Smithsonian '34 Ford

Featured on the cover of the July 1993 issue of Smithsonian Magazine is this '34 Ford 3 Window, which Boyd built. However, that wasn't the first time this car had graced the cover of a magazine or the last. It was also featured in a mid-1960s issue of Hot Rod Magazine before it came into Boyd's possession and received a complete redo.

Starting with the frame, the original frame rails and cross members were straightened and smoothed before being covered in Dupont Boyd Red. To get the front end down, dropped I-beam axles with a four-bar setup were bolted in. At the rear, a Corvette center section with independent suspension was used.

On the body, the top was chopped 3 inches and the windshield posts were laid back. Numerous other subtle changes were made, including a narrowed grill shell; reskinned doors; shortened cowl; and a roll pan replaced the gas tank at the rear, just to name a few. When completed, the same Dupont Boyd Red was applied to the body. In keeping with the traditional hot-rod theme, flames were added using white, yellow and red framed with a lime-green pinstripe.

The interior is covered with buckskin-colored leather and matching wool carpet. An Alpine stereo hangs in a small pod underneath the dash, where a set of VDO gauges resides. Adding to the comfort is a tilt steering column with a Boyd Coddington steering wheel bolted to it. And the engine? A nitrous-fed 574hp small-block Chevy backed by a Doug Nash five-speed.