t’s been uttered over and over that discovering the “how and why” someone builds their hot rod is oftentimes more interesting than the car itself. Here we have both—a great car and a great story. If there’s one thing that we all have in common it’s the miles we travel and the time we invest in finding the right project. In the end we should be so lucky to drive our “end result” as many miles as we traveled in our quest. And that brings us to this all-steel 1936 Ford three-window coupe.
t’s been uttered over and over that discovering the “how and why” someone builds their hot rod is oftentimes more interesting than the car itself. Here we have both—a great car and a great story. If there’s one thing that we all have in common it’s the miles we travel and the time we invest in finding the right project. In the end we should be so lucky to drive our “end result” as many miles as we traveled in our quest. And that brings us to this all-steel 1936 Ford three-window coupe.
The search lasted about two years before Amie found the “right” car. He traveled from home to New Mexico then to Los Angeles and onto Sacramento where he located the perfect foundation for his new build. It’s the ol’ “friend of a friend” connection that brought him to the “correct” 1936 Ford coupe. As the story goes, the owner really didn’t want to part with the coupe but six months of perseverance finally netted Amie the decisive weekend of negotiating when a deal was made and the coupe was brought home.
It was at this point in the journey when Ben York, of Roseville Rod & Custom (RR&C) in Roseville, California, entered and he and Amie linked up. York and his staff used their substantial talents and blended a Roadster Shop chassis, an ARDUN Enterprises V-8, and a beautifully massaged 1936 Ford coupe with just the right amount of modifications to bring this hot rod to life.
We mentioned an ARDUN Flathead V-8. That should get any hot rodder’s beat to quicken and pique his curiosity. This isn’t any ol’ ARDUN-equipped Flathead, if there’s such a thing, but rather the highly desirable V-8 from ARDUN Enterprises; now under the watchful eye of Don Jr. and Don the III. The Ferguson ARDUN project (picked up where the late Don Orosco of Monterey Speed & Sport had progressed) is based on an aluminum Flathead block (with enhanced main caps and deep skirts, for those wishing Flathead numbing power) and enhanced ARDUN heads (significant design modifications); ARP hardware is used throughout the engine.
The body has an assortment of mild changes but we feel they are well measured as the coupe has a great stance and the appropriate hot rod look. The top was chopped ever so slightly with 1 inch cut from it. The front fenders were then modified to allow for valve cover clearance. In order to gain this clearance, the hood sides where they meet the fenders were modified by being raised 1-1/2 inches yielding the necessary ARDUN valve cover clearance. Over the meticulous bodywork performed by RR&C, a 1940 Ford factory color was applied. Although a shade darker than stock, the Cloud Mist Gray comes from the color charts of PPG.
The coupe is no stranger to awards, having won the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year in 2019 and three Goodguys Pros Picks as well as a Best Rod at the Grand National Roadster Show. Again, this is one of those hot rods that you must see in person to appreciate the amount of creativity and craftsmanship that was invested in this ride. It’s a hot rod befitting any road well traveled.