Come Together – Final Assembly Starts on the 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway 1940 Ford Coupe
There are different levels of excitement as any project vehicle winds its way toward completion. Over the past couple of months chronicling progress on the Goodguys 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway 1940 Ford coupe, we’ve talked about the thrill of seeing body parts being rolled into the paint booth to receive their final color, and the joy of dropping a fresh engine and transmission into the chassis. The degree of excitement truly leveled up, though, when the team at Roseville Rod & Custom reunited the body with the chassis and began final assembly on this cool and subdued coupe.
The beginning of final assembly is both a thrilling and daunting time. It’s exciting because it truly feels like you’re “over the hump” and on the downhill stretch of the build process. But as you open up boxes, spread out parts, and look at all the pieces that need to go back together, you also realize how much work is still ahead. The best way to overcome that overwhelming feeling is to just dive in and start working.
One of the first orders of business for Ben York and his Roseville crew was fitting and modifying the Sanderson headers for the supercharged Cadillac engine, as well as fabricating a complete exhaust system using Borla stainless steel exhaust tubing and mufflers. Support pieces like hangers and v-band clamps came from Speedway Motors.
While we will save the upholstery work for next month’s build installment, there was plenty going on inside the coupe, too. The floor, firewall, and other surfaces were lined with DEI Boom Mat sound deadener, while the dashboard was reinstalled and fitted with Dakota Digital ’40 Ford gauges customized with the Goodguys and Roseville Rod & Custom logos, in addition to a Dakota Digital in-dash clock.
Behind the dash, a Painless Performance wiring harness was used to connect all the electrical elements, and a Newport Engineering electric wiper system was installed. A Vintage Air Compac II air conditioning and heat unit was fitted up behind the right side to help keep temperatures comfortable. The Ididit steering column was installed using a Limeworks column drop and topped with a Limeworks banjo-style wheel.
Back to the exterior of the Giveaway 1940 Ford, the original side trim and door handles were reinstalled, along with re-chromed bumpers and other freshly plated brightwork done by Sherm’s Custom Plating. (Sherm’s also plated the various interior trim pieces and anything else that needed chrome.) Roseville’s partner company, York Speed Shop, designed and created a custom “York GG” emblem that replicates the original Ford V8 piece on the trunk. Bob’s Classic Auto Glass provided all new glass for the car, which was installed using gaskets and seals from Steele Rubber. The car got up and rolling on a set of Wheel Vintiques ’40-style steel wheels and Excelsior tires from Coker Tire.
Whew! That sounds like a lot, and we weren’t even doing the work! Let’s take a look at how the Roseville team started putting things back together and making this ’40 Ford look like a car again.
Did you miss part of the build process of the Goodguys 2026 Grand Prize Giveaway 1940 Ford? Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 or Part 6 of the 1940 Ford Build.
