1935 FORD CUSTOM 5-WINDOW COUPE

Details

Restored and rebuilt over the course of about eight years, this Ford 5-window coupe has the appearance of a 1936 but features a few subtle touches that give it a great look. None of the original flathead Ford feel has been erased. The grille was painted black to offer a bit of contrast, but the rest appears to be just the way Henry intended. The interior was likewise properly restored with just a few custom tweaks. The heart of this coupe is the built flathead V8 engine living under the hood.

Based around a 59AB block and using a 4-inch Mercury crank, it's bigger than its peers and puts out more horsepower. There's a 3/4 race camshaft inside, which delivers a nice burbly idle and a wide power curve, with a particular swell of torque as the tachometer passes 3,000 rpm. Edelbrock aluminum heads and a matching Offenhauser dual-carb intake make this flathead breathe. Twin Ford 97 carburetors are a traditional choice and work on a fixed linkage to provide snappy throttle response at just about any speed. There's still a mechanical fuel pump, which works just fine even with twice as many mouths to feed, and traditional bell-style air cleaners up top make it look like the 1950s all over again. A modern MSD ignition system lights it up with ease and there's a 12-volt alternator up top making the electricity. Red paint on the block is a nice contrast to the blue bodywork and while it has been driven a bit, this is still a great-looking engine compartment. Custom headers and a dual exhaust system with glasspack mufflers gives it that traditional flathead V8 sound. The engine is paired with a stock 3-speed manual transmission to preserve the car's vintage feel. It's also punchy around town with 3.55 gears out back. The suspension is fairly stock save for a dropped front axle and some lowering springs out back, and Ford hydraulic drums at all four corners. **TITLED AS A 1935 FORD**