Hot Rods Finally Found Myself A Shoebox Ford

For several years I've had an itch for a '49-'51 Ford car, not so much due to the increasing popularity as to a fondness going back to 1964 and my first car, a '49 Ford fordor sedan with a flathead eight and three-speed manual with overdrive.

About 15 years ago I bought a '50 Club Coupe in aged, but restorable, condition, but the needs and demands of family and career at that point in life led me to sell it rather than watch it sit untouched in my back yard. I have bemoaned that action many times during the passing years.

I put all that regret behind me for good yesterday when I loaded onto my trailer a 1951 Ford Custom Club Coupe I pulled from the leaky, drafty, dusty brick and stucco building in which it had been locked since 1979.

I was unable to get pictures of the car as it sat, surrounded by junk, near an overhead door in the rear wall of the old building. It was just too dark and too little of the car was visible.

I used a castoff bed slat to capture cobwebs as I insinuated myself between some old water heaters and the overhead door. The door latch snapped open willingly, but it took 15 minutes of alternately prying each corner to get the door moving in its tracks.

By the time the door was fully opened, I was engulfed in swirling dust, but the sight I beheld would have rendered me immune to the bites of a dozen brown recluse spiders at that moment.

The coupe had been repainted shortly before being sealed up and appeared to still be in excellent external condition, no rust, no dents. The tires had been flat for years, but all inflated and held. Five minutes later, after a careful pull with a long chain attached to the front of my truck, the Ford rolled into the sunshine for the first time in 29 years, half my life. Here's how it looked sitting at the curb.







I found nothing missing beyond the ignition switch, cigarette lighter and driver vent window. The hood popped open without complaint, and an inspection of the engine bay found everything in place. I grabbed the fan and rotated the engine by hand, which resulted in both water pumps beginning to drip coolant clearly laced with antifreeze. The dipstick marked the oil level as half-a-quart below full.



The interior is all original, with seat covers over the original seat upholstery. All the fabrics are fragile and saturated with dust, and the headliner is hanging in tatters. There is, astoundingly, no sign of rodents ever having been in the car. I pulled the rear seat cushion and found no damage to the cotton padding which mice normally pull away and store in the headliner.





The car was not factory-outfitted with a radio. All the radio delete plugs and plates remain in place. I don't have a picture, but the oil/tire pressure specification is quite legible on the inside of the glovebox door. The cardboard glovebox enclosure is intact.









The only disheartening discovery is that the engine will not turn a complete revolution. I suspect a stuck lifter, but I'm going to do the usual Marvel Mystery Oil injection in case the problem is only a dry cylinder.

Regardless of the outcome, I'm thrilled outta my mind. I envision no external modifications other than fender skirts and some type of wheel treatment, either baby moons and trim rings or flipper wheelcovers.

If I can make the flathead answer the call to action, modification probably will be limited to dual exhaust with glasspacks, although I wouldn't rule out multiple carburetion down the road. Should this original engine prove to have a serious, expensive problem, a 289/302 SBF will retire it to storage.

I decided last year, when I had freezing snot running from my nostril to my ear, that I was old enough to have lost any interest in any second party's opinion of my toughness and would not again drive my topless touring car hot rod on a cold day, so I've been dreading the coming winter and its limits on recreational driving time.

Now, I'll have a car for every season, accompanied by the same pleasure of ownership in my later years that I had in my earlier years. Here, from the same angles, are pictures of the coupe after a quick bath.

 

Great find! Keep the flatty please!

 

what a COOL find (and neat story),,,,,,good luck with her,,
that looks like a nice car,,

 

I hate you...;oP

 

Nice car!

 

thats a damn fine start!!!

 

Looks pretty straight!!!!! Never did like the chrome,tailight things on the 51's. Just a trap for rust! Cleaned up very well...

 

Thats sweet

 

nice project

 

Man what a great discovery!
Congrats...Gotta love a 'Shoe

 

Congrats!Cool story,lucky bastard!

 

Great story and great find!

 

Oh No!! Mr Bill, You found a gem here brother. I have always lusted after the 51's, and a coupe as well. I am so happy for you man. You do a great job of digging out some gems!! Congrats!!-Sololobo

 

Excellent find, Bill. That thing is sweetheart!

 

Great story! Very well written. Great find on the car too, looks to be in very nice shape.

 

Nice find, sharing your story makes even better!

 

Man you couldn't ask for a better body to start with than that one. Some of my first few projects when I was in high school where 49's so I have always had a soft spot for them.

 

Bill., nice find. What little west Texas town did you find it in?

 

very nice. remarkably intact...

 

It was in Slaton, TX, a town of about 6,500 situated 12 miles southeast of Lubbock.

 

wow! the car cleaned up great , nice score bill..

 

That thing is as solid as it gets, very nice find Bill!

 

Great find! Congratulations, '51's are my favorites. May I compliment you on your fine writing style also...

Joel

 

nice score

 

Thanks for the great story and pics! That is a true find and jawdroppingly original!

 

Gongrats on the car! Hope the Flathead will be up to the call, would be sad to see it go for a SBF..

 

Great score. Good luck and have fun.

(keep the flattie)

 

Man, I can only image how that feels when you get the call about a old car hidden away ,
The surprise when you open that door and get the first glimpse of the chrome and wonder how good or bad its going to be in the light of day...

All the time wanting to pinch yourself to make sure that its for real!

Bill, I don't know you BUT brother you have got to be one of the good guys TA have the karma bless ya with that car.

Its very nice, even better after the bath ,I know you will do it justice and have a ball while doing the changes to get her on the road.

Thanks for sharing and giving us all hope that we will someday find our own treasure.

 

thats a very cool find and save good luck with it ,

 

Cleaned up nice man... congrats on the car you have been waiting on for years..