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Copyright (c) 2020 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA
The Modern Rodding trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media. Modern Rodding. September/October 2020, Vol 1, No 2 is published bi-monthly by In The Garage Media. 1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6650, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550

ISSN 2692-2371

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

e have access to far too many channels with today’s televisions; combine this with the remote control and everyday life is taking a beating. I have begun a noble attempt at spending more time in my garage, reminiscent of my youth, and less time fingering the remote. (Just last week I found my dwell meter and timing light.)

I grew up as the family “carpet rat.” By definition that would be the child lowest in the family pecking order. I would assume my position on the floor, near enough to the TV to respond quickly, but far enough away to keep my “fat head” (as my dad referred to me) out of the grownup’s line of sight. I would change the channel upon command when Pops deemed it appropriate. He “deemed” it frequently.

I yearn for the days when you gave some thought before arising from one’s BarcaLounger and walking the 6-8 feet to change the channel. I found messing up a channel selection very disruptive to enjoying my root beer float along with an episode of 77 Sunset Strip or Route 66.

For me, working in the garage involved patience and thoughtful idea expansion. Modern technology allows “on the fly” changes that can boost horsepower, handling, or change the background color of your gauges with a press of a key or the click of a mouse, but it’s so antiseptic. Working on one’s car used to involve many hours of uninterrupted joy and a sense of accomplishment and lots of greasy laundry. Working in the garage, especially on one’s hot rod, was rewarding and it taught us many of life’s lessons … hard work, patience, resourcefulness, how to apply Neosporin and artfully place a Band-Aid with your offhand. You also gained an appreciation for pizza or burgers with a liberal spread of grease that was transferred from one’s hand.

o, here we are approaching mid-August and I can count the number of outdoor events I’ve attended without using a single hand—none. To say it’s been a bit odd, after filling each and every spring/summer season traveling across the country for the last 30-odd years, would be a huge understatement. Mind numbing would be a more appropriate way to describe the situation as a whole—from the way we obtain our food to the way our children obtain their K-12 formal educations, practically everything we do is different. But it’s what we don’t do, at least at this very moment, that has inspired this month’s editorial in Modern Rodding. (Following our introductory editorials in each respective magazine’s premiere issue, Brian and I had planned on using one another’s platform to promote what’s going in both magazines; in other words, I highlight things to come in Classic Truck Performance here, while Brian does likewise for Modern Rodding in his CTP editorial. But due to the overwhelming social climate impact, I decided to hold off another issue and touch on this topic instead.)

All personal feelings and opinions aside regarding the political aspects of the pandemic we’re in the midst of, I have absolutely no problem wearing a bandana over half my face when I go into my bank or having to eat my favorite restaurant food at home, nor do I mind one bit making sure people keep their distance from me and vice versa when in those or most any other social situations. But keeping a safe distance versus completely shutting down organized outdoor events has been a little less easy to deal with, especially when it comes to the fact that those events I’m referring to are an integral part of filling the pages of a magazine. For a magazine that’s been around for any length of time (are there any of those left?!), missing an opportunity to gather event coverage and car/truck features wouldn’t be such a traumatic deal; but when you’re working with building a brand-new one with just a few months under your belt, well, let’s just say the traditional way of social networking is completely out the window. Sure, social networking the modern way works, and it’s what we’ve been relying on for the most part, but there’s nothing like getting out in the trenches and digging your feet in to truly utilize the full networking spectrum.

“Just about that time a Ford dealer called to tell me about this 1965 Wildcat they took in on trade,” he continues. “Well, I didn’t want no four-door but then the light came on—that’s the last year for the Nailhead. That’s the engine for my car! And they wanted $250! We drove it for a few years, just beating around in it. Then I started looking for a Fordor.”

He found his as a body down in Texas. “The guy bought it as a complete car and replaced that Fordor body with a roadster body,” Don says. “So, I had it shipped to Barbero’s place. It was nice.”

Barbero sent the body over to Ryan Schmitt for metalwork while he built the chassis. He spanned American Stamping Rails with a Model A–style crossmember up front and round tubing everywhere else. He achieved the front stance with a 5-inch Magnum tube axle and reversed-eye spring. Swivel shackles pin the axle to an Industrial Metal Craft split wishbone. A Vega-style box steers it. Hot Rod Brake Company Kinmont-style discs stop it.

A Winters V-8–style quick-change axle mounts to the chassis with Ford radius rods that Barbero modified to meet the outside of the frame. A pair of Strange adjustable coilovers suspends the chassis over the axle.

he perfect shine. Easy to say but not-so easy to achieve. All of us, regardless of the level of paint our hot rod sports, thoroughly enjoy keeping it all bright and shiny. We wander out to the garage and put in the time as often as we can to dust and polish our hot rod, looking to achieve the perfect shine. Of course, some of us try our darndest, but the end result is still anywhere from a 15- to 50-foot shine … meaning don’t get too close.

