The 1940 Ford is one of the most popular build platforms in the car hobby, particularly car guys who like resto mod or custom versions of ’40 Fords, including their pickup truck models.
It would be safe to say Ted French is a big fan of 1940 Ford pickups because he built one of the nicest retro mod ’40 Ford ½ tons we at MyStarCollectorCar have ever seen at a show-and he did it in his garage.
Jim Sutherland
We called it a “retro mod” on purpose because Ted included old school hot rod elements in his build. Arguably the biggest component is his engine choice because Ted used a 276 cubic-inch flattie V-8 from a 1946 Ford as his base platform for the build.
Many car guys might have chosen the path of least resistance and used a Chevy small block in the build, but Ted is a big fan of the Ford flattie and was keenly aware of its performance potential for his ’40 Ford pickup. He added: “All my cars are flatties”.
Ted used a frisky aftermarket cam for his engine power boost, along with livelier cylinder heads and a better carb setup to handle the extra performance features. The more-power flathead engine is a throwback to a bygone era when pioneer hotrodders used them in their builds.
The difference is 21st century aftermarket flathead performance parts are even better than old school hot rod components, so Ted chose to head in the new age direction to bump the flattie’s horsepower.
Ted considered his transmission options and settled on a Chevy 5-speed manual transmission to transfer power to the ’40 Ford’s nine-inch rear end.
As indicated earlier, the truck was in very poor shape when Ted became its owner, so he got rid of the original chassis and bought an aftermarket custom chassis suitable for his needs. The old pickup’s body had major rust issues, enough to make many car guys drag it to the nearest crusher, but Ted decided to save the truck and repair the sizable damage inflicted by rust and years of complete neglect. He described the Ford pickup’s problem as “rust right up to its antenna”.
Ted is not a licensed body man or mechanic, but he has always been a hands-on guy in the car hobby, so he did everything but the paint and upholstery on his truck, plus he even tackled the final sanding and polishing on the truck.
His new chassis choice gave Ted an opportunity to make huge upgrades in his 82-year-old truck’s stock engineering. The ’40 Ford pickup now boasts a Mustang II-style front end, along with front disc brakes to greatly improve its steering and handling capabilities.
Ted also added an electronic instrument panel, an electric windshield wiper, and an LED light system that includes a combination front signal/running light combination that changes from white to orange when the driver uses it as a signal light.
Ted wanted to build a hot rod truck that he could drive anywhere, and we believe he more than achieved his goal because he has logged 3500 miles in his ’40 Ford pickup over the past few years since he completed his 5-year project.
Congratulations on a job well done.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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