Award Winning All Steel Custom LT1 V8 4L60E 4 Speed AC

One day, we may look back and consider today the zenith of street rodding. With an endless assortment of components, a deep pool of talent and many ways to fuse the two together, the possibilities are simply limitless. And the best part is: modern rods can be as driver-friendly as production cars while offering twice the style. The culmination of spotless original hardware, a team of first class builders and a virtually uncapped budget, this spectacular '37 Ford sedan is about a nice as hot rods come. With its all-steel body, LT1 V8, custom-fabricated undercarriage and outrageous custom aesthetics, it's a magazine featured award winner that's fully sorted and ready for years of enjoyment. Want to view the street rod scene from the best seat in the house? Then have a closer look at this world class Ford!

Judging by the pictures included with this hot Ford's sale it already wore a smooth and solid body when Jim Germann, you know -- the guy who also built our award winning '66 Chevelle, purchased it from a family of original owners. Nonetheless the car's now two owner body was sent to the experts at Wooding's Auto Body, you know -- the guys who've sprayed many of our finest offerings, for a full restoration that resulted in laser-straight lines, a spectacular House of Kolor basecoat, and a glossy clearcoat shell. And today, this sedan is a banner showpiece that celebrates the fusion of some of Ford's greatest design work and some of the best modern mechanical components money can buy. One look down its profile reveals high quality workmanship that's top notch in every way. A close investigation of its body panels reveals even surfaces that are free of ripples and major imperfections. And from its nose to its fat fenders and humpback roofline the car's profile creates one cohesive classic that, despite significant customization, is both tasteful and easily recognized.

The beauty of a well done street rod is often found in the simplicity of its execution. In a nod to the hobby's old school hot rodding roots, the best cars are usually topped with a stripped down, all business body that emphasizes their purpose-built, high performance nature. So, when you craft a world class custom like this killer '37 Ford, the best thing to do is let its original curves do the talking and simply enhance what's already there. Our enhancements begin with a Downs stainless grille which rides between two Bob Drake-supplied '39 Ford headlights and two Don's Hot Rods stainless bumpers. Behind that grille a solid steel hood, which now features filled side panels, meets a stainless-trimmed windshield that's devoid of traditional weatherstripping and cleared by relocated wipers. Behind that hood, tinted side and back glass reflects a nice pair of Barry White SRR mirrors and small, polished door handles. Below that glass, modified running boards flow toward lengthened rear fenders that are dotted with clear Ford Escort-supplied tail lights. And at the back of those running boards, an electronically lifted trunk motors above a second Don's Hot Rods stainless bumper and a manual flip-down license plate.

Hit number “V” on this slick Ford's small gray key fob and its electronic clamshell hood tilts to reveal a fully detailed GM LT1 V8 that looks awesome and, with roughly 275 horsepower, offers solid, reliable motivation. Built to tear up the street and wow show goers alike, this fully-sorted package combines a sturdy iron block with lightweight aluminum heads, aftermarket fuel injectors and a computer from a fourth generation Trans Am to create razor-sharp throttle response and a torque band that's as wide as Texas. At the front of the body-matched mill a Street and Performance serpentine system, which is equipped with a full set of polished pulleys, spins a fresh alternator and a Vintage Air AC compressor at the sides of a billet air cleaner that's sealed around a small re-usable filter element. Once air enters that filter, it flows through a chrome throttle body into a factory LT1 intake which is bolted down over completely stock internals. High octane fossils are provided by a GM electronic fuel injection system. Sparks are sequenced through high performance plug wires. Spent gases are whisked away by a slick pair of ceramic coated Sanderson headers. And cooling comes courtesy of a polished Walker radiator that's complete with a chrome cap, chrome water tubes and a quick-spinning electric puller fan. On the visual end of the spectrum, silver injector covers and chrome “CHEVROLET” branded valve covers provide a nice contrast to the car's bright exterior paint while covering the less attractive part of GM's block design. The glossy engine compartment, which includes a custom fabricated firewall, has been completely painted, jammed and detailed to match that bright exterior paint. And niceties such as a “Fat Fender Ford” motif, a full assortment of polished hardware and a graceful chrome cowl cover add the kind of flash and detail that pushes the judges right over the edge!

