Jeff Boone 1936 ford coupe

Willis Horn Coupe – Jeff Boone Preserves Family History with this ’36 Ford

Jeff Boone’s grandfather, Willis Horn, bought this custom Ford in Southern California in 1941. The five-window coupe had been chopped, the quarter windows filled, and the body customized with a ’40 Nash grille and ’37 DeSoto bumpers. Willis drove the car, raced it a little, installed a larger Flathead, and painted it four different times through the decades.

Jeff Boone 1936 ford coupe, willis horn coupe

As a child, Jeff was smitten with the custom Ford. Unfortunately, Willis suffered a stroke in 1976 that prevented him from working with Jeff on the car. Jeff ultimately pushed the car into a barn and kept it stored until 2017, when he brought it to Standley Brothers Hot Rods for restoration.

Jeff Boone 1936 ford coupe, willis horn coupe


The coupe has kept its vintage charm with a modified stock chassis using Posies springs and 16-inch wheels wearing Hollywood hubcaps. The ’36-vintage Flathead V8 sports Eddie Meyer heads, a dual-carb intake, Schneider cam, and Fenton headers breathing through Smithy’s glasspacks. A ’39 Ford transmission connects it to the Columbia two-speed rearend.

Jeff Boone 1936 ford coupe, willis horn coupe

The Standley Brothers team kept the custom touches intact as they restored the body, maintaining details like the bullnose hood trim and ’35 DeSoto door handles. Ray Knoles sprayed the PPG Liberty Green paint. A chrome-plated dash and fresh leather from Paco Custom Upholstery highlight the cabin.

Classic custom style and family history made the Willis Horn Coupe a sentimental favorite among the Goodguys 2020 Street Rod Headquarters Custom of the Year finalists.

Editor, Goodguys Gazette

Damon Lee began snapping photos at car shows when he was 10, tagging along with his father to events throughout the Midwest. He has combined his passion for cars and knack for writing and imagery into a 20-year career in the automotive aftermarket, writing for titles like Super Chevy and Rod & Custom and, more recently, working for respected industry leaders Speedway Motors and Goodguys Rod & Custom Association.