'34 FORD COUPE

1934 Ford Coupe

Owner: Keith Harman

Keith Harman is a contributor to Hot Rod Showcase and the owner of this very fine ’34 Ford 5-window coupe.

Keith acquired the coupe on a recent trip to the US, where the “For Sale” sign seemed to beckon “Buy Me”. And who can blame him for being seduced by this siren of a car with its perfect late-fifties’ style?

Recently re-built over a ten-year period by David Kennedy of Kennedy’s Kustom Auto, the car had been a hot rod with drag racing pedigree and a pampered showcar in the 1950s.

The rod now sits atop a reproduction fully-boxed chassis from Frames & Things and is suspended by a SuperBell dropped beam axle with a monoleaf spring and Pete & Jakes chrome shocks, hairpin radius rods and perches. Steering is via a Vega ’box and ’58 Buick front drums are housed behind Wilson Welding backing plates.

Out back hangs a Currie Enterprises 9” Locker axle, with Panhard rod, coilovers and Pete & Jakes ladder bars.

Power comes from a classic 327cu.in Chevy smallblock V8, bored over to 330cu.in. It has a stroker crank, TRW flat top pistons and an Isky cam. The heads are early Corvette topped off with Corvette finned rocker covers straddling the polished inlet manifold and 3 x 2 Rochester carbs. Transmission is through a manual ’91 Chevy S10 ’box.

The steel body, with its ‘suicide’-style doors, is covered in a matt dark green set off by zingy orange highlights. The theme is carried on in the interior, where the orange dash carries an autograph from drag racer Don Garlits. An engine-turned panel houses the new Moon gauges and a matching glove-box lid faces the passenger.

Since these photographs were taken, Keith has gone one step further and had the interior fully trimmed in a rather fetching orange and white striped interior. Perfect.

You can find out more about this car by buying Hot Rod Showcase Volume One.