History In a argument with my buddy about custom vs hot rod 40 coupe’s

I’m looking for pictures, hot rod or sled. What’s a good looking 40 coupe and why?


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Absolutely love your 40

 

Stock 40, Doug Rice 39, or El Matador. I'd take any of the 3.

 

Moriarity
SUPER MODERATOR,s 40 is about as good as it gets. A beautiful 40.

 

One nice thing about the '39 to '48 fat-fender Fords is I've always felt it doesn't have to be either/or. These can bridge the gap as long as you don't use skirts or go taildragger stance, or go 'too racy' (i.e. gasser style).

 

Probably the very best contemporary example of being both IMO is 50Fraud's '40 convertible. Undoubtedly a custom, but with its wheels and stance there's also no doubt it's a hot rod.

 

Looks are subjective so the arguments can go on forever. What makes this a good looking '40 is the fact that it is mine!

 

I like stock body 40s (hot rods) I think Henry got it 100% right, no chopped or 3 windows.

 

Well lead sled doesn't have to mean chopped or any other radical body mods. Just low, whitewalls, hubcaps and maybe skirts and a little selective chrome removal and the right trinkets.
a 40 Coupe has to be the hardest car on the planet to chop and get right. I've seen maybe three in the past 60 years that looked right, the rest lacked something in the final product.

These two don't have very many outside mods but look pretty good just with a black paint job and flames.



As far as I know the sedan is still for sale by a friend of mine unless someone stepped up in the past few days. older build, 351 and automatic and an older but decent interior. The car is get in and drive anywhere ready.

 

Here's a shot of @lothiandon1940 's with the black steelies. A clean look.
To answer the op'S question whats a good looking 40 coupe and why: perfectly proportioned body with a proud grill, curvy fenders and a sexy 3/4 view curve like a lady. Though some do, eg American Graffiti, chopping the top isn't commonly done.

 

A local dude drives this '39 all over the country.

@OL 55 does as well. Can't go wrong with Halibrands!

 

^^^^Couple of true long distance runners right there^^^

 

Whenever you build a custom, leave the drip rails.

 

The basic body shape, silhouette, and dimensions are very near perfect as they rolled off the line, IMO. Much easer to foul them up than to improve.
For a hot rod look I like just a bit of big and little tire induced rake, and either steel wheels, beauty rings, and baby moons with BWs, or a 5 spoke similar to American Mags with black walls..
For the custom, I have to go back to the 50's with a shaved deck and hood, twin spotlights, a slight rake to the rear, with just the first 3/4" of the wheel showing below tear drop skirts with the flared lower edge with WW tires. Caddy sombreros on the front WW tires.
Two things that totally turn me off are the quad headlight mods and not running a hood on any Ford newer than a '34 .

 

I saw this one in the classifieds awhile back. This one is just about perfect.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1940-ford-coupe-traditional-hotrod-may-trade.1206363/

 

Probably not a HotRod by any means sporting a stock 59AB, not a custom either, just a little lowered with bigs and littles and F100 brakes...I love it as it is, just a little shine hauler...

 

Mark , you´re absolutly right, but I´m surely glad Jay sold his and was thinking I´d be the right guy, otherwise I wouldn´t have been able to buy one. I guess there´s just a right time to let things go.

 

40 standard Hot Rod

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Not sure what the question or conflict is about, but this is yet another chocolate-vs-vanilla-which-is-better thing. Different strokes for different folks and that doesn't mean one is necessarily "better" than another - it's what appeals to you. There are "a few" images of '40s in the 81st anniversary thread.

There are a bunch of images floating around of Earl Bruce's bought-and-customized-in-late-1939 coupe for you to research for your own edification.

 

Obviously, they can be either.
In general, hot rods lean toward bigger motors built more for go while customs tend to emphasize a bit more bling in the engine room. But the lines between them could be fuzzy because there are plenty of hybrids. Builder/owners will grab what is on hand or available, as long as it works, so it's common to wind up with a functional patchwork instead of a formula.

 

What's the argument?

 

Yep


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filled in quarter windows are stupid looking. Anyone that does that to a 40 shouldnt be allowed to own a 40