LSX Equipped Turbocharged 1936 Ford

Gravity

What goes up, must come down, and when T.J. Akins' 1936 Ford Coupe comes down there's not much coming between it and the ground, not even a tailpipe. When Speedhunters spotted his olive drab-clad ride flush with the ground at the Lonestar Round Up in Austin, Texas, they pressed the man who built it, Nathan (yes, Nathan) Hale from Hale's Speed Shop, for more info. The Lewisville, Texas, Shop built the hot rod starting from a full tube chassis and added an air-bag suspension that lifts it back up off the ground when it's time to put some miles on.

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Spinning Wheel, 'Round and 'Round

The air compressor for the suspension lives in what used to be the trunk. Lifting the trunk lid reveals an open space that's home not only to the air suspension components but also a sizable turbocharger, inside a heat blanket, perched just above the rear universal joint. Giant tubing feeds both the turbo exhaust inlet and the compressor air intake, and both the 76mm turbo and the wastegate sit slightly ahead of the Ford's pumpkin.

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Back and Forth

From the turbo, the intake charge travels back up to the engine in front through the rear bulkhead, under the bench seat, along the passenger footwell and through an opening in the firewall—where it mates up perfectly with the Edelbrock injection's throttle body. A blow-off valve peeks out through another hole in the cowl. The injection feeds a 6.0 liter GM LQ4 truck engine, which Hale's upgraded with a camshaft and valve springs more suited to a boosted application. The turbo is set to deliver 10 PSI and is aided by a water-to-air intercooler located behind the seat. A nice touch is how the build utilizes a period radiator tank, which in turn helps support the grille and anchors engine compartment struts.

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Down the Line

The engine compartment sports other quirky elements like two gauges mounted on the firewall facing forward—every mechanic's dream. Stock-type headers help ration the limited underhood area and work well with the rear-mounted turbo. While the system undoubtedly provides more lag than, say, twin turbos mounted close to the exhaust outlets, it's not as much of an issue on the strip where rpm can be built up prior to a launch. And this car does go to the strip. With dedicated drag radials on in place of the whitewalls the Ford was wearing at Lonestar, Hale reported a best 1/8 mile elapsed time of 6.30 seconds (see, we told you lag wasn't an issue). 

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No Trailer Needed

Besides the tube frame, turbo, and LQ4, Hale's made sure the Ford could keep turning in times like that by sending power through a 4L70E transmission to a sturdy 35-spline Ford 9-inch rear end. The tallboy shifter, toggle switches, chrome-bezel gauges, and green metal flake steering wheel all add to the retro-rod feel and make interacting with the interior that much more authentic. Hale reports that the Coupe hasn't been on a trailer since the day it came into his shop—they drive it to and from every event, including the drag strip. Though the body obviously isn't perfect—dents, dimples, and dings abound and some of the tail is missing—the plate surrounding the exhaust exit in the rear fender keeps the paint from burning off until they can do a detailed, return to past glory, body-and-paint makeover. Plus it gets the car that much closer to the ground—if you were 82 years old you'd want to sit down now and then too.

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