Chuck Johnson's 1952 Ford

A photo of Chuck's Ford from the Dick Page collection. Photo courtesy of Dick Page.

A photo of Chuck's Ford dated May 1959. Photo courtesy of Chuck Johnson.

Photo courtesy of Dick Page.

An old color shot of Chuck's Victoria at an indoor car show. Photo courtesy of Dick Page.

Photo courtesy of Dick Page.

A magazine feature on Chuck's Ford from Northwest Rods.

An interior shot of Chuck's car from the Northwest Rods feature. Photo courtesy of Northwest Rods Magazine.

A front end shot of Chuck's car from the Northwest Rods feature. Photo courtesy of Northwest Rods Magazine.

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1952 Ford Victoria owned by Tacoma Toppers member Chuck Johnson of Tacoma, Washington. The Ford was Chuck's first car, and he spent a year and a half customizing it. The work was done at Well's Custom Shop. The front end was reworked to accept a 1949 Mercury grille shell. Two grille bars from a 1956 Chrysler were installed in the new opening, and the gravel pan was molded into the grille. The front bumper was stripped of all its bolts before it was given a new layer of chrome. The original Ford headlights were replaced with frenched 1952 Mercury headlights. The hood was peaked and received rounded corners to conform the new grille cavity. The rear fenders on Chuck's Ford were extended 3 inches and housed a pair of inverted 1956 Packard tail light lenses. Real scoops were cut out of the rear fenders. These were trimmed with 1953 Mercury teeth. The door handles were shaved and replaced with electric solenoids. An electric solenoid was also used to operate the trunk lid. The rear bumper received a smoothening, just as the front bumper. Chuck installed 1952 Chevrolet side trim on the car. It was lowered 6 inches by reversing the spindles up front and by installing blocks in the rear. The rear of the frame was C'd to restore ride. Painted maroon, the interior featured a white DuPont Plastic upholstery by Bob Shaden of Tacoma. In 2015 Chuck told a reporter from the News Tribune that he wasn't sure what happened to the car; "I believe it was sold to a military family and was totaled. It hurts. You ask yourself, ‘Why did I get rid of it?’ But it was a necessity at the time; I needed the money."