A '37 Lincoln rearend (chromed...
A '37 Lincoln rearend (chromed centersection with painted bells) still keeps its stock 4.27 gears.
Once the bodywork was massaged by Eli English, he applied the Sherwin Williams/Planet Color (Warrensville Heights, OH) Root Beer metallic paint; pinstriping flowed from the brush of Larry Hook (Cumberland, RI). The fuel tank consists of a pair of custom dual saddle tanks, while other appointments include a pair each of E&J headlights and '37 Ford taillights. A very cool touch is the restored vintage license plate by Xtreme (Slatersville, RI) where the touring also went through its final testing and detailing before leaving for the Grand National Roadster Show and competing with the boys for recognition as America's Most Beautiful Roadster.
Residing within the pampered sheetmetal rests custom seating fabricated and stitched by Steve Pierce; both benches are covered in black satin vinyl with German square weave carpeting in charcoal hue. The dashboard is later-model Ford, this time from a '34 roadster pickup outfitted with Stewart Warner Wings series gauges, several SO-CAL Speed Shop (Pomona, CA) switches. Ronnie St. Cyr (Gilmanton, NH) crafted the custom cloth wiring harness while the under dash gauge and wiring panel was aptly handled by Nick Acton.
Earlier on you read about a Nailhead V-8 and Muncie four-speed. The foundation is a `64 Buick 425 Nailhead punched out to 437 inches and featuring a Kenne-Bell MK2A bumpstick. The machine work and final assembly was performed by Reid's Automotive (Whitman, MA). Induction is a huge focal point on this Buick; a factory dual-quad intake with a pair of 500cfm Edelbrock (Torrance, CA) Thunder Series AVS EnduraShine carbs with a progressive linkage are nestled beneath the vintage Cal Custom air cleaners. Other noteworthy engine appointment include the Powermaster (West Chicago, IL) PowerGEN alternator--in a generator's clothing, Buick finned aluminum valve covers, Joe Hunt (Rancho Cordova, CA) distributor--in a magneto's clothing, The Hot Rod Company (Deerfield, WI) 7mm woven satin black primary wires with Rajah knurled plug ends. The headers are custom by One-Off Technologies. Keeping this hot V-8 cool is a FlowKooler (Paso Robles, CA) aluminum water pump, a U.S. Radiator (Vernon, CA) TripleFlow radiator and a custom fan shroud by Steve Pierce. Other engine details include; the block deburred and painted by Eli English, custom brackets and stainless fuel lines by Nick Acton, and the intake manifold ground smooth by Competition Specialties (Walpole, MA).
The tranny is traditional hot rod lore, a Muncie M20 four-speed equipped with a Hurst (Chatsworth, CA) vintage Competition-Plus with custom shift handle by Steve Pierce (the shift knob comes from Starlingear of Burbank, CA). The tranny was rebuilt at B&L Automotive (Medford, MA) and between it and the diff is a driveshaft by Bruce Gilbert of Gilbert Driveline (Manchester, NH).
If you ask Kim what is the most memorable moment in the short (and hopefully long) history of her touring, she will tell you being the 2nd woman in 60 years of the storied GNRS as a contender for the coveted AMBR 9-foot trophy.
(Editor's Note: For an in-depth look at a female's perspective by Kim Vranas on building a hot rod and readying it for the Grand National Roadster Show go to www.streetrodderweb.com and read the rest of the story.)
Nestled within the T-touring...
Nestled within the T-touring is a '34 Ford roadster pick-up dash with Stewart Warner Wings gauges.
The hot rod delivers on its...
The hot rod delivers on its promise to blend late-`40s style with early `60s power via the vintage Nailhead V-8.
One of the signature trademarks...
One of the signature trademarks of a traditional hot rod is the Houdaille shock with a dog bone link. The front spring is a POSIES' with curved edges.