Once again, it's springtime and, while the rest of the country is gearing up for the summer car season ahead, the staff of STREET RODDER is breathing a sigh of relief. Albeit, only for a moment. For the past few months, the staff has been chasing down parts, running from shop to shop, and hurriedly putting words to pages for the companion books we do for the Road Tour car. Now, the fun begins. During the next year or so, the car you see before you, as in years past, will travel to National Street Rod Association events all across the wild blue yonder, clocking over 30,000 miles and making just as many envious fans. As you read this, our top pilot, Jerry Dixey, will no doubt be braving sleet, snow, hail, hurricanes, and thunderstorms to prove that street rod parts really do work!
This year's Road Tour car differs slightly from last year's version. For starters, this year's car happens to be a coupe. It's also full-fendered and slightly larger than the cars in years past. I'm sure this will make those thousands of miles traveled a little more comfortable, given what Jerry's had to brave in the past, driving open-wheeled roadsters with bop tops.
We started with a fiberglass '36 Ford three-window coupe body by none other than Arizona fiberglass master J.B. Donaldson and mated it to an Air Ride Technologies-equipped Total Cost Involved chassis. This chassis utilizes Air Rides Technologies latest technology in air-spring suspensions to ensure comfortable driving heights for those long highway miles and then still be able to get the car down in the weeds for fairground cruising. Stainless Steel Brake Corporation chipped in to get the coupe to a safe stop, with disc brakes at all four corners. A set of 16- and 17-inch, polished Wheel Vintiques were bolted on, wrapped in big 'n' littles measuring 195/55R16 in front and 235/65R17 in back.
As in years past, Roush Racing stepped up and provided a hi-po small-block stroker (342 inches) Ford motor topped by ACCEL DFI fuel injection. Delivering the grunt is a TCI Automotive-prepped Ford automatic trans and a Currie 9-inch rearend.
J.B. Donaldson Company has been in the fiberglass industry for years, making everything from aircraft parts to gigantic storage tanks, but when they started noticing the quality of the fiberglass street rod bodies available, they decided to step into the ring. To say the bodies they produce are phenomenal is an understatement. Once our body was out of the mold, a quick scuff job removed the flash, then the whole lot was sprayed with PPG product, cut, and polished to perfection. A minimal amount of bodywork was needed before paint because of the tight tolerances J.B. puts into his molds. This is a very important thing to think about when considering buying an aftermarket body as opposed to stock steel.
Our body fit together nicely, so once it was delivered to Hot Rods by Dean, the doors and fenders were hung and adjusted, then a hood-latch kit was installed and the body was buttoned up. The staff over at Hot Rods by Dean also wired the car with an American Auto Wire kit that ensured everything from the Dakota Digital gauges to the Vintage Air climate control worked in harmony. Once the car was together, wired, and running, it was sent over to get the Wise Guys seat and matching leather stitched up in traditional rolls 'n' pleats.
Building a street rod in a few short months can be very hard work. Building a street rod in a few short months that is expected to travel over 25,000 miles without skipping a beat is nothing short of miraculous. The sweat and dedication from all parties involved can never be repaid, but the fact that the Road Tour cars always receive a warm welcome from our readers and the car show fans make all the hard work worthwhile. Keep your eyes peeled for Jerry and the '36 in your neck of the woods, as you never know where he may be!
