Hot Rodding in its infancy was a much different place than of today. Hot rod shops packed full of billet accessories were not even an idea during those early days of customizing, so this put hot rod owners creativity to the test. The hot rods of the days of old were only the beginning of something much bigger which is where we are today!

Recently, there has been a revival of the classic or "old school" hot rod movement. Possessing a charm that's their own, many of the under 40 crowd have gravitated to this new era of hot rodding. Seeing this expanding trend, Scooter Russell, age 37 of Drummonds, Tennessee, decided to build an "old school" hot rod of his own. The 1930 Ford Coupe is not as common of a hot rod platform as the 1932 Ford Roadster, but Scooter really liked the idea of being a little different from the norm and so began his nostalgic project.

Often times when choosing an early model car such as this 1930 Ford Model-A, many people immediately remove several inches from the roof and body height. Such modifications leans heavily in the more customized arena. Being of the custom mindset, Scooter channeled and chopped the car four-inches. The once-open roof was filled in with steel and the body was coated with primer. Once the primer dried, the body received classic hot rod scallops which is a classic statement from this era of autos.

1950 Ford Deluxe 16-inch steel wheels were painted blue before being used at all four corners with the ubiquitous "dog dish" wheel covers in place. Wide white walled tires give this hot rod a familiar classic touch.

Swaying a little bit off the road of traditional hot rodding, Scooter opted to modify the frame so as to lay the Model-A flat on the ground. The frame was Z'ed 9-inches up front and 15-inches in the rear. A Ford 9-inch rear end was installed out back along with a 4-bar rear suspension setup. An adjustable air ride suspension finishes up the chassis modifications and gives this hot rod a radical stance.

Inside the modified factory body, Scooter kept things nice and simple. With no exotic leather or fancy fiberglass work, this car is the essence of the early days of hot rodding. The 1930 dash board was replaced with a 1932 dash that houses all the gauges. The floor of the cab is uncluttered and carries nothing more than a simple tall shifter. A custom chain steering wheel tops off the steering column as well as the interior changes.

Of course, no hot rod is complete without an appropriate power plant to push it down the road! Scooter's chopped and channeled rod runs an exposed and warmed over 1980 Chevy small-block with a 6 deuce intake, 280 cam, Sanderson headers, and an open exhaust. A matching General Motors Turbo 350 transmission was bolted into place for gear selection.

Scooter's Model-A is a cool ride that relives those nostalgic days of hot rodding!

Shout Out: "Special thanks to Slade Martin and Johnny Craig for all their help." -Scooter Russell