After waiting more than 40 years I am at long last in a position to think seriously about launching my dream of building a rod. First, a little bit of background. In grade school and high school I was a total car fanatic. In college I discoverd sports cars and owned a series of Triumphs, a big Healey and a Fiat Spyder over the years. Always did all of my own maintenance and as a result I am comfortable getting my hands dirty and I know more about Lucas ignition systems than I need to.

I'm thinking about a 32 or possibly 34 coupe, using a repop frame, glass body and small block chevy, IFS with ladder bars and coil overs in the rear. I like the look of chopped and channeled cars and am thinking about a 2.5" chop and a moderate channel of 3". Nothing too original there, but I do plan on doing the majority of the work myself. Once it's finished I plan to drive it. Part of the long range goal is to eventually drive it from NC, where I now live to Irvine, CA where I lived in the 80's.

Now here's my questrion for those of you who have built similar cars. If I pay attention to seat design and placement will it be reasonably comfortable on the road for extended periods of time? Or should I forget the 3" channel? What can I expect in terms of overall handling as compared to say, a Triumph TR6 or similar sports car? Thanks!