Mike & Dianne Edwards’ 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe

The desired result will be a stock exterior car with all trim intact with an interior that will be near stock with a replica dash. A new twist renovation on an old fashioned classic!

The 1939 Ford, along with its’ new stablemate the Lincoln, represents what may be considered the pinnacle of “art deco” design as applied to the automobile. This design technique is characterized by its’ symmetry and represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity.  E. T. (Bob) Gregorie was the head of Ford design reporting directly to Edsel Ford and the design of the 1939 Fords, Mercury’s and Lincolns reflected his interpretation of this design philosophy. We’d say that his vision and execution were spot-on perfect.

The plan for Mike and Dianne Edwards’ car is to produce a 1939 Ford DeLuxe Coupe that is as original in external appearance as possible, yet have a state-of-the-art chassis, engine, and driveline. When Mike pulls up to you at the stoplight, you’ll turn and look and say to yourself, “Wow, that’s a clean old coupe! But wait, it’s got wider rear wheels and beefier tires. I’ll bet it’s an old hot rod from ‘back in the day.’”  That’s where the similarity will end. A custom TCI chassis brings increased stiffness and strength as well as modern independent A-arm front suspension, rack and pinion steering, power disc brakes and air ride suspension. A Chevrolet LS3 crate engine with about 450 horsepower, and Tremec 5-speed manual transmission replaces the stock 1939 flathead V8’s 85 horses in front of a non-synchronized 3-speed trans.

We started out with a 1939 Ford DeLuxe coupe that was running and in extremely good shape both mechanically and body-wise. We removed the body from the original frame and set it and the front clip aside. The configuration of the new frame necessitated that the trunk floor be raised a bit to avoid interference. Also, the rear wheelwells needed to be widened and their tops tipped inboard to clear the larger rear tires and wheels. These are by no means “wheel tubs” that were all the fashion in years past during the “street machine” heyday. They are just wide enough to clear “aggressive” tires and wheels. The end effect will be to remain very close to that look that you’d see on an old warmed over stocker. You’ll be able to tell that something’s been done, but you’ll have to look a couple more times to figure it out.