Ford & Mercury 1939 - 40 custom & mild custom

The raw materials for a project can come from many sources, especially when dealing with original tin. Sure, we all dream of that perfect barn find, but truth be told, many of us start with something with way less salubrious origins.



One of Terry Wallaces work colleagues knew hed owned a 40 Ford back in the mid-60s, so he told him about a 39 that had been sitting out in the high desert east of San Diego for several years. Of course, to any hot rodder worth his salt, such information is always impossible to ignore, and Terry and his son had to check it out.



According to Terry, The body was rust free and fairly straight, with the exception of a dent in the roof. It had been a Gasser at some point in its life, with radiused rear fenders and a homemade tube front axle with questionable welding. The X-member had been cut out and the firewall set back for some long-removed engine. The hood was cut and a homemade scoop attached. To say it was rough would be an understatement, but we thought it looked great, and when the owner threw a Ford 351 Cleveland in with the deal, we bought it. When I got it home, my wife just about freaked out and told me to keep it covered so the neighbors wouldnt scream about it!



I wanted to build a mild custom but still be able to race it at the antique drags. Dave Chappelle, a friend who builds suspensions, came over to look at the frame and told me it was not salvageable, so I called John Heinzman to order one of his reworked original frames. I ended up buying a newly built chassis with a Heidts IFS and a Ford 9-inch rearend with Traction-Loc and Moser axles. Chappelle air-bagged the car and built a killer four-link that he dared me to break.



With a solid chassis for the coupe, the body was pulled from the original frame at Dallas Pattersons shop to be sent out for media blasting. When we lifted the body off with his forklift, the dent in the roof popped out to leave very little bodywork, Terry says. Dallas fabricated a complete new floor and firewall. The new version was brought back out closer to the original location to allow room for the Vintage Air A/C unit, and the Ford engine didnt require distributor clearance at the rear!



After the new frame and body were united, Terry decided itd look neater with fender skirts covering the radiused rear fenderwells. As the build continued, he located a pair of 40 Ford rear fenders, though still kept the skirts. The door and trunk handles were deep-sixed and the hood was peaked, continuing the mild custom theme, and a Roger Starkeyupholstered Glide seat went in.




Terrys good friend Clark Williams owned a machine shop at the time, and therefore got the nod to build the 351 engine, before partnering it with an AOD trans and bolting it in the coupe, just in time to drive it to the last West Coast Kustoms show in Paso in gray primer. The coupe made the 800-mile round-trip, despite having just 10 miles on the odometer at the start. Terry then drove the car around for almost a year, after a four-year build so far.



Once the coupe was thoroughly shaken down, Terry took it to another friend, Abe Mena, at San Diego Rod & Custom, for it to be finished. He wasnt keen on the aftermarket grilles available, so Mena fabricated a new one from parts of the messed up original, succeeding in making it look almost stock. Benji Tapiz finished the bodywork and painted it black cherry (a color Terrys wife liked), while Starkey redid the seat because he didnt like the way hed done the original three years previously, then upholstered the remainder of the interior, and the running boards, to match.

Well let Terry have the final words: In seven years I went from a car I paid $700 for, to what you see here. As I used friends for most of the build, the cost was much lower than it could have been. So you went slightly over budget then Terry? Hey, who doesnt?

 
Terry Wallace

San Diego, California
1939 Ford coupe


Chassis

A Heinzman Street Rods chassis with Heidts IFS supports the coupe, with a four-link rear suspension and airbags all round by Dave Chappelle. A 15-gallon stainless steel gas tank is mounted in the rear. Up front a Flaming River rack-and-pinion ensures everything goes where Terry points it.


Drivetrain

Machined and assembled by Clark Williams, a 351 Cleveland lives under the hood, now with a Crane cam, a 750-cfm Holley on an Edelbrock intake, Mallory ignition, and March Performance accessory bracketry. A TPI-assembled AOD trans puts power through a San Diego Drivelinebuilt driveshaft, to the Moser-equipped 9-inch rearend.


Wheels & Tires

Coker 6.70-15 wide whitewalls are used at each corner, with 15x7 Ford steels at the rear, and similar-diameter steelies from a late-model front-wheel-drive Ford are up front. All are disguised with Starburst Moon discs.


Body & Paint

Terry readily admits now that if he were to do it again, hed start with an older restoration with all the original parts. However, if that were the case, the grille and bumpers would likely be stock, so were pleased he took the route he did! The doors and trunk have been shaved of their handles, the hood peaked, and custom fender skirts and grille installed. It has 59 Cadillac taillights sitting in custom surrounds. Benji Tapiz laid on the PPG Black Cherry with blue flake.


Interior

Thats a stock steering wheel atop a LimeWorks column, with Haneline gauges in the dash. Roger Starkey tackled the pearl white vinyl upholstery and black carpet, incorporating silver thread. San Diego Rod & Custom used a Painless harness to hook everything up, while a Vintage Air A/C system keeps the occupants cool.



