1940 Ford - Newbie Forty

Austin Parker is a dyed-in-the-wool car guy. His first car was a mildly customized '57 Chevy--that didn't last long. In 1964, he traded it in for a '40 Ford coupe that he still owns. He's been having fun building street rods ever since. In 2000, Austin was building a '37 Ford coupe with his cousin J.R. Spurlock and friend Mark Newman when he attended the Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, for his twentieth year in a row. In the Downs' Manufacturing display was their new product, a zoomie version of the classic '37 Ford pickup truck.

The attractive fiberglass body comes out of the mold with a 3-inch chop, longer doors, and slightly exaggerated proportions. As soon as the coupe was finished, he sold it to start on a Downs' truck. While at another show in Indianapolis, Austin discovered the '40 Ford version of the Downs' "pick 'em up." He absolutely loved the new styling and immediately struck up a deal with Jimmy Downs for the truck the way it sat at the show. It was the first one out of the mold and was optioned up for the show tour with the glass, steering column and wheel, wheels and tires, and a few other goodies--making it faster to finish. He then had to wait the longest month of his life to take delivery, as the wild display truck needed to make a few more stops before arriving in Austin and at his wife Janet's house.

The sturdy Downs' chassis was modified by Tim Taylor of Taylor's Rod Shop in New Miami, Ohio, and features a proven Mustang II-style Downs' frontend with an Air Ride Technologies' airbag setup. Under the bed resides the venerable 9-inch Ford with a four-link Air Ride system.

Perched at the front of the chassis is a stock '97 Chevrolet LT1 extracted from an expired Corvette. Austin figured that if 300 ponies are good enough for a Corvette, why change it? A beautifully polished aluminum Griffin radiator keeps engine temperatures in check. All of the shiny bits were allocated from Street and Performance, as were the headers. Melodious exhaust gasses then travel through Flowmaster mufflers and out 2 1/2-inch pipes custom-built by Mike's Muffler Shop in Connersville, Indiana.

Austin liked the sexy shape of the truck so much that he didn't change a thing. After fitting and gapping the truck, Mark Newman of Cincinnati, Ohio, applied the gorgeous black PPG paint. Wade Hughes and Josh Shaw of Ohio Flames (also in Cincinnati) roasted the truck in traditional yellow-to-red flame colors. Underneath that deep paint is a Pro's Pick electric tonneau cover and a Pro's Pick oak bed that hides a 20-gallon Rock Valley stainless-steel fuel tank. Exterior jewelry consists of a Downs' polished stainless-steel grille.

Once "the look" was achieved, attention was focused on the interior. Pontiac Fiero bucket seats were employed for comfort. The talented Steve Holcomb of Knoxville, Tennessee, formed the wild door panels and curvaceous console, and then covered everything in red and black leather and vinyl. The floor is lined with rich black wool carpeting. Brian Boomershine of Hamilton, Ohio, installed a boomin' Pioneer stereo system for the long drives and a Pioneer DVD player for passenger entertainment. A deep-cycle Optima battery provides plenty of reserve power for the stereo equipment and airbags.

Now that Austin's dream truck is finished, he's mopping up the accolades. His truck has even been a star on Street Rodder TV! The question is, will it be a permanent part of his collection alongside his old '40 coupe? We think so.