Rod & Custom Feature Car
Mike Zenor
Deerfield, Illinois
Shop contact info: suicideaxle@comcast.net
1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Chassis
The Brookville frame, which replaces the 1931 version, is reinforced with boxed 'rails, a tubular center X-member, and square-tube rear crossmember. The 4-inch drop Chassis Engineering I-beam axle with Speedway spindles and disc brakes is suspended on a tranverse monoleaf spring and Speedway tubular shocks. A Vega box handles the steering chores. The front and rear radius rods are SO-CAL parts. Other rear chassis components include a Panhard bar built by Bill Kriwko and a '59 Ford 9-inch with 3.89:1 gears and rebuild stock drums riding on Aldan coilovers.
Drivetrain
The '59 Pontiac 389 went to Gordy Cushman at Ultra Stamping and Assembly in Rockford, Illinois, where the block was magnafluxed, bored 0.030-over, balanced and blueprinted, and reassembled using stock internals. The Pontiac valve covers run Oldsmobile-style wire looms. Drew Didio at Suicide Axle built the custom air cleaners for the very rare Saaty Meteor 100 fuel injectors. They were cast with a 2-bolt base, so adapter plates were fabricated for use with the polished aluminum Offenhauser 3x2 intake manifold. The stock distributor houses a Pertronix ignition. Drew bent up a pair of headers, nickel-plated and feeding a custom exhaust system by Justin at Lovell's in DeKalb, Illinois, with glass packs providing the right resonance. Dave Lamb at Midtown Transmission in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, prepped a 700-R4, one of the few modern components in the car, and Bill Kriwko provided a custom driveshaft.
Wheels & Tires
The perfect rake is finished by the right rolling stock. Filling the rear fender radius are 8.20x15 Radir whitewall piecrust cheater slicks on 15x7 Wheel Vintiques chrome steelies. The front bias-plies are 5.60x15 Firestones on 15x5 rims. The custom hubcaps were made by mating '56 Olds dog dishes to '49 Ford rings.
Body & Paint
Brookville reproduction fenders take the place of the worn out originals. The rears were bobbed five inches; Drew welded eyebrow scallops on the front fender tips and fabbed a front splash apron. In between, the running boards are padded, Sixties style. Drew added '53 Buick ventiports with vintage Warshawsky Company louvered chrome inserts. The visor was filled and molded. Sheetmetal from the donor '59 Pontiac's hood was relocated to the unchopped top of the A, providing an entirely unique look. Dave Adkins donated the filled Deuce grille shell (decorated with a Pontiac arrow crest) and louvered Model A hood top.
The decklid (including inner gutters) was also replaced and custom taillight housings were frenched in and completed with narrowed '52 Comet taillight assemblies. Drew fashioned the Sixties-style Nerf bars, chromed by Sir Chrome-A-Lot in Skokie, Illinois.
Mike wanted the finish to match his '66 Riv's Midnight Blue Firemist, and says this stock PPG dark blue metallic, shot by Drew and Jerry Didio, is a close match. The contrasting white pearl on the firewall, scallops, axles, and underneath the fenders is from House of Kolor. The graphics are from Drew's brush. Blue glow lights were installed in the firewall recess and wheel wells.
Interior
Dave Martinez covered the interior (and trunk) in old-time tuck 'n' roll vinyl-a combination of metallic blue and white pearl. The light blue sparkle carpet is vintage GM material. The '59 Pontiac contributions are all over the insides, from the narrowed dash filled with stock gauges, to the steering wheel and modified column, and on down to the spoon throttle pedal. The Gennie shifter is topped with an old-fashioned glass doorknob. Dave hid the iPod stereo system underneath the seat, and installed the JVC amplifier and speakers. In the trunk-more of Dave's handiwork, plus a beautiful custom stainless steel gas tank, built by Kerry Hopperstad at Hopperstad Hot Rods in Belvidere, Illinois. The filler cap is a Jaguar piece.