Featured Hot Rods The Voorhees '34 5w Coupe

My Dad met his best friend, Chris Voorhees, in the 2nd grade, around about 1949. They were the only boys around the same age for miles. My Dad lived in the valley on the lake, and Chris lived up on top of Gr***y Hill about 5 miles away. A long pedal on the Schwinn. Not for long as these two loved old cars and soon had some they bought with lawnmowing money and fixed up and drove. My Dad had a '33 Chevy pickup when he was 10 or 11. Chris was a Ford guy. He had a '32 5w that eventually got a nailhead and big and littles. They had a little mini junkyard in the pasture across the street from Chris' house.

I always heard about the epic trip they took from Connecticut out to California after they both graduated from High School. They worked for a tree service until the winter and right around the beginning of 1962 they drove a shoebox Ford out to California.

My Dad leaning on the post and Chris in the hat. (The guy in the white jacket is Gordan Woszak, who had his '32 roadster flat towed back from Cali, another story developing).

My Dad and Chris were in the Eliminators car club out of New London Connecticut.

Fast forward to my early years on the HAMB and Chris was one of my Hotrod Mentors when I was building my coupe. Sidestory: My coupe body was Chris'. Here's a pic of the body sitting in that pasture in 1959:

(The one in the gr*** in the foreground).


I talked to Chris weekly and used alot of his guidance building my coupe. Some of you probably met him at the HAMB Drags back when I first got it running. He drove out to Joplin from Boulder Colorado with Steve Harwood (of Hemi powered T altered fame). At the time he was building a '34 Ford five window coupe with an 8ba.

Over the years, I spoke with Chris many times as my coupe developed and changed. He sent me the Weiand heads when I rebuilt the flathead. Chris was married briefly and never had any children. One time when we were talking he joked that he didn't know what he was going to do with his '34 "when he kicked the bucket". I told him I'd take care of it for him. He said "Ok, send me your full name and address". I sent him the info and a bunch of pics of the my coupe and other projects.

Last year Chris was getting ill, and it was always hard to get ahold of him on the phone, as he didn't answer it much because of telemarketers. Sometime in July I got a call from Mike Nicolas that I needed to call one of Chris' friends and that he was not well. (It so happened that same weekend, my sister was visiting and brought up a bunch of old photos my Dad had given to her.) I got a call a couple days later- Chris had p***ed away peacefully. I was so bummed. He was a great person, very artistic and mechanical. He had a machine shop and forge in his back yard. He told the best, and funniest stories. I still smile thinking about it.

In talking to Chris' friend, there were several vehicles that Chris left to friends on a list. I was not on the list and neither was the '34 coupe. Enter in Chris' sister Michael, I spoke with her and told her about Chris and my conversation, but that I had no say in the matter. She told me "Chris and I talked about his hotrod, and he wanted you to have it". Wow.

Now I want to say that @Nicks Hot Rod Garage was instrumental in this happening. He and Chris became friends, with Mike running the World famous Hotrod Hillclimb, and he and Chris deeply involved in the Denver/Boulder hotrod scene.

After a few months of legal happenings, Michael told me it was ok "to come get the hotrod". The plan was to have Mike go up and bring it to his shop in Denver, and then we would figure out how to get it to New Hampshire. That changed when Uncle Sam decided to give me an unplanned vacation the first week of October. I decided to hook up my car trailer and drive out and get the coupe. Loaded up my tools and greased the bearings on the old car trailer and headed out on a Thursday. (I also stopped in Kansas City and played in my Alumni Lacrosse tournament https://kansascity.shootoutforsoldiers.com/ also raising money for Veterans) made it to Mikes Dad's place on Sunday. Monday we went up to Chris' and met Michael.



We loaded up the coupe, which had sat for a few years and was a pain because the brakes would lock up at random times.

I also received Chris' Hot Rod magazine collection, and a bunch of hotrod parts and pieces. Got back to Mike's place late on Monday. I set out for NH on Tuesday morning.

Stopped in Kansas and had dinner with my old HAMB-B-Q buddies.

Then continued on I-70 east. Made it to Illinois and lost a wheel bearing on the trailer.

