This 1937 Ford Cabriolet was acquired by Bill Victor in May 1976 and was modified by Gene Winfield in the mid-1980s. Mr. Victor is said to have dubbed the car “The Rabbit” and kept it through his passing. A hot rod shop acquired the car in 2011, and the selling dealer purchased it in 2019. The car features trimmed-down doors, a raked windshield, modified factory convertible top, and shaved body seams. Power is provided by a later Mercury flathead V8 backed by a 3-speed manual transmission, and the seller has serviced the brake system, replaced one of the water pumps, and more detailed below. This Ford is now offered by the selling dealer with invoices from Gene Winfield and the previous owners, a California blue plate, and a clean California title.

Body modifications include lowered upper doors, a raked factory windshield, and revised running boards which protrude less from the bodywork than the factory items. The front and rear fenders have been re-contoured to meet the modified running boards, and the car retains factory headlights and blue-dot taillights.

A 29-minute walk-around and drive video is viewable above. The body has been refinished in blue, which the seller notes shows some stress cracks and touched-up marks. Attached invoices show that Gene Winfield removed and leaded the body seams, and straightened and corrected other bodywork issues with the car.

The convertible top has been modified to meet the raked-back windshield, and the chrome top mechanism and cloth inner lining are shown in the gallery below. The steel wheels are fitted with 1937 Ford wheel covers with V8 logos, and Firestone wide whitewall tires are fitted to the four road wheels and the spare. Per the seller, the previous owners leveled the ride-height as Mr. Victor had the car set up with a reverse rake.

The brown velour upholstery originally fitted for Mr. Victor was removed in favor of pleated white leather with black carpets. The factory upper door trim has been retained through the door modifications, and a cassette radio is fitted to a custom panel in the glovebox. The radio is not currently functional, nor is the rear-mounted power antenna.

The car retains a factory banjo-spoke steering wheel, and a non-functional clock and factory AM radio are mounted in the faux-wood dash. Instrumentation includes a 100-mph speedometer and a combination gauge housing the temperature, fuel level, amperage, and oil pressure gauges. The seller reports that the car had 67k miles when Mr. Victor bought the car, and 4,500 miles are now shown on the 5-digit mechanical odometer.

Power is provided by a 239ci flathead V8 backed by a 3-speed manual transmission. The engine is reportedly from a ’49–’53 Mercury and features 24-stud cylinder heads with Mercury and 8CM stampings. The seller notes that the car has a cracked exhaust manifold, and the seller has replaced the 12-volt alternator as well as the driver’s side water pump, and flushed the cooling system.

The original brakes have been replaced with hydraulically-operated units from a 1940 Ford. The seller serviced the system with new hoses, wheel cylinders, and master cylinder. The car retains factory suspension with transverse leaf springs and solid axles. Additional photos of the underside are provided, and show the frame, floors, driveline, and suspension components.

Records include invoices from Gene Winfield’s shops, both Winfield Special Projects and Rod & Custom Construction, as well as past registrations and other service records from the prior owners.