With time comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes appreciation. Whether it’s your enjoyment of life, a secret family recipe that’s been perfected through generations, or a car that you’ve put your heart and soul into for years, it seems that some things just get better with age. This subtle 1940 Ford Deluxe is a professionally built custom which was restored by its current owner, kept in his private, climate controlled garage and meticulously maintained with his handful of other classics. Not only has he owned and admired the car for years, he’s continuously perfected its performance and appearance to the point that it virtually looks and drives like a modern performance car. Beneath its crowd gathering body you’ll find a powerful ZZ502 crate engine, a stalwart Tremec 5-speed transmission, a custom-built suspension and a whole roster of top notch hardware which mixes the tailored sophistication of an OEM show piece with the crisp contours of original Henry Ford steel. If you’re a discerning enthusiast who’s searching for the perfect custom to show off at your next cruise night AND enjoy on the open road, we’ve got the car for you!

With its clean design and classic good looks, Ford’s 1940 Deluxe series has always been a rare and highly desirable line of cars. And not surprisingly, gearheads, customizers and 70 years’ worth of fans have elevated it to one of hot rodding’s greatest cultural icons. This awesome Ford coupe’s smooth and sinuous fuselage began life as an authentic 1940 Deluxe and, after being tweaked by the same owner for close to 20 years, has been transformed into a smooth driving, fully sorted bootlegger tribute. The car’s build began with the complete tear down of its solid, original body and the addition of a new Bitchin’ Products recessed firewall and transmission tunnel which could accommodate a shine running, 500 cubic inch powertrain. Once that new core was seamlessly integrated, and those panels were massaged to perfection, fresh inner fenders and new running boards were welded up, and everything was baptized in a glossy coat of traditional black lacquer. Today, this sizzling resto-mod is a slick little prohibition rebel which mixes a whole roster of top notch modifications with crisp contours to create a tailored and sophisticated show piece which possesses the best attributes of a classic Appalachian thoroughbred.

There really isn’t much you can do to make an early 40s Ford more attractive. The car’s streamlined styling was a home-run when originally introduced; and today, it’s a stunning example of some of the strongest elements of the highly regarded Art Deco movement. At the front of this razor sharp coupe a flat-topped hood, which reaches high into the air and serves as the main focal point for the car’s front end, rides above a Deluxe grille which flows past a seamless, “V8” branded hood latch into an aftermarket chrome chin. At the sides of that grille, sculpted fenders center pristine, chrome trimmed headlights above a curved chrome bumper that’s complete with polished stainless brackets. And behind that hood, a Mr. 40s electric cowl vent rides in front of Mr. 40s smoked glass that’s cleared by Newport electric wipers and framed by traditional chrome mirrors. At the sides of the car streamlined stainless trim, which runs from the corners of the grille to the sides of the trunk, rides between red traced “Ford Deluxe” emblems, streamlined chrome door handles, custom modified side glass and a simple chrome fuel cap. And at the back of the car, a red “Ford V8” emblem hangs above fresh blue dot tail lights, a second chrome and stainless bracketed bumper, and pristine stainless exhaust tips.

‘Don’t fix what ain’t broke’ might apply to the looks of this awesome Deluxe coupe; but when it comes to the car’s performance, ‘bigger is always better’! Pop the jet black hood and you’ll find a fresh 502 cubic inch, GM Performance Parts ZZ502 crate engine which provides enough mountain conquering torque to leave even the fastest revenuers in the Carolina red clay dust. At the top of that big block, a large Moroso air cleaner funnels wind through a re-usable filter element into a giant Quick Fuel 850 4-barrel carburetor which is outfitted with a custom fuel regulator, polished fuel lines, and a liquid-filled Russell fuel pressure gauge. That massive carburetor sends air/fuel mixture past a one inch plenum plate into a bowtie aluminum intake which feeds eight sequentially fired cylinders that are sparked by a traditional HEI distributor and loomed Mallory Pro wires. At the sides of that intake, finned aluminum Moon valve covers hang Mooneyes breathers above ceramic coated Sanderson shorty headers; and at the front of that intake, a polished Street and Performance serpentine system spins a polished Edelbrock water pump below a polished alternator and a polished Sanden AC compressor. The clean and smoothed engine compartment is relatively sparse aside from polished hood hardware and a special order Griffin 4-core radiator which sits between a polished cowl cover, a polished cap and overflow tank and a high volume, fully adjustable electric pusher fan. And it’s finished in the same mirror-like black as the car’s exterior panels allowing the thoroughly detailed engine, with trick details like clean Haywire wiring, a Holley electric fuel pump, a full set of braided hoses and a complete set of ARP fasteners, to create plenty of trophy winning texture and contrast.

