Jesse James Built a Hemi-Powered Hot Rod for Paul Teutul

Jesse James and Paul Teutul Sr. worked on this gorgeous, East Coast-style Ford Model A coupe currently for sale on eBay.

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Old-School Gearhead TV

In the years before YouTube took over car media, cable television’s Discovery Channel was must-see gearhead TV. Shows like Junkyard Wars, American Hot Rod, and Overhaulin’ featured talented builders creating imaginative and sometimes outrageous vehicles.

Monster Garage and American Chopper were among the genre’s pioneers. In Monster Garage, Jesse James’s team turned cars into wild machines—a PT Cruiser wood chipper, for example, or a pontoon boat made from a school bus.

American Chopper went behind the scenes at Paul Teutul Sr.’s Orange County Choppers motorcycle shop. The place was a pressure cooker where his often dysfunctional crew scrambled to build over-the-top custom bikes.

Outlaw Garage

James moved to Austin, Texas, in the early 2010s and became co-owner of the Austin Speed Shop. His projects were featured in another Discovery show, Jesse James: Outlaw Garage. Two episodes covered the buildup of a Model A for a “mystery client.”

James told the crew:

There’s a good customer of mine, a car guy and a bike guy, who wants a ’50s style hot rod. There’s a distinct style on the East Coast where it sits lower in back, like a tail dragger. I’d like to build him a ’30s Model A in real bitchin’ show car style.

In a dramatic, cliffhanger-style reveal, the guys in the shop learn the mystery customer is Teutul.

Two-Inch Chop

The shop channeled the well-preserved 1930 Model A coupe body over a Z-ed frame to achieve the tail-dragger stance. East Coast rods typically retained their stock roof height, but a two-inch chop enhanced this car’s tidy proportions. The body was then painted in bright white inside and out, as were the frame and engine block.

The Hemi in the car is a 331-cubic-inch Chrysler. It features triple Stromberg 97 carburetors and custom Zoomie headers. A Chrysler 727 automatic transmission sits between the baby Hemi and a ’57 Ford rear end.

A dropped and drilled I-beam axle with custom hairpins makes up the front suspension. Buggy springs and Pete & Jake’s ladder bars suspend the rear. The suspension pieces and many engine and interior components were finished in gleaming chrome.

Glory Build

As the hot rod came together, James said:

This is like a glory build for us. We’re trying to build something that will stand the test of time. Put it in your garage, lock the door, open it 20 years later, and you’re still like, ‘That’s awesome.’

The white and chrome look, accented by wide whitewall tires on chrome wheels, is truly timeless. Teutul loved the finished car. He said:

This car is really cool, man. It’s definitely going to turn heads. It doesn’t matter if you’re a car guy or a bike guy, it comes down to craftsmanship. There’s a lot of craftsmanship here.

Red Hills Rods & Classics in St. George, Utah, listed the hot rod. The seller said:

I have never had a vehicle on my showroom floor that gets attention like this car. It is truly a rolling piece of art, and the opportunity to acquire such a vehicle rarely, if ever, comes around.