Page 28 - Issue 46

Jeff built the ‘26 Ford fi rst.
He started with a stalled project
that he had purchased from his
buddy, Curt Smith. Curt had
liberated the body from one of the
junkyards he owns. He got as far
as getting a frame underneath it
and mocking up a motor, but that
was it. Jeff began a quest of parts
acquisition that included many
eBay transactions. He rebuilt a
350 Chevy adding a bigger cam,
double-hump heads and HEI,
backed up by a Turbo 350 and an
open 10-bolt. Up front is a Ford-
style straight axle with a four-inch
drop and disc brakes, while out
back is a home-built 4-link with the
stock transverse leaf spring and
motorcycle airbags. Steering duties
are handled by a Vega box.
Personal touches abound in
the interior, with old, lumberjack-
style sawblades throughout. The
seats are repurposed church pews,
which fi t perfectly into the chopped
interior. The handles from the old
saws are now used as door handles,
and a vintage microphone tops
the shifter. A steering wheel from a
‘50’s-era speedboat is an especially
cool touch.
As we said earlier, the ‘37
Diamond T was also built by Jeff,
but the build was commissioned
by Curt Smith – yes, the same
Curt Smith mentioned above.
Remember how we had said that
he owned several junkyards? Well,
somebody had hauled this beautiful

28 RAT ROD MAGAZINE ISSUE FORTY-SIX

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