|
|
When designing and building traditional hot rods and customs is not only a passion but also how you also make your living, you can only imagine how intense the creativity cauldron can get. Many builders are fortunate enough to inherit a birthright coming from a family with a rich history steeped in hot rod tradition and culture. Derrick Pesko, of Meriden, Connecticut, grew up flanked by classic hot rods since his dad always had something brewing in the garage; be it a chopped '50 Ford or an early coupe. When your 5th birthday gift was a go-kart, and you spent all your time with your head buried in little books and model kit boxes, it's easy to figure out where your path will lead. Starting with a '57 Chevy... Starting with a '57 Chevy 283ci V-8, Derrick had Bruce Moro, of Allstar Hot Rods, assemble this road burner. Filled with plenty of go-fast goods, including Keith Black pistons and a Summit Racing stick, it gets fed by a pair of Stromberg 94s to help the exhaust sing loud and clear. Working shoulder to shoulder with his dad in the shop, Derrick's capabilities evolved as he started to gain confidence with each buildup. After graduating from high school, his skills led him to the collision repair world where he put in a number of years while also working nights in the family shop on personal and customer projects. With demand increasing for his custom work, he took the big step and opened Allstar Hot Rods in Berlin, Connecticut, along with good friend Mark Coppola, a decade ago. Together the pair has turned out many notable cars, some of which have even graced the floor at the annual SEMA Show. Yearning for a small personal filler project to work on after hours, Derrick started looking for an uncompleted roller that would allow him to infuse plenty of his signature style, while not having to start from the ground up. Research led him to the Internet, which is a lot like playing roulette, depending on the honesty of the seller. He found a '28 Ford Tudor sedan in Louisiana that seemed to be a perfect candidate. The pictures looked good, so a deal was made and the car was delivered to his shop. What the seller had represented and what actually rolled out of the trailer left a lot to be desired. Derrick's heart sank when he saw the cobbled mass of mutilated steel that he paid good money for leaving him with only two options: to toss the project or do a full teardown and start fresh. Never one to let something get the best of him, Derrick took on the challenge to prove he could make something out of the withered Model A. After bracing the body so it wouldn't collapse after it was removed from the chassis, Derrick fully inspected the original Deuce spine. He noted it was cracked in many places, and that the crossmembers and motor mounts had been incorrectly installed. After a complete disassembly, he first repaired all of the cracks, and then followed by boxing the 'rails for additional strength. From there he added a '40 Ford X-member and fresh Model A front and rear crossmembers, while also C-notching the rear, pinching it up front, and tapering it to fit the Model A body perfectly. Wanting to follow a traditional theme he installed a '48 Ford rearend suspended by a Model T rear spring and a pair of Allstar Hot Rods custom fabbed ladder bars, while Wintec Fabrication friction shocks smooth out the bumps. Up front, a Super Bell 4-inch dropped axle combined with a Speedway Motors reversed-eye leaf spring and split '48 Ford 'bones scream nostalgia, especially when combined with '40 Ford spindles and Wintec Fabrication friction shocks. One of the notable features of the completed chassis is how deftly Derrick fabricated the exhaust routing through the rear sides of the rails. To get a killer rake, a set of '35 Ford 16-inch wires were topped with a classic big 'n' little combo of Firestone-Coker all-black rubber to keep the car's nose in the dirt. Classic seats from an old... Classic seats from an old movie house were artfully adapted and covered with a combination of blue striped fabric and maroon vinyl by Guy's Auto Upholstery. A '32 Ford coupe dash is filled with a '40 Ford cluster while a '40 Ford steering wheel and Lokar shifter help navigation. To give the sedan plenty of off-the-line performance, Derrick located a '57 Chevy 283 and had Allstar team member Bruce Moro load it with performance and appearance. With everything coated in custom-blended Bordeaux vibe, Moro filled the block with a stock crank and rods linked to a set of Keith Black slugs complemented by a lumpy Summit Racing camshaft. The stock heads were then given a special tweak and treated to a set of Edelbrock finned aluminum crowns while induction comes from a pair of Stromberg 94s riding shotgun atop an Offenhauser intake capped by a Vintage Speed adapter. To put the power to the pavement, a warmed-over GM TH350 transmission spins the gusto through an Allstar-designed driveshaft. With most of the mechanical elements behind him, Derrick now focused on the pile of rubble that loosely resembled one of Henry's brighter moments. To first bring plenty of strength back to the body he repaired all of the rusted and deteriorated sheetmetal and followed by replacing all of the original wood with steel. He then recessed the firewall, added a custom-fabbed recessed gas filler, and new floors. Throughout the build, Derrick studied the car trying to decide whether the body would need a chop. A decision was made to zip 2 inches from the sedan's lid, giving the body the final bit of soul the car needed. Once all of the bodywork was dialed in, Derrick filled his spray gun with custom-blended DuPont Benny Blue, and laid down the mile-deep gloss. Aggressive Firestone-Coker... Aggressive Firestone-Coker dirt track-style rear tires are all business from this angle especially when teamed up with '37 Ford taillights, a vintage Connecticut license plate, and flawless custom blended DuPont ChromaOne paint, applied by Derrick. In the final assembly stage, the entire crew at Allstar, including Mark, Bruce Moro, Dale Cavanaugh, and Tyler White pitched in to bring the car near completion. With the uniqueness associated with every Allstar build, the interior would receive an injection of personality ensuring the car would always get more than a second look. Derrick came across a unique pair of vintage movie theater seats and modified them to fit. Working with Guy's Upholstery in East Hartford, Connecticut, they were covered with a combination of blue striped cloth and maroon vinyl while the floors received a basic black loop pile carpet. A '32 Ford coupe dash filled with a '40 Ford gauge cluster helps monitor the vitals while a '40 Ford steering wheel plots the course and gear changes come fast through a Lokar stick. A rollaway roof cover by CZ's Upholstery in Southington, Connecticut, lets the sunshine in on those long drives when Derrick and his wife, Danielle, hit the road. This is one hot rod that proves fortitude got the job done. We're sure Derrick's dad would have been proud to see this car grace the field of any car show knowing it already has loads of hard road miles under its belt.
