Ardun-powered roadster

[Brian King]

It’s finally time to sell my Dad’s Ardun-powered 27 track roadster. The car has been in the family since its inception in 1988. Converted to the street in the early 90s, it currently is a beautiful running and driving machine that exemplifies hot rod ingenuity at its finest. “Ardun Doug” King was well known for his work on said engines during the late-80s through the mid-2000s and this roadster was the vehicle that more or less put him on the map. Between 1987-2005 his Ardun motors set 11 land speed records at Bonneville, El Mirage and Muroc in various chassis, as well as won many drag races on the nostalgia circuit. This roadster was his iconic car and possibly his finest creation.

The car was built in time for Bonneville Speedweek, 1988, setting the XXF/STR record in its maiden attempt. In that configuration it was the same vehicle you see now except for the paint, upholstery, fuel injection, ignition and wheels. That week, after Dad qualified and then backed up the record-setting speed, the team made pass after pass, allowing various crew members to get a shot behind the wheel. Three more times someone new qualified over the previous record and set it just a wee bit higher. Ultimately they settled on 143.799mph and car #113 was in the record book.

The build leading up to Speedweek 1988 included:
Polyform glass body
’27 Chevy frame rails
Custom independent rear end (Jaguar style) w/ Ford drum brakes set inside the axles and a Halibrand quick change
Torsion bar suspension front and rear
’37 Cad LaSalle top loader 3-speed transmission with open driveline
The motor as it currently sits includes:
59AB block w/ steel main caps
Merc crankshaft
Stock rods
Original Ardun heads
Ken Austin intake manifold w/ two Stromberg 94s
Mallory ignition
John DeLong camshaft
The wheels are a unique story themselves. Wire wheel rims with knock-offs… I wish I knew more about what they were and where they came from. In about 2008 Dad had a custom pair of front rims made for it that saw him lace original knock-off hubs to modern rims in an effort to run tires that would “soften” the ride. The original front pair are included in the sale as complete with tires and ready to be installed at any time should the new owner wish. Custom knock-offs on each wheel say “ARDUN”, as does the matching center on the steering wheel. The car runs 6.00 tires on the rear and 4.40s on the front.

This spring I installed a new radiator. And yes, those are authentic CA license plates and they will go with the car (I had the one seen in the pictures painted to appear from an earlier era. The matching plate is included in the sale and remains the original 1980s DMV white).

Some more details of the car that I discovered which may be helpful:
- Front axle is a 1937 Ford V8-60 w/ Norm Rapp torsion bars & 1941 Ford shocks
- Rear independent suspension also uses N. Rapp torsion bars & ‘41 Ford truck shocks
- Front brakes are out of a ‘78 Toyota Corolla with the casting marks turned down & custom backing plates. Rear brakes are 11” out of a ‘41 Lincoln.
- Steering is a Saginaw converted to center steering.
- Original front wheels are 1919 23”, 30x3 1/2, 5 pin #4 knock-offs. The ones shown in the pictures are the custom pair he had made 8 years ago to use modern tires.
- Rear wheels are 1928, 20”, 700x20, 5 pin #5 knock-offs.
- Engine block is a 1948 Ford 59-L truck block.
- Heads were produced in 1949.
- 3 5/16 bore x 4 1/8 stroke. 284 cu. inches and 9:1 compression.
- Weber aluminum clutch and fly wheel.
- The Bonneville record set in 1988 held until 2000.

It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I am ready to sell this, but here it is. This was his dream and I have my own to pursue. The paint is in very good shape except for some scratches on the crown of the hood. The seat is excellent. The carpet has standard wear, though it does not have any rips or holes. Last month I took the car on a 200+ mile reliability run and it performed flawlessly. The motor is torquey and has a healthy sound to it.

Call (707)280-8305 with any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.

[Brian King]

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