Tag: SO-CAL Speed Shop

So-Cal Speed Shop Powers into the Future – @BlacktopMagazine

So-Cal Speed Shop Powers into the Future – @BlacktopMagazine

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o-Cal Speed Shop Powers into the Future as
Founder Alex Xydias Celebrates Birthday Number 99

Exciting news from the So-Cal Speed Shop camp! Peter Chapouris IV is back at So-Cal Headquarters and has been appointed the General Manager position. Peter, the son of the late Pete Chapouris, was practically born in a hot rod and has that same love and passion for the industry. He is excited and is committed to carry on the legacy of this iconic brand.

But that’s not all, So-Cal is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year. The brand was started in 1946 by Alex Xydias as a single speed shop located in Burbank Ca. supplying hot rod parts to a growing contingent of hot rodders and dry lake racers. Alex Xydias just celebrated his 99th birthday last month and is still going strong. He eagerly wrote a letter attached below describing his thoughts on the continuation of the So-Cal Speed Shop legacy.

Alex Xydias
Sun Valley, CA – March 29, 2021

The date was March 4, 1946 – I was 23 years old.

I had just been discharged from the Air Force after 3-1/2 years and I had decided to open a speed shop. Of course, I had no money! I knew nothing about business and nobody in hot rodding had even heard of me. On the plus side, I loved hot rods. I had gone to the dry lakes before the war (never raced) and had taken Auto Shop at Fairfax High. So… No Problem, the rest is history. Wow! That was 75 years ago!

The So-Cal logo is again being held high by a group that respects its history and are inspired by its future. But wait… there’s more! The Chapouris name is returning to So-Cal!

Pete Chapouris #4 is stepping in for his dad, Pete Chapouris #3. He is the new General Manager. His assets for So-Cal are countless. He almost grew-up at the shop. He was trained by one of the best. He understands what built the brand to worldwide fame. “Quality in all things”

Congratulations Pete, Tom, Matt and Carol!

Signed,
Alex Xydias

PS. Do I still get my discount?
On a personal note – I think of Peter as my Grandson.

So-Cal Speedshop SF Flatheads Stage 1 to 3 Mercury/Ford Flathead V8 Blocks

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Stage 1

A brand new Flathead V8 block with a lot of the inherent issues from the original engineered out.


Description

The perfect Ford-Mercury block! Outstanding casting quality thanks to modern foundry technology.
– Brand new, no cracks, no rust. High nickel content steel.

– Stronger everywhere it needs to be with thicker decks and main bearing bulkheads and larger main-bearing caps.

– Mains are aligned honed.

– 3-3/16-inch standard bore.

– 59AB-type bellhousing with 8BA refinements for improved coolant flow. Requires 1938-1948 oil pan.

– Drilled and tapped to accept 8BA or truck waterpumps.

– Drilled and tapped to accept either early (center outlet) or late (forward outlet) heads.

– Factory relieved (won’t accept Ardun heads).

– Bellhousing CNC-machined to fit Ford firewalls without modification.

– Long center head bolts (required) and rear main seal retainer are included.

– Glyptol painted valve-lifter valley, timing case, and crankshaft chamber for fast oil drain back

In their stock configuration and the way French flathead blocks have been sold previously the bosses, casting numbers, and pads for military applications do not fit most Ford passenger car applications without firewall modifications. SF Flathead blocks are precision milled to remove the unsightly “lumps.” Only a pad remains that carries a SF Flatheads serial number. Stop searching for a savable old Henry lump. This strong, high-nickel casting is the last flathead block you’ll ever need! Please call for availability. Truck shipping required. Rate quoted at order

Stage 2

Description

Same high-quality new casting as the standard block plus:

– Original flow restriction in bowl removed and enlarged for uniform volume and increased flow.

– Intake ports machined larger and straightened for improved flow.

– Exhaust ports machined larger and radiused to improve exhaust gas flow.

Please call for availability. Truck shipping required. Rate quoted at order.

Stage 3 

Description

All features of our stage – 1 and 2 block plus the following:

– Lifter bores cut and drilled for ease of adjusting lifters
– Grind valve seats open to 1.6 on either intake, exhaust, or both at customer request
– Valve bowls smoothed and polished
– Exhaust ports polished and matched to customer provided headers
– Intake ports polished and matched to customer provided intake manifold
– Rear oil galley drilled and opened for full flow oil filter adapter system

Footnote – The engines have disappeared from the So-Cal site the link now goes to their Flathead page

I’d also suggest watching this thread on the HAMB as it appears a little lively on this subject!

The Hot Rod: Resurrection of a Legend – Brock Yates

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Currently reading the book “The Hot Rod: Resurrection of a Legend by Brock Yates” which tracks the story of the famed Eliminator Hot Rod from build to rediscovery and restoration, plus a good background history of Hot Rodding into the bargain.

You can find an article written by the author on the Hot Rod website here

A slideshow of the car can be seen on the link below

http://www.hotrod.com/features/history/articles/0402sr-eliminator/

This should give you a taste for what is a remarkable story very well told by the author, you can find the book on Amazon

A sad footnote is that Brock Yates is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and the attempted sale of his beloved Eliminator was subject of an episode of the TV show “Chasing Classic Cars” Season 6 Episode 18

Brock’s Wikipedia entry is here, you’ll also see that Brock was responsible for initiating the famous “Canonball Run” amongst his many achievements.

If you have any interest in Hot Rods and the time period, this is a great read.

There is an article here at Hemmings regarding the Brock Yates Tribute Fund

Brock Yates’s Eliminator and Novi Special Replica Fail to Sell in Monterey

– See more here