Building It Better After The Crash
At the '06 National Hot Rod Reunion, Nick had an unfortunate crash. On the first round of eliminations, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Nick pre-staged, staged and launched perfectly. Going through the gears, he hit Third and the Tempest started to drift toward the center. He let off the throttle, corrected his steering, then the car suddenly steered to the left and impacted the concrete guardrail with such force that it swerved him to the right, across the dragstrip, hitting the guardrail on the opposite side before coming to a stop.
While many would walk away from drag racing after a date with the retaining wall, Nick not only rebuilt his Pontiac, he took the opportunity to make it better than before. See how he did it in the following photos.
After returning the '62 to...
After returning the '62 to his home in Southern California, he embarked on a four-month rebuild of his race car, completing it just in time for the Pontiac Heaven Drags & More in April 2007. The hood, front driver-side fender and window, front grille and front valance needed to be replaced and the driver-side rear quarter-panel needed body work.
After an exhausting search,...
After an exhausting search, a donor front grille and valance were located, purchased, and shipped to Nick's home. The fiberglass hood and trunk lid were bought locally.
Here's the stock front suspension...
Here's the stock front suspension after the crash.
Since the subframe was bent...
Since the subframe was bent in the accident, it was straightened. The stock suspension was trashed in favor of Art Morrison 5-inch Super Struts, 170 lb-rate front springs, and tubular A-arms. Wilwood Pro Series front brakes feature 10.75-inch rotors and four-piston calipers.
This vintage chassis back-half...
This vintage chassis back-half comes directly from Jess Tyree's '63 B/Gas Pontiac Tempest and was installed by Mark Harrison of HRF Fabrication.
A narrowed Ford 9-inch rear...
A narrowed Ford 9-inch rear end houses a Strange spool.
An Art Morrison four-link...
An Art Morrison four-link rear suspension features Strange components including shocks, springs, and 31-spline racing axles. The Wilwood Dynalite Pro rear brakes with 10.75-inch rotors and forged four-piston calipers aren't installed in this photo.
Fabricated aluminum wheeltubs...
Fabricated aluminum wheeltubs make room for the massive wheel/tire combo. An 8-gallon aluminum fuel cell was built by Mark Harrison.
Nick Anderson and Dil Brandow...
Nick Anderson and Dil Brandow put the final touches on the fiberglass hood.
With rough body work accomplished,...
With rough body work accomplished, the '62 is ready for a new look on life.
The Tempest proudly shows...
The Tempest proudly shows its fresh body work and paint, performed by M&M Collision of Riverside, California.
Bob Thompson hand-letters...
Bob Thompson hand-letters the driver's door of the Tempest in preparation for its return to racing.