Rod & Custom Feature CarSteve ZaringBroken Arrow, Oklahoma1927 Ford roadster lowboy
DrivetrainSteve went outside the box, avoiding the small-block Chevy and Flathead, and dropped a '62 Ford 292ci Y-block between the 'rails. S&S Engine Remanufacturing rebuilt the engine, which was then dressed up with Fenton valve covers, an Edelbrock 3x2 intake with a trio of Holley 94s, and a rare pair of '57 Ford NASCAR exhaust manifolds. A '60 Fordomatic auto trans does the shifting duties.
ChassisBob Hindman Roadsters designed and built the Z'd chassis from scratch, adding a suicide frontend consisting of a Super Bell dropped and drilled I-beam (with Speedway spindle kit and '59 Buick backing plates with '63 Buick finned drums), POSIES Super Slide spring, Pete & Jake's chromed shocks, split '48 Ford wishbones, and a reversed Corvair steering box. In the rear, a Ford 8-inch is held in place by a Panhard bar, and ladder bars are designed by Hindman and suspended by a swap meet Hollywood transverse spring and chrome P&J's shocks.
Wheels & TiresThe rolling stock can make or break such a simple hot rod. Steve got it right with a set of Wheel Vintique chromed reverse OEM Ford wheels (15x8s and 15x5s), and then mounted up a pair of 8.20 Radir 8.5-inch-wide whitewall drag slicks and BFGoodrich 5.90 whitewalls.
Body & PaintThe 'glass '27 roadster body from Speedway Motors was the perfect start for a bare-bones hot rod. The car is so low there's no need for opening doors, so Steve just sanded the body and shot it with John Deere Blitz Black. For a little something extra, Steve had Ron Myers add a bit of bomber-style nose art and pinstriping to the decklid. Lighting comes from a pair of swap meet headlights and '50 Pontiac taillights. An Airstream tag light glows on the rear license plate.
InteriorThe bare-basics interior consists of a pair of bomber seats from Speedway Motors mounted on a painted birch wood floor accented with stainless steel pickup bed strips. A '48 Ford column and wheel were recycled and put to use to keep the lowboy pointed in the right direction. The fiberglass '32-style dash houses a quintet of Stewart Warner gauges.