Rodding Around
BY BRIAN BRENNAN
The Big
Man standing over a supercharged Boss 429 engine in a 1932 Ford project.
When It Comes to Inches and Pure Size
On a recent swing through Hot Rods by Dean, I was there to kick off a story about installing a Moon tank on our 1955 Chevy gasser project. But as soon as I stepped through the doors, something else caught my eye: a 1932 Ford Tudor sedan that had been there for years. But for some reason, I paid attention to what was under the “someday hood-to-be.”

There sat a big-block V-8 from back in the day. Not just by displacement—though 429 ci sounds modest by today’s numbers—but by the sheer presence of its size. An original Boss 429 Ford V-8 with those distinctive cylinder heads and original magnesium valve covers that have always looked more like a chunk of Mt. Rushmore sculpture than a machine. The Boss 429 Mustang, built in 1969 and 1970, was a no-frills, purebred race motor, and this engine carried that pedigree in every bore and valve.

The engine wore semi-hemispherical heads, a design that looked almost iconic enough to be classified as art. Those heads meant enhanced performance for the era, and this Boss 429 carried that legacy with quiet, stubborn confidence.

As we stood over the engine, Livermore started naming the pieces that turned a factory marvel into a street-legal dragon. The Boss 429 engine block, heads, and valve covers were still the stars, but the supporting cast was all there to rewrite the rules for a Deuce build today. A Blower Drive Service (BDS) dry intake manifold had been customized into a wet setup, a clever swap to squeeze more breath and boost. The distributor had been removed and replaced with a custom oil-pump drive while lowering the blower and keeping the whole package underhood.

Side profile of the blown Boss 429 Ford V-8 installed in a chassis.
Close-up of a Hampton blower paired with a Hilborn four-port hat.
Detail view of the custom belt drive system and high-output alternator.
Electromotive fuel and ignition control followed, with individual coils and a crank-trigger setup to keep the firing as precise as a clock. A Hampton 8-71 blower, paired with a Hilborn four-port hat, loomed as the focal point, while the original magnesium valve covers retained their vintage sheen. The custom belt drive system powering A/C keeps the underhood space from becoming a cluttered tangle. Stainless steel headers fan out into a 3.5-inch exhaust with baffling that hides the mufflers from view, preserving a clean, drum-tight silhouette underhood and beneath the body. Attached to the Shotgun V-8 is a fully polished Ford C6 transmission with a ribbed case.

The chassis spoke a language all its own, built by Hot Rods By Dean and paired with a four-link rear suspension from Speed Engineering. The rear wore 15×10 Halibrand wheels, while the front rolled on ET-style spindle-mount wheels machined to fit a Heidts independent drop spindle. Wizard Fabrication’s steer clear offset steering box was stretched to 16 inches, providing the car with the steering it required and proper driver positioning, and that would be Livermore.

Then there was the broader canvas—the shop’s 1932 Ford Tudor Sedan that, until now, hasn’t been chopped, but who knows. The frame, front fenders, and hood are stretched by some 3 inches. Inside will be the obligatory combination of Vintage Air and Classic Instruments to tell the tale.

To learn more about what’s going on at Hot Rods by Dean, you can visit hotrodsbydean.com. Learn more about current projects and some cool products for your next build.

… And the Little
Historic 180ci small-block Chevy V-8 engine mounted on a yellow stand.
Mechanical injectors and Blower Drive Service 4-71 blower detail on the engine.
A True Small-Block
On a recent visit to Mooneyes to round up a Moon tank (what else) for our 1955 Chevy gasser project, we wandered through the machine shop and found Chico Kodama wrenching on the world land speed record streamliner, with the motor out. Asking a harmless question about the motor, we soon learned it has as much history as any motor that has ever driven on the Salt.

This 180-inch, literally a small-block Chevy motor, was built by Fred Larsen, who was employed by Moon for a long time. He built a true “mouse motor” in 1962 with a Potvin front-mount 4-71 blower. It powered a Mooneyes streamliner to a class record of 307 mph in the early ’90s.

The engine is based on a 265-block sleeved to a 3.490-inch bore and a 2.44-inch stroke. That’s a short stroke, with Carillo rods and a forged crank by Henry Velasco. The heads are true old-time Chevrolet Power Pack heads, ported and polished by Mondello.

Originally, this small-block Chevy was equipped with a Potvin front-mount blower setup. Now it runs a Blower Drive Service (BDS) billet 4-71 Stage 4 blower and Hilborn two-port mechanical injectors. It runs on VP M5 Methanol with 5 percent nitro and has produced 680 hp on the dyno.

Kodama tells us he isn’t sure how many times Fred Larsen has rebuilt it. But in the past 10 years, it has undergone three complete rebuilds, and he’s run the true “mouse motor,” which makes only two to four passes per year.

On October 30, 1967, this 180ci Chevy V-8 powered the Larsen-Cummins Class D International Streamliner to set four records. The mighty mouse set four FIA-recognized world records and four USAC National Records in only two runs—one going and one coming back! All records are listed as “flying start” with two-way average speeds. At the time, the new records for the One Mile at 275.103 mph, the One Kilometer at 275.994 mph, the Five Miles at 232.974 mph, and the Five Kilometers at 248.400 mph.

For a bigger motor (294 ci), Kodama is planning and preparing to run 20 percent nitro, hoping to hit 260 mph. The current record, set on October 1, 2021, in the D/BFRMR (modified rear-engine roadster), is 243.124 mph.

You can visit Mooneyes at mooneyesusa.com to learn more about their speed equipment and custom accessories.

The Mooneyes world land speed record streamliner resting on shop stands.
Larsen-Cummins streamliner body featuring blue and silver livery with Mooneyes decals.
Modern Rodding
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 71 • 2026
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