Video: Edelbrock’s 8th Annual Revved Up 4 Kids Car Show

RevvedUp

What started out as a way to generate funds to help a local schools has turned into something more than even Christi Edelbrock, the founder of the Rev’ved Up for Kids charity event, could begin to imagine. From meager beginnings to a show that draws cars from practically every state in the Southwest, Rev’ved Up for Kids has turned into a charity event that supports the recently formed Edelbrock Family Foundation

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Christi Edelbrock and the Edelbrock family support many different schools in their quest to provide automotive programs from elementary through the college level of training. In addition to supporting and hosting the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Builders Challenge and the Center for Learning Unlimited, Christi also serves as the National Spokesperson for Patriot Outreach.

Last year we asked Christi Edelbrock, one of the driving forces behind Edelbrock’s push for bringing automotive technology back into schools, what is next. “We have big plans, oh boy… we have some really big plans and as soon as we get the details finalized, we’ll let everyone know.” Unfortunately Christi was unable to be at the charity event due to an untimely surgery and recovery this year.

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We will follow up with Christi shortly and bring you the info on all the really big plans and details that she referred to for the coming year.

This year also marked the 75th Anniversary of Edelbrock so there was a Friday Night Gala held honoring Vic Edelbrock and family with many very special guests in attendance. You can check out our full coverage of the Gala and festivities HERE.

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This year we took our annual stroll through the surrounding streets at Edelbrock HQ in Torrance, California to check out all of the cars that showed up in support for the event and in support of the next generations’ gear heads.

From the hundreds of cars, we had quite the challenging task of picking ten of our favorites, but as grueling as it was to narrow down all of the amazing iron to just ten top picks, here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Top Ten Cars of the Show

Bob & Bev Benter’s 1957 Ford Fairlane 500

Bob & Bev Benter’s 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 was a restoration project that took over 10 years to complete. Bob found the car over 25-years ago, as a hulk that was abandoned in an overgrown field in Lake Elsinore, California. “The engine was in pieces in the trunk. There was dirt and bugs throughout the car and hornets had built a nest in one of the tail lights,” Bob shared with us as we were taking in the magnificent restoration.

Over the next decade, Bob and his family rebuilt the car and the engine to near original specs. 

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“We rebuilt its original 312 Thunderbird Special engine with polished aluminum intake and Edelbrock dual quads, and restored the original Ford-O-Matic transmission,” Benter explained. “We installed an MSD electronic ignition, custom Jet Hot coated headers, Vintage Air and front disk brakes.”

IMG_7363The exterior was painted a bright yellow and white with the interior done up in charcoal gray with black stripes and bright yellow vinyl piping.

The car was so well built that it was included in a 2002 Super Bowl commercial by Pepsi Cola featuring Britney Spears as well as a brief appearance with Britney in a billboard on Times Square.

The most recent major improvements involved a complete engine rebuild, including a full balance and blueprint. The addition of a rare VS McCulloch Supercharger added to the uniqueness of the vintage piece. Only a handful of these superchargers were made in 1957.

The Benters put on a set of Cragar 17-inch wheels and took the car to Reno’s Hot August Nights in 2005 where it won the Bank of America Show-N-Shine Award. Next up was the People’s Choice award at the Atlantis Resort Cruise of Champions.

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The Ford Fairlane has appeared in the Lucas Oil Stabilizer commercials on ESPN and ESPN2, and can routinely be seen in print ads and articles in car magazines across the board, job well done Bob – an easy choice for our top picks.

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The Wrench custom wearable clothing line’s marketing support, a West Coast Customs Rat Rod called “The Wrench Rod.”

