SO-CAL SPEED SHOP HISTORY

The story of the SO-CAL Speed Shop is a true story of friendship, hot rods and the need for speed. It's the story of two California kids, Pete Chapouris and Alex Xydias, who built legendary customs, set speed records and naturally became icons of the CAR CRAZY community.

The SO–CAL Speed Shop traces its beginnings to 1995. By then Pete Chapouris had already produced a number of attention-grabbing projects, including a pair of Harley-Davidson "HogZZillas" for Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, and was eager to expand. He formed the Pete Chapouris Group (PC3g) in Pomona, California, and assembled a team of 17 craftsmen who quickly established PC3g as one of the world's premier hot rod shops. Among their first projects was the restoration (for Bruce Meyer) of the Pierson brothers' coupe, which led to an enduring association with Meyer and, eventually, restoration of the SO-CAL bellytanker. PC3g seemed to turn out cover-quality cars with prodigious speed, among them Don Simpson's "Killer Coupe"; several cars for Billy F. Gibbons, including a '36 three-window coupe and the chopped "Kopperhed" coupe; and an extended-cab Model A pickup for Chuck DeHeras.

Still, the crown jewel in PC3g's portfolio is the restoration of the Doane Spencer roadster for Bruce Meyer. Built in 1948 to compete in the legendary Carrera Panamericana Mexican road race, the car has an impeccable pedigree-as well as an important place in hot rod history. By installing Lincoln drum brakes and 16-inch wheels, and raising the engine, exhausts and gas tank to increase ground clearance, Spencer created the classic “HiBoy” look that rodders still emulate four decades later. Apparently, the look also won the hearts of judges at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it won the Hot Rod Class, as well as the perpetual Dean Batchelor Memorial Award for Excellence.

Around the same time, there was another CAR CRAZY guy, Alex Xydias, a few miles down the freeway. Just out of the Air Force, Alex put together a team of like-minded craftsmen and opened SO–CAL Speed Shop in Burbank. The team quickly established a reputation for turning out record-setting track and street racers and customs, and in 1952 Mechanix Illustrated voted the SO–CAL gang the Number One Racing Team. It was no mystery why; a SO–CAL V8–60–powered bellytank lakester clocked 136 mph in 1948, and appeared on the cover of the January 1949 issue of the fledgling Hot Rod magazine. A purpose-built streamliner built by Alex and the legendary Dean Batchelor and powered by an Edelbrock–equipped Mercury V8 ran 210 mph, a spectacular number in 1950. The following year, Alex and some racing buddies formed the SO–CAL Speed Shop Racing Team and built the first street rods to break the 160, 170, 180 and 190 mph marks.

Given their backgrounds, it was simply a matter of time before Pete and Alex joined forces. Both had been executives of SEMA. Both had been driving forces behind racing-involved organizations: Alex, with racer Mickey Thompson, put together the SCORE off–road equipment trade show, and Pete helped form the Street Rod Equipment Association. Despite their success, Alex and Pete were determined to achieve yet another goal: to resurrect the renowned SO–CAL Speed Shop. Planning and working behind the scenes, they finally brought their dream to fruition on November 21, 1997, when PC3g formally changed its name to SO–CAL Speed Shop-and thus was born a bright new chapter in hot rod history.

The Original SO-CAL Speedshop-1946