Jeff Boone was 11 years old when his grandfather gifted him a 1936 Ford. That was in 1973. This past weekend, the car won Custom d’Elegance honors at the Sacramento Autorama at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds.
The show, which has been running for 70 years, gives its top honors, the Custom d’Elegance award, to the best “chopped, channeled and sectioned” vehicle from 1935-1948 “that embodies the true spirit of a classic custom,” event organizers said.
Boone’s winning ’36 Ford was purchased originally, in 1941, by his grandfather, who began modifying the car to promote his used-car dealerships.
“After being submerged in a flood, the car sat unused until it was gifted to Boone in 1973,” show organizers noted.
Though only age 11, Boone began collecting parts and over the years rebuilt and further customized the car, which made its official show debut at the Sacramento Autorama.
The car has a 221cid Ford engine and ’39 Ford 3-speed transmission. The roof has been chopped 3 inches, door corners rounded, B-pillars slanted and numerous other custom touches applied.
“For the Sacramento Autorama’s 70th anniversary, we gathered some of the greatest customs of all time,” John Buck, owner of Rod Shows and producer of the Sacramento Autorama, was quoted in the show news release. “Each of the cars here represented the pinnacle of their respective categories – the best of the hobby.”
Other top award winners at the show included Glenn Black’s 1949 Mercury as King of Kustoms and H.A. Bagdasarian’s 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline as “World’s Most Beautiful Custom.”
Yeah … It’s really a legend car! Simply space! Once in my life I saw him live. That was awesome