Industrial Artist is an Old Time Hot Rodder
By noderel:
Lawrence Smith of Wichita, Kan., has put together a collection of cars, trucks and aircraft that he never would have imagined possible in his hot rodding high school days. Hot Rod Hotline visited his collection as part of the Pontiac-Oakland Club International’s (www.poci.org) 2014 Oakland Breakfast Tour.
Smith is a soft-spoken man who enjoys machines that have wheels or wings (or both). Smith told Hot Rod Hotline his first car was a ‘49 Studebaker Starlight coupe that he bought when he was 14. He still has a model of a later “bullet-nosed” Starlight coupe on one of the workbenches in his shop.
As a high school student, Smith developed an interest in hot rods and built more than a few cars himself. In fact, his skills doing woodwork and welding landed him a job as an industrial arts teacher. Later, Smith made a fortune designing and manufacturing aircraft interior components. As he became successful he grew his love for automobiles into an amazing collection of Rolls-Royce, Bentley and other classic cars. But he never forgot his hot rod roots.
In the foyer of Smith’s facility hangs a late-1930s Ryan S-T training monoplane. Parked under it are an antique Marion roadster made in Indiana, a REO fire truck that once put out blazes in Jacksonville, Fla., the Woodill Wildfire that actor Tony Curtis drove in the 1953 sports car flick “Johnny Dark” and several other vehicles. From the foyer, you enter a room that’s essentially a woodworking and metal fabrication shop, with a few cars stored in it.
Next we proceeded to what might be called Smith’s “Hot Rod Land.” It’s another shop-like area filled with 4-post lifts and cars ranging from late-model exotic sports cars (‘Vettes, BMWs and Shelbys) to a resto-mod Nova and a ’57 Ford Ranchero. A number of very cool hot rods sat on and under the car lifts. Some look suspiciously like the creations of famous hot rodders you’ve seen on TV or like SEMA style show cars built by nationally-known shops.
There are high boy roadsters, low-slung Tudors, a number of customized Chevy Advance-Design pickups, a beautiful hand-crafted “shoebox” Ford woodie wagon, a ‘40s Ford five-window coupe and a rare 1941 Oldsmobile convertible hot rod nesting with a trio of exotic Corvettes. Other hot rods are scattered about.
Beyond Hot Rod land was Smith’s fully decorated display area filled with 40 or more Bentleys and Rolls Royce cars, a Packard, an American Undersluing, a Talbot-Lago, a Delahaye, a Delage and more. This was definitely Lawrence Smith’s showcase car space, complete with a black-and-white checkered floor, dark wood furniture, mirrors, plants and large dealership signs and petroliana.
Smith said that he likes the “best” cars whether they’re classics, hot rods, sports cars or exotics. Smith said that he is now retired and finally has time to really enjoy his cars by showing them to close friends and members of car clubs.
The cars in the foyer are the tip of the iceberg.
Olds ragtop nests with Corvettes..
Lifts were filled with sleek hot rods.
This woodie sported a professional level build.
Resto-Mod Nova, hot ‘Vette and a few pickups.
Daimler cabriolet could pass for a Barris custom.
Smith has a few classics, too.
Smith (left) was introduced by his friend Joe Stout.