Rodding USA September/October 2020

Shows across America continue to drop like flies, and we heard in June the NSRA was working closely with the state of Kentucky health department to ensure the August event could be held safely. Our plan from the get-go was to attend the show, and we had our vendor space, show golf cart, rental car, hotel, and airline tickets. 2020 has been a disastrous year for car shows, and I’ve only attended Barrett-Jackson and Grand National Roadster Show in January, the canceled Cleveland indoor show in March, and the Yellow Brick Road show in June. We were ready for cars and car folks. About ten days out, the state of Kentucky gave the all-clear, so I shipped several boxes of magazines and supplies for our vendor sales and kept my fingers crossed.…

Several years ago, John Breslow of Scottsdale, Arizona, commissioned Roy Brizio to build him a 1949 Cadillac. This magnificent classic is stunning and features late model power and ride while retaining the beauty of the original body lines. John, who is no stranger to classic cars, decided he was in the market for a Deuce street rod and who better to build it than Brizio Street Rods. In preliminary conversations, he mentioned he wanted something special, which led to the Victoria of which Ford produced approximately 8,500 in 1932. John was keen on the idea of the car which falls in-between a coupe and a sedan. He also liked the fact that the Victoria has the presence of a coach-built car. Roy now had the task of locating the car and remembered…

OWNER: John Breslow – Scottsdale, Arizona CHASSIS: Brizio chassis, TCI frame rails, Pete and Jake’s pedals. FRONT SUSPENSION: Powder coated Kugel independent, QA1 coil-over shocks, disc brakes, rack and pinion steering. REAR SUSPENSION: Powder coated Kugel independent, QA1 coil-over shocks, disc brakes. TIRES: Front – Michelin 205/45-R15, rear – 235/75-R16. WHEELS: Dayton wires, front – 15x6, rear – 16x7. ENGINE: LS3 GM crate engine, 400hp, fuel-injected, Sanderson headers, Brizio 2-1/4” exhaust. TRANSMISSION: Tremec TKO 600. BODY: Original Ford body, fenders, etc., Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop taillights. Paint (DuPont) and bodywork by Dan Laughlin, Rootleib 25-louver hood. INTERIOR: Cream & blue leather interior by Sid Chavers, Vintage Air ac/heat, AutoMeter gauges, wood-grained dash, garnish molding, steering wheels, and shifter knob. BUILDER: Roy Brizio Street Rods – South San Francisco, CA. COMPLETED: 2019…

Why a ’36 Ford 3-window? Because, though all rods are cool, to my eye, the lines of the last true Ford 3-window coupe are exceptional. It has a look, a purpose, and an elegant nastiness when rodded with a killer stance. That is what this build is all about and what has driven it from the mind’s eye to completion. Every step from planning to execution was meticulously thought through and, by no means, happened overnight. There was continuous collaboration about the look of the car and the direction the build would take. Some ideas were kept, and others scrapped. Body modifications, color, engine, interior were all on the table. But first a little history. In 2012 I was at the Goodguys Nationals in Columbus, OH, and I came across a killer…

OWNER: Fred Ferrand – Saline, Michigan CHASSIS: TCI frame, custom tube cross members, and narrowed in the rear. SUSPENSION: IFS and 9-inch Ford with triangulated rear 4 bar. Ridetech Airpod with bags in front and Shockwave 8000 in the rear. WHEELS: Wheelsmith smoothies 18x8 front and 20x10 rear. ENGINE: 1957 Ford 292 with Tri-Power intake and Stromberg 97 carbs. Smoothed Ramshorn exhaust manifolds and custom stainless steel exhaust. TRANSMISSION: 700R4. BODY: Custom trunk lid, one-piece hood, custom hood sides, Alumicraft 1936 Ford grille with waterfall, ’34 Cadillac taillights. PAINT: 1936 Ford Washington blue. INTERIOR: 1936 Plymouth gauge cluster reworked by Classic Instruments, custom dashboard with twin gloveboxes.…

Greg Wilson, a Louisville native, began attending Carl Casper custom auto shows at an early age, and in 1978, he displayed his 1957 Chevy at the show. In 1989 he married Gail, and they sold the ‘57 and purchased a 1941 Plymouth sedan. After the long process of restoring the Plymouth, they entered it in the 1997 Carl Casper show. While attending the local NSRA Street Rod Nats in 1999, they met Cecil Taylor, whose Hercules Motor Cars built the give-away car, which was a Model A woody. They liked the woody, and in 2000, they took a trip to Florida and stopped by to visit Cecil and his wife Fern in Tampa. Before heading home, they ordered one of his 1933 Ford woodies and a long term friendship began, as…