Short of a Restoration
April 23, 2024
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
SWEET SOUNDS
Everyone wants a killer stereo that rocks. You can’t just roll out in your car without something fabulous to listen to. The factory equipment just won’t work for those who demand more, especially if you are trying to show off. You have to be able to turn up the music and be heard—it’s all part of the game. If you’re going to roll, you know the rules: you have to roll hard and that means your entire stereo system has to be up to the task. Nothing is worse than blasting a stereo and hearing everything rattle and shake. That’s a huge no-no. There is a simple solution to this problem, however. To do a proper stereo installation, you must first lay a solid foundation. The first layer of this foundation is called sound damping or sound control.
Leading the Pack
The design team at the Alpha Motor Corporation has made a habit of distilling some of the finest elements of classic automotive design into a modern formula for each of their offerings.
BULLETPROOF
For the past several months Super Duty Headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona, has been working one very special project—a full-custom, double-throw-down pre-runner for non-other than Jesse James. Yes, that Jesse James.
Spotlighter
IT TAKES A KEEN EYE
You Always Know a Lance Sorchik Hot Rod When You See One
Author
Gerry Burger & Lance Sorchik
Photography/Artwork by Lance Sorchik
A FRIENDSHIP REVOLVING AROUND HOT RODS AND PUBLISHING
Tucked away in rural Northern New Jersey is a collection of some insanely cool hot rods and I know the mildly insane guy that built ‘em. I’m proud to say I knew Lance Sorchik even before “Jersey Suede” hit the road. It’s hard to believe 45-years have passed since that fateful day when a “mild-mannered” guy stopped by our Rodder’s Digest Magazine booth at the 1982 Nats East carrying a portfolio of his artwork.
In the eighties the NSRA Nats East was our busiest show of the year. I was impressed with his art, we spoke briefly, I asked for a drawing of the RD sedan delivery and a couple of months later the first piece Sorchik artwork arrived and quickly landed on our last page. It would prove to be a great addition to Rodder’s Digest Magazine that lasted into the next century. Much like RD itself, the back page evolved over time from poster style artwork to a cartoon, and Lance always had a fun message to share.
We were never sure if Sorchik hot rods look like Sorchik artwork or was it the other-way-around? Either way it is a style that always catches your eye, the designs are “simple but not easy” and capturing that look is well thought out, from the engineering to the fit and of course the perfect finishes. That level of thought extends into the interior and under the hood as well.
Like many hot rodders, as time marches on the desire to hit the major events has faded, but not the desire to jump in for a drive to fellow hot rodders garages or just driving a hot rod to dinner with Diane. This means the chance of seeing a Sorchik hot rod in person may be remote, so enjoy the following photos. Now, I’ll stop this rambling and let Lance take it from here…
FIRST CAR
Having been raised in the farming community of rural Sussex, NJ, any first hand experience with hot rods was a rare thing. Most of what I knew of them was strictly from magazines. And anything mechanical was related to tractors. So when I had an opportunity to get my first car, dreams of something really cool were ever present in my mind. But, in reality, I could only afford what I could only afford, so my first car was a ’58 Willys Jeep pick up. I figured what the heck, I’d make it cool.
It was kind of rusty and crusty but it was mine. With it’s flathead Super Hurricane 6 and 3-speed, I learned to live with it and make due. 45 mph was about max. Then I discovered an overdrive unit that bolted into my Jeep and installed it. I could now do 75 mph with 6 forward gears in a vehicle that was made to go 45. I learned very quickly about overkill and am lucky to be alive today. But the day I took my buddy Carl home from school and turned around to back out of his driveway and realized the bed had fallen off … without me being aware of it, I knew I had to learn how to do body work (and fix the exhaust so I could actually hear!). That, I realize now, was how my life with cars started. If you wanted or needed something, you had to learn how to do it yourself and make it happen.
