Concept Corner: it’s a gas!

On the cover of this issue [NZV8 161] you’ve seen the Monaro that Peter and Delilah Schimanski dreamt of — clearly they’re a couple who like speed. But, now that the Monaro is complete, what’s the next project? A tough Model A gasser, that’s what. Better than that, it’s not just a pipe dream, but a reality, with the pair having purchased a 1930 Model A coupe at the Pomona Swap Meet three years ago.

The car is a true gem, with the last owner having purchased it way back in 1963, making it a really solid, unmolested starting point. Of course, by the time they’re done with it, there will be plenty of custom components that have found their way into the mix, and from what we’ve seen of the pair to date, it’ll be finished to an amazingly high standard too.

The plan revolves around a boxed factory chassis, to which a 350ci small-block Chev engine will be fitted. We can hear the moaners moan, but this will be no ordinary small block — it will be equipped with Hilborn-style injection, and better still, backed by a manual box for some good old gear-shifting action.

To move the power out back, a Ford nine-inch will be used, packing 3.73:1 gears, suspended in place with custom five-foot-long ladder bars, combined with a custom Panhard bar. This will be sprung by a transverse leaf, much like the front. To get the perfect nose-high gasser look, a stock Model A axle will be used along with the fitting of extra leaves.

Stopping power will come via discs up front and drums on the rear behind Rocket Racing wheels, wrapped in pie-crust cheater slicks, no less.

Inside the cabin you’ll find a mix of go-fast and go-comfortable goodness, such as bucket seats and harnesses along with pleated door trims and a dash of pinstriping. A roll bar with harness mounts will be grafted into the rear of the cab, but for all intents it’s more about looks than time slips.

Black, just as Henry Ford imagined, will be the only colour for this setup, although the polished engine and coated headers that run along the front fenders will be an exception.

While the pair have a tough street-and-strip car in the Monaro, we have no doubt that once the Model A gets completed, it will also see its fair share of time both at the traffic lights and the staging lights.