SP Rides: Going Old School
By Michael Kitchens
Name: Louis Faulkner
Age: 73
Occupation: Independent Product Rep
Hobbies: My car and my house
Year/Make/Model: 1934 Chevrolet Vicki
Color: Blaze Red with blue pinstriping
Engine: 350/300 HP SBC crate engine with 10066036 block 14034808 heads, 4 bolt main, Griffen radiator, Secondary electric fan, Weiland intake, Edelbrock 600 CFM carburetor, HPC coated hugger headers, Flowmaster dual mufflers, HEI distributor, Chrome super torque starter
Billet/chrome: intake, rocker covers, water hose, air cleaner, wire cover, overflow, HEI cover, alternator, pulley fronts, fan, dipstick, AC
Drivetrain: TBH 350 w/shift kit, transmission cooler, 8-inch Ford rear end – 3.55 gears
Exterior: Chopped top, SS grille, Metal hood and grille housing, Electric door openers, Manual “emergency” door opener, Under car neon lighting, Electric windshield wiper, Third brake light, ’34 chrome 10-inch headlights
Interior: Vintage AC, billet outlets, Custom tan interior by Ron Lytle, Lokar floor mounted shifter, Emergency brake, Dakota digital dash w/speedometer, RPM, oil pressure, temperature, voltage, fuel level, turn indicators, highlight indicator, Lacarra steering wheel, Pioneer radio/CD
Seat belts front and rear, Adjustable Honda Prelude bucket seats, bench rear, Self cancelling turn signals, Safety windshield, Tinted glass all around, Electric windows
Suspension: Custom chassis by Taylor, Heidts dropped spindles, Mustang II front end, Shock/coil front, Borgeson joints, Triangulated rear 4 bar, Adjustable QA1 coilover rear
Wheels, Brakes: Billet Specialties Wheels (17 inches front, 18 inches back) w/o valve stems, Wilwood disc all four, Dual master cylinder, Proportioning valve
One of the great joys of this gig is meeting people who are still very much into the cars they first experienced as teenagers. Louis Faulkner is such a person. Now a spry 73 years of age, Louis has a sense of history about him.
First introduced to the automobile scene while building scale models, Louis grew up with cars such as the ’32 Ford and the ’53 Chevy when having a ride was your link to the outside world. Back then, there weren’t cell phones to keep in touch with your pals. You had to have the freedom to move and cars were the link to doing that.
Time has come full circle for Louis, who is now the proud owner of this 1934 Chevrolet Vicki, an absolute head-turner everywhere it goes. “While sitting downtown, I had a Japanese lady come out of nowhere and ask if she could shoot the car for her magazine,” says Louis.
Larry Davis from Reliable Rod Shop in Washington assembled the car from ground up, and no expense was spared. The absolutely gorgeous exterior is swathed in several coats of Blaze Red with detailed blue pin-striping — a wonderful complement to the brilliant shiny bits such as the chrome SS grill and stunning 1934 10-inch chrome headlights. The body has had its top chopped and features modern comforts such as electric door openers, under car neon lighting and electric wipers.
Weighing in around 2,300 pounds, this car is no slouch with a 300HP 350-crate engine. Reliable as it comes, the engine features a Griffen radiator, Weiland intake and an Edelbrock 600 CFM carburetor. HPC coated hugger headers tuck down and flow out to an exhaust featuring Flowmaster dual mufflers. Opening up the engine bay was practically a revelation thanks to the expansive list of billet/chrome components.
Underneath the charmed exterior sits even more goodness. The transmission is a TBH 350 with shift kit mated with a transmission cooler for a sense of reliability. The front and rear end along with the suspension has been modified appropriately and features a custom chassis fitted with Heidts dropped spindles, a Mustang II front end and Borgeson joints. The 8-inch Ford rear end has 3.55 gears and the rear is fitted with triangulated rear 4 bar. Even the brakes are modern heavy duty with Wilwood discs and brakes. Billet Specialties Wheels are on all four corners — 17 inches in the front, 18 inches in the back.
Even the interior has had the full monty with a custom interior designed by Ron Lytle. There’s also a ton of billet components and digital gauges such as the speedometer, RPM, oil pressure, temperature and more decked out in red characters. A Lacarra steering provides the control while a Pioneer deck provides the sounds.
This car is simply a stunner and Louis intends to keep cruising and enjoying his ride. “If you’re an old school car guy, you always like this kinda of car. Enjoy it while you can,” he says.
