A Custom Tradition

My first encounter with Pat Keating's radically customized '48 Chevy coupe was at a trade show in Louisville, Kentucky, early last year. It literally knocked my socks off, and I immediately dragged our VP of Editorial, Tom Vogele, over to the booth where it was displayed, so he too could experience this metalworking marvel firsthand.

Tom has a hands-on history in street rod building, including having worked for Boyd Coddington and contributing heavily to an Oakland-winning roadster, so I knew he'd appreciate what he saw. To say he was impressed with the car is probably an understatement, and the same goes for most all who come across it at a rod run--it knocks you dead in your tracks.

Pat is a retired metal finisher, resides in Brooks, Kentucky, with his wife Linda, and has had several significant cars under his belt in the past 45 years he's been involved in the hobby, including a '50 Merc for Billy Gibbons. When asked about his current car, and why he built such a radical piece (which ultimately consumed some 3,700 hours of his time over a 15-month period), Pat isn't shy, saying (with tongue firmly placed in cheek), "To be on the cover of a magazine!" Now obviously, everyone with a similar goal doesn't succeed, and if that's all one builds a car for they could be cruising for a big disappointment.

However, as Pat well knows from his years of involvement, if one does win an award or find their car in a magazine as prestigious as STREET RODDER, it's just icing on the cake. So what did consume all of those months in building this Stovebolt anyway? Well, for one thing, METALWORK, and lots of it!

Pat started with a '48 Chevy coupe he'd purchased back in 1990 for $1,000, but when he finally decided to get serious with building his no-holds-barred creation, more modern underpinnings in the form of an '80 Chevy Malibu chassis were felt in order. However, to make the coupe fit the 108-inch wheelbase chassis, Pat had to shorten the body some 7 1/2 inches. Also, to start the lowering process, which would later be enhanced with air suspension from Airlift Co., he dropped the body over the chassis for a 6-inch channel, utilizing the donor Malibu's floorpan.

He also chopped the top some 5 1/2 inches, removing the upper B-pillars in the process for a hardtop look, but that was only for starters. Pat also moved the cowl rearward 6 inches to create a longer, better proportioned front end, angling the windshield back at a greater rake, then moved the lower B-pillar back an equal amount to the cowl for door fit.

Now you'll have to understand that all of this slicing and dicing was going on simultaneously, as Pat had a vision of what the car should ultimately become, so when I mention that he also sectioned the body 6 inches through its midsection to get it just right, you shouldn't be at all surprised.

This was just about it for any sheetmetal of 1948 origin, as virtually everything else was formed from 18-gauge steel, including the hood, upper cowl, front fenders with openings for Mercedes headlights, engine compartment, rocker panels, decklid, rear pan/taillight panel, and swoopy dashboard and interior sculpting. The grille and rear bumperettes (which house custom taillights) were first carved from wood, then taken to the Ashley Aluminum Foundry to be cast, and finally plated by MetalBrite. Such intensive labor and attention to detail is rare in the construction of any car, but well worth the effort if one wants to see his vision fulfilled without compromise.

To detail his dream even further, Pat called on Taylor's House of Color in Louisville to apply Orange, Purple, and Green Pearl basecoat/clearcoat, and Bill Scott of the same city to cover the interior in tan leather. Underhood there beats the heart of a super detailed small-block Chevy with custom, body-matching air cleaner. Wheels are 17-inch Colorado Custom Leadvilles wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber--and that's the name of that game. Let's hope that Pat has another street rod dream in the works, because the staff can't wait to see it in the metal. Cover car...hmm?