This story involves engines, cars, and dreams. My 39 Ford and I were born the same year. I've had a few updates and way back before I bought the old coupe in the summer of 1972 it had a SBC engine swap and a little more. Until this week I ***umed it had a 265 or 283 with Powerglide and 55-57 rear end. We're still guessing here because back when I got the old Ford my plans were to put another flathead back in. I didn't care what the engine was but it ran fine and I just drove it till 1979. Dreams and plans change. I found the previous owner before my young neighbor. According to him the coupe had a BBC with two fours. Again I'm guessing. Before he sold the coupe he may have swapped the BBC for the little 307 to a friend with maybe a 69 Nova or similar car. The neighbor kid told me it had a junkyard 265. Like I wrote I didn't really care. I was pricing flatheads. Without facts who knows or really cares? It wasn't until this week I found out what engine it has and my dream of driving it has been revived. I was actually ready to sell it because we are moving 1000 back home. Graduated 1957. Ever since high school I dreamed of owning a 1940 Ford coupe. I got close. Here's the story----------- Found a 1939 coupe in the same cul-de-sac we lived in spring of 1972. New neighbors, young kid newlywed, had been driving it same place I worked at least two years. Wife wanted it gone. Rumor is the previous owner had a big block in it and used it to drag race around Peoria,Ill. Appeared to be set up for racing. Beefy traction bars and dual carb log on firewall. Heavy duty electric fuel pump. Battery in the trunk. Buggy spring shackles reversed. When he decided to sell he sold the BB or swapped for what I was told a junk yard 55-57 SBC. We're now thinking he traded to a buddy who had the small block. I didn't care because I was gonna put a Flathead back in it so never even payed attention to what engine it had. With the dual Cherry bombs it sounded like a flathead. I soon found out it ran decent and was dependable. Drove it like a family car till spring 1979 when the radiator tank broke. Before that we went from near Peoria, Ill to Valparaiso, Ind to a large Chevy show, several big Peoria area shows, and what was to become the very first Street Rod Nationals held in a wheat field where we used to camp east of Peoria. Drove it 15 miles to work regularly in nice weather, a few trips above Chicago and even Wisconsin Dells. Yep it was our daily driver. With the buggy springs and tiny tube shocks it rode decent on the highway but like a log wagon on bumps. Shocks too short! Today...... So now my youngest, 25, is getting it ready to haul back home 1000 miles. First thing he wanted to do was replace the cast iron manifold and small 2-barrel with an aluminum 4-barrel and Edelbrock. Also wanted to stick an HEI on but saw there is no room without beating on the firewall. I told him I want to keep it like when I last drove it in 1979. So that's the plan. Also In my latest plans are Smithey mufflers, new chrome 39 Ford bumpers, or Briz rippled bumpers, and wide white walls. As I've learned, plans change! Up front it has a 1954 Chevy spindle and drum kit, in the back a 55-57 rearend with a kit using the buggy spring with reversed shackles. Plenty low for me. Well I see it needs to go down 4"! Has original 14" Fenton mags and 40+ year old low mileage bias tires that are holding Illinois air. Gas tank had five gallons of 1979 fuel that looked and smelled like gas. Even the electric fuel pump was full of fuel. I finally found two sets of skirts here in Florida. Maybe not 39 style but one set looks good on our 41 Ford 2-door so the other set will do on the 39. Back in 1976 I repainted the deep green metalic paint with 1975 Ford truck red, just like my new truck. Looked good till lately when several places started peeling. Could have been because I didn't get it clean or 40 years of weather changes. Without a lot of facts and figures here is part of the puzzle solved. I always ***umed my 1939 Ford had a 265 Chevy engine and Powerglide. This puzzle is actually being solved as I write. Slightly disappointing as are many things in life. A few days ago my 25 year old son pulled my 1939 Ford coupe out from a 21 year sleep. Yep a barn find! Well my utility shed find. Since I've owned it since mid 1972 it really wasn't lost, just forgotten. My favorite car, buried just because the tri-five Chevy radiator busted. Even the radiator appears to be mounted with a kit. No ****py shade tree ***embly here. We even recently found out why the radiator split. I had replaced the 7# radiator cap with a 14#-17# cap. In heavy work traffic it overheated. While cooling in my driveway the top tank split. Rather than fix it I just played with other cars. happens! In the next 21 years the old car has seen Florida daylight less than a few hours as it was unloaded and pushed into the shed. Before