HARD TIME - Chris Miller

Story: George Pich

Photos: Patrick Williams

Chris Miller’s slick new 1932 Ford is state of the art cool!

“In 1987, skateboard in hand, I stood in my childhood neighbourhood and admired a 1964½ Mustang Coupe with a 260 V8 engine. That was my first car,” Chris Miller explained. And inspiration for cars and drag racing came directly from his father, “My dad was a flag starter in the mid 60’s and raised my brother and I to repair our own cars.”

That ’64½ would soon find its way into Miller’s driveway when he retired his skateboard, split the $1,000 price tag with his father and came home with the car. That first car is always special and Chris remembers well the countless hours of chatting with his dad while working on it, not to mention his first drags on Main Street and races with friends. “My first ‘heartbreaks’ were experienced in that car and I never parted with it. I’ve owned multiple cars throughout my life but that Mustang will always be my first love,” he added. Later down the road, Miller would

discover an old-school hot rod interest with his own children when he bought a 1923 T-bucket to work on with them. A 1965 Shelby Cobra and Ford 5-Window Coupe would follow which sent him in the direction of X235 radial racing, no-prep drags, index racing, and most recently racing in the Gasser class with the Coupe. RPM readers may recall the Cobra appearing on the front cover of RPM Mag a while back in a giant 4-wheels-off-the-ground wheelstand, however, two years ago a tragic fire destroyed it and it was at that point that Chris threw himself into the build of the ’32 Ford.

Old? I think not...!

Toot’s Autoworks in Tulsa, OK finished the brand spankin’ new fiberglass body with custom rustic paint work as if it rolled straight out of Alcatraz. Axalta paint & House of Kolor products were used in conjunction with special techniques and additives (which are a trade secret) to create the worn, weathered and rusty appearance.

Is it real, or is it… fiberglass?

The birth of the “Hard Time” Ford began with a Russ Nomore fiberglass body that was brought to maturity as a straight axle gasser by American Gasser in Saginaw, MI. who completed the chassis, suspension, roll cage and motor placement. Keys Fab Shop in Tahlequeh, OK., added custom detail and fabrication work and Toot’s Autoworks in Tulsa, OK finished the look with custom rustic paint work as if it rolled straight out of Alcatraz. Axalta paint & House of Kolor products were used in conjunction with special techniques and additives (which is a trade secret) to create the worn, weathered and rusty appearance.

The square tube main chassis is complemented by a 12-point chromoly 25.4 7.50 NHRA certified roll cage. The front suspension was equipped with a 6” drop straight axle with custom leaf springs, Afco race shocks and a Flaming River Vega style steering box. Out back, a narrowed and braced 9-inch with 40 spline axles, spool and 4.56 gears is suspended by ladder bars with double adjustable Afco coilover shocks and panhard bar. Wheelie bars are necessary to help keep the lightweight prisoner transport grounded off the hit.

Chris Miller wanted to build an A/G gasser straight axle to represent the forgotten heritage of old school racing like his father did while flag starting drag racing back in the day. The Alcatraz theme came from his enjoyment of drag racing and prison rodeos along with the aura of the now defunct facility itself.

The inside story

Inside the Coupe, the ragged theme pretty much ends with a complete carbon fiber dash given the appearance to look old and weathered. Carbon door panels, wheel tubs, floor, steering wheel and parachute handle along with custom gauges and billet shifter take the car’s vibe to a modern high tech level.

Power comes into the mix via a custom Scott Shafiroff

15:1 compression small block Ford. A 9.500 DART block was filled with a Manley 4340

4.100” forged steel crank with 351 SVO mains, Molnar 4340

6.200” power adder H-beam rods with asymmetrical bolts pinned to custom Diamond domed gas ported forged aluminum pistons.

The package works out to a solid 445 cubic inches…not bad for a small block! A Comp solid roller billet camshaft was matched with HIPPO Pro Series roller lifters with high pressure pin oiling. 15-degree 302cc fully CNC ported alumi-

A narrowed and braced 9-inch Ford by Quick Performance is hung by a custom ladder bar rear suspension with panhard bar and double adjustable AFCO coilover shocks.

num heads were studded in place and are equipped with 2.180”/1.600” Titanium valves, PAG springs with titanium retainers and 10 degree locks along with a T&D “Long Arm” 1.80/1.75 shaft rocker system actuated by chromoly 1-piece pushrods. The naturally aspirated mill

is topped by a cast BMP high-rise intake with Holley 4500 series Dominator carburetor gulping ample amounts of VP Q16. Chris chose one of ATI’s built 2-speed Powerglides with 8-inch PTC 30-spline converter to back the potent high-winding high compression small block.

Shafiroff 15:1 compression DART-blocked small block Ford sits between the rails

the ’32. At a roomy 445 inches it is currently running naturally aspirated

A custom Scott

of

Up front a 6-inch drop straight axle was used with custom leaf springs, Afco adjustable shocks and Flaming River Vega steering box.

