Projects 34 Larry's build from the Northern Star of the 50's/60's

Can't seem to quite know where to put this so just do a new thread I guess. Most know I've been posting my build and story of this Iconic 34 out of the 50's, built through years by Jerry Berg, (now 81), and Ben Sebastian. Well it is now a good driver (has been for most of a year or so), but now it has paint on it and can be called complete or as complete as these guys ever get anyway cause their never complete.
Got it in November of '95 got my version done July of 2017, almost 22 years. Not bad for the first time, LOL. Well the reason for this is to put some pictures out there. Goodguys this weekend but man I saw $75 to show? Well that's some what steep for people to look at my car so I will pass. Don't get me wrong, it is damned expensive to put that show on, and it is a good one to be sure.
Well if I can "get her done", here's some pic's of what I did with the car.
Can't get the shot of the interior to load for some reason, Mustang eclectic buckets of early 2000's cream color with rolled/pleaded insert which will be black (insert only), tilt column with Grant banjo wheel, turn signals in cowl lites, power window left over from previous build reinstalled and key fob opens bear claws. Ford script on the bottom of all black face/chrome gauges, Speedo in the center where ash try lived, Tach in where stock speedo gauge was. Lokar shifts 727 B&M torque flite, lokar pedals for throttle and brake pedal. Dash is glossy black with the original "factory air" windshield. Grill is original from '34 as the chopped frame (a little wavy throughout but that gives it charterer) . It took on a persona of its own, turning out to be "new" old school, and I like it a lot. As I have stated in a previous post, the wires are one off made for the car when Sebastian had it on the show circuit in the 70's.
Well that's enough prattling on.
It may not be what it was in the 50's as the Northern Star or the 60's and 70's as Plumb Crazy, but its a damn site better than what I dove home from West Seattle in the pouring rain that dark afternoon in 1995 (I think.)

 

Looks great...love to drive it.....

 

How's it handle with those front shocks/coilovers like that?
I know you're IFS, but often thought of something like that on a beam axle.

PS...looks nice.

 

Thanks, I appreciate it

 

Well B36 I get that question a lot. The west coast builder of the year lives near by and that was his first question. At first it took some tweaking to get it right but it is good now, but it still needs aligning that I have not gotten to yet. The issue with the shocks at the 45 deg. angle is the ride. That has never been an issue, but the steering is by Armstrong as I'm sure you know, but there is no room for this new power steering that is out. Its ok though once your on the move. Thanks for the question.

 

Should have mentioned the suspension is all E Type Jag installed by Russ Meeks of Portland Oregon for Ben Sebastian back in the 70's. Russ Meeks is winner of the AMBR years back with a mid engine 32 roadster I believe it was. I've conversted with him a lot through the years, great guy.
That's a 55 Chrysler with reground isky, 60 over 331 cu in, dual AFB quads, that need rebuild soon (the carbs not the motor). It had a puke 302 Ford with 4 speed when I brought it home in '95. A close friend keeps hounding to put a blower on it, but it ain't built for a blower and most likely never will be.

 

That Hemi and wide front tires, probably has a bit to do with needing to get it rolling to turn easy.

 

well I personally like the "new old school look" I think it turned out great now get her tweaked so you can drive it anywhere and just add mile and smiles Tom

 

Larry, fantastic job, the coupe turned out great! Hope you enjoy many miles driving it.

 

Any pics of it from the 50s?

 

Yes cactus if you google "Jerry Bergs 1934 Ford", that will bring up the complete history of this iconic 34 on the website, "Kustomrama." Pic's though out its entire 83 year history are there with its story in print as well.

 

Hey SS thanks, I tried. You coming down to the Goodguys this weekend? The Canadian coral has really killer BC cars every year.

 

Been tweaking here and there getting the "little" things done. I'm debating going back and shooting it in Black Cherry but am reluctant to do so because of the expense, time, and hard work. I have a good friend that is one of the best painters I know and he would do it for half of what the big paint shops demand, but still the car would be out of commission the rest of this summer right after I got it on the road after all these years. Opinions ??????????

 

Drive it, get all the things just like you want them. paint can be done in the winter.

 

I think I saw that car more than once way way back just after Russ hung the front end on it. Cool car with a ton of history.

I had to check on the entry fee. Yep 70 at the gate if you aren't a Goodguys member. But if two people went down for one day it's 20.00 each to walk in the gate. Or a 50.00 weekend pass for each.
Vintiques is going to be on this coming weekend in Yakima but the entry fee is 60 at the gate and it is supposed to be 108 here on Friday. I'm not sure if I will make it up to take photos this year or not as I am way behind in getting ready to go on vacation next week.

 

Mr48chev this is the 34 that Russ Meeks did the Jag IFS and IRS on for Ben Sebastian, and yes it has and extensive history. Ben had it all chromed and it is still like the day it came back. I have talked with Russ more than once about that and as I have posted else where here the history is all recorded on the Kustomrama sit under "Jerry Bergs 34 ford"

Going to be plenty hot for us here in the northwest this week, and Yakima run will be more so on the east side. Thanks for your post, I have the complete history documented in pictures and text.

 

Why is this under traditional hot rods all the traditional has been sucked right out of it .


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Wow, I'm surprised at this Besty34. Traditional to me means "the same as in the past" and in my past
I seem to recall a lot of hi-boy'32, '33 & '34 fords. I go back to the end of WW II (I was 6) and started getting into cars at about 10 which was 1949 and around then and saw Joe Ballions "Miss Elegance" and that did it for me, I was hooked. Started buying "Hop Up", I believe it was and then "Hot Rod" and all the rest as time went on and it seems to me there were a lot of '32, '33 and '34 hi-boys in those days, especially in California. Sorry I miss placed it for you. So I'm wondering under what should I have placed it under? Maybe the site will let me move it if I did so.

