John Hornbrook‘s ’32 Ford Three-Window Coupe Captures Goodguys 2021 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year Crown!
John Hornbrook’s killer chopped Deuce three-window coupe was officially crowned as the Goodguys 2021 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year on Sunday following an intense weekend of competition at the 15th BASF Nashville Nationals. Built by Texas-based Murray Kustom Rods, the bitchin’ blue coupe has fulfilled a 40-year family dream.
“This car has been owned by my father since 1980,” John says. “It was gifted to me in 2012 with the stipulation of completing the car and enjoying it. I enlisted Murray Kustom Rods to get the car back to its deserving condition and making a simple, traditional hot rod driver with a Bonneville attitude, since my father and I competed at the Salt Flats.”
Built over a four-and-a-half-year period, the coupe is based on tried-and-true hot rod components like a modified Pete & Jakes frame, Super Bell dropped axle, Currie rearend, and a TrackMaster cowl steering box. A small-block Chevy V8 is fed by a trio of Stromberg carbs and sends power through a Tremec five-speed transmission to get the 16×5- and 16×6-inch Wheel Vintiques wheels and Firestone tires rolling – or going up in smoke!
That wicked chop is the result of removing 5.5-inches from the A-pillars and 4.5-inches from the rear, lowering the rear window, and filling the top. A variety of Brookville panels were used and modified in the body’s revival before A&R Restorations performed the final bodywork and applied the beautiful BASF Washington Blue finish.
The inside is equally classic and cool, with ’34 Dodge gauges housed in a modified stock dash and a ’40 Ford wheel atop a Limeworks column. Bradillac Upholstery stitched the Relicate leather over a Glide bench seat, while Darren Winzell of @GasolineArt applied a woodgrain finish to the garnish moldings and dash.
The Hornbrook coupe topped a field of extremely worthy competitors that all demonstrated true hot rod spirit. Each one brought a distinctively different flavor to the field. The lineup included Danny Burroughs’ ’32 Ford five-window coupe, Brandon McCollough’s Deuce roadster, Natalie Bolea’s ’30 Model A, and Todd Stamm’s ’32 Ford sedan.
Goodguys extends its sincere congratulations to John Hornbrook, the Murray Kustom Rods team, and everyone else who contributed to this champion coupe – your 2021 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year!
Photos by John Jackson, Steven Bunker & Damon Lee
