2003 3rd Goodguys/K&N Filters Eagle One Del Mar Nationals PPG Pick: Dan Pegg's '39 Ford Convertible

When Dan Pegg decided the time had come to finally build the car of his dreams he did his homework and spent the biggest amount of time finding the right shop to make his dream a reality. He knew immediately that he had found the right place when he checked out Randy Clark's Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, CA.

Randy and his team have been turning out award winning beauties for years so it was just a matter of what Dan decided he wanted before they could get busy building it for him. Dan wanted to start with a nice original and complete car, then turn it over to Hot Rods & custom Stuff to let them do their thing.

Dan located a '39 Ford Convertible, all stock, which appeared to be a decent older restoration. What was found when the car was torn down was an entirely different story! The floor barely existed and the plastic filler had been used a little too liberally.

Randy's team would not be scared off easily, and in fact loved the challenge! The original antique chassis was the first to go, and in it's place went a fresh set of TCI rails fitted with a TCI independent suspension set up in the front and a fully polished stainless steel Kugel independent in the rear. Into the fresh chassis went 502 cubic inches of Street & Performance Chevy big-block topped by a Street & Performance RamJet unit.

The next phase was the restoration of the '39 tin work, with many tricks like the chopped and laid back windshield, a one-off custom dash metal dash, tubbed rear fenderwells, filled cowl vent and smooth custom floor and firewall added for good measure. The massaged metal was treated to a coating of PPG Centennial Silver with green tint and pearl added, then Ron Mangus stitched up the trick custom threads.

With the car completed in an amazing nine months, Dan now looks forward not to what the next car will be, but how soon he can do it again with Randy and his great team at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff!

Technical Information -- Dan Pegg -- La Jolla, CA

Engine
Manufacture..................Street & Performance big-block Chevrolet
Displacement.................502ci
Induction.......................Street & Performance RamJet
Ignition..........................HEI
Heads.............................Street & Performance
Headers..........................Street & Performance "Pro Line"
Exhaust.........................3-inch

Drivetrain
Transmission................4L80E
Shifter...........................Ididit column
Differential...................Kugel / 3.7:1 posi

Chassis
Frame...........................TCI
Front suspension.........TCI independent; Bilstein coil-overs.
Rear suspension...........Kugel independent; Bilstein coil-overs.
Steering........................Power rack
Brakes...........................Wilwood discs, 13-inch (front) & 12-inch (rear)
Wheels..........................Front: 17x7 Wheel Vintiques "Lakesters". Rear: 18x9.5 Wheel Vintiques "Lakesters".
Tires.............................Falcon

Body
Manufacture................FoMoCo
Body Style....................Convertible w/rumble seat
Modifications..............windshield chopped 2-inches and laid back 1-inch, cowl vent filled, custom floors & firewall, rear fenderwells tubbed.
Paint............................PPG Centennial Silver with green tint and pearl added.

Interior
Dash............................custom made by Hot Rods & Custom Stuff
Steering wheel............Steering Wheel Restorations, Poway, CA
Gauges........................Classic Instruments
Seats............................stock
Upholstery..................leather by Ron Mangus, Bloomington, CA
Audio..........................Kenwood AM/FM, 10-Disc changer, GPS, Voice Guidance System

See how this car was built...