Just Cool Cars: This classic Cord became a hot rod
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Just Cool Cars: '36 Cord becomes a hot rod
Ray Simpson of Costa Mesa, Calif., shows Paste BN's Chris Woodyard how he transformed an otherwise classic '36 Cord into a street rod.Video by Dan MacMedan and Leslie Smith/Paste BN
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Some might call it sacrilege. Some might think it's pretty cool.
IRay Simpson of Costa Mesa, Calif., has heard it both ways when it comes to his beloved 1936 Cord. He has poured his heart into the car over the years, transforming the classic into a hot rod.
He says he came across the car in 1973 -- as classic as they come with its "coffin hood" that distinguished Cords. He bought it, but became damaged and rather than painstakingly restoring it to mint condition, he was lured to the dark side -- and hot rodded it instead.
We caught up to Simpson at a weekly car show here. The hot rod Cord still attractted attention wherever it goes.