For most, the work on the chassis may seem like a huge undertaking; for Cole and crew, it was merely the appetizer before the main course: the bodywork. As previously mentioned, it was necessary to remove the B-pillar and stretch the doors to make the coupe into a three-window. Beyond that, Cole meticulously brought the roof down, taking out metal from various locations (including the beltline) to keep everything in proportion and not squish the windows beyond reason. Filling of the insert was done with a section taken from a '50 Chevy pickup roof. He also reworked the tops of the doors, ridding the existing unevenness normally overlooked. The one-piece hood is all handbuilt, and like the doorframes (and many other areas), its shape flows smoothly, free from factory flaws. Below are Rootlieb one-piece hood sides, but as you'll notice, they've been retrofitted with louvers that angle more as they approach the cowl-something many doubted at first. If you step back and let your eye follow the last vent upward, it will carry on through the A-pillar without interruption ... like it was meant to. Along with the fenders being molded to reshaped running boards, skirts were fabricated to flush-fit in re-arched wheel openings, while the trunk perimeter was taken from its rumble-seat squareness to a shape that now accents, rather than distracts, from the body lines.
With the metalwork complete, the world got its first preview of the masterpiece in progress. In The Rodder's Journal #27, the '36 occupied more than a dozen color pages, including the cover, despite its lack of color. The car became an instant kustom icon; the feature's editor, Pat Ganahl, stated, "The average person looking at a car, even in bare-metal form, usually has no clue what's been done to it, at all." No, maybe not for the most part, but even the average person could not deny that this car is pure art. Some even questioned covering all that skilled craftsmanship in paint, but it had to be done. In the past, Cole relied on Jesse Cruz for this portion of his projects. However, Jesse had since gone to work for Don Orosco as head painter at his restoration shop. Well, Don was gracious enough to allow the car to be dressed in black at his place, but even then, this guitar solo was far from over.
Once back from paint, Kirk's coupe was now ready for all the laborious finishing exterior details. From the handmade stainless windshield frame to the narrowed '38 Ford rear bumper (with a sectioned, chopped, and narrowed '49 Chevy license guard) to the polished and back-painted Grille Art stainless grille, there was plenty of tedious work to handle. Other features include '36 Chevrolet headlights, which have been altered to nestle in the fender coves Cole fabricated, along with '40s era Studebaker taillights set in the reshaped rear fenders. Finally, 16-inch Kelsey-Hayes-style discs conceal a set of 15-inch steelies from Wheels of Steel. The spun-aluminum covers were fit with beauty ring clips to attach to the smaller wheels, while the centers were filled with '49 Ford horn buttons. B.F.Goodrich Silvertowns from Coker Tire fill the remaining voids.
The second and final time the car ever left Salinas Boys was for the interior. For this, Cole relied on Morrow Bay upholsterer Jimmy Z. Basing ideas off renderings originally penned by Jimmy Smith long ago, the two collaborated in an attempt to mimic the coupe's art deco style and quality on the exterior. At first, the combination of olive green, reddish brown, and tan may seem odd, but one look at the resulting interior proves otherwise. The headliner is actually comprised of individual crescent wedges formed together in a tongue-and-groove fashion. The bench seat may be stock but has been modified to a great degree. Behind it lies an abundance of Kicker sound system components in enclosures by Thomas, and behind that lies the most intriguing compartment-the custom guitar "case," which was basically the only main requirement for Kirk. Along with that, a small amp has been wired in, giving Kirk the ability to "plug and play" at will.
Along with Jimmy's artistic efforts, there's quite a bit of fabrication on Cole's behalf to be found inside the car. The dash has been widened (depth-wise) with little remaining Ford items. Portions from a '56 Olds dash have been frenched to the right and left, rid of their Fab '50s style and given a more deco look. The steering wheel is an N.O.S. British item, which will remain anonymous, mated to a LimeWorks stainless column, while the shifter from Gennie has been topped with swirled-marble knob shaped by Cole.
There may be more to be told, details not delved into, secrets unrevealed, but the story has to end somewhere. For Cole, the story may never end, as Kirk's car in essence is his. What had already been designed and built in his head has now been given life, and none of this would have been possible if it weren't for one thing: full creative control. Only time will tell what will become of Cole's own '36. Unfortunately, if he and the Salinas Boys continue turning out cars of this caliber, that may remain a mental figment for some time.