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The Beginning...Mild to Wild...Dodge Coupe | Holton Secret Lab Blog

  • By Holton Secret Lab
  • 22 Jan, 2010
Our 1928 Dodge Coupe complete with a Hemi in it when we brought it home in August of 2008. Now folks this is actually one of the better cars Wild Bill has drug home over the years….seriously. However I thought it was a bit out of place with it’s rather tame look but I knew that it would not take long to change.
First order of business was the chop…the car was stock height when we brought it home and we took 5″ out of it. Next we have a decapitated Dodge…Next we have a decapitated Dodge…Wild Bill loves to customize and this is what he calls fun!
Our rod is taking shape and looking pretty good….but is missing a heart. My oh my what shall we do? I know let’s take that V-12 Jag that is sitting in the corner and stuff it in there. Who but “Wild Bill” would yank a Hemi out and instead install a V-12 Jag motor??? When asked he said “Because I can”.
With the V-12 we had to massage the frame a bit by stepping it 3″ in the front and lengthening it 3″to accommodate the motor. We also Z’d it 3″ more in back to lower the body. The frame has a suicide front end with hairpins, early Mustang steering, ladder bar rear suspension with springs and shocks. With the frame done it is time to set the body back on for the first of many fits.
The V-12 fit sort of…..after the firewall was cut out….”Wild Bill” did not like that firewall anyway! Jagged or Jag Rod is born…..The Jag is taking shape…but not without a bit of surgery. We made the hood in shop, the visor is off of a 1931 Model A with 2″ cut out of it. The grill is a 1935 Chev. grill that is chopped 2″. Just as things were taking shape…”Wild Bill” bought the louver machine. We fabricated the hood in our shop, it was one of the first things we louvered with our new machine. Louvers in a roof are questionable but we built a complete false roof under the louver plate with a gutter system that drains any water down the front pillars and on to the ground.
The firewall is also double paneled so engine heat and smells can not reach the cockpit. It has insulation sandwiched between the two pieces. Then there is the deck lid…what a nightmare. After we made the panel, we found that the deck lid had two much crown to it so we had to spilt each louver section and apply them individually. I call it the porcupine look….a little country humor here. 

 The finished product…whew!
I will continue with the louver saga (we also have a belly pan with over 300 louvers in it ), side skirts and rockers. Have a great night wherever you are…..it is time for me to go feed the ponies and make dinner!

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