Father and son projects are common in many hobbies, and since hot-rodding is not only a sport, but also a hobby, it is no exception. A typical “for instance” is Monte Trone’s ‘33 Ford coupe, built jointly by Monte and his father. Ike Trone. Mr. Trone did the custom body work, while his No. 1 son built the ¼ stroker engine, and both collaborated on the immaculate chassis and the unique suspension. The only item of construction that couldn’t be handled “in the family” was the special race-car nose, which was done by Virgil Smith, who, like the Trone clan, resides in Long Beach, California.
Monte is a member of the Cavaliers, a group of car construction enthusiasts noted for their safe driving campaign which included making an educational movie…