Projects Tony Miller's Custom 40 Ford Convertible

I know that opinions are like belly buttons, but I like the car at the new, higher stance and hope Tony will decide to keep it with the whitewalls centered in the wheel openings as it is now. Somehow it appeals more closely to my sense of symetry. Nice car, Tony!

 

The higher, wheel-centric stance has always been the plan:

The lower stance seen at Santa Maria came about when Don replaced the mockup struts with real springs, and things settled a little lower than intended:

It looks OK in the lower position, but it's a little more Outlaw than my intended image for the car. You understand what I'm after.

 

These threads, with detail pictures of over the top, risk taking maneuvers are much appreciated. Awe inspiring, yet informative instruction is often hard to pull off. Thank you Don for the details here. I know I have not paid you for anything, but the tutoring may very well stick. This car is stellar.

 

So what colour it will be painted? The last photo with 'grey' 'finish' shows that You had good eye. Have You decided yet, or i missed that?

 

My current choice is a medium value metallic blue, but I have changed my mind on that subject many times. I think I'll be as surprised as everyone else when it's finally painted.

 

Looks cool Tony

 

Tony........project looks awesome & sure you're enjoying a "conjugal visit" with it......as to final paint color/choice and having seen several of your current rides, I have faith that you will make the right decision......and make us all more envious !!!!!

 

I don't have any new pictures to share, but there have been some developments. Don has made some minor tweaks to the chassis and engine tune, and revised the angle of the steering column at the floor. He was planning to take the body off again and complete the detailing of the chassis, but a new development has revised our plans.

The GNRS in January will have a special exhibit commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the '40 Ford. I've been invited to show my car in the exhibit, even though it will still be in primer, and lacking interior and top. Don has turned his attention to refining the bodywork and prepping it for a new coat of primer, and he'll hang the side trim and plated parts to add a little bling.

Soooo, it'll get one more exposure in unfinished form, but pimped out a little for its indoor show debut.

 

How KOOL! I've also been invited to bring my '40 from Maryland for the same exhibit. It will be good to meet up with you and our '40's with Merc grilles.

 

Tony. I hope to be there drooling on it...........

 

View attachment 2775782 Great! I've been wanting to see your car "in person" since you began its transformation. Also, Irish, I had yours parked outside my Wendover motel door every day a few years ago.
As a '40 owner myself, I'm really looking forward to this exhibit.

 

Irishjrs blue coupe is dropdead beautiful!

 

love the lowered stance.. makes it look more custom..

 

Good excuse as any to fly out for that show!

 

The car is just awesome as is. I can only imagine how it will look painted etc. Great vision and execution. Thanks for helping me get reacquainted with this thread. tim

 

Bodywork is done, and it's back in red oxide, which IMO suits the car a lot better than the grey did. There's still assembly to be done to get its jewelry in place, and I think it will take a place of pride even among a flock of finished Forties. Photos later.

 

Cluster looks good in there. Just got the nailhead fired in my 40 pickup project with the same cluster.

 

I'm really pleased with the looks of the whole dash. Thanks for devising that cluster!

 

See this beautiful 40 and 39 more in one bldg. at the GNRS in January.

 

You may recall that my car has a faux '40 Merc grille that Don made from scratch. It's one of the features of the car of which he is proudest, and I am ecstatic about how it turned out. I spent a while debating whether to follow the Merc design for the space in between the two grilles, or not; on a stock '40 Merc, there's a bright trim strip that runs up between the grilles and into a raised ornament on the nose, which ends about a foot back on the hood.A '40 Ford has a stainless trim strip running the entire length of the hood, disguising the joint between the hood halves, and running down to the top of the grille. Mine is still a 2-piece hood, so the trim strip serves a useful purpose. I decided to keep the trip strip on the top (although I'm using the simpler '39 trim, rather than the fluted '40 stainless), to terminate it in a bullnose, and to add a subtle peak to the nose and the grille divider. Voila:

Subtle peak: check. Now we need a bullnose. Both Ford and Merc have a raised ornament on the nose, a little like the keel and rudder of an inverted boat, and I liked that general idea. Starting from the profile of a '40 Standard ornament --

-- I drew a new one that just stops after turning downward on the nose. It didn't work to modify any of the stock Ford or Merc hardware -- those are all diecast pot metal, and not suitable for modification -- so I asked Don if he could carve one from aluminum as he did the eyebrows over the grill halves. He set to work:

Well, that seemed a bit much, so additional whittling ensued:







Bullnose: check! Ain't that purty? Regrettably, there's still a bit of hood seam that now has to be filled, but Don says he's not afraid of that.

I think the ornament has turned out very nicely.

 

Very nice! I had a friend build a set of the trunk spears for a 50's Corvette out of stainless. Thay don't reproduce those.

 

Neat! It just takes chunk of aluminum and a skilled craftsman to file away all that doesnt look like a bullnose.

 

Haha the first time I opened this thread only the first picture in your last set showed up and I was wondering what the hell you were talking about. Now that the rest have appeared nice job!

 

Can Don even see what in the hell he's doin' with all that cigar smoke in his eyes?
Lookin' good Tony (and Don). Can't wait to see it in person at the GNRS!

 

Nice
Look forward to seeing you over the next few weeks, Cable, GNRS.

 

Very nice indeed. What a car you have underway.

 

Tony.......as my oldest grandson would say " That is SWEET "......your eye for detail and attending execution is simply amazing.......the car will definitely "have a place of pride" @ GNRS with all the finished one's........

 

It just keeps getting better Tony. Beautiful!

 

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Loooooooking good