Got that fixed and made it 80 miles or so and lost another bearing on the back trailer axle.

That took an extra day. Made it home Friday afternoon.

I took a day to recover and got the 34 unloaded after I got the VIN inspected.

Got it running and gave the it a much needed bath. Then rebuilt the rear wheel cylinders.

Swapped on the tires off the A coupe:



That's it for now. I need to check the jets in the carbs and get some 7.50x16 and 5.50x16 over the winter.

Plan is to get it down to Connecticut this spring and take my Dad for a cruise in it.

I'll add more pics to this post as time allows.

Thank you Mike and Michael.

 

@NoSurf I can't open the pictures, sounds like a great story.

 

He told the best, and funniest stories. I still smile thinking about it.

That's the best memory you can have of someone p***ed.

 

Pics are working now. I still can’t believe how lucky you are! That’s a great car.

 

Holy cow man what an epic tale. This is exactly the sort of article I would wear a magazine out with re reading over and over.

A well deserved care taker I couldn’t be more stoked.

@Ryan and @J.Ukrop tagging you both so there’s not a chance you miss this thread!

 

Thanks for sharing the story and sorry about losing your friend Chris. I suspect it's an honor to have that car from him now considering the history he had with your dad.

 

Y0u mentioned Steve Harwood and his "T" altered. I remember seeing Steve run at Connecticut Drag-way in the early 1960's

 

Yes. My Dad went with him out to Ohio (Ohio George?) when Steve bought it. There was a pic in Chris' photo album.



I believe that's Chris sitting in it.

 

I’d drive it

 

Cool car, Cool story!

 

That's a great looking '34 and the chop is perfect. Congratulations to you for being the continuing caretaker.

 

Jay gets a 34 5 window. People leave me **** like a 1978 AMC Concord.

 

Great to hear this story.
Enjoy the Ride.

VR&C.

 

It ain't a road trip until you are changing bearings on the side of the road. Great story, fantastic little car.

-Abone.

 

Thank you Mark.
I did repack all the wheel bearings on the car trailer right before I left.
The interstate was absolutely terrible on I-70 in Illinois and Indiana.

 

Powerful car and story, do it proud.

 

Look at you kid!! Sorry to hear about your friend. You can appreciate this ride knowing you were chosen to be the caretaker. Looking forward to seeing you- and the 34 around this summer.
Interesting taillight treatment, they just fit in that space

 

Absolutely terrible might be being generous lol

 

What a fantastic story. You briefly mentioned an 8ba. Is that the power plant still?

@Roothawg a 78 AMC sounds awesome compared to what I get: old furniture that needs to go in the trash. In fact got some just yesterday.

 

Those old pictures are amazing. I’ve been looking for you to start this thread for a couple months now, ha! Nice to know the whole story!

 

How does the A look with blue wires?

 

Thanks Ron. I definitely feel close to him when im working on it and driving it. Theres a bunch of us with model 40s, we need to get together. You, me, mark, shawn and Jared for sure.

Dan- It has an 8ba, Edelbrock heads, dual Navarro intake and an unknown cam. It moves out pretty good.



Mike- I know I've taken a long time to post up this thread. I labored over how to write it for to long. Im bummed you couldn't make it to supper that nite.

DLDS- Haha. I didnt put the blue wires on the A. It was a temporary experiment. The 'stones are still on the 34 and the A is on jackstands....

 

What a great story and photos, thanks.

 

Thanks for sharing all of this. Great Hot Rod. The pictures put a big smile on my face, just what I needed today.

 

Thank you. It was/is epic.

Glad you liked it and helped you out.
Happy New Year.

One thing I should have shared earlier is the fact that my wife really likes the 34. Its definitely "nicer" than my A. I think she will maybe drive it a little this Spring.

 

ALL i can say is damn...Thats a cool story and what a gift to have p***ed on down the line.....My kids need to build their garages so i can get some more junk outta here...

 

Great story. That car is a treasure in more ways than one. Glad for ya.

 

Funny, none of my friends have offered to leave me their hot rods when they p***...no matter how much I beg them

 

Great car, great story glad it went to a good home.