The Wrench Rod

Seems like everyone loves a rat rod these days. Rat rods that look like 1950s hotrods but featuring top shelf components under the patina panels are even more in demand. Take the Wrench Rod rat rod for example. The 106-inch wheelbase rod was built as a marketing tool to bring the Wrench clothing line directly to the consumers. Since then, this custom rat has taken on a life of its own. Built by the West Coast Customs crew, the Wrench Rod has a spec list like few others:

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Chassis
Frame Manufacturer: Pete & Jake’s
Rearend: Ford 9-inch, 3.25:1
Rear Suspension: Pete & Jake’s ladder bars with coil-overs
Rear Brakes: Drum
Front Suspension: Dropped super bell axel with Pete & Jake’s hairpins
Front Brakes: Disc
Master Cylinder: Dual circuit under floor
Steering Linkage: Pete & Jake’s
Front Wheel Make/Size: 15 x 5 Wheel Smith Artillery
Front Tires: 525/550 Coker bias ply wide whitewall
Rear Wheel Make/Size: 15 x 5 Wheel Smith Artillery
Rear Tires: 7.10×15 Coker bias ply wide whitewall
Fuel Tank: Speedway spun aluminum

IMG_7404Engine
Make/Displacement: 350 Chevrolet
Machining/Assembly: ATK
Manifold/Induction: Holley tri-power
Valve Covers: ATK finned
Ignition: MSD
Transmission: B&M 700R4
Converter: B&M

Body
Body Style/Manufacturer: 1931 Ford Model A coupe
Radiator: Speedway aluminum
Grille: Speedway
Bodywork By: West Coast Customs
Paint Type/Color: Water-based Pistachio Green sanded through on edges
Painted By: Chivo
Headlights: Speedway
Taillights: Speedway LED
Other Body Modification: Chopped, steel floor, Walden Speed Shop roof insert, lots of patch panels

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Clayton West’s 1968 Camaro

Clayton has been an Edelbrock employee since 2010, so what parts do you think he has on his vintage racer? Well, Edelbrock of course. The EFI Technical Specialist relies on his experience and Edelbrock’s Pro-Flo XT EFI system to feed the 502ci beast. Sporting a Procharger F3M Supercharger, self-built step headers and muffler, Performance Technology Stage 1 cylinder heads with Edelbrock Rollin’ Thunder hydraulic roller camshaft (part #2264) this beast packs a serious punch.

JE forged pistons with teflon coated skirts and ceramic crowns fill the cylinder bores with Manley connecting rods attached to a Callies 4-inch stroke crankshaft. Providing friction reduction are Tactical Performance teflon coated bearings. Manley valve springs and titanium retainers with COMP Cams Ultra Pro Magnum rocker arms with beefy Manton pushrods under the Edelbrock Victor series valve cover rounds out the winning package. 

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An Edelbrock electric fuel pump (part #1790) and regulator (part #1729) coupled with an Edelbrock 90mm throttle body (part #3869) provide the fuel and air for the fire breathing big-block Chevy engine. Plumbing is through Russell fuel lines and fittings and the spark is managed by MSD’s Pro Billet Distributor modified for EFI.

The drivetrain features a Lenco 4-speed transmission, Crower two-disc clutch and a one-off shifter from Marshall Fabrication. The suspension is Chris Alston Chassisworks with a Jerry Bickel round tube 4-link rear end. Stopping power is provided by Simpson parachute and brakes from Classic Performance Products mounted on a Strange 9-inch rearend. 

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Auto Meter’s Ultra-Light gauges, Kirkey aluminum seats with RJS 5-point harness and custom window net by Stroud Safety provide the interior works. 

The exterior’s custom mix paint is DuPont “Bright Orange” and was applied by Mark West in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

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Jeanne Hoffman’s 1968 Chevelle Malibu

Purchased new in March of 1968, Jeanne Hoffman has been the sole owner of this mostly original collector car. Driving off the lot at Beach City Chevrolet in Long Beach, California, Hoffman never realized that the Malibu would play such a large roll in her life. 

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Originally equipped with bucket seats, console, 4-speed transmission, power steering, power brakes, tinted glass and a 327 V-8 pumping 275 hp. 

