The Shoeshine Coupe
"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." We've all heard this old saying, but not all of us have the passion, discipline, and talent to do it all ourselves. Adam Rice has all three, and his 1931 Model A coupe is a perfect example of a homebuilt car done right.
Adam started with a derelict project that was, in his words "super rough." He lovingly resquared the body and rebuilt the decklid channels before whacking 6 inches from the top. What looks like a stock top insert is actually made from the roof of a '62 Galaxy. Once all the welding and rubbing was done, Adam sprayed a flawless coat of Shoeshine Brown paint.
This candy coating also covers the custom chassis, which Adam modified to use a triangulated 4-link in the rear. A 9-inch Ford rear hangs from Afco coilovers. In the front, a Super Bell I-beam is located by split wishbones. A Flaming River Vega box gets direction from a Speedway column, and '40 Ford brakes slow it all down. The black '35 Ford wires and big and little whitewalls are the perfect choice for this subtle hot rod.
And what about that engine hanging out in the breeze for all to see? You might expect a small block Chevy, or maybe even a flathead, but not for Adam. He screwed together an .030-over 292 Y-block with an Isky cam and topped it with three Speedway 9 Super 7's on an Edelbrock intake. A Joe Hunt magneto-look distributor drives home the late-50's hot rod vibe. And for extra coolness points, Adam used a 1957 Fordomatic to keep even the hidden parts of the drivetrain period correct.
This hot rod is way more than the sum of its parts. The greatest thing about this car is the detail work that ties all the parts together. The cloth plug wires are perfect, the color and material choices are spot on, and the overall fit and finish of everything is outstanding. Speedway Motors was honored to present Adam with its Homebuilt Heaven award at the 2017 Day at the Hay. Thing is, we almost didn't approach him about it because we thought it was a pro-built car. It's that good, and it has to be seen to be believed.
In the end, Adam's Model A is the perfect example of what can be accomplished when a little talent and a lot of love come together to make a dream car into reality.
