Pobanz Motorsports

Custom Projects

pobanzmotorsports — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:12:36 +0000

With our extensive background in precision built Race Cars, Hot Rods, Street Rods, Pro-touring, Military weaponry, and many other types of fabrication, we have the knowledge and the capability. Prototyping is our specialty along with our in-house production abilities (CNC, Mill, Lathe, TIG, MIG, Water Jet) we are able to handle complicated 3D one off projects to full production. Your passion for your design fuels or drive to complete your idea. We are only staffed with legal citizens out of respect for our customers, we only offer real American made product. We do build complete cars and have an extensive history of show winning and magazine prevailing cars. We are not limited to anything, bring us all you ideas, Auto, Marine, Weapons, Toys, etc…

2007 Lamborghini Gallardo NERA For Sale

pobanzmotorsports — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:36:27 +0000

the 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo “NERA” is for sale

#103 of 185 built, only 40 know to be registered in the US

If you would like details, email or call me.

asking $185,000

Ryan Pobanz
909-938-9887
PSIPrecision@yahoo.com

Greg Weld Dies, another automotive Legend lost

pobanzmotorsports — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:21:50 +0000

Greg Weld, KC’s wheel man, dies at 64

By JIM PEDLEY

The Kansas City Star

Greg Weld, founder of Weld Wheel Industries, died of a heart attack Monday.

The passing of Greg Weld, a Kansas City-born driver and auto-racing entrepreneur who died of a heart attack Monday at age 64, will make the mood much more somber this week at the famed Knoxville Nationals in Iowa.

That’s according to Bob Baker, executive director of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, whose phone has been constantly ringing and whose office has been besieged during this hectic racing week.

On Monday, Baker said only a few of the callers and visitors wanted to talk racing. The majority wanted to talk about a person.

“They are talking about Greg,” Baker said.

The Knoxville Nationals is a sprint-car racing event, often described as the Super Bowl of sprint-car racing, where more than 100 drivers compete for the top spot. It’s an event Greg Weld won in 1963. Fans and competitors journeying to Knoxville this week will no doubt be talking about Weld because of the major role he played in the sport.

Weld started his career in racing as a driver. He drove sprint cars in the 1960s in the U.S. Auto Club series. Weld won 21 USAC sprint-car races and also was the USAC sprint-car champion in 1967.

He also drove in the Champ Car series, which was sanctioned by USAC at the time, in the 1960s and ’70s. He made one start in the Indianapolis 500, qualifying 28th and finishing 32nd in 1970.

“He was as good as they get,” said Cecil Taylor, longtime Weld friend and former crew member for A.J. Foyt. “Foyt, everybody had the greatest regard for him. He looked like Joe College when you met him, but when he got on the track, he was a driver.”

Weld’s family was involved in racing, and Greg drove at the top Kansas City-area tracks of the day — Olympic, Riverside and Lakeside.

“He was pretty darn good,” said Marc Olson, the current owner of Lakeside Speedway. “The family was good. You could see it (driving talent) ran in the family.”

Baker, also from Kansas City, said when Weld would show up to race in Kansas City that “it was huge.”

It was huge, also, when Weld would head up to the dirt-racing mecca of Knoxville.

“When he came to Knoxville, he was a Kansas City hot shoe who came to take the money out of Knoxville,” Baker said. “And he did that a lot.”

It was during his days as a driver that Weld became a businessman. The company he founded in 1967 with $2,300 in winnings, Weld Wheel Industries, would come to produce racing wheels that became the industry’s gold standard.

According to Baker, Weld got into that business out of necessity.

Weld had to slow his driving career when he couldn’t get wheels for his car. His engineer father told him he should build his own wheels. Weld did just that. Soon, everybody wanted Weld wheels on their cars.

Two-time Sprint Cup series champion Tony Stewart demanded Weld wheels three years ago, when Baker was working for Weld.

Baker said that Stewart broke a wheel during a race. He got out of his car and told crew chief Greg Zipadelli to get better wheels.

“Zipadelli called Taylor (Weld, who was working at the company) an hour later,” Baker said. Not long after that, a couple of trucks loaded with Weld wheels were on their way to Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Baker reports that Stewart could not have been happier.

Shortly thereafter, however, Weld Wheels got out of the business of making wheels for NASCAR.

“Couldn’t make it profitable,” Baker said.

The timing of Weld’s passing was not lost on those who knew him.

Taylor, who used to attend the Knoxville Nationals with Weld and sit in his suite, kind of chuckled about that timing.

“Yeah, kind of ironic, isn’t it?” Taylor said.

_______________________________________________

Greg Weld was a personal friend of Ryan Pobanz, he will be missed.