Read more: http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/1302rc_1939_ford_coupe/#ixzz2pK1aD52c

 une ford 40 sectionné et top choppé , mon rêve     

Stéphane tant que je vois que tu es là, des news de ton projet   t'en n'est ou???

  nul part , j'ai rien fait dessus   

Tu l'as redémonté comme prévu ?

 même pas   

This 1941 Ford pickup, known as “Creme De Menthe”, took a little break after the last time it was shown – 50 years to be exact. Yep, the last time Steve McClain’s hauler strutted its stuff was at the Grand National Roadster Show in 1964!

The gleaming, iridescent finish on this Mercury Custom Coupe is unmistakably the work of Rick Dore – it’s his signature. Under the hood is a lusty, 327 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 linked to a 350 Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. “This was Johnny Loper’s Merc,” Dore says. “He owned several custom shops in the Southwest. I built it to be a driver; the new owner can take it cross-country with confidence.”


The project itself was inspired by Nick Matranga’s severely lowered, hardtop ’40 Mercury, which has long been acclaimed as a cult classic. Former Rod & Custom editor Pat Ganahl called it “the most copied custom of all time.” The completed coupe was featured in a few magazines before Matranga sold it in 1952. The next owner totaled the hardtop, and it was lost forever.


Premier custom craftsman Rick Dore, of Glendale, Arizona, has been elected to four Custom Car Halls of Fame and has won countless awards. Dore subtly elaborates on classic themes, enhancing them with his own blend of past and future. With the hindsight of history, and his own inspired vision, Rick Dore has created a tribute to the past that is totally contemporary and perfectly roadworthy. It currently has about 6,800 miles on the odometer.

Starting with a 1940 Mercury, Dore chopped the top four inches in front and six inches in the rear, then reshaped the entire roof, creating a smooth rearward sweep. In front, he elevated the windshield’s height one inch and trimmed the crown of the roof to eliminate the Matranga car’s “lowered eyeshade appearance.” It’s perfect. The chrome sidespear was re-sculpted and seductively shortened for a cleaner profile. The front and rear fenders have been molded; the running boards were trimmed, and the skirts are flush-fitted, with discrete lower edge flares. The bodywork is all metal, as you’d expect on a Rick Dore custom. Inside, inviting front bucket and rear bench seats were trimmed in soft Italian white pearl leather, complemented by a console accented to match the exterior.

This car was auctioned off by RM Auctions in March of 2010 at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida.

300 hp, 327 cu. in. Chevrolet V8, 350 Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, posi-traction rear end, suspension by drop axle in front with air bags at the rear, four-wheel drum brakes.

Source: RM Auctions
Photo Credit: Copyright Darin Schnabel

1939 ford cabriolet full kustom..... this car is history on wheels it is an original 1950s kustom , not a new build made to look like the customs of the good old days , it is the real deal. it has a documented history going back 50 plus years as a kustom , it has been in numerous magazines through out its life ...rod and custom, rodders journal twice, on the cover of speed and chrome, car culture deluxe, and was even in gone in 60 seconds with Nicholas cage.....yes it has a cool history that cannot be built, nothing but time can make a history like this one has.



now the details...it started life as a 1939 ford cabriolet with a rumble seat which it still has some time post world war two its life as a kustom began when it was chopped and channeled and left abandoned, til dave kinnaman found the car and resurrected it and brought it back to life , like I stated earlier it has been chopped and channeled , headlights are frenched very nicely and between those is and ultra rare Packard grill supplied by none other than gene Winfield, the hood has been sectioned to fit the channel job and the door handles were removed and now it has door poppers the rear end of this car is the most amazing piece of art deco styling ever conceived for a car...yes it has real Lincoln zephyr rear fenders actually two sets carefully grafted together to make one left fender and one right.

the rear bumper is a real original ripple bumper that has a 49 Chevrolet bumper guard modified to fit, all this basks in the glow of real glass 1941 studebaker tail lights. the engine is a small block chevy 350 with a turbo 350 transmission that all works and shifts nice ram horn exhaust rumbles nicely through a set of smittys! and the valve covers are vintage offenhauser covers all topped off with a chromed Cadillac air cleaner just for that extra bit of class.

the interior is a very traditional roll and pleat job covering a set of 1958 jaguars seats which are very comfortable for those long nights of cruising around as is the stereo cd player which is mounted in the glove box nicely tucked out of sight to keep the feel of 1955 going.

the dash has the gauges that were in it when I got it, all are vintage stewart warners and all are in working order, I re wired this car myself using a painless wiring kit, and not one wire is noticeable except for a couple under the hood, I hid all of them that I was able to and the rest are installed nice and orderly using the original style cloth wire loom , just so if by chance you do see a wire , one might think it is oem ford.

I also forgot to mention that this car was also featured in a book old school customs as well which features other historic customizers as well, gene Winfield, bo huff, bill hines and Darryl starbird and several other legends.

Predicta a écrit:

Terrible !!   

old radical custom 1940 Ford Pickup that was built back in the early 1960's, it is powered by a Buick Nailhead engine with 3 carbs, automatic transmission and looks like an early Olds or Pontiac rear end. The body is modified with custom tilt frontend with 59 Lincoln style headlights, frenched in antenna, exhaust cutouts in fender to uncap headers, customized rear fenders roll pan and tailgate. The interior has a full custom dash with all Stewart Warner gauges, rare Twin Tach and Moon gas pedal.


