Model A looks pretty good for nearly 85 years old
Mike Malesevic is a lifelong gearhead, always itching to tinker with a new four-wheeled toy.
In 2012, a friend tipped him off about a 1931 Ford Model A. Far from roadworthy, the project had been started but was nowhere near complete. The bare-bones shell had been sitting in an Algonquin garage for many years.
Ironically, after Malesevic got it back to his custom and repair shop, the Model A sat for another year and a half before work officially commenced.
"I got sick of pushing it around," said Malesevic, owner of Mike's Garage in Arlington Heights. "I didn't want to be that guy who never finishes his projects."
The first order of business was stripping the body back down to bare metal. From there Malesevic corrected "a whole bunch of bad welds and gobs of bondo." A new chassis was slid underneath and the roof was chopped - lowered - 6 inches. The body was channeled, or lowered on the frame so the cab sits closer to the ground, by 4 inches.
Malesevic contemplated a variety of paint colors and eventually settled on tried-and-true hot rod black. "That's what everyone recommended," Malesevic said. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to mix things up.
"I didn't want to do the traditional rat rod. I wanted to stand out."
The craftsman sanded the paint back off for a unique look and texture. All of the original 1931 sheetmetal was retained, which was a priority. "I wanted to keep the metal true to the year and for the most part, leave it unaltered."
Power comes from a V-8 but is boosted by a pair of turbochargers. Inside the cabin, Malesevic handmade the seats, covering them with ostrich hides. He also added a tilt steering column to make getting in and out easier.
To make his custom ride more civilized, he installed a stereo, six speakers, flip out TV and even cup holders.
Malesevic tried four different sets of wheels on his truck before finally settling on ones made from K3 Concepts. "They're originally designed for BMW and Mercedes but they had the perfect look."
"Driving in it is sensory overload," Malesevic said. "All the overhead gauges, the lights and looking out and seeing the exposed turbos and front wheels is a rush."
Malesevic's love for customizing took hold at an early age before he entered the auto industry professionally. "Since I was little I was taking things part. It just stuck with me."
Not only did this skill and curiosity stay with the dedicated craftsman, they're being passed on.
"My son likes taking apart his toy trucks. I think we know where that's headed."
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