Black to Basics – A No-Nonsense 1934 Ford Hot Rod Highboy in Henry’s Favorite Hue
For us car guys, our obsession with four-wheeled contraptions usually goes way back and Sigmund Freud would have a heyday psychoanalyzing any of us. For Dudley Owens of Decatur, Texas, it started when he was 14 years old hanging out at hot rod shows with a childhood buddy. As he got older, his classmates were driving sport compacts to high school while Dudley prowled the parking lot in a chopped, pro street Chevy pickup.
A lot has changed since then. Dudley married his sweetheart Britnay, and they welcomed two sons into the world. Today, he’s a hotshot in the garment industry and reps a western apparel brand called Rock and Roll Denim. Yet, the biggest transformation in Dudley’s life might be when he ditched the pro street Chevy and got bitten by the early hot rod bug. The result is one of the purest, baddest 1934 Fords we’ve seen in a long time.
Dudley has the friendly personality you’d expect from a Texan and we chatted at length about his car. Like comparing different whiskey brands, we mentioned that his traditional 1934 was the exact opposite flavor of ZZ Top’s billet-era ’33 Eliminator rod. Dudley agreed but with one caveat: “I really, really loved that car when I was a kid,” he says. “It completely knocked me out. Having said that, I’m more of a traditionalist hot rodder these days.”
Built by Race Street Automotive out of Fort Worth, this 1934 coupe is a deft amalgamation of vintage parts and old-school ideology. “I found the car in California about seven years ago,” Dudley told us. “It had been rodded, but it was solid and fairly rust-free. We started the build in 2020 right at the onset of the pandemic and it took us about a year to complete.” In record time, no doubt, but that didn’t keep ’em from hitting the bullseye.
The car rolls on a fortified Henry Ford frame with a chromed and dropped ’32 heavy front axle, unsplit wishbones, and a 9-inch Ford rearend. Brakes are drums all the way around, with early Lincoln units up front and Fords in the rear. The car touches down on terra firma with 16-inch steel rims and Coker 5.00-16 tires up front and 18-inch rear wheels on x 8.00-18 Indy race Firestones on the rear.
The next part of this story is sure to give Henry Ford a case of heartburn from beyond the grave. Between the front frame rails, the guys transplanted a 300hp, 327c.i. Chevy small block with an OEM 2×4 induction system from a ’62 Corvette. The finned aluminum Corvette valve covers and corresponding louvered air cleaners make this one of the prettiest factory motors ever produced, one that needs no extra doodads. A Muncie four-speed transmission meters the power to the rear wheels and all the right sounds are trumpeted through Cherry Bomb glass pack mufflers.
The body went to hot rod finishing school, as well. Along with a 3-inch top chop, the windshield was laid back a skosh as well. After ditching the fenders, Race Street got to work on the sheet metal. “The guys did a great job getting the body smooth and razor straight,” Dudley told says. “We had to get it right because I believe all hot rods should be black, and we all know it’s the hardest color to pull off.” The end result is stunningly simple with just enough tinsel from the chrome trim and lug nuts to make it sizzle.
The cockpit echoes the sinister blacked-out vibe of the exterior. Fast Al’s Upholstery based in Dewey, Oklahoma, stitched up the interior while Race Street installed the wiring, banjo steering wheel, and Classic Instruments gauges. The interior reminds us of a black motorcycle jacket, and Marlon Brando (or any cast member of 1953’s The Wild Ones) would be right at home from behind the wheel. Easy does it, though, don’t let that switchblade slice the upholstery.
You might think this 1934 coupe is a pampered trailer queen, but you’d be wrong. Dudley regularly drives the car, and it was not only seen preening at the Goodguys Lone Star event, but also at the 2024 Triple Crown of Rodding and Gathering at the Roc. The best part of the build is it will never go out of style and will be cool for a thousand years. If you’re in the great state of Texas or nearby, keep your eye peeled for this triple-back coupe and its cool pilot in Rock and Roll Denim threads.
Photos: John Jackson
