Have you ever found yourself buying something but unsure what you will do with it? Then you get another piece to your puzzle, then another, and finally your puzzle starts to make a picture. Most of us have experienced something similar to that at some point in our lives.
“Driving it is a real kick in the pants.” -Randy Raines
While visiting the annual March Meets to pick up spindles, the first of many pieces of his “puzzle,” Randy knew that he wanted to build something great, but unsure of what it would be at the time.
With the purchase of the next two pieces his vision really started to come to light. The first was the purchase of a chassis and the only thing left was the body. Randy found one in Canada, though it was it very rough condition.
Thankfully Randy was able to look past the rubble and see what this half metal, half fiberglass body could be. With a lot of help from some great friends and fellow Bandito members, he was able to give this ’33 Roadster body the TLC it needed.
Starting near the bottom of the learning curve for fabrication, they were able to hand mold the hood and front end. Randy referenced watching Covell fabrication videos to assist in how to bend and form the pieces they needed to be successful in this build. Admiring it now, we would say he was very successful.
After finishing the body work and learning something new every step of the way, Randy and the guys started on the interior. Just like the exterior of this body the interior took equally the amount of hard work and another steep learning curve.
The finished shell was sent off to K-Daddyz Kustomz for Kyle Gann to lay down this beautiful custom paint job. Randy jumped into the prep work by helping roll out all the tape. All the designs were finished off by Cabe Knight and Ron Beeb, who created the artwork and precise pinstriping.
Randy referred to this build as a rotisserie car, “The car was flipped upside down, the bottom looks just like the top,” he explained. Complete with flames, airbrushing and a big Bandito Loco the bottom that would only be seen if it was on a lift, or in the event of an accident.
“This car is really fast!” Randy exclaimed, “Driving it is a real kick in the pants.”
Inside that hand-formed hood sits a small-block Chevy engine that has been bored and stroked giving it the rumble it needs to make your knees weak. Behind all that engine is the 700R4 that Bowtie Overdrives did for him. To compliment this already powerful drivetrain, Randy went with a Winters Performance quick change rear end.
The suspension on this car is just as impressive as the rest of the car. Randy installed a cross leaf buggy suspension which is close to the original. A posi spring with super built axle completed the front end with Austin coilovers in the rear.
The kicker for this build is the wheels. Custom American 20x10s that were the first of their kind, thanks to Kyle’s SEMA connections. These wheels do not have valve stems on the outside, they are located on the inside to add to the custom look for his ’33 Roadster
After 10 years of being on the road in this hot rod, Randy owes a lot of thanks to fantastic friends and a substantially understanding wife. It takes a strong woman to stand by a man that builds classics.