Features My Survivor Story.... 32 3-Window...the build begins

In-friggin-credible. I now know what I must own in life, regardless of cost. Gotta have a 3w....

 

no priming cups common on many veteran cars

 

double wow

 

Very awesome ! good job , I'm thinking it is time for a new avitar young lady.

edsel

 

sweeeeeeeet

 

I'm not sure when "speed bumps" were invented but I'm guessing there were none back in the late 50's. Although I want to get it as close as possible to the original build somethings may have to change. The wife told me he could knock over a pack of non-filtered Lucky Strikes with the car.

 

My Model A is extremely low. The oil pan is about 3 inches off the ground. I have busted one oil pan but have been fortunate otherwise. The roads aren't the greatest here either. That car looks perfect in the pics.If you want to achieve the same stance and get it off the ground a little, I would run a larger diameter wheel and tire. You will have the stance but get it up off the ground a bit more. Just my opinion.

 

When I first saw the thread....I actually thought YOU were trying to have a little fun...

I mean.... THAT is like the most unique 3w ever...so use its pic, the only one we knew about....and instant crazy.

Then I saw the stock frame and said no way its a SURVIVOR...That stance, or lack there of was what made the car significant....and that wasnt due to a 3w body...it was the original frame.

So... after that and seeing the new BUZZ word bonneville....I figured the coupe was just that....a coupe body to you...and not RONs 3w....

Nice to see others appreciate the people....

AND to add to that....each case is as different as each car...and thats YOURS to do as you please....

good luck

Whitey

 

My Roadster grill shell bottom is 1/2 inch above the top of my tennis shoe. The bottom of my axel is the lowest portion of my roadster and it is level with the bottom of my shell. The rest of the car slowly angles upwards going toward the rear of the car. The cutouts which are just past the steering box will just scrape on a speed bump which is 4.5 inches I think? Go measure a speed bump and build it to that.

 

cool thread and great find.

 

man this is a dream come true....I'm so jealous. aaahaahhhhhhhh

 

Frame God?? Is it who I think it is?

 

Grats on the awesome find. I gotta tell you that car has the best stance I have ever seen. Nice road trip story. It is nice to see you started on it right away. Hope you make it to Bonneville.

 

Building the car will be a piece of cake compared to answering this question.

We as hot rod builders are so much more sophisticated these days that we take the solutions to questions yet unsolved when your Deuce was built for granted.

For a moment I put myself in your shoes and asked myself, "Well, Eric, if it was yours what would you do?"

And I found no answer.

To keep it as it was is to preserve a wonderful piece of unsafe and undriveable history (by today's standards!).

To upgrade it in any significant way is to loose forever what it once was...and forfit the "look" which so many find so timelessly appealing.

I do not envy you the decision you must make, but I'm confident you will do the right thing.

Good luck!

Eric

 

Is that blue glass I see...
Love it don't change a thing

 

Congratulation on a great find and killer story ! The 3w is the Holy Grail for Me and look forward to seeing the build .

 

Killer find,nice coupe congrats!!Keep us posted.

 

it seems like you have a genuine interest in mostly preserving the car as it is and making it look like the way it does in the old pictures. i think that's awesome, but at the same time i wonder something as well. is that really what you want? while it would be very cool to see this car set-up like it was originally[as the pics] this is one of those deals where it seems so much of the original car is missing that you kind of have the option there to build it YOUR way. i think the majority here would love to see the car built back to how it looked before and i would as well, but then what? where do you go from there? keeping it the same way it was leaves it still as the previous owners car, to which it will always be known and seen. how do you feel about that? do you want to have a car that's not viewed as "yours" even though you own it?

this car reminds me of Gerard Christensen's '32 coupe in a way. Gerard has had his 3-window for quite awhile and it's generally known as the "Bill Kelly" coupe because that's who originally built it. that car passed through several different owners before Gerard bought it and it apparently was modified and changed, very little, but still by those owners as it passed through thier hands. it looks largely the same as when Bill sold it off and went his own way. Gerard finally decided to change things and modify the car more to his liking and i applaud him for that. he made an effort to make it "his" without ruining it's history. the thing is you can't take the history away from a car, it will always be there. you can take it's identity away by modifying it to the point that it's unrecognizable as to what it was before. but is that wrong?

depends who you ask

my opinion is that it's YOUR car now, do with it what YOU want.

