[1]Hard work and dedication pay off and it’s certainly amazing to look back on the history of some of our culture’s most iconic household manufacturers. What we don’t get to see often is the birth of local businesses and their owners built on providing, not only local, but country-wide services as well.
[2]Andy Suciu is 22 years old and he’s had an undying passion for hot rods and metalworking since he was nine. From the very first time he set his eyes on a ’32 Ford coupe flying past him in Folsom, California he was hooked. Having built up his welding experience since the age of 14, Andy owes a lot of his continued growth to master fabricator and metal shaper, Fay Butler. Andy met Fay when he was 21 and since then his drive to hone his metalworking skills has grown.
Now more determined than ever, Andy recently opened his own shop “dedicated to traditional hot rodding, custom motorcycle building, and timeless old style craftsmanship” called Sacramento Speed Shop [3]. Rod Authority got a chance to speak with Andy–his passion and motivation for building are certainly uplifting and hope-instilling to say the least. “We want to focus our attention towards era-correct builds, using parts that were available during the 40s and 50s era of hot rodding,” says Andy.
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From adopting early 20th century metal shaping techniques such as the use of a Yoder power hammer to utilizing real-raw material versus coatings, Andy’s integrity towards tradition will only grow and deepen as the years pass.
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One of the shop’s highlights is their newly released line of Velocity stacks for 2-barrel carburetors such as the Stromberg 97. These caught Rod Authority’s attention from the get-go–one, they’re hand shaped and hand polished by Andy in-shop, two, they are comprised of real metals versus economic coatings, and three, they’re a badass throwback with the same quality craftsmanship from half a century ago.
Here’s a couple of bullet points surrounding the Velocity stacks:
[10]Height: 1 3/4-inches Diameter (Top): 4-inches Diameter (bottom): 2 5/8-inches- Metal options: Stainless Steel, Brass, Copper
- Retail price: $39.99 + $9.99 flat rate shipping (Andy will work with individual customers out-of-state in order to “find a shipping solution that best fits their needs.”)
- Does not include bug dome/filter
- Does not include carburetor
As another option, So-Cal Speed Shop, Sacramento [11] will be receiving a shipment of Andy’s Velocity stacks this week in order to stock their in-house shelves, their web store [12], as well as eBay to cater to a larger demographic of interested consumers.
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We spoke with Rafael over at So-Cal Speed Shop and he confirmed that they would be offering several packages including the Suciu stack w/o bug dome, Suciu stack + bug dome combo, and a complete setup Suciu stack + bug dome mounted to a fresh Stromberg 97. Check out their website or the end of this article for contact information.
Andy left us with this message, “I want to offer a product to people with limited fabrication skills or resources that want the option of going with handmade parts.” Rod Authority wishes Andy the best of luck in his pursuit of keeping tradition and quality craftsmanship alive and well.
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