[1]If you’ve frequented a few car shows and cruises in Southern California, chances are you’ve seen the crazy 1956 Nash Metropolitan with the wild paint job, a huge wing, and enough motor to make the car do a barrel roll right there on the pavement. While the Metro-Nator may be trailered to the local shows, the builder/owner of this insane Nash, Bryan Thatcher, spends plenty of seat time showing off the wicked idle that makes the car jump like it has the hiccups.
At one local event in Irvine, California, where the “Cars and Coffee” cruise takes place every Saturday morning, he decided to get on it a little bit and it’s funny to watch it as it he tries to keep it straight. We can’t imagine what it would be like to get sideways in the tiny car, but it’s always a crowd pleaser no matter where it is, and people can’t seem to get enough of it.
We’ve seen it a few times and of all the great custom cars and insane paint jobs, this Nash always stands out and draws a crowd. Making a pass at idle, it lunges forward on the lopey cam and just the slightest rap on the throttle sends the car jumping like a playful puppy. We’ve seen Metropolitans with small blocks stuffed between the aprons before, but this one is our favorite. Even the blower on the 502 ci BBC seems to take up more room than this car has to offer.
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In a few pics and at various shows you can see the huge wing that was attached to the rear. The Metro-Nator has actually swallowed up the quarter-mile in about 6 seconds at just over 200 MPH! We can’t imagine what 200 MPH is like in a car that seems unstable at any speed, including at idle! But even cruising past the crowd at low speeds is fun to watch, and we approve. So what’s the wildest V8 creation you’ve seen making the cruises in your local town?