Thread: New 1940 Ford

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Anybody heard about this one yet.

Ford unveils 'new' 1940 Coupe | Fox News

If anybody checks it out at the SEMA show, I'd be interested in your impressions.

Speaking of SEMA, I remember the post a while back about a CHR get together. A lot of folks here are in the buisness (and I think you're allowed a guest for those who don't run a shop). Heck it could be a trip and a buisness write off sometime in the future.

That's the one that Bob Drake gave himself ulcers over and then bailed on it and turned the project over to Carpenter. Don't know the whole "real" story but I know it's the same one.

Mike, this is old news, Ford isn't making the bodies, they are simply 'approving' them. This is the body that Street Rodder magazine used for it's 2012 Road Tour car, built by Hollywood Hot Rods with help from several other shops. What I find odd about this new '40 Ford is it first surfaced as being brought to market by Bob Drake, it was in his advertisements in the magazines. When Street Rodder started the '40 Ford Road Tour car build-up it was also introduced as coming from Bob Drake. Several articles later and every one since Dennis Carpenter was given credit for the body and the body parts started appearing in his ad campaigns. Obviously Dennis Carpenter bought the rights to these bodies but I didn't see a word mentioned anywhere about the transition.


Mike

Originally Posted by Mike52

Mike, this is old news, Ford isn't making the bodies, they are simply 'approving' them. This is the body that Street Rodder magazine used for it's 2012 Road Tour car, built by Hollywood Hot Rods with help from several other shops. What I find odd about this new '40 Ford is it first surfaced as being brought to market by Bob Drake, it was in his advertisements in the magazines. When Street Rodder started the '40 Ford Road Tour car build-up it was also introduced as coming from Bob Drake. Several articles later and every one since Dennis Carpenter was given credit for the body and the body parts started appearing in his ad campaigns. Obviously Dennis Carpenter bought the rights to these bodies but I didn't see a word mentioned anywhere about the transition.


Mike

Yeah, that was odd. I followed the whole process with Bob Drake thru Streetrodder mag and someone just posted the Dennis Carpenter connection on one of my Ford truck forums today. Would be interesting to know what happened.

I read somewhere that Bob Drake's principal financial backer for the '40 body project pulled out on him, and he sold the process, molds, and forms to Dennis Carpenter. Drake's '40 parts are now deeply discounted, and I think that Dennis Carpenter now has an exclusive on re-pop doors, fenders, and panels used to finish out the new body.

Roger's thumbnail story pretty much sums it up................Drake couldn't fulfill his financial obligation to his Taiwan partners. Glad Carpenter had the wherewithall to jump in. Drake deserves a lot of credit for making this happen, it's a huge undertaking.

Mike, several of us will get the chance to see what's offered next week at SEMA. The past couple years Drake has had body pieces displayed, last year a partially completed body. While the completed Street Rodder car will probably look nice, I hope Carpenter has a bare, completed body to look over.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

I hope Carpenter has a bare, completed body to look over.

.....and hopefully, it will be the car, not his "bare completed body"....

I got bad visions....

Originally Posted by 406Rich

I got bad visions....

Uncle Bob may have been thinking of a "...bare, completed body..." of one of the cuties in his stable of photos!!