Mike McAuliffe's 1940 Ford

1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan owned by Mike McAuliffe of Moraga, California. Restyled by East Bay Speed & Custom, the car is also known as "The Second Time Around." Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

A photo of Mike with his 1946 Ford business coupe in 1959. This was Mike's high school ride, and the car that introduced him to hot rodding in the 1950s. He bought the car from money he had earned mopping floors at a local pharmacy after school. It featured a loaded flathead and bodywork by Darryl Hollenbeck's grandfather. Photo courtesy of Mike McAuliffe.

Mike and Brandon Flaner originally purchased the together car as a was a well-preserved factory-black-paint car in 2013. A year prior to buying the forty, Brandon started up East Bay Speed & Custom, a hot rod and custom body and restoration shop in Concord, California. Busy running the shop, work on the fordor stalled, and Brandon convinced Mike to take over the project the same year. They started the build by notching the frame in the back. Reverse eye leaf springs and a four-inch dropped axle were also installed in order to achieve a proper cruising stance. In 2016 the back of the car was modified to accept a 1946 Ford gas door, 1941 Studebaker taillights and a 1940 Mercury bumper. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

The body stripped for loose parts and paint. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

During the rebuild, the top corners of the deck lid and the top rear corners of the back doors were rounded. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

The body in primer with the 1940 Chevrolet fender skirts installed. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

During the rebuild, the original engine was scrapped in favor of a French flathead block. Flathead guru Rick Hall was called on to build the engine, and the French block was ported, relieved and bored .125 over. A SCAT 4-1/4 inch stroker crank and rods and Ross 3-5/16 inch pistons were installed, producing 293-inches of displacement. Brandon painted the engine and transmission 1950 Ford Palisade Green. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Brandon in the paint booth getting ready to cover the car in a 1950 Mercury Everglade Green color. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

The engine was dressed up with polished Navarro heads, a Cyclone intake manifold, and three Stromberg 97s. A vintage Harman & Collins magneto provided the spark. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Mike installed a beautiful Crestliner steeringwheel in the car. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Bob Divine at Divine's Custom Upholstery stitched and installed a matching two-tone early 1950s style Oxford Green and cream Naugahyde tuck'n'roll interior in the car. Matching cream piping traversing was also installed in the headliner. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

The build was completed in 2017, two days before the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona. During the build, the car took on the moniker "The Second Time Around," because it marked a few second chances in Mike's life. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

The car won the H&H Best Dressed Flathead award at the 2017 Grand National Roadster Show. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

The trunk was also upholstered by Divine's Custom Upholstery. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

An iteration of the Ford displayed without the fenderskirts. Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

At the 2017 Sacramento Autorama Mike's fordor won the Dick Bertolucci Automotive Excellence Award. After the show, Paul Garson interviewed Bertolucci for a story in the Rodder's Journal. "When I first walked through the show door, the car was sitting there and it hit me really hard and I thought, "my God, look at this '40 Ford." And I'm a Chevrolet guy to boot. It took my eye right off the bat," Bertolucci told Garson. The interview was published in Rodder’s Journal 76; "Yes, it was a very unusual car to start with, but the quality of the workmanship couldn't be overlooked. I look for things people don't look for...fit and finish and workmanship...which covers a lot. And yet, I was very fussy, and I look for perfection. it's not a matter of how much, it's a matter of how well. With this car, there were no flaws in the workmanship, no gaps of any kind. Everything fit! There were millions of cars in that show, but it was the first time a semi-stocker, something not channeled or sectioned or chopped did what it did. To take a stock four-door sedan and put it into that condition...just beautiful." Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Speed & Custom.

Steve Coonan shot the car for The Rodder's Journal, and it was featured in Rodder’s Journal 76 in 2017. Photo courtesy of Rodder's Journal.

Mike is running Firestone 3 1/4 Inch Whitewall 600-16 Tires on the Ford. Click here to check price and availability for the same tires on Amazon.com.

1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan owned by Shiftmisters of Lafayette member Mike McAuliffe of Pleasant Hill, California. Restyled by East Bay Speed & Custom, the car is also known as "The Second Time Around."

The 1952 Nor Cal Look

Mike originally purchased the car together with Brandon Flaner as a was a well-preserved factory-black-paint car in 2013. A year prior to buying the forty, Flaner started up East Bay Speed & Custom, a hot rod and custom body and restoration shop in Concord, California. Busy running the shop, work on the fordor stalled, and Brandon convinced Mike to take over the project the same year. Mike got into hot rods in the 1950s, when he was driving a 1946 Ford business coupe to high school.

Brandon started the build by notching the frame in the back. Reverse eye leaf springs and a four-inch dropped axle were also installed in order to achieve a proper cruising stance. Mike enjoyed the forty like this for a couple of years before he and Brandon agreed on taking it to the next level in May of 2016. Grounded in history and Mike's roots, they decided to give the car a circa 1952 "Nor Cal Look." "A lot of the inspiration came from Dick Falk, who was doing things like this in the 1940s," Brandon told Paul Garson of the Rodder's Journal when he was interviewing him for a story about the car.

