387 LOUVERS!

Bare-metal 1934 Ford Coupe built by Hollywood Hot Rods.

- TONY THACKER

There was a time when magazines would never feature a car in bare metal, but I think everybody agrees that seeing almost any good build without its paint gives the observer a behind-the-scenes sneak peek.

Unfortunately, catching a car in bare metal is not always easy. Most builds, by the time they get to this stage, are hurrying into paint, and few builders have the luxury of slowing the process. The customer typically wants it as soon as possible, and taking time out for a photo shoot is just not on the agenda.

01 This shot, taken in the early stages of the build, shows the original Ford frame that was pinched 3 inches and kicked up in the front another 3 inches.

02 There’s plenty of drama with that 1937 Cadillac LaSalle eggcrate grille. You can see why the front frame horns needed to be tucked in 3 inches to better fit the grille. Of course, the grille surround had to be hand fabricated.

03 Behind the grille is a completely hand-formed, four-piece hood with graduated louvers and small aluminum blisters needed to clear the Ford flathead V8.

04 The four-piece hood has a stock-like, central hinge running from the peaked grille surround back to the cowl that retains the stock vent. Note that the hood bead has been relocated to the side panel.

05 The coupe needed so many louvers that Troy built his own louver press. In total, they punched 142 louvers in the roof, 161 in the decklid, 40 in the rear pan and 44 long ones in the hood sides. That’s a lotta louvering.