| FACTS & FIGURES |
| Derrick and Danielle Pesko |
| Meriden, Connecticut |
| 1928 Ford Tudor Sedan |
| CHASSIS |
| Frame / Manufacturer |
'32 Ford / Ford |
| Wheelbase |
107" |
| Modifications |
Pinched and tapered to fit body, boxed, |
|
'40 Ford X-member, C-notched rear and |
| notched front, '28 Ford rear crossmember, |
| exhaust custom routed to exit frame |
| Chassis plumbing |
Steel |
| Rearend / Ratio |
'48 Ford / 4.11:1 |
| Rear suspension |
Model T spring, Allstar Hot Rods (Berlin, |
|
CT) custom ladder bars, Wintec |
| Fabrication friction shocks |
| Rear brakes |
'48 Ford drum |
| Front suspension |
Super Bell (Peculiar, MO) 4" dropped axle, |
|
Speedway Motors (Lincoln, NE) reverse- |
| eye leaf spring, '40 Ford spindles, '48 Ford |
| split 'bones, and Wintec Fabrication friction shocks |
| Front brakes |
'40 Ford with cooling scoops |
| Master cylinder |
'65 Mustang |
| Steering box |
'56 Ford truck |
| Wheel covers |
'35 Ford |
| Front wheel make, size |
'35 Ford wire, 16x4 |
| Rear wheel make, size |
'35 Ford wire, 16x4 |
| Front tire make, size |
Firestone / Coker (Chattanooga, TN), 5.00x16 |
| Rear tire make, size |
Firestone / Coker, 8.90x16 |
| Gas tank |
Custom by Allstar Hot Rods, 16 gallon |
| Other chassis items |
Allstar Hot Rods custom swing pedals, |
|
powdercoating by Compo's (Wallingford, CT) |
| ENGINE |
| Make |
'57 Chevrolet V-8 |
| Displacement |
283 ci |
| Assembly |
Bruce Moro, Allstar Hot Rods |
| Pistons |
Keith Black (Southgate, CA) 9.5:1 |
| Camshaft |
Summit Racing (Akron, OH) |
| Cooling fan |
custom by Allstar Hot Rods |
| Radiator |
Perrault's Radiator (Meriden, CT) |
| Alternator |
GM one wire |
| Heads |
stock |
| Valves / Springs |
Summit / Summit |
| Rockers |
Summit |
| Valve covers |
Edelbrock (Torrance, CA) finned aluminum |
| Manifold / Induction |
Offenhauser (Los Angeles, CA) with |
|
Vintage Speed (Vero Beach, FL) adapter / |
| Stromberg 94s |
| Ignition / Wires |
stock / Moroso (Guilford, CT) |
| Headers |
Custom, Allstar Hot Rods |
| Exhaust / Mufflers |
2-1/4" steel / never! |
| Other engine facts |
Moon (Santa Fe Springs, CA) liquid filled gauges, Snyder fuel block |
| TRANSMISSION |
| Make |
GM TH350 |
| Converter |
stock |
| Shifter |
Lokar (Knoxville, TN) modified by Allstar Hot Rods |
| Trans mods |
B&M (Chatsworth, CA) shift kit, trans cooler |
| Driveshaft |
Allstar Hot Rods |
| BODY |
| Body style / Material |
Tudor sedan / steel |
| Body manufacturer |
Ford Motor Company |
| Body mods |
2" chop, rear of body channeled 2", |
|
custom fabbed floors and firewall, all |
| body wood replaced with steel, recessed |
| gas filler, removable roof cover all by |
| Allstar Hot Rods |
| Hood |
custom with blisters, Allstar Hot Rods |
| Grille |
'28 Ford, filled and peaked, grille guard insert, Allstar Hot Rods |
| Bodywork |
Derrick Pesko and Dale Cavanaugh at Allstar Hot Rods |
| Paint type / Color |
DuPont ChromaOne / Custom blended Benny Blue |
| Painter |
Derrick Pesko, Allstar Hot Rods |
| Headlights / Taillights |
Guide / '37 Ford |
| Other body items |
glass by Meriden Glass (Meriden, CT) |
| INTERIOR |
| Dashboard |
'32 Ford coupe, modified |
| Insert / Gauges |
'40 Ford / '40 Ford |
| Stereo / Speakers |
Sony / Sony |
| Insulation |
SEM (Charlotte, NC) spray in bedliner |
| Wiring |
Custom cloth covered, Allstar Hot Rods |
| Steering wheel |
'40 Ford |
| Steering column |
'40 Ford, modified |
| Interior mirror |
'48 Ford pickup |
| Seats |
Vintage movie theater, modified to fit |
| Upholsterer |
Guy's Auto Upholstery (East Hartford, CT ) |
| Material / Color |
cloth and vinyl / blue stripe, maroon |
| Roof cover |
CZ's Upholstery (Southington, CT) |
| Carpet |
black loop |
| Seatbelts |
Speedway Motors |
| Other interior items |
vintage heater made into fuse panel cover |
|
|