Dave

 

Eric and Dave,
All points noted! It is a difficult decision and one that has been weighing heavy on my mind for weeks now. I know that Ron Bettin was and always will be the builder of the car. It was his vision and dream and he made it happen. He was the type of man that we all love because he was an underdog. Like a lot of people on the HAMB, he used what he had and on a limited income of a kid. I mean, my gosh he started building this when he was 12 years old. Can you imagine what it felt like to drive this to high school? He had to have been a high school hero. All the glory is his!
My job is to rebuild it. I need to make it better, stronger, safer and preserve it. The car will go back as close as possible to the original build, then I'm going to drive the wheels off of it!

 

Is that the same Ron Bettin with the huge sign collection ?

 

This story is amazing and after reading the last response I am so glad it is in the right hands.

Kisam is my hero.

 

My god that must have been a good felling to get the body on the frame an mock the tires up. Seeing what once was and what soon will be is giving me chills. It might be the single handed greatest finds that I have seen in a couple years for sure.

I mean, how many times have we posted that car on the HAMB in random threads without actually ever seeing the real thing. You just caught a fucking Unicorn!!!!!

 

thats what i was thinking too.

killer old hot rod!

JEFF

 

wow...

That 3 window RULES... Looks like its in great hands. Can't wait to see this one come together. Keep posting updates!

Tuck

 

Only one thing better than finding a 3W, finding a 3W with a race history. See if you can find that timing plate.

 

How did you find out about this one? Great Scott! That still amazez me that there still out there!!

 

I thought I was gonna read another thread about finding a 32 body! UN FUCKING BELIEVABLE!!!!! You even got a blown Hemi with it! You have just jumped to the TOP of my "LUCKIEST FUCKER I KNOW" list! Right up there with JustplainJ. Wish I could find something like that. I bow down to you woman....You rule! Hope to see it done...SOON!

 

WOW! what a relief to hear your gonna preserve it.....

 

Nope, that Ron Bettin is from Chillicothe, Ohio and here is his website: http://www.oilsign.com/

I had heard about a 3W coming up for auction in Norfolk (I'm only 140 miles north) but I didn't know the car and its history and I had forgotten all about it (damn oldtimers disease!). I figured since I heard about it through the Deuce grapevine that a lot of heavy hitters would be shooting for it anyway. Congratulations on bringing it home and for keeping its history alive.

Here is Ron's obituary so people can learn a little more about him.

Private services and interment for Ronald Bettin, 65, of Norfolk, will be at later date.

Ron - a beloved husband, father and grandfather - died peacefully in his sleep after a lengthy illness.

Ron was born at home to Claude and Ruth Kropp Bettin on Sept. 8, 1943. He graduated from Norfolk High School in 1963 and was a member of The Coachmen and The Pegasus Men car clubs. Ron was well known for his exceptional mechanical talents, and they really shined whenever he took one of his hot rods out for a spin.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1965 until 1967 in Vietnam and was a lineman in a signal company. He married Kay Kelley on Aug. 9, 1969, at the Congregational Church in Plainview. Their only child, a daughter, Rona, was born in April 1973.

Ron was a lifelong car, motorcycle and aviation enthusiast. With little prompting, Ron would dazzle with his uncanny knowledge and understanding of physics and mechanics. And he never hesitated to share an anecdote about a real-life adventure surrounding a particular incident or interest.

His wife Kay, their daughter, Rona, her husband Chris and their son Matthew, all of Norfolk, survive Ron. He is also survived by two brothers, Claude Jr. "Bud" and his wife, Connie, of Omaha and Roger "Butch" and his wife, Cheryl, of Norfolk; one sister, Virginia "Ginny" Reeves and her husband, Jerry, of Norfolk; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Ron was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Ruth and Claude, and sister Ruthann Sila.

Ron was always cheerful and willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, even in the later stages of his illness when he was no longer able to get around as well as he would have liked. His presence was treasured and honored in life and will be greatly missed in death.




Reader Comments

Posted: Thursday, July 30, 2009
Article comment by: Robert G. Williams, Jr.

My sincerest condolences to Ron's family. I was deeply moved at hearing of his passing. Ron was a mentor to me as a youth regarding cars / engines and was always willing to answer my questions and teach a budding car enthusiast the right way to do things. His name always comes up when I am teaching my boys about cars. Thank you Ron! You will be missed.

All my respect,

Bob Jr.

Posted: Thursday, July 30, 2009
Article comment by: Gary and Chris Smith

Our thoughts and prayers are with both of you and your families. Ron will be greatly missed.

Posted: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Article comment by: Pam Kelly-Hintz

Dear Kay and Rona,
I am so sorry about Ron's death. Please know you are in My thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Pam and Family

Posted: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Article comment by: Carol (Bernhardt) Gregory

My condolences to Ron's family. Loved his cars & his knowledge of them.