There are events in a person's life that for one reason or another will never be forgotten. For Al Davis of Spokane, Washington, it was his graduation from high school in 1960. Thanks to a purchase made that day, he ended up with a class ring he'll never misplace. For the paltry price of $350 Al hauled home a '34 Ford pickup complete with a hopped-up Flathead mill. Of course, even back in '60 buying an old truck with such a low price might be an indication of a few slight mechanical problems.
Indeed, the '34's Flat motor was seized tight with a cracked block. Al figured this meant it was time for an overhead, so he located a 331-inch Cadillac motor and hooked it up to a '39 Lincoln Zephyr side-shift tranny. The combination perked the little '34 up, but the Caddy motor started to develop an ever-increasing appetite for '39 Zephyr transmissions. Tiring of snapped trannies, Al's next powerplant was plucked from a '64 Chevrolet passenger car. The 327-inch small-block motor received a '65 Nova SS 350-horse hydraulic lifter cam with a pair of power-pack heads to complete the high-performance package. For the transmission, Al scrounged up a Turbo 400 automatic from a '65 Chevy and set it up to run in a lighter vehicle.
By the time '69 rolled around, Al had chromed just about everything on the '34, from the top to the bottom. Everything else was painted Candy Oriental Purple or wrapped in black tuck 'n' roll. The little truck turned out so fine that it took first in its class at the 1969 Oakland Roadster Show. But as Al and his '34 Ford's 10th anniversary approached, the '70s marked a decade of change for both of their lives. Al started to get deeper into the family thing, and the little '34 sat for over 10 years in a good friend's garage before it would ever be driven again. Al told us, "If it hadn't been for him, I probably wouldn't have it today."
Today the '34 sits on a set of '34 Ford truck 'rails (the originals, no doubt) boxed and prettied up by Pat Kelly Auto in Spokane, Washington. In fact, Pat is responsible for hanging a whole bunch of neat goodies on the '34. Up front, Pat slung a Magnum tube axle equipped with disc brakes for binders and 15x6 American Torq-Thrusts for rollers. Steering chores are handled via a '72 Vega steering box capped with a Lecarra steering wheel. Bringing up the rear, Al's pickup has a fully chromed Ford 9-inch rearend complete with a Posi packing 3.0:1 gears and a pair of wider 15x8 Torq-Thrusts to handle the extra meat.
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Founded in '47, the Dukes car club of Spokane is likely one of the nation's oldest clubs still in existence. Al joined them in '61, and he's been a Duke ever since. |  |