They do it different up in Canada, which is where Thierry Kozlovic lives. His idea for his Model A sedan was to use simple tools to get the desired effect (emulating old-school methods), but to also do it on the cheap, which meant doing everything himself.
Theirry's wife found the car for him in a local classified, but it wasn't in good shape at all (in fact, Theirry uses the word "rotting" to describe what he got). But persistence usually pays off and, coupled with the thought that building a hot rod might be good therapy after his father, Dario, died, he jumped into the project with both feet.
The sedan was both chopped and channeled 5 inches, and Thierry made his own firewall, visor, and grille shell. The roof section came out of an '07 Chevy, which meant he also had to create new driprails.
Inside the car Thierry made the seats and dash and, though he installed all of the upholstery, he doesn't sew, but he says he would have done that, too, if he knew how. If the bright green paint doesn't get him noticed, then the 409 that was stroked to 452 inches and then blown probably will. A TH400 transmission uses a reverse manual valve body, and the power runs back to a Ford 9-inch rear that is equipped with 35-spline axles.
The green and white color combo Thierry picked for the car sure makes a statement, and it's accentuated by the wide whites that wrap the Radir wheels. Thierry says he has a lot of heart and soul poured into his ride and, judging by the finished homebuilt product, he must have an abundance of both.
We're Looking For Nice Hot Rods
We want photos of your street rod, whether it's under construction or finished. Send us a handful of good, sharp, 4x6-inch photo (not inkjet) prints in the mail to the address below or email digital images (each should be least 1 MB in size, or just set your camera at its highest setting) of the front and rear three-quarter views, the engine, and the interior. Camera phone shots aren't good enough quality. Email the info about you and your car to eric.geisert@sorc.com, or mail the prints and specs to: STREET RODDER / Early Iron, 1733 Alton Parkway, # 100, Irvine, CA 92606. SORRY, PRINTS WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
The roof section of the sedan...
The roof section of the sedan came out of an '07 Chevy while the area under the rear window has been louvered (accented with a liberal amount of fine-line pinstriping). Thierry says the taillights are bomber lights taken off a World War II-era B-17.
The interior reveals a lot...
The interior reveals a lot of Thierry's work. The section behind the custom seats is where the gas tank is, and a four-point rollcage along with four-point seatbelts adds extra levels of safety. Thierry also made his own dash (which has been autographed by customizer George Barris) and a multitude of gauges located in the floor console, dash, off the column, and out the window keep Thierry abreast of what's going on with his ride.
You might think a blown 409...
You might think a blown 409 would give someone enough power, but not Thierry! The big-block has been stroked for a final displacement of 452 cubes-more than enough to push the car down the road to the corner grocery store.