I'm not a fan of seeing '40 Coupes get all "body modified" like this, since their proportions were dead on perfect to begin with. That said, there have been a few over the yrs. that were pretty damn cool when done this way and since the car has already been done you kinda owe it to the car to return it to its "glory". I hate to say it but those tailights are sorta growing on me (gulp).
My $.02. I have said for a long time that the car tells you what it wants to be. You just need to listen. Now that you have pix, your car is telling you exactly what it should be. Stick with the theme, and put yourself in the shoes of the guy that built it. Follow his lead. NOBODY today has the balls to chop a 40. You got one, done apparently very well. Just finish the car the way it's going. Round off the bottoms of the fenders, NO running boards, wheels from the 80's, simple interior, maybe a 351 Cleaveland, 4 speed trans, and drive the wheels off. You will never see anything like it at cruise-ins or shows. Good luck, wish I had found it first!
The car evokes some memories of Cushenberry's El Matador though not quite as radical. You might want to seek out some photos of it for inspiration or maybe someone with better computer skills than myself will post some. I guess even die-hard '40 Coupe purists would agree that the El Matador was the high water mark for "radically customized" '40 Ford Coupes.
Sounds like a plan! I agree with whats suggested earlier, skirts, running boards and the obvious rims and tires + lowered... Doug Rice version
I love the Rice '40 (above), and that's probably the way I would head, but your one's original green look has a lot going for it. Chrome reverse rims - absolutely.
I was going to say, "Get the colour right, and this car will be a hit"... then I saw the green photos ... that's the way forward right there. ...
Like the taillights but I am a big fan of running boards too. I like the car and as the gentleman above said " nobody's going to chop a 40 ford now adays" Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I like it too, never did understand why people didn't cut up 40s more as I really don't like them stock. The nice thing about your budget plans are that the car is going to be a blast to drive around, and not an art project that you can't touch. Hopefully it's not all filler and you can turn it around easily. Good luck
This reminds me of these two threads. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50797 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50877 Looks like Diana Lee found her dad's car, though. It's been awhile since she was here.
Thanks Ron, That is exactly what I was looking for. In finished form the car looks absolutely rippin. I have a few projects that are taking precedence but I think that the history of this piece of art are pushing towards reincarnation. Any Idea what was motivating it in the day. I'll have to see what kind of time I have to invest in the next few months. Rest assured that this piece of rolling art, and I use that phrase loosely ( a good friend of mine refers to most amazing mechanical things as " Just a buncha parts" ) will be a complete buncha rubber burnin, oil churnin, metal twistin, gas swillin runnin buncha parts. And every time I break it it'll come back a little bit better.
Looks like a green 40 that showed up at Kevins Hamburgers in Reseda Ca. in the 80s. Was told it was owned by one of the Shielb boys from Earl Shielb painting, only was told. Good luck on the car
Yeah Hollywood Knights ...I hear "CALIFONIA DREAMIMNG" paint it Tony Nancy yellow .watch the movie .......
I like it. The tail lights spoil the lines of the rear fenders but then again a mole on a woman's face was considered sexy (in the fourteenth or was it the fifteenth century?). I'm sure that took some getting used to and in a clench wasn't noticed, like you won't driving down the pike. I had a Forty very similar to this one in high school. It didn't have the chop but was channeled over the frame with no running boards, and sat low as a squashed toad on the road. Painted a luscious turquoise, with only accents of chrome, and no bumpers, it was more rod than custom and the builder or builders had done all they could to make it lean and mean. Needless to say, I have wished a million times I still had it with the same yearning I have for a favorite Teddy Bear I had at age five; something you grow attached to and suffer when life takes it away. It went from Flathead powered to an Oldsmobile and never burped, except when it spit out drive train parts, like transmissions, driveshafts and Woodruff keys in the hubs. You have taken possession of something that does not need changing so much as refining, and are, unbelievably, the caretaker of a very special car. Don't change it radically or it will no longer have 'a history', and if you don't like it as it is, sell it to someone who does and buy what you want. Whatever the case, don't listen to the novices who have no idea what it means to own a real treasure, as the photograph of it in its glory implies; no one in their right mind would whack around a Faberge egg so it was more like a real egg, the whole point being it was meant to look the way it does. What happens to historic cars as a result of someone with an 'idea borders on the criminal. Paint, upholstery, and whatever minor body work it needs and Bob's Your Uncle.
This is such a nice car! There are so few well done chopped forty coupés, so please save this one! An Respect the original build enough to only fix broken. The green color would be so awesome. Is it the same car as the green, or was there 2 almost ideentical forty coupés out there?
That´s a really cool looking Kustom Rod from back in the days. The El Matador vibe is very strong. I´d amp up the sixties look of it with some chrome nerf bars, WW piecrust slicks on the back on chrome steel wheels and you´ll have a fantastic period looking car. The dark green colour is spot on. Love it!
It is the actual car, license plate and all. The body of the car has the same green still on it under that yellow. But the hood and front fenders don't. Maybe it was hit at some time and someone tried to put it back together like it was. The front fenders don't have that bad ass lip around them either. My plans are to throw some laquer on it, put the engine in, wire it up and drive it for a while.
Now you're talking. Be sure to post pictures and report progress as you bring her back. If it were mine I couldn't rest until I had it exactly like it was built and in green. This coming from a guy that absolutely thinks green is the worst color possible for a car. OK for $100 bills..........just NOT a car. This one is telling us it wants go green once again. Frank
Been busy for quite a while with family and many other time consuming pursuits. So havent been around much. I have finished a few small projects on the 40 and am lining up some time to get it finished up. Brakes and steering are finished. Applied a coat of O.G. green with the help of my son, hes loving the project. Picked up a set of Ken's equipment racing rear wheels and halibrand front runners. Installed a new firewall and trans tunnel. Rebuilding the trans and hooking up an vintage sbc. Check out the workmanship on the garnish moldings, cut, weld, chrome. We dont need no grinding we're a welder.. haha Here's a couple of progress pics. If I find the time I'll start a build thread.
I know how much you guys love old racing wheels, so here are the rears. Ken's racing equipment mfg. 15x12
^^^^^^^ Me too! It needs running boards....stroked out Windsor engine.......snotty cam..Torque Thrust rims.....fat tarz! 6sally6
I really like the car but I don't like the mags. Do you think it would look neater with full hubcaps? But I have faith that you will make it look good in the end, no matter what wheel you use.
Go for an early 60's vibe is what the parts on hand are telling me. Those rears were made in the bay area for only a couple of years in the early 60's. They fit perfect in the wheel wells and put 13in of rubber on the ground. I've got an old chevy dz 302 motor with the factory road race cam sitting in the corner. The cross ram would look pretty good topping that off. It's got the potential to handle fairly well once I get things dialed in a bit. It's got much more of a rod feel to it. But stance and wheels are pretty easy to change once it's up and running.
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