National Award Winning Outlaw Coupe LS3 515 HP

These days, when you can build an entire car from a catalog, you need some way to separate your custom from the pack. And with that in mind, the very best street rods are those built around a unifying design that's more unique than your average pile of parts assembled in someone's garage. This pro-built 1933 Ford 3-window coupe's unifying theme is 'high tech'. And from its super sanitary Mercedes-Benz paint to its restrained brightwork and clean leather interior, the car is a stately and refreshing counter to the hobby's current retro-fueled craze. If you're looking for a killer street rod that's guaranteed to make the judges weak in the knees, this award winning Ford is your ticket!

The first thing you'll notice is that bright silver paint; what a refreshing change from the sea of black, red and yellow Fords that seem to be hiding in everyone's garage. Don't get me wrong, traditional colors work just fine. But sometimes when you want to stand out in a crowd, subtlety is the best way to do it. The car's Outlaw 3-window body is some of the best composite tech in the industry, with excellent panel fit and beefy construction that lets you drive down the road with confidence. But that ripple-free body wasn't used exactly as it came out of the box as extensive modifications were always a part of this Ford's future. The car's rear fenders were shortened 5.5 inches and aligned at the sides of a flip-up license plate holder and a custom rear pan that specifically showcases a trick independent suspension. Four inch wheel tubs were installed at the sides of that suspension to leave a little extra room for those beefy rear tires. Up front, a Rootlieb hood was bolted in place using a Hagan double hood latch assembly. And then, everything was beautifully prepped and expertly finished before even one drop of PPG Mercedes Silver urethane was sprayed. Once that urethane cured, the entire car was color-sanded and buffed to an incredible shine. And honestly, I just wished the exterior of my car looked half as good as the bottom of this Outlaw!

Of course, subtle doesn't necessarily mean you need to skimp on the eye candy and detailing. Dressing up the front of the car is a Jim Rench custom grille insert, and Jesse Greening supplied the headlights and taillights. An exceptional detail you might not notice ordinarily is that the trim rings on those headlights and taillights are billet and threaded to screw into place, leaving a clean surface with no clips or fasteners visible. And looking closer, you'll also find that every nut and bolt on the car is a polished stainless steel 12-point.

For motivation, this build continued with the high-tech theme, using a 2009 LS376 Corvette crate engine that's rated at a whopping 515 horsepower. Using individual ignition coils on each cylinder, just like the new cars do, it starts, idles, and runs like a factory-built piece (which, of course, it is). Instead of hiding the ignition coils under some kind of fiberglass cover, the builders instead went the other direction and highlighted the feature with trick custom-built screens that clean up the engine bay without obscuring the mechanicals. Again, too cool and completely modern; innovation is not dead! Look around the highly detailed engine bay and you'll also find a Billet Specialties serpentine system, a custom air breather box by Jesse Greening, a polished oil pan, and a lot more of that PPG Mercedes Silver. Exhaust is handled by a set of gorgeous Sanderson headers dumping into a polished stainless steel exhaust system that's finished with Magnaflow mufflers. And everything in here is either polished or painted silver, forming a world class engine bay that has already won a ton of awards.

Naturally, the car's chassis is just as nice. I already mentioned that the bottom of the car has been wet-sanded and polished like the top, and that the exhaust system is 100% polished stainless steel with cool NASCAR-style tips dumping in front of the rear wheels; but there's so much more to see. The transmission is a 700 R4 4-speed automatic, which cruises easily but snaps off race-quality shifts when your foot is buried in the floor. Up front, there's a Kugel independent suspension featuring coil-over shocks and polished tubular stainless control arms. Out back, the frame was narrowed 4 inches on each side to house a matching Kugel independent rear setup that includes inboard disc brakes. No wonder they modified the rear pan to show it off! All the brake lines, driveshaft, half shafts, third member, coil-overs and suspension components have been highly polished to glitter-like jewel status. There are 3.73 gears in the pumpkin, which are an excellent choice when you have an overdrive transmission to cruise the highways. Wheels are Billet Specialty Legacy IIs measuring 17x6 up front and a massive 20x12 out back. Tires are BF Goodrich performance radials, 195/60/17 in front and 295/40/20 in back to create a traditional "big-n-little" combination with a 21st century spin.

Inside you'll find one of the most gorgeous interiors I've ever seen in any car, not even Rolls-Royce is crafting passenger spaces like this. Chuck Hanna Interiors of Mooresville, NC is credited with the work, and it's a deep saddle colored leather on all surfaces, with different textures and finishes to create highlights and interest. The door panels have been embossed and feature three polished pieces designed to mimic those on the screens in the engine bay. The seats are incredibly comfortable buckets that show zero wear, and the console was custom fabricated to be unobtrusive, yet functional. Matching the high-tech look is a brushed aluminum finish on the dash and console. Gauges are Auto Meter Ultra-Lites, while Vintage Air supplied the A/C system, vents and controls. Of course, power windows, power locks, and remote door openers are standard equipment in a car of this caliber. There's a Lokar shifter, a tilt steering column and a Billet Specialties steering wheel wrapped in matching dark saddle leather. Overhead, the custom-made headliner integrates a consolette that mounts the Alpine CD stereo system, and again, the three metal trim pieces -- are you sensing a theme yet? Good, because it continues in the fully upholstered trunk, which features several storage compartments, more of that metal trim, and a subtle Ford badge.

As you might imagine this Ford's documentation is extensive, allowing the car's new owner to know every aspect of their ride inside and out. The sale includes all the books, manuals, and instructions that came with the car's components. There's a stack of detailed receipts for both parts and labor. And numerous build photos illustrate the entire project coming together every step of the way.

We're flat-out blown away by this spectacular '33 Ford. Its build is so full of tricks that it should be used as a "how-to" guide to show new assemblers things no one else has thought of. The amount of hand-fabrication that went into its construction is astounding, making it more than just another cookie-cutter rod that some guy slapped together in his garage. And from its subtle exterior to its mind-blowing interior and top notch engine, there simply aren't many nicer customs out there. Fully sorted, tested, and ready to cruise and win awards, I can guarantee you'll be the only kid on your block with one of these. Take this subtle and high-tech Ford to the next show, and watch it stand out among the tired columns of retro-fantastic fiberglass and candy colored coupes!