Given each of us has washed, waxed, polished, and tried everything else under the sun to make our pride and joy gleam, the fact remains oftentimes we miss the luster we want to achieve. I like to think of myself as a dedicated hot rodder and have spent many an hour cutting and polishing but the fact remains there was always something “missing” in the process. I would sand and sand then chase around scratches like a cat chasing its tail. Then off to the buffer and make it shine, but still it wasn’t quite right. I was correct, I needed to be taught a thing or two, so I felt like I should talk to a pro.

Knowing this I thought it best to visit one of the premier painters, and fellow hot rodder, in the country who understands what it takes to achieve the perfect shine; and he might just know a thing or two about making a hot rod shine. We visited Darryl Hollenbeck of Vintage Color Studio in Concord, California, a longtime hot rodder and painter who has spayed numerous award-winning hot rods. In fact, back in 2016, he built an America’s Most Beautiful Roadster winner himself with his 1932 Ford highboy roadster.

There is a diverse group of hot rods being built at Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop. From a 1956 Chevrolet to a pair of El Caminos, they will all receive the patented Alloway look when finished.

There is a diverse group of hot rods being built at Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop. From a 1956 Chevrolet to a pair of El Caminos, they will all receive the patented Alloway look when finished.

or some reason I am always interested in that first car. Bobby Alloway’s first car was a 1956 Ford “post car.” It was quickly replaced with a 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury with a 426 wedge underhood, followed by a 1970 AAR ’Cuda. He enjoyed these muscle cars and still has a great appreciation for the muscle car era, but in the early ’80s he was drawn back to the classic Ford hot rods, particularly the Model 40, 1933 and 1934 Fords. After some changes at his “day job” he decided to open a hot rod shop in Louisville, Tennessee; this was in 1992. And the rest, as they say, is history—but history doesn’t happen overnight.

Over the past 40 years or so there have been several milestone cars/hot rods that put Alloway “on the map.” There was the super-slick 1933 Vicky that won the Ridler in 1985, and then 10 years later when Alloway’s own flamed three-window coupe and Tom Clark’s matching flamed roadster visually and figuratively set the street rod world aflame. First impressions are often indelible. The image of those two black flamed hot rods roaming the country together forever cemented the Alloway image for me and many others. Say Bobby Alloway and black with flames comes to mind. That vision would be short-selling Alloway and the entire crew at Alloway’s Hot Rod shop, as they build diverse makes, models, and years of hot rods. Like most shops, cars of the ’50s and ’60s are now fair game, and cars such as Kathy Lange’s Painless Performance/Street Rodder Street Rod of the Year–winning 1958 Edsel prove the point. Currently, there are three Chevy El Caminos under construction in the shop (one 1959 and a pair of ’70s) along with a C2 Corvette, and while the body styles may range from a Deuce roadster to a 1958 Impala, they all have some common traits. First and foremost is quality; every car to leave the shop is built to an incredibly high standard. Second is functionality. Alloway-built cars can take to the open road. Third is the whole wheel/tire combination and that wicked stance that defines the “Alloway look.” Just the fact that the “Alloway look” exists is a testimony to the man and his shop.

01 John Winter using the Vintage Air (VA) beadlock tool (use and return) to make his high-pressure line crimps for the A/C system.

here’s one distinct advantage to any enclosed street rod: you are in charge of the weather, sort of. Truthfully, a closed car with a cool, heat, and defrost system is something we take for granted on our everyday drivers but it’s something we have to engineer into our hot rods.

It was back in 1976 when I first became aware of aftermarket A/C kits for hot rods. I was sweating my way through the NSRA Nats in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when I happened upon Jack Chisenhall with his card table covered in A/C parts. He proceeded to tell me these would fit any number of hot rods, giving rodders something akin to control over heat and humidity. All of us at one point have experienced summer humidity and heat and we truly understand how stifling it can be. A little A/C goes a long way toward maintaining our mindset of “having fun with cars.” A big “thank you” to Vintage Air (VA) for initiating the A/C portion of our industry some 46 years ago.

When it comes time to keep cool or, dare I say, stay warm inside our street rod, there’s a proven method. While this story has some of the goodies on installing an A/C system, we will spend time looking at the louvers (vents/registers as they’re sometimes called) that direct the airflow to make you more comfortable. In today’s world of street rods, it’s commonplace and no longer an afterthought that cars are now built with a heat, cool, and defrost system; we rodders shorten it up by saying the A/C.

The chassis is based on a Detroit Speed Inc. Aluma-Frame IFS with DSE/JRi aluminum coilover shocks with Detroit-tuned valving (available in three configurations), tubular upper and lower control arms, and, again, Detroit-tuned rack-and-pinion steering with the suspension yielding 6 inches of travel. Next up are the Baer brakes (six-piston calipers with 14-inch rotors at the corners) wrapped around the Detroit Speed forged spindles. Managing the brakes is a Baer master cylinder with an 8-inch power booster that’s pocketed into the firewall and pressed into service. The rear suspension is based on the Detroit Speed QUADRALink fitted with their patented Swivel-Link, which allows the suspension to fully articulate with smooth, solid motion with no binding (produced through the use of high-durometer rated rubber bushings). It should be noted that Cal Automotive Creations did alter the mounting so that the rear suspension was pushed upward (kicked up) beneath the sheetmetal, allowing the car to sit lower over the wheel/tire combination. Also located in back is a Detroit Speed–fabricated gas tank that’s meant to bolt into the factory location and holds 18 gallons of “go-fast” fluid.

