Burbank, CA — April 8, 2010  - The Raybestos® brand brakes sponsored build of a traditionally-inspired 1932 Ford hot rod roadster pickup was announced by Josh Russell, Dir. Sales & Marketing at Affinia Global Brake & Chassis, manufacturers of Raybestos Brakes & Chassis.  The Raybestos Roadster Pickup (RPU) will be given away to one lucky professional mechanic or do-it-yourselfer Raybestos customer as part of an upcoming summer 2010 sales promotion, and the build process will be chronicled in national television, magazines, and exclusive website content.  The project celebrates Raybestos unrivaled brake and chassis product lines – with thousands of part numbers covering vehicles from the 2010 to the 1920s, from “late model to Model A.”

Troy Ladd, a rising star in the world of hot rod and custom car builders, will tackle the project with his crew at Hollywood Hot Rods in Burbank, California.  “Raybestos Brakes have been around since 1902, and they have an incredible history in providing high-performance brakes for street cars, hot rods, and even NASCAR and open-wheel racecars,” said Ladd.  “It’s a prefect brand, and group of people who really ‘get it,’ for Hollywood Hot Rods to partner with on a corporate build.”

The one-of-a-kind Raybestos Roadster Pickup has been called the “ultimate parts hauler or shop truck.” Inspiration for the RPU’s design is as if it was the Raybestos factory hot rod parts truck & show car in 1963, delivering brakes for the Indy roadsters up and down Gasoline Alley – as IndyCars were in fact running Raybestos brakes pads at the Indianapolis 500 throughout the 1950s and 1960s. 

Design cues are pulled from open-wheeled Indy roadsters and Sprint cars of that era.  The Raybestos RPU will feature:
• 1932 Brookville Steel RPU body and custom fabricated box (BrookvilleRoadster.com)
• Custom removable top for weather protection
• From Ford Racing, the all new 5.0L Ti-VCT “Coyote” V-8 engine from the upcoming 2011 Ford Mustang – deconstructed and re-dressed with vintage accessories to resemble the iconic 1963 Ford 427ci SOHC race motor (FordRacingParts.com)
• Custom vintage-style stack fuel injection setup from Hilborn -- operated by a modern engine management system for modern reliability (HilbornInjection.com)
• Tremec 5-speed manual gearbox (FordRacingParts.com)
• Aluminum quick change rear axle
• Complete Raybestos Brakes package (Raybestos.com)
• Bias ply Firestone Indy roadster period correct tires at all four corners from Coker Tire (Coker.com)
• One-of-a-kind custom gauge cluster by Redline Gauge Works (RedlineGaugeWorks.com)
• Custom shifter, linkage, pedals and assembly by Gennie Manufacturing (GennieShifter.com)
• “Lakes” style headers will be handmade by Hollywood Hot Rods, with oval cones, fabricated from polished stainless steel components provided by Megs Exhaust Builders Warehouse (ConeEng.com)
• WIX® oil and fuel filters (WixFilters.com)
• Traditional style tuck & roll interior
• Powder coating, metal coating, and media blasting work by Pacific Coast Powder Coating (PacificCoastPowderCoating.net)
 
Collaborating with Ladd and Russell on the design of the Raybestos Roadster Pickup is acclaimed designer Murray Pfaff, of Pfaff Designs in Royal Oak, Michigan.  Pfaff’s detailed, photo-realistic artwork will help guide the build, and be prominently featured in Raybestos promotional and point-of-sale materials in summer 2010.   Hot rod illustrator Jeff Norwell is also completing exclusive artwork that will celebrate the build in limited edition vintage Raybestos tin tacker signs, and on Raybestos t-shirts that will be offered free to customers with purchase of Raybestos products. 

  
Final paint and finishing will be handled by self-proclaimed “Real Hotrodder of the Midwest” and ace painter Tracy Tichenor, owner of T&R Auto Body in Hammond, Indiana.  Tichenor, an expert bodyman and custom builder often seen on the TV series Overhaulin’, will fly to California to lay down the final “Raybestos Red” paint on the RPU.  The collaboration of Midwest and West Coast hot rod builders, designers, and brake experts should create an interesting dynamic for the project build.

For more information on the Raybestos Roadster Pickup and its planned giveaway in a 2010 Raybestos national promotion, or for questions on any Raybestos brand brake or chassis products, visit http://www.raybestos.com/ or call (815) 759-7640.

Raybestos® brand brake parts are produced by affiliated companies in Affinia’s Global Brake & Chassis Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems in the transportation industry. Including everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts, Raybestos brand brakes are the official brakes of NASCAR and the only brakes used by Joe Gibbs Racing in competition. In addition, the Raybestos brand is the preferred brake friction of the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.  For more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com.

Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit http://www.affiniagroup.com/.

For more information on Hollywood Hot Rods, of Burbank, CA, visit http://www.hollywoodhotrods.com/

For more information on painter Tracy Tichenor, of T&R Auto Body in Hammond, IN, visit http://www.tandrautobody.com/

For more information on Pfaff Designs of Royal Oak, MI, visit http://www.pfaffdesigns.com/

For more information on illustrator Jeff Norwell of Orangeville, Ontario (Canada), visit www.JeffNorwell.com

Troy Ladd

Hollywood Hot Rods

818.842.6900

Troy@hollywoodhotrods.com