It's a painting by automotive artist Kent Bash whose art is well known among auto buffs. His work was recently featured in Rod & Custom Magazine, and it has inspired posters, calendars, and T shirts which are distributed nationally at automotive events, book stores, and anywhere car stuff is sold. Beautiful posters (View) of this painting are available for a price on a number of automotive web sites, but you can have one with my compliments if you love hot rods.

The car was completed in 1989, and appeared in a number of magazines including Hot Rod, and Street Rodder, where it graced the cover. It has a Corvette engine with a Tuned Port Injection system by Street & Performance of Mena Arkansas. The wheels are solid billet aluminum by Boyds, and the cool fuzzy dice hang'n on the mirror are special because they were made by my late sister Liz.

This car was an early ‘Smoothie’, a popular trend in hot rodding that began in the early nineties. No door handles, no louvers, and a high performance engine hidden from view; meant only to showcase the simple beauty of the classic American hot rod. Twenty-five years later, those forgotten elements are back, because they define traditional hot rods. In 2012, I decided my car needed a retro traditional rod make-over. 

The smoothie tail light roll pan is gone, replaced with traditional ’39 Ford Blue Dot Teardrops (illegal of course then and now).  The smooth side hood panels have been louvered, and there is more to come. Click on the pictures for a larger view.