We always love to hear the details behind the construction of a classic, knowing that sometimes the story behind the truck can be as interesting as the truck itself! Dale Dinse is a custom car and truck builder in Crossville, Tennessee, who has created more than 100 unique rides for customers over the years. He’s also a self-described “Corvette Nut,” having owned 17 of Chevrolet’s finest in the past. How did this beautiful 1940 Ford make its way into the Dinse collection? Actually, it was Dale’s wife, Jackie, who bought the truck. When they were still dating, Jackie saw an ad for the truck when the couple was visiting Baltimore, Maryland. Stopping on the way to the airport, they looked at the truck and Jackie was so impressed, she bought it on the spot! The next question was, how do we get it home? Fortunately, the owner had a friend in the Amtrak business and they put the truck aboard the Auto Train, delivering it to Sanford, Florida, not far from their home at the time. Naturally, when you find a gal with her own toolbox you marry her, and Dale did just that. He finished the work on Jackie’s 1934 Ford sedan and then, he says with a smile, “I sorta took over the newly acquired 1940.”
The bone-stock little truck needed a new powertrain along with an upgraded suspension so the first change was a bored 355 Chevy TPI V-8 and 700-R4 transmission. A new Mustang II frontend with Unisteer power rack-and-pinion steering, Heidts tubular control arms, and power disc brakes created lightning-quick responsiveness up front. In the rear, parallel leaf springs and air shocks hold the Lincoln Versailles rear, fitted with Positraction, disc brakes, and 3.55 gears, a combination strong enough to plant the power from the modified Chevy. A Bob Drake 14-gallon steel gas tank replaced the original. Once all the new underpinnings were complete, the rejuvenated truck was quick and handled like a slot car. Dale painted it flat black and the highly recognizable little Ford became his shop truck for almost a dozen years.
Dale retired from the custom car business a while back in order to work on some of his own projects and that’s when the 1940 got a complete makeover. The changes he originally made to the suspension and powertrain held up beautifully, so he concentrated on the dozens of styling details that set this truck apart. Knowledgeable truck guys will tell you to be very careful when it comes to modifying the 1940 Ford since the looks are already close to perfect. Aware of the rules but sure of his abilities, Dale proceeded with caution, executing the subtle 1.5-inch top chop without disturbing the ’40s iconic look. At the same time he added a larger rear window from a 1938 Ford for increased visibility, then smoothed the driprails and flush-fitted the windshield. Both doors were shaved and suicided, now featuring tiny rocker panels added along the bottoms. Up front, the Ford uses 7-inch Diamond Cut Tri-Bar headlights along with an aftermarket Alumicraft grille that reinforces the classic lines of the truck. “I always wanted it to be recognizable as a 1940 Ford when you saw it,” Dale comments. The bed also received lots of attention, beginning with traditional oak planks and stainless steel strips but subtle changes are everywhere. Both ends of the bed were flared, with the front closely following the curved contours of the cab. The rear rails received a matching outward curve as well. Adding his own spin, Dale created a lockable storage compartment hidden in the bed floor and for a nostalgic touch, installed a cool, painted-to-match miniature cooler. Ultraleather panels that match the interior were incorporated into the bed sides. Keeping everything weatherproof, the custom-made tonneau cover uses billet hinges and a pair of linear actuators on a remote. Dale added an inset license plate opening in the rolled rear pan, designed a new custom housing for the modern LED taillights, and cut side exhaust openings in both running boards. The bumpers were scrapped to showcase all the new clean lines. Dozens of tiny refinements to the vintage sheetmetal got all the gaps tighter than when the truck first rolled off the assembly line.
The unique, almost Art Deco interior started as an image in Dale’s mind. “I don’t draw anything on paper. I just know what I want it to look like and I go to work.” He bent the 1/2-inch conduit that runs across the dash and down, creating a vertical dash to hold the Dolphin Shark instrument package. The tubing forms a center console that creates a waterfall between the Pontiac Fiero bucket seats, now covered in Carmel Ultraleather. A custom overhead console holds the controls for the Dual stereo entertainment package with component sets in the center console as well as inset into the headliner. Giving the driver a good grip, a Grant Mahogany wheel sits on an ididit stainless column and a Lokar shifter controls the automatic transmission. A Southern Air A/C unit keeps Jackie and Dale cool and comfortable during warm Tennessee nights.
The final step was paint and Dale, also being an avid Harley fan, sprayed the truck a combination of House of Kolor Bittersweet Orange and black, separated by purple and gold pinstriping of his own design. The 18×8 and 20×9.5 Billet Specialties Dagger wheels get the truck rolling and fill the wheelwells perfectly. We photographed the truck at the NSRA Southeast Nationals in Tampa where the truck won the Best Use of Color pick. The rejuvenated 1940 took about 2 1/2 years of concentrated work and Dale did everything but upholster the pair of bucket seats (thanks Dave Lewallen). What’s next? Now that it’s done, the next item on Dale’s agenda is starting on his 1950 Ford convertible this winter.
Facts & Figures
1940 Ford
Jackie and Dale Dinse
Chassis
Frame: boxed original
Rear End/Ratio: 1978 Lincoln Versailles / Positraction / 3.55
Rear Suspension: parallel leaf springs and air shocks
Rear Brakes: Lincoln 10.5-inch discs
Front Suspension: Mustang II
Front Brakes: Mustang 9.5-inch discs
Steering Box: Unisteer power rack-and-pinion
Front Wheels: Billet Specialties Dagger, 18×8
Rear Wheels: Billet Specialties Dagger, 20×9.5
Front Tires: Nitto 235/40-ZR18
Rear Tires: Nitto 245/40-ZR20
Gas Tank: Bob Drake 14-gallon steel
Drivetrain
Engine: 355ci Chevy V-8, Street and Performance serpentine pulleys, electric fan, 100-amp alternator, painted Pearl Orange
Heads: factory Chevrolet
Valve Covers: chrome ball milled with matching air cleaner
Manifold/Induction: Corvette Tune Port injection
Ignition: GM with Taylor wires
Headers: Headman coated block hugger headers
Exhaust / Mufflers: 2.25-inch exhaust / Hush Power by Flowmaster
Transmission: GM 700-R4 with 2000 stall speed
Shifter: tall Lokar with skull
Body
Style: Ford pickup
Modifications: 1.5-inch top chop, suicide doors that were shortened with small rocker panels Added, ’38 Ford rear window, smooth driprails, flush fit windshield, hidden door hinges, smoked safety glass, gas filler in left rear fender, side exhausts in running boards
Fenders Front / Rear: Ford steel
Hood: steel smoothed
Grille: Alumicraft
Bed: modified bed rails, front of bed contoured to fit the rear cab wall, rear contoured to match, hidden tailgate latches, Pro’s Pick tailgate straps, custom-made Tonneau cover with electric lifts, hidden storage in bed floor, custom ’50s-style cooler, rolled rear pan with inset license plate
Bodywork and Paint By: Dale Dinse, Crossville, TN
Paint Type / Color: HOK Bittersweet Orange and black
Headlights / Taillights: 7-inch tri-bar diamond-cut headlights / 1937 Ford taillights with LED conversion
Bumpers: none
Interior
Dashboard: custom
Gauges: Dolphin Shark
Air Conditioning: Southern Air
Stereo: dual head unit with speakers in the center console and headliner
Steering Wheel: Grant Mahogany
Steering Column: ididit
Seats: Pontiac Fiero
Upholstery By: Dale Dinse and David Lewallen, Cleveland, TN
Material/Color: Carmel Ultraleather
Carpet: Burnt Orange tight loop
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