As custom truck enthusiasts, we find ourselves occasionally gazing into our visionary minds searching for the perfect ride. Randy Palmer of Huntington Beach, California, experienced one of those visionary moments when his gray matter scanned the image of an early-model Ford sedan delivery that had it all: style, stance, wheels, tires, and bright, radiant red paint that seemed to glow. It was that visionary moment that inspired Randy to pursue his dream rod, a '37 Ford sedan delivery. After cruising the internet, he came across a rod and custom website. There it was, the exact image Randy had envisioned.
Professional rod builder extraordinaire, Jason Essex of Essex Customz, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, took on building the "first" Wild Rod '37 Ford sedan delivery. This is it. After receiving the sedan delivery, Jason had the Wild Rods 2x4-inch boxed framerails/tubular sub frame sent out to be powder coated to match the Viper red body color. A Heidts Mustang II independent front suspension with 2-inch drop spindles with shortened coil springs received a pair of Wilwood hubs and a set of cross-drilled and slotted rotors that are gripped by Wilwood four-piston calipers. An Easystreet air ride pneumatic system controls the front and rear suspension vertically from its normal ride height to grounded, with just the flip of a switch. A four-linked rear suspension with Panhard bar delivers both vertical flexibility and lateral stability of the Moser 9-inch rearend that contains 3.73 gears, a pair of Moser 28-splined axles, and a Detroit locker. The sedan delivery rolls on a set of very stylish, chrome KMC Stealth 18x7-inch front 20x10-inch rear wheels consumed in Yokohama AdvanSport 225/40ZR18 front and 285/30ZR20 rear rubber. Stance and wheels and tires are important, but to really have a wild ride, power and lots of it is needed.
Under the pancaked hood is an '04 GM Performance Parts 350ci 330hp crate engine with a Holley 650-cfm four-barrel carburetor bolted onto an Edelbock Performer intake manifold. The MSD Blaster coil, 6A ignition box, distributor and 8mm ignition wires produce and maintain a continuous high-output electrical current. A pair of Hedman 21/2-inch diameter ceramic coated block-hugger headers flow into a 21/2-inch ceramic coated exhaust tubes and a pair of Borla mufflers. A custom-made four-row Performance Rod & Custom aluminum radiator maintains the engine's cool while cruising or running hard. The small-block engine is backed up to a 350 automatic transmission.
The raised power-activated...
The raised power-activated hood exposes the sedan delivery's muscle. A GM Performance Parts 350ci 330hp crate engine with polished aluminum air cleaner, valve covers, alternator, and Vintage Air compressor and lines.
Smooth as silk. Endless hours...
Smooth as silk. Endless hours were spent to acquire such a straight and smooth body surface. The flawless enriched DuPont Viper Red paint was submerged in six coats of clear. The multi-coats of clear were then cut, buffed, and polished to achieve the endless depth.
A full-length waterfall center...
A full-length waterfall center console houses the B&M Bandit ratchet shifter along with power window switches, front and rear air bag switches, and gauges.