By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

When we want something these days, the prevailing course of action is to flex the ol’ bank account and buy it. It takes a special breed to first consider building it, especially true when you’re talking about something as complicated as an automobile. But that’s exactly what Everett Hatch and Joel Park of Salem Speed Shop did nearly 60 years ago. Their creation, a Devin-bodied sports car with a custom chassis and aluminum Buick V8 power, was great enough to snatch a regional C-Modified SCCA title in 1963 and 1965. Restored in the early 2000s, this piece of West Coast SCCA history and American ingenuity is currently for sale on BringaTrailer.com.

Hatch and Park started the project back in 1962 by building a fairly intricate tubular chassis for the car, accommodating a V8 driveline, Halibrand quick-change rear end and a custom suspension setup. Hatch and Park even went as far as casting their own suspension uprights and hubs for the car. The engine was a period-modified aluminum Buick V8, which was bumped from 215 ci to a full 5.0 liters by using the crankshaft and heads from a 300 ci version. A Hillborn fuel injection system sat atop the engine in period, which is included with the car, but the engine runs a four-barrel Holley now, and has been rebuilt recently. An aluminum-case Muncie four-speed delivers power to the rear gears.

Another interesting element of the car is the bodywork, which consists predominantly of a fiberglass Devin SuperSport body with some major modifications. The most notable of which, is the shortened Kamm-style tail with skirted rear fenders. From the seller’s historic photos, it’s clear that the car initially ran with a full Devin tail section with larger rubber in the rear. As a nice bonus, the seller is including a full Devin tail in the sale, in addition to a spare aluminum Buick V8.

The seller has presented the Hatch-Park C-Modified for auction on BringaTrailer.com in good mechanical and cosmetic condition with vintage SCCA trophies, spare parts and photos. The auction is set to conclude on Wednesday, and the current high bid is $28,000.