As an elementary school student, Jeff Davis had already figured out what he wanted to do when he grew up. Naturally, it had to do with cars, but his goal wasn’t so much career focused as it was just car related. Jeff shared the story, “I had an older friend when I was growing up and he had a ’55 Chevy gasser that was known as ‘Lil Stinker,’ which he had painted on the front fenders. I was between eight and ten years old at the time and while riding the bus to school I’d see the car at his house every day. I wanted that car so bad.” Davis continued, “Charles Elam owned that ’55. It was a real nice gasser.”
Lusting after Elam’s ’55 gasser for so many years lead Jeff to purchase a ’57 Chevrolet as his first car, not long after turning 14. Jeff built a number of other street machines over the years, but it wasn’t until a friend decided to part ways with his ’31 Ford sedan that Jeff found what he was looking for. “I got it from a friend who had it in a barn,” Jeff explained. “It was a real good solid car…the body was super nice; it still had the original paint.” Jeff wanted to build a ’32 Highboy, but after mentioning to his friend that he would love to build his ’31, the project began.
Davis spent the next two years tailoring the body to his liking. As the owner of Davis Custom Auto Body Repair in Union City, TN, he was well equipped to handle chopping the top, filling the roof and body seams, and raising the rear of the body to accept an external ’32 Ford gas tank. After performing his desired body mods, Davis covered the ’31 in a stunning coat of PPG Antifreeze Green before having Bruce Otway in Murray, KY, add the “Lil Stinker” graphics.
Jeff carried over the custom touches to the interior as well, where he grafted a ’40 Ford dashboard featuring a Classic Instruments insert and gauges. Beneath the custom dash is a steering column from ididit topped with a ’54 Oldsmobile steering wheel. Further customization comes in the form of a rolled and pleated interior courtesy of Sherman Gaines at Gaines Upholstery, also in Union City.
Under the hood is a 350ci Chevy topped with three deuces and backed by a TH350 automatic transmission. Because Davis wanted his two-door sedan to be a legitimate driver, he utilized components from Pete & Jake’s in both the front and rear suspension. “I drive it everywhere I go. I drove it round trip to Tampa, FL, which was 2,500 miles,” Davis explained. “The car rides as well as anything.”
Unfortunately, Charles Elam died in a car accident in 2009, but the impression he and his ’55 Chevrolet made on Davis was strong enough that his legacy as a hot rodder will live on in Jeff’s ’31 Ford. Jeff told us his next project is a ’50 Ford pickup, and we’re eager to see what he’ll use as inspiration. There’s no doubt it’ll be just as cool as his Model A sedan.
See photos to the right of this feature.
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