chick brignolo

Every year Chick Brignolo of Chick Brignolo Chassis in Norton, Ma throws a birthday BBQ car show at his shop. Chick has been a well known car builder in the area for years and has had many of his customer’s cars in magazines. Chick specializes in building full race chassis and hotrods. The crowd that shows up is always a great one, with cars from all over New England.

In the last couple of days the weather has been the worst I’ve ever seen for July let alone any other month in the years past. Boston has been getting more rain than Seattle. The dark gloomy rainy days and weekends have been ruining the car show scene lately. The weathermen have been stiriking out left and right on “predicting” the weather. But today the weather is perfect.

Pulling up to the the show I am greeted by a 1957 Chevy and 1932 Ford coupe, a great way to be welcomed to a car show. Walking in I see a variety of cars ranging from 1932 Ford Roadsters to 1955 Chevys to an old drag altered wheelbase Bantam. Quickly I notice a black high nosed straight axle 1941 Willys coupe. The Willys has a early Hemi with a BDS blower being fed by two massive carburetors. The powerplant exhausts through ceramic coated fenderwell headers then to cutouts in front of the rear wheels. A Willys coupes is what I think of as a true Gasser. As I am looking over this coupe, two more Willys coupes  pull in; one with a small block Chevy with a 4-speed and the other with a blown big block Chevy.  Both set up with straight front axles.

Right around the corner from the Willys Gasser is a red and silver 1932 altered Austin Bantam.  The details really reflect the era the car was built, especially the paint job.  The painted scroll on the sides, airbrushed lettering and  fogs and fades all over really give it a nostalgic 60’s vibe.  Just in front of the chrome firewall sits a 427 big block Chevy solid mounted to the frame with tall injection stacks that shows it means business.  On the seats are a few pictures of the Bantam from back in the early 70’s when it was running in the gas altered A/A class. The car is still run by it’s original owner in gas altered A/A at local nostalgic events and is in the process of being restored to it’s original glory.

I went looking for some customs and came upon an air-bagged 1956 Lincoln Premier coupe that had been shaved, nosed, frenched and chromed. Then out of the corner on my eye I see a crowd of people surrounding the garage. Inside the garage I think I am looking at a 1971 AMC Javelin that was an old show car. The body has been totally transformed making it almost unrecognizable. The engine is  an old Hemi with six Ford 94’s fueling the beast. The car is paneled, turnpiked, fogged, faded and freak dropped. With an interior wrapped head to toe in striped gold, yellow and red velvet.  The passenger side of the dash has a Sony solid state TV recessed into the dash. This car is a such a  handful to take in at one glance that I have to leave and collect my thoughts and attack it again to fully appreciate all the details of the car.

I then decide to look in the shop to see what is being created at this time. I see a 1932 Ford three window coupe and 1932 Ford roadster both in the process of being built. The body on the three window is amazing with only a small spot that needs a little attention. The fully chromed front ends on both cars are flawless.  Next to the coupe is a pro street 1941 Willys coupe with a full tube chassis and it looks to be running a hopped up big block Chevy. When at the track, the steam roller rear tires on the Willys should keep the sixty foot low.

Back outside I see a 1932 Ford roadster with a drilled front end and wishbones. The motor is a flathead setup with offy heads. The rear 7.50 16 tires are spun by a vintage quickchange rearend. The car’s overall look with the louvered hood, big and littles and cowl steering reminds me of “The Rolling Bone’s” cars.

The show is a great success, as always, with cars rolling into the show all day long. A few cars of the local clubs including the Push Rods, Alterboys, Sin Alley Saints and the Rhode Aces also make an appearance. And good news now I have a few more cars I can do feature stories on!