Catching sight of a 1940 Ford Convertible in any form is a rare occurrence, but chances are the last one you saw wasn't sitting on the ground and powered by a modern Chevy small block—unless this was the car you were looking at.
Currently listed on Ebay, it's impossible to dispute whether this rare car looks quite a bit different than when it rolled off the assembly line 72 years ago. The results of the custom treatment on this modified drop-top on the other hand are almost guaranteed to draw some disputes.
Adding air ride to a car, leaving it unpainted and opting for a modern Chevy small block from the LS series of engines under the hood are hardly revolutionary concepts these days in the world of hot rods. Having said that, they aren't usually applied to a 1940 Ford Convertible.
Custom chassis work which includes a Mustang II front suspension and a full air ride system means this car is capable of slamming itself to the ground as seen here or returning to a comfortable ride height. Thanks to the modern 5.3 liter engine under the hood and an overdrive suspension, this hot rod is also a reliable cruiser capable of 20+ mpg.
The resulting vehicle is in our eyes a very cool mixture of form and functionality in a seldom seen package. While it's surely sacrilege to some, we're firmly of the belief a hot rod done right is bound to piss someone off. It would seem whoever placed the current high bid of $18,100 on this unique '40 Ford feels the same way.
[Ebay]