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According to the story, GMP, which is located in Winder (as in pitcher-winder?), GA, discovered a relatively unknown hot-rodder named Pork Chop. Working out of Pork Chop’s Chop Shop in Pine Sap, GA, with his pappy, Paw-Paw, they reportedly turned out the “Fastest Chops in the South.” Well, it seems, after a tour of his shop, the good folks at GMP saw a particular chopped ’34 Coupe with a blown Hemi out of a top fuel dragster. They were so impressed, they wanted to add it to their stable of 1:18 hot-rod images. That’s purportedly the honest, gospel truth story, and GMP’s sticking to it. But, to me, it sounds like a story Raffi Minasian, Tom Long, and some of the boys down at GMP would have heard late at night after a few sips of some of the local distilled beverage. Why would I think that? Read on.
As I write this, I have the Pierson Bros. Coupe and Pork Chop’s creation sitting side-by-side. Amazingly enough, both bodies have the same shape! Same nose; same radical rake to the windshield; same belly pan and rear-end shape. Porky and Paw Paw must have been keen historians of the early hot-rod scene. Either that, or they got Bobby Meeker and Tom Backy to come down for a spell to work their magic on the old ’34 coupe they pulled out of the Georgia weeds. Even the interior’s a spot-on replica of the Pierson Bros. Coupe. Ah, but get a load of the honkin’ monster blown Hemi sitting up front. The detail’s so good, it looks like it could turn over! The front wheels look like they were borrowed from the PB Coupe, sans hubcaps—what a coincidence! Even the chromed front suspension members look like the same equipment on the PB Coupe. The rear wheels, however, are a set of extra-wide racing slicks, on slotted, alloy wheels. Instead of the cloth-lined doors and cloth roof insert of the PB Coupe, Porky opted for plain sheet aluminum. The trunk lid and front cowl vent both open, as do the doors (with working handles). All the detailing is up to the GMP standard for 1:18ths—which is to say, way above average.
It sure seems like ole Porky and Paw Paw set out to make a tribute to the Pierson Bros. Coupe, then couldn’t resist dropping that top fuel monster in there to make things interesting. It must have been a pretty sight on the streets of Pine Sap on a Friday night—with two-foot flames shooting out of those eight straight-pipes. Probably cracked a few windows and caused a deputy or two to spill his coffee and donuts all over his lap. I can’t help but wonder, however, what kind of quarter-mile times she could’ve done—or what kind of top-end speed she could have reached—if she managed to hold together with all that torque. Porky’s Chop Shop Coupe will look great next to the Pierson Bros. Coupe, and the So-Cal Coupe, on the display shelf. And, at 119.95, it’s a bargain to boot!
(10/09/2004)
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