Photo: Mecum
They say the devil is in the details, and that even applies to custom cars. For collectors, a worthy buy doesn't come down solely to the bodywork, underpinnings, and engine, but also features a lot of little details that make it even more special. And when it comes to this 1940 Ford, there are plenty of devils around.
Part of the last production year of a model that was introduced in 1938, this car underwent a while back a restoration and upgrade process that ended with it looking and behaving unlike anything the Blue Oval carmaker imagined in the pre-war years.
The car is an older presence on the public scene, having been featured back in 2012 in the Street Scene Magazine. Three years before that, it snatched a place in the final of The Great 8: 2009 Ridler Awards. Even so, is remains as fresh as it always was, and that's what the current owner is betting on as they're trying to sell it during the Mecum auction taking place in Kissimmee, Florida, in mid-January.
The visual impact of the ride is ensured by the custom Candy Orange pain splashed over the all-steel bodywork. The metal is no longer in its original form, as a series of other changes have been made to allow it to look apart – the little details I mentioned at the beginning of this piece.
What does that mean? Well, consider the fact that the roof was chopped, the hood was pancaked, the front and rear windows are one-piece, and, the cherry on the cake, headlights from a MINI Cooper were installed.
Unseen to the eye, the suspension system was built around Heidts Mustang II gear at the front, and is backed by an air ride system. Disc brakes with polished rotors and calipers are installed on all four wheels, ensuring enough power to keep the powerful engine in check.
The powerplant is a 383ci stroker unit that runs a Turbo 400 transmission and a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear end. It cranks out a respectable 445 horsepower and breathes out a polished stainless steel exhaust setup with side pipes.
On the interior the Ford is as flashy as it is on the outside, with cream leather dressing pretty much all the elements. A well-deserved break from that color comes in the form of a milled billet aluminum gauge cluster, and a high-tech instrument panel that supports a 3,700 watt Kenwood stereo system that runs CDs and DVDs. Why, there is even a TV installed in there.
We don't have any details on how many times the 1940 Ford sold before now, but in January it is going under the hammer as a star of the auction, with an undisclosed reserve.
The car is an older presence on the public scene, having been featured back in 2012 in the Street Scene Magazine. Three years before that, it snatched a place in the final of The Great 8: 2009 Ridler Awards. Even so, is remains as fresh as it always was, and that's what the current owner is betting on as they're trying to sell it during the Mecum auction taking place in Kissimmee, Florida, in mid-January.
The visual impact of the ride is ensured by the custom Candy Orange pain splashed over the all-steel bodywork. The metal is no longer in its original form, as a series of other changes have been made to allow it to look apart – the little details I mentioned at the beginning of this piece.
What does that mean? Well, consider the fact that the roof was chopped, the hood was pancaked, the front and rear windows are one-piece, and, the cherry on the cake, headlights from a MINI Cooper were installed.
Unseen to the eye, the suspension system was built around Heidts Mustang II gear at the front, and is backed by an air ride system. Disc brakes with polished rotors and calipers are installed on all four wheels, ensuring enough power to keep the powerful engine in check.
The powerplant is a 383ci stroker unit that runs a Turbo 400 transmission and a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear end. It cranks out a respectable 445 horsepower and breathes out a polished stainless steel exhaust setup with side pipes.
On the interior the Ford is as flashy as it is on the outside, with cream leather dressing pretty much all the elements. A well-deserved break from that color comes in the form of a milled billet aluminum gauge cluster, and a high-tech instrument panel that supports a 3,700 watt Kenwood stereo system that runs CDs and DVDs. Why, there is even a TV installed in there.
We don't have any details on how many times the 1940 Ford sold before now, but in January it is going under the hammer as a star of the auction, with an undisclosed reserve.
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