Vintage racecars have their unique charms, but very few can afford them. Franz, the star of this video, had always wanted to drive one, so he went ahead and built it.
To spoiler the ending: he was hugely successful. He started things off by procuring an original pre-war gearbox and inline-eight-cylinder engine. Both corresponded to the designs used in Indy 500 races before the World War II. He then designed and built a frame and a chassis around them, added the driver’s seat and proceeded to work on the body.
To find out what kind of body shape he was getting, Franz draped cloth over the frame and made adjustments until he was satisfied with the proportions. He then ordered the necessary panels from a custom fabricator. As amateur as the approach may look to you, it is actually not that different from the actual practices of the early 20th century – and most importantly, the result looks gorgeous.
Having finished the body, Franz made his unique ride street-legal, named it Dutchie, and is now driving it daily on public roads savoring everyone’s expressions.