Rod & Custom Feature Car
Pat Ganahl
Glendale, California
1952 Chevrolet
Drivetrain
This 283 was supposed to go in a Deuce in the '60s that never got built. Besides the Corvette valve covers and shaved rams' horn manifolds, I installed an Edelbrock Performer cam, manifold, carb, and even aluminum water pump combination, which really work well. The stock distributor has a Pertronix module. The wheels are new American Torque Thrust Ds, polished by Sihilling.
Body & Paint
I was going to weld and peak my hood, but decided a bull-nose strip made from two originals was simpler and nearly as effective. The no-name, no-teeth grille is made of '51 and '52 pieces. The one-piece windshield is '50 Olds. Besides nosing and decking, the only trim removed was DeLuxe script from the rear fenders. Restoring all the stainless took some work, but I like its art deco look. All bodywork, paint, and rubout was done in my garage.
Interior
I was originally going to upholster this car in tan glove leather, which would have given a totally different look. But I always wanted a car with all white tuck-and-roll, especially the headliner with contrasting piping. Upholsterer Dave Gade agreed. We looked all over for '50s loop-pile green carpet, but had to settle for cut-pile with white binding. I retained the stock ducts for fresh air, which works great but recently broke down, and installed a full A/C-heat system, which works even better. I rebuilt the stock gauges and converted them to 12-volt, restored the stock steering wheel and column, and hid the A/C controls and one vent behind the speaker grille. The shifter is a Lokar, and Anna gave me the Moon tach for Christmas.
Rod & Custom Feature Car
Dave Ganahl
Corona, California
1953 Chevrolet
Drivetrain
Dave's 350 was essentially a "crate" TRW motor with a hotter cam, a full Edelbrock dual quad setup, modified Billet Specialties air cleaners and valve covers, coated Sanderson cast-iron headers, and Street and Performance brackets and pulleys for the shiny accessories. The trans is a B&M Turbo 350. Everything under the hood is painted peach pearl, with polished stainless or gold cad fasteners. The wheels are new American Torque Thrust Ds, polished by Sihilling.
Body & Paint
The hood was peaked by Birdman, who cut a piece out of a spare fender and hammer-welded it in, making the hood one piece. The bumpers are shaved, four extra teeth are added to the grille, and brush-finish was used on much of the chrome and stainless for subtle contrast. Given all the Tangelo Pearl cars lately, we'd say this Peach Pearl mixed by Stan Betz was ahead of its time. We put '54 taillights with Butch's custom lenses and I recessed the rear plate and made a hidden trunk latch. We also recessed the custom-made stainless pencil tip exhausts into the shaved bumper.
Interior
Dave Gade, of Corona, upholstered the '53 in gray mohair and Wilton carpet, and the dash and other trim is painted gray metallic. An ididit column and LeCarra wheel match, and Rod-Tech custom-machined the panel for Moon gauges as a prototype. The floor shift is a B&M cut down, with a pearl and gray custom knob. Vintage Air and power wipers reside under the dash, and a remote stereo and amp mount under the seat.
Rod & Custom Feature Car
Bob Walker
Claremont, California
1954 Chevrolet
Drivetrain
The Throttle Body Injected 305 and 700-R4 came from a low-mile '89 Trans Am. All Bob did was rebuild the heads and add coated Sanderson headers. Accessories are black powdercoated. Bob also reworked the firewall, inner fenders, and mounts for the Mattson radiator and fans. Bob narrowed an early Nova 10-bolt rearend inch to fit the wheels, requiring custom Mark Williams axles. It rolls on polished '60s straight-spoke American wheels, 7s in front and 8 rears.
Body & Paint
Bob had a pro shop weld a peak in his hood, but did the rest of the bodywork himself, including shaving the nose, deck, and the rocker moldings. The beautiful color is '99 Audi Arrow Silver, mixed with fine metallic and a touch of pearl. The undersides of the hood and trunk are painted and finished like the outside. Bob's '54 has four extra grille teeth, a '49 guard over the rear plate, and custom taillight lenses.
Interior
Manny's Custom Interiors in San Bernardino sculpted gray leather and suede over the stock seats and installed a one-piece leather headliner. It's not only comfortable, it smells really good! All three cars retain stock seats. The steering wheel was custom-made by one of Bob's friends. It mounts on an ididit column. VDO gauges mount in a Rod-Tech panel. And Bob not only wired the car with a Ron Francis system, but also installed the Air-Tique A/C himself. The trunk is also upholstered and holds components of the 1,100-watt stereo system Bob built from Pioneer, Infinity, and Rockford-Fosgate components.