Jeff Tann Words - Dusty`s Collision Center

Photography: Jeff Tann
Words: Jeff Tann
DUSTY’S
DANDY
Check Out This ’33 Ford
Three-Window Coupe
56 April 2007 STREET ROD BUILDER
Robert “Dusty” Cox has been a car
enthusiast as long as he can remember.
He is the owner of Dusty’s Collision
Repair Shop in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Over
the years, Cox has owned a wide variety
of cars, and according to his wife, Denise,
he owned 15 different cars in their first
three years of marriage. Cox became
interested in street rods when he purchased a ’37 Chevy sedan in 1984. His
dad purchased a ’38 Chevy sedan and
they built the cars together, doing all of
the work themselves. The sedan was finished in 1986, the same year the family
attended the Street Rod Nationals. After
working on the ’37 Chevy, he was
hooked and has been building cars ever
since.
Cox liked the ’33 and’34 Fords and
always wanted a three-window coupe, so
he ordered one from Downs
Manufacturing. The chassis also came
from Downs and was custom-made to
Cox’s specifications. The rear framerails
were moved inward 3 inches per side to
clear the wide rear tires. A ’57 Ford differential was used and narrowed to
54 inches and suspended on
coilover shocks and four-link radius
rods. A Heidt’s independent front suspension is
used on
the front
and
features
narrowed Aarms. The
front features a
combination of
stainless and
chromeplated parts for a
nice appearance. The coupe rolls on
17x7-inch front wheels with Dunlop
205/45R17 tires and 20x10-inch rear
wheels with Dunlop 295/40R20 rear
tires.
A ’95 350ci LT1 engine from Street &
Performance powers the red coupe. The
STREET ROD BUILDER April 2007 57
STREET & PERFORMANCE SUPPLIED THE
’95 CORVETTE LT1 ENGINE, COMPLETE
WITH EXPERT DETAILING. STREET &
PERFORMANCE ALSO SUPPLIED THE
CHROME VALVE COVERS, AIR CLEANER,
BRACKETS, PULLEYS AND CERAMICCOATED HEADERS. THE ENGINE IS
HOOKED TO A ’92 700R4 AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION.
block and coil covers are painted red to
match the body, while everything else is
either polished or chromeplated. Street &
Performance also supplied the air cleaner,
valve covers and pulley system. A Griffin
polished-aluminum radiator keeps everything cool and looks nice, too. The
strong-running Corvette engine is
hooked to a ’92 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission that was built by James
Nicholson in Pocola, Oklahoma.
When it came time to do the bodywork, the coupe was sanded and prepared at Dusty’s Collision Center. The
mold seams were sanded off and the gelcoat was scuffed enough to accept several
coats of primer. Since the Downs body is
straight, only a small amount of block
58 April 2007 STREET ROD BUILDER
Cox designed the interior and made all of the interior panels out of fiberglass and
then re-covered them with Platinum leather. The coupe also features a comfortable and attractive split bench seat that was stitched in a contemporary design.
sanding was necessary to get it ready to
paint. When it was smooth, Rusty Cox
applied the PPG Honda Millano Red
basecoat/clearcoat urethane paint. The
body also includes ’33 Commercial headlights and ’33 Ford taillights on shortened
stalks.
Cox definitely likes to do everything
himself, and that includes the interior. He
selected Platinum leather for the interior
and made all of the door and trunk panels out of fiberglass. When the panels and
his design were ready, he covered them
with leather. The seat was the only part
of the interior he didn’t do, so he had
Chuck in Tulsa build and re-cover a custom seat. The dash was painted to match
the interior and was outfitted with an aluSTREET ROD BUILDER April 2007 59
The three-window coupe looks great from any angle, especially from the
rear, where the huge rear wheels accent the coupe’s aggressive stance.
COX MADE THE DOOR PANEL.
THE ATTRACTIVE DESIGN
INCORPORATES THE ARMREST
AND SPEAKER ENCLOSURE.
minum panel filled with Classic gauges.
The coupe also features a tilt steering column outfitted with a Budnik Famosa
steering wheel. The coupe also has a
Vintage Air climate-control system with
an oval control panel that matches the
shape of the gauge cluster.
Cox worked on this car in his spare
time, so it took him three years to complete. When it was finally finished in
March last year, he took it for a ride and
was pleased with the coupe’s ride and
handling. The Corvette engine runs
strong and the car gets plenty of admiring
glances as it cruises through town. We
spotted the coupe at the Street Rod
Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, and we
had to take a few photos. SRB
60 April 2007 STREET ROD BUILDER
The nice design work continues in the trunk, where the panels feature a high-low design.