When I mentioned to Stanley Chavik that we'd be taking pictures of him while he worked, he replied wryly, in his thick Eastern European inflection, "Good, because I'm busy." Stanley's Thor-esque stature, his thick wavy hair, gnarled beard, and the flames of ink shooting up his arms make him look like an extra from Sons of Anarchy . But his gap-toothed grin and smiling eyes reveal his true character—this is a man contented.
A 1950 DeSoto Diplomat DeLuxe convertible coupe with a front spike, a toothy front fender, and wheel hub weaponry lethal enough to make Ben Hur blanch hardly seems like the car to inspire a career. But the pale-yellow rarity used in the Italian B-movie I Predatori di Atlantide was the first hot rod Stanley ever saw. It was love.
For over a decade, Stanley fed his hot rod dreams, ogling sheetmetal while surfing websites showcasing the work of hot rod gods Barris, Isky, Winfield, and Edelbrock. Stanley devoured Ron Covell videos on YouTube. In 2003, after years of internet fantasizing, he opened Hot Rod Chavik, a welding and fabrication shop in the industrial town of Zlín, Czechia, only a stone's throw from the Slovakian border.
Stanley's build ethos was simple then and remains as such: "I build everything myself," he says. But Czech regulations and restrictions choked Stanley's creativity when it came to building, so his sights were set on coming to America. Instinctively, Stanley knew he'd need a calling card.
Still in Zlín, Stanley acquired a derelict 1939 Buick that he transformed into the Shafer 8, an Indy racer replica akin to the camera-ready creations of his internet heroes. Everything on Stanley's tribute to Phil Shafer, who built and raced at Indy in the 1930s—from the body, with its classic boat-tailed torpedo shape, to the horse-collar grille—came from the mind and hands of this metalworking Dr. Frankenstein. The Buick's thundering straight-eight, which Stanley rebuilt to the tune of 200 hp, got a custom intake that maintains four Stromberg 97 carbs, which Stanley magically conjured into the Czech Republic thanks to more internet magic. The Buick's sound crescendos through a single period-correct manifold and out a custom exhaust. The sonic experience of the Shafer 8 starts well before an observer can ever feast their eyes.
Finally, in 2017, Stanley and his growing family, which now included his petite dynamo of a wife, Daisy, and their son Stanley Jr., moved from the Czech Republic to a sunny suburb in Orange County, California, with not much more than their clothes, a U.S. E-2 visa for new businesses, and their show car.
The Shafer 8 won plaques and awards at local car shows and turned heads enough at the 2020 Autorama to get them a win in their category, but the Chaviks don't believe this car is a tough enough sell for what they do. "It's not a car you normally see, and usually is in its own class [at shows]," Daisy says. In order to suitably display their skills, they've set about building something everyone knows—a 1932 Ford. "If we bring something unique to it, then they'll know the kind of work we do," Daisy explained. The goal? Win America's Most Beautiful Roadster at the Grand National Roadster Show.
Underneath the few body panels they purchased with the original Ford frame, they reinforced the entire structure in order to accommodate a stronger suspension. The flathead got upgraded with Ardun heads and a blower, and makes almost 400 hp. The Ardun's four ports allowed Stanley to design a Lakester-style exhaust that tucks inside the frame rails and can be electronically opened to go out either the side or the rear. The five-speed transmission gets quick-change gears, and Stanley used hairpin axle brackets instead of radius rods. He moved the reservoir for the clutch and brake master cylinder directly under the pedals behind the firewall for a cleaner design. "It has lots of modifications," Stanley says, looking for his next words as Daisy finishes his sentence in her more refined English, "but still looks period correct. "
"This will be a raw race car, a wild guy, but functional in all its details—mechanically, the suspension, all usable at Bonneville or somewhere like it," Stanley says. The Chaviks take nothing for granted and believe you don't just get respect because you swoop in with something flashy. They're out to earn it. If you look closely, you'll see the words F-L-A-T H-E-A-D tattooed across Stanley's meaty knuckles—he's that committed.
