NEXT GENERATION

THE START FAMILY’S ’33 FORD TUDOR BRINGS A NEW GENERATION INTO HOT RODDING

- Chuck Vranas

When prewar hot rodding culture began to develop it was easy to see that it was based on speed, sport, and camaraderie with an endless stream of car owners getting involved. The opportunities to create performance parts grew along with it in post-war times, along with plenty of refinement thanks to increased engineering skills and determination. Competitiveness on the street, dragstrip, lakebeds, and salt fueled the hobby, as well as strengthening it as seasoned car owners passed the torch onto the youth as time marched on. Like many other hobbies, if it’s not shared with upcoming generations there’s a chance that it could disappear from our landscape.

Rick Start of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is no stranger to hopped-up cars, having been indoctrinated by his brother, Doug, in the ’60s. Falling under the high-performance spell while cruising his hometown strip in vintage Corvettes and Chevy muscle cars it was only a matter of time before he found a partner to share the passion with. He and his lovely wife, Deb, have been part of the scene for the last few decades, having spent plenty of nights under the lights at US 131 Dragway with the heavy scent of nitro hanging in the air.