Cory and Ashley Taulbert’s ’33 Ford Five-Window Coupe
It’s great to see the Motor City and those who work in the automotive industry there are still passionate about muscle cars and hot rods of all generations. To understand this, all you need to do is attend a few cars and coffee events in the greater Detroit area, where you’ll find a diverse selection of well-executed cars and trucks, many that are largely home-built.
A good case in point is Cory and Ashley Taulbert’s slick ’33 Ford five-window coupe. The car oozes traditional styling with cool vintage parts combined with intricate, custom-designed components that Cory developed. As an engineer with GM, in Cory’s off time he enjoys working in CAD to design one-off hot rod parts including brackets, interior knobs, the 3D-printed air cleaner and of course, the cast magnesium wheels.
That’s right, not only did Cory design the wheels on the ’33, based on Halibrand Indy roadster wheels, he then made a green sand mold on a 3D printer and had the wheels cast in magnesium. Not CNC machined, but cast! He also boxed the original frame, and then added a dropped ’32 front axle and a Halibrand 201 quick-change rearend, both supported by custom-designed torsion suspensions. Original ’46 Lincoln drum brakes help to maintain the traditional feel and appearance.
The drivetrain consists of a Tremec T5 topped with a Hurst tower shifter and McLeod clutch assembly with power coming from a ’55-vintage 331c.i. Cadillac built by Mike Herman of H&H Flatheads. An Offenhauser intake is topped with a custom Autotrend EFI 2×2 setup topped by the custom air cleaner assembly Cory designed. Holley EFI management controls the air/fuel mix and a re-cored factory radiator still keeps things cool.
The car originally came from Prescott, Arizona, and was rumored to have been a longtime hot rod so it was a very solid start. To get the roofline just right, Cory called in his pals Bill Ganahl and Donny Welch to help with the chop, then turned the body over to Matt Snopek of Snopek Kustoms to spray the PPG Brewster Green finish.
Inside, the modified ’32 dash is filled with an Auburn panel and Cord gauges along with a Schroeder four-spoke wheel. Sid Chavers was entrusted to stitch the custom seats and door panels in Relicate leather but kept the design true to hot rodding style.
The ’33 has been on the road for a couple cruise seasons now and is a testament to a well-designed and well-assembled home-built hot rod.
Photos by John Jackson, Marc Gewertz & Damon Lee
