1930 Ford Model A, Trigen Street Rods
TriGen Street Rods built Model-A
“As builders, we value the relationships we have with our vendors. We have been doing business with TCI for many years. Their products not only look bitchin’ but they perform flawlessly while standing the test of time. Their staff is amazing and service is on point. We don’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone and will continue to do business with them for many years to come.”
“There are so many Ford Model A coupes out there,” said Bill Kenny of Trigen Street Rods, “it’s hard to do something on these cars that hasn’t been done before.” That’s why he said it was important to listen to his customers, John and Molly Welsch, for this particular build. “Mr. Welsch had this Model A for over sixty years and it’s been through many makeovers,” Bill explained, “even so, this car has always been his dream hot rod.”
Much like a house, a good hot rod build starts with a good foundation. “With any build like this,” said Bill, “there are always small changes and additions that come up, but we feel that we hit the nail on the head.” For this coupe, Bill went with Total Cost Involved’s Model A chassis with an independent front suspension (IFS). While, a solid front axle is seen as more traditional for Model A’s, the IFS provides a substantially superior ride. The ride is further improved, as the customer needs, since the Ridetech coilovers are adjustable in height and damping rate.
Even with its modern front end design, the chassis will still look as classy as any Model A build should look. The fenders still fit and the wheels tuck nicely under them just as you can see with Welsch’s Coupe. You also don’t see the steering rack and anti-roll bar since they are located behind the axle, again keeping with a clean appearance.
Keeping with the superior handling theme, the Currie 9-inch rear end is located using a four-link suspension with a panhard bar. The Panhard bar and anti-roll bar are located in front of the axle. This positioning makes for a cleaner rear view appearance without sacrificing better handling. It’s also set up with a pair of Ridetech adjustable coilovers. Inside the Currie axle is a 3.73 gear with a Ford Track-Lok positraction unit.
The wheels are a set of Foose F097 Knuckle wheels in polished chrome. The 17×7 front wheels are wrapped in 215/45R17 Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires while the 18×8 rear wheels are covered by the same Firestone tires but in 235/55R18. The brake system consists of Wilwood four-piston calipers on the front and rear axles.
Under the hood of this ’30 Coupe is a Chevrolet 350 SBC with a Holley Sniper EFI system. It’s also fitted with a mild camshaft, HEI distributor, and polished intake manifold to produce 350-horsepower to the wheels. However, that power must first pass through a Chevrolet 200R automatic with an overdrive. For an unforgettable sound, a custom 2.5-inch exhaust system uses a pair of Magnaflow mufflers.
Since it was located in the Racing Parts Company (RPC) booth during the 2019 SEMA Show, it was a showcase for their engine goodies. This included a set of RPC polished valve covers, oval air cleaner, polished spark plug wire holders, and polished accessories and brackets.
Much of the body is original to the 1930 Model A, however, Trigen did add many improvements to it. For starters, the grille and its shell are from a 1932 Model A. A 32 Ford also donated its rear-mounted fuel tank that sits behind a stainless steel spreader bar. The front headlight bar is made from stainless steel as well and a pair of RPC headlights mount perfectly to it. It was then sent to Auto Perfections to have its two-tone paint job done.
Inside, a pair of modified Honda Accord bucket seats, minus their headrests, are reupholstered by Henry’s Upholstery in Conjac Tan. Attached to the RPC chrome tilt steering column is an RPC banjo-style steering wheel. Classic Instruments gauges are set inside a custom-made woodgrain dashboard and go well with the Conjac Tan interior treatment.
The front and rear windows are all powered for that modern touch. Even so, you do ride in comfort with the Vintage Air air-conditioning system blowing cool air if you choose to keep them closed. Each piece of glass on this Model A was also custom tinted by Kotto Auto Glass for further heat reduction inside the cab.
Once it was done, it was time to send it to the 2019 SEMA Show and the Racing Parts Company booth. “The car was out in the public eye for the first time here,” explained Bill, “it was an amazing build and it came out better than we all expected.” The crowd certainly couldn’t get enough of the 1930 Ford Model A, that’s for sure. “With this build,” he continued, “we listened to the customer’s dreams and ideas through many conversations.”
Of course, some of the Welsch’s ideas were fleshed out with Bill’s experience. “The result,” said Bill, “was a very classy version of the Model A coupe created with many subtle changes and enhancements that help make this build flow seamlessly.”
With sixty years to dream it, the Welsch’s 1930 Ford Model A has finally become quite the looker. It was all due to their input and Trigen’s experience being brought together in one build. “We value the relationships we have with customers and vendors,” Bill closed with us, “we can’t thank the Welschs enough for allowing us to make their dreams come true and TCI for their bitchin’ and flawless products.”
Many decades went into this and now it’s time for John and Molly Welsch to enjoy it. It’s not only a wonderful ride but a marvelous vision turned into beautiful reality. The old-school looks of the Model A has modern features mixed in from engine to frame. It’s all thanks to Trigen’s experience and TCI’s engineering.
