Frame Off Built Custom 500 427 FE Dual Quad V8 Toploader 4 Speed Ford 9"

SUMMARY

Sleek, exacting and convincingly authentic, this ominous Ford sedan is the kind of ride you always wished your dad would pick up to replace the family's stodgy land yacht. Instead of an economical 6-cylinder, it has a top option, 427 cubic inch FE V8. Instead of a boring automatic slush box, it has a buff Toploader 4-speed. And today, thanks to a six-figure restoration that was completed roughly two years ago, it's fully sorted and ready to prowl the pavement! After years of being almost completely overlooked, brutal Ford full-sizers have developed a strong following of diehard collectors who share a deep appreciation for performance and innovation. And if you're the kind of classic car enthusiast who enjoys an acute mix of serious muscle, comfy cruising and plenty of elbow room, it's time to join the crowd!

BODYWORK/TRIM

The beneficiary of a documented, $120K restoration that wrapped in late 2014, this sublime sedan is an intentionally low-key take on the fundamentals of every hard-edged muscle car: tough looks, sturdy components, reduced weight and tons of power! The car's ground-up rebuild began with complete disassembly and a full media blast. Once that profile was clean and ready to work, a patched trunk floor complemented a repaired left fender, a repaired right rocker and an NOS left rocker. With that mostly-original metal solid and smooth, quality etching primer was layered under tough epoxy and thoroughly block-sanded. Eventually, that massaged surfacing was wrapped in traditional Wimbledon White 2-stage that literally defined the car's 'body-in-white' intent. And today, this Ford rolls as one top-notch tribute that's clean, reliable and extremely focused.

An innately attractive classic that's been converted into a bona fide stoplight slayer via choice componentry, this impressive 500 is a picturesque monster that's sure to be the center of great memories. At the front of the car, lightened brackets hang small parking lamps and a lightweight fiberglass bumper beneath a 'sabre tooth' grille and bright halogen headlights. Behind that grille, a lightweight fiberglass hood centers a big teardrop scoop behind polished stainless pins. At the sides of that hood, steel doors float factory handles and a correct driver's mirror amid NOS emblems and NOS fender spears. Above that badging, correctly polished stainless frames one polished wiper and correct flat glass. And at the back of the car, a stainless-trimmed valance centers traditional 'pie plate' tail lights and a wide-set "F O R D" script above a broad chrome bumper.

ENGINE

Built to replicate an authentic R-code full-size down to the letter, this Ford draws motivation from a 427 cubic inch top-oiler V8 that was professionally massaged by Costa Mesa R&D Automotive Machine of Costa Mesa, California. Decked, line-bored, cylinder-bored, balanced and blue printed, the .018-over mill is dominated by a finned Thunderbird air cleaner and 600cfm Holleys that go by the codes "BK" and "BJ". Beneath those carbs, an aluminum, medium riser intake anchors factory fuel lines behind a traditional dual-point distributor that utilizes upfitted electronic ignition to sequence spark through fresh Radio Resistance plug wires. At the sides of that distributor, polished valve covers cap ported Edelbrock heads, which mix a 3-angle valve job with larger valves, solid lifters, custom Trend pushrods, cam-matched springs and hardened rocker shafts that are wed to custom stainless stands. Speaking of cams, that distributor gets spun by a Lunati Street/Strip profile, which twists between fly-cut Keith Black pistons, forged H-beam rods and a balanced and chamfered 428 crank. Exhaust exits through massive long-tube headers. Cooling is provided by a factory radiator, which fronts an aluminum water pump, a factory expansion tank and a correct, 6-blade pulley fan. Ancillaries are top notch, with items like Fel-Pro gaskets, a blueprinted Melling oil pump, Cloyes double timing components, an SFI harmonic balancer and an upgraded 1965 Ford alternator ensuring the buff beast doesn't trip over itself. And, aesthetically, the car's fully detailed engine bay looks good enough to show off to anyone, with the big block reflecting 70% Gloss Black fenders and an 80% Gloss Black firewall.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Bottom-side, solid, Satin Black floors, fitted with a smoothed transmission tunnel during the car's detailed restoration, back a powder-coated frame that's been media-blasted, realigned and welded at all its stress points. The 427 sends torque to a Galaxie "HEH" Toploader, which mixes an SMI flywheel and 11-inch Centerforce clutch with a new yoke and old school Lakewood scattershield. Behind that gearbox, a correctly marked driveshaft spins a powder-coated third member, which wraps a nodular center-section around a Traction-Lok differential, Dutchman 31-spline axles and NHRA-legal lug bolts. That industrial strength driveline rolls on a fully rebuilt suspension that, after being media-blasted, powder-coated and correctly marked, was upgraded with sturdy CalTracs traction bars. At the center of the car, a free-flowing, true-dual exhaust system hangs an H-shaped crossover in front of throaty Flowmaster mufflers. At the corners of the car, Super Stock drums bring everything to a hurried halt. All that hardware rolls on two Torq Thrust Ds and two glossy steelies, which spin 6.70-15 Goodyear Custom Super Cushions in front of 275/60D15 Hoosier cheater slicks. And everything, from this 500's Holley fuel pump and deep-sump oil pan to its restored gas tank and Schultz-coated wheel wells, is ruthless, right and ready to roll!

INTERIOR

One of the best virtues of this Ford is its purpose-built interior. It's a pretty basic set-up that was designed to swiftly shuttle occupants from point A to point B - major emphasis on the "swiftly". At the center of the car, custom-mount Bostrom buckets, correctly stitched in crushed vinyl, feature thick, 2-point safety harnesses. In front of those seats, a freshly finished dash hangs restored telemetry between a polished Rotunda tachometer, polished Stewart Warner accessory gauges, and retrofitted radio and heater deletes. Below that dash, correct insulation backs correct loop-pile carpet, which frames a curved Hurst shifter. Opposite that shifter, a tight moonscape headliner backs matching moonscape visors. At the edges of that liner, SMS side panels hang bright chrome handles above sculpted armrests. The driver navigates the strip through a chrome-trimmed steering wheel. And behind the cockpit, a color-keyed trunk hides a tagged Autolite battery.

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES

There simply aren't that many chances to own the ultimate build of a storied muscle car especially at this money. Mixing a tough drivetrain and brutal V8 with a take-no-prisoners demeanor, this forbidding Ford is guaranteed to be a blast to drive AND display. If you're looking for a different kind of classic, one that places substance above form, it's time to clear some space in your garage!