Kustomrama has always been the place to go for hot rod history on the web, and we’re here to share the story of yet another swell custom car from the golden age of hot rodding. In this case, it’s the 1934 Ford owned by Marty Ribits dubbed “Golden Nugget.”

The Ford at the 1955 Rotunda Custom Car Show. Photo: fordimages.com

The story goes that Ribits first bought the car back in 1952. The Ford had seen better days, but that didn’t discourage its youthful new owner from taking it on as his personal project. Ribits took on the help from Bill “Leadslinger” Hines, and together the men came up with the design that would pay homage to ideas both modern and classic.

Hines’ task had him channeling the ’34 6-inches over the frame, which also called for the grille to be sectioned six inches as well. Custom rocker panels were installed to mask the effects of channeling, while the rear tail panel was cut by 3.5-inches as the fenders were raised by the same amount.

Taillights from a 1950 Hudson were mounted to lend some new style to the car. Up front, a 286ci Mercury Flathead V8 was installed to lend a decent dose of horsepower to the finished rig, which made its way to the Rotunda Custom Car Show in Dearborn in 1955, sporting a sleek burgundy color exterior and black-white interior.

In addition to the engine swap, the car was also given a custom diamond tuck interior in 1956.

The following year, the car underwent more changes. Ribits swapped out the Flathead for a 322ci Buick Nailhead V8 and the paint was switched to a more fitting golden hue, giving it its handle of “Golden Nugget” in the hot rod scene. Decades after these alterations, the car was restored by Larry Jordan in 2004 before being presented in its final state at the 2005 Detroit Autorama, to a great deal of acclaim and admiration from showgoers.

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The Golden Nugget as it appears today.