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Favorite Builds: Kirk Hammett’s ’36 Ford Built by Cole Foster of Salinas Boys

 

A 1936 Ford is one of those classic rides which can be very successfully built in a variety of styles. Normally these are “hot rodded,” meaning they lose the fenders and skirts and the hood, before it gets a big engine, a manual transmission and stout rear end to propel it down the strip in hot fashion.

Occasionally one of these will be taken in the other direction, when an inspired builder decides to buck the trend, opting to create a “custom” as opposed to a “rod.”

What’s the diference? Well where a hot rod build would see much of the “unnecessary” parts removed, a custom build would see all of those parts perfectly integrated for a sleek, streamlined design. Commonly, people think of hot rods as “fast and furious” and customs as “low and slow” – but they’re rarely slow.

Now to the car.

Kirk Hammett is the lead guitar player for the San Francisco based metal band, Metallica. Cole Foster, is the main man behind the Salinas Boys custom shop, a bike and car builder in Salinas California, about an hour outside of San Francisco. Kirk came to Salinas to get a cool and fast hot rod, this was the original plan but as often happens they take on a life of their own. Kirk wisely let Cole take this ride to an unprecedented level with some custom touches you don’t often see.

Normally when a 3 window coupe from the 30’s or 40’s is chopped and lowered, the usable space for the driver is reduced to nothing. This vehicle though began it’s life as a 5-window, leaving significantly more space to the rear of the b-pillar for the driver to stretch-out. The reality of converting a 5-window coupe to a chopped 3-window is probably comparable to a full chop and section job.

Check out the photo below of a “stock” 1936 5-window compared to Kirk’s ride.

The chop aside, custom touches on this vehicle are nearly endless, from the flawless metalwork on the fenders and skirts, to the hand-made louvers on the hood-sides. This vehicle not only sets the bar at a new level for “customs” but hopefully inspires builders (and our clients) to think outside the box with every build.

Looking for a Custom Car Builder in the Midwest?

If you have questions, ideas or would like a quote for building or chopping your own car please feel free to email me any time with the contact form on the sidebar. I will gladly quote full builds or complex one-off parts to assist you in your build. I’m here to help so lets go!
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