Cars from the Ron Pratte Collection
Editor’s note: This is the second in a 30-day series featuring cars from the Ron Pratte Collection that will be sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in January.
1932 Ford Custom Roadster
This 1932 Ford Custom Roadster (Lot #2011) is one of the most famous Deuce roadsters with hot rodders. It was built by Boyd Coddington on Discovery Channel’s American Hot Rod show.
This classic custom is powered by a 350-cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 with a Turbo 350 transmission and a Winters quick-change rear end. It is equipped with Mooneyes valve covers, Offenhauser intake, ceramic-coated Ramhorn exhaust manifolds, Moon tank, chrome and billet front suspension parts, SoCal Buick-type front brake drums and has an engine-turned finish on the firewall.
The interior was done by Gabe Lopez and has Stewart Warner “wings” gauges and a column-mounted tachometer. Pin striping was by Dennis RIckleffs.
The car, with a Rod Bods steel body, rides on Boyd Coddington wheels with vintage Firestone dirt track tires.
The car is scheduled to cross the auction block in Scottsdale on Tuesday, January13.
1954 Chevrolet Corvette Custom
This 1954 Chevrolet Corvette has Boyd Coddington’s handprints all over it.
The project began with a hand-built Art Morrison chassis that features a complete C5 Corvette front suspension. Out back is a dynamite-proof Ford nine-inch rear axle suspended by a popular 4-link setup with an adjustable coilover shock arrangement.
Much to the delight of everyone involved in the project, this first-generation Corvette will host the dimensions of a modern V8 with room to spare. The 400-horse LS2 small block Chevy sports a custom and finned aluminum early-style fuel injection plenum to disguise the front feed induction. A battle-proven yet streetable Richmond 5-speed is used to create a power-delivery system that can take this car to an amazing level of performance.
The interior has been upgraded to match the rest of the car. Yet the changes are in typical Boyd style, one that honors originality, even though his upgrades are always significant in nature. Two-tone brown leather seats and woven wool carpet should impress your grandmother as much as your gearhead buddies. Custom gauges in the original location are housed in a one-of-a-kind machined aluminum bezel.
The ’54 Chevrolet Corvette Coddington Custom (Lot #2014) is scheduled to cross the auction block in Scottsdale on Tuesday, January 13.
1929 Ford “Alumatub” Hot Rod
Named the “Alumatub,” this handcrafted Boyd Coddington creation also was built on the popular American Hot Rod TV Series on the Discovery Channel.
This one-of-a-kind hot rod dons a hand-formed all-aluminum body by the famed Marcel DeLay shop and rests on a specially constructed Coddington aluminum frame and chassis.
It’s powered by an aluminum 350-cid Chevrolet V8 with Barry Grant demon three-deuce carburation and a Powerglide transmission with Mooneyes electronic shifter.
The car is scheduled to cross the auction block in Scottsdale on Saturday, January 17.
1927 Ford Model T Coupe Rat Rod
This Boyd Coddington-built ’27 Ford Model T (Lot #2059) is as sanitary as any of the latehHot rod hero’s creations. Rolling on a custom boxed frame with dropped transverse leaf springs on both ends, Boyd eschewed high-zoot billet goodies on this one and chose a dropped and drilled front beam axle and smooth-housing Ford 9-inch live axle out back.
Old-school hydraulic drum brakes locate stock Ford 15- and 16-inch steel rims sporting Firestone radials and ’40 Ford Deluxe hub caps and trim rings.
A small block Chevy V8 engine resides under the side-hinged steel hood.
The basic, but comfortable, black interior accommodates a floor-mounted automatic shift level and ’40 Ford Deluxe wheel.
With the mechanical odometer showing a mere 2,386 miles, this little hot rod is virtually new.
The ’27 Ford Model T Coupe Rat Rod (Lot #2059) is scheduled to cross the auction block in Scottsdale on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
The Ron Pratte Collection will begin being auctioned with automobilia from Saturday, January 10 at 9 a.m. (MST_ through Tuesday, January 13 at 1 p.m. Pratte’s vehicles first cross the block at 4 p.m. on Tuesday with lot numbers 2000 through 2109 and continue with lot numbers 2500 through 2530 Saturday, January 17.
The 27 T is not a rat rod.