Table of contents for Issue# 35 in Rodding USA

Throttlers SLC car club member Allan ‘Kipp’ Winward has had his ‘36 Ford coupe on the road for just on 4 years now. He was lucky enough to get the ‘36 back in 2002 in trade for body and paint work he did on his boss’ 1913 Studebaker. Kipp’s initial idea was to have a ‘30s era Ford that could be mistaken for an early custom such as the Calori coupe or the Pierson brother’s coupe. With the original plan to convert the ‘36 to a 3-window, Kipp had purchased a roof and doors to do the conversion. He soon changed his mind after being told it was impossible to chop a 5-window and make it look right. That was a challenge he couldn’t pass up, went ahead, and started…

The art world is well known for having a particular name for any style of art. Whether it is abstract, baroque, or modern, the art community is always quick to label a work of art as a particular style. Similarly, we do the same thing within the hot rodding community, which is fitting, considering how these cars are works of art as well. Need an example? We are pretty sure that at some point you have probably uttered the term traditional, high tech, or resto-rod. None the less, sometimes the lines become blurred between these categories. We have all seen a street rod with a traditional look or what could be described as a high tech custom. While defining these terms can be somewhat challenging, we seem to know how…

Without fail, speed enthusiast from around the world made the pilgrimage journey to the hallowed grounds of Bonneville Salt Flats for the 70th anniversary of speed week. This was the first year in many that the worry of rain wasn’t hanging over our heads; instead, we were all anxious with anticipation to see if the rumors of near perfect salt conditions were true. The previous 4 years had left the salt less than desirable to be on, whether you were racing or not racing, it was messy. The crowds were thinner than in past years, and the car count was down which meant that the staging waits were a lot shorter. Many were expecting another year of wet, lumpy and loose salt, which kept many folks away this year. Luckily,…

Now that we have got our act in gear, what do we do about the lock-up converter? The Original Equipment Manufacturers (O.E.M.) control the converter with a computer. We don’t have a converter or a lot of money and don’t want to spend a lot to get the benefits of the automatic overdrive and the lock-up converter. Several different kits are available to control the converter with prices ranging from about fifty dollars to around four hundred dollars. Some kits require partial disassembly of the transmission. As with so many things in life, “you get what you pay for” if your careful. We want the benefits without the expense. We are using a rebuilt 700-R4 with a stock converter. Not being electronics experts, we need to keep things simple. We…

Bob Cliff was hunting for a 1932 Ford in 1967, and on Thanksgiving weekend he ran across a gentleman in San Bernardino, California who was selling his Deuce Roadster because he had too many projects. The car was a rolling project which included Kinmont disc brakes, ’39 Ford rear end, ’39 Lincoln Zephyr transmission, and Ardun heads which unfortunately were not included in the $600.00 sale price. Who would have known that 51 years later Bob and his Deuce would be friends forever? In 1995 Bob decided he needed to get the Deuce back on the road after 11 years of storage and began the update. The ’32 would receive a new frame, hairpin radius rods, front disc brakes, Vega steering box, rear ladder bars and a Ford 8-inch rear.…

Joe Harris of Tucson, Arizona has been hot rodding for many years, and in 2017 he decided to build another car to commemorate having built his first ground-up car in 1967. Having worked in the industry including a stint as owner of an antique/ hot rod retail store, he has built and accumulated lots of parts over the years. Since car #1 was a ’23 T with a sprint car nose, he decided to go ahead and build another modified track roadster with this one being a 1927 Ford. Joe built the chassis from 1-1/2” x 3” steel tubing with a 3-inch Z in the rear while tapering it to fit the body. It also features front and rear suicide perches along with custom aluminum side skirts. Up front sits…

The objective of Project RPU was to build a traditional looking hot rod using only new parts from 63 aftermarket manufacturers scattered across the U.S.A. and provide a cool mascot for Rodding USA Magazine. It all began in June 2015 when Brookville Roadster delivered the perimeter frame to me at the L.A. Roadster Show, and it wrapped up with driving the car around the Fairplex and being displayed inside of Building 4 of the same show three years later in June of 2018. Throughout 18 issues of Rodding USA, the entire build process was documented in the pages of Rodding USA. We started with a solid game plan of using all new parts to build a traditional looking hot rod. These incredible manufacturers went beyond the call of duty in…