this it was stored in my Illinois main garage several years then moved to an addition behind the garage, basically forgotten for a total of 14 years. That's 35+ years in hybernation. First several years I'd start and run it briefly, running the Powerglide thru the gears. Then it really was forgotten till 1994 when I started it and loaded it on my flatbed for a ride to Florida. Now to the present. Son drug it out of the shed to see if he could get it running to load on my flatbed, take to Illinois, and maybe drive and enjoy once again. We bought a small home on a lane called Memory Lane. Time to start making memories again. Remember it hadn't been started since around July 1994. First thing 25 year old son did this week was pull the plugs, squirt ****** fluid in the cylinders, and start checking things out. All hoses, belts, brake rubber parts are rotted. Even 21 years ago as I drove it up on my trailer I could see daylight thru the carb base gasket and there were no brakes. First thing to do is see whether the SBC is still an engine or an anchor. Oil looked like new and there was still oil in valve train as seen thru the valve cover breather holes. Yep no oil fill tube, draft tube, no cartrige oil filter, and no off set valve cover bolts. But my favorite, Rams Horn manifolds rather than those skinny logs. Not a 265. Points looked like new. He'd soon discover they were stuck together and broke when trying to set them. Didn't matter, just wanted to spin engine over. Hooked up a battery and the starter sounded like new. Engine spun over like it was ran yesterday. There's hope! We bought a new Rochester 2-barrel repair kit, plugs, wires, dist cap, oil, filter, etc. Didn't need the points and condensor kit or rotor. They were hanging on the garage wall, dated 1972. Wrong plugs. It needs the skinny ones. We didn't look in the box. Wrong carb kit. Needs the smaller one. New carb is $210. Hoping for a kit. We still had no idea what engine it is but now knew it was newer than a 265. No oil fill tube and it has accessory holes on head fronts for brackets. This didn't come out till trucks in 1968. We also discovered altho it has front engine mounts and modern filter the engine and ****** were mounted with a decent kit. The front mount is a one piece saddle affair bolting where the old flathead mounted to the frame. Even the powerglide has a custom mount to the "X" member. The old buggy rear spring has heavy duty traction bars and kit type tri-five rear end mounts. Things I long forgot. It was done right! The powergliide shifter has PARK at the back set up for racing and speed shifting. Since it still has the first year Ford hydraulic master cylinder we see where an early Mustang dual master is a bolt on with an adapter. We'll replace that and the wheel cylinders, hoses, and lines and drive it that way. Don't need no stinking power disc brakes. But just what engine does it have? At first son checked on internet telling me it is a 71 327. Made me feel good. Still I bought the car in summer of 72 and I knew the neighbor drove it at least two years or more. Checking the front pad number T910DD and the rear block numbers we came up with this. Not as happy but for a cruise nite car and fun driver I found it was okay. I kept telling my son whatever engine it was it wasn't a performance engine. It was our fun driver and dailer driver from 1972 to spring 1979 in central Illinois. Will it be again? Engine Sept 10, 1969. From an F, X, or A body GM. Made in the Tonawanda plant. It took me from 1972 until now to know because I really didn't care. So I got what appeared to be a four year old stock 307 with obviously low mileage. Even now the 1939 odometer shows 48,735 on the car. Like a fool I let it sit! More useless junk. A supervisor at work had his 1940 coupe restored. My 39 had no bumpers or guards. He either gave me his 40 Ford silver painted bumpers or sold them cheap. I was a trucker. A truck mechanic at the shop was begging to let him put in a stock MMII rack kit in a weekend for $500 total. That's what he had in his 1940 Ford coupe as my buddy did in a 46 sedan. Originally a sledge hammer and a welder was all it took. All these years I've had many chances to sell our 39 Ford Deluxe coupe..... at give-away prices. I hung onto it mostly because it was always my dream vehicle and as long as I own it the dream goes on. I gave it to my oldest son in Illinois who said he would try to get it running and enjoy it. But admitted he really wasn't interested. He's not a car guy so I told him he can still have it when I stop dreaming. So, still only a few ****py pictures to post and still waiting on a carb kit. More pictures when son emails them. Keep in mind these photos are after 35+ years in a shed and the car is basically untouched. I've seen late model cars dirtier. Will the 39 Ford live again? Will I live long enough to enjoy it? Tune in for further updates.
