TAKING IT TO HEART

Sometimes building a street rod can be downright exasperating. The amount of money involved and the stress of chasing down parts and coordinating the efforts of multiple shops can lead to a fair bit of tension in any owner. How many times have you heard someone say something along the lines of: “That damn car’s going to give me a heart attack!”? Odds are you’ve heard it or even said it at least once or twice if you’ve been involved in rodding for any length of time. 

Of course, when we say such a thing, we don’t actually mean it. Unfortunately, for Belvidere, Illinois’ Bob Laken, that’s exactly what happened to him during the construction of this steel ’34 coupe. Well, he didn’t use the words “heart attack,” but since we don’t really know what a ruptured abdominal aorta aneurysm is, we figured that was the best way to explain it. And we’re not even sure the car caused the problem—play along with us anyway. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The story really began when Laken bought a genuine steel ’34 three-window. 

Unlike so many other projects, the car was actually in great shape, but, of course, that boosted the price of the project. Since the original frame was in such good shape, Laken opted to use it rather than build a new frame for the car. Hopperstad Customs Hot Rod Shop (815/547-7534) boxed the rails, ground and filled all the welds and installed one of its own crossmembers with a new trans mount. A four-link setup and Pete & Jake’s coilover shocks support the rear of the frame and the Currie/Strange 9-inch rearend. Inside that housing sits a limited-slip differential, 3.50 gears and narrowed axles. Wilwood discs make up another part of the package, and bolted to each rotor you’ll find a chromed 17-inch Torq-Thrust wheel. Mounted to each rear wheel is a 255/60 BFGoodrich Comp T/A tire. This classic combination has seen use on countless street rods, and seeing the pair stuffed inside the fenders of this Ford makes it easy to understand why.

The front suspension comes from Heidt’s Hot Rod Shop. No surprises here—it’s a Gary Heidt version of what a Mustang II style should be. Heidt’s also made the spindles, steering rack, torsion bars, sway bars and springs. Aldan supplied the shocks, while the brakes are once again Wilwood discs. The front Torq-Thrusts are smaller than the rears, measuring only 15 inches and capped with 195/60 BFGoodrich rubber. Hopperstad Customs polished every suspension component it could, so there’s no shortage of shine underneath the dark ’34.

The engine compartment is suitably bright, crammed full of 351 ci of small-block Ford and all the accessories needed to make it work. The owner sent the ’93 Windsor block to Total Performance in Clinton Township, Michigan—Ford experts extraordinaire—where Vito Labelarte performed the diligent work on it. The Ford crankshaft and rods work in conjunction with the Ford GT-40 aluminum heads to create a street-friendly 9.5:1 compression, and a matching GT-40 intake provides the fuel and air. The gas enters via Vortech Engineering injectors, while a K&N filter passes along the oxygen. Ken’s Street Rods in Rockford, Illinois, built the exhaust system using stainless tubing and bullet mufflers, polishing everything when the job was complete. Engine dress-up items include a set of Ford Motorsport valve covers, a chrome oil pan and a set of billet spark plug wire covers.

Before the engine could ever be brought to life, there came a real chance that the owner could lose his. Laken’s aneurysm hospitalized him for eight weeks, and during this time his condition went from bad to worse. One of his legs developed blood clots following the surgery, and doctors had little choice but to amputate the limb. Despite this loss, Laken was determined to complete the car, and on the way home from the hospital, he stopped by Hopperstad Customs to see his car. Now that’s what we call enthusiasm. 

If any good came out of his tragedy, it was that choosing between an automatic and manual transmission became an automatic decision. The owner couldn’t be certain of his ability to drive a stick, so he elected to use a C4 automatic from Hipster Transmissions in Milwaukee. The C4 obviously had the strength to deal with the 400hp Windsor, but it didn’t have an overdrive. To compensate, Hopperstad Customs added a Gear Vendors under/overdrive unit to increase the coupe’s cruising abilities. We think you will be seeing more of these units, as they make such good sense in a rod like this one. A 2,200-rpm converter and polished driveshaft from Inland Empire helped put the power to the rear axles.

Although the body was in good shape, it was inevitable that it would need some work. Hopperstad Customs acid-dipped the entire car at the beginning of the project, which went a long way toward cleaning up the body and getting it ready for modification. The shop filled the roof before it chopped out 2-3/4 inches. Next, it refitted the doors and fenders. The car needed a new floor to replace the rusted original. Neat ’39 Ford taillights replace the originals, and the headlights are polished Commercial pieces. Pete & Jake’s nerf bumpers grace each end of the coupe. Nardi Custom Paint in Cherry Valley, Illinois, painted the car using basic PPG Black. The color may be basic, but there’s nothing basic about the way the finish turned out. That everyone involved in the project had the confidence to spray an original steel car in such an unforgiving color shows how much faith the owner and builders had in the quality of work underneath the paint.

Some people feel that a street rod interior should be simple, and filled with only the necessities, but not Laken. He wanted—and got—it all, and in order to do so, he took it to Midwest Upholstery in Plainfield, Illinois. The crew there did a spectacular job, installing items such as Glide Engineering sport buckets, Lokar shifter and e-brake handle. But the installation was the easy part; they showed their real talent in stitching up a storm of bone-colored leather over the seats, headliner and door panels. Wabbit’s Rosewood adorns the dash, forming the instrument cluster that houses Classic Instruments gauges. Matching rosewood laminate covers the rim of the LeCarra banjo steering wheel.

In addition to comfort and looks, Laken wanted to make sure he had the proper amenities. That desire meant the installation of a Vintage Air heating and cooling system, and anyone who’s endured the Midwest climate will attest that each is absolutely necessary. And while some owners consider a street rod with a stereo a form of heresy, this ’34 has a system that would make any audiophile jealous. A pair of 200-watt amps powers the Sony stereo unit and 10-disc CD changer. The Sony pumps the music through a pair of 10-inch woofers, two Kicker Resolution mid-range speakers and a pair of dome tweeters. That’s a top-quality audio system in any ride, and far beyond the small systems typically found in cars like this coupe. The windows and trunk are power operated, and Centech wiring makes sure everything works together.

Laken is convinced that finishing the project made his rehabilitation easier, and he wants to thank everyone involved in the project for sticking with it when he couldn’t. Although he’s extremely pleased with the car, he does admit that future modifications are possible. He patterned the ’34 after the “California Kid,” so some flames and a set of Halibrands aren’t out of the question. The only problem with this plan is that the coupe keeps taking home first-place trophies as it is. And as long as that keeps happening, Laken says he’ll leave well enough alone.