1939 Ford Show Winning Custom LT1 Tolle Road Sedan

In a world of mass-produced hot rods, it's hard to make a statement and build something nobody's seen before without spending cubic dollars with one of the big names. However, in the case of this 1939 Ford Tudor sedan that has been wildly sculpted to only slightly resemble the original in spirit, it's a fresh, unique take on a decades-old design that we an almost guarantee will be the hit of any show. Fully functional, with a reliable and powerful LT1 powertrain and a ton of creature comforts, it's a car you can drive or show with confidence, and you'll never have to worry about parking next to another one like it at a show. After all, isn't hot rodding all about being unique?

You're certainly not going to miss this brilliant red Ford cruising down the street. The body was hand-formed and was later used to pull molds for aftermarket bodies, but this one remains the original and to date, perhaps the only one of its kind. The nose is a kind of update on the 1938 Deluxe/1939 Standard look with a custom touch. The body, however, is completely hand-formed and beautifully made to create a shape that's completely new. From the hood that required nearly 40 hours to hand-form, to the raked-back A-pillars, to the unique C-pillars and rear window shapes, this car has details that you'll spend hours examining. Doors open suicide-style using remote solenoids and bear-claw latches for reliability. And as a hand-built piece, you know that every square millimeter was sanded, shaped, massaged, and detailed until it fit precisely and had a surface that was as flat as Kansas. Then, just in case the shape wasn't radical enough, they bathed it in killer 2-stage red urethane that's so intense it melts ice. Exceptionally well-finished top and bottom, this is a rod you'll be proud to show.

Trim was kept to a minimum. Up front, there's that custom-fabricated grille that kind of resembles a ’39 Ford Standard, but is ever so much sleeker. The headlights and trim rings look like reproduction items, but that's about it for bright work on this car. A pair of tiny billet mirrors hangs on the doors, and out back, vintage-looking taillights complete the look. Glass is tinted all around, and even the rear side windows are removable for an open-air experience.

Powering this brilliant red tudor is a powerful and reliable Chevy LT1 V8 out of a Corvette. One of the most well-respected small blocks ever built, it is compact, reliable, and powerful and just plain looks awesome sitting under the hood. Hoses and wires have been almost completely hidden in this engine bay, and the LT1’s injection covers and manifold tie into this look perfectly. The injection covers have been painted to match the body and now sport vintage Ford V8 emblems on either side, and everything else that wasn't painted is polished aluminum. A billet aluminum accessory drive system features a modern serpentine belt drive for reliability, and Vintage Air supplied the A/C. Turn the key, and the potent small block rumbles to life instantly and idles beautifully, thanks to years of development at the OEM level. If ever there was a rod you could drive every day, this is it.

A smart 4L60E 4-speed automatic backs the engine, with aggressive gearing for potent acceleration, and a deep overdrive for easy high-speed cruising. Out back, there's a Ford 9-inch with 3.55 gears, which are street friendly. The custom fabricated and fully boxed chassis is finished in the same bright red as the body, and is a strong foundation for this cool little sedan. The front suspension consists of a set of tubular A-arms suspended on an Air Ride system and uses rack-and-pinion steering, while out back, the 9-inch hangs off a race-inspired 3-link setup with air springs and custom-built trailing arms that fit the contours of the frame perfectly. Too cool! The exhaust is custom-fabricated front to back using traditional glass pack mufflers for a mellow sound. There's a vented, cross-drilled brake rotor at each corner clamped by a polished caliper, and power assist is available. Wheels are Colorado Custom billet pieces wearing 225/45/17 front and 295/45/18 rear BF Goodrich T/A radials.

Like the design of the body, the interior is simple and dramatic. With low-back bucket seats wrapped in soft chestnut brown ultra leather, it's an inviting place to spend some time. The dash is artistically designed with digital gauges behind a single sweeping opening that spans the entire center of the dashboard. A Colorado Custom billet steering wheel matches the road wheels, and hangs on a polished aluminum tilt column. Carpets are OEM-quality with leather bindings for an upscale feel, and the console is a beautifully fabricated unit that extends from front to back. The sculpted headliner matches the door panels, which feature simple controls for the door latch and lock, while power window switches live in the center console with the shifter. A 10-disc CD changer has been stowed behind the back seat, and the control unit and speakers have been artfully hidden throughout the interior.

If you've been looking for a well built, versatile, unique rod that can also carry friends and family, you've just found it. Fast, comfortable, well-engineered, and just beautiful to look at, this 1939 Ford tudor has rightfully earned the trophies that come with it. We get a lot of rods coming through our doors here at RK Motors, but this one instantly caught everyone's attention when it arrived. With just over 1300 miles, it is fully sorted but not yet broken in, and as a recent build, there's still a lot of time to get it to shows and blow people away with this rad red rod. If that appeals to you, give us a call today!