2012 Ridler Winner Build up at Torq'd Design Lab
 

I have been holding off on posting the full build-up pictures of the '55 Thunderbird that we built at Torq'd Design Lab. Since this week is Detroit I thought it would be a good idea to start posting pics now! The build started on October of 2008 and was completed on February 2012. This years competition is looking like it is going to be just as stiff as last years!

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More please

How may hours into it?

Thanks for showing us the behind the scenes stuff. I love seeing the build pics.

Do you have a car in there this year?

^^^^^ I would say that's about a bajillion man hours. :welder: I just saw this car at the Dallas Autorama. This is a very beautiful car. I guess every Ridler is, huh?

Very cool build! It was our pic for the "Ridler" in Detroit last year and for the "Custom Rod of the Year" later in the show season. Many hours spent designing and fabricating for sure.

Only a bajillion? I thought it would be atleast a couple bajillion:D

Cant even begin to imagine how tedious a build like that is.

Thank you all! The total build took a little over 9,100 hours from start to finish. We do not have a car that is competing this year, but one in the shop is in the works to compete in future years. We will be there showing the car once again this year along with almost 30 other Ridler winners throughout the years. Should be a great show!

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The floor is a double-walled floor that hides a 1"x2" floor frame and a hidden internal rollcage in order to make the convertible more stiff. It also flows and lays directly on top of the crossmembers.

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What agreat way to break into the scene by building a Ridler winner! Matt Congrats on all the accolades! I'm blown away with the amount of talent at such a young ages, your Dad must be proud! :thumbsup:

By the way, we really enjoy build pictures around here. Sometimes just as much if not more than just seeing the end result. So keep them coming.

nice car and my hats off to you guys for putting that many hrs. into any project is admiral, the car is very inspirational! Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!

How are you associated with Greening Auto Company?

Thanks for sharing the pics.


--Eric

Thank you all so much! This was actually my second complete build, and my brothers first complete build. My first build was a '55 Ford F100 that was a Goodguys Truck of the Year Finalist in 2008. He was 19 and I was 23 when we started to build the Thunderbird and he actually designed every single aspect of the car and did renderings of every component as well as the entire car. I am trying to upload a few build-up pics of the car every day during this week and next. We have more projects in the shop and I will be taking and sharing those build-up pictures in different threads as the cars and trucks progress as well.

The car was built from the chassis up in our shop and went to the Greenings as a full rolling chassis car with the majority of the metal modifications on the exterior completed, the full underside of the car skinned smooth, the majority of the engine compartment completed, the exhaust, dash and also other metal modifications completed. We worked with Greening Auto Company and enlisted them to do the bodywork, paint, and machining. We are currently expanding to be able to complete all of these tasks in our own shop now. It was defiantly a great team effort by all!

great work. looking forward to more pictures.

More exhaust fab pics -

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This is before we decided that the build was more suited for coil-overs

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One of the intercooler boxes for routing the air directly into the intercoolers
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Starting the engine compartment construction
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sheetmetal airbox with built in compartment for the air filter
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Nice job!!!.. whats next on the list for you guys? or is it a secret?

Holy crap! I had no idea you guys were so relatively new to the scene. We need back ground info on you and your brother. How did you guys get into building cars at this level? How in the world did you find someone willing to trust you with this level of a build? Was competing for Riddler the initial goal? Yeah, I know I'm prying and if you don't want to answer, that's cool. I just think it could be inspirational for people to know your background.

Keep up the good work and good luck with the business too.:thumbsup:

i thought it was started and fabbed at hills hotrods ?

Who else on here were building Riddler cars when they were 19-23?.....Yeah. I think you guys might be the only ones I have ever heard of. Not just working on them but designing and then finishing them yourself is one heck of an undertaking. Awesome. Much respect.

Thanks guys! We have some more projects in the works that will be coming out soon! We have a 1962 Impala, 1963 Ford F100, a 1955 and 1956 F100, and a 1955 1st series Chevy 3100.

I have been involved with cars my whole life and my family has actually owned the Thunderbird for about 20 years. I really became involved with cars and trucks when I got my driver’s license in high school. I started off with small customizations in the driveway of my parents house and (my brother started off building hovercrafts, a robot, and a few mini choppers) it just evolve into what it is today. We learned to metal fab, weld, body work, build interiors, and use metal working tools on our own. The '55 Thunderbird was a numbers matching original car that was in need of a full restoration and after deciding not to sell the car, we decided to customize it. While I was in college and focused on graduating I built my F100 which was painted by a shop in West Texas. We also took the Thunderbird out to the same shop to have it completely built while I was finishing up college. Due to certain circumstances and the work done to the car, we decided to pull the Thunderbird from the shop it was in, tear it apart, cut out all of the work, and build it ourselves. Everything that was done at the previous shop was cut out and thrown away.

Basically 70-75% of the car was handmade and once we did get it into our own shop we were set on making it something special. We had always watched the TV show "Rides" and followed the ISCA and Goodguys circuit closely. Mine and my brother’s lifelong dream was to one day build a car that could run for the Ridler award, and we set out to do it with this car. It took a ton of time and close, precise building but we were able to get the car to a fabricated state and metal finished state. That is when we turned the car over to Greening Auto Company for their bodywork, paint, and machining skills. From there we and the Greenings worked closely with Steve Tracy (Advanced Plating) and Paul Atkins (Paul Atkins Interiors) to produce the end result.

We could not have ever built the car without the willingness and help from my Dad (the owner of the car), Jesse and Jeff, Steve, and Paul. Before the car debuted I decided that I had gone to school for something that I loved, but that the hot rodding and street rod industry was my true love and passion. I officially opened Torq’d Design Lab in Tyler, TX and we have been working on builds that are nearing completion ever since. At the time the Thunderbird was being built we were not able to complete the body, paint, and machining in house. However, we are currently expanding to be able to have basically all of our needs for completing cars and trucks, start to finish, in house. Jonathan, my younger brother, is still very active in helping me design and do renderings of all of our projects but he is currently finishing up his last year at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA studying Transportation Design.

Neat back story. Thanks for sharing. Good luck to you and your brother!

A few pics before we head north to Detroit!

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Flipped upside down on the build table for the underside metal work

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That's inspiring. Awesome!!

Thank you very much!

More please !!

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Rebuilding the entire rear section -

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Hood scoop extended 6" for a more natural look and to give more room for the new intake manifold -

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Absolutely amazing metal work,do you give any free lessons?

WOW! Amazing craftsmanship!
You obviously have natural ability and talent. A Ridler at 23!
What's next?

Thank yall!! Yeah, stop by anytime! We have a few projects in the works and I will post updates of them (all except one) in new threads soon.

Some windshield treatment modifications -

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I have lots of tools --- but I couldn't do ANY of that!!


Amazing guys! Just amazing!


:thumbsup:

Definitely deserving of the award. :cheers:

This car could have been in there this year easy. Always something new to see when you look at these pics. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thank you guys!! We tried to keep the many modifications subtle and make the overall look of the car more modern and exotic.

This car is insane. Congrats you all desrve it :trophy-1302:

Greg - you crack me up

As for the Car - It is awesome !!!

Thank you guys!!

Here is a few more -

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I saw the car last weekend in Detroit, It is amazing! Nice work.

Very nice build.

Thank you guys!!

These are some buildup pics of the dash -

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