Speaking of the tire and wheel combo, you’ll find Michelin Pilot Sport 245/35R18 rubber in front with 285/35R19 in back wrapped neatly around Forgeline Grudge Heritage Series wheels in a machine finish that measure 18×8 forward and 19×12 rearward. In order to get this much “rubber to the road,” a pair of Detroit Speed rear tubs were installed at Cal Automotive Creations.

f you’ve ever been on the floor of your garage with your old car on jackstands, you’ve probably noticed a few problem areas. It seems that 50-plus years of service can take a toll on certain components, and with our 1964 Chevelle project car, it was obvious that we had some serious wear as we disassembled the car to swap the original drum brakes for a Classic Performance Products (CPP) disc brake system.

Suspension upgrades and installs are typically a “can of worms” because you’ll eventually replace every component under the car by the time you reach a stopping point. Such is the case with our Chevelle four-door sedan, as we noticed severe ball joint sloppiness and lots of crumbly, dry rubber where the control arm bushings are supposed to live. It would’ve been silly to reassemble the car with those ailing components beneath it, so we grabbed our favorite screwdriver and peeled open the can of worms.

ight about now there’s probably more going on in hot rod garages all across this country than has occurred in some time … possibly ever! Bold statement for sure but the current quarantine has many of us looking for something to do … to keep our sanity. It’s not that hot rodding is more popular, it’s just there can be no denying there’s lots going on and there are more rodders building more cars (and trucks) than at any other time.

Ken Thurm, a SoCal rodder and member of the California Roadsters, might just ring a bell with rodding magazine aficionados. In his lifetime he has built many a race car, muscle car, and street rod. During the past 20 years he has built five Deuces—three of them being our favorites, a highboy roadster, a highboy coupe, and a highboy sedan—that have all graced the covers and inside pages of the once-mighty street rod magazines. But alas, this is a new age and Modern Rodding is content to pick up what others have abandoned while taking a peek inside Ken’s garage to see what’s next.

Once again, Ken has opted to build what he likes, knows, and what he has had success with … 1932 Fords. The latest effort is based on a Brookville Roadster body. All of us would be remiss if we let our eyes pass over this highboy roadster too quickly. Here’s a chance to see the “eye candy” while it’s being made—and that’s surely a delight to the senses. Look closely, as you will see how much is already accomplished with these near-end results.

As the years passed there was always a project in the shop, be it a 1940 Ford or a vintage muscle car. Well over a decade ago, Doug decided to start the search for a 1936 Ford three-window coupe. The experience was like searching for a diamond in a pile of sand. He ultimately settled for a five-window coupe instead and began to channel his design ideas through it. The outcome was a wicked hop-up with a ground-grazing stance wearing classic Dove Gray gloss and rolling on steelies to make a statement. While the coupe was downright cool, it still left him wanting more in the form of an original three-window with its elegant flowing body lines.

One night while cruising the web he located what seemed to be an extremely clean three-window coupe. The car was shown in bare metal and was a stalled project that was being offered up for sale. Without wasting a moment, Doug attempted to buy it, offering the owner the requested price, however, in the end, the seller decided to then keep the project. Obviously disappointed, Doug continued to watch for another car to become available. Two years later the very same car was advertised from a different owner for sale but he missed the chance by a day. Undaunted, he forged on for another year when the car was available again from yet another owner. He was finally able to swap cash for keys and get the old coupe delivered to his place, proving indeed that third time’s a charm.

mbossing is the process of creating steps in sheetmetal panels. In this article I will show how you can add crisp details to panels with tooling that’s easy to make.

In most cases embossing is done with male and female dies. One die is placed above the metal and the other goes underneath. When the dies are pressed together, they create an embossed design in the shape of the dies.

Embossed patterns can be simple or complex. A circular shape is probably the simplest, and with any luck you may be able to use found objects (such as washers) for the dies. The dies need clearance between them (otherwise they will shear the metal); one of the challenges is aligning the male and female dies precisely. I’ll show some different ways to do this.

The first demonstration is designed to be as simple as possible and doesn’t require any welding or machining, only drilling and countersinking a few holes. The goal is to make a 1-1/4-inch-diameter recess in a piece of sheetmetal. I used flat washers for the dies, such as a standard 1-1/4-inch washer for the female die (which has an internal diameter of about 1-3/8 inch), and a fender washer with a 1-1/4-inch outside diameter for the male die. Both of these dies require a backing plate. I used 1/8-inch steel for the female die and 3/16-inch aluminum for the male.