Smooth Blend – Donnie Hoffman Tastefully Combines Classic and Contemporary Style in this Custom ’51 Ford Victoria
Blending traditional and contemporary styles into a vintage custom car can be a precarious proposition. The two techniques don’t always mix well, and the result is often lopsided or awkward – a tail-dragging custom with a few billet bits that look out of place, or a modern smoothie with wide whitewalls that don’t fit in. Donnie Hoffman thankfully found a well-blended balance on his 1951 Ford Victoria!
Donnie’s 1951 Ford Victoria is a quiet and subtle custom that tastefully straddles the line between vintage and modern. It’s the sort of car that might not look significantly modified to the casual observer, which speaks to how well integrated the alterations are.
It might help that Donnie started with a car that was already cleanly customized in a traditional style. In fact, he found the Victoria, a former Goodguys Custom of the Year finalist, on the Goodguys classifieds website back in 2008 and drove it for more than a decade in its previous incarnation before deciding to rebuild it the way he wanted.
“I’m a huge fan of ’50s and ’60s Ford customs,” Donnie says. “The funnest part for me is designing the look of the car, as far as stance, body mods, what trim to use, wheels and tires, and drivetrain. This time around, I wanted a car that looked like it could have been built in the past but drives and handles much better.”
Donnie turned to Joe Qualls at Color on Wheels in Denver to handle the transformation. Unfortunately, the project got more involved than anticipated when the body was media blasted and they discovered most of the sheet metal from the doors back was bad. “We ended up purchasing a second car to make one good car,” Donnie says.
While the metal repair work was being done, a new Art Morrison chassis was being prepped for service. It would bring that modern drivability that Donnie wanted to the car thanks to a contemporary front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, coil-over shocks, a 9-inch rearend, and four-wheel Wilwood disc brakes. Donnie’s choice of rolling stock – 16-inch steel wheels with Ford hubcaps and Coker Excelsior Stahl Sport tires – helped enhance the car’s crossover character.
Fresh motivation for the project came in the form of a decidedly modern Ford Gen III Coyote engine generating 460 horsepower. The engine remains basically as Ford intended and breathes through Sanderson headers into a custom exhaust system with Magnaflow mufflers. It’s topped with a custom engine cover and backed by a 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission.
Beyond the extensive metal repairs, the body was treated to a host of classic custom modifications. The headlights and taillights were frenched, the hood and deck lid shaved, and the hood corners rounded. The original ’51 Ford grille was shortened and now floats in a custom opening and the bumpers were shaved before being re-plated. Donnie opted to keep the door handles and locks and used ’49 Ford side trim on the lower body. When it came time for color, he and Joe agreed on a subtle, organic hue called Earth Pearl that was mixed and applied using PPG materials.
Only shoebox Ford fans are likely to notice the ’47 Ford dashboard inside, which looks right at home and has plenty of chrome for a classic feel. It’s updated with Dakota Digital gauges and has a Vintage Air climate control system tucked behind. A Limeworks steering column and Crestliner wheel contribute to the classy look. Auto Weave Upholstery in Denver handled the soft parts and updated the stock front and rear seats with fresh foam and brown leather upholstery, along with door and side panels to match. Original Ford handles finish things off.
The finished 1951 Ford Victoria represents that rare, smooth blend of classic and contemporary, a refined mild custom with modern performance and reliability and a vintage, timeless appearance. It’s the tasteful balance that Donnie was seeking when he first embarked on the rebuild, and it rewards him every time he climbs behind the wheel of this cool, clean, and classy custom Victoria.
Photos: Damon Lee, Terry Lysak
