Vehicle Description
1951 Ford Victoria by Strange Motion. Multiple award winner and magazine cover car. 460 Ford, C6 transmission, Air Ride, A/C. Stunning custom black and caramel leather interior. Fully sorted and ready to show and enjoy.
If you’re into hot rodding even a little bit, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Tim and Carrie Strange, the husband and wife team that has churned out more than a few amazing magazine cover cars in the past few years. With innovative styling, top-notch craftsmanship, and flat-out functional engineering, their cars are rolling art that is made to be driven. Forget trailer queens and cars that look spectacular but drive poorly, this ’51 Ford is most certainly a runner.
The body is a fairly rare 1951 Ford Victoria coupe, and for the most part, the shape and details were left as the factory intended. Modifications include the reshaped headlight openings, which now house Jeep Liberty headlight assemblies, the lowered rear wheelhouse opening, and the molded-in bumpers front and rear. And because the original Ford “bulletnose” grille was so iconic, the two-bullet ’51 piece was replaced with an authentic ’49 piece.
The black over copper color scheme is accented by a bright green ribbon of trim that flows around the body in a non-linear fashion, with breaks on the doors and trunk lid. Look a little closer, and you’ll see that the green stripe has been artfully textured, and as one of the hallmarks of a first-rate rod, the details continue into the doorjambs. The final finish was color sanded and buffed, and today the car quite literally glows in the sunlight—sadly, our photos cannot do it justice.
The custom-made bucket seats were covered in caramel and black leather that is supple and smooth, while the foam underneath makes the seats all-day comfortable. The dashboard was heavily reworked, moving the gauges from in front of the driver to a centrally-mounted pod that holds an Autometer speedometer and tach, as well as indicator lights for things like the turn signals and high-beams. Auxiliary gauges are mounted in their own pod down low by the custom-made center console, along with the powerful entertainment system and Hot Rod Air climate controls. Two gauges farther back indicate the Air Ride suspension system’s status, along with the power window switches.
The engine is a 460 cubic inch Ford big block from Auto Ron’s. It has been built with a balanced and polished crankshaft and rods, Speed Pro forged aluminum pistons and rings, and a Comp Cams valve train. Up top, a 750 CFM 4-barrel carburetor feeds an Edelbrock intake, and it has all been artfully hidden under a fabricated steel shroud that contains an integral air filter and inhales cold, clean air from ahead of the radiator shroud. A TCI-modified Ford C6 automatic transmission feeds a 3.50-geared 9-inch with limited slip.
Using more than 150 feet of 1-inch tubing, the original frame was heavily reinforced and modified for use with this low-flying cruiser, then painted to match the copper body. Up front, a fully independent front suspension was installed and an Air Ride ShockWave system has been fitted to all four corners. Rolling stock consists of 20-inch front and 22-inch rear Colorado Custom billet wheels. The car tracks like a cruise missile on the road and hammers down the highway effortlessly at 80 MPH.
So if you’ve always dreamed of owning a pro-built car, here’s a chance to pick one up for a fraction of the construction cost. With about 1500 miles since it was completed, it is fully sorted and 100% reliable, with all systems functioning as they should.
For more information and 50 photos of this incredible custom, please visit www.VintageMotorCarsOhio.com.
