Folks Of Interest Love it or hate it....Isky tribute roadster

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/de...ail&utm_source=EDaily&utm_campaign=2023-11-07

 

Swing and a miss.

 

That's like building a tribute to one of those Fast and Furious fartcan cars, but putting a flathead in it. Why?

 

A little to perfect and polished to be a tribute to ISKY’s T

but it’s a sweet ride in its own rights .

 

Dang, Pete, your signature says it all.

 

I guess I'm the odd man out, the car pays homage to the ISKY Roadster, it is not a clone but one mans attempt to honor a historic hot rod, I personally think he did a fantastic job. HRP

 

I think it's pretty neat. I think they could have done better on the steering wheel and details like that, but overall it works. You can clone that car exact and it would never be the same car, so why not take some liberties? It's not like it has an ac compressor or something else out of place going on.

 

I just don't understand why people think it should have a flathead. That would essentially make it a clone. This was meant to be a tribute to what Ed did back then, and their reasoning for the Godzilla makes sense and they made that modern motor look really good.

I think they did a great job and it looks fantastic! Ed's car was shiny and polished when it was new, so I don't quite understand that argument.

The only details that don't jive with me are the Grant Horn button and the Holley screen in the dash (but the Holley screens are one of my peeves in any Holley injected car).

 

They likely used those parts because they were provided free of charge for promotional consideration. Ford isn't trying to sell flatheads these days, they are selling Godzillas. The thing it is a tribute to is advertising. That being said, it is a cool car, I'd drive it. Mike

 

Needs an LS

 

That's not at all why they were used. They used the Godzilla because it is the latest up and coming performance motor, just as the OHV flathead conversion was at the time (paraphrasing what they said). They could have done any modern engine, but they chose the Godzilla for that reason. They use the Holley injection (sometimes sponsored) on all of their builds because they know it well and have had great success with it. The Grant wheel is cheap and they normally don't use them, maybe Speedway provided that.

It's probably fun for you to say that it's a tribute to advertising, but all that tells me is you probably didn't follow the build.

They did say that they need to still do a bunch on it after SEMA, so maybe some of the details will change.

Regarding the engine, I would expect that this will be moved/driven by loads of people through it's life. Having a modern injected engine in it that starts and runs perfectly every time and only needs the oil checked makes sense to me from that perspective.

 

For anyone wondering, the details of the original can be seen here. https://fuelcurve.com/isky-t/

I copied these photos of the original interior, you can see the flat dash. That's why the tribute has a flat dash.

 

For me, I like it and would drive the wheels off it.

 

Ok, I totally missed the LCD panel, I had to look for it but it not screaming at you, but your observation is noted, it could have been hid better.

As Anthony Myrick is well known for saying -" I'd drive it" HRP

 

"It's probably fun for you to say that it's a tribute to advertising, but all the tells me is you probably didn't follow the build."

Those of you old enough to remember the "cam wars" in the 1960's should acknowledge Ed's fondness for in your face ads every week in DRAG NEWS and NATIONAL DRAGSTER. Participants included Isky, Crane, Crower, Engle, Schnider and a couple of other grinders.

 

Nope....not a fan.

 

I had to look up Godzilla engine then convert liters to cubic inches.
there are a lot of things I would do differently but I don't hate it.
I do like seeing another T on the road and if it can inspire young builders with its vintage style and short build time that's a plus.

 

I agree. But I have NO IDEA what a Godzilla engine is.

 

Good to see with nice tires.
To me it’s a fantastic tribute…I’d drive the wheels off it!

 

I like it from 25 ft. away. As you get closer and see all the compromises made it becomes less attractive to me. Kinda like a gal whose not as pretty once she takes off all her fake stuff.

 

I like the car as a tribute car but don't agree with some parts they used.

 

Godzilla is the new ls.

 

Ed was and still is a forward thinker. This car is a current example of what Ed would have built if he had the technology then that we have now. This build has the full approval and blessing of Ed himself. Ed casted and machined the iconic radiator cap in High School and that is cool but let someone machine one out of bar stock today and everyone screams BILLET! It is an awesome car, and I would bet at some point it will be in the museum next to Eds as a tribute to our quest to advance technology. I do agree some aspects of the car fall a little short like the dash, but if they would have machined a modern version of the original would that have been anymore accepted by the die-hard traditionalist. I doubt it. enjoy it for what it is, attribute to a man and a company that brought us to where we are.

 

So if the modern motor is ok, why not go farther? Where’s the low profile radials and big six piston disk brakes? Why not fully independent suspension?

Sure keep the T body and black paint, but modernize the mechanicals.

I guess it’s just fine if you don’t get too close. The profile is right on (but it has been for 80 years).

 

It was fantastic to see it in person. SEMA showed that hot rodding is on the downward slide and no longer drives the market. The market is now 67-2000 Chevy trucks, cut-up high-end European sports cars, and highly engineered muscle cars that would hold their own on any race track like Sebring. Here are some more photos of the tribute Isky Roadster.

 

It’s 2023…the LS is a couple decades old!

 

It needs the Pontiac grill like the original.