Vehicle Description
Occasionally, everyone in our showroom stops working and gathers
around what we call a true show-stopper - one that makes an
entrance worthy of Elvis himself. This 1940 Ford Deluxe Business
Coupe Restomod is exactly one of those cars - an amazing example of
custom build quality at its finest, and one of those rare instances
where we dare consider calling something a 'Perfect 10'. Featuring
a jaw-dropping two-tone paint job, ultra-luxurious interior, and a
modern LS1 drivetrain working in concert with a custom chassis and
suspension, this '40 Ford is truly one-of-a-kind. A no-holds-barred
professional build that took almost four years to complete, it's
full of amazing details and simply awe-inspiring workmanship,
making it one of the most spectacular cars we've ever
represented.
Nicknamed 'Thumper', this show car is the result of one man's
nostalgia and another man's expert execution. Legends of the
industry, Tech-Ni-Kolor AutoCrafters of IL, were commissioned to
fulfill the dream of recreating an old high-school car for a
friend, but with the addition of a few custom modifications and all
the modern features available at the time of the build. The goal
was to build a show car that could be regularly driven by the
owner, and after a solid donor '40 Ford Business Coupe was located
in a barn, the work immediately began. Top builders and fabricators
from across the country were enlisted in the project, and the
open-checkbook, nut-and-bolt restoration took off from there. The
body was stripped to bare metal and the modifications began,
including the 4-inch extension of the rear fenders and rear panel
to allow the exhaust to exit through, the door hinges were hidden,
the door corners were smoothed and rounded, and all of the trim was
removed. Then, gallon after gallon of high-end PPG Global
basecoat/clearcoat paint was laid down with Toyota's Lexus
Savannah/Sierra Sand up top, Honda's Champagne at the bottom, and
plenty of PPG's Vibrance Prizmatic Flake mixed in. The results
speak for themselves in our pictures, although there's really no
technology in the world that can accurately capture how incredible
this paint looks in person, especially out in the sun. A
microscopic chip or two in very inconspicuous places are the only
indication that this Ford has been driven 6k miles since it was
built, but we'd almost be stretching if we called those demerits.
Bottom line, this finish is still winning you a trophy at almost
every competition. Bright, shiny chrome highlights most of the
Deluxe grille up front, the headlight buckets, and rims, but other
than that little bit of blinging contrast, the two-tone finish does
all the talking. Note the cool airbrush work with inlayed
old-school Louis Vitton-style 'V8' script on the rear panels,
protective rubber on the running boards, and hidden 3rd brake
light. And although you can't see them in our photos, the reverse
lights are actually hidden behind a single layer of paint and
clearcoats. How tricked-out is that?
The ultraleather and suede-lined interior is every bit as dramatic
as the exterior, with all the bespoke soft stuff handmade and
installed by the pros at Twin City Upholstery. Custom-wrapped door
panels and bucket seats (fore and aft) borrowed from a late-model
GTO are all wrapped in beautifully stitched Chocolate Fudge
upholstery, with nary a sign of use to report despite the miles
logged since the build. Polished stainless and chrome accents are
found in subtle places throughout the interior, including those
super-cool 'V8' badges embroidered into the seatbacks, and there
are one-off details that delight the eye everywhere you look - THIS
is what pro-built rods look like. There's not a single piece inside
this car that wasn't tweaked or massaged in some way, including the
custom painted tilt column, the wood-rimmed steering wheel, and
even the Classic Instruments gauges, which were set in a custom
template by DC Street Rods. Cold A/C, power windows/doors/seats,
and a Satellite/AUX compatible stereo are all part of the luxury
package, and a billet shifter was left on the column, just like it
would've been in 1940 for the 1st time. You'll also note the taut
headliner, plush carpets, and the big Business Coupe trunk is
beautifully finished with custom side panels wrapped in matching
ultraleather hides. Wow.
So many showcars are so over-built that they're next to impossible
to drive, but this one carries a stout 5.7L LS1 V8 that's both
powerful and tractable. Street & Performance built the block and
fuel injection system that makes it run like the C5 Corvette from
which it was borrowed, and includes an amazing intake cover and
valve covers that were painted to match the exterior. ARP and
billet hardware is found throughout, and whatever wasn't painted
like the body was covered in chrome or polished stainless. A 4L60E
automatic transmission from a modern Z/28 handles the power, and a
set of ceramic-coated headers snake through the painted frame and
dump into a Flowmaster dual exhaust system that exits through the
rear of the car. And just take a look at that undercarriage, it's
painted just like the top, and it's so clean I'd eat my lunch of
any part of it. Chassis Engineering provided the full custom
suspension that handles like a dream, and power steering and
Wilwood power 4-wheel disc brakes give this '40 great road manners.
Giant Boss 304 chrome wheels complete the look, wearing 235/40/18
front and 255/35/20 rear tires for a classic stance.
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Anything parked next to this amazing '40 just can't compete. Simply
put, it's OUTSTANDING. Call now!
