Innehållsförteckning för Issue# 27 från Rodding USA

The Yellow Brick Road Show in Liberal, Kansas took place on May 13, 2017 and drew over 400 entries from the local area and surrounding states. This year’s event was greeted with sunny skies and was once again held in the beautifully manicured Light Park with plenty of shade trees and lush green grass. Show host Bill Hill, proprietor of Billy’s BBQ restaurant and Ayr’s Lanes bowling center spent countless hours producing the show with profits going to local Liberal organizations. Bill was greeted the day before the show with news that the “Best Things Kansas” website rated Billy’s as the “Best BBQ Joint in Kansas” for 2017. The show kicks off on Friday with registration at the restaurant in the early afternoon. The parking lot is filled with…

While raising two children, Keith and Jody Hill of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma saw their custom cars change from two-seat coupes to sedans and wagons all in the name of accommodating the growing family and luggage space needed to attend shows. Once they became “empty nesters” it was time for Keith to get back to his first love, 1933-34 Ford coupes. Keith mentioned “I have had this car in my mind for most of my adult life.” So with that in mind the hunt began for “this car” to become a reality. In 1998 he met Eric Peratt, proprietor of Pinkee’s Rod Shop in Windsor, Colorado and followed his unique builds of various hot rods. In 2003 he located a ’33 Ford body which he purchased from Jim Inglese, the beginning…

Hercules Motor Car Company out of Tampa is well known worldwide for their Woody builds. When I first met Cecil Taylor and Greg Moore, owners of Hercules I was convinced I would have to find another builder for my 1937 Ford coupe because of their heavy involvement building Woodies out of their Tampa, FL shop. However, after discussing my project and to my pleasant surprise, they agreed to take on my ’37 Ford build. About a year and a half later I was enjoying my ride, not only around my hometown of Tampa, but also at various shows around the country. It wasn’t very long after that, when Cecil, Greg, and I started discussing the possibility of building a ‘32 Ford roadster. I really wanted to build a car which…

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it has been 32 years since the late Pete Chapouris took the rodding world by storm (again) with the introduction of his “Fat Attack” 1939 Ford convertible. Pete and business partner Jake Jacobs (Pete & Jake’s Hot Rod Parts) had been cranking out early Ford parts by the crate-full but very few “off the shelf” components existed for the fat fender crowd. It’s not that the late ‘30s – ‘40s “fat” cars weren’t popular but when Pete & Jake’s started producing custom “bolt-in” suspension components the cars really took off in street rodding circles. The convertible was built by some of the legends of hot rodding in four months and it was one of the hottest rods in the mid-to-late 80s. The convertible was…

85 years ago, a game changer in the auto industry was born: the 1932 single-cast, capital-F, Flathead V8 engine. Henry’s engine single handedly changed the industrial and cultural American landscape forever, not only powering 20 years of fresh-off-the-line new Fords, but giving young rodders an engine to learn on, soup up and, if you were good, invite a little envy. The Flathead didn’t enter the scene without some hair pulling by those of us who had to keep that bad boy running. When you are having trouble with a Flathead, it is usually due to one thing: too much heat. And while there is more than one way for heat to encumber the Flathead, a major failing is found in the fuel pump. THE PROBLEM The fuel in Ford’s models…

The drivetrain was completely rebuilt before the car was painted, flamed and . upholstered Tony and Bobbie Craven spent 13 years working on a 1934 Ford coupe doing a little at a time but the progress was slow. Bobbie said to her husband that he should find something that was drivable but still in need of some work. This way they could have a car to drive and attend events while putting their stamp on it. The former Coloradans who now live in Rio Verde, Arizona were attending a show in Arvada, CO when Bobbie spotted this 1939 Ford Deluxe coupe. Tony had always liked the 1935-40 body styles so this was an easy choice. All of this took place 16 years ago when the ’39 moved in and the…

Stunning reflections from your car’s paintwork does not have to be as painful as we all remember. You just have to make some adjustments in the product and technique you have most likely been using for years. Today there are products available which truly perform with such ease, making the process an activity you look forward to and enjoy. In addition, Moonshine products easily provide superior results compared to other products you purchase off the shelf. Many of my customers tell me that detailing their car has become a day of relaxing therapy versus the agony they experienced in the past. First let me state that in my opinion, a good quality Carnauba Wax used as your finish wax, will provide you with the very “Best Look”. Carnauba Wax provides…

