Image via Autotopia LA/YouTube
We know rat rods can be a divisive subject in the car hobby, with some people just reveling in the builds and others thinking they ‘re stupid trash. Wherever on that spectrum you land, you have to at least respect this one with its V8 sporting a huge blower, allowing the chopped, lightweight ride to rocket forward with intense ferocity.
This ’67 Pontiac GTO costs $1 million.
Built by Rat Rod Jeff, it started as an original 1932 Ford Model B, so not an aluminum kit. While the body was preserved (although it was obviously chopped), a custom chassis was fabricated to help achieve the low-slung look and handle the monstrous power.
The engine that’s front-and-center is an all-aluminum, tall deck 565ci big block Chevy V8 with electronic fuel injection, modern ignition system, and plenty of other surprisingly high-tech mods. In fact, the owner says it has traction control, of all things. We wouldn’t expect that in a rat rod.
As for the supercharger, it apparently was sourced straight from the DSR Top Fuel team, which donated it from one of their old nitro hemi cars. With things actually tuned conservatively, the powertrain is making over 900-horsepower at the wheels – that’s a ton for something so lightweight.
Channeling all that power is a built Tubo 400 transmission and 9-inch rear end. In the rear are massive 33-inch drag radials mounted on double beadlock wheels.
Unlike a lot of rat rods, while this car is registered to drive on public streets, it’s really been built for drag racing. The thing lacks mufflers, so it’s loud like a real racecar, and the interior is stripped down to the bare necessities with a jungle gym of a roll cage, stiffening everything up so the chassis doesn’t twist under load.
Check out the video review to see even more details as well as this crazy build in action.
Images via Autotopia LA/YouTube