Still waiting on a small 2-barel carb kit. I think it's off a 69 Nova. Has a GM bowtie but no Rochester markings. Here are a few pictures. I haven't even seen my own car more than a few times in 21 years. Two many projects. Damned now I wanna go cruisin. It came to Florida in 94 on that trailer. It'll go back to Illinois the same way. Keep in mind it's been sitting over 35+ years in a shed and all my son did was hosed it off. Dirt, dust, cobwebs, mouse messes, just the way he pulled it out. I've seen late model drivers in worse shape. Surprised me! Definately needs lowered 4". Those bias tires are over 45 years old. It came out of that shed where the red truck is.
Ya know, if you have to come through Huntsville Alabama on the way up, you could drop that thing off and won't be worried about it any longer...
You know what? Everytime we stop at the 351 marker on I-65 at Athens I get confused and forget where Huntsville is! Just a few days ago I was checking right here on prices to maybe sell the old clunker. But when my son pulled it out it was like looking at a ******* model. My heart started pounding harder.
someone's been holding out on use.....that '39 sure looks like a winner just like it is.....god speed on getting on the road.....which reminds me....I have a '39 coupe waiting on me....
just get it running nice...and stopping nice...and drive it enjoy it 'as is'!!!!!! please!!! this is a great car!!!
Yeah, we know that feeling. The good part is that you already own it and all you need to do is work out all the little details to get it back on the road again. You can do it.
After 35+ years of sleep. Not as bad as I expected considering the last 21 was in a shed in NW Florida. Vinyl might clean up but I never did like those Dodge seats. What we liked was the small bench seat in back to haul three kids. I forgot it does not have the banjo wheel! Future home of Lil Red. ?????????????????? Why would any normal human being let his favorite car sit and rot?
First this story was supposed to go in PROJECTS. I never know if my cars are rods, customs, traditional, or rat rods. But since I didn't use proper safety gear I breathed a lot of fumes and get confused easy! The way things have worked out for me I never know. My plans are to redo all brake parts changing to earlyMMII dual master, wide white radials, Brizz type polished bumpers or chrome 39 bumpers, skirts, shocks, replace hoses, belts, carb, etc. Of course new exhaust with cheap gl*** pacs like in the old days, either repaint or just fix the pealing paint, and drive it. Oh yea, since a lousy broken 55-57 Chevy radiator was the cause of me parking it I might buy a new 55-57 Desert Cooler like in the 41 Ford. Most likely a rewire because it still has stock gauges and 12V thru a gizmo and some 76 year old wires. There are a few guages in the glove box. Not real handy! May never get it finished but I'm dreaming again. As for when we are moving, plans were to be in Illinois by April. Not sure which year now!
LOL what a cool old story and who cares if it is a 307 they were not race motors but they still made more zot then the original flathead or the coveted ( ) 235 inline. Last year my missus sent me to Oakland to a party. I have an old Triumph B-Ville that I had not seen until last year since '85. One of the young guys drug it out and got it running for the party. I was stoked. point is that there are just things that should never ever die, like memories dreams should always live. If they just happen to live in the form of an old car that was once left for dead all the better. You will be enjoying that old ford for many more miles my friend. Live your dreams always. Cool story, cool car.
