Doug Poirer will tell you the classic Kaiser Henry J is the ultimate gasser-style vehicle — no matter your opinion, his brightly-painted, straight-front-axle-equipped machine is quite a head-turner as it segues from the track to the street and back with its nose high in the air.

Poirer’s 1954 Henry J is the product of his old-school ingenuity and his decades of hands-on mechanical expertise. Doug, the 63-year-old owner and operator of Kool Coat Ceramic Coatings, knows his way around a car, as both a fabricator and mechanic. Self-taught in mechanics, steel fabrication, and custom paintwork, Doug worked for four years transforming this Henry J into a gasser-style, drag-and-drive machine.

Racing in the B/Gas class during Drag Week this season, Poirer’s Henry J became a memorable part of the rolling road show, using its old-school traits not often found on the streets to gather attention as it successfully completed the grueling event.

Originally purchased in 2006 with the idea of building a street rod for his wife, Doug’s Henry J took on new life when a friend suggested turning it into a gasser. Initially setting out to complete the project around 2008, Doug made significant progress before putting the car on hold to start a new business.

Under the hood, Doug opted for a vintage 1956 Chrysler Hemi, the block slightly overbored to 357 cubic inches. The bottom end features a stock crankshaft, paired with Molnar replacement rods and Aries pistons for a compression ratio of 10:1. Knowing the importance of durability, Doug equipped the Hemi with a modified stock oil pan fitted with custom gates and baffles to ensure consistent lubrication no matter the environment. While the cam is a hydraulic roller grind from Herbert Cams, the stock cast iron cylinder heads were modified by NT Machine with mild port matching, bronze guides, and a three-angle valve grind to improve airflow.

Fuel delivery comes through a Hilborn eight-stack intake setup, which is a throwback to vintage gasser styling, with no air filters to disrupt the classic open-stack aesthetic. A Hilborn No. 7 injector and A150 pump supply fuel to the intake manifold, providing reliable flow for the high-revving Hemi. The ignition system is also vintage, featuring a Mallory magneto distributor and coil with 8mm wire core plug wires. Doug’s approach remains hands-on, as he tunes the engine himself. “If you’re building a car like this, you have to get your hands dirty,” Doug commented. “There’s no satisfaction in buying a ready-made solution.”

For exhaust, Doug handcrafted his own headers, coated by his shop, to manage heat and improve performance. The pipes lead to Flowmaster 50 Series mufflers with 2.5-inch piping, delivering a throaty rumble worthy of a nostalgic race car. Running a Powerglide transmission with a B&M Pro Stick shifter, Doug kept it period-correct while adding modern performance upgrades. A TCS 10-inch torque converter with a 2,300 rpm stall pairs with an upgraded shift kit and transbrake, giving Doug quick, reliable launches on the dragstrip.

The power is delivered to the drive wheels and tires through a Ford 9-inch rearend with 4.11 gears and Dutchman 31-spline axles. Doug went all-in with Dutchman’s spool setup, ensuring both tires grip equally during hard launches. The rear suspension is likewise old-school in design, featuring 40-inch ladder bars that Doug fabricated himself, coupled with Jeep YJ leaf springs and Strange double-adjustable shocks. The front suspension is classic gasser style, with a straight axle he fabricated himself and six-leaf trailer springs. Even the front shocks were a swap meet find, further highlighting Doug’s approach of prioritizing ingenuity over buying high-cost new parts.

When it comes to wheels, the Henry J rides on Halibrands, which are a hallmark of the classic gasser look. Up front, drag-race “skinnies” add to the traditional style, while the rear wears two sets of wheels depending on the event: Halibrand 15x10s with Hurst cheater slicks for street driving, and ET five-slot wheels with Hoosier 10×31-inch slicks for the track. This dual setup provides versatility, letting Doug cruise to the next stop on a drag-and-drive tour, and then swap the set out for a proper track-specific wheel and tire when the clocks are on.

Inside, Doug kept the interior raw and functional, true to its gasser roots. He built a full aluminum firewall, floor, and door panels, along with a removable transmission tunnel, reinforcing the car’s drag racing-ready purpose. Black leather upholstery with alligator inserts adds a touch of flair, and an NHRA-certified 8-point roll cage displays the seriousness of the build. Gauges were sourced from swap meets, fitting the car’s no-nonsense approach to instrumentation.

This Henry J has clocked a best quarter-mile lap of 13.71 seconds at 99.7 mph — a respectable number for a vintage and rather mild street-and-strip setup. Despite modern improvements, Doug’s approach is rooted in a tradition of hands-on, self-built cars. He’s raced in stock cars and other forms of competition, but drag racing has always been his passion. “I got tired of rebuilding sheet metal every week,” he recalled, “so I moved to drag racing where it’s all about straight-line speed.”

From the painted steel shell he bought off a paint booth nearly two decades ago, to the Calypso Coral paint job he applied himself with help from a friend, every inch of this Henry J reflects Doug’s commitment to building, not buying. When asked why he chose the Henry J for this project, Doug was blunt: “The ’54 Henry J is the ultimate gasser body. It’s unique, it’s a conversation starter, and it looks like it’s built to race.”

In addition to Drag Week, Doug takes the Henry J to local nostalgia drag racing events, keeping the spirit of these classic gasser-style machines alive in the sport. His personal philosophy is that hands-on work and creative fabrication can still hold their own in a world of bolt-on, and bought solutions. For Doug, the satisfaction lies in every part he machined, every panel he fitted, and every drag-and-drive tour he completes.

Doug’s advice to others looking to get into a build of their own? “Get your hands dirty,” he says. “Don’t buy things—build them.” In a world of kit builds and online part orders, Doug’s Henry J is a throwback to the golden age of hot rodding, where creativity, elbow grease, and flashy looks were the name of the game.