Andover England
01264 353646
Andover England
01264 353646
This Tasca tribute is a 1964 Ford Thunderbolt. Ford made 100 Thunderbolts that were a factory lightweight for drag racing based on the Ford Fairlane. There were 11 burgundy Thunderbolts, and the rest were Wimbledon White.
A fact unknown to most people is that two Ford Thunderbolts were adapted for circuit and NASCAR racing. Even though it set a lap record at Charlotte, due to the success of its bigger brother, the Galaxie, Ford discontinued the Thunderbolt for circuit and NASCAR racing, using it only in drag racing. 10 cars were awarded to Ford dealers with successful racing teams; number 6 was awarded to Tasca Ford in Rhode Island.
Although widely recognised as one of the best-presented cars in its class, the car raced for only two years before being dismantled and converted to a tube chassis with an altered wheelbase. Tasca Ford are still racing today and we are grateful for all the help and information they have provided for this build.
This car was built by Valley Gas founder Jimmy and is powered by the legendary 427 FE Big Block Ford, connected to a Jericho 4-speed transmission and a 9-inch Ford rear axle. The rear suspension is a custom design 4-link with Watts linkage, and at the front is a custom A-Arm suspension set up with coil-overs. It has been built for historic circuit racing and will also get some drag strip action from time to time. There are lots of killer and rare parts on this Thunderbolt that makes it well worth a look, even if you are (unfortunately!) not a Ford fan.
This car has an interesting history, having competed in the Peking-to-Paris Rally. Now it will have a new life as a street rod, with many
cool modifications, such as pillarless doors, a side-mounted rear boot, a flush-fit fuel filler, and smoothed-out running boards. The bonnet has been shortened and nipped in too. The front wings and rear arches have been reshaped, with the rear arches now flared at the back. The rear bumper has had a lot of work, including the exhaust exiting through the overriders. Also on the outside, you will notice the trick grille shell, which will have pop-out headlights. When you get inside this car, the modifications do not stop there! There is also a custom dash and centre console, as well as all-new floor pans.
With all the modern tech around, we stick to the old-skool ways. This Pilot is full of old-skool methods of metal-shaping such as English wheel, lead loading, dollies and hammers. The body then sits on a VGSS Kustom-made chassis with IFS and a 4-bar rear, whilst running a Jaguar V8 under the hood. There are so many killer touches on this car that you need to see it to believe it – and we can’t wait until we get some paint onto this classic saloon car.
We’re especially excited about this build. This Jaguar MK4 has a custom-built IFS and an E-Type Jag IRS, and sits on E-Type wire wheels with the nostalgic knock-off centres. The car will also sit much lower than standard, with large 14″ custom-made brakes and a Daimler V8 built by the legendary Russ Carpenter.
Our team here at VGSS has added a supercharger, along with a fuel injection system from our partners at Aces Fuel. Estimated power will be 300bhp+, which will be put through a modern 7-speed automatic gearbox. This will help this English classic keep up with today’s modern traffic – it might even show up a few at the lights! Inside will be fully loaded with full leather interior, heated seats, AC, electric windows, and central locking. Not only that, but there will also be the latest music system and satnav – everything that is expected from a luxury car of today. There will be all the usual touches you get from VGSS, including our custom stainless steel headers and exhaust system and custom-made aluminium radiator.
The paint will be a custom two-tone mix of burgundy and grey, which will be completed shortly. Stay tuned on our socials for progress updates!
This exciting build has been commissioned by our customer in Dubai, a big fan of Carroll Shelby’s Cobra who has owned several of these Snakes in the past.
In 2018, he had the vision of creating his own modern Cobra and commissioned a designer to bring his concept to life on paper. Before the project gained much traction, the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, and the world came to a halt. After a few false starts, he came to VGSS in 2025 and asked if we could build this special car for him as a bespoke homage to the Shelby Cobra.
Here at VGSS, we are always striving to push the boundaries, and whilst the customer was originally looking for 700/800hp, we delivered even more! We sourced a Godzilla Ford engine from the USA with over 985hp, and paired it with a 5-speed manual transmission, then we had our friends at AME build a chassis to our exact specifications. This chassis has independent front and rear suspension, and Wilwood brakes, which should be able to handle the 985 horses nicely. For the bespoke body, the shell will be 3D printed to use as a buck for the panels, which will then be molded in carbon-fibre composite.