What started out as a simple restoration task of reupholstering one of the front seats soon became a full restoration. Hoffman ended up overhauling the engine and drivetrain, completely reupholstering the interior, an exhaust upgrade with a Flowmaster exhaust system, custom wheels with new tires and new paint.

Part of the appeal of this truck is it's bubbly owner, Hot Rod Holly. She constantly smiles and the floral custom paint on her truck brighten the day.

Part of the appeal of this truck is it’s bubbly owner, Hot Rod Holly. She constantly smiles and the floral custom paint on her ’56 Chevy truck brighten the day.

HotRod Holly Ansman’s Platinum 1956 Chevrolet Pickup

Hot Rod Holly, whom you might have seen on the TV show “My Ride Rules,” which was the ride that ruled over three tough competitors, brought her now famous 1956 Chevy truck with tropical floral graphics out for all to see. There was a special spot reserved near the front door of Vic’s Garage for Holly and her truck to display. 

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The 1956 Chevy Pickup appears to be fairly stock with the additions of a custom paint job and custom interior. The “egg crate grille” was making its last appearance in 1956, which adds to the greatness of this half ton pickup. HotRod Holly has said that a local artist near her home in San Diego, Mark Lueck, did the artwork on her truck. But what makes this ’56 so special is the constant smile and love that Holly shows for her ride and all fellow hot rod enthusiasts, easily earning her a spot among our top picks.

Smitty Smith’s 1948 Dodge B-1-B Stakebed Truck

Another longtime Edelbrock employee brought out his pride and joy for the car show attendees to see. Smitty’s unique 1948 Dodge B-1-B represents the first truck model that Dodge manufactured since the pre-war 1939 models. 

IMG_7419Known as the “Pilot-house” model, the 1948 B series featured a redesigned high-visibility cab that was taller, longer and wider than the previous models. Smitty’s truck is a pretty clean and stock representative of the factory manufactured B-1-B Dodge stake beds. 

Powered by a 218ci, 6 cylinder, L-head motor (flathead), rated at 95hp at 3600 rpm and 175 lb-ft of torque at 1600 rpm. Originally sold at a base price of $1,263, the B-series trucks were advanced for their day. The engine was shifted forward and the front axle moved back on the frame for better weight distribution as well as a shorter wheelbase. 

The cab was mounted on rubber mounts for an improved ride. Another innovation for the time was the use of cross-steering arrangement provided a 37-degree turn angle either right or left because the drag link ran almost parallel with the front axle and did not interfere with the left front tire on left turns.

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With very few exceptions, Smitty has kept this truck as a very original historic piece for all to admire. He’s built plenty of customs in his time, but this one is restored to honor the history and OE innovations of the time.

 

Specs

Induction: OE Carter 1bbl
Trans: 4-speed with Granny Low
Stock Exhaust with glasspack muffler
OE Flathead Cylinder heads L-Head
OE stock camshaft
OE stock Suspension
Slotted dish mag wheels 15X7 front, 15X10 rear
Tires: Goodyear radial TA

Vic Edelbrock’s 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe

Edelbrock Corporation is celebrating their 75th year in business and Vic wanted a new Hot Rod to represent this accomplishment. A 1932 Ford 5-Window was chosen to do just that, in of course – Edelbrock Red.

Brizio-built 1932 5-Window Coupe commissioned build for Vic Edelbrock.

The coupe is powered by one of their “total power package” 302 cubic inch Ford motors. This gorgeous 5-Window will be a rolling statement to their products of performance and longevity. Seeking out the best, this is another Roy Brizio Street Rod build commissioned for Vic to add to his collection. But this won’t just be a show piece, built-to-drive is the key for this Duece so be on the lookout for Vic and his Edelbrock Red ’32 on the 2013 Power Tour.

