Very wicked, yes indeed! Most '35-40 fat-fendered Fords need very little work done to improve their looks-but stance is the thing that's going to make or break one of these beauties. In our case, there's nothing more sinister than the vision of a down-in-the-weeds killer '36 five-window coupe.
I would slam this puppy down hard, using full independent suspension front and rear. (Yeah, I can hear the "traditional" crowd gasping right now!). I want this bad boy to handle as well as it looks. Let's add big 12-inch disc brakes on all four corners, and lots of rubber. Modify the frame accordingly to accept a nice 401 or 425 Buick Nailhead-twin four aspirated-and sprinkle the engine bay with glitter and bling. I like shiny. Don't forget a fully prepped 700-R4 trans and a big ol' 9-inch Ford out in the rear.
Body mods? Well, aside from the obvious body slam, whack a bunch off the top. Two to 3 1/2 inches is just enough for style and wind resistance. Remove all unneeded body trim, shave the doors, and pancake the hood. Louvers are an option. Radius the fender lips and corners and give it the custom touch of molding and grafting '39 Chevy headlights into the front fenders. I want a hint of Westergard here. Rear taillights are a custom spin as well, with a set of flush-mounted cat eye-style lenses.
Mount some stock-style wheels, 15s or 16s up front and 17s or 18s in the rear. No caps or rings-just a simple spider treatment for effect. I would paint the car deep blue black and shoot the steelies in a butterscotch/pumpkin yellow orange. Subtle, not screaming. Follow the color scheme into the interior, courtesy of your favorite stitcher.
Let's roll!