The San Diego 41 ford
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Hi guys, I have posted some pics here before of my 41 coupe but now i am actively making it kustom I thought I would start a thread with pics on what’s been going on. So far the story is this.. I acquired the 41 in Ohio near the Kentucky border, via Craigslist.. I flew in to see it and made up my mind that it was a solid keeper. I had it transported to San Diego . What inspires me are the cars barris , Ayala,summers and westergard turned out pre and post WW2. Beautiful simple kustoms , spotlights , speedboat stance ,shaved and flipper caps.  Kustoms that flow and flow well.  When the 41 arrived in San Diego I took it to moonshine metal kustom Fabricaton and had my friend Tim work out the stance. We used Dick carters 41 as a basis for how I wanted it to be lowered. 6 inches in the back and 4 in the front. I had fender skirts fabricated in metal by a guy in Arizona and flipper caps modified by Paul garland in Sacramento. I did a top end rebuild of the flathead with all new stromberg 97, radiator, fuel pump and lines, rebuilt coil and distributor,new brakes and suspension. The engine has 19,400 original miles on it.. and it’s unbelievably solid . Re painted the heads got some new Fenton headers and adding dual exhaust this week. Had apppleton spotlights that are NOS mounted which I found still in the box . Eastern auto chrome dash trim and super Deluxe dash clock in working order which was mounted to the new ride. All gauges work and it’s a time capsule piece . Here are some pics and I will keep you all updated as I start to kustomize deeper. ??✨
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Such an awesome 41! Â Ever time I see a pic off IG I regret selling my short door Merc! Â Keep up the good work! Â It’s perfect!
I love your coupe! It has evolved into a great looking, classic, traditional mild custom! Keep up the good work!
Um, Paul, you sure you’re not done..? Â It’s going to be tough to improve on your car as it sits now! Â Great look, great car!
Dave
Jus' creepin' along..
Hey Eric thanks fo the kind words.. I really got lucky with such a find. No rust and low original miles. She is a beauty. The 41’s are so great to kustomize as they flow so well and have those kustom lines from the factory
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Hi Dave. I know what you mean, a lot of people ask me is it finished .. I would like to shave the hood and shorten the side trim. Also shave the trunk as well. Small touches that keep it in the realm of a kustom other then a stocker that’s lowered.  The question of a chop is one that’s really the hardest to make, what’s your view?
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Some interior shots. That’s a 1941 Mercury hobo nickel set  in the Bakelite shift knob.
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My vote is to stay with the mild custom look. Not to say a chop isn’t a consideration, but I’m thinking today a mild custom could set you apart, and give a nod to the stylists of that short door design. Something about that short door roof line that stands out stylistically from the long door version.
Wow pretty awesome ride…….Always like the 41′ ones……
Just curious ….. ????? There was a car just like yours in the same area for sale I looked at also…… The guy was asking $22,000 for it….It too was mint with about the same miles on it , Just wondering if its the same car you snagged????
here are the photos of it..??
KUSTOMLAND
No that’s not the same car.  Mine was in better condition than the one you posted. No rust on the bumpers, new white wall spare in the trunk and the under carriage was pristine. The engine was in amazing condition as well. Mine was $6,000 less .  The 41s are a beautiful ride and there lines are easy to work with and make kustom
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Hi Larry. Thanks for the reply. You make some great points about the chop . I never thought of it that way. Thanks for the advice. I have been considering it all weekend
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Oh man.. that is absolutely gorgeous.
Thes short door ’41 Fords look so fantastic as mild period customs.I’m also one for a no chop on this one. I love chopped ’41’s and even the short door coupe can look good, but its far from easy to do, and get it all right. The way it looks now is really beautiful. Perhaps a few more touches like you say, and perhaps an upgrade on the bumpers to ’45 units or so, perhaps gravel shield on the back, but I would leave the top stock height.
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
My 2 cents.
First off. Congratulations on a beautiful car.
I agree with Larry and Rik in regards to Not chopping it. Would be cool and period correct to just do some minor mods (That you mentioned) and dress it up a bit with some vintage aftermarket touches ( as you are already doing).
Not everything was chopped. and doing it this way makes it look more like something that was done by some one on a budget. Every pay day they may have gone to Western Auto and picked up an other accessory.
Plus. I am partial to the use of 49 Plymouth bumpers on these cars. 🙂
Torchie
Hey Paul,
Your mild custom approach works with me as well. Â I love radical customs with their chopped tops and all, but as mentioned by the others, the elegant roofline of the short door coupe is hard to beat. Â The lines of the long door are a bit more cumbersome in stock form and therefore, in my opinion, are better candidates for the improvement(?) of a chop.. Â You obviously have noticed this because you are struggling with the decision. Â I think it would be a much easier choice if it were the long door version. Â Pretty tough to improve on the roofline of the ’41 short door as it came from the factory – even if there are some excellent examples out there.. Â Nice that your car is sooo good looking that the decision is so tough!!
Dave
Jus' creepin' along..
Hi rik ,as you and Dave and torchie have pointed out, it’s very very hard to improve on the 41 short door roof line. It has a definitive Art Deco style and wonderful flow into the trunk. I think you guys are right about not chopping it and I will leave it alone. It was a hard decision to make when you look at rides like Lopez 41 etc.. but with the right perspective provided by this board I can safely say it won’t go under the knife. I will continue with the shaving of the hood and trunk as that gives it that kustom style and sleekness. I will enter it in the GNRS this coming January. Thanks for all the advice guys much appreciated. Off to get the Fentons on and dual exhaust
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