Body Modifications

At East Bay Speed & Custom the body was mildly restyled and cleaned up. Brandon shaved the trim along the leading edge of the hood before the beltline trim was shortened 12 inches. 1940 Ford Standard headlight doors painted the same color as the body replaced the chromed DeLuxe units. The deck lid was shaved and the license plate was relocated to the rear bumper. A pair of 1940 Mercury bumpers were added, along with 1940 Chevrolet fender skirts, a 1946 Ford gas door, and a pair of 1941 Studebaker taillights.

The Second Time Around

At this point, Mike was still driving the fordor, with most of the bodywork done and in primer. They began talking about spotting in some black to match the original paint, but then things escalated, and the car was disassembled and stripped down to bare metal. During the rebuild, the top corners of the deck lid and the top rear corners of the back doors were rounded before Brandon painted the car in a 1950 Mercury Everglade Green color. The firewall and inner fenders were painted a modified PPG Wimbledon White.

Viva La France

During the rebuild, the original engine was scrapped in favor of a French flathead block. Flathead guru Rick Hall was called on to build the engine, and the French block was ported, relieved and bored .125 over. A SCAT 4-1/4 inch stroker crank and rods and Ross 3-5/16 inch pistons were installed, producing 293-inches of displacement. Brandon painted the engine 1950 Ford Palisade Green before it was dressed up with polished Navarro heads, a Cyclone intake manifold, and three Stromberg 97 carburetors. A vintage Harman & Collins magneto provided the spark. The engine compartment was further dressed up with plenty of chrome, including details such as chromed hinges. The engine was hooked to a 1940 Ford transmission and a Columbia two-speed rearend.

Divine's Custom Upholstery

Bob Divine at Divine's Custom Upholstery was called on to stitch and install a matching two-tone early 1950s style Oxford Green and cream Naugahyde tuck'n'roll interior. Matching cream piping traversing was also installed in the headliner. Brandon painted the dash Everglade Green and a modified PPG Wimbledon White before he installed an accessory Stewart-Warner overdrive speed changer, a Crestliner steering wheel, 1946 Ford commercial gauges, chromed dash trim, chromed knobs, and chromed garnish moldings. Sherm's Custom Plating took care of the chromework. Running 16-inch 1940 Ford wheels, it was dressed up with 6.00 x 16 Firestone piecrust whitewall tires and restored National Hollywood flipper hubcaps. Just as the engine, the wheels were also painted 1950 Ford Palisade Green.

Grand National Roadster Show Debut

The build was completed in 2017, two days before the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. At the show, Mike's Ford took home the PPG's Outstanding Paint award, the Street Rodder's Pick, H&H Best Dressed Flathead award, and the First Place trophy for Custom Rod Sedan '35 -'48. During the build, the car took on the moniker "The Second Time Around," because it marked a few second chances in Mike's life.

The Dick Bertolucci Automotive Excellence Award

At the 2017 Sacramento Autorama Mike's fordor won the Dick Bertolucci Automotive Excellence Award. After the show, Paul Garson interviewed Bertolucci for a story in the Rodder's Journal. "When I first walked through the show door, the car was sitting there and it hit me really hard and I thought, "my God, look at this '40 Ford." And I'm a Chevrolet guy to boot. It took my eye right off the bat," Bertolucci told Garson. The interview was published in Rodder’s Journal 76; "Yes, it was a very unusual car to start with, but the quality of the workmanship couldn't be overlooked. I look for things people don't look for...fit and finish and workmanship...which covers a lot. And yet, I was very fussy, and I look for perfection. it's not a matter of how much, it's a matter of how well. With this car, there were no flaws in the workmanship, no gaps of any kind. Everything fit! There were millions of cars in that show, but it was the first time a semi-stocker, something not channeled or sectioned or chopped did what it did. To take a stock four-door sedan and put it into that condition...just beautiful." The same year, Mike's Ford did also become one of the Goodguys Custom of the Year finalists at the 2017 All American Get-Together.

Teamwork

In 2019 Mike told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that he enjoys driving a powerful Flathead powered hot rod. "We built if for that purpose and it turned out to be a fantastic show winner as well. Working with Brandon was a real joy and privilege. He is so highly skilled and runs a personable, professional shop focused on a team of the car owner and himself. I never had one concern or quibble about any of the build. It incorporated some of my desires and ideas and the same was contributed by Brandon. The Bertolucci trophy award nails his work and says it all. East Bay Speed & Custom RULES!"

Mike's Custom Parts List

• Tires: Firestone 3 1/4 Inch Whitewall 600-16 - Check price and availability on Amazon.com
• Hubcaps: National Hollywood Flipper Hubcaps - Check availability on eBay

Magazine Features and Appearances

Rodder’s Journal 76