A Home Built Hot Rod just took on Pro-Built Show Cars in the AMBR Competition
The AMBR competition is one of the most sought after awards in the hot rod industry and is usually reserved for big budget professional shops to compete against each other for the bragging rights and advantage in gaining more customers.
Up comes John Leonti and his homebuilt 1932 Ford Roadster from San Jose, California. Before starting on the roadster, Leonti never welded, wrenched a bit on a 1929 Ford Model A and occasionaly helped out in his Dad’s auto repair shop.
“I had zero intentions of build a car worth of the GNRS, let alone AMBR” Leonti tells Hot Rod Magazine
The Ford Roadster was the natural choice as Leonti fell in love with the car in high school, driving his neighbor’s to high school and being the coolest car in the lot.
As his San Jose 2 car garage turned into a one car garage and fabrication shop, Leonti began to teach himself how to weld and soon the car was starting to take shape.
After about $130,000 over 3.5 years, John Leonti is ready to enter AMBR. Check out the article over at Hot Rod to see how he did.
- Frame: Total Cost Involved Engineering
- Rearend/Ratio: Speedway Engineering SuperMax Quick Change/3.84:1, Positraction differential
- Rear Suspension: Polished stainless 4-link, polished stainless Panhard bar, American Racing fully adjustable coilover shocks, 31-spline axles
- Rear Brakes: Wilwood 12-inch discs
- Front Suspension: Total Cost Involved IFS full show polish, Mustang II style spindles, American Racing fully adjustable coilover shocks
- Front brakes: Wilwood 12-inch discs, Early Corvette style master cylinder GM booster, Wilwood proportioning valve
- Steering: Total Cost Involved rack
- Front Wheels: American Rebel Manufacturing Sprint with pin-drive knock-offs, 15×6-inch
- Rear Wheels: American Rebel Manufacturing Sprint with pin-drive knock-offs, 16×10-inch
- Front Tires: Continental ContiProContact 155/65R15
- Rear Tires: Hoosier Pro Street Radial 31×12.50×16
- Gas Tank: Tanks Inc. 16-gallon
DRIVETRAIN
- Engine: 1972 Chevy Gen I small-block, bored 0.030-over, balanced, blueprinted,
- 9:1 Ross forged pistons, Scat rods, Scat crankshaft, Melling bearings and rings, Clay Smith camshaft, Crane Gold roller rockers
- Heads: Pro Comp
- Supercharger: The Blower Shop 192, overdrive, 6 lbs boost
- Manifold: The Blower Shop
- Carburetor: Quick Fuel 650cfm
- Ignition: MSD, Digital Dawg keyless
- Air Cleaner: Billet Specialties Streamline
- Valve Covers: Billet Specialties Streamline
- Headers: Sanderson, modified
- Exhaust: Custom 2 1/2-inch
- Mufflers: SpinTech 3000XL
- Radiator: Champion aluminum, chopped
- Fan: Fan-Man Sidewinder
- Alternator: Powermaster
- Transmission: GM 700R4, shift kit
- Torque Converter: GM Performance Street
- Driveshaft: South Bay Drivelines
