1933 Ford “Dry Lakes” 3 Window Coupe

One of the mightiest examples of a classic Ford was on display, fittingly, at Ford’s main booth during this year’s SEMA Show. The “Dry Lakes” 1933 Ford 3-window was not only a magnet for passerby all week, but also the recipient of a Goodguys Gold Award. These awards are only handed out during the SEMA Show and honor build prowess as well as ingenuity.

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The coupe is owned by Wayne Halabura and was built by Byron Thiessen and his crew out of Warman, SK Canada. Goodguys Gazette editor, John Drummond, fired off a couple of highlights about the vehicle during the show as he presented the Gold Award, “It features a radical chop, that’s a 7-inch chop on that car. There’s over 2,500 hours of modifications on this car; it has a custom floor and firewall, the A-pillars and grille have been laid back, and the paint is a PPG custom mixed grey.”
Johnson’s Hotrod Shop created the custom CNC designed chassis that cradles the ’33. It’s powered by a ’53 Ford flathead bored and stroked to 285ci. Custom hidden fuel injection by Rad Rides by Troy, Dry Lakes cylinder heads, a Tremec TKO 600 5-speed manual transmission, and Winters quick change rearend round out the drivetrain.
A set of one-off “Halibrand prototype” one-piece wheels were supplied by Curtis Speed Wheels. Firestone vintage dirt track tires finish off the wheel and tire combination.
The interior features distressed replicate leather upholstery, Classic Instruments custom gauges, and all interior machining done by Pinkees Rod Shop.

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The display placard for the ’33 stated, “This car is a tribute to Ford and all the pioneers of speed who embraced the power that was available from this mighty power plant. 1933 was also an iconic year for Ford with the debut of the Model 40. This is our tribute to a Ford hotrod that was built using modern design techniques with fabrication from some of the best builders in the country.”
What do you think about this gem of a build?