Incredible one-of-a-kind build. Multiple show winner, magazine cover car, SEMA display vehicle, etc. Trick front suspension, L98 Chevy power, A/C, power everything, show-quality paint. The ultimate custom that still turns heads today.
The car remains almost entirely steel save for the front fenders and skirts, which are fiberglass. The body was shortened somewhat to turn the 4-door Westchester sedan into a sleeker 2-door coupe/panel truck concept that still maintains near-ideal proportions. Workmanship is impressive throughout, likely because this car was built by a hugely talented guy to incredibly high standards. Show-quality Hugger Orange paint was lathered over the sleek Cord bodywork and it still shines beautifully today with almost no signs of use or age anywhere on it. The folding headlights are fully operational thanks to Mazda Miata mechanisms, the taillights are recessed but still very much like the original Cord pieces, and the spilt rear window remains. Other cool tricks include those pontoon-style front fenders, which were built from two reproduction fiberglass rear fenders from an Auburn speedster, 1939 Ford teardrop fender skirts, and the graphics on the sail panels that say “Cord Hot Rod Div.” From any angle, this car is still a show-stopper.
The interior is suitably sporty and luxurious, offering custom power bucket seats, European-style carpets that were custom trimmed and bound, and warm wood inlays on the door panels and dash. A leather wrapped wheel lives on a tilt steering column and features another Cord insignia on the horn button. Gauges from Auto Meter are centered on the dash, as they were originally, and include all the engine’s vitals, with secondary controls for the Sony AM/FM/CD stereo and Vintage Air A/C system underneath. There’s a surprisingly spacious storage area behind the seats, which includes the battery well and a pass-through to the trunk for especially large objects—odd that such a radical rod could be so practical! The trunk is also nicely finished with a package shelf above a restored and color-matched fuel cell.
For power and reliability, it’s hard to beat a Chevrolet 350 cubic inch V8, especially a L98 from a C4 Corvette. Featuring Tuned Port Injection, electronic ignition, and a serpentine belt drive, it’s a modern powerplant that’s smooth, torquey, and utterly bulletproof. Custom valve covers help it blend in with the Cord’s art deco look. Thanks to OEM fuel injection, it starts easily, idles properly, and just goes about its business with a minimum of fuss. That’s not so common in the custom car world. It’s largely stock, so figure about 250 horsepower and 350 pounds of torque, but this rod is obviously not built to be a tire-smoker. Other cool details include the custom louvered firewall, pneumatic struts for the steel hood, and a giant electric fan to keep things cool. For something so radical to work as well as this car does is something of a miracle.
The suspension and chassis are extremely impressive. Cords were unit-body cars, and the original chassis is in place, albeit heavily modified and adapted to handle a fully independent Jaguar XJ6 front and rear suspension. As a result, ride quality is superb but it also feels remarkably agile on the road. The front suspension in particular is a work of engineering art, as the fenders turn with the wheels but are stationary, so the suspension moves inside without the fenders showing any movement. Impressive! The transmission is a familiar TH350 3-speed automatic and it feeds the Jaguar independent rear end with inboard disc brakes. Everything underneath was color-matched to the car in true hot rod fashion, including the axles, spindles, driveshaft, and even the brake rotors themselves. It shows remarkable attention to detail. Wheels are also stock Jaguar XJ6 aluminum pieces, which fit neatly inside the skirted fenders without clearance issues, and they’re shod in 205/70/15 BFGoodrich radials all around.
This incredible custom Cord is as dramatic on the show field today as the original Cord was in 1937. It looks like something from outer space, pushing boundaries without becoming so radical that it stops being a car. Fully operational, beautifully finished, expertly engineered, and 100% ready to show or cruise, this is one of the biggest bargains in hot rodding we’ve ever seen. Impossible to duplicate at any price, it’s the one-of-a-kind rod you’ve been looking for. Call today!
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Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
