Knowing your limitations only gets you halfway there; knowing who can help you achieve what you cannot is the ultimate answer. Jorge Zaragoza knows that when it comes to building hot rods, Roy Brizio is the man to make reality out of whatever he can dream up. The pair previously worked together when Roy completed the amazing restoration of Tom McMullen's historic original '32 Ford roadster. That car was returned to the exact condition it was in (or even better) when it was seen on the cover of Hot Rod magazine in 1963.
Their partnership this time around would produce a car that would be totally contemporary and like nothing anyone had ever seen before. Jorge has long been a fan of '36 Fords and can argue quite convincingly that a chopped three-window from that year just happens to be one of the sexiest cars ever. It wasn't long before the wheels were put in motion with Roy in the driver seat of the build.
The project began when a clean old survivor was located in Texas and then shipped to Brizio's South San Francisco location. A concept drawing from Thom Taylor got everyone on the same page, and then the guys broke out their tools and got busy. The first item that was checked off the list was a new chassis that started fresh with a pair of Just-a-Hobby 'rails and custom crossmembers all put together by Jack Stratton at Brizio's. Suspension front and back was put in the hands of Heidt's. Squeezed into the new 'rails is a Roush-built 427ci Ford mill pumping 550 hp into a Tremec five-speed transmission.
With the chassis squared away, work on the curvaceous body began. Like a team of Beverly Hills plastic surgeons, selected specialists targeted areas that were perhaps a little "too round" and, with surgical precision, removed them. The first item to go under the knife was the top, which was lowered 3 inches at Marcel's Custom Metal Shaping. The next most noticeable change made in the makeover was an all-new nose, which required the work of a few talents with an all-new 1 1/2-inch shortened stainless steel grille by Grille Art, an aluminum hood by master Jack Hagemann, and bodywork by Mickey Galloway. Once the body was nipped, tucked, refreshed, and renewed, Darryl Hollenbeck sprayed on the rich coat of custom-mixed gold paint.
A pretty face is wasted without something nice to wear and for that, Sid Chavers whipped up a beautiful white leather interior with just the right amount of purple accents. Fitted to the '40 Ford dash is a custom insert filled with Auto Meter gauges and an ididit column topped by a Juliano's '40 Ford steering wheel. Vision plus talent equals another winner for Jorge's growing stable of fine hot rods.
Jorge and Paulette ZaragozaEl Paso, Texas
1936 Ford coupe
DrivetrainIt's no secret that Roy Brizio likes to see Ford muscle in the Ford hot rods he builds, so getting the chance to stuff 427 ci of Roush-prepared Blue Oval iron into Jorge's '36 was an opportunity he could not let slip by. The 550hp mill is fitted with all the best pieces, like Roush aluminum heads, a Demon 750 carburetor, an MSD ignition, and Patriot headers. A Mooneyes air cleaner and Edelbrock valve covers add just the right amount of polished aluminum fins to the picture. Jorge connects to that power through a Hurst stick hooked to a Tremec five-speed manual gearbox.
ChassisStarting fresh underneath the car, a new pair of American Stamping rails mount up pieces from Heidt's, Aldan, and Wilwood, both front and rear. Independent stainless steel suspension on both ends from Heidt's work in conjunction with Aldan coilovers on all four corners to provide the smooth ride. Wilwood 11-inch discs with four piston calipers fore and aft provide security that the '36 will stop when necessary.
Wheels & TiresA traditional look was selected for the '36, but a set of Wheel Vintiques 16x7 and 17x8 "Billet Gennie" wheels give just the right amount of modern flavor. Goodyear Eagle GTII rubber (225/55R16 and 275/60R17) keeps the '36 in close contact with the open highway.
Body & PaintA joint effort between some very talented body specialists gives the coupe its eye-grabbing appeal. First to work his magic was Marcel DeLay, who trimmed 3 inches off the top. Next up was Grille Art, who filled the front with a custom stainless steel grille that's 1 1/2 inches shorter than stock. Surrounding the grille, Jack Hagemann whipped up a custom aluminum hood and Mickey Galloway smoothed out the remainder before Darryl Hollenbeck coated everything in a rich coat of custom-mixed gold paint. Roy added the fine lines and Sherm's Custom Plating handled the shiny stuff.
Interior Roy Brizio is known to be one of the best at what he does, and for the stuff he doesn't do, like upholstery, he calls on stitcher extraordinaire Sid Chavers to do what he does best. Sid used white leather in a traditional pattern that's accented by purple piping and carpets. A natural in a '36 Ford is a '40 dash, and this one has been fitted with Auto Meter gauges and an ididit column topped with a '40 Ford-style steering wheel from Juliano's. Amenities for highway survival include a Pioneer sound system and a Vintage Air unit.