Not much progress on the 39 Ford. But figured since I started a thread I should continue. Small update. Since the car is sitting outside the dinning room window under a carport on my trailer I keep looking out and going "uddin uddin." When it was in the shed I forgot all about it. I'm twentyone again! Decided not to hurry and try to start an old coolant free engine that has basically been sitting 36+ years. It was started and driven up on a trailer 21 years ago. Actually around July 1994. At that time the carb spacer was already rotted and the brakes were broke. Remember, it cranks over.... slowly. We're thinking the long old battery cables and corroded connections may be the problem. Already swapped to a new starter with no luck. In reality the engine was not 100% coolant free. When swapping the waterpump there is still antifreeze from the 70's in the block. We have no idea whether the original 307 1969 waterpump is good. But decided to start replacing things while they were accessable. I did price a new 350 long block; tempting. But who knows how this boat anchor might run. Besides I'm as old as the car and in no hurry anymore. Got a new top radiator hose but gotta wait till Monday for the lower 55 Chevy hose. No ****py flex hoses for this car. Keep in mind this is the boonies of Florida. We're lucky to have auto parts stores. So I figure it's sat this long why not do it sort of right. Here's plan "B". As I mentioned in other threads my son needed a new radiator. Using what little common sense I have left I decided to order a new Griffin aluminum 55 Chevy replacement radiator for the SBC 39 Ford. I've had several other old Fords with SBC and 55-57 Chevy radiators. For me these seem to be a nice fit and since I was also into 55 Chevys had spare radiators. It's already been discussed. There are cheaper and way more expensive replacement radiators. Hopefully this happy medium will do. It's thicker than the Desert Cooler in our 41 Ford and much thicker than the stock 55 Chevy radiator. Electric 16" fan won't fit but that's probably a blessing. Just happened to have a stainless 17" flex fan. If that don't work I'll get another multi-blade non clutch fan. The flex fan is centered perfectly 1" behind the flat shroud opening. If that doesn't keep it cool we can add one of those cheap stainless half circle shrouds cut in half and made full circle. Did that before. So the latest is a new heavy duty radiator that if painted flat black could p*** as an original 55 Chevy radiator. Only this one has a shroud built on for an electric fan. Bought a new waterpump. Sorta has the 70's look again. It'll never be traditional because it wasn't back in 1972 when I bought the car. Son picked up 18' of #2 or 0-2 copper battery cable with clear coating. (18'?) Some will go on other cars. That's the only heavy cable he could find in small town Florida. Bought two battery ends, red one and black one, and a br*** eyelet. He has me convinced running a cable from the battery in trunk behind the spare to the starter and a ground to the tailshaft of the ****** will do better than the ground now just to the trunk floor. We will leave the short ground too. The two barrel carb has been rebuilt and the distributor got new parts and a cap. Fuel tank has been flushed. Who knows what's inside? We'll use a gas can to begin. Slow progress but moving forward. Working on while on the trailer in 103 heat index. I need a beer!
Love your car. I've got a Griffin aluminum radiator and SPAL electric fan with the SBC in my 37 Ford it, cools extremely well.
Thanks. That is great to hear. With the SBC and short waterpump there is only 1" in front of the stainless flex fan. I don't know if one of those thin electrics will clear. Personally I'd rather not use an electric fan on an old style car. I realize it's not officially traditonal but as far as 60's and 70's it is and I'd like to keep it in that era. And I'm still working on a shoe string so none of my cars are magazine winners. Maybe if we ever get moved back we can drive it up to Rock Cut or that nice park down town with a flower garden.
That's a long haul from Possoms Crotch, Ky. Would you have time to check out an old Ford with all those Hooters around? We got pictures at PCB Hooters with my wife and two shifts of Hooters gals in and around my red 55 Chevy wagon. Can't find the photos.
Denny, your right its 630 miles from Possums Crotch to PCB where we have a vacation home. Probably there 6-7 months a year. I have noticed a lot more old car activity in the PC/PCB area lately. Went to a rod run in Okaloosa Island about a month ago just over the Destin Bridge. Gary
We never did make it to any of the "Cruisin the Coast" runs but when we'd vacation in PCB we'd find several car shows and cruise ins. No matter if we went fishing, swimming, or just camping, we'd make sure car events were part of the trip. My wife's wedding anniversary is in Oct so when in Illinois we often went to Wisconsin Dells and while there went to the car museums and shows. Even drove the 39 Ford or my blue 55 Chevy. In Florida we went in Oct to Panama city Beach and got a cheap motel on the Gulf. Hooters is close by. Always drove the 55 Chevy wagon. I think it's only 250 miles for us. I'd rather drive an old car even if it's all beat up. Still waiting on a lower radiator hose for the 39 Ford. Wouldn't you know it, I've got extra top hoses! If we have to we can slide the radiator a few inches from the engine to fit an electric fan. Did that on the 41 Ford.
The Jalopy Journal
