The dash is a Brookville steel...
The dash is a Brookville steel panel with a full complement of Classic Instruments gauges with a Billet Specialties steering wheel riding on top of an ididit column and a floor-mounted Lokar shifter.
The Brookville (Brookville, Ohio) '29 highboy roadster body sits on a '32 Ford frame that began its hot rod life at Magoo's Auto, then owned by Dick "Magoo" Megugorac back in the mid-'80s. The 106-inch wheelbase was retained and then massaged to handle the traditional rodding fare of the day; pinched to accept the Model A body, solid front and rear axle, big 'n' littles, Chevy V-8, and lots of attitude. Things happen and while the project languished in Ed's garage the time would come when he would drag it out and decide once and for all to get 'er down and hauled it off to Brizio's. In a short time Roy's crew had it together, and for the last year we have been waiting to shoot the car, but Ed had to get the engine just right. Well, he did and we're glad we waited.
The front suspension is housed around a Super Bell chrome-plated tube axle with accompanying spindles, Vega steering, monoleaf spring, Pete and Jakes chromed tube shocks, and 10-inch rotors with Wilwood calipers. The rear suspension is based on a Ford 9-inch rearend, which in a street rod is as common as, well a Ford street rod! Still it doesn't hurt to do it right and this one is done right. Centered via a four-link, the ride falls to a pair of Aldan coilover shocks and a rollbar. Making sure this hot rod can stop a healthy set of Wilwood four-piston calipers, wrapped around 11-inch rotors are in place. Pressing the brake combo into service is a Magoo pedal assembly through a Corvette dual master cylinder and prop valve.
Eric Vaughn worked his magic...
Eric Vaughn worked his magic on the Halibrand-style 15x8 rear wheels shod with Firestone Indy rubber measuring 255/70R15s.
We mentioned big 'n' littles and let it be known that any hot rod, especially a highboy, is judged a success or failure based on its attitude and a great deal of this is determined by the wheel-and-tire combo. Eric Vaughn put the Halibrand-style wheels measuring 14x6 in front and 15x8 in back wrapped with Firestone Indy rubber, 195/60R14 in front and 255/70R15 in back.
The Brookville steel body is true to Henry's view, well almost, with the addition of a rear pan. Although not visible in the pictures there's a top and it sports a 3-inch chop as do the windshield and posts. Liberal amounts of Ferrari Red (Tony Nancy recommended the color) are sprayed over the Guy Ruchenet massaged sheetmetal by Darryl Hollenbeck of Vintage Color Studio (Concord, California). Other tin work includes a Hageman aluminum three-piece hood and a Dan Fink Metalworks (Huntington Beach, California) stainless steel grille insert. Other appointments include painted sealed beam headlights, the omnipresent teardrop '39 Ford taillights, external mirrors from Valley Auto Accessories, and liberal amounts of brightwork was supplied by Sherm's Custom Plating (Sacramento, California).
The front suspension is housed...
The front suspension is housed around a Super Bell tube axle, spindles, P&J shocks, and a Wilwood disc brake package.
Inside rests a Brookville steel '32 dashboard with Classic Instruments (Boyne City, Michigan) gauges, an ididit (Tecumseh, Michigan) steering column, with a Billet Specialties (La Grange, Illinois) wheel and mirror, a floor-mounted Lokar (Knoxville, Tennessee) shifter, and lots of Dynamat (Hamilton, Ohio) insulation. The chore of making all the electrics work fell to Jim Vickery of Brizio's and he based the wiring off of an Enos (San Luis Obispo, California) Black Box fuse panel. The custom twin bucket/bench seat was stitched in Connelly natural leather (tan) by Sid Chavers Upholstery (Santa Clara, California), who also installed the square weave tan colored carpeting. (Tony Nancy was originally going to stitch the interior but he died before he could do the job. He'd recommended the Connelly natural leather in tan.)
When asking Ed to sum up his longevity he was quick to say, "Had I stayed with just one type of engine my entire career, I'd probably be long gone. What has kept my juices going is all the different engine projects, with so many great people. I guess I'm like a goose: Every day is like a new life. Each project is new and exciting, and the passion's still there. I'll still do some consulting here, and you'll see me at some of the races. I've had a '36 Ford, three-window coupe, sitting in the back shop since 1976 that my good friend Harry Hibbler found for me, I haven't touched it yet. When I retire, that's what I'm gonna do."
Ed began tinkering in 1948 and is still busy today but he is quick to thank a list of "who's who" in hot rodding for mentoring him along the way: Lou Baney, Vic Edelbrock Sr., Bobby Meeks, Fran Hernandez, Don Towle, Frank Barron, Eddie Meyer, and Chickie Harishima. Ed learned from the best and learned well.