Choices, choices, choices. Today's rodder has more than ever, enough to make his head spin like a Moon disc at Bonneville. You want air conditioning in your '32 Ford? No problem. Tilt steering? You got it. Heated seats? Hey, we can arrange that.
It's great to have options, but it can also seem overwhelming for those who subscribe to the KISS principle--you know, Keep It Simple, Stupid. That's the approach Todd Gold is taking with his Rod Bods '32 Ford. Though it's being built with all-new parts, the roadster follows the simple guidelines of an age-old rodding formula: stuff a big engine (in this case, a 500ci Cad) in a small car and forget the frills.
The back-to-basics theme will carry over to the roadster's cockpit, where there will be few accessories and no extraneous equipment. With that in mind, Todd had an easy time deciding to use a '40 Ford-style column and wheel from Lime Works Speed Shop. The choice was even more obvious when you consider that Todd's business, Streamline Hot Rod Parts, is a Lime Works dealer.
There's really not much more to say about a '40-style column--it's just a simple, classic design. Lime Works builds theirs with a 1 3/4-inch-diameter main tube (compared to a 1 1/2-inch original) so they can use flanged, double-sealed ball bearings instead of plastic bushings. The columns are offered in plain steel or polished stainless, in two lengths (30 and 33 inches), and with or without a horn option. The reproduction '40 DeLuxe wheel is another great design, one that looks perfect in a wide variety of rods. The Lime Works version is 16 inches in diameter--an inch smaller than a stock '40--to allow extra room in cramped hot rod cabins.
A few other parts were necessary to finish the installation, including an aluminum GMT column drop, a floor mount, and a short length of Double-D steering shaft with two universal joints from Flaming River. All told, the installation was relatively simple. Follow along and we'll show you how Streamline's Aaron Holdaway did it.
