Gene Winfield's 1935 Ford Shop Truck
Featured Story - Gene Winfield
1935 Ford Truck originally owned and restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop of Modesto, California.
Contents
Custom Moficiations
The 35 Ford was Gene's second shop truck, and when he got it, half of the kustomizing had been done by Rick Lefelt. Modifications included rear fenders from a 1939 Chevrolet and a grille made of 1/4 inch chrome-plated rods. In March of 1960 Gene's truck was shown at the Kustom Kar Kapades in Monterey, Calfiornia. In the souvenir program for the show, there is a photo of the car with steelies fit with a bullet in the center, but without the custom-made hubcaps. This version of the car was painted in a copper-bronze color. The same year it was also entered at the 3rd annual Renegades Rod & Custom Motorama. According to the program, the car was chopped 3 1/2 inches and powered by a full house chromed Mercury flathead V8.[5] The truck was often driven to the shows where Gene Winfield displayed it. If he didn't drive it, it was mostly flat towed behind Gene's other shop truck, a 1958 Ford Pickup. It was also used to tow the Jade Idol around.
Candy Red Highlights
After going through boxes of photos with Gene Winfield, Hot Rod Deluxe Magazine discovered some pictures of the truck taken in August 1962. In the pictures, the truck featured candy red highlights on the fenders. The candy red paint was used to cover up damage around the fenders' edges, resulting from driving it on the road.
TwiceNice
Before the 1963 show season Gene repainted the truck, this time with 40 coats of candy blue lacquer over a pearl base. Inside, the dashboard was pinstriped by Tommy the Greek. The second iteration of the truck was called "TwiceNice."
Sold to Oregon
After showing the second version of the truck for a couple of years, Gene decided to put it up for sale. The truck was listed in the classifieds section in Hot Rod Magazine November 1963. The truck's price was $1875, and according to the ad, it featured Chrysler Wires and a Corvette engine. It was eventually sold to a guy named Buddy from Oregon in 1965. He traded it for a Thunderbird and cash. After Buddy bought it, he showed it a few times. Buddy changed the truck's appearance by having it painted with flames and pinstriping. After that, it was involved in a minor wreck. Dee Wescott was responsible for repairing the truck again after the accident. After that, it seemed to disappear from the public eye. For many years the truck was stored away in a barn. In 2006, it was pulled out of the barn and parked outside. After spending the next two years in the elements, it was sold to Gary Hatfield of Hatfield Restorations in 2008.
Restored by Hatfield Restorations
After buying the truck, Gary towed it to Hatfield Restorations in Canton, Texas, for a complete, detailed, historic restoration back to Gene Winfield's first iteration. In May of 2009, the restoration was well underway, and the truck had been completely torn down and was being blasted and repaired. The only rust found on the car during the restoration was in the rocker panels and the front of the bed. Before and during its restoration, the truck was displayed at various hot rod and kustom related shows. October 2009, the frame restoration was completed, and the motor was back in the car. H&H Flatheads was responsible for the engine's restoration. The body was then almost ready for paint, requiring a few more weeks of block sanding. On November 15, 2009, six and a half weeks before the Grand National Roadster Show, the bed and body returned from paint, and the guys at Hatfield Restoration could continue to assemble the pickup. January 29, 2010, the newly restored shop truck made its debut at the 61st Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California.
Magazine Features
Rodding and Re-styling August 1960
Spotlite Book 532 Custom Pickups
Trend Book 205 Restyle Your Car
Hot Rod Magazine November 1963
Hot Rod Deluxe May 2009
Sources
The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield
The HAMB - GENE WINFIELD SHOP TRUCK FOUND (official restoration thread)
References
Did you enjoy this article?
Kustomrama is an encyclopedia dedicated to preserve, share and protect traditional hot rod and custom car history from all over the world.
- Help us keep history alive. For as little as 2.99 USD a month you can become a monthly supporter. Click here to learn more.
- Subscribe to our free newsletter and receive regular updates and stories from Kustomrama.
- Do you know someone who would enjoy this article? Click here to forward it.
Can you help us make this article better?
Please get in touch with us at mail@kustomrama.com if you have additional information or photos to share about Gene Winfield's 1935 Ford Shop Truck.
This article was made possible by:
SunTec Auto Glass - Auto Glass Services on Vintage and Classic Cars
Finding a replacement windshield, back or side glass can be a difficult task when restoring your vintage or custom classic car. It doesn't have to be though now with auto glass specialist companies like www.suntecautoglass.com. They can source OEM or OEM-equivalent glass for older makes/models; which will ensure a proper fit every time. Check them out for more details!
Do you want to see your company here? Click here for more info about how you can advertise your business on Kustomrama.
