his is the last in the series of articles about the “Fenderless ’36 Roadster” being built at Rad Rides by Troy for Ross Myers. The metal fabrication is nearly finished at this point, and in this article, we will focus on a couple of very special details: the innovative headlight and shock absorber mounts and the custom-built dashboard.

On any fenderless car, it helps to minimize the visual complexity of the front suspension. The crew at Rad Rides developed a way to conceal the top portion of the shock absorber inside the headlight bucket and use one sturdy bracket for both the headlight and shock. This detail requires a great deal of careful fitting, and all the parts must be strong enough to withstand the hammering of the shocks as the car is driven. Not only do the components need to be stout and compact, but they must be easily assembled after all the parts are painted and plated.

Topping It Off

iss it or not, the all-American vinyl roof has gone the way of eight-track players, wire wheel covers, and ignition points—a once-ubiquitous feature from another automobile era.

Although simulated convertible tops, padded tops, and other roof decor treatments date back to the 1920s, the classic vinyl roof didn’t really take off until Ford offered it on the ’62 Thunderbird and Falcon Futura. It blossomed after that as a premium option, peaking in popularity in the ’70s. Upholsterer Bob Stedman has been in business for about 25 years and admits he doesn’t get many calls these days to install them.

“One or maybe two a year; that’s about it,” he says. “But there’s still a call for restoration work, and that’s keeping the craft going because it’s a unique task to install them.”

art of the allure of traditional hot rodding lies in its utter simplicity. As my latest project takes to the road, it is time to deal with those pesky little details that make such a big difference. My ’36 Ford phaeton is pure vintage hot rodding. Super Bell I-beam up front, split bones, with a 9-inch rear on parallel leaves out back. Under the hood is a vintage ’47 59AB Flathead built with Sharp heads and intake sourced from the Flattie gurus at H&H Flathead. We even stayed with a 12V generator from a ’56 Ford mounted directly in front of a pair of Stromberg carburetors. The motor was built here in my home shop using ARP fasteners. The Stromberg electronic ignition fired the Flat motor to life on the first try … ah life is good.

ometimes, Ole Henry had a tough time with change. In the Ford world, if something worked well, he was known to stick with it. Mechanical brakes and wood-framed bodies are two examples that come to mind. Today we’ll deal with the latter of those two.

Our project car is a ’36 Ford phaeton that remained largely a wood-framed body with stamped steel panels nailed over the wood frame. The inner door panels were stapled and nailed into place, using a unique trim that provided a covered slot to hide the fasteners.

For our project car, we wanted a vintage feel, a look that may have been possible in the ’30s-50s. Our lack of sewing also prompted this simplistic design. All the materials used in this project were available prior to the ’60s.

ome might call it entry-level customizing. Around the turn of the 20th century there was a regional trend peculiar to Orange County, California, called “OC Style,” and all it took to participate was to find a fullsize car from the mid ’70s and slam it into the weeds. For around $500, a mid-’70s barge could be found for sale in the Recycler, and for around $2,000 more you could lay it out on air ride suspension.

The barge gracing these pages is a ’77 Ford Police Package LTD II S sold new to a traveling salesman named Frank. It was around Christmastime 2001 when we met Frank and Mary. Our veterinarian told us Frank and Mary’s Boxer had just died from cancer, so we gave the elderly couple one of our Pit-Lab puppies for Christmas. In a trade of sorts, the next day, Frank called and offered me his LTD II S, which he hadn’t driven in years, for free.

hile we all have ideas about what’s cool and what we would build, there can be no denying that the concept cars from the major auto manufacturers were great sources of exciting ideas. As a budding hot rodder, I couldn’t wait to see and read about the GM Motorama concept cars. Often, I would see them at the new car shows that came to the towns around my home. It was amazing.

Joe Bortz is a longtime car collector who has amassed some very interesting pieces over the years, not the least of which are two dozen former Detroit concept (show) cars. His collection is currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in a compilation titled “GM’s Marvelous Motorama” and will be on display until 2026.

Bortz had an affinity for concept cars, and it wasn’t long before his son, Mark, discovered the ’55 Chevy Biscayne in 1989 at the Warhoops junkyard. Although the Biscayne was cut in half and readied for the crusher, it would be a lucky find, and Joe (after digging deep into his wallet) would bring home the “gold.” It was some time before the Biscayne underwent restoration, and as luck would be, fellow hot rodder Kerry Hopperstead was charged with building the frame. Based on building photos Bortz found, Hopperstead recreated the frame.