There's always something interesting happening in hot rodding, and this can be directly attributed to one-of-a-kind, original-thinking individuals who live in our world. This month's featured cover car represents the fauxtina look, as it has grown to be a noteworthy addition to our hobby. The liberal use of both old and new (muriatic acid was used to age) parts gives these cars a place of their own.
The Dynaliner Deuce highboy coupe belonging to Scott Whitaker of Hamilton, Ohio, is the latest (and possibly the most creative) in a run of these cars. If this car looks vaguely familiar, you either attended the 2005 SEMA show or saw pictures of the featured vehicles. You may remember the "half car," or the half of a Bonneville coupe with the .5 number on the door. It was a hit at the show, but it also brought the point home for Dynamic Control, the manufactures of Dynamat, as an excellent traffic builder for its booth. (Dynamat is a solution to unwanted noise and vibration commonly found in many aspects of life-not just our hot rods.)
What you see may not be the entire story with the Dynaliner Deuce coupe. Scott, who makes his living with marketing, understands the hidden meaning and the importance of appealing to the creative souls in all of us. Therefore, the coupe is loaded with read-between-the-lines messages.
This car was built at Scott's hot rod shop, Speed Kings of Cincinnati (famous for faux'd automobiles), which is manned daily by Josh Shaw and Jamie Reedy, but Charlie Mallory, Ben Whitaker, Scott "Slick" Williams, and Jason Smith also contributed mightily to the overall project. With Scott's creative guidance, all the guys put in the hours, and we do mean hours, having built both the .5 car and the 1.0 car.
Let's take a closer look at the coupe and see if there is more than meets the eye. Look closely at the license plate. It appears to be a state of Ohio license plate reading 999 AU. Yes, but what does it mean? Well, the number designation of 999 is a tribute to Henry Ford and the 75th anniversary of the Deuce. According to Ford Motor Company records, Henry was seeking investors in his soon-to-be motorcar company, and, in an attempt to gain notoriety, had famous driver Barney Oldfield pilot the 999 car in 1902 and '03, breaking several speed records. In 1904, Ford achieved the publicity he desperately needed by breaking two records in the Arrow (sister car to the 999) on a frozen lake in St. Clair Lake, Michigan; he set a speed record (91.4 mph) and covered the mile in 39.4 seconds. And what about the letters AU? Well, for those of you who fell asleep in chem class, find yourself a periodic table. Clue: Look closely at the 79th element titled Au-it's gold. "Hmmm," you say, "the car is gold in color-that's clever." Well, the story isn't finished. Note that it's also the 75th anniversary of the Deuce and the traditional anniversary gift is a diamond, but the modern gift for the 75th is, you guessed it, gold.
The D/C class distinction painted on the side of the car truthfully stands for Dynamic Control, the company that markets Dynamat. For the record, if we were trying to get the right designation, the car would be an XF, which designates a Ford- or Mercury-production Flathead V-8. It too would carry the letters BG for blown gas, or possibly BGCC for blown gas competition coupe, but you get the drift. (Editor's Note: Yes, we are aware of the pre-'59 class designations, which were later turned around.)
One fun appointment is the spreader bar, which is made from an early Ford wishbone; and, while it is the rear spreader bar/bumper, note that it features a relatively quick release that allows Scott immediate access to the quick-change. Look closely at the pushbar and it too may look familiar. It's a pushrod all right, but this one didn't come from any ol' small-block; it is directly from a big-boy diesel-bend and all!