Scott Kalitta killed in crash during qualifying…

pobanzmotorsports — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:31:10 +0000

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. — Two-time American drag racing champion Scott Kalitta was killed Saturday when his “funny car” burst into flames and crashed during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

The NHRA said the 46-year-old Kalitta — the 1994 and 1995 champion in the premier top fuel division who had 18 career victories, 17 in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car — was taken to the Old Bridge division of Raritan Bay Medical Center, where he died a short time later.

Kalitta’s Toyota Solara was traveling at an estimated speed of 300 mph when the car, leading his race, burst into flames, continued to the end of the track, struck a barrier and exploded.

NHRA deaths
Year	Driver	Division	Where
1983	John Hagen	Pro Stock	National event
1985	Lee Shepherd	Pro Stock	Testing
1996	Blaine Johnson	Top Fuel Dragster	National event
2004	Darrell Russell	Top Fuel Dragster	National event
2005	Shelly Howard	Top Alcohol Dragster	Testing
2007	Eric Medlen	Funny Car	Testing
2008	John Shoemaker	Top Fuel Dragster	Nostalgia event
2008	Scott Kalitta	Funny Car	National event

He’s survived by his father, wife Kathy and sons Corey, 14, and Colin, 8.

“We are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Kalitta family,” the NHRA said in a statement. “Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form. … He will be truly missed by the entire NHRA community.”

Kalitta had most of his racing success in Top Fuel, highlighted by his series titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from racing in 1997, sitting out most of two seasons before returning for a 10-race campaign in 1999. He sat out three more seasons following that brief stint and then returned again in 2003, joining cousin Doug as a second driver for the family’s two Top Fuel dragsters.

The Palmetto, Florida, resident started his career at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in 1982. His father, Connie Kalitta, was one of the pioneers in American drag racing and team owner of cars known as “The Bounty Hunter,” and his cousin, Doug Kalitta, also drives competitively.

Drag racing is a side-by-side match race between two cars along a 400-meter (quarter-mile) straightaway from a standing start. The two premier divisions, top fuel and funny car, run on nitromethane fuel, enabling the cars to generate 8,000 horsepower, cover the 400 meters (quarter mile) in under five seconds and regulary reach speeds of over 530 kph (330 mph).

Funny cars vaguely resemble street automobiles in their outward appearance. Their name is derived from early versions in the mid-1960s, when the rear wheels were moved forward on the chassis to improve weight transfer under acceleration and increase traction on the rear tires — making them look “funny.”

Last year, funny car driver Eric Medlen died after an accident in a testing session at Gainesville, Florida.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/10873527/rss

Another Great builder passes: Lil John Butera died

pobanzmotorsports — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:05:06 +0000

We offer our condolences to Lil John’s family…

Race car and street rod builder “Lil’ John” Buttera has died. He passed away in Southern California this morning due to complications from a brain tumor. He was 68.

No matter what Buttera built, it set trends, dating back to the dragsters, funny cars and Pro Stock machines he built in the 60s and 70s. He built funny cars for the biggest names in the sport during the halcyon days of drag racing including Don Prudhomme, Don Schumacher – the list goes on and on. The race cars Buttera built represented a sea change in the 1970s Funny Car class, much in the way Kent Fuller’s “Greer, Black & Prudhomme” dragster changed the approach to dragster building in the early 1960s. Characteristics of a Buttera Funny car included simplicity, elegance in design, and a low slung wicked stance. They were also much easier to work on than earlier models. The cockpit area laid the driver’s way back in the seat, sometimes making it hard for them to see but the aerodynamic advantage outweighed any driver’s complaints. His funny cars not only looked amazing, they won championships too. He also set the standard in the NHRA Pro Stock class. The Pro Stock machine he built for longtime client Barry Setzer in the mid 1970s featured removable panels all around with a chrome molly tube chassis – a build style still implemented today. Prior to that car – Pro Stocker’s were mostly factory stock unibody machines.

Buttera turned his sights to street rods in 1974 building a 1926 Tall T Ford – the first in a long series of influential hot rods. The 26 T sedan, his white ’29 roadster, John Corno’s ’32 roadster that won the 1980 Oakland America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award, and a ’33 Willy’s model 77 for Mr. Gasket’s Joe Hrudka (wheels machined out of solid chucks of aluminum, naturally) were just some of his influential and mouth watering hot rods. His subtle craftsmanship and superior engineering skills again set his cars above all others. He is credited as being the first to whittle street rod, race car and motorcycle parts from solid chunks of billet aluminum. He also drove his rods, sometimes long distances in the 1970s and 1980s alongside his friendly rival from Northern California Andy Brizio. The late Gray Baskerville once asked Buttera how he could make a rear view mirror out of a solid block of aluminum to which Buttera tersely replied…”That’s easy – just cut away everything that doesn’t look like a rear view mirror.”

