I Do Accelerate! 

’29 Ford Model A

Coddington Zooms

Be careful when asking the owner of a ’29 Ford Model A Coddington what grabbed him when deciding to buy the Hot Rod that “rides as if it were on snakeoil.” When Spruce Grove owner Ben Kowalczyk floored the gas pedal – creating a loud rumble as the Model A zoomed down a quiet street - he then smiled to the shaken passenger after the 10-second burst of speed and said, “This is why we guys like these cars - This car is cool!”

The words from Hot Rod magazine in 1980 - “I do accelerate” do justice to describing this chopped Tudor with big rakes, meats and blown motors. In fact when Ray Johnson then owned the hot rod, the license plate reflected its speed – I do accelerate - IDOXLR8. Today Ben is carrying on the tradition with an Alberta plate aptly named old accelerator - OLXLR8R.

This past winter was the fourth year for Ben at a Russo and Steele auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. A friend bought the car then decided he just had too many cars. The price was right and Ben became the new owner. The car did go through a bit of rough weather while sitting at the auction site - strong winds blew the tents down and the 31-year- old hot rod was scratched and had to be repainted. A strong supporter of Grove Cruise since the car-filled weekend began in 2003, Ben will be seen cruising in his new hot rod for part of the 2010 Grove Cruise in Spruce Grove. The father of four is also making sure the Model A will be part of his son’s wedding on the same weekend.

Ben’s passion for cars also includes a ’67 Camero and ’99 Mustang convertible. “I mean you just can’t have one or two cars. You would mile them out. That’s what I tell my wife anyway. My goal is one more car – then I will have four – one for each of my kids.”

His car is best explained from the Russo and Steele 2010 auction magazine: “Designed and built by the late Boyd Coddington, this was a two-year project that he completed in 1979. Completely all-steel throughout and with a two inch chopped top, filled roof and seams, it further features a shortened visor, custom lighting, 3-piece removable louvered hood and sides and an aluminum and stainless steel running boards. Inside, velour and leather upholstered Recaro seats with a Coddington custom dash insert and VDO gauges. Quoted from Hot Rod magazine, ‘It’s like hot ice, a black boogie that is fast, fun and functional. It doesn’t heat up and it rides as if it were on snake oil.’”
 

Features: 

•In 1979 Coddington “canned” the stock frame and settled a Pete and Jake-prepared TCI frame under the then 51-year-old sheetmetal. He took three inches out of a ’58 Ford station wagon axle housings before building his own set of parallel-link training arms. However, there is a kicker to this otherwise traditional style of suspension. Aside from the Koni coilovers, Boyd included a rather unique anti-rollbar in the package.

•Front suspension features a fur-inch dropped Super Bell Axles, “40 Ford spindles, Pete and Jake’s four-bar radius rods, Monroe tube shocks and a modified leaf cross spring. Rod is cross –steered by a ’74 Vega system and stopped by a Strange Engineering disc brakes.

•Engine type – 1972 Chev V8 – 358 cubic inches with a 471 Littlefield Blower

•Rearend - 1958 Ford 9” Diff

•Transmission – 1972 Turbo 350 •Interior- Brown ‘Hyde and wool interior is complemented by Recaro buckets, one-piece aluminum dash, VDO gauges and Ward’s steering wheel