What are Rodster^® owners saying about the Rodster^®?

A Few Words With LARRY LINDSAY

Redondo Beach, California

Larry Lindsay is an auto mechanic whose shop specializes in Mercedes, Volvo, and BMW, but his daily driver for the past two years is his Rodster Sedan Delivery. He chose the Rodster because of its resemblance to the classic 1940 Ford.

So kit cars are a hobby with you?

Oh, yeah.

How many have you built?

Who counts? I've been building cars in various stages since I was a kid in the 1950s.

How old were you when you started?

Fourteen. My neighbors gave me a '28 Chevy and that's how I got started. I operate and own an auto repair shop now.

You're a Mercedes mechanic?

Yeah, Mercedes, Volvo, and BMW.

What do your customers think when you're not driving a Mercedes or a Volvo or one of the cars that you specialize in?

I get a lot of comments on it from various people. Most of them think it's very interesting. And over the years, I've had various Mercedes and BMWs. So they're used to seeing me in all sorts of vehicles. I also have a '27 Ford 2-door sedan that I drive sometimes. It's a modified, it has a Chevy in it, with an automatic.

How does working on the Rodster Street Rod compare with the other cars you work on at the shop?

Well, the Rodster's a kit car. So it's entirely different. Based on the Blazer, so it's a whole different vehicle than I'm used to working on. The reason I chose it was because of its resemblance to the 1940 Ford. It was a very popular car. When I saw it, I said, "There's the car for me." It takes me back to when I was a teenager.

You grew up in Southern California?

Yes. In Westchester. Inglewood.

You got into the Southern California car culture as a kid?

Oh, sure. I was in high school in the Fifties. That was a really exciting time. You could get a car real cheap. Five or ten dollars, you could get an old Ford. I used to mow lawns for fifty cents and buy a car.

Did you street race?

Oh yeah, sure.

How did you find out about the Rodster Street Rod?

On the web. I was looking at kitcars.com and it shows all the kit cars throughout the entire world and I narrowed the search down to the USA, and I saw the 310 area code and thought, that's in my own backyard. So I clicked on it and there it was. I gave Henry a call, eased on over to the shop [to see the Rodster Street Rods] and he gave me the brochure. He brought his car over to my shop and I placed a deposit.

How was it dealing with Caroselli Design?

Great. You can get him on the phone, he's very friendly. He'd drive over to the shop and give me handy hints. Very nice to deal with.

What did you think of the quality of the fiberglass pieces?

Superb. Compared to what I've seen, very outstanding. The nosecone is laminated with Kevlar/carbon fiber, that's the stuff they use on bulletproof vests. It's very strong, you can stand on it. Most of the fiberglass kit cars are flimsy.

How many hours do you have in it?

Oh, gosh, I don't know. I just worked on it in the afternoons. When I had nothing to do, I'd work on it. I didn't keep track of the time. But it was very easy to put together, very straightforward. There's a construction book that comes with it that has a lot of pictures -- cut here and cut there, glue and bend, and there you go.

What did you think of the manual?

It was very good. Easy to follow. It also helps to have some automotive background. Even though a beginner could do it, it would just take longer. I had the shop, of course, I had all the facilities. And I didn't have to do it on the weekend.

You think that the average guy who's handy around the house could do it?

Sure. Yeah. If you could use a hacksaw, if you could read and write, use a measuring stick, have a little common sense, and you can read, sure, it'll go right together.

You did it all by yourself?

Yeah.

Paint, too?

Oh no, I had it painted. I don't have a booth or the ability to paint.

Did you have fun building it?

Oh yeah, sure. It's a very interesting car. People follow me into restaurants asking me, "What is it?" Of course, you just can't put your finger on it. Is it a Packard? Kaiser? They say, "It's a what?" They don't know what it is.

When you tell them, what is their reaction?

They don't believe it. A lot of people think it's an actual old car. Or sometimes I'll say, "It's a World War II Russian vehicle and it's an ambulance." People don't know any different -- "Really, yeah?" And every time it's a different answer. "I got it in Bulgaria. It was shipped over and it was used by the Pope on a tour." You get a lot of strange looks.

Sounds like you have a lot of fun messing with people's heads.

Sure. At the Knott's Berry Farm Kit Car Show this year, I got the trophy for "Most Unique." And the people who do the voting are other car owners, not the general public.

Congratulations. How did you find your donor car?

Again, I went through the internet. I think it was autotrader.com. You just put in the make and model that you're looking for, you do a search. I called him up and drove over and bought it. That was it.

What year is it?

'91.

How many miles?

I think about 120,000.

What kind of engine?

The V6 -- 4.3 with an automatic.

So how long have you had it together?

It's been two years since it's been done.

In that time, how many miles have you put on it?

Oh gosh, probably 5,000. I don't drive that much. And I live very close to work. It's a daily driver. I drive it to work every day.

You said you've built many kit cars -- have you ever put that many miles on any of them?

No, I don't think so. Mostly after they're done I sell it and build something else. This one is more of a utility type vehicle.

Did you find that most of the other kit cars were just Sunday drivers?

Yeah, they were just novelty cars. You build them on a whim, and then when it's done, you grow tired of it and sell it to buy something else.

Is this the longest you've held on to one kit car?

Yeah.

Why do you think you hung on to the Rodster Street Rod?

Because it's mainly a work vehicle and it's very unique. And it serves two purposes -- it's a kit car, something you can work on. It's unique, and yet, it's my daily driver. I've got the Sedan Delivery -- I can fold the seat down and I've got a station wagon.

What other kits have you built?

Too many to count. Numerous, numerous.

What made you dissatisfied with them?

Once it's finished, then you look for something else to build.

So you go from rod to rod for the challenge.

Yeah. You get tired of it, it's been two or three years and you see something else you want to build and you sell it to generate the income to build the new kit and you move on. Otherwise, I'd have 30 or 40 or 50 cars in the backyard.

Are you getting ready to sell your Rodster Sedan Delivery?

No, I don't think so. I'd just have to replace it with something else and you can't get much for $12,000.

You could get another Rodster.

Yeah. But I don't want to build any more cars.

This is your last?

Probably. I'm working on a '27 Ford right now. It's not a kit. It's a real '27 Ford and I bought it; it has some mechanical problems. And some modifying.

What do you think is the best thing about the Rodster Street Rod?

It's unique. It's something that not everybody can have. You just can't go buy one. And there's not that many of them around, so no matter where you take the car, people are always looking or walking over. "What is that?" So that makes it very unique. It's the center of attraction no matter where I park it.

Do you like the civilized aspects of the car as opposed to most rods that are not meant to be daily drivers?

Oh yeah, it's a basic utility vehicle. I still have the ability to put the tailgate down and put things in the back, just like a station wagon.

How much money do you have invested in it?

I don't know. I can't remember. It's been two years. I bought everything on the kit which was $5,500 and the car was $4,000... and there's tires and paint... probably $12,000. That's a lot of bang for your buck. Of course, there's time and putting in a lot of hours. But that's part of the fun. Building the car for yourself, that's part of the experience.

Would you recommend the Rodster Street Rod to others?

Oh yes, of course. If that's what you want. If you want a kit car and you like the looks of  the 1940 Ford. It's very practical. You can get it serviced anywhere. It's a handy, unique vehicle.