Specs:

United Pacific Body #001
IMG_7842Body Prep and Paint by Daryl Hollenbeck
Flames by Art Himsl
3-Piece hood crafted by Jack Hagemann
Interior by Sid Chavers
Chrome by Sherm’s plating
Edelbrock small-block Ford 347ci crate engine with Edelbrock E-Street throttle body EFI system
Tru-Trac Serpentine belt kit from Billet Specialties
TREMEC TKO-600 5-speed transmission
Ford 9-inch rearend 370 Tru-Trac
Wilwood disc brakes
Vintage Air 
Billet Specialties wheels

Cliff & Lynn Fowler’s 1923 Ford Model T Roadster

The Fowler’s Model T stopped us in our tracks but unfortunately, no one was around to give us the specific details of the project. Despite only having the information listed on the signboard, we had to list this beauty as one of the top ten.

A true work of art. This 1923 Model T Roadster, designed to look like the hot rods from the '40s and '50s, defines excellence in restoration period pieces.

Specs:

Chevy 350ci 4-bolt main
BDS Littlefield 6-71 Blower
Dual Holley 4V Carbs
Turbo Hydromatic 350 transmission with B&M ratchet shift
Jaguar IRS posi-traction with dual coil-overs
Radius rod with transverse leaf front end
Custom aluminum radiator with brass cover designed and built by Jim Weber
Inboard Gridlock disc rear brakes
Wilwood hydraulic disc front brakes
Centerline 15X15 Rear wheels
Centerline 6.5X15 Front wheels
Hoosier Pro Street tires

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Alex Carresi’s 1932 Ford Coupe

Carresi’s duece was another car that stopped us as we wandered through the rows of classic autos. We couldn’t find anyone to talk to about the car and subsequent searches to find details resulted in less than satisfying results. However, this particular project car was so sharp that we felt obligated to list it in our top ten.

IMG_7392We can tell you that the Coupe was built by Larry Gimenez and is now owned by Alex Carresi of San Pedro. The coupe’s body is an original Ford coupe with a Ford 302ci small-block with a C4 Ford transmission behind it.

The rearend is a 9-inch Ford, and the wheels are aftermarket which appear to be the limits of the modifications and additions. The flawless black paint and custom interior touches cover the splendid restoration.

We just happened to find it somewhat satisfying to see this ’32 at Edelbrock’s car show given that a ’32 Coupe launched the Edelbrock line 75 years ago. It just felt right.

 Robert Lee’s 1957 Ford Custom 300 Tudor

Robert Lee’s Ford is driven as often as possible, most of the time to the beach with a 10-foot surfboard in the back. That is when car shows don’t interfere. Found in 1998 and since then he has totally revamped his hot rod, including a custom blue and silver scheme from Santini.

IMG_8014The original FE engine sat lower in the chassis with stock motor mounts than the current small-block Ford engine, which required a modification to the stock k-member to keep everything under the hood.

Specs:

Ford 351 Windsor with Edelbrock RPM series cylinder heads
Edelbrock RPM series camshaft
Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake
Doug’s Headers
Paxton Supercharger
TREMEC transmission

Hot Rodders Of Tomorrow

The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow is the eptiome of what Rev’ved Up For Kids is all about and this year’s engine building competition was quite heated. This series challenges high school student teams to properly disassemble and reassemble a small-block Chevy engine.

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Using correct assembly procedures while racing the clock, the students rebuild the engine with proper torque specs in front of judges and an audience. The team completing the rebuild in the fastest time with the fewest mistakes wins.

Here are the time results from this year’s show competition:

Engine results

Edelbrock’s Revved Up For Kids Charity Event 

Each year the car entries have grown and the reputation of this fine show has increased to the point where a significant number of cars from out of state are traveling further and further to appear. With 100% of the profits going to the Edelbrock Family Foundation’s chosen charities, the automotive enthusiasts have responded with increasing numbers every year to help the great cause.

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Almost always scheduled for the weekend around May 5th, mark your calendars as you can expect next year’s Rev’ved Up for Kids car show to be near the Cinco De Mayo celebration.

Enjoy the full GALLERY of cars from the show:

About the author

Bobby Kimbrough

Bobby grew up in the heart of Illinois, becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world, he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
Read My Articles

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