By Dale Moreau – Photography By the Author
Not much is known about the past of this nicely simple Ford coupe. Steve Frisbie started his business, Steve’s Auto Restorations (SAR), over 40 years ago. Many car projects have passed through his shop and out again, emulating the original, but now stand as shining examples of the coachbuilder’s art.
One day, a man drove his car to SAR to get an estimate for a paintjob. Since his budget was limited, he said that if the cost was too high, he might as well sell the car. Steve quoted him on the price of a show-quality SAR paintjob, and with that the man decided to sell the car. Steve asked what he had in mind for a price. Steve covered the difference, while it was well below market value, and bought the car.
It was then sent to Detroit to be scanned for a project at SAR to create a reproduction of the 1933 and 1934 Ford bodies. It was completely disassembled during the process and then reassembled. After removing the dots used during scanning, the body was buffed and polished and the fenders were repainted. It is a solid body with only one modification: the setback to the firewall for the Chevy 327ci V-8 engine and a new set of Bob Drake running boards. That motor is fitted with a 1962 Corvette intake manifold and four-barrel carburetor. SAR’s floor manager, and go-to guy for anything automotive, Chuck Barr, rebuilt the 1939 Ford transmission with Lincoln Zephyr gears and the 1940 Ford Banjo rear axle. The old Ford is running 15-inch chrome Lincoln wheels, reversed in the rear with 1948 Lincoln hubcaps, wrapped in Coker wide white tires, 195/15 in the front and 235/15 in the rear. Inside, the original 1934 Ford instruments are still beautiful and rewired for 12 V. Having no interior to speak of when the car was purchased, it was shipped to stitcher Jeff Martin, making the long-overdue interior a real upgrade to what Henry did in 1934.
You never know what’s coming around the corner. It could be a 1934 Ford coupe that evokes the early days of hot rods when the Chevy V-8 emerged and marked the end of the formidable Flathead.
-MR
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