For 25-year-old Joshua "Josh" Shaw, life is about cars-street rods, go-karts, even drag racing lawnmowers. The recent Columbus (Ohio) College of Art and Design graduate works for Wade Hughes Hot Rod Flames, often laying flames or doing the finish pinstriping, as well as sometimes doing body or fabrication work. The Milford, Ohio, resident has also founded his own company, Shawboy Motorsports, where he does welding and fabrication as well as flame layout, hand pinstriping, and concept drawings. Bobby Alloway, Fred Warren, George Poteet, and Chuck Lombardo have all hired Josh for his talents.
But life beyond work is wheel-oriented, too. Josh has a '32 Ford Tudor sedan, which he has owned for 5 years and takes "everywhere." The '32 has actually been around longer than Josh, having been built in 1968 by Steve Hanaus of Middletown, Ohio, who attended the first street rod nationals with it. The car has gone through several owners and makeovers, including one version which earned it the Pro's Pick at the '82 NSRA Nationals. In the mid-'90s a new owner gave it yet another makeover, this time with billet and power everything, trailering it to most shows. When Josh purchased the car, it had been in an accident, and when the owner took it in for repairs, he found more work than he bargained for, so he decided to sell it.
Josh purchased it and spent 3 years transforming it into its current look. Everything on Josh's '32 was made prior to 1969 except for the frame. The body has been chopped 3 1/2 inches and is painted black suede. Josh did all the bodywork and painting himself. Simplicity is the key for the inside with an original Eelco hand fuel pressure pump and a Harley-Davidson brake pedal for the accelerator. The dash features Stewart Warner gauges and custom pinstriping by Josh and is signed by Pete Chapouris, Big John Mazmanian, and Tex Smith. Other special features include an original Moon gas tank and a louvered hood from the '50s.
A '67 Chevy 327ci engine with a '69 Muncie four-speed transmission powers the Ford. Among the mods are a different cam, a Corvette intake, a Bel Air generator, and a Speedway Motors header kit. Josh used a hand press to drill the'40s Ford So-Cal Speedshop dropped axle made in the '60s and then used a 9-inch Ford for the rear.
Josh did much of the work himself but was quick to give credit to his father, Dan Shaw, and friend Darren Steed. Jack Strunk and Greg Vonluehrte helped him do some of the work, as well as "answered hundreds of questions at all hours of the day and night," according to Josh.
When Josh told us that he drives his street rod "everywhere," it wasn't an exaggeration. In the 2 years the car has been on the road, Josh has been to 12 events, including multiple Goodguys and NSRA shows, as well as a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats and weekly cruise nights. He even drove it to his college graduation!
Attending these events gives Josh the opportunity to experience his favorite part of street rodding, being with other rodders. He said, "I've built a lot of lowriders, and when I show them, it's always the same-people at those events are only interested in what they have and don't care about your ride. At a street rod event, even the most different rodders will talk and compare notes, that's what makes things interesting and fun."
In his spare time, Josh races go-karts and dirt modifieds and has three track championships and many feature wins to his credit. He's drag raced four-wheelers, pedal bikes, and even a flamed lawnmower. He also recently completed a '60s-style chopper with a 5hp Briggs & Stratton engine for cruising around car shows. One day, he hopes to build a clone of the Pierson Brothers coupe.