The Long Island ’34 Roadster

I think if I were a truly wealthy guy and I needed a roaster in my collection, the first car I’d look to build would be a ’34 roadster. It’s not that I don’t dig on 32’s or 36’s or all of the other market driven early Ford roadsters out there, but I’ve always had a thing for the ’34.

I’ve only driven one. It was a car that Tardel built a decade or so ago and I was lucky enough to drive it in to one of the Hot Rod Revolution car shows we did in Penngrove, CA. I remember being surprised by how roomy and comfortable it was even for my 6’3″ or so inch frame. And when Keith goaded me into thumping it, I remember bing floored by how quickly the car transferred from being a thing of relative luxury into visceral thing of raw hot rod. In a lot of ways, it was the perfect car.

I’d post a picture of that car, but I can’t find one. It’s late at night, it’s cold outside and I’m just far too grumpy to search with a smile on my face. So rather than slipping into some kind of despair, I thought I’d reach for the next best thing – my March, 1953 issue of Hot Rod Magazine.

Somewhere buried in the middle of this issue is a feature on Pete Ogden’s “Long Island ’34”. The car got a two-page spread, but only a paragraph of editorial. It was too simply built for anything more really… But it was also a car built with a level of detail that might have been a few years before it’s time – really straight body work, really nice gaps, an interior that looks almost contemporary, and what I imagine to be the perfect shade of maroon paint. And while I’d strip the continental kit, I love the wonky ass a-pillars and weird windshield.

I guess more than anything, this car feels like a really nice car that I’d enjoy driving. And that’s remarkable, because I’m not typically all that into “really” nice cars. I prefer things to be a little more casual I guess… Laid back.

I any regard, enjoy these shots and by all means, if you have a favorite 33/34 roadster – post a pic!

***