Ray Dunham’s 1939 Lincoln Zephyr

Ray Dunham entered Goodguys 2020 Custom of the Year competition with an advantage by starting with a classic 1939 Lincoln Zephyr, an exclusive car renowned for its Art Deco lines. He took it a step further with thoughtful custom modifications that make this cruiser even more slippery.

Steve Wilk of Wilk Worx was responsible for chopping the top 2.5-inches and converting the three-window roofline into a fastback, a task that included building quarter windows and reskinning and reshaping the deck lid. Steve also lengthened the rear fenders, custom fit ’47 Cadillac taillights, built custom skirts, lengthened the doors, modified the front fenders, split the windshield, pancaked the hood, and built custom side trim. The sleek new body lines were coated in rich butterscotch paint by Dalton Hill of Hillview Customs.

The Lincoln scrapes the ground thanks to a Mustang II IFS, four-link rear suspension, and air springs tucking the wide whitewalls and full hubcaps. Power comes from a small-block Chevy dressed to resemble a vintage Y-block and backed by a 700R4 transmission. Inside, Pete Engle at Westminster Auto Upholstery used a combination of German wool and leather to craft a period-correct cabin.

“The goal was to build a custom fastback that would appear as it was a factory-built car,” Ray says. “Everything on the car was to complement everything else. Most have no idea what is custom and what is factory. This in itself shows we achieved what we set out to achieve.”