1940 Ford Pickup Build has no Shortage of Attitude
Dylan McDowell of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, was born into an auto fanatic family. His late grandma gifted him a 1940 Ford pickup when he was just twelve years old. Granted, it was in a bit of a messy state, but McDowell learned on the truck, rebuilding it himself along with help from his friends at ‘The Lead Kings’ to turn it into something entirely new, and totally awesome.
A brand-new frame
The project started off with Dylan McDowell sourcing a new Chevy S-10 pickup truck frame. It was stripped bare and then c-notched in the rear. This part of the project required some serious work, as the truck had to have a slammed stance. To make this happen, a 10-bolt rear complete with 3.55 gears was used along with a Welder Series four-link and matching Panhard bar.
Story and photos courtesy of Lowrider Network
Getting it road-ready
The new frame required some touching up to match the Belltech 2-inch drop spindles and Firestone ‘bags which are controlled by some top-quality RideTech air valves. For brakes, Dylan and team used an early Camaro dual-power master to send brake fluid through steel lines to the truck’s factor drums in the rear and discs up front. Supporting the weight of this creation is a gorgeous set of 15-inch Chevy steelies neatly wrapped with Coker Classic wide whites, and sporting 1956 Oldsmobile caps.
>>Join the conversation about this modified 1940 Ford pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Adding power and performance
Dylan didn’t want his truck to just look nice – he wanted it to perform well, too. So, he went the route of adding a 1970 Ford Mustang 302ci V8. The engine itself was a pull-out and as such, it was in good running condition. He degreased, prepped, and gave the whole thing a brand-new layer of paint. Worth noting is that this engine came with an original Ford three-deuce intake that is actually topped with Holley carbs and a custom-created air cleaner and finned aluminum valve covers. Everything comes together via an Accel electronic ignition with spent gases traveling through a set of headers to a custom 2.5-inch steel exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. The thing truly purrs. Everything moves rearward through a warmed-over Ford Top Loader four-speed which is connected to a custom driveshaft.
>>Join the conversation about this modified 1940 Ford pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Chopping up the cab and shortening the bed
With the help of some friends, Dylan chopped the cabin 2 inches. He then shaved the door handles and pretty much created a whole new floor for the truck, complete with a transmission tunnel. The team then added a 1940 Ford DeLuxe car hood and grill to the truck which was paired up nicely with a pair of 1938 Ford DeLuxe fenders. The bed was shortened 8 inches and its fenders moved up five inches before the whole thing was filled with a custom oak floor. After all the cuts, welds, and drilling was complete, a few coats of PPG gloss black were added to give the truck some shine.
>>Join the conversation about this modified 1940 Ford pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
Final touches for some extra dazzle
As if the truck didn’t already look attractive enough, Dylan added some red sheet metal accents to it. Looking on the inside, he added a 1940 Ford dashboard with restored gauges along with a 1937 Ford banjo steering wheel to give the truck a truly unique driving experience. A Speedway Motors wiring harness was next added, along with some red carpet. The original car seats were covered with red and white-pleated vinyl and finally, the running boards were updated to match the new look.
>>Join the conversation about this modified 1940 Ford pickup right here in the Ford-Trucks forum.
For help with your repair and maintenance projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.
