We’re breaking into the top 3 of our top 9 cars to turn into hot rods, and gracing the number three slot is the 1933 and 1934 Fords. Available in several different body configurations, the Coupe and Deluxe Roadster were the most popular with hot rodders. The body style change from 1932 to 1933 was substantial. Many of the manufacturers in Detroit were redesigning their cars to have more curves and style, Ford was no different.

Hot rodders 20 plus years later would get their hands on these cars for fairly cheap, mostly because there were lots of them made and weren’t as practical as newer cars with functional backseats. Ford’s V8 made decent power in its day but engine performance grew exponentially for years following its release. Changes going into the 1934 model were only slight in comparison to previous year changes.

Image from Jalopy Journal.

Thousands of ’33 and ’34 Fords have been hot rodded out in various different ways. Iconic movie cars like the flamed 1934 Ford Coupe in the made-for-TV movie “California Kid” brought even more attention to the stylish cars. Though this car already had a fair amount of notoriety before the movie. A year before, it had been featured on the cover of Rod & Custom magazine.

Photo from kustomrama.com

Plenty of dragsters have been built using a ’33 or ’34 Ford as well. The wheelbase of the ’33 is 6-inches longer than the previous year, giving some extra length advantage on the track. One of the many famous racecars is the Mooneyham and Sharp 554 that ran a Chrysler Hemi, nitro, Clay Smith Cam, a GMC 6-71 Blower and many more goodies. Another famous ’34 Ford is the Pierson Brothers Coupe, sponsored by Edelbrock to rocket down the straightaways in El Mirage and Bonneville.

We’re winding down on our list, only two more to go! Stay tuned.