1931 Ford Model A Coupe - Hammered To Perfection

It was over 50 years ago when a young Ron Lasker of Eggertsville, New York, wandered over to his neighbor's house on a hot summer afternoon following the sounds of cutting metal. Peering into an open garage door he stood pie-eyed as he saw a 1932 Ford Coupe in the early stages of being hopped-up. There was something magical about the old Deuce that captivated his senses, luring him back to the garage day after day to monitor its progress. This went on for a couple of years until the hammered coupe finally got its first breath as it rolled out of the garage. Add to this the experience of time spent with his dad, Jim, working on the family cars and you had a solid base to launch Ron's creativity when it came to anything on wheels.

It was over 50 years ago when a young Ron Lasker of Eggertsville, New York, wandered over to his neighbor's house on a hot summer afternoon following the sounds of cutting metal. Peering into an open garage door he stood pie-eyed as he saw a 1932 Ford Coupe in the early stages of being hopped-up. There was something magical about the old Deuce that captivated his senses, luring him back to the garage day after day to monitor its progress. This went on for a couple of years until the hammered coupe finally got its first breath as it rolled out of the garage. Add to this the experience of time spent with his dad, Jim, working on the family cars and you had a solid base to launch Ron's creativity when it came to anything on wheels.

It was at the same time when Ron discovered his artistic capabilities; spending countless hours penning hot rods and customs he would see cruisin' the local streets. This artistic calling led him into his future as a commercial artist who also applies his vast talents as a pinstriper, as well as a tattoo artist. While he has been able to add his brush strokes to complement plenty of cool rides and hot bikes as the decades passed, he never forgot the electricity he felt while watching the old Deuce under construction as he was growing up.

After rolling the car home, Ron wasted no time in tearing it down and letting his artistic vision flow. Having built the car hundreds of times in his mind since he was a youngster, there was plenty of enthusiasm that greeted every step. To get the right stance, Ron first focused on creating a chassis that would have the coupe slammed to the ground. Starting with the stock spine, he retained the original front framerails until they met the firewall area. Since the car was going to be heavily channeled, from the firewall back, 2x4-inch rectangular boxed steel was used to create a rock-solid base, which was widened and contoured to the inside of the body without being Z'd or kicked. Ron also crafted the front and rear crossmembers as well as all other related engine and suspension mounts from fresh steel stock. Once the frame was complete, he focused on the front suspension starting with a 4-inch dropped Magnum axle linked to '41 Ford spindles and '31 Ford split 'bones. To soften the ride a Mr. Roadster monoleaf spring combined with tube shocks from Speedway Motors did the trick while navigation moves through a '67 Ford Mustang box. Out back a traditional Winters V-8 quick-change rearend loaded with 4.15:1 cogs sets the tone while perfectly matched to a '36 Ford leaf spring, '34 Ford split bones, and QA1 Motorsports rear shocks. To round out the corners with plenty of stopping power, '40 Ford brakes with vintage finned aluminum Buick 11-inch drums get the call. Up front, a pair of Wilson Welding and Machine finned aluminum backing plates adds plenty of class to the mix while fluid is pushed through a GM master combined with steel brake lines. To nail the stance, a set of original 16-inch '35 Ford wires capped with Coker wide whites in 6.00x16 front and 7.50x16 rear skins completes the look.