Content to let others have the spotlight and build on the platforms he pioneered in street rodding and racing, Buttera focused his attention in other avenues during the later half of the 1980s through the 1990s and into the new millennium. He designed cutting edge parts and components for many companies during this time, working with the likes of the Edelbrock Corporation, Harley Davidson, Bon Speed and others. He became well known in the custom motorcycle scene building several “smoothie” style V-Twin bikes.

In 2004, he returned to what he loved best, building street rods and driving them across country. He scratch built a little polished aluminum lakes modified roadster in his Los Alamitos, California garage and drove it to Indianapolis to the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals in June of 2005 where he was honored as a Goodguys “Hot Rod Hero.” While not a warm and fuzzy guy at all, you could visibly see how happy that trip made him and he got a chance to hang out with many old friends along the way.

One of Buttera’s many racing peers was Tom Hanna – a talented and well respected metal fabricator and former top fuel drag racer. “Buttera’s inspiration for me was immense,” said Hanna. “This guy would take it a step beyond your wildest creative imagination. He could leave you feeling pretty inadequate. I remember going to SEMA one year and John had built a motorcycle that was on display. It blew me away. I’m not a motorcycle guy at all – but this bike left such an indelible impression on me, that years later when I built a dragster for the Reunion Cacklefests, I plagiarized the spirit of that first bike John built. He was amazing. You could conjure up your best project, execute it to perfection, then see something John built and it would make you want to throw your deal in the scrap yard. He was an absolute artist. If Kent Fuller is the Leonardo of the wheel, John may well have been the Michelangelo”

Perhaps the highlight of John’s legacy was his Indy car involvement. Hanna remembers it this way. “John had participated in one of those soap pyramid schemes that blew through drag racing and unlike most of the chumps, he got lucky and wound up with enough of a nest egg to try the Indy 500 on the cheap. Most of us would have given it up as a passing dream far beyond our reach. But not John, he was hell bent to try the impossible. With several volunteers (including Steve Leach) he picked up a used Eagle tub from Dan Gurney, built an engine with help from Bruce Crower and thrashed the thing together working around the clock in his two car garage. In the process he amazed the Gurney camp with what he had done to improve their product, qualified eighth the first time he ever set foot on Indy’s hallowed ground and all of this with a driver nobody else wanted. He so impressed the Champ Car establishment with what a bunch of broke drag racers had achieved, that he was awarded the first-ever Clint Brawner Trophy for technical achievement. That award resides today in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. Back before Indy racing was spec. series, you could actually build your own components, engines, modify the chassis and aero package. You know – be creative. Few share John’s level of pure artistic and technical creativity.”

When asked recently about Buttera’s contribution to the street rod world, STREET RODDER Magazine’s Brian Brennan simply shook his head and said, “He was the first true craftsman in the street rod industry, the pre-eminent car builder of his era, perhaps any era.”

Long divorced, never remarried, Buttera is survived by his son Chris, daughter Leigh, son in law Ronnie Capps, granddaughter Katie and grandson Max.

Photo courtesy of Brian Brennan/STREET RODDER Magazine

GoodGuys Article

Boyd Coddington: A great builder dies young

pobanzmotorsports — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:57:41 +0000

We would like to offer our condolences to the Coddington family, We are very sorry to hear of Boyd Sr.’s death.

Boyd Coddington, the hot-rod innovator whose creations won the coveted Grand National Roadster Show’s America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) trophy a record seven times, died Wednesday morning after a lengthy hospital stay. He was 63.

Coddington was raised in rural Idaho but moved to Southern California as soon as he came of age, to pursue his dream of building hot rods. He quickly earned a reputation for subtle, stylistic innovations on what had been an almost overdone theme–the ‘32 Ford roadster. That branched out to ’33s, ’34s and then all manner of surprising twists on iconic themes.

Cars with names such as Boydster, Smoothster, Alumacoupe and Chezoom redefined what a rod could be. His wheels were equally well known, particularly those shaved from billet aluminum. He soon earned the nickname “Billet Boyd” for his aluminum-machining techniques.

One of his best qualities, realized at the height of his creative passion in the mid-1990s, was his ability to gather a talented team to produce the creations he envisioned.

In the early ’90s, he had assembled one of the best teams ever, including builder Lil’ John Buttera and designer Chip Foose, to produce some of the best hot rods the hobby had ever seen, raising the level of what could be expected from such a craft.

