The 1950s hot rod boom saw many creative builds, including the 1959 Troy Roadster, a one-off special built by car dealer Wally Troy. Wisconsin-based 7fifteen Motorworks is now building a limited run of tribute cars based on the Troy Roadster, a project that recently caught Jay Leno's eye.
After seeing the tribute car, dubbed the 7fifteen Motorworks Troy Indy Special, at a car show, Leno invited co-owner John Kendall to bring the car on "Jay Leno's Garage."
7fifteen Motorworks Troy Indy Special on Jay Leno's Garage
The open-wheel special combines the look of the 1959 Troy Roadster with modern components. That includes the tires, which are much wider than the originals and give this tribute car a more hunkered-down stance.
Like other original Troy Roadsters, the tribute has aluminum body panels designed using a 3D scan of the original car, which help achieve a claimed curb weight of around 2,200 pounds with fuel and fluids. An independent pushrod suspension front and rear, with Wilwood disc brakes, is used in place of the original car's solid axles and drum brakes.
Staying true to the original car's use of Chevrolet V-8 power, the tribute car has a General Motors LS3 6.2-liter V-8 producing 495 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque (a 525-hp upgrade is also available). It drives the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential sourced from a Cadillac CTS-V.
The Troy Indy Special was also designed to be driven on public roads, although its minimal exterior lighting and open cockpit will probably limit that to fair-weather days.
A production run of 33 cars is planned, with a base price of $195,000. That buys a visceral driving experience and a unique look—and Jay Leno's stamp of approval.