 

Love it, I would drive it every chance I got.

 

(Later the same day) Man this questioning "Why Traditional" has bugged me all day. Am so curious
why Besty34 says all the "traditional" has been sucked out of it. If that is so, what is and what is not traditional? Maybe I just do not get it. Anyone out there that can help me??

 

Damn I think I just got it. He is of the opinion that in the past there was nothing at all like this being "traditional" because most hi-boys of times gone by did not run jag IFS/IRS, wire wheels, and other things just that is a little different from those of times gone by.Hemi's , yeah there were some, not many with Bigs/Littles so this is unique to traditional, so the traditional has been sucked out of it and replaced with the builders desire to be a little unique himself. Most of that time ran flatheads, later SBC's, maybe blown, maybe not, mags. hilibrands or something on that order being traditional. . It is a custom hot rod I guess but there ain't no such heading for that so Traditional hot rods was closest so that was it. Thanks Besty34 you made my day.

 

It's all semantics. Really the word in this case should be replaced with period correct to X era.

your car is very traditional. Traditional 70's
The guy thinking all the tradition has been sucked out of it probably has his mind cemented in an earlier era.

 

I shouldn't have said anything it's your car to do has you please . It has always been one of my favourite cars of all time in its fifties guise and it was a shock to see it changed so much . Has for it being in traditional hot rod part of this forum a couple of years ago it wouldn't have happened, it would have not been allowed but sadly standards have slipped and it's not the forum it use to be , it's more a street rod forum now .


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Mmmmmmmmmmm my original post was more than a couple of years ago so it was allowed. I cannot locate that now but it was around 2010 I believe, Besty34. Through the years I have posted the entire history of the car and how I come to find it in horrible condition, and not knowing it was a famous 34 that I saw in Hot Rod of Nov. "59 and loved also because it was from my part of this ol' world. Not knowing what I had at the time, and considering the poor condition, and that I had always wanted a Hi-boy that is the way I chose.
If I had known at the time of that decision, what it had been in its previous life my decision may have been much different. However, Jerry and his son both have visited me and the car and approve very much of what it has become. At the very least I saved it from a fate of some one doing much worse with if and what some have chastised me for. Please if you will visit Kustomrama web site, and see the entire 60+ year history and see how it was violated in that time, and what I ended up with in 1995 and perhaps you'll understand how it became what it is today and how this has come to be. Do so by using Google and searching for "Jerry Bergs 1934 Ford Coupe". That story will show a picture of how I found it, how the Hemi had been ripped out and replaced with a worn out 302 Ford, 4 speed, and how the interior was in horrible shape, how the quad headlights installed by Sabastian had been ripped out and replaced with layers of Bondo, how the interior had been "painted" black, how the trans mount has been cut out of the fame and never replaced, and so and so on.
Hind sight as we say here in the states is always better.
Thanks though for you insight, and am wondering what is your record holding accomplishments, I know nothing of what you post with your posts and am curious, and congrats on that accomplishment.

 

I think he is simply saying that it should be in the "General Discussion" board rather than the "Traditional Hot Rods" board?

 

And I'm ask'n Why?????

 

Cool as it is and great as it should drive it doesn't match the criteria that the Boss set down for it being a "traditonal" hot rod. That requiring a cross spring, I beam or tube axle and bones or radius rods.

I like the hell out of the car and wanted a Kuglal Jag front end setup from the first time I saw a blurb in a magazine about him building them. I even had a very nice 34 tudor body and frame at one time that now I damned well wish I had kept. Someone in Houston has or had that car and bought it at the Waco rod run in 1977 for 350.00 bucks from a guy (me) from McGregor Tx. That one would have got an independent at that time in life.

 

Because it's laid out pretty clearly that "traditional" on this forum translates as built correct to a period previous to 1965.

The "traditional" hot rod section/marking takes it further and requests it be pretty stringent to holding true to every bit and bolt to that. Where the general board a more "period built influence/style" will get by.

Is your car built exactly like it was in 1950? The modifier of "tradiontal hot rod" works on this forum, if it's got power brakes and a t5 go ahead and just classify it into the general forum.

Now you might wonder what the fuss is about.

Well there's a lot of people who are interested in only the strictest of builds to adhear to a period. And several years ago the hamb was re laid out to have a trad hot rod section and a trad kustom section only. With the rules that have been in place for over 15 years being enforced heavily. Well there's a lot of "trad inspired" cars that get booted at that point and so the general forum was opened to more or less give space for people who aren't so period correct but get the vibe.

Honestly this is all pretty spelled out ina. Bunch of posts ryan made that I'm sure are stickied to the top of a page.

 

Whoa, so sorry there guys that I inadvertently violated a Cardinal rule here. Thanks Tim and Mr. 48Chev and all the rest of the members out there. I had no idea I was in the wrong. I have always thought there is no "right" way or "wrong" way when building and showing cars. While I so do not agree with what you tell me here, I do respect the whishes of the owner/moderator of this site and the wishes of the purists of the hobby. Now my question: what happens now to this and all my other posts. Blow them out would be fine I guess and I'll just go on my merry way and enjoy the love of my 22 year labors. Note please that I never ever, read such rules or I would have posted under the correct banner even though I believe in my heart it is a "Traditional Hot Rod". Thanks again guys for putting me on the straight road out of town.

 

This sums it up,,
( https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/guidelines-the-traditional-hot-rod-forum.828348/ )
at the top of the first page you open up. Don't take it personally. The car is bitchen!
The site rules are the site rules.