Pursuit of perfection: crafting the ultimate street rod

11 March 2018

 


 

In the internet age, it’s surprisingly easy to become ensnared in the hyperbole and bluster that surrounds just about anything that people may have more than a passing interest in. After all, in this epoch of instant gratification, if it isn’t the best or the most extreme, why would you give it your valuable time? This hot rod is the perfect antithesis to all that crap. 

Nothing you see here has been done to garner the fleeting respect of strangers on the internet, nor to satisfy the narrow visions of the old order regarding what ‘should’ be done. Sean Williams’ exquisite ’33 Ford roadster is both forward-thinking and traditionally inspired, and achieves a kind of perfection in the way it absolutely balances the two. The end result is timeless — certain to look somehow both cutting-edge and classical in perpetuity. 

None of it came easy, though. To get the car to look the way it now does was a 15-year labour of love, with many protracted periods of inactivity over which funds or sanity were recouped. There is absolutely no way you could tell that this began with a Pete Osborne fibreglass shell that you or I could purchase effectively off the shelf, and the perfect stance has been achieved through a wildly custom chassis built by none other Rods by Reid. 

You will need to read the full article in NZV8 Issue No. 155 to find out about the whole build, but here and now, you can see just some of the work put in by Dan and the team at Rocket Speed Equipment, and a few others, to create what must rank as one of the finest street-driven street rods anywhere on this planet.