Goodguys 2026 Top 5 Finalists for Tanks, Inc. Hot of the Year – Scott Lorenzini’s 1932 Ford Roadster
Most of the cars running for theGoodguys 2026 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year title took several years to build. However, there was one in the Top Five that took nearly 30 years to complete – the blazing orange ’32 Ford roadster of Scott Lorenzini.
In fact, Scott was just a teenager when the plan for this Deuce project was hatched by Bob Garibay and Pete Chapouris when So-Cal Speed Shop was relaunched in the 1990s. The plan at the time was to build a dual-purpose roadster that could be enjoyed as a hot rod but also turned loose on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
To thicken our plot even more, Scott’s father, Gary, was a friend of Pete’s, and Scott even got to ride in Pete’s famous Limefire roadster as a teen. That thrilling ride set the tone for Scott’s desire to own a true hot rod roadster of his own one day. Who would have guessed he would have one that Pete worked on and was heavily influenced by the Limefire roadster!
Pete and the So-Cal crew slowly made progress on the Garibay car through the years and got it to where it was nearly ready for paint, but the project stalled with Pete’s passing in 2017. Bob eventually decided to sell the project to the Lorenzinis, who worked with Veazie Bros. Fabrication to bring it to the finish line.
Justin and Evin Veazie are no strangers to giving historic hot rods new life, and they’re well versed in So-Cal Speed Shop history. The knew the heritage of this project and the importance of balancing any new touches. The roadster still sits on the original prototype So-Cal Step Boxed chassis complemented with serious power from a Ray Zellar-built Donovan 383c.i. aluminum small-block Chevy topped with a Monneyham 6-71 blower and Holley EFI. You can hear the horsepower through those Limefire headers!
The Brookville body features a three-inch chopped windshield and an aluminum hood formed by Terry Hegman filled with louvers by Ryan Reed. The body was finished by Cypress Auto Body then coated in a beaming custom orange hue. The interior carries over a Limefire influence with an aluminum dash insert securing AutoMeter gauges. Ron Mangus stitched the hand-formed seats and door insets to help deliver a race car vibe, which is cemented by the big ’n skinny Halibrand magnesium wheels and fat dirt track tires.
The Deuce debuted at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show, where it made a run for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. Scott has added some road miles since then, and the Veazies wrestled the keys back from him to bring it to Nashville, where it looked great in action roaring down the road on the Reliability Run!
Photos: Marc Gewertz, John Jackson, Damon Lee
