Barn Find, Bare Bones 1934 Ford Hot Rod

Posted by Michael Harrington on Dec 5, 2011 in Featured, Vintage Rides | 1 comment

1934 Ford Hot Rod at El Mirage

Author and Photographer: Mike Harrington

We first spotted this ’34 ford at the Antique Nationals. There she was sitting in the staging lanes waiting to race with the rest of the antique American iron. A picture was snapped at the Antique Nationals. One thing led to another, and there we were a few weeks later in the blistering heat on a dry lake bed doing a photo shoot.

Ron Hammack owner of this ’34 5-window has an interesting story to tell. This machine is a genuine Northern California barn find and had been sitting since the early 1970’s until he recently acquired it. As to the history of the vehicle prior to Ron’s ownership, and where it was raced; it’s still shrouded in mystery.

Suffice it to say that when it arrived on the trailer it still had the grill shell, body, hood and frame. Rats had long eaten away sections of the wood floor and left a dung heap the size of Rhode Island inside the cab. Brenda, Ron’s wife, insisted that it be taken to a car wash first and have the Hantavirus blasted out of it before it came home. Once it was in the family two car garage it took only three weeks of re-construction before she was ready to roll again.

According to Ron, the original frame was butchered like a Jimmy Dean hog at harvest time, so it had to go. He purchased a frame from Rudy Rodriguez in San Diego and had it rolling in no time flat. Ron threw in a 302 small block Chevy that came from a ’68 Camaro along with the TH-400 transmission. For good measure, a cam with more lumps than a Waffle House bowl of oatmeal was thrown into the small block to give it some growl. And right about now we know what you’re thinking. Not another small block Chevy! Fret not, like any true hot rod the work is never done, and Ron’s ‘34 is no exception. The small block just doesn’t have enough power for Ron’s liking, so a 500 cubic inch Cadillac is the next engine up grade that is in the works.

Along with the engine a new sturdy frame from the Kiwi Konnection in Bakersfield, California is likely to be next. Ron tells us that he will most likely tear the car apart three more times before he gets it where he wants it. Having just recently retired he’s got the time to do what he wants, and don’t worry he plans to leave all the patina on the car much to his wife’s chagrin.

Now about the racing part of this story. Like we mentioned earlier we first saw the ’34 at the race track. During one of its trial runs the TH-400 blew out first and second gear, so it had to be raced in slower bracket class on account of having just D or the 3^rd gear. One thing is for certain, we look forward to seeing the ’34’s progress and catching glimpses of it at race tracks around California.