VOODOO BLUE – ALAN SMART & CRAIG CLEMENTS CUSTOM ROADSTER
After enjoy time on the road with his neat ’32 Tudor, proprietor of Armadale Auto Parts Alan Smart, decided to build something outside the box of today’s conventional hot rods. Encouraged all the way by accomplice and co–builder Craig Clements, the pair kicked off the project with a simple plan to construct a car that was heavily influenced Ed Roth, just for fun. Using a bunch of parts they had accumulated over time the concept was to build an old school futuristic roadster without breaking the bank. A tall order in today’s ever escalating drain on financial resources but having ones own build shop and an extra pair of talented hands at disposal during slow times in the store… ie Craig, the challenge appeared achievable to Alan, and he boldly went where no man has gone before! Well not for a while anyways.
With creative juices fuelled by cold frosties the boys donned their intergalactic mind altering thinking caps and conjured up this tribute to past legends like the Orbitron, Road Agent and Mysterion to produce VooDoo Blue. Alan admits that is was an exercise to use all of their old parts that they had lying around. “A cheap and fun build that got out of hand!” he says.
Back in Cruzin issue # 157 we covered the build aspect of VooDoo in fine detail so we wont bore regular readers with old news but I will revisit the major components just to bring us all up to speed.
At opposing ends, Alan supplied the cowl from a 1927 Dodge open car while Craig was the custodian of a pair of 1957 Chrysler Royal rear quarters. The potential was crystal clear for our visionary creators with Craig marrying the two components with massaged sheet steel. He was also responsible for rolling up the deck lid and rear roll pan. Plotting the course forward a sectioned late 20s Pontiac grill shell was also lengthened to conceal an Aussie Desert Cooler radiator and adorned with an emblem of unknown origin. Belief that the super cool rocket style emblem emits Hyundai seeking death rays is purely speculation and unsubstantiated during our photoshoot.
With the body design nailed and still within budget, further cost containment was anticipated with the boys using a stock ’27 Dodge chassis that they had in hand, but with the amount of mods necessary to complete the desired look and stance there isn’t much of the original frame left. Fresh 100x50mm box tube was incorporated into a 9” rear kick and 2” front sweep locating the one off body closer to the earths crust. Good friend and Crankster club member Ben Forster was a hired gun who beamed up the rear four bars in a triangulated fashion to secure the HQ 1tonne diff. The front end comprises of more hoarded treasure that was pulled from an old hot rod years ago. The un-dropped ’32 axel attaches to split wishbones via a reversed eye spring with So-Cal dead perches and shocks while Ford XF discs are halted with callipers also from the famed speed shop. The Holden third member retains its original drums and all are activated by and under dash pedal assembly and 7” booster.
The warp core for the project was originally in Alan’s own ’58 Chevy that had been yanked during a makeover in favour of more horsepower, the unique roadster was the perfect choice to rebirth the Blue Flame six which Alan notes as a “rattle can rebuild”. A quick scan of the 235 Chevy mill divulges a little more work and expense was required to achieve the completed finish that no spray can could ever replicate! Backing the well dressed six slugger is a Turbo 350 that’s engaged via a Gennie 6” shifter nestled in the sanitary cockpit. As doors were never contemplated during the design of VooDoo (or forgotten) occupants entry is one small step for a man and one giant leap if in a mini skirt off the side nerf bars. Exit is much easier using the ejection seat option. Once encapsulated inside a Mooneyes wheel (of course) atop a Helix Roadster column directs a RHD Vega box towards the next encounter. Light speed indicators are housed in pod mounted Mooneyes instruments. The uncluttered interior layout was covered in starlight white vinyl and blue piping, including the hand fabricated seat and door cards.
While positioned on terra firma, parts bin Hallibrand sweat swirls are wrapped in opaque rubber from Antique Tyres.
The name VooDoo Blue would look pretty silly if painted any colour other than …well blue! The Hi-Chem 2K exterior was applied by Glenn Baker, which is superbly accented by handcrafted side moulding by Craig to climax this stellar build that really is… out of this world. Resistance is futile!
