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1) Full Name, Age, City/ State, Occupation and/or school
Stephen Frederic, 29, Gonzales, Louisiana, I’m in the automotive upholstery and glass business
2) Details about your car... how long you have had it, what work you have done on it... when is will be completed if it is not yet done. The more details you can give about the car and your work on it... the better.
I actually got the car in December of 1995. My dad, Ronnie Frederic, and I built this car from the ground up. The car was originally a five-window coupe, but the day after I brought it home, I cut the roof off. We removed all of the original wood framing and replaced it with steel. The car sat in the corner of my dads shop for a few years while I collected parts, a few at a time. In 2004, I decided to buckle down on the car and build it. The body was removed and we installed a four-link coil over suspension in the rear. The framed was boxed in and we built a tubular cross member. I bought 20x9.5 inch wheels for the rear knowing they were too wide. We widen the inner and outer fenders 2" each to take car of it. We also split the running boards from front to back so it wouldn’t be noticeable. The doors where one of many arguments between my dad and I. He was against suicide but I talked him into it. I designed the interior, but at the time, had no idea how to do it. This is were I received serious lessons in metalworking. ALL of the interior panels and dashboard were hand made. We installed a Vintage A/C system along with a powerful sound system. We raked back the grill about 3 inches to fit the new three-piece hood. The fenders are fiberglass and some fabrication was needed to get the proper fit. We fabbed up the exhaust system and sent it off to be jet coated. The removable top was hand made out of fiberglass and steel also by my father and I. After all final fits the car was completely disassembled again. Bodywork and paint were next. The car finally started to look like a car and was getting anxious. My engine was a 350 small block with a 700R4 trans. It was carbonated and I wanted to cover the intake, carb, and filter, so dad started cutting up sheet metal and finished with nice cover. A friend of his, Darryl Pevato, airbrushed my graphics for me.
3) What was the hardest part of getting your car done.... the easiest ... the most fun.
I guess the hardest part of getting it done was staying committed. It was hard for me to leave work every day only to go work on my car until late and repeat this almost every day for over a year. I can say that the hardest, easiest, and most fun part of all was working with my dad to build this work of art. We were either fighting, crying, or laughing together every day. Most people don't know what goes into building a street rod. Countless hours went by sometimes and little was to show for it. It would get a little depressing and then all of a sudden, progress started to show. Money was an issue also. Towards the end, after all of the major parts were bought, the small stuff started adding up. I don't think anyone makes any type of part for less than a hundred bucks!
4) What shows do you like to attend?
The most fun was the first car shows. We barely made our goal getting to the Street rod Nationals. The proud feeling of our accomplishment was mutual between my dad and I. I made it to the GoodGuy’s show in Fort Worth, the Masters Auto Expo in Bristol, Tenn., and a few local shows.
5) What do you feel is most important for the future of rodding?
I think the most important thing for rodding future is for parents to encourage their children to keep this going by bringing them to shows. I grew up around cars, helping my dad, and learning. It seems like we went to a different car show every weekend. Now that I'm older, when I go to shows, I see the same people and friends of my dads, but none of their kids. It seems to be a dying breed of people that made street rodding what it is today. Without my dad, I would have never built this car. He taught and is still teaching me things that no book could ever teach. Hands-on experience, the only way to go!!!
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