OWNER: Allan ‘Kipp’ Winward CAR CLUB: Throttlers SLC CHASSIS: ORIGINAL ‘36 Ford - Modified FRONT SUSPENSION: Original ‘36 axle dropped 2-inches, stock wishbone, ‘36 springs with reversed eyes, ‘39 Lincoln brakes, stock Houdaille shocks, ‘39 Ford steering box. REAR SUSPENSION: Stock ‘36 rear end, Houdaille shocks, ‘39 Lincoln brakes. WHEELS/TIRES: Stock 5-inch wide wheels front and rear with 6.00 x 16 Coker wide whites – front, 5.5 x 16 Firestone wide whites – rear. ENGINE: 1953 Mercury flathead, 4-inch Scatt cam, Scatt H-Beam Rods, Ross pistons, Barron Heads, Edmonds intake, 2 Stromberg 48’s, Fenton cast headers. TRANSMISSION: ‘39 Toploader, 11” truck flywheel and clutch, the stock closed torque tube with grafted in Gear Vendors overdrive unit. BODY: ‘36 Ford 5-window coupe chopped and modified, 1939 Nash grille, ‘41 Ford bumpers,…

“Over 600 hot rods customs, street machines, muscle cars, and trucks came out on September 1st, with well over 3,000 spectators.” The Hot Rod Hullabaloo started in Danville, Kentucky by my cousin Kirby Stafford in 2007. What began as a “free” potluck dinner with 25 cars and about 50 people has grown every year since. Pre-62 hot rods and customs were the focus in the early years, and later we decided to invite every make and model with a focused area just for the pre-62 community. The Hullabaloo relocated to Lexington, Kentucky in 2013 and is now owned and promoted thru Shelby’s Way, a 501c3 nonprofit. This event is held every year on Saturday of Labor Day weekend and is still a “free” event (we take donations at the gate)…

Mel Lawyer of Taylorville, Illinois owns a small collection of hot rods and enjoys building and driving them, with his blown small-block Chevy-powered ‘32 Ford roadster being his favorite. But, what could be more fun than driving around in a hot rod, than driving with a bunch of your like-minded friends? To that end, Mel created the Roadsters of America page on Facebook and then invited all to join him on a cruise. The Midwest Roadster Run took place on Saturday, September 22, 2018. For those who arrived in town on Friday evening, the Best Western Premier motel provided excellent lodging, while the FBI (Fat Boys of Illinois) provided cold drinks and refreshments in the parking lot. Roadster pilots met up in Alton, Illinois just downstream a few miles from…

To help celebrate the NSRA’s 50th Annual Street Rod Nationals, Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop has been named as the builder of one of the two 2019 Street Rod Nationals Giveaway cars. A 1932 Ford Roadster was unveiled on Saturday, August 4th during the 49th Annual Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, KY. The roadster project is being built on a timeless foundation of pushing traditional form with function. The project centers around a Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop built ‘32 Ford chassis, ‘32 Ford Roadster steel body from Brookville Roadster, and a Boss 302 engine from Ford Performance Parts built by Automotive Specialists Racing Engines. The roadster’s line-up of parts features a number of Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop signature line parts as well as product from many well-known name brands within the…

My name is Vic LaBantschnig, and my obsession for Chevrolet Nomads began in 1955 when a neighbor bought a new 1955. It was the first in the neighborhood and incredibly unique. station new wagon caught my was attention. Most station any wagons had four-doors and were slated for use by a family that needed to carry several passengers. The styling of the Nomad carried a sporty look with shiny chrome trim. It was the type of vehicle that might appeal to the owner of a ranch or horse farm or maybe a business wanting to project a particular image. Another feature was the selling price. It was positioned at the top of all other models of Chevrolet except the Corvette. It created a lot of interest, but limited production kept…

French Lake Auto Parts is a family run business that opened its doors in 1956 and has been selling antique/collector parts ever since. During the last 62 years, the inventory has changed considerably as the 1920-40’s cars continue to dwindle, but there is still plenty of old iron in the yard. The 100-acre yard is located 60 miles west of Minneapolis/Saint Paul and features vehicles dating back to the 1920’s. The yard is clean and organized, and you are allowed to pull your parts or have the staff pull them for you. Besides the classic car inventory, French Lake also has a vast selection of newer model parts and provides a scrap metal recycling service. For information on the current parts inventory, you can give French Lake a call or…