Slide 1

Don’t let the scratches, splotches, and surface rust fool you—this 1936 Ford Tudor barn find was a super-solid car, especially for one that lived in snowy upstate New York all of its life. When Jason Ludwin found it, he bought it even though he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it. It didn’t take long for him to hatch the idea of turning it into an overlanding/adventure vehicle.

Slide 2

Jason had Hitchens Artwork put his vision on paper. With the exception of the rear seats, every idea you see in the renderings made it onto the actual vehicle.

Slide 3

Sights like this are what make old car guys cry. Under 80-odd years of dirt and surface rust, the Ford’s chassis was solid and complete. Everything attached to the frame was given the heave-ho, and the center X-member was removed to make room for the new drivetrain and suspension. And don’t worry—the removed parts found a good home with a friend of Jason’s who is a purist when it comes to hot rodding old Fords.

Slide 4

Here’s the 5.3L LS engine mocked up on the Ford’s frame. Jason boxed the frame rails with 10 gauge steel plates and added new tubular crossmembers for the Turbo 350 transmission, Rock Jock antisway bars, and rear upper shock mounts.

Slide 5

Jason adapted a universal-style three-link front suspension kit to the Ford. It’s a better choice than a four-link as it provides more clearance for headers, oil pans, and steering boxes. Jason fabricated the link bars, panhard/track rod, and steering linkage from 1.25 inch diameter tubing. The air shocks offer 12 inches of travel and are filled with nitrogen gas. They’re lighter than coilovers to reduce unsprung weight; spring rate and ride height are adjusted by changing the nitrogen gas pressure and oil volume.

Jason mixed and matched components to create a custom Rock Jock 32 inch long antisway bar. It’s fully adjustable to improve traction and suspension articulation. The axle is a Dana 30 from a Jeep XJ Cherokee fitted with Yukon Gear 3.73 gears, a Power Stop Z36 disc brake kit, and a G2 differential cover.

Slide 6

The rear suspension is a triangulated four-link with 1.25 inch diameter bars with 7/8 inch heim joints, nitrogen gas-filled air shocks, and a 42 inch Rock Jock antisway bar. The rear axle is a Ford 8.8 out of an V8-powered Explorer that Jason updated with a Yukon Gear 3.73 ring and pinion gear set, Power Stop Z36 disc brakes, and a G2 differential cover. Check out those 16 inch long Trail Gear limit straps.

Slide 7

Jason procured a 2007 5.3L L33 engine to power the Ford. Jason channeled his inner hot rodder and topped the engine with a FiTech Ultimate LS tripower EFI system. Rated at 750 horsepower, the system features three 500 CFM throttle bodies on an LS1 cathedral port-style manifold, 55 lb.-hr. injectors, fuel rails, and a self-learning ECU. The engine is connected to a Turbo 350 transmission and an NP231 transfer case from an XJ Cherokee.

Slide 8

See, we told you the Ford was in great shape. The car was remarkably rust-free, but Jason did replace the floors with Direct Sheetmetal replacement metal, did some repair work on the rockers, and modified the firewall for engine clearance. He also stretched the wheel openings in the fenders for tire clearance, and even installed a foldback fabric sunroof so he could tan the top of his head.

Slide 9

Jason fabricated a roof rack from 3/4 inch tubing to hold the Body Armor 4x4 tent…

Slide 10

…and a spare tire carrier from the same 3/4 inch tubing. Nice work, sir.

Slide 11

Tough-looking, isn’t it? Jason adapted a Body Armor 4x4 stubby-style bumper meant for a Jeep Gladiator to the front of the Ford, then mounted a Mile Marker SEC9.5 winch on the bumper. With a 4.9 horsepower motor and three-stage planetary gears, the winch has a 9,500 pound pull rating and a 210:1 gear ratio. Those bright orange shackles are also from Mile Marker.

Slide 12

The rear bumper is a full-length Body Armor 4x4 model for a JL Wrangler. The Warn VR EVO 8-S winch is on a mount that slides into a Curt Manufacturing Class V receiver hitch welded to the Ford’s frame. The winch has an 8,000 pound pull rating thanks to a powerful series wound motor and a three-stage planetary gear train for faster line speed under load with lower amperage draw.

Jason can fit a six-position Curt Rebellion XD drop-mount trailer hitch or a Curt basket-style cargo carrier in the receiver hitch. The Rebellion hitch is rated for trailers up to 10,000 pounds GTW when using the two inch ball and 15,000 pounds GTW with the 2.5 inch ball.

Slide 13

Rosie Rockabilly stitched the plaid covers for the Mazda 6 bucket seats plus a set of matching sunvisors and floor mats. Jason had the Ford’s dashboard and windshield moldings hydrodipped in a oak wood finish and filled it with a Classic Instruments Velocity Series three-gauge kit. A matching steering wheel sits on a Summit Racing™ Floor Mount Steering column. A Vintage Air Mini Slim Line underdash climate control system keeps everyone cozy when exploring the outback. Jason shifts gears with a Summit Racing™ Floor Mount Shifter.

Slide 14

Jason removed the Ford’s rear seat and built a platform to mount the VIAIR Constant Duty onboard air system; a pair of batteries rated at 600 cold-cranking amps; a battery maintainer and 1,000 watt power inverter; and a 20 gallon fuel cell. Designed to easily fill 37 inch or larger tires, the VIAIR air system has a 100% duty cycle air compressor and a 2.5 gallon air tank. We dig the mesh grille Jason had custom-made.

Slide 15

Literally topping off the Ford is a Body Armor 4x4 Sky Ridge Pike two-person tent. It features reinforced and waterproofed polyester/cotton canvas walls and is roof mounted on 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum tubing with stainless steel hardware. The tent base has an insulated core on a scratch-resistant aluminum deck to keep out the cold, and the whole thing folds up to just 12 inches in height when not in use.