A visit to Goller's Hot Rod Shop over Thanksgiving

My favorite father in law and I have made it a ritual when I go up to Ohio to visit we go out to breakfast.  Being two car guys we share a lot in common.  Don, my father in law has been a car guy since Ford was still producing the flat head V8.  Don got to enjoy buying a new 62 409 Biscayne 4 speed and drag racing it that same week.  He had many race cars but at that time it was really special to be able to order a ready built a race car at the dealership.  That will be another topic.  Anyway back to the topic.   Part of our breakfast tradition is to go out and visit Phil Goller at his hot rod shop.  Phil retired from General Motors and went into building hot rods full time.  What amazes me every visit is how much of an artist he is and being a car builder and restorer myself I always bring home some neat idea I can use in my shop.  Phil has built some really impressive award winning street rods over the years.  I never really thought much of a flat head Ford V8 until I saw the work Phil was doing in conjunction with Motor City Flatheads.  They have developed a vastly improved aluminum Flathead Ford V8 that is really impressive.  I had the opportunity to ride with Phil in the Motor City 34 Ford test car that has logged over 20,000 miles this year on the new aluminum Flathead.   The Engine is backed by a tremec 5 speed transmission and boy what a kick in the pants it is when you go for a ride in it.  What really impressed me was the power that it produces that rivals any stock small displacement Chevy small block.   Most street rods today are fiberglass bodied with Chevy small blocks.  I love the traditional appeal of a steel bodied street rod with period correct power.  The aluminum Flathead Motor City Engine fits the bill.  They have cured the limitations of small displacement, cooling issues, oiling issues and that fact that Flatheads in decent condition are just hard to find.  I like being different.  So if  you want the ultimate Flathead V8 ford street rod Phil is your guy.   Check out his website  http://gollershotrods.com/about.aspx. 

Introduction

Hi, I my name is Otis and I am an avid car enthusiast.  I have a VW TDI repair shop and restore classic cars.  Drag race a nostalgia 1963 Grand Prix that runs 10s in the quarter mile, road race and auto cross.  My passion runs from old Pontiacs to Corvairs to VWs.  My current projects include several Corvairs, A TDI diesel conversion on a 1978 VW Westfalia bus.   In my blog you will see my many projects cars and thoughts on anything automotive related.  I hope you enjoy my future ramblings.  Otis