1941 Ford Convertible - Adopted Into The Family

The McCarys' '41 Ford 'Vert Is Now Part Of Their Family

From the July, 2010 issue of Street Rodder

By Stephen K. Anderson

It's been said one's achievement of a goal is only enhanced by the efforts put forth in the accomplishment, and so it's been with the creation of this 1941 Ford convertible. It was 47 years in the making that this exceptional effort has finally come to fruition, fulfilling the dreams of its owner and those who built it.

First discovered languishing in a friend's grandparent's barn when Bob McCary was 15 years old, he jumped at the chance to purchase it for the tidy sum of $35. Within a couple of years Bob had replaced the original Flathead Ford V-8 with a 354 Chrysler Hemi bolted to a Lincoln Zephyr transmission. Armed with only a hacksaw and a hammer, the results were rudimentary and yet rewarding in that everything worked as planned.

While Bob achieved his goals, other endeavors soon took priority and for the next 20 years the convertible sat as-is in Florida at his parents' home. Then in 1983, Bob and his wife, Martha, brought the car up to Birmingham, Alabama, where it was garaged for two more years before finding its way into the basement for two decades. Still, the project was never abandoned and after 43 years Bob became motivated again, but this time he looked to Larry Griffey's Hot Rods & Restorations in Knoxville, Tennessee, to get the job done.

Although it's impossible to see in the near-stock appearance of this '41, numerous modifications were required to achieve the look Bob had in mind. The first came in shaping the frame to suit the requirements of the suspension and drivetrain. To accommodate these alterations the 3/16-inch wall rectangular tube framerails were inset in front to clear the Heidts Hot Rod & Muscle Car Parts suspension united with ShockWave airbags from RideTech. Add in an aluminum rack-and-pinion unit, a sway bar, and Wilwood six-piston calipers clamping 13-inch rotors and the space around the 18x7-inch Billet Specialties Bullet rims and 225/40ZR18 Nitto rubber is tight but right.

In back the 'rails were C-notched to clear the 9-inch Ford axle housings, which have been united with another set of ShockWaves and a sway bar. To maintain an overall balance on 20x8-inch rims and wider 245/40ZR20 Nittos, Wilwood four-piston calipers and 12-inch rotors were added along with stainless steel brake lines pressurized by Wilwood's floor-mounted pedal assembly and master cylinder.

Good thing there's adequate stopping power as the '69 Ford 429 certainly does live up to Bob's visions of performance both past and present. Decked out with Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads beneath a Ford Racing intake manifold and a pair of Edelbrock 500-cfm carburetors, there's no lack of bottom end grunt. Beyond the internal modifications there's a wealth of full dress items, including Ford Racing's chrome valve covers, air cleaner and alternator, and a Griffin aluminum radiator with a powerful Cooling Components electric fan keeping temperatures in check.

A similar treatment has been given to a Ford C-6 automatic transmission fitted with a Dayco torque converter and Lokar shifter. Combined with a Gear Vendors overdrive unit by Johnny Price, this blend of quality hardware and exceptional workmanship has created a car that drives like it looks.

With the chassis and drivetrain ready to go, attention was again turned to refining the body. All surfaces were then prepared for a lustrous coating of PPG Vibrance Cabernet, a beautiful metallic hue that seems bottomless.

Inside it just gets better with '07 Cadillac seats, neighboring doors and kick panels finished off in beautiful beige leather meticulously sewn by Griffey's brother Bobby. When combined with a Billet Specialties steering wheel, Dakota Digital gauges, a Secret Audio 10-CD changer by Custom Autosound, Vintage Air A/C feeding Phipps vents, and a Ron Francis wiring package, its easy to understand Bob's lifelong attraction to his fabulous '41.