Hot Rods and Hobbies Builds Grandpa Jav’s 1931 Ford Coupe for the next generations to cruise
What do you do when your wife’s grandfather is a lifelong hot rodder and still has his 1931 Model A coupe from days of old? In the case of Ryan Kalil, you get involved to make sure his old gow-job gets rebuilt into a beautiful hot rod that the family can enjoy for years to come.
Grandpa, known as “Jav” back in the day (thin like a Javelin they used to say) ran this 1931 Model A for years and Ryan and his wife had always been interested in the car. The rebuild began in another shop, but when it stalled out there, Ryan’s friend (and well-known hot rod designer) Eric Black introduced the couple to Scott and Michelle Bonowski of Hot Rods & Hobbies in Signal Hill, California. With Jav’s input and approval, a plan was put in motion to have Hot Rods & Hobbies bring the Flying Jav back to life.
The new plan of attack began with the custom chassis, which was fitted with a dropped 46-inch I-beam front axle, leaf spring, and wishbone radius rods, along with a Flaming River steering box and Lincoln drum brakes. A triangulated four-link was designed to secure a Banjo-style rearend capped with Wheelsmith 16-inch wire wheels and Coker Excelsior tires.
Modern drivability was chosen in the form of an LS3 and 4L65E trans, but it had to be dressed in vintage style. A Borla 8-Stack induction system provided a classic form complemented with early Thunderbird valve covers and cast iron exhaust manifolds.
The original coupe body received a serious number of modifications, including a tasteful chop, filled roof, and a slight stretch to accept doors from a sedan, which were also flush fit. Several Deuce components were also added, notably the fenders, running boards, grille, and hood assembly. A custom nerf bar and spreader bar were fabricated, the fuel filler cap frenched, and ’37 DeSoto taillight bezels were fitted to custom taillight buckets. Hot Rods & Hobbies finished the body in a custom-mixed Axalta green hue.
Inside, a custom-formed Glide seat was covered in leather by Chris Plante at Plante Interior Co., with matching door panels and trim work. The classically styled interior is highlighted with a unique four-spoke steering wheel and custom Classic Instruments gauges in the refined dash. On top of the Gennie shifter is a custom shift knob bearing a knight’s head taken from the original medallion that Jav wore since his high school car club days.
While it’s a shame Jav didn’t get to see his 1931 Model A hot rod finished, he knew it was in good hands with his family, and it’s sure to be on the road for years to come.
Photos by Michael Christensen and Damon Lee
