Wild Sedan

When building street rods runs in your family, there are certain perks that go along with it, especially when you're the dad and your son starts his own street rod shop. This is the case with Denny Terzich, owner of the '37 you see here, and his son Denny, Jr., owner of ProRides in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. ProRides has been responsible for turning out some serious show cars and street machines, even winning the prestigious Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award in 2002 with a beautiful '56 Chevy. If you keep up with Summit Racing's latest project cars, you will undoubtedly have seen the '61 Ford Starliner, dubbed SR61, that ProRides is currently building. Mix that kind of quality work and the fact that Denny Senior has been building cars for over 45 years, and you can easily understand why the '37 sedan you see here turned out so bitchin'.

This project really started out when Denny and his son were talking cars, and the suggestion came up to build Senior a new ride. Denny Senior has owned many cars over the years, but had owned the same '34 Ford sedan for the past 30 years. We can imagine the decision to sell the '34 to make room for a new project must have been like giving away your right arm; however Denny Senior couldn't be happier with '37 and looks back on the '34's sale as just a new chapter in his hot rodding life.

Once the decision and sale were final, Denny knew what car he wanted the first time he laid eyes on the Canada-based Wild Rod Factory fiberglass '37 Ford sedan body. Obviously after owning a '34 sedan for so long, Denny is a true-blue sedan lover, so why not stick with that theme and build another sedan? This time around, however, the sedan in question was an ultra modern version of Ford's '37. Some of the cool updated styling features incorporated in these bodies include the one-piece curved laminated windshield, room for 13-inch tires in the rear, and of course, the exaggerated bodylines and curves that really make these bodies stand out. These bodies are hand-laid and cured for the best in fiberglass technology. That was obviously enough to catch the attention of the Terzichs, and the rest is history.

Since Wild Rod Factory also manufactures a nice 2x4-inch frame designed for these bodies, it was a natural choice. The chassis features all the right stuff, including a Mustang II IFS, a Currie 9-inch Ford rearend with four-link, Wilwood big brakes, and an Air Ride Technologies ShockWaves at each corner for that slammed-down look we all love so much. A Ford SVO master cylinder sends pressure to the Wilwood brakes, and a Maval Manufacturing rack and pinion keeps it all rolling in the right direction. Once the chassis was smoothed out and painted, the one-off set of Bon Speed Wild Thang 18- and 20-inch billets were bolted in place as the icing on the cake. Because this car acts as a rolling advertisement for ProRides while having some serious miles added to the odometer, Denny had a solid-as-a-rock Chevy 350/350 combo installed, featuring World Product iron heads, a deburred and color matched Tri-power setup with Rochester carbs, custom valve covers, and Vintage Air's Front-Runner bracket and pulley system.

It seems shameful to cover up all that beautiful chassis work, but the Wild Rod Factory sedan body is a thing of beauty all of its own, especially after receiving a thorough going over by the boys at Elstner's Rod & Custom out of West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. These guys added a set of Vintique headlights and a pair of LED taillights from a Yamaha motorcycle just before Jeff Elstner went to town, applying the stunning PPG Concept Orange paint. Gary Constable of Mutant Art in Louisville stepped in, applying graphics to the valve covers, dashboard, and faux body trim with a V-8 insignia on the rear of the body. All the bright work on the car was masterfully plated and polished at Bill's Chrome of Jeanette, Pennsylvania.

With the outside and underbelly looking so sweet, the interior was going to have to be something very special. This task was given to J.C. Auto Trim of Irwin, Pennsylvania. It turned out to be the right choice, as one look inside this car will attest. The interior is a combination of Allante and ostrich materials in white and orange that stretches throughout the headliner, over the Fiero bucket seats, and even across the floor. Audio Communications installed the Custom Autosound Secret Audio sound system and Painless Performance Products wiring kit. Rounding out the interior is a beautifully painted dash with a set of white-faced gauges from Auto Meter Products; a Billet Specialties steering wheel, column, and interior mirror; and a B&M Racing & Performance Products Street Bandit shifter.