For the long time reader’s it’s no secret that I’ve been spreading my wings beyond this site with a variety of freelance jobs the last two years. Working with a variety of publications has given me the opportunity to dive pretty deep into scenes I previously sat on the fringe of.
One of which has been the local hot rod community. I’ve had a deep appreciation for hot rods for years, but of late I’ve really fallen in love with the stories behind many of the builds.
If I had to describe the community in a word, I would pick dedication. It’s typical for hot rod builds to stretch into decades before completion. Coming from scenes where people switch cars every two years, it’s pretty wild to meet someone who’s had, or built, the same style of car for almost as long as I’ve been alive.
Rod Authority in particular threw me head first into the hot rod scene and in 2017 they sent me to Norval Ontario to shoot Dave Jolly’s 1938 Lincoln Zephyer.
Dave was a gracious host, and took me through all the nooks and crannies of the car as he explained how he lovingly crafted it from the ground up.
Not being a Zephyr aficionado by any means there were a lot of details I would have missed had Dave not sat me down in his workshop for a hearty chat. Looking through his personal notebook of pictures was one of the most enjoyable things of my summer that year.
From the extended rear quarters, custom tails, single suicide door, immaculate engine bay the overall details are incredible. 
It’s one of the most complete builds I’ve ever seen and a direct result of copious amounts of passion and exceptional vision.
It’s cars like this that really set the bar for quality of execution while reaffirming that with enough time and dedication anything can be accomplished in a humble home garage.
I feel like it’s also worth noting that this car is not a factory convertible car. Dave cut the roof of the car off himself and made the convertible top, himself. I nearly fell off my (well his) chair when he revealed that little tidbit.
Justifiably the car has achieved its fair share of accolades and I think it’s a vehicle that really anyone can appreciate. At least I honestly hope it is. Otherwise I fear the car community might have gone off its rails.
If you want to read a full in depth feature on this car, and see some build photos check out my feature of it over on Rod Authority. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.
