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"Ruth" is resplendent in Ruby Red metallic paint on a picture-perfect day in Sumner County. Brad Bennett had his grandmother's 1940 Chevrolet restored and named as a tribute to his grandmother Ruth Lewis, who bought the car brand-new and obviously took very good care of it.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

Brad Bennett

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

In honor of the woman who bought the car new 70 years ago, her name is inscribed on the dashboard.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

It's probably an overused cliche to call a car's design "voluptuous," but these curves and contours speak for themselves.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

At first glance, everything, including the beautiful ivory-colored 3-spoke steering wheel, appears to be showroom stock. The old pointer-style gauges, however, have been replaced by more accurate, more visible digital units in the instrument panel.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

The standard Stovebolt 6 engine was freshened up a bit and converted to operate on a more reliable 12-volt electrical system.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

Bennett kept as much of the car original as possible, opting for a reproduction grille and hubcaps because of damage to the stock pieces. The wide whitewall tires are radial replicas of the old bias-ply rolling stock.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

D & M Upholstery in Wichita sewed up the custom silver/gray cloth interior, accenting it with maroon piping.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

The commodious back seat received the same cloth treatment as the front passenger area and the door and side panels.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

An ample trunk got treated to some red carpet, but Bennett kept the original factory spare tire as a memento. "It's probably got 1940 air in it," he quips.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle

Current owner Brad Bennett chose a modern Chevy Suburban color for his grandmother's prized 1940 Chevy Special Deluxe sedan. Body work and paint were handled by Mark and Steve Garringer.

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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle