Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle To Build Raybestos Brakes ’64 GTO-R

The Raybestos GTO-R will be given away to one lucky professional mechanic or do-it-yourselfer Raybestos customer as part of an upcoming summer 2011 North American sales promotion, and the build process will be chronicled in national television, magazines, social media and exclusive content on the company's RaybestosGarage.com micro-site.

Following up on the excitement surrounding the build and SEMA debut of its 2010 promotional giveaway car, the ’32 Raybestos Roadster Pick-Up crafted by Troy Ladd at Hollywood Hot Rods, Affinia recently unveiled plans for its 2011 promotion: a 1964 Pontiac GTO-R.

This interpretation of the iconic muscle car will be constructed by expert fabricator Kevin Tully and his team at Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle, in Addison, IL. The Raybestos GTO-R will be purpose built to handle road course and short track duty — motivated by a 700-hp big block powerplant with stack injection, and kept under control by a Raybestos NASCAR-spec braking package at all four corners. The muscle car’s design concept was prepared by Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle co-owner, and nationally renowned illustrator, Chad “Django” Hill.

The Raybestos GTO-R was announced recently at the SEMA show by Josh Russell, director of sales & marketing for the Racing & Performance division of Affinia Global Brake & Chassis, manufacturers of Raybestos Brakes & Chassis. The Raybestos GTO-R will be given away to one lucky professional mechanic or do-it-yourselfer Raybestos customer as part of an upcoming summer 2011 North American sales promotion, and the build process will be chronicled in national television, magazines, social media and exclusive content on the company’s RaybestosGarage.com micro-site. The project celebrates Raybestos unrivaled brake and chassis product lines – which boast coverage for vintage applications, a pro-racing pedigree, and the latest in advanced technology design, materials, and construction. The project car is planned for debut on the HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour and at the Hunnert Car Heads-Up Vintage Drag Races in June 2011.

Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle (HRCC), whose strict policy is to build only 1964 and earlier traditional style hot rods, customs or racecars, has quickly gained notoriety in the hot rodding community for builds that match their tasteful designs with intelligent engineering, and a serious surplus of power. Recent HRCC show winners and magazine cover cars include Tangerine Scream, a Hemi-powered ’33 Ford Pickup, and Back Seat Betty, a WWII aircraft inspired ’30 Model A hot rod. “The Raybestos GTO-R is a bit of a departure for us from the Traditional Hot Rods that we normally build, but with their expectation that it will chew up any road course or drag strip, it’ll be fun for us to transpose our track proven experience to engineer a racecar that sees street use, rather than hot rods that can spend the weekend at the track,” said HRCC co-owner and lead fabricator Kevin Tully. “I guarantee that it will be blast to drive – especially once you’re on the loud pedal.”

For more information on the Raybestos GTO-R and its planned giveaway in a 2011 North American promotion, or for questions on any Raybestos brand brake or chassis products, visit www.raybestos.com or call (815) 759-7640.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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