As this project evolves, we will be adding more pictures and information about this awesome project – the Hypersnake.
The Carrol Shelby Cobra is one of the most iconic cars of all time, but it was not without its faults; hard to tame, heavy steering and cramped cockpit.
The Hypersnake is not trying to rewrite the original, this is a car for the modern world with the feel of the original iconic beast. The Hypersnake has hardly been tamed with just under 1000BHP and 920 ft Ibs of torque; but with a modern technology, the new ‘Godzilla’ engine delivers it. Powered smoothly and with more efficient fueling. The steering is not smooth and easy to operate, the cockpit is bigger and with the creature comforts yuou expect from a modern car.
We here at VGSS are very proud to be invollved in this project, there will be a roadster, convertable and a stunning coupe version. horse power from 800 to 1000BHP, theres a 5 and 6 speed manual and also a automatic option. The styling is modern without losing that cobra look and feel.
This E-Type was partly built when VGSS were asked if we would be interested in finishing the project. The new owner had been gifted the car with a majority of the work previously carried out unknown.
Its been fully restomoded with modern Jag suspension, brakes and a 4.0ltr supercharged inline 6-cylinder engine.
The engine came from an XJR (1994 to 96) making 322hp and a respectable 378ft Ib torque. This engine powered the XJR to 0.60 in roughly 6 to 6.5 seconds in a heavy Sedan. The transmission is GM 4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission.
This E-Type is also modified with later front wings, flared to accommodate the wider wheels; the rear is also modified. There are many more body mods, and the “Porsche Chalk Grey” paint certainly gives it that restomod look the customer had envisioned.
Phil McCoy’s Ford F100 is an absolute one-of-a-kind. There is no stone left unturned, with every panel modified, plus engine and transmission upgrades. A Ford “9” axle on air bags, held in place with a 5-link.
The front has ‘A’ arms, air ride, and adjustable shocks. Brakes are Wilwood all-round, with a hydro-boost master cylinder set-up. The engine is a 350ci Windsor stroked to 427ci with aluminium heads, roller cam and rockers. We have also collaborated with ‘Aces Fuel Systems’. This is a fully direct-injection engine with a self-learning system; Aces also supplied the inlet manifold, distributor and coil.
The wheels have been custom-made by ‘Rimscarnated ‘, and the steering wheel made by ‘Sparc Industries’.
Body mods… there are loads! Custom grille; running boards have been narrowed; the wings, front and rear, have reduced openings to hug the wheels. Rolled pan and capped bed rolls, one-piece glass, custom dash; the list goes on and on!
If you are fortunate enough to see this killer truck in the flesh, have a good look round and if Phil is about, ask him to showcase underneath the pick-up….WOW!
At VGSS, we have built many trucks in our 25+ year history, and we would like to think every truck is different to the last. Alex’s F100 came to us as a tired, but running truck, in need of some revamping – so with a new project, the Unhinged Crew leapt into action.
We ordered in a brand new Blueprint SBF crate engine with over 400hp, along with the 5- speed Tremec manual transmission, IFS, and Ford 9″ rear axle with 4-bar and coil-overs; and got all of these tasty mods installed onto the truck. We have also added Wilwood brakes, and 18″ steel wheels into the mix. The running gear is a fairly common and simple modification; however, it is great to see a mighty Ford engine in another Ford.
Loads of bodywork and body modifications have been carried out on this old girl, including narrowed running boards, smoothed body/hood/tail gate, and a rolled rear pan. We have also added a custom VGSS stainless-steel dual-exit exhaust system, new bedwood, and smoothed chrome bumpers. However, one thing that everyone notices first would be that stunning paint colour – if you are a Chelsea fan, then there is no other colour to have. This is nicely complemented with the wheels and some brightwork finished off in that fetching kustom shade of white.
The interior trim has now been completed, and the truck is back at VGSS for the final push to finish it. When you see this truck on the show circuit later this year, be sure to check it out – it is a very special build.
If you take an MR2 Turbo and a stock Renault 5 with a little bit of magic you can turn it into a Renault Turbo 2, like the ones we all remember as the group B rally cars. The difference with this one is that it will get the Japanese reliability and extra power, but with the crazy looking group B rally look. The first thing we did was work out all the wheel bases and track, and we then slowly cut away the body on both cars and dropped one on to the other. It was then the case of working out the best way to get the strength back into the car. We have now got the front and rear wings, bonnet and light pods all in GRP, which will be fitted to the car on this visit – then the customer will wire the car and paint it in one of the classic Renault race colours.