THE FIRST REAL HOT ROD THAT INSPIRED ME
Bob Zazzi was a familiar car guy and I distinctly remember driving past a local body shop and seeing his baby-blue Deuce 3-window sitting there multiple times. Wide-whites, red steelies and a flathead was all I could make out. So, one day I stopped in and walked in the shop to introduce myself. We chatted briefly and I felt a bit uncomfortable being this stranger who just walked in. But he was friendly which put me at ease. Luck would have it that he was finishing up a redo of the coupe and he looked at me and handed me a roll of electrical tape. “Tape up the tail light wires” he said and so I obliged and from that moment … I helped “BUILD” that car.
He fired the coupe up with a fresh flathead and adjusted the carbs. No interior, the windshield was the only glass and a funky bucket seat. He looked at me and said “Let’s take it for a test drive”. . . HE asked ME to go for a test drive?! Hell yeah!! So he handed me a milk crate to sit on and said “Let’s go”.
We idled to the end of the driveway where he checked out the oil pressure and temp, gave it a couple of revs and proceeded to peel-out sideways onto the street. Hanging on to whatever I could, I fell back off of the milk crate, onto my back, legs straight up, laughing my butt off all the while trying to sit up but I couldn’t move. With the flathead screaming through the firewall and the quick change rear whining loudly just under the floor below me, my senses were on fire and I was loving it! Eventually he pulled off the road and gave me a hand to sit myself up again. He had an infectious laugh and we both howled at the situation. Blipping the throttle, I braced myself better this time and we peeled-out again, back to the shop. At that moment I KNEW I had to have my own hot rod. Bob and I became friends that day and he was a major help with the construction of my first rod.
MY FIRST HOT ROD
I always knew that someday I would be in a position to build my first hot rod. I had finished my college degree (art education) and had a teaching job lined up but was employed at a local glass shop until the teaching job began. I was about to get married to Diane and all things seemed to line up in life. I knew I wanted a ’33 or ’34 Ford, preferably a 3-window. I subscribed to Hemmings Motor News (LONG before the internet!!) and knew the normal day it came in the mail. I remember telling Diane to go to the early Ford section of Hemmings if it arrived and look for a ‘33-‘34 3-window. As luck would have it she called the glass shop and read me the ad and it was only about 3 hours away in Pennsylvania. I called the number and was told I was the first caller and that he would hold the car if I could get there in a timely manner. Luckily my boss told me to take the rest of the day off and head out, so we did.
It was a old chopped body (poor chop) but had the moldings, dash, doors, deckled and a chassis. Enough for a great start. It came with a ’33 hood and grille but at $4500 it was a bit too steep for me. If he kept the hood and grille the price was $3700. Done deal!! Diane however was sitting in the car crying, totally stressed out about me buying a pile of parts and could not visualize what I was seeing. Plus for a young couple just starting out it was all of our savings. I reassured her and she trusted me so the rest was history. I left a deposit and came back the next week with a bud to pay in full and haul it home. It was MINE NOW!! Oh, and the seller was Ken Fennical of Posies fame!
I learned EVERYTHING on this build … welding, bodywork, electrical, plumbing, interior… plus I learned to ask a LOT of questions when I had no clue. It gave me the confidence to keep building cars. Sure there were a few screw ups, so I just redid what was wrong and moved on. And of course I terrorized the neighborhood with open headers and a lot of cruising … but who hasn’t?!
After 5 years I finally got it done. Chopped around 6”, 1956 Olds Rocket V-8, Saginaw 4 speed, Halibrand Champion quick change, all the good stuff. And we had so many great adventures in it and met so many cool people. Probably the biggest adventure was our trip to Pueblo, Colorado to the Rocky Mountain Nats in the late 80’s. It was a haul but so much fun.
We even won the Street Rodder award at the Rocky Mt. Nats, presented by the late Steve Hendrickson who would become a colleague of mine at Rodder’s Digest Magazine in the future. Small world!! We had a few missteps along the way but managed to remedy them without a hitch.
Even the local troopers in Spearfish, South Dakota were friendly and helpful when we had a flat tire, but questioned how we ever could see out of our windshield.
It really became my calling card at shows as people associated me and my artwork with ‘The Suede’. Always seemed to come home with more commissioned artwork after each show. Fun times.
