What happened to Guy Ruchonette's '34 Coupe?

Is it still being raced somewhere?

It was an owner-built nostalgia racer that I fell in love with while watching it at Sacto and Sears Pt. in the late 80's/early 90's. It was running a blown & Hilborn-injected 392 Hemi, P'glide tranny, home-made tube frame, 4" chop, semi-channel, bright orange paint, and a license plate that proclaimed "ID WINN".

Gray Baskerville covered it in HRM in Sep. '88 ("I'd winn, You'd lose") and again in '93 ("Baddest Street Rods of all Time"). It was advertised for sale at $75K (a bargain, IMHO, not that I could afford it) in the Nov '03 Goodguys Gazette (yeah, I'm a member... get over it).

Here's a pix I found doing a google search.

 

still one of the bitchin-est coupes around.....i remember reading the for sale ad .....thinking.....ok ...if i hock the house ....and maybe the kid.......hahahh a guy i know in cali is building one that has the same attitude.....but different color......neat piece......it will probably show up on here sometime before the end of the year.......brandon

 

WOW - now thats a Hot Rod!

 

Anybody?

 

After seeing the success of the Gary Kollofski '55 Chevy thread, thought I'd resurect this one.

 

One last bump.

 

That's a killer car! Whoever bought it probably scared themselves to death, the first (and last) time they drove it!

 

That pic doesn't start to do it justice. Please if anyone has anymore or any stories I would love to hear. That car influanced me like no other.

 

As of 2006, HAMBer "Derelict", who is from the same area, seemed to think the sale didn't happen and Ruchonnet still had it. I know because this was the subject of my first ever HAMB thread.

STILL a friggin awesome car...

 

Guy Ruchonet still has the coupe.

 

Thanks for posting the magazine issue, Just Gary. I just jumped over to ebay and bought it. I flipped over that coupe back then and over time I somehow lost that magazine and I couldn't remember what year, month, or magazine did the article.

 

I thought in the article his coupe was black? Is this the same car painted? Either way sure is nice!

 

Any recent pics of the car? I figured I would give this thread one last shot.

 

some but not many , my dad still has it it never sold , he was going to sell it because he was trying to buy a WWII airplane of all things. needless to say it didnt sell and there it sits , the photos and storys of the car will be out soon in a new book.
John T. if you want some stories id be happy to tell some!! nice avatar picture too!

 

Absolutely! We want stories and more info about the book!!

 

^^^^^^ X friggin 2!

 

I thought he had a black coupe with a Boss 429, circa 1985-ish. Am I thinking of a different car?

 

That was Cole Cutlers coupe. He later had a wild red 49 Ford business coupe. I believe that was boss 429 powered too.

 

ok here yall go. you asked for them so here they are. this is how the car sits as of right now.

 

Holy poo balls, that is one bad ass car.

 

I still have the '88 HRM just for that article. IMO that is on of the baddest cars ever built. Glad to see it didn't get "street rodded" in the '90's.

 

Wow, thanks. Made my day.

More?

 

OMG! I just found this thread was updated. This has always been one of my favorite cars of all time. So what is this book it's going to be in? Please tell us more.

 

Don't know if Guy's son (Sling Shoter) is still around here, but I thought I'd share something that was sent to me. That car had such an impact on me that I had a tile sign of it made for my shop when I was teaching high school. When I moved on, it was still tucked in a back room as there was no money to have it put up.

Well, they finally put it up, and the new teacher sent me a picture of it. Hope you like it.

 

Wow! Forgot about this thread but with the talk of the Hotrod 65th party and remebering this car was suppose too be there thought about it again.

Glad to see the pics! Man that car is it!!

Will it be out for the show?

 

Every time I see this HOTROD it brings a smile to my face and excitement to my soul!!!!! In case you missed it it's in the 09/13 issue of HotRod mag page 128. Enjoy.................

 

ID WINN was a badass rod - still have the HRM mag with it featured.

NASTY NASTY NASTY

 

I guess its been a few years sense I've been on here! Sorry i dropped the ball on ya guys, did everyone get Pat's Lost Hot Rods II book??

 

From 1988 & on my bedroom wall ,then shop wall since !!
This is whyI like Hot Rod s & I S- Race , I love it when I can cap a new Demon Zo6 , imports On the street . Most think that all Old HotRods will not run , I surprise them When I lay down over 100 mph in a 1/8 th on street 6 inch wide tires . This 34 needs to be Back on the STREET the same Look of 1988 with Hilborn & 10:71 & K-B 500 !!!

 

SlingShoter, your Dad was a Hot Rod God in my eyes as a very young man. That was one of the very first Hot Rod's to catch my eyes and make me interested in cars. That car was so menacing that you had to be a little frightened and totally intrigued by it. It was just truly too Bad Ass to be on the road. I didn't come from a car oriented family but my father was fairly mechanically inclined so this car just blew me away and opened my eyes to this hobby. Personally pass on my thanks and gratitude for the effect his build had on this guy and I'm sure many men of all ages!!