'56 FordDoyle Stewart, Hampton, ILWe ran into Doyle Stewart and his fine Ford in Iowa during the Americruise tour stop at Yogi's. It's about as clean and simple as a mid-'50s mild custom can get, with shaved emblems and handles, moderate lowering, and a turquoise-and-white two-tone divided by '55 Pontiac trim. The '54 Chevy grille (with extra teeth), Lee-style taillight lenses, lakes pipes, skirts, tuck 'n' roll interior, and Buick hubcaps with Dodge spinners complete the period look. On the road since 1990, Doyle says the Ford still gets plenty of looks and cruises down the road easy with its 272ci Y-block, three-speed, and dual exhaust.
'30 Ford RoadsterDennis Polk, Sedalia, MOTalk about a legacy, this Model A has survived three Polk generations. Dennis Polk's grandfather first purchased the car, then his dad bought it off grandpa with restoration intentions. Alas, the project never began and the roadster was garaged until 1995, when Dennis hauled away the various boxes, baskets, and pieces on a trailer. After perusing ROD & CUSTOM's pages for ideas, Dennis ordered a TCI frame, 8-inch Ford rearend, and 350 Chevy to begin the revival. He also installed a DeLuxe windshield and top while getting the body back in shape. In September 2000, 41 years after its hibernation began, the car finally hit the road again, looking and performing better than it probably ever has.
'28 Ford CoupeBud Blankenship, Cincinnati, OH"When I was 16," says Bud Blankenship, "I had a T-bucket in a million pieces. I bought a rebuilt Hemi for it but ran out of money. My mother sold it to a junkman for $25. It took me 40 years to start another rod." This time around Bud chose a Model A five-window, and he didn't let his mother anywhere near it! The coupe is chopped 4 inches and covered in a deep purple hue. Mechanically, it runs a 350 Chevy, TH350 automatic, Vette rearend, and, in Bud's words, "about a million other new parts." Built in 3 1/2 years with help from friends John and Walt, the Model A inspired Bud to build another project, a '56 Chevy. Something tells us that neither car will be going to the junkman anytime soon.
'50 MercPete & Terri Schou, Eatontown, NJWhen Pete and Terri Schou bought their Merc four-door in late 2002, the car was already a looker and a runner with a chopped top, '59 Imperial grille, '64 Falcon taillights, fresh paint, and strong 425ci Caddy mill cradled in a Nova subframe. That left the upholstery work for Pete, who blended '50s-style rolls and pleats with a crushed red velvet diamond tuck pattern. Oh yeah, there's also an upholstered rumble seat-probably the only one of its kind on a Merc. "It's extreme," Pete says of the car, "but how else am I going to advertise my auto upholstery business?"