From Start to Finish: The Story of New Old Hot Rod

Some kids have all the luck. Some kids have rich parents that buy them fancy car. Some kids have cool dads that build them fancy cars, though, and that's the case for Ashley Webb Taulbert. Her dad is Ridler Award-winning car magician Dan Webb. He owns a shop in Burton, Michigan, but he's equally at home in Detroit, building and chopping cars for Ford. With designer Thom Taylor and metal fabricator Craig Naff, Webb transformed a mash of inspirations and ideas into a sweet new car.

Webb and Taylor are longtime friends and had been mutually admiring the early work of designer Harry Miller. Miller, of course, is a famous engine designer, but you probably know his work best from early 20th century Indy race cars. This is the inspiration that began the adventure. These two wanted to draw from that iconic Miller nose but keep the look of a hopped-up roadster. Taylor found another grounding point in the front of the 20th, this time in the form of a '32 Ford roadster. This spirit runs strong in the finished car, with many of the hand-fabricated pieces looking like near replicas of similar parts from a Duece. These include the cowl and the door joints, but extend into the whole upper body.

The trio hand-fabricated nearly everything from the nickel-plated stainless steel nose cap to hand-made friction shocks. Webb used planishing hammer, Pullmax, and an English wheel to form the metal for the doors, cowl, trans tunnel, and floor. The main body got shipped to Neff, who worked his magic on the hood and seats. His work on the rear section was interrupted, however, by the '05 SEMA show, where Ford had reserved a spot for the car in their booth. The decision was made to ship the frame back to Webb, who finished the welding.

The insides have just a traveled and bumpy tale as the outside. The engine is a Zakspeed 2.3L that was found languishing in the shop of a friend. It had seen better days, but with some elbow grease and ingenuity, Webb and team fit it in and made it work. The transmission is a Tremec T-5, and the quickchange had to be custom designed by Webb and cut from block aluminum. He also machined the unique floating hubs which match the unique floating axles.

As a gift from a father to a daughter, this retro highboy wasn't much of surprise. Ashley even got in on the wrenching and machining, something the elder Webb says his daughter is very familiar with. He also compliments her having a good eye for design, which she probably learned at her dad's knee. Fond looking-back is great place to start when moving a car from drafting table to the road, and fits especially well when put in the frame of a fond father. All in all, the very exaggerated, almost caricature-like design speaks well of a heritage built on cars.

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