Bill Grader's 1936 Ford
1936 Ford Roadster owned and built by Bill Grader of Seattle, Washington. Bill was looking for a roadster he could customize, the choice fell natural on a 1936 Ford, hence its pleasing lines. Over a period of years, Bill and his mechanic friend, B. C. Waters made a head turning custom. The grille was restyled by partially filling it, this way, the grille would look more like a LaSalle or Packard grille unit. The hood sides were filled in order to achieve a cleaner appearance. The door handles were removed, and the doors were electrically opened by solenoids operated by push-buttons. The car was nosed and decked as well. The license plate was recessed, and a set of 1939 Ford taillights were installed. He swapped the stock bumpers for a set of 1937 DeSoto ripple bumpers, and the gas filler pipe was concealed by a cover door. Fender skirts were installed, and the window frame was chopped. When all the bodywork was done, it was painted with 14 coats of Cadillac Cypress Green.[1]
The original undercarriage was replaced with a 1948 Ford chassis, featuring column shift, hydraulic brakes, and a 1948 Mercury engine. The engine was hopped up with a Clay Smith 3/4 cam, high Weiand dual manifold, Stromberg 97 carbs with 043 jets, Edelbrock 7.5-1 aluminum heads, Ziggles two coil ignition, 12 lbs flywheel, 3 5/16" bore, and 4" stroke. The hot mill breathed through a 2 1/2" pipe with 22" Smithy mufflers.[1]
The upholstery was done by Illinois Upholstery Co, featuring a headrest in air-foam rubber. 9 working instruments were installed in the dashboard.[1]
Magazine Features
References
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