It looks like the concept car and motorcycle duo was, in fact, a lucky charm for Gotham Garage. Soon after they managed to sell the questionable duo, news spread like wildfire and the shop was getting its best attention ever. Speedway Motors was also one such entity that got wind of Gotham Garage's concept duo and got impressed by its unapologetic creativity.
They wanted Mark and the team at Gotham Garage to build a one-off promotional vehicle that would showcase their product range in style. And the car in mind was a 1960s Pontiac GTO. But things took a different turn for a much more interesting build involving a rare Lincoln and a rusty Ford, and it turned out to be one hell of a head-turner. Speedway Motors was so impressed with what the build was turning out to be, that they pitched in the idea of putting the build on the cover of their catalog.
This was a huge deal for the shop and despite the risks involved in pushing back the delivery date by over half a month, Mark and the team did overtime to make their car parts-delivery build for Speedway Motors a smashing hit. The exterior got given a classic hot-rod appeal and the interior was cleverly designed to flaunt various Speedway Motors parts in style. The car got showcased at the Goodguys car show and people loved it.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 2022: This article gets updated to include any new information on the Gotham Garage series and any other related information.
A Promotional Vehicle Build For Speedway Motors
Gotham Garage bagged upon a golden opportunity to build a custom vehicle for Speedway Motors. This is an age-old company founded in 1952 and has come out to be a one-stop destination for cool hot rods, custom cars, muscle cars, and racecar parts. This time they wanted Gotham Garage to do a sick build with a 1960s Pontiac GTO.
Swapping A Pontiac GTO For A Lincoln Zephyr
Shawn managed to find a 1965 Pontiac GTO which sounds to be the perfect donor car for the Speedway Motors build. But as he and Mark go on to visit and check the car out, the owner drops a bomb by mentioning the GTO's salvage title. It surely is a red flag and Mark drops the buy.
But as they were exiting from the premise, Mark stumbles upon a rare car hiding under bushes. It was a rare Lincoln Zephyr from the 1940s. And Mark had been on the lookout for one of those for a very long time. He asks Shawn to tell the guys at Speedway Motors about the shift in the vehicle, buys it off the guy for $15,000 in cash, and gets going to surprise his team.
Fusing The Zephyr And A Panel Truck For A Custom Hot Rod
Mark's idea for the Zephyr build happens to be fusing the front of the Lincoln to the rear section of a panel truck. Shawn gets going and finds a 1949 Ford commercial vehicle (a panel van) in a bad state. But the rear section was intact and worthy of getting cut and used with the Zephyr. Mark and Tony get going and fused the two cars.
The custom sedan delivery car got given a hot-rod appeal by lowering it and giving it a set of cool custom wheels. Mark also carved out cool dew-drop-styled rear fenders to go along with the front fenders of the Zephyr. He then gave it a two-tone paint job in purple and white for a classic look.
Loads Of Speedway Motors Goodies To Flaunt
Apart from the hot-rod visual appeal, Gotham Garage got provided with an early Christmas hamper from Speedway Motors. The suspension, brakes, and even the intake manifold got provided by them. Powering this hot-rod car parts delivery machine is a Chevy 502 big block capable of churning out 461 hp and 558 lb-ft of torque.
To fuse the crate motor and Speedway Motors' one-off intake system, Tony had to build custom intake adaptors. Those red fuel lines into the engine block unlocked a whole new level of drama as well. Even the fuel tank got given transparent hoses to see gasoline flow through the veins of this vehicle. Adding to its driving dynamics are a cool G-Comp suspension system and Wilwood disc brakes.
Cool Interior Makeover And A Hood Latch Drama
The interior was also given a major overhaul. The dashboard elements were painstakingly brought back to their former glory and painted in purple. All the chrome bits inside-out got given the perfect shine. The front bench seats were also given custom upholstery too.
The rear section of the rat-rod parts carrier was the showstopper with a completely custom-made section with wooden flooring and a dramatic plexiglass frame that showcased the suspension components. LED lighting in it, added to the visual drama further.
Funnily, all the major work got done, but Shawn was stuck with finding the hood latch for the Zephyr. Finally, he got it from a pawn shop after trading in his pair of boots as well!
Loved At The 24th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals
The build was ready just in time for the photo shoot, and the guys at Speedway Motors loved it. The hot-rod parts delivery machine was then taken over for its official unveil at the 24th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals, and it got received with awe by everyone.
The work done on this Gotham Garage build was impressive, and we dig the spider-web-shaped front grille and the cool "Spade" cut-out on the hood through which the custom intake system protrudes.
Gotham Garage didn't mention the paycheck they received for the build. But we guess that their greatest achievement was to flaunt this build on the Speedway Motor catalog that would get seen by millions.
Since the 4th season of Car Masters: Rust To Riches this year, we haven't gotten any official word of a 5th season, but judging by its popularity it will likely get renewed again.
The Gotham Garage team are also on social media and on Instagram we can see that they are still pretty active with interesting uploads occurring occasionally.
One thing's for sure, the colorful characters and awesome imaginations of the team have a lot more to modify and build to satisfy our apetites - until then, we will have to wait for the next season of Rust To Riches.
Source: Netflix