd Schiewe entered the picture. Bryan says that Todd isn’t a car guy, but he certainly had the best of intentions when he called to say that he found the perfect car.

“Dude, that’s a Plymouth!” said Bryan after rushing over with high expectations of seeing a nice first-gen Chevelle only to be greeted by a ’73 Scamp. Definitely not what he had in mind for his next project car but as the search for a Chevelle continued, crazy thoughts began forming in his head. Crazy indeed.

Check out Bryan’s Edelbrock recipe for a normally aspirated 621-horsepower LS engine here:

— Pro-Flo 4 EFI ECU & Harness Kit #35711

— Pro-Flo XT EFI Intake Manifold #7139

— Victor Series LS Throttle Body #3864

— Rollin’ Thunder Cam #2219

— E-CNC Aluminum Cylinder Heads #79949

— LS Series Coil Cover Kit #4118

— Pro-Flo Universal Air Filter, Black #43640

To the average eye, the ’73 Scamp and ’64-’65 Chevelle share some basic similarities. Both are squarish two-door hardtop sedans with nearly identical wheelbases; both are relatively light in weight; and by coincidence, both are classified as A-body models by their respective manufacturers. These similarities combined with the fact that the Scamp that Todd found had original paint—rare for a 47-year-old car in spite of a few patches of rust that give this car its character—was enough for even a diehard Chevy guy like Bryan to consider jumping from the Bowtie camp over to the Pentastar.

Finally deciding to tackle the LS swap into a Chrysler A-body was one thing but getting the owner to actually part with the Scamp was another. It took six months of convincing before the owner would entertain an offer, and even then, it had to go through Todd first. So after a double transaction, the key and title to the Scamp found its way into Bryan Barlow’s hand.

While the idea of stirring things up with an LS-to-Mopar swap may have sounded like fun at first, if you know your Scamp anatomy then you know that the mechanical challenges of swapping an LS into it are considerable. Bryan called on his good friends Jack and Kyle Kolinsky, a father-and-son team that runs Kolinsky Trucking in Abbottsford, BC. While not professional custom car builders per se, the Kolinskys possessed the necessary skills and facility to perform the modifications needed to get the Chevy nestled neatly into the Mopar engine bay.

While the Autumn Bronze Plymouth body is not without its sheet-metal flaws, the 416-cubic-inch LSX reps the Edelbrock Company solidly with a full armament of go-fast parts. Ron Croteau built the block up with a Scat stroker crank and H-beam rods, Mahle pistons and a Rollin’ Thunder #2219 camshaft that comes on strong right off idle and takes the Scamp all the way up to the 621-horsepower mark. SD Performance did their magic to a set of Edelbrock #79949 E-CNC LS heads and to that, Bryan added a #7139 Pro-Flo 4 XT Intake Manifold, #35711 Pro-Flo 4 EFI ECU & Harness Kit, #3864 Victor Series throttle body, Edelbrock #4118 Coil Covers and a Pro-Flo #43640 air filter. All of this adds up to a potent combination that allowed Bryan, a specialist in LSX and EFI tuning, to squeeze every last bit of power out of the motor.

The rest of the powertrain consists of a TCI Automotive Super Street Fighter trans and converter, a 3.55:1-geared Ford rear with Strange axles and Eaton Posi, and a pair of Nitto 325/50R15 drag radials on Welds tucked neatly in the mini tubs. With a 250-shot of nitrous kept hidden but ready for action, Bryan says that his column-shifter Scamp is a reliable daily driver capable of some serious ETs.

Nothing sends us into a state of nostalgic bliss faster than the sight of a lakes-style roadster kicking up dirt with its driver grinning ear to ear. Leigh Dunks has never experienced the hot-rodding lifestyle in the US but that didn’t matter. He was so inspired by his love of pre-war American hot rods and all of the racing that took place during the golden age of hot rodding that he styled his 1929 Model A Roadster build in a way that would make Vic Edelbrock Sr. proud.

CLICK HERE to read more about the history of the Edelbrock company.

Leigh, a resident of Rugby, England, told us that he bought the ’29 about five years ago from a guy in Hereford, a city located about two hours from his hometown. It was a solid driver with a decent boxed frame. It had good bones but was a bit anemic with a 2,000cc Pinto four-banger for power. But Leigh saw a good foundation in the Roadster that would allow him to have plenty of fun while pursuing his dream of building a true 1940s-era American-styled hot rod.

As it turned out, the Pinto four provided just enough punch for Leigh to have plenty of fun while he spent the cold winter months of England perusing the parts catalogs and updating the body and frame to where he wanted it to be.

“Hot rods from that time often had the names of performance parts painted on the body work. Since the engine isn’t exposed, I wanted to give people an idea of what was under the hood. I wanted to capture a little of the spirit of the golden age in the look of this Roadster.” – UK hot rodder Leigh Dunks

Leigh originally wanted to run an Edelbrock Flathead in the Roadster but the cost of purchasing and shipping the engine and all of the special parts that he would need made it economically unfeasible. At today’s rate of exchange, Leigh would’ve had to dish out about $6,500 for a decent Flathead along with another 12 grand or more in hop-up parts that would allow him to get the kind of speeds needed. “I was planning to compete in the Vintage Hot Rod Association’s Hot Rod Races at Pendine Sands,” explained Leigh, “and I was keen to get into their 100-MPH club.”

The cost factor of assembling a competitive “Flattie” added with the fact that many of his friends were running later musclecar-era small-blocks and getting good top speeds for way cheaper made the decision to swap in a 302 for power a no-brainer. Period correctness was the trade off for more power and less cash outlay. Leigh’s only requirement was that his Roadster had to be all Ford.

One thing that Leigh has in common with his American counterparts is that he loves both pre-war hot rods and the hot-rodding lifestyle of those golden years when racing on dry lake beds set the tone for generations to come. “The name ‘Edelbrock’ is synonymous with that era whether you’re a racer or a builder using those iconic performance parts,” said Leigh.

The ’29 might have a later OHV 302 V8 but Leigh stayed true to the Edelbrock signage that he had hand-painted on the sides of the three-piece Rootlieb hood. The 302-cubic-inch small-block Ford is bolstered by an Edelbrock Performer Intake Manifold, a 750 CFM Performer Carb, and a polished 14-inch Classic Series Air Cleaner to match the finned valve covers.

Keeping the drivetrain all Blue Oval is a three-speed manual Toploader transmission shifting power back to a Ford nine-inch rearend. A new radiator is hidden by a Brookville ’32 Ford grille shell with other mods that include a 1940 Ford steering wheel on a new column, leather interior by Chris Vinning of Custom Coachtrimming, additional chassis work by Buckland Automotive, and paint work by Andy Walker at Automaniacs. Leigh sends out extra thanks to Buckland and Automaniacs for their help in getting the Roadster where it is today.

So was all this enough to get Leigh into that 100 MPH Club at Pendine? Just take a look at the accompanying photo and see! “The first run was scary as hell,” said Leigh. “It was like driving on marbles! It wanted to go sideways every time I gave it power. I had three runs during a two-day event and hit a top speed of 104.8 MPH!” We asked Leigh if he has any future plans for his Model A and in true hot rodder fashion, his answer was: “More power with a set of aluminum cylinder heads…Edelbrock of course.”