Inside the Coupe, the ragged theme pretty much ends with a complete carbon fiber dash given the appearance to look old and weathered around. Carbon door panels, wheel tubs, floor, steering wheel and parachute handle are where the worn look

ends, and a billet shifter is mounted at easy-grab height with the battery kill switch next to it.

With just a few runs to date (the car was only recently completed), Hard Time has clocked some mid 5-second eighth-mile hits with more

Chris Miller’s Millertime

Racing 1932

“Hard Time” Ford 5 Window Coupe

Body and Paint: New fiberglass and carbon fiber body airbrushed with Axalta paint & House of Kolor in conjunction with special techniques and additives to create the worn, weathered and rusty appearance.

Wheel openings widened for the big rear tire and stock body lines put back in the body.

Chassis Modifications:

Square tube chassis with 12pt chromoly 25.4 roll cage certified to 7.50 by NHRA.

Suspension:

Front – 6” drop straight axle, Flaming River Vega steering box

Rear – Narrowed braced rear end 9” by Quick Performance, ladder bar rear suspension with pan hard bar. Double adjustable AFCO shocks on all 4 corners.

Engine:

Custom built Scott Shafiroff Motorsports 15:1 compression SBF based, 9.50 DART block, 445 CID. Manley 4340 4.100” forged steel crank w/351 SVO mains, Molnar 4340 6.200” power adder H-beam rods with ARP 2000 asymmetrical bolts, custom Diamond 15:1 gas ported forged aluminum pistons, SSRE/Comp Cams solid roller steel billet camshaft, HIPPO Pro Series Roller lifters with high pressure pin oiling, T&D “Long Arm” 1.80/1.75shaft rocker system, chromoly 1 piece pushrods, SFI approved harmonic balancer.

Cylinder Heads:

New design Brodix 15-degree Head Hunter 302 cc fully CNC ported heads, 2.180”/1.600” titanium valves, PAG racing roller springs with titanium retainers and 10-degree locks, ARP head stud kit with parallel ground washers

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

BMP high rise cast intake with Holley 4500 Dominator carburetor using VP Racing Fuels Q16 Fuel.

Power Adder:

Naturally Aspirated

Transmission:

ATI 2 speed Powerglide with 8” PTC 30 spline converter.

Rear Differential:

Quick Performance 9-inch with 40 spline axles, spool 4.56 gears, billet yoke.

Brakes:

Wilwood drag brakes – drilled rotors

Wheels & Tires:

ET wheels custom cut all four – Rear 15” x 14” 5 window wheels, Front 15 x 4 ½ Gasser spoke.

Mickey Thompson front and back - Rear Tires 32 x 14 x 15”, Front 24 x 4.5 x 15”

Interior:

Complete carbon fibre dash, door panels, wheel tubs, floor, steering wheel and parachute handle. Shifter is an air shifter M&M with battery kill switch mounted next to it. Gauges include Autometer Ultra Lite Oil, Temp, and Tach supporting an MSD 7AL-3 ignition box with dial for timing retard.

Miscellaneous:

Battery is a 16 volt lithium pro light weight.

Lexan windows all the way around.

Simpson platinum seat belts.

Stroud Air parachute with electric button release.

ET & MPH:

Brand new build and have only done private testing. Car was built for 5.80, 6.0 Index and NHRA Heritage A/G Gasser Series. Private testing fastest pass yet is 5.504 @ 128.16 on a light tune.

Special Thanks:

To my pit crew/family; Dusty Miller, Ashlynn Miller, Brittany Miller and Carson Sanders-Hurth and to my inspiration…my father Bob Miller.

American Gasser – Saginaw, MI – Chassis, suspension, roll cage, motor placement.

Russ Nomore Streetrods – Chatham, LA – Fiberglass brand new body.

Keys Fab Shop - Tahlequah, OK – Finish details fab work (chute, shifter, headers, & misc).

Lil’ Toot Auto Art Works (Greg Tuter – Artist) – Tulsa, OK –100% airbrushed body with texture/rust.

Millertime HotRods - Bartlesville, OK – Final assembly twice.

THEWORLDOFEXTREMEHORSEPOWERISACLICKAWAY

The car was built for various Gasser classes along with 5.80 and 6.00 index racing. After just one test day Hard Time clocked 5.50s in the eighth on a mild tune, so there’s little doubt it is capable of tearing off very low fives!

tuning and testing on tap over the coming weeks. When asked why this particular theme, Chris commented; “I wanted to do an A/G gasser straight axle to represent the forgotten heritage of old school racing like my father did. I also like doing the popular prison rodeos with my family, and since the prison rodeo was so popular I com-

bined the two into this race car. We used the Alcatraz theme because it was a closed facility and everything Alcatraz is old, rusty and has an aura of mystery. I love seeing people’s expression when I tell them that this body is not an old survivor but rather a brand new fiberglass/carbon unit that has no metal or rust, it blows their minds!”