VGSS is thrilled to be building another vehicle for the team at Burlen Fuels – and we can’t wait to see this trade van finished! It will be carrying the Austin J40 Pedal Car company logo and be used to transport the pedal cars to events like the Goodwood Revival. This former Morris Ambulance sits on a custom fabricated VGSS chassis, using a new Kugel IFS and a Ford 9″ Rear on 4-bar and coil overs. Power comes from a new, mid-mounted Blueprint 302 with Ford AOD transmission. Inside there is a varnished wooden floor all the way through with a Kustom dash and clocks to keep an eye on all the vital statistics of the engine. Keep your eyes out for this one, it will be quite something to see on the show circuit!
This Weineck Cobra is a very special car; Weineck built only 15 in Germany. Of these 15, 5 were built with crazy horsepower and engine size. Just imagine: 12.9 L of Donovan with1,184hp at 700rpm. The torque is 1,400 lb-ft at 5,600rpm. When this amount of horsepower and torque is put in a 989kg sports car, you get 0 to 60 in less than 2.5 seconds!
The chassis is a self-supporting 4″ tubular steel frame, built to handle extreme torsion forces. The Weineck also has a lightweight carbon composite body that helps with weight, along with all-aluminium engine heads and a 5-speed manual transmission. The rear axle is an IRS with a 75% limited-slip differential.
We at VGSS will rebuild its massive engine and get this beast back on the road!
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel to watch this machine come alive.
This ’41 Willys is a very well-known car on the show scene – named the “Headhunter”
When it came over to the UK, it was painted blue and renamed “Head Hunter”. It was painted in a stunning, bold orange paint job by Bryan Whitfield and now has a Donovan 417 Hemi adorning the engine bay.
Stay tuned for more updates soon!
This GMC chassis build started with the cab from a 1947 GMC COE in need of TLC and the chassis from an ’80s GMC campervan dually. The customer has requested that the cab be extended and a beavertail be added so he can transport his Ferrari Cup race car.
We have extended the cab, got the GMC diesel engine running, built the chassis extension, and had the cab and fenders painted in a vintage green shade. We are now working on getting the brakes braking, the steering to steer and getting the cab weatherproof for the customer to have back to finish.
This 32 has travelled all the way from France to be here with us at VGSS. It is powered by a SBC which is currently undergoing a full
rebuild with Eagle cams and uprated pistons. It has a 9” rear axle and a dropped I-Beam sat on 32 rails and a Rod Line body. A long term project that should be getting a lot more updates soon!
Hearing about the Andover Soapbox event at the last minute, The Unhinged crew at VGSS stepped up and decided to build a soapbox with only 3 weeks before the event. The body for this was a childrens Totrod, which we cut into 4 and then used our skills as Ally workers to English wheel all the panels to stretch this body to the size it is now. We then set about making a chassis which some will say is probably over engineered, but when you build Hot Rods as a living, it was never going to be the standard 2 pieces of wood you would normally see in this sort of competition. We also then fabricated the front and rear axles and hubs, and used BMX stunt wheels with 14mm axles. We then painted this little sprint car in Orange with white scallops. All the little finishing touches, like exhaust, carb scoops, roll bar, grille shell right down to an orange perspex screen were included too. We think it looks fast just sat there! So after many late nights we finally got this little racer ready and went off to come 2nd in the 1st Andover Soapbox Derby. Next year we WILL be 1st!! watch this space!!
As well as all our projects in the workshop – in our engine shop we build engines from Mild to Wild. Whether it is a street engine or a blown and injected race engine VGSS and the team will get you the horsepower that you need. We also have a machine shop which works very close with us for Rebores, Balancing, and hardened seats etc. We can also Port & Polish your heads, and test your engine on our engine stand to ensure everything is correct before fitting into your project. Remember we are also main agents for Blueprint engines, where we can supply any of their crate engines. Please inquire for more details on engine builds or crate engine requirements on 01264 353 646.
Here you will see some of the other cars we currently have in at the VGSS. We don’t just cater for turn key builds, we also do servicing and small jobs, including engine building and general maintenance.