Sadly “The Suede” has been off the road for 23 years now. Will I ever get to it? Great question …
MY HOT RODS I’VE BUILT
1948 CHEVY PICK UP
Always wanted an old AD Chevy. We had one on the farm and we beat the crap out of it until it was used up and I always missed it. So when a local truck became available I snatched it up and tore into it. I knew what I wanted and THE LOOK was done from old photographs cut up and taped together (see above), LONG before Photoshop existed. Note the high tech stick with inch marks on it to help measure everything to precision! It was crude but it worked. I kept it basic with a 350/400/9” combo. But I wanted to make it nicer than The Suede and to be able to drive it cross country … which we did in 1996. Chopped about 7” with laid back posts, the chassis was shortened 7” behind the cab and the bed (custom built by my friend Kenny Acheson) was lengthened 4”at the rear. ET III rear wheels and Real Wheels fronts. Leather interior, stereo, power everything, it was my Cadillac of hot rods. Still own it today and it’s very easy to drive. Even got a Pros Pick in 1995 at the Nats in Syracuse, NY.
DIANE’S 1932 FORD VICKY
Heard through the grapevine that a ’32 Vicky body was for sale a few towns away so we blasted there to check it out. Already chopped and most of the body work was complete, so we made the deal. Lobeck built us a chassis and it’s got a 401 Nailhead with a Super Turbine 400 and a 9” rear. Satin midnight blue. Louvered the hood top and the rear bustle to let people know it’s steel.
1928 FORD CLOSED CAB PICK UP
I wanted a ’28-’29 closed cab pick up for 30 years and picked this one up around 1990. It had been in the rafters of a barn in pieces since the 40’s and was a complete basket case but I could see what I was buying. Chassis was built by the late Dave Gale, plus I lowered it an extra 2” for good measure. Front 16” Kelseys were cut down to 15” and narrowed 2” while the rears were kept 16” but widened to 8”. The truck is cut 2 & 1/4” without touching the windshield and the roof wood was sectioned 2” to give it a haircut. My good friend Charlie Germer build the engine and It’s running a 181-inch, 3-liter, approximately 160+ HP Mercruiser 4-banger. Bored .030, block and heads decked, compression is kicked up 10.5. Exhaust and intake were built out of stainless by Ellis Simmons. Uses an S-10 5-speed. It’s a hoot to drive and I call it a go-cart for the street. Yes it’s stupid low and I have to do reconnaissance with my everyday driver the day before a new event to be sure there aren’t any speed bumps, but I love the look.
1933 FORD ROADSTER
I heard of this roadster sitting behind a shop a few towns away from us for a while and it was sitting with 5 other old cars. The owner would not sell the roadster but slowly let the other cars go. Then I heard through the grapevine that it was for sale. Long story short, I was able to purchase it. It had been sitting for years with no hood or intake and a torn plastic canvas on it. I figured I had nothing to lose so I tried to get it running. Cylinder walls were heavily rusted and scored but I went ahead anyway. Soaked the engine with Coke, motor oil and transmission fluid for a few weeks. Wired it up and pushed it down our driveway hill and popped the clutch. It fired!!! Smoked pretty badly but got better with time. Not bad but I’m sure I killed my share of mosquitoes. We drove it locally around town that way for 12 years!!!
After awhile Di asked me if we were ever going to get the roadster to the point where could actually drive it long distance. So I decided to do it “right” (whatever that is!!).
With the help and skill of Jesse Coots and his bud Jerry at Old Soul Hot Rod Shop in LeRoy NY, Jesse and crew built a one off chassis. Front and rear torsion bar, 350/5-speed and Speedway Engineering quick change rear. It’s sick, it’s slick and does the trick. I mocked up the car to get the stance I dreamed of and Jesse made it happen. I always said this car is ME to a T. Diane always joked that I am a ‘scratch and dent’ model. I have a few “issues” that I’ve learned to live with. And like the roadster we’re not perfect but very functional. We’ve got some flaws and we’re rough around the edges but dependable. In the looks department I feel the top “makes” the car and I’m proud to say I figured out how to make the top fold into the body like Henry intended without cutting any irons. Everywhere we drive it I keep hearing the words “Bad Ass”. I agree. But for me being a bad ass, that’s an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one!
