Is there such a thing as a practical custom rod? If so, Lance Overholser's '64 Ford Custom 300 may qualify. With a fuel-injected V-8, overdrive transmission, and sensible suspension, this road-worthy mild custom is as easy to cruise as it is to look at.
It was not always that way. Purchased sight unseen from Lance's boss (whose aunt bought it new), the old Ford had been stored for years and had a wrecked quarter-panel. Still, the original 289 fired right up after charging the battery and Lance drove it home. After installing new quarter-panels and a trunk floor, Lance drove the car from Indiana to his father's shop in Texas, where the extensive overhaul began.
In 10 days' time, Lance, his father Dennis, and friends rebuilt the suspension, added disc brakes from Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation, converted the three-speed to floor shift, swapped a Ford EFI system on the 289, and rewired the car with a Painless Performance harness. (Some of this work was seen in Custom Rodder tech stories.) After driving back to Indiana and installing 17-inch Crager SS wheels and BFGoodrich rubber, Lance cruised along for three stops on the 2004 Hot Rod Power Tour.
It was enough to give Lance road tour fever. Before long he'd torn the car apart and delivered it to Showtyme Auto Body in Galveston, Indiana, where, with the guidance of Bill and Butch Miller, Lance helped shave the emblems and handles, install one-piece door glass with Specialty Power Windows controls, french the taillights, and replace the rusty fenders and hood with fiberglass pieces from Crites Restoration. Lance block sanded, Bill shot the DuPont Skittles Orange and Cool Vanilla hues (both with pearl), and Butch laid out some very subtle ghost flames using different shades of pearl. The smoothed dash was painted to match and fitted with Vintage Air climate control and Auto Meter instruments.
Upon emerging from the paint booth, Lance's father and John Roberts helped install a '99 Ford 4.6L V-8 and five-speed transmission. Then the car was again sent to Texas, where Terry Goetz at Interior Supply & Services assembled a custom cabin using four ISS bucket seats and many yards of cream-colored Ultraleather and orange Ultrasuede. An ididit tilt column, Grant wheel, Lokar shifter, and JVC stereo with Polk speakers made Lance's full trip on the 2005 Power Tour all the more comfortable.
Between June and September 2005, Lance logged more than 8,000 miles in his Ford, pulling down 22 mpg out on the road. "Rock chips and all, it's been great so far," Lance says. "I really enjoy driving the car. It's a lot of fun, easy to drive, and runs great." If that's not the definition of a practical, versatile custom rod, we don't know what is.