Hot To The Touch: Frank Francese’s 1940 Ford Coupe

Spend enough time at any car show, and eventually you’ll find something that catches your eye and won’t let go. That’s precisely what happened to us when we first lay witness to this tricked-out 1940 Ford Deluxe owned by Frank Francese.

Francese, a resident of Lakeside, California, was out at the Del Mar Racetrack as a participant in the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals. We got to talking with the man and got to learn about how he came to own the car and what he’s had done to it, as well as its road manners.

“It came out of somewhere in the Midwest, I want to say Wichita or Kansas City,” said Francese. “It wound up in Mills Valley, way up north near San Francisco, and a gentleman sold it to a friend of mine. Then, six years ago, I bought it from my friend and took it home.”

As for the “why” behind his wanting the car, however, Francese chalked it up to something akin to destiny. “My wife’s mother’s first brand new car was a ’40 Ford coupe, and it was the vehicle that brought my wife home from the hospital when she was born,” he explained. “Then there was the fact that I used to own a ’40 Ford coupe when I was in high school. So I didn’t really have to do any convincing for her, it was a done deal.”

With his past in hot rods and car collecting, Francese was no stranger to what he wants and likes in a classic. Since coming into ownership of the coupe, it’s received new wheels, some pinstriping, and other “fine-tuning” treatments. It already had a Chevy 350ci V8, Turbo 350 transmission, Mustang II front end, and Vintage Air air conditioning, not to mention its killer deep purple paint job.

And for the time being, that’s all it takes to make Francese happy; he doesn’t have plans to mod the car anymore than where it stands today. “It goes to all the cruise shows down here,” he said. “Rides good, sounds good, it’s fun to drive!”

Like the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” We at Rod Authority can definitely understand that notion, and we’re happy to see vintage cruisers like these get their day in the sun. Godspeed, Frank!