Roger and Melinda Mitchell wanted to keep a hot rod in their life, but decided a little extra room would be nice. The end result is this nifty 1930 Ford 3-door sedan, a converted Tudor with a panel-wagon style rear door.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
After all the hassle of finding a usable Mercury flathead block, Mitchell feels entitled to drive the point home with this rear door decal.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Mitchell isn't afraid to try anything. He grabbed a book on upholstery and turned out this beautifully executed gray tweed and red vinyl interior himself.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Mitchell had to fabricate his own shift mount and linkage for the Hurst floor shifter, which controls a 3-speed overdrive transmission. The overdrive unit is activated by an electric switch to the left of the steering column.
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The stretched and bent connecting rod theme was also employed inside, serving here as the steering column support.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Extra instrumentation, including a water temperature gauge for each bank of cylinders, is neatly tucked into a wooden overhead console that also mounts a modern sound system.
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The original Model A instrument cluster was maintained for its classic lines, but upgraded with a beautiful wood insert and an Auto Meter speedometer. The original float-style fuel gauge was retained above the speedo; the fuel tan is the factory-installed cowl mounted unit.
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A '30s vintage hot rod really needs a banjo-style steering wheel for the right feel and Mitchell chose a Julianos model, mounted atop an ididit column.
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The 3-door sedan is still a pretty narrow car, so Mitchell had to find the skinniest bucket seats he could to fit the snug confines. A Pontiac Grand Am supplied what he needed.
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A '49 Mercury rear end is suspended by coil-over shock absorbers, while the dual exhaust pipes are supported by old flathead connecting rods made by welding two rods together.
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The same wheel treatment is used in front, on much narrower wheels, using Lexington 165x80x15 tires.
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Tall and beefy, the rear rubber consists of a set of BF Goodrich TA 285x70x15 tires supplied by Coker Tire. The wheel treatment uses button hubcaps emblazoned with V-8 emblems and chrome trim rings.
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A set of smooth '38 Ford teardrop tail lights are molded into the rear quarters of the 3-door and look right at home there.
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Using a Speedway Motors kit, Mitchell pieced together the headers, which can be routed into either a conventional dual exhaust setup, or into a bright red open exhaust tip for a bit more bark.
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Up front, the '30 Model A gets a more stylish 1932 grille shell and insert.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Mitchell wanted a fenderless car, but the beefed up Model A frame didn't look right tucked inside the body line, so he fabricated this neat panel to clean things up a bit.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The extra door gives easy access to road trip items stored in the back. Mitchell said the standard Tudor won't readily allow passengers or luggage to be stowed in back, even with the front seats folded forward.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Mitchell wanted a classic Mercury flathead V-8 for this hot rod; unfortunately, it took him seven tries to find a usable block without cracks. It's equipped with a Fenton twin-carb intake manifold mounting a pair of vintage Stromberg
97 carburetors.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The Tudor body lends itself to a third opening, a fiberglass door with a working rear window. The Mitchell's Siberian Husky, Zoey, loves riding in the back with her head out the window.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
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