Survivor! George Poteet’s 1957 Ford Custom
George Poteet has won just about every award and accomplished just about every hot rodding feat an enthusiast can imagine. His current focus has turned toward having fun and driving cars he can enjoy, which has resulted in a string of survivors being added to his stable. Many of those have been crafted by the Roadster Shop team, including this 1957 Ford Custom, a car George has owned for decades and bought because it resembled one his grandfather owned.
Starting with an older hot rod build that already had a 351 backed by a four-speed, Roadster Shop did what it does so well: outfitted the Ford with a custom-designed frame with a four-bar rear suspension, performance-based IFS, Bilstein coil-over shocks, and big-inch Baer brakes behind 18-inch Forgeline RS-OE1wheels. They did this while keeping everything as original appearing as possible.
Ford fans might frown at the choice of GM LS3 power, but we’re marveling at the way the engine was dressed up like a vintage 390, right down to the fake front-mount distributor. It’s topped with a genuine ’63-vintage Holman-Moody air cleaner assembly and backed by a 4L60 transmission.
A wealth of well-executed details hide the other modern elements on this Ford, from the CON2R steering wheel with an original ’57 Ford horn button, to the one-off dash trim, vintage-style, trunk-mounted battery, and replicated dealer badge on the rear. We encourage you to check out the detailed build photos of this 1957 Ford Custom at on the Roadster Shop website to see more.
Photos by Roadster Shop
