Rocky Boler’s 1949 Ford Is Pure Hot Rod and Pure Custom

Lewyn Boler’s green 1949 Ford coupe wasn’t a street rod, but it certainly inspired one. Back in the ’50s, Lewyn would take his grandsons fishing in the car, which left a lasting impression. One of those grandsons, Rocky Boler, says that even after Lewyn died, whenever Rocky saw another 1949 Ford on the road, he’d be reminded of his grandfather and the incredible summers they spent together.

As he grew up, Rocky’s passion for cars grew too. He went through the typical stages of involvement—from drawings and models to go-karts—and bought his first car, a 1940 Ford, when he was 12. That car was impounded when Rocky was caught street racing. He was 14. That life lesson didn’t dissuade him from his passion. As time went on, he got into street rods, customs, and drag race cars.

Rocky never lost his love for 1949 Fords. In 1998, he bought one as a project, to use some of the parts he had accumulated over the years. He replaced much of the worn-out sheetmetal with replacement pieces, and painted the car black. The interior was redone with LeBaron Bonney mohair, and the Flathead was pulled in favor of a Chevy big-block.

Thirteen years later, Rocky decided that the Shoebox was ready for a makeover. He decided to rebuild the coupe as a tribute to his grandfather, and took the car to Mark Giambalvo at Creative Rod & Kustom in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania. Creative Rod & Kustom is the shop that built Rocky’s root beer brown 1933 Ford coupe, a Detroit Autorama Great 8 winner in 2014.

The platform for the Shoebox is an Art Morrison 2×4 Profile frame, modified to make room for the rear tires and exhaust system. Strange Engineering coilovers at each corner even out the ride. Front and rear antiroll bars and an Art Morrison rear Panhard stiffens the chassis. Mustang II 2-inch drop spindles lower the front. The Strange Ford 9-inch Posi rearend with 3.90 gearing—and Moser 31-spline axles—is located via a PROfile Sport johnny joint four-bar setup.

Perfecting the stance was a priority for Rocky, and Creative Rod & Kustom nailed it by channeling the body over the frame. The sheetmetal was cleaned up with emblems and hardware removed. Custom polished aluminum body spears add an accent to the sides and display the car’s nickname, Thunderboss. The one-piece windshield came from Street Rod Headquarters and the ventless side glass was custom cut. The factory bumpers were narrowed and tucked in. Juliano’s Halogen headlights replace the originals, and the replacement grille (welded into a single piece) probably has people insisting that Rocky’s 1949 Ford is a 1950.

Read more from this article…