Photo: Mecum
In the world of hot rodders, there are few names as revered as that of Blackie Gejeian. The Armenian-American racer/car builder was one of the driving forces in the industry, and the man responsible for the establishment of the Fresno, California Autorama.
Gejeian died in 2016, leaving behind a legacy like no other in the industry, both in terms of ideas and in terms of cars. As it usually happens when the owner of a large garage dies, his vehicles are sold for big bucks at auctions, and Gejeian is no exception.
Most of the vehicles in what was once known as the Blackie Gejeian Collection were sold over the past few years, and some of them even more than once. The strange-looking 1923 Ford Mod Rod for instance was a star at the Mecum 2019 Monterey auction, and now it goes under the hammer once again at the Glendale event later next week.
This particular build is the work of several big names of the tuning industry, but most importantly it is linked to custom painters Art Himsl and Mike Haas. If anything, this Mod Rod is more of an art project than an engineering one, as the two painters wanted a canvas for their most ambitious project to date (the build started in the early 1970s).
The contraption you see in the gallery above is fiberglass shaped like a 1923 Ford Model T roadster body fitted on top of a T-bucket-style chassis. It comes with tail lights taken from a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, the rear fascia of a Corvette of the third generation, and, originally, a 327 ci engine also sourced from a Vette (5.3-liters).
However, the most stunning part of the car remains the bodywork. Drawn differently on either side - blue and green on the left, and orange and red on the right – this machine comes as a unique build in the world of custom cars.
Gejeian bought the Mod Rod after it was built, and since then it went through several powertrain changes. Now it features a 350 ci V8 (5.7-liters), but what hasn’t changed is the exterior work of art.
Most of the vehicles in what was once known as the Blackie Gejeian Collection were sold over the past few years, and some of them even more than once. The strange-looking 1923 Ford Mod Rod for instance was a star at the Mecum 2019 Monterey auction, and now it goes under the hammer once again at the Glendale event later next week.
This particular build is the work of several big names of the tuning industry, but most importantly it is linked to custom painters Art Himsl and Mike Haas. If anything, this Mod Rod is more of an art project than an engineering one, as the two painters wanted a canvas for their most ambitious project to date (the build started in the early 1970s).
The contraption you see in the gallery above is fiberglass shaped like a 1923 Ford Model T roadster body fitted on top of a T-bucket-style chassis. It comes with tail lights taken from a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, the rear fascia of a Corvette of the third generation, and, originally, a 327 ci engine also sourced from a Vette (5.3-liters).
However, the most stunning part of the car remains the bodywork. Drawn differently on either side - blue and green on the left, and orange and red on the right – this machine comes as a unique build in the world of custom cars.
Gejeian bought the Mod Rod after it was built, and since then it went through several powertrain changes. Now it features a 350 ci V8 (5.7-liters), but what hasn’t changed is the exterior work of art.
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