As told by Bob Warren - Photos by Steve Temple

Some folks put the cart before the horse. In my case, I put the horses before the cart. All 710 of ’em, in fact, from a blown big-block 402 ci Chevy. How I managed to squeeze so much power into a ’33 Ford is a story in itself, which I’ll get to in a moment. But I should tell you how I got into this project in the first place.

After building a ’41 Willys and winning awards in several car shows, I was ready for a new adventure. I wanted to build a car that would turn heads not only because of its looks, but also for the sound of its engine.

A car buddy invited me to go to the Factory Five Racing Annual Huntington Beach Cruise-In, where I saw the car of my dreams — a ’33 Ford three-window coupe. Later that year, I ordered one from the Massachusetts-based factory (which I later visited), and it was delivered the day after the following Huntington Beach show. All 15 boxes packed full of wires, car parts and directions, along with a frame, body and other essential pieces.

It took me exactly one year to complete building the car in my five-car garage at home. I did just about all of the buildup work, including painting (except for the pin striping and some of the upholstery). It was a labor of love to make sure that the fit and finish was just right.

After assembling the car to make sure it all fit together, I took it all apart and sent the parts out to have them chromed and powder coated. I then painted the body in my driveway on trash cans: five layers of primer, four layers of gold base and candy red (from House of Kolor), and five layers of clear coat.

Truth be told, building the ’33 was not without challenges. Especially given the massive Mooneyham 8-71 supercharger. I had some problems with the engine not fitting because of its blower pulleys in the March Performance serpentine belt drive. So I made new motor mounts moving it back 1 1/2 inches.

I also had to make custom headers because of the engine placement. A friend helped me make all stainless steel headers and exhaust all the way to the rear with MagnaFlow mufflers. Other details on the engine include Keith Black pistons, a Competition Specialties hydraulic cam and Quick Fuel Technology 750 cfm carburetors.

I had to hurry to complete the car for the Factory Five event, and it only had 6 miles on it when I ventured out on the highway. It was an exciting day that began a long streak of winning awards. At Huntington Beach, it won the Best ’33, the Editor’s Choice award and Best of Show.

Since that day, the ’33 has won over 50 awards in several categories. But the best recognition to me is being able to say that I built my dream car in my own special way.