Vehicle Description
It is no secret that custom, street rod building is an art, and no
easy task to start from the ground up. It takes experience and
expertise to package the right components to create the right
overall presentation once complete. For Cecil Taylor, owner of
Hercules Motor Company based in Tampa, Florida, his skillset also
comes with the precision of wood working. He would create some of
the sharpest Woodie bodies for the 1932, 1934, and 1937 Ford
chassis, creating a solid reputation for high quality results for
show-winning builds. This fact was recognized by the NSRA (National
Street Rod Association) when they choose their Best New Product of
the Year award each year, honoring Hercules Motor Car Company five
times over the past 40 years! Moreover, the NSRA organization has
an annual tradition of giving away a custom car at the esteemed
Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky for over 40 years in a
row. Each of the vehicle builds comes from a proven custom show car
builder, with Cecil Taylor receiving the honor 3 times!
Mr. Taylor's skill at producing these hand-crafted maple wood
bodies is truly amazing, and at the level of expertise that seems
to be a dying artform these days. He designed a Hercules 2-door
version in 1996, and later created an equally sharp 4-door version
in 2015. This allows for far easier entry for passengers, not to
mention creating a more aesthetically correct Woodie from the
period. The lines are incredible, and lack of visible door handles
always gets onlookers scratching their heads. How does one get
inside you ask? He cleverly hid a pushbutton entry release on the
front doors that is invisible to the eye.
We are very proud to offer this custom Hercules built 1933 Ford
Woodie 4-door Wagon finished in beautifully applied Black exterior
over Saddle Tan Leather interior with Beige square weave carpeting!
These bodies are carefully produced by Cecil and his son Greg, with
this one completed in approximately 2016 for its original owner in
Indiana. It utilizes one of the NSRA honored products created
inhouse by Hercules which are the unique all-steel 1933 curved
louvered hood sides. This was a one-year only feature on the
originals, and a nice touch to see on a modern interpretation
today. The front and rear fenders are fiberglass, while the running
boards, cowl, 3-piece hood, and windshield surround are all
steel.
They teamed up with TCI (Total Cost Involved) to utilize their
complete chassis with independent front suspension with chrome
tubular control arms, power 4-wheel Wilwood disc brakes with
polished calipers & drilled/slotted rotors, chrome 4-link rear
suspension, Currie 9" axle with 31-spline axles, adjustable
coil-overs shocks at all four corners, and rack & pinion steering
up front. Under the hood lies a crate 350ci HO V8 that produces
approximately 290 horsepower mated to a TCI-supplied
Turbo-Hydramatic 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission. On the
ground rest polished Budnik 17"/18" staggered aluminum wheels
fitted with 205/45's up front and 255/45's at the rear. The Flaken
Ziex tires were installed in 2021.
Inside, you will find a beautiful layout of Classic Instruments
gauges with harnesses provided through Ron Francis Wiring. An
Ididit tilt steering column provides the driver a modern shifter
and gorgeous 4-spoke wood steering wheel. Twin contoured bench
seats provide plenty of comfort for all passengers. The overall
simplicity of the design compliments the free-spirited feel a
Woodie should promote! The tinted drop-windows are easy to operate
when the weather allows, and Vintage Air's Space Saver EVO system
allows for extra cooling on hot summer days! The hood opens with a
Carolina Customs latch system, and a special feature out back is a
vacuum-powered Retract-A-Plate by D.F. Metalworks so it can
disappear out of sight. Both functions are nice for optimum
presentation at car shows. The balance of features is too long to
list here so we encourage interested parties to contact us with
questions or to schedule a chance to review in person! It is a
unique custom, of which very few have been created! Act
quickly!
