Fiery Red 1929 Ford Pickup
Daily Slideshow: This classic sets the scene on fire.
He Took His Time, the Build is Money
When you put over 3,000 hours into a build, you can no longer refer to any truck as "just a shop truck". Such is the fate of Dennis Portka who started the build on his 1929 Ford in 1985. With that kind of time, energy, and thought put into his build, almost every inch of Portka's Model A has been rethought and changed. Starting with the cab, Portka reworked the door jams, latches, and weather stripping for modern comfort. Speaking of comfort, the cab was extended by two inches. People have definitely grown over the past 90 years.
Designed with a Ruler
The boxy and upright nature of the cab led to a little extra attention being placed on the fit and finish of the windshield frame and visor. The hood also caused a need for extra ingenuity. The hood was fabricated to be rigid on its own and it lacks the moldings and cowl of a modern-era hood. With such a low ride, stainless steel nerf bars were a necessity to protect the lower regions of the Model A.
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It's a Chevy, Oh Well
To power the Model A, a Chevy 383 with fuel injection and a few shiny parts were placed underhood. The 383 breathes thanks to a triple-stack system. A Chevy motor in a Ford build may have been deemed blasphemous a decade ago. Now, it's a common sight at car shows and in your favorite builds. Oh, how the times have changed.
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Street Presence
The Model A carries a hell of a lot of street presence. Much of that can be attributed to the stance and the fitment of the tire and wheel combo. In the rear, 285 spec tires are wrapped around 15x10 inch Torq-Thrust wheels. In the front, a more modest 14x6 wheel houses a 165 tire. For appearance sake, the lettering of the tires was ground off, leaving a clean black surface.
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Hidden Beauty
Portka molded and finessed his own stainless steel exhaust. As if that wasn't enough, this weekend warrior eliminated the need for clamps by using a high heat o-ring system. While the only people who will see the underside of the Model A are the neighborhood mechanic and Portka, the time and effort put into this clean package cannot be undersold.
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Barking Up the Right Tree
The custom stainless exhaust system makes a scene as it exits with quad tips just below the rear axle. The solid rear axle setup is benefited by coilover shocks and a shiny rear differential cover. Considering Portka spent 20 years making his vision a reality, its no small wonder every aspect of this Model A is dialed in.
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We've Got Wood
The stock rear fenders were widened and then cut to fit the bed. The bed is another custom fabrication job which is not only wider than stock, but it features a one-off bed cover made of aluminum. The underside of the cover is also finished with wood mimicking the bed that sits just below it. Portka machined the latch, hood braces, and handle himself. What's even more impressive is Portka finished the build without a single drop of Bondo or any type of body filler touching his work of art.
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Red Leather Has Never Been So Sexy
Getting to the interior, Portka's Model A has a custom dash highlighted by Stewart Warner Wings gauges. A Wheel Shop steering wheel rests at the peak of a machined column. The doors feature Phoenix design panels fitting in with the all-red theme of the build. The floor mats are a simpler aspect as they are crafted from Rhino coating. The best news is this 1920's classic features air conditioning and heat. That should keep the driver and passengers' legs from sticking to the custom seats courtesy of Z-Best in Lancaster, NY.
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The Results Speak for Themselves
Portka didn't cut any corners in his 20-year buildup. He started by making his own frame and sought to improve the design by instituting an independent front suspension. To go with the times, Wilwood disc brakes sit at all four corners, making the Model A safer by leaps and bounds. In the rear, the differential is a Winters quick-change, allowing Portka to be ready for each and every situation.