At the Ready

One of my favorite aspects of hot rodding these days is when a car owner picks an era—or better yet a moment in time—and sticks to it. As I’m sure is the case for most of us, my tastes tend to vary depending on the bodystyle, intended usage and even region. Recently, I’ve been gravitating towards multi-purpose Model A hot rods from the early-to-mid-’60s. We had a RPU (borne of a cut-down touring) last week and a Vicky before that, so today it’s only fitting to take a look at a sharp A coupe built for both street and show.

Mr. Ready

The year was 1961 and the place was Granada Hills, California. Four years prior, Larry Ready rounded up a $35 Model A, ready to dig in at all costs. Like any rodder worth his salt, Mr. Ready knew he wanted to drop in a hot motor—something new, something flashy and something Ford. Luckily for him, he scored a fresh ’57 Thunderbird engine and treated it to some high performance machine work. Now displacing 335 cubic inches, he souped it up with an Edelbrock 3×2 manifold, a trio of chromed Strombergs and a utilitarian pair of custom-made headers.

What attracted me to Larry’s coupe, however, was the paint and bodywork. For the most part, the ’28 maintained its stock charm with its full fenders and unchopped top. The rear fenders were bobbed just the right amount, maximizing the impact of the big Inglewood whitewall slicks while cleaning up the rear end. I was expecting to find a photo with a hood top, but it seems like the car didn’t run one at the time of the two-page April ’61 feature in Hot Rod Magazine.

While looking at the black and white photos, you can immediately tell this car absolutely glowed. The reason: a beautiful Jade Mist paintjob. The firewall was sprayed in metallic gold and pleated white Naugahyde was stitched inside and out further enhance the coupe’s unmistakable early-’60s look.

In recent years, an increasing number of these early ’60 street/show hot rods have made their way into the public eye. Some are restored, some are survivors and some are well-documented contemporary builds. Mr. Ready’s coupe was heavily influenced by time and place, both of which make it a showstopper even to this day.

—Joey Ukrop

 Photos by Curt Hamilton, Hot Rod Magazine, April 1961