Robert Lomas
1934 Ford Deluxe Coupe
Arcadia, California
Drivetrain
The '49 Cadillac engine was machined by the original Evans Speed Shop in El Monte. Robert did the assembly and painted the block a PPG gold. Further dress-up comes from a polished Mallory dual point distributor, Offenhauser intake with three Stromberg 97s, smoothed Moon valley pan, polished bee hive oil filter, and nickel-plated cast-iron headers. Robert bent and polished all the copper oil and fuel lines. The engine was installed with a pair of old Hurst motor mounts. A '63 T10 four-speed, mounted with a vintage Offenhauser trans adapter, and an open drive to the '36 Ford rearend with Halibrand V-8 quick-change (assembled by Dave Enmark) completes the drivetrain.
Chassis
The shortened '34 Ford truck frame was bobbed in the rear and boxed in the front. A Model A rear crossmember and spring with split 'bones makes up the rear suspension. A 4-inch dropped Mor-Drop Ford I-beam with '40 Ford juice brakes, reversed-eye spring, split '32 wishbones, Pete & Jake's chrome shocks, and a '48 F-1 steering box handles the front suspension chores.
Wheels & Tires
The wheels are Ford solids (16x4 in front and 16x4 1/2 in rear) with rare '42 Mercury caps and '40 Ford beauty rings wrapped in BFGoodrich rags from Coker Tire (5.50s and 7.00s).
Body & Paint
Robert beat and patched the original Henry skin back in shape and re-chopped 3 3/4 inches out of the rear and 4 inches out of the front of the lid. A LeBaron Bonney top insert was the crowning touch (a smoothed and filled top just wouldn't look right). The body was channeled 5 inches in front and 3 1/2 inches in the rear, giving it a nice rake. An old '50s JC Whitney grille shell, Guide sealed beams, original handles, and '42 Chevy taillights provide just the right amount of flash to the PPG black body.
Interior
A black and white 2-inch tuck 'n' roll stitched by Jim Norris covers the owner-fabricated seat frame and door panels. Stewart Warner Wings gauges in a Haneline engine-turned insert complement the filled dash. The original garnish moldings were chopped, metal-finished, and chrome-plated. A '40 Ford truck steering wheel tops a '39 column, and '50 Ford dome lights add a visual and practical touch.