Toss this solid custom on a lift and you'll find a fully sorted undercarriage that, despite its road-ready mechanicals, is exceptionally clean and displays very few signs of wear. While its all-steel body was off, and being refinished, this Ford's factory bones were replaced by a custom-fabricated chassis that, with the help of a few floorpan modifications, enables stellar road manners and a much more precise street presence. At the front of that new chassis, a polished Heidts Superide suspension makes excellent use of narrowed stainless control arms, chrome Aldan coil overs, two inch drop spindles and a chrome Flaming River rack and pinion steering system. At the back of that new chassis a Heidts independent suspension, which is completely stainless, chromed and polished, is fitted with a four more Aldan coil overs. And the car's original four wheel drum brake system has been freshened to better-than-new condition with the help of four polished Wilwood calipers, drilled and slotted front rotors and solid rear rotors. At the center of the floors, a polished 4L60E 4-speed automatic transmission makes good use of a polished aluminum driveshaft and a polished aluminum Ford nine inch rear end that's complete with a posi-traction differential and big 3.70 gears. At the sides of that awesome driveline, the aforementioned Sanderson headers dump spent gases into a fresh stainless exhaust system that's complete with sinister Borla mufflers. And at the corners of the car, beautiful Bonspeed Crocus wheels spin 225/40ZR17 Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR radials in front of 275/30ZR20 Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR radials. According to this Ford's current owner, everything on its highly hand-fabricated chassis is either chrome, stainless or polished aluminum. And naturally, new stainless lines, a full set of braided hoses, a stainless Rock Valley fuel tank and a whole array of finishing hardware was carefully installed during its painstaking re-assembly.

Open the doors of this classic sedan and you'll find a tasteful custom interior which combines the car's spectacular House of Kolor paint with supple Lexus leather that feels nice enough to adorn the centerpiece of your living room. The firm and modern buckets, four all total, are supportive, feel soft enough to take a nap on, and feature custom “FFF” (Fat Fender Ford) center buttons. At the sides of those seats custom door panels hang sculpted leather armrests between four power windows and four “FFF” branded speakers. Between those seats two custom all-steel consoles prop controls for the car's Vintage Air climate system, a clean Lokar shifter, a small chrome gear indicator and a fifth, “V8” branded speaker above premium gray carpet. In front of those seats a custom dash, which is constructed of solid aluminum, cants frenched Haneline gauges toward the driver while pointing polished Phipps AC vents at both the passengers and said driver. And above those seats, a custom leather headliner is stretched tightly around body-matched accents, small orange courtesy lamps and a third Barry White SRR mirror. In front of the driver, a polished Budnik steering wheel spins on a polished Billet Industries tilt steering column. At the back of the cockpit, a custom upholstered trunk conceals two Optima batteries, a 500 watt JL Audio amplifier and an eight inch subwoofer behind a remote controlled Custom Autosound 10 disc CD changer and a small Sony DVD player. That DVD player is connected to a 17 inch trunk-mounted video screen, two trunk mounted speakers, two wireless Sony headsets and two additional Sony video monitors that are located in the backs of the front seats. And from its completely hidden fasteners to its completely detailed door jams, this car's cockpit has to be one of the finest interiors we've ever offered.

Naturally, after Jim Germann finished building it and Wooding's Auto Body finished slicking it up, this pristine blue oval street rod hit the show circuit and scored many national awards. The car's long list of prestigious accolades includes:

* 2007 NSRA Pro's Pick Top Five at the Street Rod Nationals South in Knoxville, Tennessee
* 2006 NSRA Pro's Pick Top Five at the Richmond Nationals in Richmond, Virginia
* 2006 Class Winner at the Detroit Autorama in Detroit, Michigan
* 2006 Ridler Contender at the Detroit Autorama in Detroit, Michigan

The sale of this awesome Ford includes an original owner's manual, a stack of restoration receipts and component manuals, and a copy of the car's six page spread in the June 2007 edition of Street Rod Builder magazine.

Despite the availability of components, building a quality street rod that looks, runs and drives as it should is still a serious undertaking. The builders of this Ford showpiece didn't cut a single corner, and it shows from every angle. With all the right parts and tasteful look that will always draw a crowd, this slick little sedan would be a great addition to any garage. Don't miss the chance to park it in yours!