The classic designs never go out of fashion, and if done right – they become timeless. That is just one of the reasons for the great success and much deserved accolades received by Galpin Auto Sports for their amazing creation – the “Iron Orchid” build. This fabulous 1934 Ford five-window coupe was a huge sensation at the 2013 Detroit Autorama where it was awarded 1st Place for the Altered Street Rod class and also captured multiple honors including Outstanding Street Rod, Outstanding Engine in the Rod Catagory, Outstanding Undercarriage and Outstanding Use of Color Design.

One look at Iron Orchid tells you that there was a heavy influence of the great custom car designers of the 60‘s. Photos courtesy of Galpin Auto Sports.

Seeing this car in person, we can tell you every single one of these awards is much deserved. “Iron Orchid” is owned by Beau Boeckmann the president of Galpin Auto Sports. Galpin’s Dave Shuten designed this amazing creation and it was built by Dave and his crew at the Galpin Auto Sports shop in North Hills, California. The stunning custom build took about 18 months to complete from start to finish.

The heavy doses of design influence from Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and other early customizing masters found on this wonderfully done build that are unmistakeable. However, the team at Galpin Auto Sports have given those classic design cues a new twist that includes the use of materials and techniques unknown or unobtainable in the earlier era.

The most outstanding of these would have to be the use of acrylic panels used not only for the windows but also replacing strategically chosen metal panels to allow for the unobstructed view of areas not usually visible to observers unless they are crawling around with an inspection mirror.

Iron Orchid’s powertrain stays true to vintage design with a rare Ford 427 side-oiler and top-loader 4-speed trans which was built and prepared by Galpin Classic Auto Service. Kudos go out to the team for keeping the car pure blue oval rather than mixing the manufacturers and parts sourced.

Chrome application was done by Steve Tracy of Advanced Plating. The quality of the work moved legendary auto show veteran “Blackie” Gejeian to call the plating, “…this is some of the greatest chrome I have ever seen.” High praise from a man who has seen a bit of chrome throughout his long-standing car career!

Paint was a product of the amazing talent of Daryl Hollenbeck from Vintage Color Studio. The masterfully applied work seems to instantly transport onlookers back in time to when things were a bit more colorful and imagination was the limit. The design incorporates styles popular to the period, colors that are impossible to ignore and that “hard-candy” finish prevalent to the cars of the 60’s custom era.

Iron Orchid is a testament to the earlier paths blazed by design geniuses. However the inspiration, dedication and craftsmanship of all those involved in this superb custom car can certainly be considered peers with the giants of the past and present. Stay tuned for more!