Oscar Salvatti's 1929 Ford

The roadster as it appeared after Ozzie and Bill Burke had built it into "Old Yeller." Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Ozzie's Entry Blank from the 1974 Bonneville Nationasl. Photo courtesy of David Brost.

A photo of "Old Yeller" in the pit appeared in Hot Rod Magazine December 1974. Photo courtesy of David Brost.

The old hot rod as it appeared after Pat and David Brost had purchased it and completed the restoration.

The restored iteration of the roadster was featured in Street Rodder July 2001. Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

Photo courtesy of David Brost.

1929 Ford Model A Roadster owned by Oscar "Ozzie" Salvatti of Alhambra, California.

Old Yeller

In the mid 1970s Oscar and his brother-in-law, Bill Burke, built the roadster into a class C/GR Bonneville/Dry Lakes race car. Known as "Old Yeller," it ran 123.96 mph in 1975 according to the SCTA timing tag mounted on the dash.

Returned to Street Trim

After retirement, Ozzie decided to return the car to street trim. The project faltered, and it was sold to Mark Brislawn of Vancouver, Washington. Later on, Mark sold the car to Pat and David Brost of Portland, Oregon, who completed the rebuild. Pat and David decided to bring the car back to how it could have looked in 1955. The original steel body, doors, deck lid, filled 1932 Ford grille shell, frame, and front suspension were used as a base. A Weiand equipped 1946 Ford flathead, 1939 Ford transmission, 1946 Ford rear end, 1955 Ford F100 front brakes and steering were added.

For Sale

With 29,000 miles since the 1991 restoration, the car has been driven and enjoyed by Pat and David. In December of 2021, David decided that time had come to sell the old hot rod. Dave is asking $38,000 for the car. It comes with several accessories and some original race parts. Get in touch with David at dbcbrost@canby.com or 503-757-3951 for more information. A video is also available upon request.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Hot Rod Magazine December 1974
Street Rodder July 2001