The subdued 2,000-or-so-square-foot Hot Rod Chavik shop smacks of Eastern European order, but their aspirations hang proudly on the wall in the form of an American flag stretched taut and at attention. While some would have you think the American dream isn't alive and well, the Chaviks know otherwise. "We couldn't do things the way we wanted to in Czech Republic. So many restrictions. Here you can make the cars you want, and no one tells you no. "
Wrenches each have their designated place hanging on the wall above the tool bench. Large machinery lives on wheels or moveable platforms so Stanley can arrange his space as needed. "We couldn't bring tools over with us, so every penny we made, we'd buy cheap tools from the Home Depot," Daisy says. While Stanley brings the brawn to the operation, Daisy is the organizational brain, and she also knows a thing or two about design and what customers want. "She does colors. If it's up to me, I choose black," Stanley says, with comedic timing that feels Hollywood-ready. Their client list continues to grow, and their weekend car-show dance card remains so full we had to schedule our photo shoot a month in advance.
Atop a lift sits a bare-metal 1963 Toyota FJ43, the body of which Stanley fabricated himself. The untrained eye might never notice the ⅞-inch that was shaved off the top to fix an ugly gap at its roofline. "To me, this new proportion makes it look right," Stanley says. Beneath the FJ resides a dragster that belongs to the 13-year-old daughter of a friend. They're repairing the front end and truing the tube chassis pro bono. They remember the help they've received and want to support the next generation of enthusiasts. Speaking of the next generation, Stanley Jr. takes an active role around the shop, though he admitted his current interests lean more toward driving simulators and drag racing.
The Chaviks recently completed restoration work on collector Filippo Sole's Lancia Dilambda, which drove across the country unscathed until it reached Los Angeles and was promptly rear-ended. The Chaviks were commissioned to do the repairs before it headed to Pebble Beach for the posh Concours d'Elegance.
For Stanley, building and fabricating was a calling. To date, he's made six cars from scratch, but like a poet always wordsmithing, Stanley never feels satisfied. "Always when I'm done, I know what I would do differently. "
Before it's finished, the '32 Ford will get a chocolate-brown interior and wear sky blue paint, just like the broad expanse over their now-beloved Southern California home. "It's a boy, handsome and manly, powerful but gentle. We call him 'Blesser'." Daisy says, describing the '32 the way she might her husband.
When I ask if he's ready to embrace the electrification wave sweeping across the automotive industry, Stanley pauses, struggling to find an elegant or diplomatic way to share his dissension. His eyes scan the room, the English wheel, the metal hammers, rudimentary equipment bespoke automakers have used for over a century for meticulously honing and shaping their art. "No," is his simple answer. He just got here; Stanley isn't ready to move on just yet.
Other than winning AMBR, the Chaviks remain focused on one thing: becoming Americans. "I used to drive across the border into Germany to buy HOT ROD magazine. They didn't sell it in the Czech Republic. I couldn't read English so I would just look at the photos." Stanley strokes his beard with his right hand, the faded Copperplate F-L-A-T on his knuckles flexing. "So that you're here talking to me in my shop, this is my dream come true. "
To kick off the YouTube video series, hosts Kevin Tetz and John McGann immerse themselves in the task of swapping a Gen 3 Hemi into a 1972 Dodge Challenger. And this isn't just any old Hemi—we're dropping a 707-horsepower Hellcat into the car and putting one of Tremec's brand-new TKX five-speed transmissions behind it. The Challenger is also getting a brand new coilover suspension and a brake upgrade. The goal is to make it run and drive like a new Hellcat-powered Challenger, but with the classy good looks of the original E-Body. After you'd done with episode 1, watch EPISODE 2 and EPISODE 3 , then sign up to the MotorTrend YouTube channel for more great automotive content!