Photography & Videography by THE AUTHORe are always asking the question, “What is the future of hot rodding?” This question is often raised and seldom fully answered. In our story here we are asking, “What build style?” Early traditional to a ’60s vibe. A great way to look back and forward is to see how this pair, a ’29 Ford highboy coupe and a ’30 Ford highboy coupe, were built.
Seeking to preserve our heritage as well as fueling our continual desire to move forward, it’s important to embrace younger talents for their insight and energies to see where their generation will bring us.
Such is the case at Gas Axe Garage in St. Johns, Michigan, where first-generation builder Mike Boerema has been crafting traditional hot rods and customs for nearly two decades in the true ’40s to early ’60s fashion. With numerous renowned builds to his credit, the shop also offers an array of vintage speed parts for sale as well as upgrades to existing hop-ups. Recently, his son, John, joined the team, representing the next generation while bringing his own creative vision to the table.
’30 Ford Coupe
Setting the pace for the first stroll back in time, Tim Irwin of Lamont, Michigan, is no stranger to performance cars, having grown up in a neighborhood packed with ’60s-era muscle cruising the streets of Grand Rapids. A stream of GM muscle cars followed. But he never forgot the jolt he’d get from checking out early hot rods and customs, with a Model A on Deuce ’rails being his personal favorite. Before long, a path led him to meet Mike at Gas Axe, with the pair sharing the same passions for traditional builds. Their first effort resulted in the creation of the “Lamont Special,” a ’33 Ford modified speedster with a fully handcrafted body packing a 21-stud Flathead V-8 linked to three pedals. A solid lead brought Tim to a bone-stock ’30 coupe near Saginaw, Michigan, that had been in hibernation for some time, having been a former parade car. Even though it was in rough shape, it was a runner, so he wasted no time swapping cash for keys.
If you want to make a statement, nothing speaks volumes like a Supercharged ’59 Cadillac V-8. To raise the bar, Tim contacted Avenger Race Engines of Muskegon, Michigan, to handle the machining, which included punching the 390ci block 0.060-over and balancing the rotating assembly. From there Mike began assembly with the factory steel crank and rods linked to Sealed Power 9.1:1 flat-top pistons getting bumped by an Isky stick. Up top, a set of warmed-over iron heads by Gas Axe make plenty of seamless power especially when linked to a Cragar intake wearing a matching 4-71 supercharger sucking down the goods through a set of Holley 94 carbs perched on an Imperial Speed adapter plate. More vintage bits include classic Cal Custom finned aluminum valve covers with breathers and 40-30 air scoops. A factory distributor packing a PerTronix electronic conversion lights the fire with exhaust flowing through a set of Gas Axe fabbed lakes-style headers fashioned from ’36 Ford torque tubes matched to a custom 1-5/8-inch steel exhaust with bullet mufflers by Exhaust Special T’s in Muskegon. A BorgWarner T5 trans combined with a Wilcap adapter and aluminum flywheel moves the goods to a custom driveshaft from D&R Driveline. It’s all good for around 387 hp to the rear wheels, which is more than enough to melt the tires.
Inside, details start with a signature dash incorporating a ’58 Edsel gauge cluster complete with a functioning “Rolling Dome” speedometer flanked by dials from Stewart-Warner to monitor the vitals. A four-spoke, Bell-style steering wheel mounts to a column modified for cowl steering by Precision Guesswork Race Cars while a Hurst shifter pulls gears and a custom wiring harness tie it all together. Handmade aluminum bomber seats wear padded black vinyl inserts with classic diamond pleats complemented by matching interior panels and deep red carpeting, all by Gas Axe who also added the rollbar and black fabric roof insert. This is one wicked Model A with a vicious bite thanks to a blown Cadillac V-8 that’s left plenty of smoke shows to exercise its power.
At the same time on the other side of the shop, John was preparing to step back into the early ’60s, taking on his very first build for Ed Eisen of Allendale, Michigan. With Ed having grown up in the ’70s visiting countless Autorama events with his dad, Lubert, it’s easy to see the performance path being laid out for him. Added influences came from visits to US 131 Dragway in Martin, Michigan, where the scent of nitro and burnt rubber left him awestruck as hot rod heroes blazed from the lights for ’strip domination. It was perfect timing as well for his Uncle Craig’s muscle cars to leave a mark, with many of Detroit’s finest regularly parked in the family driveway.
With his dad’s garage packed with Model A parts since 1961, including a ’29 Model A coupe body suspended from the rafters, his eventual dream of restoring it was never realized. Eventually, with John being his future son-in-law and joining the Gas Axe team, a decision was made to haul the ’29 Ford body to the shop to design a perfect era-inspired hop-up to honor his memory, giving him full reign to take on the job.
