Nick De Simon's 1940 Ford

A construction photo of Nick's coupe, taken in front of De Simon Auto Body in the mid 1950s. When this photo was taken, the car had been chopped, channeled, and shaved for door handles. The engine and front sheet metal are off, so the ass is on the ground. Nick and his buddy John Hanson are posing with the car. Nick is the guy in front of the car, while John is leaning against the cowl. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

Another construction photo of the Ford taken at De Simon Auto Body. The front sheet metal and fenderskirts had been installed when this photo was taken, raising the rear of the car a little. Nick's brother-in-law, John Zotynia, recalled that the coupe was built during weekends, nights, and in Nick's spare time. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

Nick mixed the paint for the coupe himself, and it was painted at his dad's shop. John remembers that the car looked dark blue at night and eggplant-purple during the day. "A beautiful color." Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

Nick completed the build around 1957, and it was dressed up with shortened sidetrim, whitewall tires, full Moon Discs, and a custom made front nerf bar. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

The deck lid was welded shut and molded-in, and it ran a bigger rear window. The original taillights were welded shut and replaced with 1955 Imperial taillights that Nick mounted on the deck. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

Nick installed short lake pipes on the coupe that ran along the rear fenders. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

A color photo of Nick with the coupe. The car was mostly driven around town, and John recalled that Nick didn't bother to take it to shows. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

Nick never came around to do the interior, so it was rather rough inside when he sold it. As so many other East Coast customs, Nick's coupe ended its life at the junker. Photo courtesy of Nick De Simon, provided by John Zotynia.

1940 Ford coupe, owned and restyled by Nick De Simon of Teaneck, New Jersey.

Chopped and Channeled

Nick's dad ran De Simon Auto Body in Jersey City, and Nick worked for his dad in the shop. In 2015, Nick's brother-in-law, John Zotynia, told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that Nick was a fabulous body man and fabricator, and that he always had a customized car. A construction photo of the coupe, taken in the mid 1950s, shows it with a chopped top and a deeply channeled body. When the photo was taken, the car had no engine or front sheet metal, so the ass was down on the ground. When the engine and front came back on, the rear of the car was raised a little, but it was still very low. The car was built at De Simon Auto Body, during weekends, nights, and in Nick's spare time. It was completed around 1957, featuring a bigger rear window. The deck lid was welded shut and molded-in, and it ran fenderskirts in the rear. It was nosed, decked, and shaved for door handles. The original headlights were kept, while the original taillights were welded shut and replaced with 1955 Imperial taillights that Nick mounted on the welded shut deck.

Custom Mixed Paint

Inside, Nick installed a narrowed 1951 Ford dash. He mixed the paint for it himself, and it was painted at his dad's shop. John remembers that the car looked dark blue at night and eggplant-purple during the day. "A beautiful color." Nick kept the original driveline, and it was powered by a flathead V8. It was dressed up with whitewall tires and full Moon Discs, a front nerf bar bumper, shortened side trim, and short lake pipes that ran along the rear fenders.

Sold and Junked

The car was sold locally in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Nick never came around to do the interior, so it was rather rough inside when he sold it. As so many other East Coast customs, Nick's coupe ended its life at the junker. The car was mostly driven around town, and John recalled that Nick didn't bother to take it to shows.