"Hand Built Hot Rods"

[lalessi1]

Hooray the forum is back up! Thanks James.

A while back I ditched cable and started streaming TV. Wednesday I caught an episode of "Hand Built Hot Rods" on the Motor Trend app
(I think it is the Velocity channel). It featured the build of forum member arpbob's wagon that he posted about here.

http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=6929.0

It is an excellent story about the car build and worth the time if you can find it.

[Ford Blue blood]

Saw that wagon up close and personal at the 50th NSRA Nationals in Louisville.  Details and workmanship are beyond the sky.  I really can not say how perfect the cars is from a standpoint of fit and finish and the execution of the changes.  Just a really gorgeous car, perfectly proportioned, should have been styled that way from the factory.  The tread here on this site is worth a good look!

[KYBlueOval]

X2 what Bill said about this car as I spent a good half an hour looking this car over and taking a lot of photos. A friend of mine here in Louisville, knows the shop that did the interior and through that connection was given some of the details on this car and the costs involved. The numbers look like zip codes! I should add that at the conclusion of the NSRA Street Rod Nationals, I'm told that this wagon was driven to Speedway Motors in Nebraska. It is a driver!

Lynn, yes I stumbled upon the show covering the build on this wagon on the Motor Trend Channel. Very interesting. But TV time limits didn't allow for them to go into the extensive work on how the "B" pillar was changed, the doors and trim lengthened , and the inclusion of the '57 Thunderbird door handles. A lot of work that really sets this car off. The work on the bumpers was extensive to say the least. They have a very tight fit, and look great.
If you look at the grill, the parking lights/turn signals have been removed. and that area filled with more "grill". I've yet to figure out where they relocated the parking lights/turn signals. Anyone know?

[mustang6984]

The design art shows them being moved to the headlights...but can't tell if they were done that way or not in the final version.

[John Palmer]

It was a cover car for Street Rodder magazine.  They did a nice article on the build.  The issue was about a year ago.

[djfordmanjack]

Bobs Del Rio is definitely a 'milestone' 57 ! Very tastefully done imho. I like that they did upgrade and build the car to modern standards and it still has a strong vintage feel all over.

[KYBlueOval]

The best answer to my question regarding the parking lights, would come from the guy that built the car. So I sent an E-mail to Steve at Purevision, the guy and shop that built this wagon , asking where they hid the parking lights/turn signals. His reply was "Parking lights are three strips of LED's, hidden above three of the grille bars on each side."
Nice guy to send a reply.

[Ford Blue blood]

The second time I stopped to look at the car Steve was there talking with folks about the car, it's build, and how the trim was made.  He was down to earth, was not aloof, and actually told one fellow how he made the rear bumper fit so tight.  He then walked off with a guy to look at his build and maybe help solve an issue he was having with the build.

After watching him I would have to put him in the same category as Foose with respect to being a guy who enjoys car people and treats them with respect.  In other words he does not come off as an "elitist".