Car Spotlight>>the Platinum Bomb

I remember when I was a kid I would go to the local hobby shop looking for plastic model kits to blow my allowance on. Although I loved cars, I also had a thing for airplanes and it was a hard choice to pick between say, a P51 Mustang kit or a 1/24 scale hot rod. When I saw this car at the Grand National Roadster Show, it brought back fond memories of both plastic airplanes and the hot rods.

Say hello to the Platinum Bomb.

Of course the Platinum Bomb isn't a scale model, but a full size '32 Ford Roadster designed by Zack Norman and Troy Ladd and built at Hollywood Hot Rods in Burbank.

These days it's not uncommon to see aviation parts on hot rods, but I've never seen anything quite like this.

The dashboard, or should I say instrument panel looks straight out of a 1940's era aircraft, as does the steering wheel (make that yoke), and the shifter, which resembles an airplane's throttle lever. You can also see the aviation-inspired door panels.

And then there's the incredible scratch-built windshield frame with split windows.

Even the wheels and tires have a landing gear vibe to them.

At a first glance the body looks like unpainted bare metal, but it's actually coated in "Kosmic Krome" from the House of Kolor. Paintwork on the car was done by the aptly-named "Department of Customz".

The engine compartment is immaculate. Check out the trick chain-driven steering system.

The car had a display to match its military theme, complete with sandbag protection.

While I can appreciate the work that goes into the cars that battle for the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award, it was this car that left the biggest smile on my face.

When the sight of a car can take you back to those old days building models, spilling paint and glue all over mom's table cloth, you know you're looking at something special.

-Mike Garrett

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1

is it just me, or does the hood ornament look like a penis in the last picture?

2

I love it. But are the instruments actually from a plane? or do they read mph etc? just a thought. it wouldn't be much use having something like an altitude instrument in a car lol!

3

I find it amazing that its not aluminum but paint we are looking at. Perfect execution.

4

That's just absolutely wicked! I'm in love....

5

@ speedhunterfan Ever saw a plane refill theyre fuel tanks while in air? That rod was used for that :) Very nicely done car with the theme that brings a little kid in all of us i think :) Loved the seats ant all the little bits that add up to the view , especially like that old military color.

6

Speedhunter fan: It's an airspeed pitot tube. You see them all over planes.

8

O, right. my bad refueling rods were a later invention :)

9

Amazing car, love the attention to detail.

10

Pitot tube man! Come on! Ha ha, MIke, love that I'm not the only one to have spent my childhood Christmas vacations building plastic models. Love the warbirds. P-51D, F4U-1 Corsair, P-47D Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning, etc. I wanna hit the Reno Air Races and watch the Unlimited class go 500+. That'd be a cool "Speedhunters" feature story with Lindbergh photography of those birds buzzing the tower 50 feet off the ground going 500mph in a hard bank!

Love the green color in the interior. Can't remember the name of that color. Crap! Zinc Chromate!!! Thanks google!

11

Too cool of a ride, but the windshield looks out of place? Needs more of a slant, then it will be perfect!

12

Wow, just wow. This is just about the perfect execution of my dream hotrod, though if I were to build one I'd rather use an A-36A Apache or a A-20 Havoc ground attack aircraft as an inspiration. :-) The only other thing I'd change in this car is the carburretor setup, I'd prefer Stromber 37s over everything else. Otherwise it's just perfect.

13

Also theme correct is the Green Zinc Chromate paint used for aircraft interiors.

14

Awesome car is awesome!

15

This rod simply oozes style!

16

this car is gorgeous! i love all the details.

19

SOMEONE PLEASE! PLEASE! TELL ME WERE I CAN GET THOSE HUB CAPS, OR MAYBE HOW HE MADE IT? PLEASE ANYTHING ON THOSE RIMS I NEED SOMETHING!!

20

Dude, that steering system is HOT!



Awesome ride.

21

thoroughly excellent, the paintwork is impeccable!

22

I'm Zack - i designed it. Thanks for you kind words. troy and I are prety stoked with the way it came out. To answer a couple querstions - the pitot static tube feeds a korean war helicoper air speed gauge. - all the gauges are from aircraft and work. The wheels are custom. I built 'em for a secret recipe. Shhhhh.



Zack

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