What happened to Guy Ruchonette's '34 Coupe?

Long over due, but better late than never. Here's how the car sits today. Untouched, and unchanged.

Sadly, the motor is now locked up tight. Hot Rod Magazine back in 2013 I believe did the Hot Rod Homecoming event in Pomona at the Fairplex. We decided we should bring the car back out for that, and it would be proper to drive the car into the building. Long story short, last time he drove the car (best we can figure) it popped a head gasket, and then sat for 10 years. (Of course not knowing the head gasket gave out). Fast forward to about 2012 and we are trying to get the car ready only to find a couple of the cylinders had filled with water and sat for 10 years. Now a rusty goo filled engine, we pushed the old thing into the building for the show and pushed it back out at the end and back into the garage, it has stayed there sense.

 

I will be coming to do a
""Citizen Neglect Act""take possession of , Nurse back to Street

 

Man, that is a shame! Such an iconic car and one of my all time favorites. It is the reason I have a 392 that's going into my '34 three window now.
Any future plans for it? Can the engine be saved? That car deserves to be running and driving down the track or street!

 

Sad

 

No plans of yet. We have a pallet of engines so its not impossible to build another short block for it.

 

While it is sad, at least it never got turned into a street rod. Its just dusty and needs a polishing.

 

Its a Moonyham 6-71, and a Early Chrysler.

 

Yes engine combo then , Keep same look , Add a EFI Hillborn ,10:71 & KB 500

 

Amen to that!

Hey, I'm not too far from Modesto. Maybe I'll run over there to knock the dust off and polish her up!

 

Me too! We can get that beast apart and get started on a new short block.


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

CAHotRodBoy, bchctybob. Give me a couple a days notice, and that will
make at least (3) of us wrenching on this beast. Its a day and half drive for me to get there from Tacoma Washington.
I need the address where I'm going.

 

Hey, I use to live in Valley Springs (Hartvickson & Silver Rapids)!

It would be an honor to work on this car. Maybe we can get some t-shirts made up too!

I had the privilege of meeting Rick Barakat when he resurrected the Eastwood & Barakat Deuce sedan. That is my favorite T-shirt.
As much as I love that car, this one might exceed it.

 

I tried to multi-quote you for the above post but don't know how to do it.
It would be cool to get a group of guys together and knock it out but of course, depends on what deucechevy32 has to say. He may not want a bunch of strangers messing around in his shop and Guy's car.

 

Well hell , i'll fly out if it happens. Let's do this. I would clean and polish and be shop grunt for this.

 

Hell, I'd be in too!

It would be a privilege to work on this thing. I had both articles from Hot Rod and Popular Hot Rodding hanging on my wall as a kid.

This is the car that got me interested in early cars. It had a huge influence on style of my 34 truck.

 

If Guy had sold the coup to buy the WW2 airplane, I think he would have soon regreted it. It would be hard to see a hotrod like that leave your garage for the last time!! So Guy hang in there and fix it, you won't regret it...……..