Issue No. 14 July 1998
Issue No. 14 July 1998
Quite often when rods change hands, they seem to disappear. Truth is they probably either go interstate, hibernate in a garage somewhere, or undergo a major transformation. In the case of this coupe it's definitely the latter.
Originally Mark White (YT) of Rod City Repros built the coupe in 1985. It was a maroon colour and featured basically the same drivetrain you see today. Lou did a deal with his 1934 Ford roadster for YT's Coupe in 1989. Just on a year later the motor required attention, so a new block was purchased. It was at this time that Lou decided to add the lightning scallops and changed the wheels to original Centerlines. "The coupe really required a respray, it was peppered with stone chips and the body had developed some stress fractures. The original door hinges and latches were worn and dangerous, and would often open whilst the coupe was being driven under power", recalled Lou.
Then in 1995 Lou pulled the coupe off the road for a major rebuild. Being a Panel Beater / Spray Painter by trade, Lou undertook most of the work himself. Every part of the coupe was stripped down and the body bead blasted back to bare metal. All the bodywork was redone, the coupe already had a 2 1/2" chop with a filled roof, Lou installed EH door (hidden) hinges and XF Falcon door catches. A Kawasaki fuel cap was grafted flush into the top of the left-hand rear quarter panel. The floor of the body was altered to allow for extra room in the dickie seat area. One of the main reasons for the rebuild was a colour change as Lou was never happy with the maroon colour from the day he got the coupe, but loved the look and the fact that it was "not just another common Ford coupe, that everyone else had". Finally the coupe was painted Cobalt blue pearl in 2 Pak, the rebuild taking about 18 months.
The body sits atop a standard chassis with full-length boxing and retains the majority of the original crossmember. Front end is a 4 bar with a 2" drop axle and certainly helps the coupe with its low stance. Steering box is out of a HZ Holden with an LJ Torana column and SAAS steering wheel. At the rear is also a 4 bar setup with Jag coil-over shocks. Floor mounted master cylinder is HQ Holden with VH44 booster. The HQ fuel tank sits upright behind the drivers seat.
The motor was given to ProStroke Engines, who rebuilt it from the ground up. It is a 350 LT1 s/b Chev, with 292 angle plug heads, which have triple valve springs and 2.02 inlet valves. Pistons are forged 7.5:1 TRW, mild Isky cam with LT1 rods and crank. On top of all this sits a 671 Blower and twin 600 Holley carbs. Gearbox is a Ford Toploader, with an F100 pressure plate and clutch. The rear end is a Ford 9", of course, running 3.5 gears, fitted with drum brakes. Once the coupe was back together it was off to Terry's Motor Trimmers, Clayton (Vic) for a whole new interior, including the dicky seat in traditional tuck and roll styling. Grey vinyl was the practical choice as Lou always has his kids on board, new carpet and head liner finished off the job. The standard dash features a Smiths Speedo and gauges.
The coupe has been to the drags running consistent 12.4's at 121 mph. Not bad considering Lou insists on running full street trim, that is street tyres, with full exhaust and air cleaners and all this was with the blower running at 15% underdriven. Lou believes that the vehicle should be raced as it's driven on the street.
Lou is an active member of Bay Rodders and is involved with the organisation of the 1999 2 Bay Rod run, which will be held again at Mornington in Victoria on the 17th and 18th of April, just two weeks after the ASRF 14th Nationals at Geelong.
Story by Greg Wapling
