A Guide to Building a Hot Rod Highboy Roadster Pickup

The latest in the Street Rodder series of Road Tour manuals is A Guide to Building a Hot Rod Highboy Roadster Pickup. It deals with the assembly from the ground up of the Shadow Rods XL27 roadster pickup. The book contains all you will need to know when it comes to assembly of the chassis, powertrain, and body. We document the construction of this hot rod roadster pickup while at the shop of Creative Concepts under the direction of Zane Cullen, one of the country’s premier builders. It is based on a custom Shadow Rods ’32 Ford chassis with an I-beam frontend, complete with Super Bell spindles, steering arms, and Wilwood disc brakes, yielding the traditional hot rod look. The enhanced Model T (’27) roadster pickup body is shaped to fit the more robust dimensions of the ’32 Ford frame. Power for the hot rod comes via a 427-inch small-block Ford, while a Gearstar automatic transfers the power back to the Wilwood disc brake–equipped Ford 9-inch rearend from Moser. Resting at the corners are Wheel Vintiques rims and Coker tires. Additional information is provided on braking and wheel fitment to help you select the right components for your ride. Also covered in this book is the effort put forth in the making of the C. Cook Enterprises custom aluminum hood and race car inspired–nose, and the extensive bodywork and application of the PPG paint. You will also see how the Time Machines Unlimited interior, Painless Performance Products wiring, and Rod Tops folding convertible top were handled. What you will find in this manual is how to build yourself a hot rod roadster pickup with the looks of a vintage hot rod but the modern performance found in today’s components.