Builds

Each vehicle is crafted with utmost care and creativity. At Rob Ida Concepts you’re guaranteed quality work, along with stunning visuals.

Porsche 964 Turbo

MODEL

This beautiful 1992 Midnight Blue Metallic Porsche 964 Turbo was starting to show small signs of bubbling underneath the paint. Knowing there was more rust and corrosion beyond the surface, we disassembled the body to find structural deterioration. We removed all rusted metal and fabricated new pieces, welded and finished to undetectable replacements.

Notice the ABS block out panels installed into door and window openings to protect the inside from the work happening on the exterior. We then chemically Stripped all of the painted surfaces neutralized and sealed all Steel panels, and Urethane bumpers.

Epoxy encapsulation was let to fully cure before Spies Hecker sealers and colors were applied. Some prior repairs were improved upon and panels brought back to correct surfacing.

All genuine Porsche rubber, plastics and hardware were used upon reassembly. The Clear Coat was hand sanded to 8000 grit then polished to high finish.

The Turbo wheels were stripped repaired and coated, the satin black tailpipes were stripped and coated with high temp Cerakote, windshield wipers and select pieces of hardware, stripped and powder coated satin black.

This project was approximately a four month exterior restoration at Ida Automotive Inc.

 

DRIVETRAIN
BUILD DETAILS

Holman Moody Challenger III

MODEL

1962 Ford Holman Moody Challenger III

DRIVETRAIN

289 Ford V8, 4 speed T-10 Transmission, 9″ Ford Locker differential

BUILD DETAILS

Howard Kroplick’s restored Holman Moody Challenger III Ford. It was one year ago this week that we went to do the pre-purchase inspection of the project and now it’s complete.
This car was an early concept for Ford Racing to put a V8 engine in a small bodied car to turn an inexpensive mass produced passenger car into a race car that could be competitive with purpose built race cars at the highest level. Seen on the track competing against cars like Ferrari GTOs , Porsches, Listers etc.

Holman Moody had a talent to rearrange Ford passenger car components, tweak, modify and massage pivot points, balances etc to perform instead of bolting on race car parts from a catalog.
The custom designed Fastback Roof, door skins, hood top and deck lid were all custom shaped out of aluminum. You can see in one of the images that a wooden Buck was developed to help in design and fabrication by metal craftsman Lujie Lesovsky in 1962.

As seen in Tom Cotter’s book “Holman Moody The Legendary Race Team” the Challenger III had a total of 6” removed from its overall height. 3” removed from the roof and 3” removed from the center of its body.

Unlike many modified race cars, special attention to body work was taken in this project for a very finished looking car complete with trim and finishing touches.

We thank Howard Kroplick for giving us the opportunity to help bring the one and only Holman Moody Challenger III back to its former glory.

Blue Mercury

MODEL

1940 Mercury Custom three window

DRIVETRAIN

Shelby GT500 4 Cam v8 with supercharger dressed to look like a vintage Arden v8

BUILD DETAILS

A completely redesigned body with steerable front skirts and fully articulated belly pan.

Owner: Jack Kiely

Tucker 1044

MODEL

Tucker #1044

DRIVETRAIN

Original Franklin Helicopter flat six 335 CID

BUILD DETAILS

Tucker 1044 is considered one of the most accurately detailed and documented restoration of all of the 50 original Tucker cats produced. Ida Automotive executed the full restoration of this car with the historical accuracy supervised and contributed by Sean and Mike Tucker whom are are Great Grandsons of Preston Tucker.

This car was debuted at Pebble Beach where it took second place to the cat that is owned and presented by George Lucas of the movie fame.

This car won 1st Place and Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance and 1st place again Greenwich Concours D’Elegance.

Owner: Howard Kroplick

Carioca

MODEL

1955 Tucker Carioca

DRIVETRAIN

4 cylinder Air Cooled Franklin aircraft engine

BUILD DETAILS

Starting with Preston Tucker’s renderings, engineering drawing are being developed to fabricate this very unorthodox type of car for the very first time. All pieces are being fabricated to bring Preston Tucker’s final automotive design to life.

Owner: Available

Torpedo

MODEL

1946 Tucker Torpedo Concept Car

DRIVETRAIN

Porsche Flat 6 opposed air cooled and and transaxle

BUILD DETAILS

The original concept of Preston Tucker was finally being brought to life. Based on some loose artist renderings, engineering plans were being developed to fabricate each piece of this very unorthodox vehicle. Steerable fenders, 360 degree disc brakes, center drive with rotating seat assembly and an all handmade body.

Ida Automotive did not get the opportunity to complete the build and are no longer contributing to the project.

#7 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica

MODEL

1956 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica

DRIVETRAIN

Reshaped replica body to resemble more of the original alloy 550’s from Porsche. all alloy interior, carb doors, cockpit cover. 2300 CC VW flat opposed four cylinder engine

BUILD DETAILS

Alloy interior, cockpit cover, reshaped body give this beck replica a more authentic profile.

