As a lifelong hot rodder and restorer of cars, Lanny has acquired an impressive collection of vehicles. Often people ask Lanny, “Which is your favorite car?” His answer is that if there were a fire and he had to choose one car to save, it would be his ‘34 Ford coupe. With an all-steel original body, it was a rare find for a car so old. Although it was already a street rod when he got it and Lanny had told his wife Christine he just wanted to drive it as it was, Lanny soon found himself making improvements. He rebuilt the entire front suspension with disc brakes and then enlisted fellow Roamin Angel Richard Farmer to rebuild the 289 CID engine with a B & M supercharger to give it a little more “oomph.” Richard delivered the meticulously rebuilt engine on Christmas Eve, an appropriate gift for this Santa-red Ford. In fact, Lanny loved the whine of the blower so much when he heard it that he got distracted and ended up in close contact with a tree. Fortunately, the near-irreplaceable grill escaped unscathed. With a little out-of-pocket expense, the ‘34 was soon back on the road and has made a number of trips with other Roamin Angels. But if you see Lanny and Christine barreling down Highway 49 with suitcases and tool boxes strapped on top, consider evacuating. It is his fire car.
Story & photos by Ron C.
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