Mike Tomforde’s ’34 Roadster

Hot Rod Magazine… March, 1952. Even if you collect vintage Hot Rod magazines, this probably isn’t an issue you’ve ever paid much attention to. The cover features Don Francisco and his butane powered test car which frankly, isn’t the sexiest of subjects. Judge the book by its cover and you are already flipping to the next issue in your collection, right?

The thing is, if you do take the time to thumb through the book you’ll find one of my all time favorite cars. It’s Mike Tomforde’s ’34 roadster as pictured here.

The formula here is simple. Lets go over the basics:

• Mild (2-inch?) chop matched by a gloriously proportioned top.
• Subtle, but athletic stance created solely by removing some springs and adding 16″ ’40 Ford wheels wrapped in really appropriate white wall tires.
• 1941 Ford wagon bumpers.
• 1939 Ford taillights.
• Chrome fender welting.
• Louvered hood.
• 1940 Ford dash complimented by a lot of chrome as well as a column shifter from the same year.
• 1941 Merc flathead Ford with D&S intake, 91 carbs, 9-to-1 compression, H&C cam, W&H ignition, etc…
• Slowed down by Kinmonts at each corner. (Editor’s note: Ever noticed how many Texas based hot rods ran Kinmonts?)

The end result of all these pieces is nothing short of fantastic. It’s an elegant hot rod that is just as cool today as it was back in 1952. And at the end of the day, that’s really the biggest test a hot rod can ever past. If it’s timeless, it ain’t wrong.

Dig on this:

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