 Traditional rolls 'n' pleats cover the Wise Guys split bench seat. |  The dash is kept simple with the two Dakota Digital gauges, while a sub-dash houses the key switch, headlight switch, Vintage Air climate controls, and vents. |  One of the neat features of the Vintage Air controls chosen for the Road Tour car is the way the knobs illuminate. |
 Lokar provided the shifter, boot, and pedals that accent the German weave carpet perfectly. |  Custom-hood side panels, an illuminating nosepiece, and a one-off nerf bumper keep this '36 from blending in with the pack. |  Custom, J.B. Donaldson exclusive '39 Ford art deco-style LED taillights sit out back on each fender. |
 Like the front, the rear also got a custom nerf bar that mounts the license plate and sits between '39 style taillights. |  Seventeen-inch Wheel Vintiques Mirage wheels sit at all four corners. | |
Body: Fiberglass '36 Ford three-window coupe with 3-inch chop J.B. Donaldson Company 2533 W. Cypress St., Dept. SRM Phoenix, AZ 85009 (602) 278-4505 www.jbdonaldsonco.com | Paint: PPG Industries 19699 Progress Dr., Dept. SRM Strongsville, OH 44149 autorefinish@ppg.com www.ppgrefinish.com |
Chassis: Total Cost Involved Engineering inc. 1416 W. Brooks St., Dept. SRM Ontario, CA 91762 (909) 984-1773 www.totatlcostinvolved.com | Air Spring Suspension: Air Ride Technologies 350 S. St. Charles St., Dept. SRM Jasper, IN 47546 (812) 482-2932 www.ridetech.com |
Engine: 342ci Ford Roush Racing Performance Parts P.O. Box 51394, Dept. SRM Livonia, MI 48151 (800) 597-6874 www.roushperf.com | Fuel Injection: ACCEL DFI Mr. Gasket 10601 Memphis Ave. #12, Dept. SRM Cleveland, OH 44144 www.mrgasket.com |
Transmission: Ford AODE TCI Automotive 151 Industrial Dr., Dept. SRM Ashland, MS 38603 (662) 224-8972 www.tciauto.com | Rearend: Nine-inch Ford Currie Enterprises Inc. 1480 N. Tustin Ave., Dept. SRM Anaheim, CA 92807 (714) 528-6957 www.currieenterprises.com |
Brakes: Stainless Steel Brake Corp. 11470 Main St., Dept. SRM Clarence, NY 14031 (800) 448-7722 www.ssbrakes.com | Steering Components: Flaming River Industries 800 Poertner Dr., Dept. SRM Berea, OH 44017 (800) 648-8022 www.flamingriver.com |
Air Conditioning and Heater: Vintage Air 18865 Goll St., Dept. SRM San Antonio, TX 78266 (800) 862-6658 www.vintageair.com | Exhaust: Sanderson Headers 517 Railroad Ave., Dept. SRM South San Francisco, CA 94080 (650) 583-6617 www.sandersonheaders.com |
Radiator: Walker Radiator Works Inc. 694 Marshall Ave., Dept. SRM Memphis, TN 38103 (800) 821-1970 | Cooling Fan: Cooling Components Inc. 3948 I-40, Dept. SRM Proctor, AR 72376 (901) 336-6194 www.coolingcomponentsinc.us.com |
Shifter & Cables: Lokar Performance Products 10924 Murdock Dr., Dept. SRM Knoxville, TN 37932 (865) 966-2269 www.lokar.com | Wiring / Electrical: American Auto Wire 150 Heller Pl., #17 West, Dept. SRM Bellmawr, NJ 08031-2555 (800) 482-9473 www.americanautowire.com |
Gauges: Dakota Digital 4510 W. 61st St. North, Dept. SRM Sioux Falls, SD 57107 (888) 852-3228 www.dakotadigital.com | Seat: Wise Guys P.O. Box 211, Dept. SRM Elkhart, IN 46515 (866) 494-7348 www.wiseguys-seats.com |
Wheels: Wheel Vintiques 5515 E. Lamona Ave., Dept. SRM Fresno, CA 93727 (559) 251-6957 www.wheelvintiques.com | Oil & Lubricants: Red Line Synthetic Oil 6100 Egret Ct., Dept. SRM Benicia, CA 84510 (800) 624-7958 www.redlineoil.com |
Street Rod Association: National Street Rod Association 4030 Park Ave., Dept. SRM Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 452-4030 | Car Assembly: Hot Rods By Dean 3615 N. 35th Ave., Dept. SRM Phoenix, AZ 85017 (602) 455-9775 www.hotrodsbydean.com |