PROJECTS I LET GO
Through the years there have been a number of unfinished projects that came and went for various reasons. My list is small in comparison to many rodders out there, but the excitement of finding that ‘gem’ and dragging it home still remains the same today … whether I finish them or not.
WHEN DID I GET MY ‘BREAK’ DRAWING HOT RODS
Not that I’m much different from the average car guy, but I always loved to scribble and dream about old cars, especially in my note books at school. Model building was also a passion. As I developed my style I was always amazed at the talents of Dave Deal and Dave Bell. So in the early 80’s I remember going to NSRA Nats East in York in our daily driver and saw a new magazine called Rodder’s Digest. It stuck in my mind and the next year I talked about approaching the owner, Gerry Burger, with a piece of art to see if he had any interest in using it. Diane said “Why not bring a small portfolio of your work to show to the editor?” I scraped together a dozen pieces and showed them to Gerry. Gerry was, let’s just say, receptive but kinda ‘cold’. He said to me “Do an illustration of my sedan delivery”. (Like any good magazine guy, I was looking for something for free. gb) It took awhile but I eventually did a colored version of his delivery and mailed it to him. He contacted me and said he’d like to use it in an upcoming issue. My heart skipped a beat. I was actually going to get a piece of my work in a magazine!! But then he said “How would you like to be a regular contributor?” HOLY CRAP!!! I was not prepared for that but said I was interested. So long story short, I did my best to create something for each issue but I really personally wasn’t excited about what I saw and felt the need to step up and do something different. Loving the layout of Dave Bell’s page, I decided to do something similar but different than Dave’s style. While Dave did little clips about different rodders, I wanted to actually talk to the readers and add my tongue-in-cheek take on all things hot rod. This added a lot of pressure to make deadlines but it made me ‘step up’ and meet the challenge and actually helped me change my style … for the better I believe. It was a lot of work taking anywhere from 25-40 hours to do my page I titled ‘Here’s Where I Draw The Line’ but I learned to juggle the deadlines with my full time job as an art teacher in our local high school. Plus in 1989 I started my own graphic design studio catering to only commissioned automotive art and a small line of posters and T-shirts. To this day I have no clue how I managed all of this but somehow it worked.
LIFE TODAY:
As the years have passed, it’s become very obvious that I still have a passion for building these ‘old junks’, but my (our) passion to drive long distance has slowly disappeared. Maybe it’s all of the body aches I (we) have … probably due to driving these cars so far for too many years …
But we did it and enjoy all our great memories and all the people we met along the way!
Today I get so much pleasure helping local (and not so local) rodders build their hot rods. It helps “scratch the itch” that I still have and I get the satisfaction of helping my buddies get their rides on the street.
Stay Tuned, Enjoy the Drive
ARTICLE SOURCES
Gerry Burger
Gerry Burger has been immersed in hot rodding since the early 1960s, building his first hot rods as a teenager after being inspired by local racer Bob Zorn. A chance meeting with Tom Medley in 1972 launched a distinguished career as an automotive photojournalist, leading to freelance work for dozens of magazines, the founding of Rodder's Digest, and editorial leadership roles at Street Rod Builder and American Rodder. Today, Burger continues to write, photograph, and build hot rods, remaining one of the hobby's most respected voices.
Lance Sorchik
Lance Sorchik is a New Jersey automotive artist, hot rod builder, and longtime art educator whose distinctive style carries from the drawing board to the garage. Known for his illustrations and humorous “Here’s Where I Draw the Line” pages in Rodder’s Digest, he turned a lifelong fascination with old cars into a career creating commissioned automotive artwork, launching his own studio in 1989. His personal builds—including the unmistakable Jersey Suede coupe—reflect the same attention to proportion, stance, and personality that defines his art. Whether drawing hot rods, building his own, or helping friends get theirs on the road, Sorchik brings firsthand experience and an enduring enthusiasm for the hobby to everything he creates.
