The body was separated from the chassis to get started, with the base being disassembled and the frame blasted clean. After inspection, it was determined to be rock solid, with the only update being a slight notch to accept the addition of factory shorty-style headers later. From there, it was coated in chassis black and prepped for reassembly. Out back, the original Ford 9-inch rear was refreshed and packed with 3.50:1 gears, spinning 28-spline forged axles. To get the correct stance, the original four-leaf rear springs were tossed in favor of a set of fresh six-leaf Police-Special springs from McVeigh Truck Springs and 1956 Ford heavy-duty shocks with longer overall length from Dennis Carpenter. The factory IFS was rebuilt for crisp handling, including a set of factory heavy-duty 1-inch dropped coil springs from Eaton Detroit Spring and tube shocks from Dennis Carpenter combined with a heavy-duty 1-1/8-inch sway bar from Southwest T-Bird Parts. When it comes time to tame the beast, a Mustang dual master moves fluid through Ni-Cop lines to Ford drum brakes fore and aft. In keeping with the sleeper theme, 1956 Ford 15×5.5 steel wheels wear Firestone/Coker Deluxe Champion bias-ply blackwall tires sized 7.10×15 at each corner. A set of 1957 Ford dog dish caps is the perfect icing to tie it together.

Nothing shames a challenger better than a big-inch FE V-8. To hit the go pedal, Jeff started with a 1966 Mercury 428ci Police Interceptor (PI-code) needing a full rebuild. The late John Osbourne of Northern Performance in Burlington massaged the block to perfection in preparation for Don Palmer of Georgina, Ontario, Canada, to balance and begin assembly. Deep inside, a cast-iron crank links to forged steel rods topped by Sealed Power cast-aluminum pistons generating 10.5:1 compression getting bumped by a stock solid lifter cam. Up top, a set of reworked iron heads generate plenty of power. At the same time, a rare factory aluminum three-deuce intake breathes deep through a set of factory Ford Holley carbs by Terry Redmond with a custom linkage by Rob Purcell, both club members. A factory dual-point distributor lights the fire while exhaust tears through a set of original Ford 406ci shorty headers to a custom 2-1/2-inch steel exhaust complete with scavenger pipes, Xlerator mufflers, and Hooker electronic cutouts, all by R&S Custom Exhaust of Palmerston. Real hot rods have three pedals, so the goods move through a custom-mounted 1967 Ford Top Loader wide-ratio four-speed, packing a McLeod clutch and pressure plate, all by Redmond. A driveshaft by Marvin Freiburger & Sons of Walkerton plants the 400 hp.

Originally built at Ford’s production facility in Dallas, the years of abuse took its toll on the vintage steel, making it obvious that it was time for an entire strip down to determine where attention was needed to bring it back to life. Purcell identified all the weak points and started the rebirth with freshly struck panels from EMS Automotive, including lower quarter-panels, lower fenders and doors, inner and outer rockers, and fabricating custom dogleg replacement panels. Wanting to give the car a signature look, Jeff had Purcell add a fully functional 1957 Ford Thunderbird air scoop to complete the transformation. To bring it to the next level, club member Tom Bedo and his team at Bodymotive Services in Arthur, Ontario, Canada, completely metal-finished the body while setting all the gaps to perfection. Bedo then laid down the dramatic coating of PPG Midnight Black vibe.

When it came time to address the business office, it was a matter of maintaining simplicity with a twist. The factory dash was restored with its original instruments complemented by underdash dials from Sunpro and Stewart-Warner, accented by a Bosch tachometer. The original Custom steering wheel carves a course through a stock 1958 Ford column to a matching steering box with shifts clicking through a Hurst Competition-Plus Shifter. To kill the chill on cold days, a dealer-installed aftermarket heater does the trick, while an EZ Wiring kit installed by Jeff and Redmond brings it all to life. To keep with the base theme of the car, Jesse Richardson Upholstery of Listowel, Ontario, Canada, recovered the factory bench with N.O.S. 1957 Ford Custom material from SMS Auto Fabrics and all related panels, installing the headliner and rubber floor coverings. The final twist of the build was to recreate the rare rear seat delete where no reproduction parts can be found. Jeff made the trip to Massachusetts to meet with good friend Jay Arrow, who just so happens to own an original restored Business sedan. Jeff was able to create templates to hand off to Purcell to work on his fabrication magic and recreate the tray area, which was complemented by the basic side panels crafted by Jeff. The completed car has a truly unique presence, blending factory high performance with an edge of simplicity, making it the ultimate 1950s-era hot rod sleeper waiting to take on anyone who dares.