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Words: Tommy Parry
This wasn’t Hank’s first street rod. He’d built another ‘38 Business Coupe in the '80s; but nearing retirement, he picked this one up eight years ago with the intention of giving it just a little extra.
He picked this machine off of eBay for a reasonable price. As a California car, it wasn’t corroded much. The first order of business was adding a modern frame which could provide the cornering he was after. After consulting Street Rod Garage in Grant, Alabama, he had them build a frame with independent suspension, Wilwood brakes, QA1 coilovers and all the accommodations for a BBC and a 6-speed transmission. In the rear, they added a Ford 9” rear and a Watts linkage. Not only would this ol’ beauty turn heads, it would deploy its power effortlessly.
The next step: putting together the perfect powerplant. While the Smeding-built 572 resembles a BBC from the outside, it’s completely custom with a Dart block, AFR heads, a Dart intake manifold and a 4-barrel 950 Quick Fuel carburetor. With the perfect fit of Sanderson headers, he was able to install them without a hiccup before fabbing his own 3-inch exhaust.
The engine’s 700 horsepower is sent through a McLeod hydraulic clutch and onto a Tremec T-56 gearbox. Once passing through the Ford 9-inch rear, it is sent to a set of 12x20” Circle Racing wheels wrapped in BFG rubber.
With the powertrain and footwork sorted out, Hank began hacking up the interior. A few spots of rust in the tool tray and underneath the passenger door pushed him to trim a bit of metal, which eventually turned into replacing most of the floors to accommodate his widened rear tubs, the bigger Tremec transmission and the relocated fuel tank — which he moved from just behind the driver’s seat to a space under the trunk.
Other tweaks to the cabin included a set of Speedway bomber seats, a new headliner, several decorative aluminum panels and reddish-brown leather inserts to make the bomber seats comfortable for longer hauls.
Interested in retaining the classic aesthetic, Hank opted for a set of gauges from Classic Instruments. However, he wasn’t so committed to keeping the car appearing period-correct that he went without modern creature comforts. To keep the look consistent while enjoying some of the amenities the 21st century had to offer, he hid the controls to the Autosound radio and Old Air A/C system in the glovebox, along with the brake bias knob.
He then turned his attention to the front end, where he added an Aristocraft aluminum grill with an original chrome surround and removed the front bumper. He even removed the rear bumper for good measure, and fabricated a panel to cover the gap. Hank also fitted original chrome handles and windshield wiper motors for a bit of glitz, but all while keeping a generally subdued appearance.
All along, Killer Hot Rods in Arlington, Texas assisted in the build, focusing mainly on the car’s body and appearance. They completed the bodywork and applied a distinct coat of olive green paint, which perfectly compliments the reddish-brown interior. That combination of classic shapes, a modern powertrain and suspension and a tasteful coat of paint snagged a couple awards at the Goodguys show in Ft. Worth this past year.
First, he won the “Best Car on BFG Tires” award before returning six months later and winning a “Top 10 in Builders Choice.” Not surprisingly, this stunning ‘37 Business Coupe was sold off four months ago to a happy owner, who can now enjoy Hank’s painstaking attention to detail, great taste and preference for high-quality parts. Lucky guy.
