This 1927 Oakland Racer Fits Just Perfectly

Some people might consider Mr. Brian Bent’s lifestyle extreme, an anachronism perhaps. But we have a feeling that he’d be OK with that.

You see, when Brian purchased this 1927 Oakland, he built the clutch pack himself. And while it had a Pontiac engine mounted in the chassis, he decided to move it forward. He thought about swapping out the wooden spokes for metal ones, but a chance encounter with a old man who shared an anecdote about metal spokes folding in a turn convinced him otherwise.

Besides, they’ve lasted this long, haven’t they?

And while it’s not completely (or remotely) a Woodie, Brian uses the Oakland hot rod as his surf wagon, driving it out to San Onofre to catch waves. And while there is certainly nothing extreme about this, in and of itself, he also makes his own 1920s and ’30s style surfboards. As well as his own clothing designed to look era-correct. Brian applies “Drive Tastefully” to his entire life, making sure that all the pieces fit him.

Ironically, even GM thought the car didn’t make sense (it was too big and seemed to overlap Pontiac’s offerings) and killed off the brand in 1934. But, Brian says, “it fits me perfect.”

From Petrolicious ~ Drive Tastefully®