omen look at hot rods differently than guys. Let’s face it, oftentimes they can see what we don’t. Michelle Broussard has come by her love of hot rods by being involved through her husband, David. He has built several Advanced Design Chevy and GMC pickups. In watching and participating she knew what it took in terms of commitment and hard work. Not to scare her off, she knew she wanted something special. There was a ’54 Chevy four-door 210 sedan in her future. Four doors aren’t as desirable as two doors but she, the women in her, saw something the rest of us didn’t.
As is frequently the case, it takes an ample dose of perseverance and patience to make anything worthwhile happen. Michelle and David noticed a ’54 Chevy four-door out front of a nearby shop but were never able to find out who owned it or even if it was for sale. As time went by they learned that the car had been sold. Perseverance and patience are rock solid character traits and time would prove this to be true.
David was checking out his usual sources when he noticed a ’54 Chevy four-door 210 was for sale. Lo and behold it was the one that had “gotten away” earlier. It was back and this time with trailer in tow he and Michelle were not going to let it slip by. Unfortunately, a deal couldn’t be struck so it was back home with an empty trailer rattling behind. Once home and settling in for the evening the phone rings. Let’s just say that the seller had reconsidered. Although it was after sunset it was back on the road but this time they weren’t coming home empty-handed.
The car was stored for about a year while at Francis Bourque’s shop, a family friend. While some work was getting done and parts were being collected more time was needed to be dedicated to the project. Up pops another friend in Cody “Popeye” Stoute, the owner of Popeye’s Rod Shop. The team was now assembled. The build would happen through the amazing efforts of David, Michelle, and Luke along with the talents of Francis Bourque and Popeye (seems fitting).
One detail has been left out until now. Michelle’s dad, Howard Viator, had died not too many years before and aside from instilling a hard work ethic in her it turns out family projects always take on a name. Yep, you guessed it, the ’54 Chevy 210 now became “Project Howard,” aptly named after her father. This was to be a special build in memory of her dad. David and Popeye came up with an idea to incorporate her dad’s signature “H,” which you can find throughout the build. It’s located on the rear dash panel (backlight area), on the gas tank cradle, and throughout the framework.
Michelle knew what she wanted in a “look” and the couple spent time attending car shows throughout the south, continually refining ideas to be incorporated into the build. Here David and Popeye worked on the chassis, realizing a strong foundation would make for a better ride and would also determine the final look. About this time, he entertained the idea of finishing in time for the 2019 SEMA Show. A lofty goal for any builder but especially for this crew with limited time. Nearing the end, the lifetime of respecting hard work and how to work hard kicked in; with the team pulling together, the ’54 Chevy was finished at 3:00 a.m. on the 30th of October and it was off to SEMA.
The use of factory sheetmetal makes this a prime candidate as a restomod build. However, under the skin you can see a shaved and smoothed firewall as well as custom-fabricated inner fenders and channeled floorpans. All of the accompanying bodywork was handled by Bourque and David. The exterior is painted in Denim Blue and a Crème Brulé both from RM Paint. The interior color is a Mojave and is also from RM Paint. As David is also a hobbyist painter there could be no denying who would be applying all of these perfectly complementing colors.
When it comes time to select your ride it pays off to spend the time and devote the patience and hard work to get what you want. We are guessing that Michelle is just fine with her ride and enjoys it daily.
(Editor’s note: The original owner, Ms. June, was a bit reluctant when the car first left her hands. During the build process she still wasn’t sure she had made the right decision. David and Michelle brought the ’54 Chevy to Ms. June after SEMA. It was at this point Ms. June put all of her original fears and doubts to rest. She’s very pleased with the outcome. —B.B.)