There ain’t much that separates Hot-rodders from Honda Boys… other than the decade.

Alex McGinnis is a longbeard type of guy from Kentucky. He lives in Louisville… and he’s from Louisville. Tennessee whiskey & Kentucky bourbon. This is bootlegger country. And this is Alex’s ’40 Ford. 

American hotrod

See, we don’t necessarily need AncestryDNA kits to tie us to our past. Not if our eyes are open. And for a lot of us reading this mag… cars speak to us. They really do. Some cars were just made with heart, soul, and character… and we pick up on that. A lot of people don’t hear it… but we can’t help but hear it. Cars like this have a look, a demeanor, an attitude. They’re stoic. Cars are moving reflections of their generation. 80 years ago, someone bought this car new with a handshake, and a bunch of hope/excitement. That happened. And then a war happened shortly after. 

What was that person like?

Did they have a family? Who rode in this car in the last 80 years? Did they hold their arm out the passenger window catching the wind on a Summer drive… and dream of their future? 

When some people want to feel history, they read a book, or they watch a documentary, or maybe go antiquing. But for hot-rodder mentalities like us… we learn through touch and bond. Through building. 

We’re drawn to the car, because we feel its presence. When you touch it, when you’re behind the wheel, when the light comes through the windshield  & bounces off the dash in that certain way… you feel a flash of an era. 

Cars are truly unique, in their ability to make you feel history beyond words… and do it through motion. 

Text by Wooley     Photos by Sam Igel II

Alex McGinnis’s ’40 Ford Deluxe 2dr @alexmcginnis09

1969 small block Chevy 350 engine (donated from a friend)

Edelbrock carb

Mallory distributor

TH350 transmission (donated from another friend)

Original frame boxed with Mustang II front end

Parallel leaf Ford 9” rear end with brakes from a 70’s Lincoln

S10 front disc brakes

15×4 & 16×8 Billet Specialties Legacy wheels

Ford coupe