Rod & Custom Feature Car
Paul Borrmann
Gilroy, California
1933 Ford Pickup Chassis
With the stock '33 chassis in the frame jig, the CCHR crew removed all the crossmembers, boxed the 'rails, and added a tubular centersection, tubular rear crossmember, and a Model A front crossmember to lower the front of the truck. Model A framehorns were also added to clean up the front end. The dropped Ford axle that Paul supplied was hung on chromed split wishbones and a transverse spring, with '40 Ford brakes fed from a dual master cylinder operated by a TCI pedal assembly. Steering is courtesy of a Vega 'box. Chassis Engineering parallel leaf springs support the rearend, with Pete & Jakes shocks at all four corners.
Drivetrain
The 270ci '55 Dodge Hemi was rebuilt by Fernando Alonso using the stock crankshaft, 0.030-over Jahns pistons, and an Isky solid lifter cam. ARP bolts were used throughout, while the 10:1 compression motor wears Dodge iron heads and an Offy 3x2 intlet manifold with three Stromberg 97s. The generator mount was crafted at CCHR, along with the headers, ignition provided by a magneto. A late-'60s Chrysler gave up its four-speed gearbox, with an aluminum flywheel and Mcleod clutch. A Hurst shifter stirs the gears, with a Unitrax driveshaft turning the 3.78:1 gearset currently in the Halibrand quick-change.
Body & Paint
With necessary rust repairs put right and 4 inches whacked from the roof posts, the cab was moved back on the chassis to avoid hacking into the firewall, a similar amount removed from the front of the pickup bed to ensure the rear tires were central in the wheelwell body reveals on the bedsides. Eric Vaughn louvered the CCHR-fabbed aluminum hood, while an Evinrude 20-gallon steel boat gas tank was mounted in the bed behind the cab. Jeff Myers applied the Sikkens Dearborn Blue, a color Paul says is pretty much all he'd change if he did it all again, as it's so hard to keep clean! South Bay Plating in Santa Ana, California, tackled all the chrome work on the truck.
Wheels & Tires
Part of the reason Paul's truck looks so "right" is the wheel and tire selection. While there's a built-in rake to the chassis, it's accentuated by the rubber rake provided by the 7.50-16 rear and 5.00-16 front Firestone bias-ply blackwalls, on 16x5 and 16x4 Ford steels respectively. Trim rings and 'caps provide all the bling a rod like this needs.
Interior
The stock steel dash now houses a Stewart Warner insert pirated from a fork lift truck, filled somewhat naturally with S/W Wings gauges, all hooked up using cloth covered wiring. Advance Upholstery in La Habra covered the Glide seat, door and kick panels using black Naugahyde, with matching loop-style carpet on the floor, while the Vega box under the floor knows which way to turns thanks to a LimeWorks column, column drop, and '40 Ford style wheel from the same company.