We had recently spotted a well-weathered '36 Ford three-window coupe making the local Southern California scene and hoped we would catch up with the owner to get the full scoop. When we did finally meet up with Mike Abssy, we found more than we bargained for.
The '52 Buick straight-eight...
The '52 Buick straight-eight mill makes up much of the unique personality of this ride. The Schraders Speed & Style custom-built intake, exhaust, and quarter-elliptic springs set this one far apart from the ordinary.
Handmade engine mounts are...
Handmade engine mounts are both graceful and functional.
A large early Buick fuel tank...
A large early Buick fuel tank will be mounted above the '48 Ford banjo rearend.
The address Mike gave us to take an up-close look at his handiwork turned out to be his place of business, Schraders Speed & Style, co-owned and operated with Dave Doyel. The two hot rodders, up until recently, had been running similar operations within walking distance of each other, so after swapping talents back and forth, they decided to officially combine their efforts under one roof.
Look for full details on this...
Look for full details on this trick "thru-the-'rails" wishbone-splitting kit from Schraders in an upcoming issue.
A '29 Whippet grille shell...
A '29 Whippet grille shell sits above a '37 Ford axle equipped with Ford hydraulic brakes.
The '52 Buick straight-eight...
The '52 Buick straight-eight mill makes up much of the unique personality of this ride. The Schraders Speed & Style custom-built intake, exhaust, and quarter-elliptic springs set this one far apart from the ordinary.
Schraders Speed & Style takes in all types of projects from simple maintenance to full frame-up builds. Among their many specialties is building high-performance big displacement Cadillac engines that we will share with you in depth in an upcoming issue of R&C. Although they're a new company, we're sure we'll be seeing many great things come out of this shop.
Mike tracked down the sheetmetal...
Mike tracked down the sheetmetal for his '36 Ford three-window just a few months ago from a broker in Colorado. He believes the car spent a fair amount of time in a creek or riverbed. A rapid rebuild was necessary so Mike could enjoy his new daily driver as much as possible.
A healthy 472ci '70 Cadillac...
A healthy 472ci '70 Cadillac mill is backed by a T56 six-speed manual transmission. A perfect combo for Southern California commuting!
The classic lines of a '36...
The classic lines of a '36 three-window are always alluring, even when coated with a heavy dose of patina. A perfect stance uses a dropped axle up front and Ford 9-inch in the rear.