April 2011 Readers' Rods

This '35 Ford coupe was Wayne C. Johnson's third car. His first was a '29 A roadster, which he and three friends drove to California after graduation in 1940. This was replaced by a brand-new '41 Tudor, the last new Ford sold in Sioux City, Iowa, until after the war. That was sold to purchase this five-window.

Originally, it was tan with red wire wheels. Wayne had Krall Brothers Body Shop, in Sioux City, remove the running boards, mold the lower edges of the fenders, fabricate sheetmetal covers for the exposed frame, remove the spare tire carrier, add '40 DeLuxe taillights, and paint the car black. The cost for all these modifications was only $175! He then added 16-inch steel wheels with flipper hubcaps and beauty rings.

When he started school at Iowa State University, he needed more room to haul classmates, so he swapped the front seat for a '40 Tudor seat, cut down the original, and mounted it in the rear. Apparently there was decent legroom back there!

In early 1943, Wayne joined the Army Air Corps and planned to install a column shifter and make other interior changes after the war. He told his father not to let his two younger brothers drive it while he was gone. When he came home on leave, the car was "pretty banged up". He got so mad he sold the car and saw it only one more time. The proceeds went toward the purchase of engagement and wedding rings. In the '60s, his wife bought him a '35 three-window with a 283, which he drove for a few years before it too went to a new home.

Here's a real sleeper! If this '49 Dodge business coupe blew by you on the highway you'd be left wondering what had just happened, until you found out that underneath that stock bodywork lies a 5.7L Hemi from an '06 R/T Charger! Dick Pearson admits that the body in no way qualifies as a custom. When he found the 45,000 miles from new coupe, and saw how immaculate the body was, not to mention he was only the second owner of such a rare car, he couldn't bring himself to modify it, opting to keep changes to just the drivetrain and lighting.

He installed a Volare front clip and '68 Charger 8 3/4-inch rearend, and then with a little modification to the chassis, his friend, Rod Davis, squeezed that Hemi, supplied by LKQ Auto Salvage, underhood. All we can say is that Davis must have a very large shoehorn, as the engine is a tight fit, and then some. A new trans crossmember allowed an '05 Dodge Ram five-speed auto trans to fit under the floorboards. A Grant banjo steering wheel bolts to a custom tilt column, fabricated with help from ididit, and with power windows and power seats from an '00 Volvo, Hot Rod Air A/C, and two-speed electric wipers, Dick has all the comforts of a modern car in a 60-plus year old costume. Bob Drake beauty rings and Dodge Dart hubcaps dress up the '69 Charger 7x15 wheels. Dick says that he loves the stock appearance and that his coupe turns a lot of heads. We bet it does!

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