Hot Rod Ron Carlsten's 227 Bullet Coupe

 

 

 

 Ron Carlsten Jr. is from Phoenix, Arizona, and he calls his classic 1932 Ford 5 Window Coupe the 227 Bullet Coupe. He calls it that because it had 227 bullet holes in it. Ron said he and some friends  were in the garage one night, and they  had a few drinks and decided to count all the bullet holes.

I was hoping for a Bonnie and Clyde type of story about the bullets, but alas that was not to be. Ron believes it was nothing more than target practice. 

How Ron would end up building a classic Deuce Coupe hot rod, however, might be as good as the Bonnie and Clyde story anyway.

 Ron and his friends started getting into early hot rods because all the old guys were throwing away the traditional components. “They wanted independent front suspension and air conditioning and power steering and power brakes,” he said. “And they were like ‘I don’t want that straight axle, that’s a piece of junk. Here you can have it.’”

Ron and his friends developed their ideas about hot rods from reading magazines from the 40s and 50s. “That’s a hot rod,” they thought. “That’s what it should be.” The first one Ron built was a 1930 Model A coupe.

 Three cars – a 1933 3 Window, a 1934 5 Window, and the ‘32 – had been found half buried in a dry river bed in the “Four Corners” area. Someone found the cars, dug them out and brought them back to Phoenix.  Ron stated that once all the hot rod guys passed on it, that’s when he was able to buy it. 

The Coupe was in rough shape when Ron purchased it. There was no frame, just the body. He first put a reproduction frame underneath, but then he found an original frame that was in good enough condition to restore, which he completed with the help of Steve Szymanski at Industrial Chassis.

 

The front spindles are 1940 Ford parts, and have 1940 Lincoln drum brakes. The brakes are coveted hot rod parts. They give the traditional hot rod look, but are self-adjusting, which was pretty high-tech for 1940.

In the rear, Ron is using 1936 wishbones and a 1940 transverse spring to mount a Ford 9″ rear, complete with a center section painted in red primer and      standard drum brakes. The 9-inch has a Posi differential with 3.00 gears. 

 The front wheels are very rare Ford V8-60 wheels, 16” x 3.5″ wide. Ford only made them for 6 months, for cars with the 60 horsepower V8s. Today, a pair of these might cost as much as $1500. Brand new Firestone bias ply 4.50/4.75 x 16 tires from Coker Tire are also period correct. The rear wheels are 16” x 4” Fords, with 7.50 x 16 Firestone tires.

 

A 350 cubic inch small block Chevy with an Edelbrock Carb. provides the horsepower for Ron’s cruising, and it connects to a Turbo 350 transmission. The short block is completely stock, as Ron wants to maximize reliability and ease of repair.

 The Coupe’s exhaust is really unique. The manifolds are Fenton split exhaust ram horns, a very rare component, which were used on the 1957 Chevy Black Widow stock cars. The two outlets from each manifold merge into straight-through exhaust pipes. 

Those pipes are made from 1936 Ford drive shafts. These drive shafts were tapered, and hot rodder's learned to cut off the ends to create a great looking and sounding exhaust system.

 With minimal creature comforts and lots of rust – and 227 bullet holes – a lot of people at that time mistook the Coupe for a rat rod, which Ron did not like. “It’s not a rat rod,” Ron would tell folks. “It’s a traditional hot rod that isn’t finished yet.”
 

Ron stayed on track and finished the Coupe in time for the GNRS. The ‘32 was given an award by Geezup L.L.C. as their pick of the entire show. And it was included in the Rodding USA magazine coverage of the show. 

 Ron has got his next project planned, a ‘32 Roadster, which he considers the pinnacle of classic hot rods. It’s going to be a pre war Hot Rod. A flathead motor, wire wheels, and not dropped. It’ll be like a 1930s to early 40s style build.

Thanks Ron for sharing 

the 227 Bullet Coupe with us !

 

 

Photos courtesy of Ron Carlsten Jr. 2021