1934 Ford Model B Tudor poses a challenge

Assembling a custom vehicle can be an overwhelming challenge. That's why most opt to purchase one that's somewhat put together or entirely completed.

Others, like Collin Sprau, choose to go a different route — the “start from scratch” path.

“We started with nothing but a vision of what we wanted to build,” the Chicago resident said. Sprau had wanted an early 1930s Ford ever since high school when he first admired the voluptuous exterior lines, especially those on the Tudor sedan.

So in the summer of 2009 he embarked on building one after an overwhelming onset of inspiration while attending the National Street Rod Association Nationals in Louisville, Ken.

Short of having a last name of Ford or Chevrolet, constructing a car requires an army of skilled tradesmen. Sprau relied on some of the area's best. The guys at Frame-Up Wheel Works in Waukegan were responsible for the majority of the assembly.

Utilizing a 1934 Ford chassis purchased from Pete & Jake's Hot Rod Parts in Peculiar, Mo., the crew added a full-fendered fiberglass Model B Tudor body from Redneck Street Rods in Lamar, Mo., but chopped the roof 2¼ inches.

“I wanted to retain the vast majority of the original look for the exterior but still make it cool,” Sprau said.

Covering up that slightly modified body is a Honda factory paint color, called Root Beer Brown Metallic. It was sprayed on by Nostalgic Auto Body in Island Lake, and is complemented with pinstriping applied by Jeff Williams.

A '34 Ford pickup bumper was installed at the rear to eliminate the center dip found on a factory bumper, which wraps under the rear deck-mounted spare tire on a factory model Tudor.

Providing the propulsion for the radical Ford is an aluminum GM-sourced 376-cubic-inch, LS3 V-8 putting out a healthy 430 horsepower. To get those stallions to the rear wheels is a GM 4L60E four-speed transmission, while bringing the sedan to a “stop-on-a-dime” halt are Wilwood disc brakes. They're covered up by body color Dayton Triple Cross wire wheels.

Inside the Art Deco-inspired cabin, custom interior work was performed by Dave Wermske of Vintage Stich, Bristol, Wis. He covered everything in a two-toned brown and tan leather color scheme, complemented with a suede headliner.

After hearing all the radical work done on Sprau's custom machine, you might think it spends its days cozied on a trailer with the only driving experience being on the loading ramps. Not so with this road-going beauty: “We finished the car in February of 2011 and before it was parked for the winter, it had over 6,000 miles on the odometer,” he said.

During that time Sprau attended some major shows and brought home some major trophies, including a stop at the show where the project was conceived. “We placed in the Top Ten at the 2011 NSRA Nationals and are very proud considering there were over 10,000 cars.”

While some might think a build like this is a headache-inducing activity, Sprau has a different perspective. “There's so much joy in the excitement of the process: vision, research, acquisition, design, then build,” he said.

The most important aspect follows all of this.

“Then all you have is the sheer fun of driving the finished product and thoroughly enjoying it.”

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