 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the Los Angeles Roadster club and their 53rd L.A. Roadster Show. This year marks the first time that the roadster club members in their distinctive red shirts and white pants did not man the show, having handed the reins over to Rod Shows. The event still features the 1936 roadsters area, pre-1972 specialty car parking, the swap meet and vendor building. The year the club members displayed their roadsters in the vendor building. The early outlook for the weather had a heatwave hitting the West Coast and unfortunately they were right with temperatures in the mid-to-high 90s all weekend long. The plus of Southern California is that even if the mid-day temps rise, the mornings and evenings are cool. As for the…

Russ and Winnie Showers of Cedar Crest, New Mexico took a 2010 trip to Hot August Nights in Reno, NV and came back from the show owning a 4-inch chopped & channeled 1932 Ford hiboy coupe. It was a nice driver but had some issues so they began devising a plan to personalize it into their own car. The engine was rebuilt and the project was moving along until a fateful day in May, 2011 when a mini-van decided to turn in front of them. The Showers faired okay but the coupe did not. The boxed original frame was destroyed and the body suffered significant damage. Russ contacted fellow Route 66 Rodders club member Jamie Johnson and they began planning the rebuild. Once the long process of dealing with the…

Meet the Artist Rufina Smile Here is an interview with the talented Rufina Smile of Odessa, Ukraine who provided us with the stunning watercolor of Tony Huggins’ 1934 Ford coupe (Tucson, AZ) for our Artist Showcase feature. When did you become interested in painting/drawing? I’ve been drawing since early childhood. I studied by myself and after school and then enrolled in the art university. Why did you choose cars as a subject? I admire sports and unique classic cars. Furthermore, I drive a car and really love traveling. I’ve been painting cars and motorcycles for 3 years, trying to convey the soul of the car with watercolor paints. What sparked your interest in automobiles? I guess I was born with this love. To some people machines are just iron but…

The right stance is different depending on the car and the style of the build. Key factors affecting stance: • Body rake (angle in relation to ground level) • Body height in relation to the centerline of front and rear wheels (how low the body sits on the chassis) • Type of roof chop (how much, amount front vs rear of roof, position of “A” pillar) • Tire/wheel size and proportions (front vs rear and to the body lines or openings) 1933/34 FORD STANCE A comment from a friend “that’s a very nice looking sedan that you own, it has the right chop and stance” caused me to ask the question – Where key elements do some ‘33/34 Fords have that make you say they have the “right stance?”…

Every car guy/girl has their idea of what would make the ultimate garage. Most of us will settle for a 2-4 car shop, but others not only think big but build big and/or bigger. “Flat Top Bob” Owens, owner of Owens Salvage Company in Wellington, Texas did just that. OSC was founded in 1964 by his father Robert, who at the time owned a filling station which would grow into a rather large automotive salvage company which is now run by Bob and his wife Linda. Bob began collecting old signs (including neon) in his teens, scouring the surrounding towns, farms, digging through the city dumps and finding them on buildings. Thanks to his foresight, he stored them in various buildings at that salvage yard with the plans of restoring…

The criteria for the Hot Rod of the Year competition is rather simple. The cars are 1948 and earlier and have to travel on a 100-mile drive through Nashville and the surrounding countryside. They also take a trip down the 1/8-mile drag strip at the Music City Raceway. Goodguy’s “press release” also states that…“It makes noise; it’s regularly street-driven, has a mean attitude and screams the words “Hot Rod.” No cream puffs!…

 Roadster Pickup Having just returned from the L.A. Roadster Show, it wasn’t only seeing so many cool roadsters but getting to photograph Don Lindfor’s stunning orange ’32 RPU and now I’m really excited to get the Rodding USA RPU on the road. This issue finds us getting closer to the goal with several key components adding to the final look of the car. The car traveled to Rob Cochran’s Bonzer Customs shop where he took on the rear hood hold-down plates and filling the rear upper portion of the bed. He also had the task of doubling the capacity of the glove box and fabricating a storage tray under the passenger side of the dash for both storage and hiding the a/c-heater hoses. We also added a swing-out…