Gallery

Foose Woody

This 1939 Lincoln Zephyr based project promises to be unlike any Foose vehicle yet.  It will be the first time Chip and his team works their magic on a woody. When one of his customers brought up the idea of a woody, Chip excitedly generated multiple concept drawings, there was even a sportsman version.  They ultimately settled on the station wagon model.  Now Lincoln never made a station wagon and they definitely never made a woody.  But, the ’39 Zephyr form was the basis for Chip’s original drawings.

After the concept was approved, Chip created a full-scale engineering drawing, which serves as the template for the chassis rails.  Since woodies typically lack structural integrity because of their light and flexible wood panels, thick steel was necessary on the frame rails.  The rails were actually fabricated by a company that makes rollercoaster tubing, as they were the only business that could bend the steel while still maintaining its smoothness. Once the rails arrived, Dennis fabricated a rear kick-up support.  Ultimately, an independent front and rear suspension, with pocketed A-arms, will be based off Corvette components.

In true Zephyr fashion, the vehicle will sport a V-12 motor, but this engine is unlike anyone you’ve everseen.  It's a 12 cylinder Falconer Engine, built by Ryan Falconer. It's a pretty rare engine, originally designed for 7/8 scale P51 Mustangs, the kind used in air races. Basically it's a big block Chevy on steroids.  Even the oil pan is custom. It was fabricated in stainless steel by Dan Woods and is a thing ofbeauty itself. This beast puts out 811 horsepower!

Two native Hawaiian woods will be used on the outer and inner frames.  The wood for these side panels has already been procured, they came straight from the owners Hawaiian estate!

This vehicle is still a good 3 years from completion and is shaping up to worthy competitor for all the major automotive customization awards.  Follow its progress through our build photo gallery.

Gallery

The Impostor

We all have certain vehicles that we’re emotionally attached to, whether it’s that first car you owned or the sports car you always wanted.  At Foose Design, we’re lucky enough to work on projects that have emotional value for our customers and that means a lot to us.  The story behind the Impostor is such a build.

Customer Don Voth and his wife Elma drove a 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS on their honeymoon and they wanted to recreate that memory.  The idea was to pay tribute to that car with a ground-up custom, but also have it handle like a modern machine.  Once complete, they’ll be able to relive the early days of their marriage as they cruise.

The original concept was to use Corvette suspension components, but Chip scrapped that idea.  He wanted this Impala to have ALL the features of a Corvette.  After giving it some thought, Chip decided the Impala body must be dropped onto a modern Corvette chassis.  So, he drove two blocks to DeLillo Chevrolet in Huntington Beach and purchased a brand new 2009 Corvette.  He brought it back to the shop and immediately stripped it to the frame.  Not a single wire was cut from the Corvette and will ultimately be rewired.  The Corvette dashboard will remain intact, including the stock GPS navigation system and OnStar.  With the safety and control of a Corvette this ride will handle like no Impala before it.

Before the frame and body would be connected, there were a number of modifications that were made.  The Corvette frame was stretched 8” in the center to accommodate the lengthy Impala body.  Subsequently, the body was shortened 14” overall with about 8” removed from the top roof panel and roughly 6” taken out of the rear quarters and deck lid.

The new proportions of this "Impostor” will give it more of a muscle car look.  Metal closeouts around the inner fender wheel wells have been added and a new 2-seat interior was clay modeled around theexisting dash.   

To pay respect to its modern undercarriage, a number of Corvette elements made their way into the exterior.  The vehicle features pocketed door handles, shark gill front fenders flairs, signature circular 3-taillight design and fuel filler on the deck lid.

A number of mods are still planned.  New front and rear valances are in process, as is a new roll pan.  Color is still being determined, but ideas have ranged from greens to creams to maroons.  As of March 2012, the vehicle is about one year from completion.