Doug Bingham's sweet '39 custom...

Two or more show awards can’t be wrong...

Doug Bingham’s custom ’39 steals the show

Whenever you go to a major car show and one out of 5,000 cars stands-out to you, that really says something about that car. That’s apparently how Rod Authority felt about Doug Bingham’s ’39 Ford. Out of several cars that had appeared at Temecula’s annual rod meet in the streets of the city’s “old town” section, this was the custom that most stood-out to them.

Much to the dismay of many Ford enthusiasts, Bingham’s ’39 is actually an LS conversion; powered by what is essentially a stock LS1 with a Weiand intake and EFI, along with an ignition from Street Performance, Bingham’s Ford is set up to run on pump gas while stealing both hearts and awards from many a custom rod venue. As a matter of fact, Bingham’s street rod, built by Southtown Street Rods of South Coffeyville, Oklahoma, has been the recipient of the “Fine Nine” award at Darryl Starbird’s Hall of Fame Nation Championship Rod and Custom Show in Tulsa back in 2007. It has also received the Builders Choice Award at the 2010 Goodguys show in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2008, the beautiful custom was invited to participate in Blackie’s Frenso Autorama, and that same year it was chosen to be parked at Meguiar’s booth at the LA Roadster Show.

With these kinds of paint schemes and such prominent accolades, it’s really no wonder how Doug’s Bingham’s awesome ’39 coupe came to be one of the street rod scene’s top representatives. Also, Bingham’s car says something about how the hot-rodding scene as a whole has gravitated toward the LS and Hemi motors of the late-model performance world. With a show-quality finish combined with fuel-injected efficiency, the future of show rods is not hard to see within the reflection that beams bright off of this tangerine, ’39 Ford custom.

- Sal Alaimo Jr., B. A. (7/7/11)

S. J. A.