Got little more info thanks to the HAMB it was in Car Craft Jan 1964, built by Frank Gels from Lewistown Idaho.

c'est représentatif d'une époque, mais c'est trop torturé pour moi   

Custom Car Craftsman Rick Dore is an icon in the world of custom cars. And this car, one of his breathtaking creations, started life as a 1940 Mercury Coupe. This highly modified steel bodied masterpiece features a 327CI Chevrolet V8 linked to a 350 Turbo- Hydromatic Transmission. From the Italian White Pearl Bucket Seats to its iridescent paint, this car is one of the finest custom cars you can find.

1940 Mercury restyled by Barris Kustoms for Johnny Zaro of Bell, California in 1947. After being discharged from the Navy in 1947, Johnny and his buddy Al Andril decided to buy a pair of 1940 Mercury's to cruise around in. During their conversations about the coupes, they decided to have the tops chopped. They choose Barris Kustoms do perform the task. The brothers convinced them that several other modifications should be done as well. Sam Barris started out rstyling Al's coupe. After nine months it was in primer.[2] Barris needed to do some major damage repair on Johnny's car before the restyling, as Johhnny had crashed the car on his way to the Barris Kustoms shop. The car was nosed, with only a small chrome trim molding left on each hood side. Trunk and door handles were removed, and substituted by electric push-buttons. The fenders were molded to the body with an elegant curve on the rear fenders. The top was chopped 5 1/2 inches, and the body was channeled over the frame. Special taillights were built into the rear bumper guards. The bumpers were 1938 DeSoto ripple bumpers, and the skirts were steel teardrop units. Up front, the Merc was lowered by using a Dago dropped axle. Overall height of the car was 4' 11". Ground clearance was 4 inches in the rear. Single bar Flipper Hubcaps on wide whites and Appleton spots wrapped up the style. Using the lessons learned during the process, on Al's Merc, they were able to complete Johnny's car in six months.


The interior was fitted with heavy plastic dash pieces attached to the chromed panel. Top and side panels were upholstered by Bill Hilborn in a two-tone scheme of padded leatherette that matched the polychromatic maroon exterior paint. The engin was hopped up featuring adding Edelbrock heads and a Weiand Manifold.[3] The car was built almost identical as Johnny's buddy Al Andril's 1940 Mercury. The idea was to create two near identical customs so the two friends could cruise the streets in style and to create quite an impact on the other street cruisers.


Johnny traded away his Merc for John Vara's 1941 Ford. The Merc went trough several owners until Kurt McCormick purchased it. When Kurt bought it, the Merc had been neglected for a long time, and it was in need of a restoration. Over the years, the car had suffered through a series of indignities which included the installation of a Vega grille and a coat of Pepto Bismol pink paint that hid all of the graceful styling done by Barris Kustoms. Kurt was able to confirm that it actually was the real Johnny Zaro Merc. Because of all the modifications, temporary fixes and its advanced state of detoration, Kurt needed to get a donor car in order to restore it back to its former glory. Kurt had Dave Conrad of Kirkwood, Missouri to cosmetically restore it once he found a donor car. The frame was boxed, C'd and a flat rear crossmember was installed. A 10-bolt Chevrolet rear end was attached to the stock transverse spring. Up front, the add-on independent front suspension was replaced with a Merc solid axle, a split wishbone and a transverse leaf spring. Everything was painted for the upcoming completed body. The body was in a rough condition, between the rust and intended mutilation there was very little which had not been touched by the hand of doom. Dave had to massage every piece of sheetmetal on the car before it could be painted. The next task was to find the Titian red color to duplicate the original look. Jack Stirnemann and Harry Stirnemann were able to custom-mix a batch of Sherwin Williams enamel, enabling Dave to cover the Merc in its proper hue. Kurt created the red plastic that would cover the chrome dash and prepared the engine. Skip Berger machined the Small-block Chevy engine chosen to power the Merc. The enigne was painted red and backed up by a Turbo 350 transmission. When all the body, chassis and mechanical work was done, it was delivered to Dave Fissel's Stitch N Fit upholstery shop in St. Peters, Missouri. The original interior was preserved but the quality of the original work was far exceeded. A maroon and ivory rolled vinyl upholstery with a designed front to rear headliner highlighted with contrasting piping. The restoration was finished during the spring of 1998.

Hot Rod Magazine February 1949
Street Rodder September 1999
Trend Book 208 Custom Cars 2012 Annual


http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Johnny_Zaro%27s_1940_Mercury

1940 Ford Custom Convertible!

This 40' Ford Convertible has been Chopped 4"Sectioned 5" and channelled 6" 47 years under construction!

Exterior finished in Tangerine Pearl with Tan leather interior. Tan fabric set on top

Newer chassis and running gear 350 Chevy V8 Automatic transmission Power Steering Hidden CD Stereo Runs and Drives excellent!

Won several awards including Best in Class 2010 Santa Barbara Concours