Professionally built at a cost of over $100,000, it’s a fantastic rod that combines that incredible look with all the features you’d add if you were building it yourself.
When it comes to hot rods, there are a few that practically define the breed, and at the very top of the hierarchy, there’s the 1934 Ford 3-window coupe. Sleek, stylish, and relatively rare, even when it was new, it became so popular that dozens of companies building fiberglass replicas sprang up to feed the market’s insatiable desire for one of Ford’s best designs. However, the cars that command top dollar are still Henry Ford steel, combining artistry and craftsmanship with the original timeless design.
This 1934 Ford 3-window coupe is indeed a real-deal 1934 Ford built by Ford Motor Company, not a reproduction. Perhaps more importantly, it hasn’t been altered in any significant way and still carries all the charming details that have made these cars so popular over the decades. Professionally built at a cost of over $100,000, it’s a fantastic rod that combines that incredible look with all the features you’d add if you were building it yourself. Fit and finish on the factory steel bodywork is impressive, with excellent gaps, exacting panel alignment, and hundreds of hours invested in getting everything smooth and flat. Note how the body molding lines up from the hood to the cowl to the long suicide doors and that regardless of the angle, the reflections in the Omaha Orange paint are distortion free. Yes, it’s orange, but it’s the right color and devoid of graphics or other gimmicks that make a lot of rods seem out-of-date before their time. It retains all the factory-issued trim, from the lovely pointed grille and standard radiator cap to functional cowl lights and scroll-like door handles to the correct DuoLamp taillights out back, which are upgraded with blue-dot inserts. The spare tire was removed to give it a smooth, sleek look, but the dipped bumpers remain, complete with correct flattened 1934 bumper guards, all highlighted with a matching Omaha Orange stripe. Even the roof has a fabric insert as original and the running boards are still steel covered in rubber, a testament to the quality of the work and respect for the integrity of the design. This car is really, really impressive.
Plenty of tan leather awaits inside, where the handsome interior was professionally stitched to be comfortable and attractive without looking over-done. The bench seat features a fold-down center armrest, critical if you’ve ever driven long distances without one, and the hides are soft and supple. More matching upholstery was used on the classic door panels, which feature color-matched original window garnish moldings and bright chrome hardware. Soft tan carpets, complete with a custom protective mat for the front seat, provide a luxurious feel as well as some insulation from heat and noise, making this a superlative long-distance cruiser. Instrumentation is by Classic Instruments, with appropriate cream-faced gauges and elegant pointers that are quite similar to what this car carried originally. Speed, temperature, and oil pressure are arrayed in front of the driver, with fuel level, volts, and boost pressure living in the glove box, along with the controls for the Vintage Air air-conditioning system. Above the windshield, you’ll find three LED indicators for the turn signals and high beams, along with the controller for the Sony 10-disc CD changer that’s hidden in the rumble seat area. Power seat controls and the rest of the Sony entertainment system are stashed at the front of the seat, and two handles on the rear bulkhead operate the rumble seat lid and the roll-down rear window, which is a wonderfully useful feature. And speaking of the rumble seat, it’s upholstered to match the interior and appears completely unused, with removable side panels for access to the aforementioned CD player and Optima battery.
The engine is a 350 cubic inch Chevy V8 topped by a Weiand supercharger and a big Holley 4-barrel carburetor. The builder claims more than $42,000 was spent on the engine alone and regardless of whether that’s true, it is beautifully detailed and unquestionably an expensive piece of hardware. The engine itself, plus the alternator, carburetor, and myriad small components were all painted Omaha Orange to match the bodywork and there’s lots of polished aluminum, stainless, and chrome to brighten things up. Original “ram’s horn” cast iron exhaust manifolds were used, but their surfaces were ground and polished, then they were ceramic coated to stay shiny forever. A custom stainless dual exhaust system sounds spectacular and tucks up tightly into the frame for plenty of ground clearance.
That frame is a fabricated piece that includes a dropped axle front suspension and a 3-link setup with coil-overs out back. Disc brakes live at each corner and a TH350 3-speed automatic delivers the thrust to the color-matched Ford 9-inch rear with 3.50 gears inside. Everything under the car was either painted to match the bodywork or polished to a high shine before installation, and with just over 600 miles on the build, remains in exemplary condition today. Polished Halibrand wheels with spinners give it a traditional hot-rod look and wear staggered 195/70/14 front and 235/75/15 rear Goodyear radials that look almost new.
This is an extremely impressive rod built from one of the most desirable pre-war Fords. Every detail was hand-crafted to exacting standards and it shows. Fully sorted and completely reliable, it’s ready for a cross-country drive or to start collecting trophies anywhere it goes. The only thing you’re going to have to get ready for is everyone knocking their knuckles on its skin, then being shocked that it’s made of steel. Not many vintage Ford rods can claim that distinction.
