A Generation that we will never see again!!! Your Grandfather had balls the size of BASKETBALLS!!! SALUTE!!! Pete ( car is insane!! Love it!!)
Great post Ryan .. Chopped Model 40's , especially coupe's are the epitome of 'Hot Rod' for me .. if we all chopped 'em or built 'em the same , how boring would that be .. Hot Rodding is about pushing the limit's and having a blast and this car does it in spades from the chop to running that souped up 21 studder to driving the shit out of it. I totally get this hot rod and I'd probably be with 3W Larry & Chris Casny if it were my coupe but I absolutely appreciate someone else's interpretation and Loud Pedal's reply post answers all questions for me
Ryan, I enjoyed your article. As is usually the case with your articles, there is plenty to ponder. I noticed that most of the reader responses were about the '34 coupe that you featured. I'll say this, whether the reader loves, hates, or is indifferent to that car, if he is honest with himself, the basic premise of your article is so true. Hot rods are a diversion. There is absolutely nothing really practical about them. Oh, there are some more impractical than others, but they are ALL, at the very core, toys. At the very best, they are a wonderful means of self expression. As we all get older, having families, paying mortgages, and putting kids through college have a way of molding us into responsible and practical human beings. And rightfully so. However, trying to be too practical with hot rodding is "counter intuitive" (as you pointed out). It's the "... immature .... raucous .... not at all rational .... child’s play." in hot rodding that really makes it fun. In other words, don't let practicality kill the joy. Beyond that, I'll add, it just needs to be safe. The real purpose of hot rodding, to keep the young from getting old and to make the old young again!
What's not to like about this wild 34 coupe? Hats off to the Elmers again for this one. I met Kris (Loudpedal) at Bonneville the first year he took his 'Green Grenade' out on the Salt, and was much impressed with what that (then very young) guy had done. While I, and others, drooled over the rad chopped, reverse-sectioned, bare metal "A" body, Loudpedal was still not content with the coupe. He wanted a more wicked engine. The next year at Speedweek I saw that he had done that. The Elmers have the essence of real hot rodding in their blood!
what i like about the "awkward chop" is the roof line and rocker/fender line look like they would meet. giving the car a dramatic tear drop look. too cool. and yep....spend a weeks pay at a bar dancing with chicks. stale popcorn, warm beer and cold pizza for BREAKFAST at 11:30 am. having more money in stereo equipment than you have in the bank. skipping work for a matinee opening of a movie. same feeling......i wish i could go back.
You know what? I don't care about the chop,the body etc............................most people prob have not taken the time to read what insane shit that family did to that 21 stud flatty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The machine work on that thing is OBSCENE in a perfectly good way. Go read up if you haven't. Trent
Reminds me of the outlandish show cars of the late 60's to mid 70's. Too radical to drive, but everyone wanted one.
Neat car, neat story. It's hard to stop when your car is raw and unfinished. I am far from finished with my truck, but I don't think it is any cooler (to me) or fun than when I first put it on the road. Just slightly more refined.
Wow talented family, plus they give their cars cool names. If you're gonna name a car Hell's Messenger you better live up to it and that car does. Wonder if they name the cars before or after the builds...
I like big chops like on this car. I really love the Green Grenade, and the black roadster. I remember the first time I saw the Green Grenade in person ... I was just floored with the overall everything about that car. The chop on the showcased 34 is kind of "awkward looking" to my eye, but obviously I have no idea what works for my eye because I'm old. I cant comment on the flathead because I just don't know enough about them to have a clue. But if Trent says its amazing, ill take his word for it. Thanks for the write up, kinda fun when things get stirred up a bit ... now git offa my lawn =)
Here is a pic I took of the block while our Dad was working on it. Yes, this is the block that is still in the car to this day... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Ryan I as well enjoyed your article and Mikes photos. I was very flattered (and I'm not going to lie) surprised when you hit me up about featuring my car. As I knew what kind of shit that it would stir up on here.
Im not "too dammed old" to get it, i love the car, with the exception of the chop, killed the look of the car 100 percent for me, rest of the car is great, at least its metal so someday the chop can be fix, and it really only goes wrong for me from the B pillars forward, sorry, it just dont do it for me. no offense what so ever to the builder, its what he wants, and thats what counts. on the point of people getting older then getting lazy about the period correctness of thier car, well im going just he opposite ass i get older, my 32 coupe which once had a nailhead, st400 auto, and a saginaw cross steer box and 9" ford rear end is now getting a 59ab flathead with a 40 side shift box with column shift, stock 32 steering and a 35 banjo rear.
Don't misinterpret what's going on with this car or the green grenade or any other cars these guys are involved with! They are not looking to rewrite history, not looking for car show trophies, not looking for admiration from Dana Barlow, they are built with one thing in mind. The pure love of building and driving cars with soul, THE JOURNEY is the destination . No belly button, candy coated, pansies pleasers with crying baby dolls and tweetie birds will do for these guys..... Maybe when your pissing off someone, maybe your succeeding, either way Mr. Elmer please keep building.!.!.!
Love the car, followed the build at the time. You touched on some fine points Ryan, for me hot rodding is breaking free, shit I feel like a robot some weeks, like I'm stuck in George Orwells 1984, it's quality shed time, kids in bed, radio humming and wrenching away, that's the shit. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Great catch up on the reading here today. Why does everyone get so mad? You mad? Huh? WTF already. Everything can be fixed, even when it doesn't need fixing. My favorite car in the garage, had a shit ton of Meso/American glass engraving on it.....via 70's era.....panel paints and radiused wheelwells with nose down busted stance. Guy I got it from loved it, then.....and hates it now. Lol.......awwwww ......him mad. I don't give a you know what either. IT'S MINE. No way, I would get half as much done as those guys. I respect what they did, and wish I had the problems that they do.....people worrying about what they are proud to have their own. I doubt if there is even an oil drop under that car. Amazing reading.
And the guy who owns that outrageous beast is a hell of a nice guy. I was talking to him at Bonneville one year and he just offered me a soda. Never met him before in my life. A lot of people aren't like that anymore.
Beezlebub wants his car back! Wow that car exudes evil (in a good way)! Reminiscent of the Doug Hartelt, Racer Brown, and Bob Rounthwaite coupes of the early 50's;
These guys get it.............always loved the cars Loudpedal turns out, Green Grenade and the black roadster are perfect, now "Hells Messenger" with its wicked chop is just plain Evil and Nasty.
Well done Timmy! You and the car and the family deserve all the praise. For any one bagging on the chop, you can't knock it till you've seen and touched it. I have many times and the car is a work of art and draws a crowd no matter where it goes. The machine work in the engine is impressive and beyond, even most pro machine shops. Love it!