The 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway ’40 Ford Coupe Gets a Fresh Finish in a Subtle “Still Gray” Hue at Roseville Rod & Custom
In the previous installment highlighting the bodywork on the Goodguys 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway ’40 Ford, we gave you a teaser of the paint color the team at Roseville Rod & Custom would be laying down on this clean and subtle hot rod coupe. This month we will be taking a more complete look at the fresh PPG finish that recently went on the car.
As you’ll likely recall, this project started with a very clean original ’40 Ford coupe with an extremely nice and solid body. Minimal metal work was required to get the fit and panel alignment up to Roseville Rod & Custom standards, and the subsequent bodywork, primer, and block-sanding steps were pretty straightforward. We showcased those steps in the last update, wrapping up with a little bit of paint on the floors to tease the final color.
From the beginning of the 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway ’40 Ford project, Ben York of Roseville Rod & Custom had brewed up an idea for a modern moonshine runner, a stealthy and subtle hot rod that’s just understated enough to fly under the radar of law enforcement or federal authorities – or to elude them if necessary. With that in mind, Ben sought out a paint color that would be sufficiently sneaky and sly. The medium gray hue he came up with achieves that objective – it’s the sort of finish that might help a car hide in the shadows. Ben likes to call it Still Gray, in reference to a moonshine still.
We should note that the primer, paint, and other refinishing materials used on the coupe are all PPG products, and were sourced by Martin Auto Color, the Sacramento-area paint distributor that Roseville typically uses. The Roseville team used PPG Envirobase two-stage base coat/clear coat materials to ensure the depth, gloss, and richness expected from modern top-tier hot rod builds. The primary color will be complemented with a classic black finish on the Wheel Vintiques steel wheels, inner fender panels, and on the dash and other interior metal surfaces.
Our goal this month is not to provide how-to step-by-step instruction for show-quality paint, but rather to highlight a taste of the final color on this cool coupe. In any ground-up project, getting paint on the body is a major milestone – an indicator that you’re close to the downhill stage of final assembly. There’s still a long way to go on this coupe – including the installation of the blown Cadillac engine built by Ross Racing Engines – but the beautiful new finish is a powerful motivator to help keep the Roseville Rod & Custom team working at full steam.
Did you miss part of the build process of the 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway ’40 Ford? Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4 of the 1940 Ford Build.
Photos by Steven Bunker and Roseville Rod & Custom
