Paul in Saskatchewan, Canada built a traditional style 1929 Essex RS coupe
hot rod and got it on the road about the same time as my own Essex.

 

Paul started out with some real sorry looking parts. The body didn't look much better than the frame.

This is what the frame looked like some time later, with a Ford Flat head mounted to it. The chassis consists of a Model A front third with the back third '29 Essex, and the center third is 2 x 4 channel steel. Custom K member for C-4 transmission.

The Essex has a rather angular top, so Paul opted to use a '28-'30 Pontiac/Oakland roof with a '55 Pontiac center piece welded in. A modification that really improves the looks of this coupe!

The rear window frame is from the original Essex roof. The top is chopped 2.75 inches and the body is half channelled(2 inches) at the front. Rear axle is a Ford 9 inch(3:50 gears).The right side has been narrowed 3 inches to center the pumpkin in the frame. The rear wishbones are '36 Ford.

A custom made 14 gallon gas tank lives in the rumble seat bay along with an Optima 12 volt battery.There's not a lot of room left for luggage etc. Other details are '32 Ford door handles,'46 Chevy tail lights. Rumble seat lid handle is a garage door unit (perfect fit too). The front tyres are 600 x 15" and the rear are L-78 x 15;both are wide whitewall on Ford P/U truck rims 5.5" bolt pattern x 6" wide.

The engine is a '51 Ford truck unit, 3.3125 bore with a Merc crankshaft, 276 cubes in all. Badger four ring pistons, adjustable lifters with Lincoln valve springs, Isky 400 Jr. camshaft, Offy .400 heads, Offy twin carb intake with two Holley '94 carbs. Eddie Meyer fuel block. Engine has mild port work.The distributor is a modified Chevy points style with no vacuum advance. The generator is a modified 3 brush model with a solid state regulator to convert to 12 volts.This generator has super duty front bearings to handle the extra force of the drive pulley for the fan.

The dash is oak with two temp gauges, oil, fuel and volt meter. Gauges are all direct reading units. The speedometer is a '66 MGB in a custom made housing attached to the dashboard. Steering wheel is '39 Ford, mated to a '53 Ford F-1 steering box. The box has '39 Ford internals with a '39 Ford pitman arm. The bucket seats are off of some import car but work very well..

Brake pedal and support bracket is '57 Ford working a '68 Ford brake reservoir. No power assist. Gas pedal is off a Vega but it looks like an old timey spoon style. Emergency brake is a Gennie shifter unit as is the gear shift and the 8 ball shift knob is a gift from an old time rodder.

Front axle is a '37-41 Ford unit dropped 3 inches by Mor-drop (California), using '37-'41 spindles with F-1 brakes.

Wishbones are '37-'41 Ford and the drag link is off a Studebaker. Note Finnish beer can used as radiator overflow tank.

Grille and insert are '32 Ford, with a custom built 4 row radiator.

Here's Paul on an early test drive. In June 2010 I visited Paul in Canada, and got to test drive his Essex myself! That was a fantastic experience. Of course it handled differently than my own Essex. Interesting to say the least.

Cruise night at the local diner.

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