The ICON Derelict series of cars are built by Jonathan Ward and his team in Los Angeles, California. Each Derelict has a patinated original body, with entirely modern underpinnings and a drivetrain that can out run the vast majority of modern motor cars.
The donor car for this build was an original 1946 Oldsmobile that had been sitting in a central Californian field for decades, until it was discovered and shipped to LA to begin its transformation.
The build began as all ICON builds do, with a full teardown and an examination of the body. An entirely bespoke Art Morrison chassis was built using CAD – after digitizing the original 1946 body in painstaking detail. This new chassis has independent front suspension, a four-link rear, JRI adjustable coilover shocks, front and rear sway bars, Wilwood four-wheel hydroboosted disc brakes, and rack and pinion steering.
The fuel lines, exhaust system, and fuel tank were all made from stainless steel for longevity. The client who commissioned this build was deeply involved in the build process, so much so that he built the 528hp, 607 ft lb, 502 cubic inch V8 engine with Hilborn injection that was installed in the car.
Before installing the body onto its new foundation, the chassis was powdercoated, the body was fortified with sound deadening materials, and the underbody was coated in heat-cured polyurea for insulation and corrosion protection.
The interior has been entirely rebuilt, paying close attention to the design of the original to keep the new fit out true to the 1946 trim. Gabardine wool and Italian leather was used extensively, with German square-weave rugs, and hand-painted wood finishes. All the gauges look original but they have modern internals for reliability and accuracy. Attention to detail was significant, and the power windows are controlled by the original factory analog regulators and cranks, and other parts like the windshield wipers are built with modern components.
ICON unveiled the car at the Optima Batteries Booth at this year’s SEMA Show is Las Vegas, and after the show it’ll be on display at the ICON headquarters in Los Angeles for another 30 days.
If you’d like to see more from ICON you can click here to visit their official website.
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