Rodding USA May/June 2022

There are one hundred reasons rodders got hooked by the hot rod/street rod bug. For some, it was the folks you hung out with, or maybe your parents were rodders. The car magazines had a considerable influence on many, or maybe it was how they were portrayed in the movies could have done it. Once we were hooked, we purchased that first rod. Many new folks to the rodding culture would buy, build and sell, while others never parted with their first or one of their first cars. The “not parting” with a particular car scenario brings us to three rodders who found that “right” rod and decided it would be a permanent fixture in their lives. Rick Love and his 1939 Ford Coupe featured in Issue 55, Thom McDonald’s…

Many rodders will talk about the “ONE THAT GOT AWAY” when referring to a car they really didn’t want to sell but did. But, unfortunately, my “ONE” is a list an arm’s length long, so I would rather talk about the “ONE THAT DIDN’T GET AWAY.” About 38 years ago, I was looking to build another rod. I’d had many unfinished cars over the years, including a ‘23 T-bucket, ’32 Ford P-Up, ’32 Rockne, ’46 Ford, and a host of others, but I wanted one that I could complete. A rod that would be different from the rest but just like ‘em at the same time, and it had to be roomy and comfortable enough for the family. After all, I wanted them to be with me at the rod…

Al & Julie Miller live life with a sense of adventure like most hot rodders do. They like to travel, see new places, and meet new people. In 2014 they planned to drive cross country from Wisconsin to California with several other hot rod friends to attend the L.A. Roadster Show. Unfortunately, they had to change their plans at the last minute, and their friends went without them. Al & Julie never lost their desire to do a cross-country trip in a hot rod. After the Covid pandemic hit and a long and cold Wisconsin winter, they decided 2022 was the year to do it. Maybe it was that sense of adventure, maybe it was simply "cabin fever," or maybe they're just a little crazy! The L.A. Roadster Show was…

OWNER: Al & Julie Miller – Verona, WI. CHASSIS: Unknown manufacturer, everything painted gloss black with polished stainless fasteners. FRONT SUSPENSION: Chassis Engineering dropped axle, disc brakes, four-bar, Pete & Jake's shocks. REAR SUSPENSION: Ford 8-inch, 3.25 gears, triangulated four-bar, coil-overs. TIRES: Front - Michelin 165/80R15. Rear - BFG Long Trail TA 265/75R16. WHEELS: Painted Steelies - front 15x5, rear -16x7. ENGINE: 327ci Chevy with early Fenton tri-power intake, Rochester 2GC carbs, Sanderson headers, Zips water pump riser. TRANSMISSION: Chevy Turbo 350, Gennie shifter. BODY: Wescott, with front seat moved back 4-inches, original '32 firewall glued-in, paint is "dark black" by Gordy, Rootlieb 25-louver hood, '37 taillights on cut down '32 stands with Lime Works Zephyr style lenses. INTERIOR: Black leather by Dean, Stewart-Warner gauges.…

(Note from the Editor: Longtime subscriber Frank Brown recently participated in The Amelia and shared a few photos of the 90th Anniversary of the 1932 Ford exhibit.) The Amelia was held for the 28th year over the weekend of March 3-6 at The Golf Club of Amelia Island in Florida. The Sunday Concours d’Elegance showcased 215 incredible vehicles, including the 1932 row. FOR INFORMATION ON FUTURE EVENTS: WWW. AMELIACONCOURS.COM…

Thom McDonald jumped into the street rod scene in the early seventies, and like so many others, his first car was a coupe. Perfect when you are single or recently married but not so perfect when the family begins to grow. So the hunt was on for a larger car, and after following many leads, he came across a 1933 Plymouth Sedan in central Tucson for the sum of $300.00. It was a non-running car with good sheet metal, which made it an excellent choice to street rod, and he liked the unique shape versus the more popular Ford cars. In addition, street rodding in the seventies was a family affair, and the back seat would allow the whole gang to pile in on the upcoming adventures. He opted for…