Owner: Sergio de Caires

Rootbeer Float

MODEL

1949 Cadillac Coupe

DRIVETRAIN

LS Chevrolet V8

BUILD DETAILS

Stock bodied with two tone paint and upholstery

Owner: Carmine DiGiovanni

RaZRback

MODEL

1941 Willys Coupe

DRIVETRAIN

Corvette ZR-1 4 Cam V8 with 6 speed manual Transmission

BUILD DETAILS

Restyled roofline with curved windshield, removable targa style top, redesigned hood and fenders. Flush fitted headlamps, one off lugless wheels and custom made suspension and brakes. Built in 1999.

Owner: Rob Ida

‘50 Merc

MODEL

1950 Mercury Convertible

DRIVETRAIN

Mercury Flathead V8 with McCulloch Supercharger and automatic transmission with overdrive

BUILD DETAILS

A redesigned windshield and folding convertible roof that stores away complete within the body. Finished in a solid medium green with burgundy leather upholstery.

Owner: Jack Kiely

Winfield Roadster

MODEL

1932 Ford Roadster

DRIVETRAIN

Ford Flathead V8 with original Ardun overhead Valve Conversion and S.Co.T. Supercharger, 3 speed transmission and Halibrand quick change rear differential

BUILD DETAILS

Hot Rod pioneer and legend Gene Winfield built and maintained this car for all of its owners dating back to 1948. This car was Mr. Winfield first “customer job”. In 1948 he filled and leaded the cowl vent for its first owner. In 1953, Gene built the car to the way its seen today with the exception of a few changes (Ardun Installation being one).

Owner: Rob Ida

Roadster

MODEL

1933 Willys

DRIVETRAIN

Supercharged 4 cam

BUILD DETAILS

“Roaster” built for S. Greg “Dirt” Homiller, this completely handmade car was inspired by a 1933 Willys design with a modern twist. A supercharged 4 cam engine, polished stainless chassis, all custom machines suspension, hubless brakes, and wheels with hidden lug nuts. A “swing away” steering column automatically moves with the drivers door action to allow easy access through a small door opening.

Gyronaut

MODEL

Streamliner

DRIVETRAIN

Two 650 cc Triumph TR6 Trophy motorcycle engines

BUILD DETAILS

Designed by Alex Tremulis in 1964 (designer of the Tucker ‘48) and built by rider Bob Leppan, the Gyronaut X1 was a twin Triumph engined two wheeled motorcycle that was “The World’s Fastest Motorcycle” from 1964-70. Rob Ida and his team restored the original Gyronaut X1 for its 50th anniversary and brought it to the Bonneville Salt Flats with an Ida bodied Tucker 48 replica tow vehicle as a display of some of Alex Tremulis’ most notable works.

TTT

MODEL

Twin Turbo Tucker

DRIVETRAIN

Mid-Engine platform, transverse mounted Cadillac 4 Cam V8 with twin turbo

BUILD DETAILS

A handmade new Tucker with modern engineering and mechanicals. This replica Tucker was been fitted with air ride suspension on a tube chassis, all modern comforts hidden within the 1948 styling.

Owner: Jack Kiely

IdaTude 930

MODEL

1986 Porsche 930 Turbo

DRIVETRAIN

3.2 Flat 6 boxer with K27 turbocharger

BUILD DETAILS

Re-designed front and rear bumpers eliminating the accordion style bumpers . Fuel door mounted mirror, leather RS style interior with leather basket weave upholstery. Finished in “Blau Grau Hell” light grey paint.

Owner: Rob Ida Sold

Hemi Healy

MODEL

1959 Austin Healey

DRIVETRAIN

354 Chrysler Hemi V8 with 671 GMC supercharger

BUILD DETAILS

In 1968 Bob Ida and his young cousin Vinny Quarato built a lower and lighter replacement to the previous BB/GS racer Willys sedan. The “Hemi Healy” proved to be a bit too short and radical as it stood straight up on its rear bumper. It was soon retired and sent of to the junk yard. In 2015 its was found and restored for Bob’s 70th Birthday.

Owner: Bob Ida

Guggy’s

MODEL

1940 Willys

DRIVETRAIN

L88 Big Block Chevy 427 Hilborn mechanical stack Injection, 727 Pushbutton Transmission, 1957 Oldsmobile rear differential

BUILD DETAILS

A period perfect restoration of an A/GS Gasser that ran in 1967 and 1968.

Owner: Al Wester

Black Opal

MODEL

1937 Chevrolet Coupe

DRIVETRAIN

350 Chevrolet V8 with Twin Turbochargers, automatic transmission, Ford differential

BUILD DETAILS

Restyled roof, curved windshield, reshaped fenders, custom body trim, Ida built wheels.

Owner: Jack Kiely