Words: Tommy Parry Images: Brian
Some builds begin with a chassis that only a mother could love. This ‘29 sedan was one of them, but by the end of the lengthy build, it would be a motorcar fit for kings. Rusted and weathered, this chassis needed a lot of care and consideration, but at least it was straight. With plenty of steel and a classic Ford grille to get things moving, Brian got started on this gorgeous frame.
The frame used 2x4x3/16” tubing. It’s 27” wide and the “z” in the back is 17" tall. It narrows from 27" to 19" from the cowl to the grill. With bits of iron used at the corners and kickups, he added stiffness to the chassis and designated points for the body mounts. While some rat rods aren’t the safest machines around, this particular monster would be sturdy in an incident and have the rigidity to put the power down effectively.
The front axle had the wishbone split and he tacked the bungs on for the heim joints. Brian drilled the frame for them to bolt to, and started building the brackets and joints for the air shocks. After a few arduous weeks, he had the shock towers finished, lower shock mounts finished, frame slugged at radius rod mounts and rear links installed; what a beauty.
With the panhard bar attached and a workable frame underneath him, he mocked up the 289 small block Ford and bolted a C4 automatic transmission to the rear. Making the motor mounts into works of art was almost incidental, but it looks as if he spent plenty of time planning and shaping these gems. What a sight.
Those solid motor mounts would make the machine a real fire-breather, but that was always the intent. If there was a little given in the way of comfort and civility, it would have to be in the form of an Airmaxxx system. It’s much more likely, though, that it was chosen just for sheer coolness. Once the air compressors were mounted and the floor given some substance with 1x1x.188” tubing, the entire skeleton and foundation was there for a bonafide, road-ready beast.
Next came a radiator, a trimmed grille and a cowl-mounted steering box from a ‘49-’54 Ford. My goodness, did she become a stunner overnight.
Encouraging stuff. Next, the transmission, torque converter and driveline were installed. The seats, wrapped in leather, made the interior a comfortable place to reside when cruising down the boulevard. A yellow-flaked steering wheel, a mile-high shifter fit for an Ed Roth painting and a minimalist gauge cluster made up the rest of the spiffy insides.
For continuity, the Rocket kidney-bean wheels received a coat of yellow-flake paint. Underneath those rims went a set of Speedway disc brakes. Truly incredible!