Tord Enström's 1939 Ford Tudor Sedan

The Tudor was Tord's first hot rod. It was Staffan Runhag who tipped him about the Tudor in 1971. Working on and off the car, he completed the build around 1983. Photo from The Tord Enström Collection.

Tord did most of the work on the tudor himself. "I painted it black at the school where I worked in 1982. The following year, Staffan and I painted the flames with a small Humbrol paint gun. That took three weeks of working evenings. Ivve Hallberg pinstriped the flames baby blue."Photo from The Tord Enström Collection.

Photo from The Tord Enström Collection.

1939 Ford Tudor Sedan owned and built by Tord Enström of Enköping, Sweden. In 1971, after building a couple of motorcycles, Enström's attention turned towards hot rods, starting with the Tudor Sedan. Reflecting on this transition, Enström recounted to Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2020, "I bought it from Åkers Styckebruk in Strängnäs." The car, equipped with a broken down 60 horsepower flathead V8, was ripe for transformation.

Overcoming Challenges: The Tudor's Evolution

Without a garage, progress on the Tudor was initially slow. Enström began by separating the body from the frame and sandblasting the frame. He then embarked on repairing the rusted body. "1975, I got a 1936 Ford Cabriolet project for Christmas from Staffan Runhag. I built a house with a big garage 1976 - 1978." This period was crucial for Enström, as it allowed him to resume and intensify his work on the Tudor.

The Art of Perfection: Finalizing the Tudor

The Tudor's transformation was a testament to Enström's meticulous approach. "I painted it black at the school where I worked in 1982. The following year, Staffan and I painted the flames with a small Humbrol paint gun. That took three weeks of working evenings. Ivve Hallberg pinstriped the flames baby blue." The Tudor was powered by a modified Mercury flathead 59A engine with three Stromberg 97 carburetors and Ford Comet heads. It featured widened 1939 Ford 15-inch wheels at the back and 14-inch wheels at the front.

Recognition and Parting

The Tudor's unveiling was a resounding success, securing second place in the Closed Class at the 1983 Hot Rod Show. In 1986, the Tudor found a new home with Pål Otto Aspen of Trondheim, Norway.