Car Features

 

Words: Tommy Parry

 

Shod in Achilles slicks front and rear, this crimson beast is certainly not your run-of-the-mill Model A. Alan Lee and Vintage Flats got the idea to stuff a force-fed Ferrari lump in the front of a ‘32 Model A, outfit it with some sticky new shoes, give it a coat of that unmistakable red and give it all the supportive modifications to handle an estimated 900 horsepower! It might frustrate the purists, but even they can’t deny the sheer presence this monstrosity has.

Starting with a rusted frame, they painstakingly painted the body so it would turn heads. As this was a car destined for SEMA, it seems natural that that striking red paint came first. However, that incredible motor is what draws the crowds.

 

 

The engine was harvested from a Lancia Thema 8.32, and is very similar to those found in the iconic Ferrari 308 of the 1980s. The crank design is different, the valves are smaller and the firing order is different, but the essential Italian goodness is there. The 3.0-liter Tipo F105L was never a total powerhouse, but mated to a set of Turbonetics T4 turbos mounted on the front bumper for airflow, though more likely for show, it’s capable of spitting out 900 shrieking stallions. Keeping the engine cool and composed at 8,500 rpm can be attributed to the Mishimoto intercoolers and AEM Infinity engine management.

 

 

A new frame was perforated for weight savings and then blasted with a coat of black to offset the bright red suspension drop-axle front. Look past the paint color, and the keen eye will notice the independent suspension at all four corners. The KW coilovers are kept somewhat subtle, as are the fifteen-inch, slotted and drilled disc brakes hiding underneath the aluminum drums. Some semblance of originality has to be maintained, right?

 

 

Power is sent through a Tremec six-speed fitted to a racing clutch. To try and put some of that power to the ground, the independent rear suspension offers a little more compliance and squat for traction, though even with massive slicks on the fifteen-inch wheels, it’s probable the motor can light up those tires without much effort. For added weight over the rear axle, as well as for cooling, the radiator setup is mounted in the trunk.

 

 

Take a fiberglass ‘32 Ford, spray it in the most distinctive color in automotive history, implant a motor from a 1989 Lancia, add two turbochargers, give it the appropriate footwork and turn up the boost. The result is something that anyone with a drop of oil in their veins can appreciate, and if they’re wealthy enough, they can pick it up for themselves. For someone who finds a Ferrari 488 GTB a little too commonplace, it’s available for a cool quarter-million in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Hollywood might be one of the few locations where a car this extreme might blend in.