All that muscle isn’t worth the metal its cast from unless you can effectively put it to the ground. Bolted to this Ford’s professionally designed big block, you’ll find a tough Tremec TKO500 5-speed manual transmission that’s outfitted with a Centerforce flywheel, a dual friction clutch and pressure plate, and an aluminum GM bellhousing. That beefy transmission spins a steel driveshaft which is connected to a custom Ford nine inch limited slip rear end that’s complete with a big bearing case, tall 3.70 gears and 28 spline axles. Holding that stellar transmission off the ground is a Heidts Super Ride front suspension which utilizes tubular control arms, chrome coli over shocks, a thick sway bar and manual rack and pinion steering to straighten the curves and flatten the hills. And holding that buff rear end off the ground is a Competition Engineering rear suspension which utilizes traditional leaf spring, CalTracs style traction bars, a second thick sway bar and C3 Corvette shocks to launch like a Carolina Rattlesnake. Above that undercarriage, the car’s stock frame benefits from boxed front and rear sections, crossmember reinforcements and Epoxy paint. And at the center of that undercarriage, a great sounding 2.5 inch ceramic coated exhaust system sends spent gases through an H-pipe crossover to Flowmaster 40 series Delta Flow mufflers. Quick stops come courtesy of a frame mounted brake booster which shoots fluid through stainless lines to Wilwood front discs and C3 Corvette rear drums. And acceleration is a breeze thanks to 15 inch Billet Specialties Vintec Slots which spin 195/65 front and 235/70 rear BF Goodrich rolling stock around polished knock offs. Not a detail was missed on the bottom of this show stopping Deluxe coupe, and the car’s many niceties include a polished Rock Valley fuel tank, a dry cell Optima battery that’s secured in a Mr. 40s battery tray, a complete set of stainless hardware and completely detailed, body-matched drivetrain components.

Open the doors of this killer ’40 Ford and you’ll find a tasteful custom interior that combines the car’s classic styling with supple black naugahyde vinyl which feels nice enough to adorn the furnishings of your living room. Installed by former Carolina Rods guru Harold Pittman, the cockpit centers around a Glide Engineering tilt back seat which is supportive, feels soft enough to take a nap on and features clean, color matched lap belts. At the sides of that seat, custom door panels hang streamlined door handles and window cranks between custom interior side pieces. At the bottom of that seat like-new black carpet, which is protected by color-keyed mats, props a Chevrolet S-10 shifter and its corresponding eight ball shift knob above trick, round foot pedals. And in front of that seat, a stylish and simplistic dash hangs an attractive aluminum gauge panel next to controls for a Vintage Air Monster system, hidden buttons for the car’s accessories, and a Mr. 40s cassette player that’s hooked to both front and rear speakers. In front of the driver, a padded banjo steering wheel sits on an Ididit tilt steering column which hangs billet stalks opposite a VDO knee knocker tach. And behind the cockpit, a custom upholstered trunk hangs a full-size spare tire above enough room to haul a few crates of your family’s best white lightnin’.

Included with the sale of this cool Ford resto-mod is a stack of build receipts and build photos.

Cool and classic this ’40 coupe is a vision in black, and every piece of it is 100% show ready and in immaculate condition. You really can’t ask for a more impressive blend of classic style and modern driving characteristics; and you certainly can’t build anything this nice for the time or money it takes to drive this car out of our RK Motors Charlotte showroom. Step up to something different – this Ford Deluxe is ready to show and go!