Pre-War Custom: Mild or Spicy?

Ryan’s ’38 Ford rebirth post got me thinking about all the possibilities for that iconic car in Keith’s talented hands. Besides switching to a more traditional drivetrain (Flattie? Y-Block?) under the hood, the real question is what changes will be made on the outside? The Cochran coupe is essentially a very mild custom with a wicked stance and heavy de-chroming mainly dictating it’s current style. So where does one go from here with a 1938 Ford? Even in the height of pre-war customs, the ’37 and ’38 Fords polarizing front end design often made them overlooked as a starting point for a custom project car, while the ’35/’36 and ’39/’40 Fords made up the lion’s share of taildraggers back then (the most notable exception would probably be Dick Fowler’s 1938 coupe).

So lets say it’s your ’38 Ford pre-war project- Would you leave the stock sheetmetal and tall roof in place, focusing on a mild custom? Or would you go for a little chop and a grille swap? One custom look I’ve never seen on these particular Fords is a ’38 Zephyr 2-piece grille and headlamps grafted on; Maybe even a whole Zephyr front end swap. I personally think that would look pretty cool to ‘upgrade’ the Ford to a baby Lincoln… What’s your custom flavor for this car? Mild or Spicy?