When Sidney Allen was in high school in 1960, he owned a ’32 three-window with a Chevy 265 and three-speed trans that was built by Dick “Magoo” Megugorac. It’s a cool story in and of itself, but Sidney lived in Texas, and not a lot of kids his age, let alone too many other people in that state in 1960, had a California-built hot rod!
With its leather-covered TEA’s...
With its leather-covered TEA’s Design seats and simple dash design (with five VDO gauges laid out in an engine-turned insert), the interior to Sidney’s Vicky looks the same as it did when he picked it up from Magoo in 1985. There have been some minor additions since, but you wouldn’t notice them.
By the mid-’80s, Sydney was still roddin’ around, and he’d found a steel ’32 Victoria outside of Houston or, more accurately, he located a frame, body, and fenders for a Vicky. Once again he turned to Magoo for his expertise, and soon Magoo had taken the parts Sidney had given him and found the rest of what he needed to finish the project.
Up front, a traditional dropped I-beam axle and four-link suspension setup was used, while out back a Jaguar IRS went in, which Sidney reports greatly improved the ride of the car. The classic hot rod look was enhanced when each corner got wire wheels (7-inchers out back with 5-inchers up front) with a rubber rake as well as caps ‘n’ rings. Perfect for the time frame, a tuned-port 350 was installed along with a TH400 transmission. Sidney drove the car in this configuration for a couple of decades, but thought an update would be in order a few years ago; it all started with a motor.
Sydney had found a 354 industrial Hemi motor at a scrap yard, and soon the engine was delivered to legendary engine builder Art Chrisman in Southern California. It was Chrisman’s task to build the Hemi, and the only items used from the original motor would be the block, crank, and rear sump oil pan. A Hilborn electronic fuel injection system was also used, as are solid lifters, a pair of aluminum heads from Hot Heads Research & Racing, and a Tremec five-speed trans. Dick Holt made the unique blower system out of billet aluminum. Chrisman is not a fan of having a lot of accessories hanging off the top of the engine (after all, it blocks the view of what’s important) so he made brackets to suspend the generator and air compressor off the bottom of the motor.
With its leather-covered TEA’s...
With its leather-covered TEA’s Design seats and simple dash design (with five VDO gauges laid out in an engine-turned insert), the interior to Sidney’s Vicky looks the same as it did when he picked it up from Magoo in 1985. There have been some minor additions since, but you wouldn’t notice them.
A polished 6:71 blower tops the big-block and, with the Hilborn injection and aluminum air scoop bolted to the top of that, the Hemi takes up a lot of space in the engine compartment. To compensate, metal craftsman Steve Davis made the hood sides from scratch for Sidney’s Vicky, creating small blisters (they figured a 354 had less deck height than a 392, so the blisters didn’t have to be as large to clear the engine) before rolling the louvers into the sides.
Inside, five VDO gauges are centerstage in the dash, and the same leather interior installed by Magoo back in 1985 is still in place. The carpet had to be modified though when Chrisman had to move the firewall back a few inches due to the Chrysler going in up front. TEA’s Design buckets were used for the pilot and copilot and the steering wheel (with its wooden rim painted black) was made by the owner. The vents at either end of the dash are for the Vintage Air system.
The business end of the hot...
The business end of the hot rod is the Art Chrisman-built, 6:71 blown, Hilborn-injected 354 Hemi. Hot Heads Research & Racing aluminum heads were used, and Dick Hart fabbed the pulley system out of billet.
Chrisman also worked on some exterior items for the car, including the nerf bars up front, and also massaged the rear spreader bar area by tucking the taillights in and moving the bumper brackets down. Sidney still owns his original ’32 from the ‘60s as well as several other vehicles, including a ’56 Ford F100 that was featured in The Rodder’s Journal No. 9 in 1998 (with the truck’s Chrisman-built motor displayed on the cover). It seems there’s no stopping him and his devotion to hot rods, and we’re all the better for it!
Sidney Allen
Longview, Texas
1932 Ford Victoria