Once a hot rodder, always a hot rodder-a true statement if i've ever uttered one, and one perfect example is that of Richard Graves of Richard's Wheel & Chassis in Long Beach, California. Richard has been a tried-and-true hot rod fanatic for well on 51 years so far, with no end in sight. in fact, when he's not busy making other folks' hot rod dreams come true, he's throwing together some awfully smooth rides for himself-take this cool little coupe, for example.
Like any self-respecting hot rod nut, Richard always has an eye open for a potential project. Recently, while perusing the local weekly classifieds rag, he came across an ad for a relatively complete '29 A coupe. The car was in fair condition, so Richard snagged it and brought it back to the shop (a story in itself ). once home, he stripped down the car and sold off everything but the sheetmetal (pretty much recouping the cost of the car), all the while planning the build in his head.
Richard is partial to Chevy's little 262 V-8, which will pull a lightweight hot rod around town and down the freeway with little effort. its small displacement makes for a cool-running powerplant that'll behave well in bumper-to-bumper traffic snarls or fairgrounds cruising.
Richard's plan was a no-nonsense ride based on the K.i.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) principle-nothin' fancy, just a basic, fun little hot rod; as you can see, he hit the nail on the head.
With the coupe's body being massaged back into shape by pal Jeb Scolman, Richard began the task of building a foundation for his soon-to-be pristine body assembly. He started out with a pair of Deuce 'rails, to which he added the appropriate crossmembers to transform it into a perimeter frame assembly. To that he added '36 Ford transverse springs front and rear, and a combination of a 5-inch-dropped tube axle fitted with '40 Ford spindles and drum brakes, a split wishbone, and a pair of Pete & Jake's shocks up front. out back, a drum brake 9-Ford rear, radius rods, and Panhard bar round out most of the chassis assembly, while a custom-fabricated pedal assembly, full complement of steel brake and fuel lines, and a Vega steering box finish it off. Richard then chose a quartet of steel F-100 15-inch wheels and blackwall tires to get it rolling.
When it came to choosing a drivetrain, Richard opted for an oft-overlooked powerplant-a mid-'70s 262 Chevy V-8.These diminutive engines were used for a couple of years in the Chevrolet monza and are known for offering enough power for a lightweight hot rod along with cool running due to their small bore size. He then backed the 262 to a T5 five-speed, adding a bit of off-the-line punch to the cruising comfort of that extra gear-besides, real hot rods have three pedals.
With the chassis complete, the next step was the mounting of the newly massaged and freshly painted sheetmetal. Richard chose to restore the body back to its original configuration, passing on any alterations other than the replacing the stock hood-side louvers with a set of '32 Chevy hood-side doors (a neat idea that adds a bit of pizzazz to an otherwise resto-style look). Richard chose to treat the coupe's cock-pit to a fresh new interior that's as unobtrusive as the car's exterior.
Richard's six-month project culminated in perhaps one of the nicest A coupes we've seen in a long time, and his less-ismore build style made for a car that's as much fun to admire as it is to drive. Then again, those are traits Richard's creations are well known for in Southern California. We can't wait to see what comes next from his Long Beach digs-and you know we'll be waiting, camera in hand.
A clean and simple interior perfectly complements the coupe's traditional styling and carries the K.i.S.S. principle all the way through the car's styling. | 
This unchopped highboy coupe is a breath of fresh air in a world of heavily chopped and channeled hot rods (not that we have any qualms about chopping and channeling, mind you). | 
The one major custom concession the coupe enjoys is the neat hood-side conversion Richard chose to perform. The use of '32 Chevy hoodside doors on the A hood adds a classy touch that looks right at home on the traditionally styled rod. |