Roy Drapal

You can’t help but love Jeff Norwell. We all do… And as if he hasn’t done enough for us already, here is his guest editorial spot:

The year was 1946 and a young man returns from the service, honorably discharged and riding on the long road back aboard a bus heading for his home in Nebraska. The war is over and his dreams begin. On that long ride home, he begins to build in his mind, his dream – a hotrod.

Meet Roy Drapal. This young man is father to our own Sid Drapal (55 Mercury).

Roy served and was General Harmon’s personal driver, the same General Harmon that went on to build and start the Air Academy in Colorado Springs. We talk much of this generation and there accomplishments and Roy is a fine example. Roy’s choice was a 1930 Ford A coupe. As Roy puts it, “I wanted to build me a lil hotrod… like some of the other fellas in town”.

And so he began… Roy purchased the stock A in late ’46 for the sum of $25 dollars and immediately chopped the car 3.5 inches. He then cut and dropped the frame 7.5 inches. Not content enuff, Roy channeled the A body another 1 3/4 inches. Roy was ahead of the crowd – head and shoulders above. All this was done with no Electricity and a stick welder. The car was completed in 1955 and still stands today… the same… untouched… and a driver.

For a drive train, Roy bought a Ford flathead V8 60($10) and used a ’37 toploader, torque tube and model A rear end. A cut down and recored 37 ford radiator was used to cool the little hotrod. The rear axle housing was machined to use “modern”(As Roy tells it) hydraulic brakes.I believe he grabbed them off a ’39 Ford. All the frame work was done by hand with hand held drills using no power what-so-ever.

The body mods are mind blowing. Roy used a 35 Pontiac roof and roof line to complete the rolled panels at the bottom of the A body. He then used the center of the Pontiac roof to fill the A’s top. The filled grill is 2 deuce tops welded top and bottom and leaned back against his hand formed hood sides and lower body panels. The fenders were split in half and welded back together to give a very stylish feel. Whats really interesting here is the fact that there is a hot rod and a custom at play and the 2 ideas work. Steering was grabbed from a Plymouth and the steering column from a Packard. As Roy puts it, “they were chrome from the factory”.

The Packard also gave up its dash and ’35 Ford dash-ends were grafted side to side. What is truly amazing about Roy’s A coupe is the ingenuity put into this car – the electric door openers, electric windows, 4-bar suspension, homemade coni kit and an eye for detail are all evidence. The hood latches come off a post war Plymouth roadster. Every part of this sweet survivor has an amazing tale.

The air in those tires are from 1955 – the year Roy finished the car.

The car was painted once, when it was finished, and it is a ’55 Plymouth Arctic Turquoise. Roy told me the only thing he did not do was the interior. Palmer Trim of Hastings Neb. handled that job.

Roy has done many things in his life, nothing short of astounding, like the 1917 Newport Bi-plane he built complete with machine guns. We sure can learn a lot from a man like Roy Drapal… yep… Roy is just getting started.

At the tender age of 81, Roy is deep into his next project – A 1911 Excelsior. He was waiting for brake parts. Told me he can hardly wait to tear into them country back roads. Go Roy Go!

– Jeff Norwell