His early works were swaddled in simple, flowing lines. The Foose-designed Boydster was an early Coddington interpretation of the iconic ‘32 Ford roadster, but Boyd’s take was stretched three inches, lowered and smoothed out beyond what anyone else had ever done. The subsequent Boydsters II and III carried that theme but with full, flowing fenders.

The Smoothster was a yellow, full-fendered ‘37 Ford riding on Corvette mechanicals and a Corvette drivetrain.

A Corvette engine also powered Chezoom, a ‘57 Chevy so heavily modified that only 10 percent of the original sheetmetal remained. While the look was unmistakably ‘57 Chevy, it was unlike any ‘57 ever seen, with a lowered, channeled body and a reclining cruiser elegance not normally associated with the muscle of the original.

Like Chezoom, Cadzilla was a reclined cruiser take on a more modern Cadillac. Designed by Larry Erickson and built by Boyd for ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, it is one of his most well-known creations.

Coddington experimented with aluminum in offbeat creations such as the Mitsubishi-powered Alumacoupe, the truck-based AlumaTruck and the shiny Aluma-Dub-Tub.

Coddington went through his share of troubles, including a bankruptcy in the late 1990s. He is best known outside the rodding community for his Discovery Channel show, American Hot Rod, which often showed his short-tempered side. But ultimately, his influence on hot rods and customs cannot be overstated.

“It is my firm belief that Boyd is the founding father of this street-rod movement,” said Gary Meadors of the Goodguys. “From the Boyd cars to the Boyd billet aluminum wheels . . . that whole smooth look that he brought to street rodding is what set him apart. He took our hobby to a whole other level with all the exposure he got in media outside our world. He was a forerunner, and he will be missed.”
NEWS Article

Hot Rod Haulers

pobanzmotorsports — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:28:43 +0000

Hot Rod Haulers

Very Qualified, Highly recomended

www.TheHotRodHaulers.com

LOOKING FOR A CAR OR WANT TO SELL ONE?

pobanzmotorsports — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:22:12 +0000

Pobanz Motorsports has a database of nearly 10,000 eligible enthusiasts, We are always looking to hook up buyers with sellers. Contact us if you are interested in selling, purchasing, or building anything automotive.

Thanks for looking!

HMFIC@PobanzMotorsports.com

Chevy Kodiak C4500 For Sale

pobanzmotorsports — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:47:41 +0000

2003 GMC TOPKICK
SOLD!!!
909-938-9887

C4500 1.5 TON

CREW CAB LONG BED

MONROE PICK UP CONVERSION

17,500 GVW

6.6 DURA MAX DIESEL

ALLISON 5 SPEED AUTO

22.5 ALCOA WHEELS

“NEW” 255-70-22.5 TOYO

RADIAL TRUCK TIRES

COBRA CB RADIO

JUICE EDGE PROGRAMER

W/ EXHAUST TEMP-TRANS TEMP-BOOST GAUGE-RPM

RAM AIR

FACTORY EXHAUST BRAKE

ELECTRIC/HEATED O/S MIRRORS PAINTED BODY COLOR AND SMOOTHED

COMPASS/TEMP/AUTO DIM INSIDE MIRROR

AM/FM/CD RADIO

UPGRADED SPEAKERS

GRAY CLOTH SEATS

6 WAY ELECTRIC/AIR ADJUSTABLE

DRIVER SEAT

AIR ADJUSTABLE PASS SEAT

RECLINER CAPTAINS SEATS W/ TABLES FOR BACK SEAT

REAR SEAT FOLDS OUT INTO BED

DUAL 3 TRUMPET AIR HORNS

REAR AIR AIR SUSPENSION BY MONROE

GOOSE NECK HITCH IN BED

CLASS 5 TAG BUMPER HITCH

SYLVANIA HID DRIVING LIGHTS

03 CHEV PU TAILLIGHTS

SHAVED TAIL GATE HANDLE

POLISHED BILLET GRILL

LEATHER STEERING WHEEL

REAR SLIDING CAMPER WINDOW

EXTRA POWER PORTS

LINEX BED LINER

7 PIN TRAILER PLUG @ BUMPER AND IN BED

DIAMOND PLATE CROSS BED TOOL BOX

PERFORMANCE, BUT QUIET MUFFLER

BILLET REAR DOOR PULLS

FACTORY DUAL FUEL TANKS

(40 GAL TOTAL)

TINTED WINDOWS

SHAVED EMBLEMS

2 NEW BATTERIES

REMOTE START AND ALARM

NON SMOKER VEHICLE

AUX AIR TANKS FOR FILLING TIRES ETC

Looking For Wheels?

pobanzmotorsports — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:16:20 +0000

Boyd Coddington
Weld Racing
American Racing
Centerline

Thanks