here is a story behind every hot rod, and many times there’s more than one. Don Granata of Ventura, California, has spent a lifetime with the ocean as his life’s backdrop. Living next to the ocean has led to him enjoying surfing and being a collector of vintage surfboards. At age 5 Don took an interest in beach movies and surfing. Mike Granata, his cousin, took 7-year-old Don to the 1965 Grand National Roadster Show. Next up were model cars and a budding interest in hot rods. Given these life topics, it should come as no surprise that his ’29 Ford highboy roadster plays an important role.
The copper-colored Model A is an excellent example of an early ’60s-era hot rod. Based on the original Model A sheetmetal and frame that includes a truly vintage ’56 Corvette V-8, the build covers all the bases.
The “office” includes a Brookville Roadster dashboard with a stock Model A “eyebrow,” rooted within is a six-pack of Stewart-Warner “Wings” gauges. These vintage-looking gauges come in a speedo, engine rpm, oil pressure, water temp, gas level, and volt configurations. The LimeWorks column and its drop rest appropriately below the dash. The steering wheel is a vintage-looking drilled four-spoke CON2R with an engraved (Model A Roadster Salty ’29) horn button. The black vinyl with Pearl White piping by Mac’s Auto Upholstery covers the Wise Guys bench seat plus a pair of 3-inch-wide RetroBelt seatbelts.
In speaking with Don, he tells us the following story: “This motor is an all-original, numbers-matching, ’56 265ci, power-pack, dual quad, Corvette motor that originally came in a ’56 Chevrolet Nomad.” (He ran the numbers to verify.) “The original owner of the Nomad was restoring it but [died] before he could finish. His wife sold the rolling chassis, but the buyer didn’t want the original motor. I stumbled upon the motor through Instagram and bought it sight unseen. To my surprise, when the motor arrived at the shop, it had been completely rebuilt.”
It is a dual-quad option using a pair of Carter WCFB 380-cfm carbs (with factory air cleaners) resting on an aluminum intake that was offered in 1956 as both a Corvette and passenger car option. It was 225 hp with hydraulic lifters but jumped to 245 hp with a solid lifter cam. Don retained the looks and the mechanical AC Delco fuel pump along with the factory ram’s horn exhaust, starter, and generator. The remainder of the exhaust system was handled by Don’s cousin Dominic Granata at DG Headers in 2-inch stainless steel streaming back to a pair of 17-inch Flowmaster mufflers. The oil pan is a finned Cal Custom aluminum unit while the valve covers are the ultra-rare nine-fin Corvette units. Other engine appointments include a Vertex mag with ACCEL solid core plug wires. It should be mentioned that the motor is numbers matching, making it a rare and valuable V-8. Backed up to the small-block Chevy is a T5 five-speed transmission with a Hurst short-shift shifter, factory flywheel, and clutch package.
It was in 1965 that Don saw the Uncertain T at the GNRS and lo and behold the T made it back to the 2024 show as did Don’s ’29 Ford roadster. His roadster also took home Early Street Roadster Pre-1935 class honors. One of life’s interesting twists and turns.