Completed Builds

This 1937 Chevrolet Standard was a build for my family. Starting with a rust free body from Utah and an uncomplicated good history.  The prior owner gave up on the project and bought a running 39.  Chassis Engineering provided the components for mounting a stock length Nova rear, turbo 350, and motor mounts for a small block. We used a straight axle, kept the front leaf springs and steering column. Upgraded the front brakes with later model drums and tapered bearings with tube shocks in lieu of the knee action originals.  

The idea was to have a traditional like original good driver.  No AC and no power steering suited me fine.  The original interior was in good enough shape to recover the seats in a mohair simulation (much more affordable) and worked out fine. We obtained an aftermarket transmission tunnel from EMS Automotive in Detroit and fabricated a shifter mounting plate for a Lokar shifter. Factory steering wheel, instruments all stayed in place. A repro Bosch tachometer mounted to the column and looked period correct for the simple interior. The dome light worked too.    

We selected a stock Chevrolet 283 with a turbo 350. Drivability was excellent.  Parts from The Filling Station and Chevs of the 40s included running board covers, 12volt headlights of the original design, bumper rubber, etc.  We opted for artillery style wheels and radials, staggered front to rear. 

We wound up with a fun affordable driver that was timeless, traditional and conservative. 

This rust free example of a post car came from an estate sale in Ohio. I purchased it sight unseen and it was everything represented to be. An unmolested original body with a tired 283. We narrowed a 9 inch ford ONE INCH overall to obtain a perfect fit for the 17’ rear American Salt Flat Specials on P 255 60 17s. The front got dropped spindles, 16” Salt Flats, Carlisle spinners, manual disc brakes, QA1 adjustable coil over shocks, Adco sway bars front and rear, along with a Muncie wide ratio 4 speed.  The approach here was minimalist, conservative, and period correct. No paint, no body work. Lacquer paint was many years old and the interior was bone stock. No roll down rear windows, no dome light no radio no nothing. Perfection. First was a Bowtie headed 334 inch small journal small block. Later we added the blower setup and a Performance Rod and Custom radiator/fan/radiator support combination. Classic Instruments Hot Rod Series gauges, and a Bosch tach. Genuine Moon tanks under the hood and a muted one color engine bay. The car was a fun driver and a good design adventure.  No Regrets. Old Skool Cool.         

The T Rod as designer Don Davis called it, was a different take on an excellent design. Taken to another level altogether.  His chassis employed a fully adjustable four link rear suspension attached to a fabricated Strange Engineering housing. Front suspension was styled uniquely with the axle in the middle of the grill. Front suspension was a cantilever concept stemming from sprint car geometry. Excellent handling with no bump steer was very unique.  

Hand built aluminum twin saddle tanks were housed behind the running boards with a switch pump. The car was unique and excellent. ALL components were manufactured in house including pedal assemblies, windshield posts, steering column, dash panel, tie rods, panhard rods, every steering component, bumpers, etc.  Dan Fink Metal works crafted the shortened 32 grill specifically for this application.  Ron Davis Radiators also produced the cooling system specific to the T Rod.  

Harley headlights and 37 Ford taillight assemblies rounded out the package. This particular car won the Super Rod Magazine award at the New Orleans World of Wheels in 2005, and best in class at the Birmingham Civic Center World of Wheels. Shod in Brilliant Mercedes silver paint, R&M Diamont base coat clear coat was the formula of choice. The leather upholstery was sewn by Randy’s upholstery in Jackson, Mississippi.  Wild Bill’s Hot Rod Shop handled all of the wiring and cooling system plumbing, as well as the hand made one off spark plug wire retainers made from tubular stainless steel.  Interestingly, at the Street Rod Nationals, parked with Boyd Coddington’s group, Boyd’s wife Joe took a particular liking to the design. Boyd… Not so much. It wasn’t his idea.  It was a cool car. 

We have a rule in our family: When you turn one, you get your first car. I found this 1965 Bug in a neighbor’s garage and bought it for my daughter in 2002. Her first birthday present from me. Her mother was thrilled and so was she. We went to kindergarten in it, to the tire shop with it, and everywhere else in between. 

A pan off nut and bolt restoration was completed in 2019. The original Bahama blue color is on it, along with the factory German interior. It’s a sunroof car with radio delete, narrowed Keoki beam, Fresh engine from Donny Snyder’s place, and painted by Wayne Poe in Jackson, Mississippi with many hours invested. PPG Concept single stage paint was our brand of choice. BRM wheels and a host of other parts went into the package. 

My children assisted in the process, and we have had a wonderful time bringing it back to nicer than new.   

I purchased this Camaro in 1986 for $1800 bucks. It was a freshen up with a 327 and a powerglide, rally wheels, etc. I drove the car to Mississippi State and raced it on the weekends. 

Along came an extremely expensive thousand-dollar big block that I installed, blew up twice, and started over with My friend’s 350. He felt sorry for me. 

Fast forward to 1998. Total rebuild. 468 cubic inch motor and we went Super Street racing with NHRA in the 10.90 class.  The car was a worthy contender, runner up at the 2000 IHRA World Finals, many National Event entries, and a win at Houston’s divisional race. 

Currently it has a 421 cubic inch small block and does double duty as a bracket/streetcar. Many good memories, and a fun car to drive. 

I’ll probably be buried in it.