(^74) themotorhood.com
I
bought a vintage car, not running, probably
12 years ago. That was the car I used,” Neil
explains of the radically customized Model A
Tudor that is his latest build. “It’s a black-plate car,
New Zealand new, which was cool. It was a good
car, but, in saying that, the roof got trashed, the
quarter panels got trashed, half the doors are new;
it goes on and on ...”
So, what happened, exactly?
Neil imagined another hot rod with cartoonish
proportions, although this one would turn out to
be far more understated than its predecessors.
The roof chop is a given, and looks just right at
three inches. However, the visual balance has been
achieved through finicky details that only someone
like Neil would knuckle down to perfect. Take the
entire rear end, for example.
“Model A Tudors come out on an angle, like it’s
packed a nappy — it looked wrong. I cut four
inches out of the back, and it still didn’t look quite
right,” Neil says.
A further 30mm was cut out and the whole lot
pushed forward before Neil was happy with how
it looked.
“The doors are flush mounted, and you’ll notice
the whole bottom of the car has a swage in there.
That’s not normal on a Model A, the door normally
finishes at the bottom of the car, but I’ve got a sill
there — the door finishes in a sill like in a ’32.”
Further forward, the firewall has been recessed by
11 inches, although that’s easily hidden from sight
by the custom hood and radiator shell that Neil
crafted from aluminium.
Keen eyes may have noticed the lack of headlights,
which is deliberate. The headlights, originally
from a vintage tractor, are detachable. Their
absence, along with the lever-action shocks,
gives a remarkable simplicity to the front end, and
emphasizes the less-is-more style in which this car
has been built.
Underneath, the chassis is a humble ’32 Ford
frame, albeit modified in the usual Surtz fashion.
The rails are a bit closer together, and the front
horns have been cut and tucked inside the radiator
shell — “It just makes the car look sleek,” Neil says.
At the other end, a mean Z keeps things in check.
“I was pretty generous with it — I’ve got juicy bump
stops in there, so when it does bottom out, it’s
TUDOR
1930 FORD
MODEL A TUDOR
ENGINE: 389ci Pontiac, stock bottom end,
rebuilt stock heads, Edelbrock aluminium intake
manifold, triple Rochester 2G carburettors,
custom air-cleaner top plate, stock cast-iron
exhaust manifolds, 2¼-inch exhaust, bottom-
mount alternator
DRIVELINE: Ford 3+1 Toploader four-speed
manual, overdriven top gear, aftermarket
bellhousing adapter plate, modified Chev
bellhousing, modified Chev flywheel, Ford
clutch disc, Chev pressure plate, hydraulic
clutch, under-dash pedal box, Ford nine-inch
diff, 4.11:1 diff ratio
SUSPENSION: So-Cal dropped I-beam front
axle, Model A transverse front leaf spring, lever-
action front shocks, custom triangulated four-
link rear, Model T rear buggy spring, custom
mounting brackets, Gaz adjustable rear shocks
BRAKES: Ford front drum brakes, Buick finned
drums, Ford rear drum brakes
WHEELS/TYRES: 16-inch Artillery wheels,
4.50/4.75-16 Firestone Deluxe Champion
bias-ply front tyres, 7.50-16 Firestone Deluxe
Champion bias-ply rear tyres
EXTERIOR: Custom radiator shell, custom
grille, custom bonnet, Indian Scout hood
ornament, detachable headlights, 11-inch
recessed firewall, custom sill swage, shortened
doors, flush-mounted doors, custom rear
quarter panels, radiused rear side windows,
modified rear end, three-inch roof chop, 1½-
inch lowered roof, detachable tail light
CHASSIS: Modified ’32 Ford chassis, modified
front horns, narrowed front chassis section,
punched rear cross member
INTERIOR: Reupholstered bucket seats,
Limeworks steering wheel, Limeworks steering
column, custom dashboard, New Vintage USA
electric gauges, custom drilled shifter
PERFORMANCE: Untested
frankie
(Frankie)
#1