Hard Candy: Modern Custom '39 Ford

By Scott Parkhurst
Photos By Rich Chenet

The flowing lines of the late-'30s/early '40s Fords have been appreciated by enthusiasts since they were new.

Now, some fifty-plus years later, the stylish curves of the pre-war Fords are still being personalized, but always with respect to the original design.

NSMC Member J.W. Williams is a body shop owner by trade, and his Melbourne, FL shop (Mike's Auto Body) has provided him a good living and the chance to build some great cars of his own. He's always been a big fan of Ford products, particularly Mustangs. He found a '69 "R" Coupe with the 428 Super Cobra Jet, which was 100% original. He told us "Ford only delivered six of these cars, and mine was the only known survivor. I showed that car all over the United States, and won many trophies over 15 years. I also owned a beautiful, original '70 Boss 429 Mustang, which I restored and also enjoyed showing."

With the car guy bug turning his blood Ford blue, J.W. chose to expand his well-heeled tastes into hot rods. A bit of inspiration from a friend was all it took.

"One day I was over at a friend's house looking at his hot rods....and he had many in his collection. I got the bug for a hot rod and my wife, Ginger, encouraged me to go for it. I asked my friend to help me find a '40 Ford Coupe, because I've always liked the looks of them.

I didn't have any luck finding the '40 coupe I wanted, but my friend, Gary Moore (who is also an avid hot rodder) told me about a '39 two-door sedan that was for sale. That's how it all started!"

J.W. bought the car and hauled it back to the shop and let it sit for awhile as the plan for his first hot rod began to formulate in his mind. He then had the opportunity to hire Todd Hare, a local body man who had a well known reputation for great ideas and precise work in building rods.

"When he came to work for me, I surprised him with this '39 Ford I had sitting in the back of the shop. I told him to give me some ideas, and let's get it built. He did just that! The one thing I insisted on was that we put a new-style Ford DOHC 32-valve Cobra modular V-8 engine in the '39 Ford. I bought a wrecked Cobra Mustang and pirated many parts from it, including the engine, transmission, gauges, rear seat, and stereo speaker system."

With a solid game plan formed, the car began to take shape. The actual build required a full three and a half years of effort, and some genuine customizing skills. Fitting the wide four-cam engine in the space once occupied by a valve-in-block Flathead would require some body mods. Apparently, once Todd started making body mods, he had trouble stopping.

The sedan's side posts (B-pillars) were removed to make the car a hardtop, and the roof was chopped 2.5-inches and the windsheild was laid back to fit the new profile. The hood was sectioned 3.5 inches in the front and 2.5 inches in the rear. The body was sectioned 2.5 inches and also channeled over the frame 2.5 inches. The original frame was then kicked up in the front and Z'd in the rear, adding up to another 7.5 inches of total height reduction.

The rear fenders were both widened and lengthened to maintain poroprtion with the new low profile. The front fenders were fitted with Mercedes-Benz headlights and driving lights, which offer a modern look but almost look like "Frenched" units from back in the '50s. All the fenders wheel openings were enlarged to accommodate the proportions of a modern wheel and tire package

The car is powered by the previously-mentioned '97-era Mustang Cobra dual-overhead cam 4.6 liter engine. The powerplant has been polished, plated, and powdercoated to an amazing shine, but remains as the factory intended internally. This gives J.W. a modern level of power and reliability, but still has jaw-dropping abilities when the hood is lifted.

The tasteful interior work has a story of its own, but it's a story we all know. It starts with "If you want something done right..."

We'll let J.W. tell it in his own words.

"Originally, we tried to have the seats upholstered at two different shops, but we were dissatified with the work. Todd decided to tackle it himself! He hand formed the dash and console out of metal, then covered them in leather with mahogany inserts. The interior panels are formed aluminum, which were also covered with leather."

The gauges were also pirated from the Mustang Cobra, the steering wheel is a Grant banjo unit, and the front seats are originally from a Mazda. The rear seats are the fold-down units from the well-scavenged Mustang.

The stereo system boasts Kenwood components, and the A/C is by Southern Air. All of the windows are now electric, and Todd worked hard to ensure the back windows operate like Henry Ford made them to fit the car.

The stunning paint job was done by Scott Davis at Mike's Auto Body. He used House of Kolor Candy Brandywine paint, and it's obvious from the photos how well it came out. Charlie Butterfield (Melbourne,FL) did most of the wiring work on the car.

This car stands as a testament to the skills of Todd Hare and the vision J.W. Williams had for his first hot rod project. By starting with a good car, and working with good people, he was rewarded with a fine example of a modern custom. There's no mistaking it as a '39 Ford, and there's no mistaking its tasteful design mods and outstanding workmanship.

Note: SuperMotors has a business affiliation with Street Thunder Magazine, which provides street rod and automotive content to SuperMotors.

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