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Painless Performance Products presents Street Rodder Top 100
For the Top 100 program, STREET RODDER attends 10 particular car shows each year and picks 10 vehicles at each to make up the Top 100. For more on where those shows are and how they're voted on, check www.streetrodderweb.com.  Paul Gommi, San Pedro, CA...  Paul Gommi, San Pedro, CA / 1932 Ford highboy phaeton
Wanting to build a traditional hot rod, Paul Gommi went so far as to not add anything to his original steel body that wasn't '50-era period perfect. A supercharged 21-stud engine (with homemade pulleys and much more) powers the ride and the car was completely built at home, including paint, body, engine, and upholstery.  Dave and Merianne Pharr, Fremont,...  Dave and Merianne Pharr, Fremont, CA / 1954 Buick Special
Making a bold statement with its Monterey Red and Atomic Orange paintjob, the Pharrs went all out with their ride, taking four years to build it. A ZZ4 350 motorvates the Buick, and Hayward Auto & Marine Upholstery supplied the threads to the cavernous interior.  Don and Carol Bickel, Sebastopol,...  Don and Carol Bickel, Sebastopol, CA / 1940 Ford woodie
Starting with only a cowl, Don Bickel built his wood 'n' steel wagon at home. He picked parts, such as the TCI Engineering chassis and the LS1 motor along the way, and had Nickels Automotive Woodworking supply the necessary wooden pieces.  Bill Reichenberg, Broomfield,...  Bill Reichenberg, Broomfield, CO / 1951 Ford Tudor
What looks fairly stock to the casual observer isn't. Other than the stance, you wouldn't suspect Bill's Tudor rides on an Art Morrison chassis and Halibrand wheels while it gets its horsepower from a 392 Hemi underhood that's connected to a Tremec five-speed trans. Zoomer's Automotive Garage in Denver did the stylish build on this one.  Kirk Jones, Concord, CA /...  Kirk Jones, Concord, CA / 1927 Nash speedster
What was once a '27 Nash two-door sedan became roofless one day when Seret Speed & Custom's Matt Seret removed the upper section of the sedan to create a prop for one of David Perry's girl-and-hot rod photographic creations. The nose, grille, and hood section plus some of the body panels are made of aluminum, and the ride is powered by a 194-inch Chevy four-cylinder equipped with triple 45DCOE sidedraft carbs.  Chris Sage, Costa Mesa, CA...  Chris Sage, Costa Mesa, CA / 1930 Ford roadster
You don't need to go over the top when building a Model A roadster, as Chris Sage shows us how he did it with a TCI Engineering chassis, Brookville body, a Ford 5.0/AOD engine-and-trans combo, and Wheelsmith spoke wheels color-matched to the interior of the car.  Dennis Scroggs, Twain Harte,...  Dennis Scroggs, Twain Harte, CA / 1951 Chevy tin woodie
The original plan was to build a rat rod with his truly ratty and rusty wagon but, the more Dennis Scroggs got into the project, the nicer the car became. A 383 stroker (with 400-plus horsepower) is underhood, and the wood graining was expertly laid down by the late-Craig Clemens.  Jack Loveall, Rio Linda, CA...  Jack Loveall, Rio Linda, CA / 1941 Cadillac Series 62
There aren't a lot of '41 Cadillacs running around, and even fewer of them have been made into a street rod. With a pie-cut hood, decked rear, and door handles shaved, you might think "nice custom," but the 429 Cad motor underhood tells you "hot rod!"  Jerry Cvitanich, San Jose,...  Jerry Cvitanich, San Jose, CA / 1940 Ford Standard sedan
Based in Bend, OR, Orv Elgie built this ride (and a matching '40 coupe) for Jerry Cvitanich and his wife. All the creature comforts (air conditioning, tilt wheel, Mustang II IFS) were added along with a 350/350 engine-and-trans combination.  Jim Palmer, Pleasanton, CA...  Jim Palmer, Pleasanton, CA / 1932 Ford highboy roadster
Jim Palmer, or "JC" to his friends, bought this roadster in 1971, but it was originally done as a hot rod in 1946 and it ran at Bonneville in 1952 as the Pacific Gunsight Special. Palmer restored it a few years ago; it still carries its Flathead engine, '40 trans with Zephyr gears, Halibrand quick-change, and large-face Stewart-Warner gauges. Tech Tip
Computers and Welding
Never weld on the chassis or other parts of your ride without disconnecting the battery and also the computer, if so equipped. Electrical surges from welding can cause internal circuitry failure in a computer and could cause gases from the battery to explode. Alternator Output
When choosing an alternator for your ride, always ask what the output is at idle. We all idle around the fairgrounds and the output at idle is more important than the maximum output rating. Be sure to only purchase one that has a minimum of 70 amps at idle.
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