Color My World
Spend a lot of time and money on the body because that's what people see most. With street-rod styling, you want a color and graphics combination that captures the imagination. House of Kolor is a good place to start. HOK is available at The Eastwood Company and offers a huge array of color possibilities-candies, clears, and base colors.
 Vintage Fords cover the gamut...  Vintage Fords cover the gamut of possibilities. Postwar '49-'51 Fords have always been the tail end of street-rod territory. That's changing, but people love those first postwar Fords for a reason. This woodie wagon has seen better days, but just imagine what can be done given a budget and imagination. |  Big Fords make terrific street-rod...  Big Fords make terrific street-rod candidates. There's a lot out there in the aftermarket that will make them stunning rides. Go high tech on one of these with a mod motor and 20-inch billets, or be more traditional with an FE 406 big-block with Tri-Power and Cragar SS mags. |  Go down low or give it a mild...  Go down low or give it a mild rake. Consider these jumbo cruise ships as great road art that people will want to see up close. Remember the blank-canvas approach and make it anything you want it to be. |
DuPont Automotive Finishes is another strong contender for striking colors and finishes for your Ford restomod/street-rod project with its Hot Hues division. It may surprise you to know the most popular color out there isn't red-it's silver. Silver has been in production 54 years-longer than any other DuPont color-but it wasn't until 2000 that silver passed green to become DuPont's number-one seller. This doesn't mean you have to choose silver or green for your car to be a head-turner. Hot rodders with the best imaginations go with colors no one else is using. When planning your hot-rod project, we suggest spending lots of time on color selection. Get color chips and see how they look together. Attend street-rodding events and get a handle on what's hot and what's not. Get your ideas from us and from our sister magazines, including Street Rodder, Rod & Custom, and Hot Rod. Check out the DuPont and House of Kolor Web sites to inspect available colors.
The '49-'56 shoebox Fords...
The '49-'56 shoebox Fords make terrific street rods and customs, and there's a lot out there for them. This '53 Ford sedan is a blank canvas waiting for someone's imagination and talent. Caution must always be paid to rust and hidden body damage.
During your dreamfest, think about what you want your Ford to express. Color selection is exceeded only by the number of body bolt-ons available out there. Mustangs Plus and Tony D. Branda Mustang & Shelby Parts offer a huge selection of fiberglass and steel body-mod pieces that will completely change your Ford's personality. We're talking hoods, valances, rocker panels, ground effects, decklids, side scoops, and so on. What's more, you're free to modify any of these pieces to jibe with other classic Fords.
In our travels, we have seen body modifications that could have only come from the minds of their creators. For example, how about having '05-'07 Mustang headlamps graphed into a '67-'68 Mustang front end? Or using '05-'07 ground effects on a classic Mustang? You'd be surprised how similar old and new are dimensionally. A lot of the retro nuances on new Mustangs can be applied to the classics, yielding a teasing message for anyone trying to decide what it is.
 What can you do with a mid-'50s...  What can you do with a mid-'50s Mercury Monterey? Lots of chrome, sculptured lines, and bountiful space. Fit it with a Y-block or go high-tech with a 32-valve four-cammer. There's plenty available in the aftermarket to go along with everything your imagination (and budget) can muster. |  Mustang hardtops of all vintages...  Mustang hardtops of all vintages are plentiful and typically cheaper than fastbacks and convertibles. Your goal should be rust-free, even if you have to look as far as the Southwest. One overlooked area is the '69-'73 hardtop. Talented car builders are showing us what they can do with these underdogs few people want. |  Thunderbirds have always been...  Thunderbirds have always been about luxury. Classic 'Birds make terrific rods because there's so much you can do with them. However, keep wheel size and body appointments conservative. The thing to remember with early Thunderbirds is never get too far away from what these cars were from the factory. |
We have also seen classic front ends graphed onto late-model Fords, such as a '49 Ford front end on a late-model Thunderbird. We have to call that one "psychomod" because it's way out there for most of us. Yet it keeps people staring, wondering how much more bizarre street-rod building can get.