hen most hot rodders think of steel it likely has something to do with a structure that requires strength and rigidity. When Mike Eaton of Eaton Detroit Spring thinks about steel his concern is strength and flexibility.

As Eaton explains it, springs must be made from steel with high yield strength. In other words, a material that will bounce back to its original shape after significant pressure is applied, and the best material for that is SAE 5160 high alloy spring steel. While you can’t tell by looking, there are cheap off-shore springs that use inferior 1095 steel that will sag or possibly break—the best indication of quality is to remember you get what you pay for.

Leaf springs are found in three basic configurations: Multileaf springs are made from heat-treated strips of SAE 5160 steel, in diminishing lengths, formed to a predetermined arch and held together by a bolt to the center; monoleaf springs are a single, heat-treated plate of steel whose thickness is uniformly tapered from the center toward each end; and parabolic springs are multiple monoleaf springs that consist of two or more tapered leaves.

he story of Doug Melson’s ’47 Dodge coupe is an all-too-familiar one. Doug is a hot rodder from the quaint Delaware town of Dagsboro, just a few minutes inland from the sands of the Atlantic shore. Back around 2007 he was at an auction a short hop down the eastern seaboard in Ocean City, Maryland, when the ’47 crossed the block and Doug waved the high bid. It was a finished, painted car, modestly customized and ready to cruise. Or so he thought.

Seventeen miles into the 20-mile drive home the rearend seized and spit out the driveshaft. Apparently, the car left the shop where it was built without a drop of gear oil in the rear. It would have been nice if that was the builder’s only oversight, but Doug soon discovered it was a harbinger of a long list of “oversights” that would lead to the complete de-construction and re-imagining of the car at the hands of Cody Walls at Traditional MetalCraft.

Walls has been practicing metal shaping since 1999 when he enrolled in high school auto body class in his native Georgetown, Delaware. His early efforts earned him a full scholarship to WyoTech (during which time he sold the slammed, wire-wheeled ’64 Impala he built in high school to cover his living expenses), and by 2002 he was working at the well-known East Coast Hot Rod Garage under the tutelage of Ray Bartlett. After five years with Bartlett’s crew, he struck out as a freelancer for various East Coast rod and restoration shops. Then in 2015 he founded Traditional MetalCraft where he single-handedly tackles everything from mild custom modifications to complete, hand-crafted bodies and ground-up hot rod builds.

ome of the most eye-catching vehicles at the recent Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) in Pomona were in competition for the Al Slonaker award—the contest for all vehicles not eligible for the headlining America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award. The winner was the Pat Gauntt ’32 Ford coupe built by Hollywood Hot Rods (HHR) under the direction of Troy Ladd; it took home the ARP custom trophy and the $15,000 check.

Gauntt had his eye on some of HHR’s past work, but since the car he wanted wasn’t for sale, he commissioned them to build a very special car for him. The concept of this car is rather unique—adapting European sports car elements to a thoroughly American hot rod.

This was a multi-year project, and Gauntt gave Ladd free reign to develop the concept to the ultimate extent of his vision. Ladd works closely with designer Eric Black, and they had hatched the concept for a car with this theme several years ago. He built a roadster with a related theme a few years ago, the “Brooklands Special,” and with the green light for the new project from Gauntt, they doubled down and found some creative ways to expand the vision, then quickly commenced with the construction.

By Ron Covell Photography by THE AUTHOR

elding is a transformative skill for anyone who works on vintage vehicles. It enables you to accomplish so many tasks that require permanently joining metal components, and it’s a skill that most people can learn with some practice. The principles of welding are easy to understand: the parts to be welded are heated to their melting temperature, then caused to flow together—often with the addition of some filler material. As simple as this sounds, there is some knowledge and skill required to make a weld that is strong and good looking.

Welding technology is always evolving; the newest machines are small, light, and easy to set up. If you want to learn to weld, there has never been a better time. Oxyacetylene and stick welding have been around for ages, and they still have their place, but in the world of car builders, MIG and TIG welding lead the pack. We’ll focus on MIG welding in this article and cover TIG soon.

MIG is the most popular type of welding worldwide. The equipment is affordable and easy to set up, and the process is relatively easy to learn. MIG works well for nearly any automotive application—from the thin metal used for bodywork to the heavier material used for chassis modification and repair.