If I was to ever fall in love with a traditional pre-war hot rod, it would look exactly like this. And that is saying a lot, because for the most part, I don’t like traditional hot rods. Yeah, I know, blasphemy…got it. But you have to look at it from my perspective: I grew up in the early 1990s, the era of Boyd Coddington, of Troy Trepanier, pastel colors, Center Line wheels, billet by the ton, and so on. Just think of a gray tweed interior, and you know where I’m going with this. Hot rods were the stuff of megabuck builders and rich old guys who wanted to relive some whacked-out version of 1950s rod and surf culture, and I wanted no part of it.

On rare occasion I come across a build like this. There is probably still more money tied up into the car than I ever want to think about, but it’s the right kind of money: labor of an honest-to-God craftsman who knows their skill well. Quality materials, tiny details that most people will miss. Custom touches like the all-in-one speedometer. Colors that are timeless, not trendy. A build that will be as beautiful when I’m old and gray as it is now, in front of my eyes. This Ford is that car. And you’d never know that it started life as a Factory Five kit car until someone told you. All of the original fiberglass body has been replaced by aluminum. The copper velocity stacks on the big-block only hint at the horsepower hidden within. This is a car I will be dreaming about for quite some time.